SHADOW SLAVE: CROWN OF HOLLOW SCORN

Another Carapace Scavenger lay dead.

Its chitinous body split open at Valen's feet. He crouched, fingers digging into the its flesh, pulling apart the armor plates with ease.

Crack

The wet snap of bones breaking echoed, the splintering marrow a promise of nourishment. 

Then, he heard a sound he hadn't heard in a while.

Subtle, but distinct. It was a patter of footsteps.

His grip tightened around his sword. Valen had wandered alone for a while now only meeting the occasional scavenger. Their number had decreased for some reason.

'A Sleeper? Or something worse?

The air thickened with tension as he slowly straightened, His mind running through the possibilities—a monster lurking just out of sight, waiting for him to drop his guard.

Then, Out of nowhere an attack came. A blur of red and black slammed into him, an impact like a sledgehammer to his skull. He staggered back, his vision flickering.

Fast

. Too fast.

Wings—small, insectile—buzzed violently for a fraction of a second before vanishing in a blur. The creature darted toward him again, a streak of living darkness against the ruins. But this time, Valen was ready. He swung, on instinct, his blade flashing One precise stroke. One clean cut.

A piercing, inhuman scream echoed as the creature fell, its body twitching before going still.

Then, silence.

[You have slain an Awakened Beast. Dusk Wisp Moth ]

[...You have received a Memory: Scream of the Dusk Whisperer]

Memory: [ Scream of the Dusk Whisperer]

Memory Rank: Awakened

Memory Type: Utility

Memory Description: [Forged from the final cry of a creature born of twilight's despair, this bone flute carries the sound of hunted things.]

More footsteps. Distant this time. But moving closer.

[...Your burden grows heavier.]

***

The path to the tall hill was easier than expected. Nephis led the way, her movements precise, purposeful. There was no hesitation in her steps, no wasted motion. She knew exactly where to go, how to avoid unnecessary fights, how to navigate the labyrinth of ruins with unsettling efficiency.

In fact, they could have moved ever quicker if not for Cassie, who had stupidly broken her ankle.

"Was it you two nights ago? I saw an orange light in the distance."

Cassie's face darkened. "Yes. That was the first time we made a fire. It turned out to be a terrible mistake."

Nephis exhaled sharply, as if remembering something unpleasant.

Sunny raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Cassie hesitated, fingers brushing against her hair. She turned slightly, as if waiting for Nephis to explain.

"At night, any light attracts monsters," she said finally. "First, scavengers attacked us. And then… then…"

She paled. There was no need to finish. Sunny still remembered the colossal tentacle. If he hadn't met them when he did, he might have made the same mistake.

"I see."

Nephis glanced at the sky. "We should be fine now. There's still time before sunset."

She busied herself with the fire. Cassie sat on a pile of seaweed, her injured leg stretched out awkwardly. Sunny lowered himself onto the cold stone, letting his bruised body rest.

"I have fresh meat in my rucksack. Do you have water?"

Cassie smiled dumbly.

After a bit of yapping they finally settled down. The sea swallowed the last remnants of light, and darkness crept back in and the night was upon them. Everything was consumed by absolute darkness.

Of course, Sunny could easily see both Nephis and Cassia. Under the cover of the night, Changing Star remained pretty much the same. The blind girl, however, allowed her true emotions to show, thinking that no one would see. She seemed much more lost, lonely and frightened than she did in the day. The girl tried to mask it, forcing a bright voice.

"How about we introduce ourselves properly? I'm Cassie."

Nephis shrugged.

"Neph."

Next, it was Sunny's turn. He exhaled, glad that they didn't ask his name directly. Most likely, he would still have been able to provide his human name — however, it also might have depended on the wording of the question.

"I'm Sunless. But—"

Splash

Suddenly,

A hand shot up from the water's edge.

Long fingers, trembling, clawed against the stone, hauling its body up out of the abyss, the figure slumped forward, bringing a pressure familiar to them as he hit the stone with a sickening thud.

Cassie flinched.

Nephis moved instantly, her sword in her hands.

"Wait!" Sunny shouted , stepping forward before she could strike.

He took a step forward, his shadow curling around him. Sunny's eyes narrowed, peering through the dark.

The drenched figure slowly pushed himself up, his breath ragged, his body shaking. A mane of dark, soaked hair clung to his face with blood shot eyes that made him look like a crack head.

It was Valen.

***

Valen coughed, seawater spilling from his lips as he gasped for air. HE looked up to see a not one, but two swords pointed at him.

Nephis. Sunny.

And behind them, the disabled girl.

He forced himself upright. The weight of the crown seared his forehead, pulling him from his daze.

Disrespect.

The word slithered through his mind, a whisper of contempt. The pain burned sharper, coursing down his spine, spreading like wildfire through his veins.

His fingers twitched at his sides, his knuckles whitening.

"Lower your weapons, you ugly bastards," he spat, his voice low and menacing. "Before I make you regret it."

(Guys I need some help for these crown spurred insults, any ideas?)

Nephis didn't budge. Her expression remained cold. Unreadable.

Then Cassie spoke. "Neph, stop. It's him."

Only then did Nephis lower her blade.

Valen sneered, the crown burning fiercer. Golden veins pulsed along his forehead as he stepped away from the water's edge.

"Yea, be a good girl and listen to your girlfriend."

"So it really is you?"

Sunny let out a shaky laugh. "You scared the shit out of us."

Valen said nothing. He stepped forward, slow and deliberate. The weight of his presence pressed down on them.

Sunny hesitated, then forced a grin.

"Now where was I?"

"Right… I was just introducing myself. I'm Sunless. But you can call me Sunny."

"Uhh,...." Sunny thought about it for a moment, carefully wording out his next sentence," Would you like to please introduce yourself Valen?"

He stared expectantly at Valen.

Valen didn't move.

Then, finally—

"…I'm Valen."

Sunny swallowed, then forced a grin. "Well, that's that. Since we're going to be depen- uhh… together for a while, maybe we should all share our abilities? You know, to survive."

Nephis stared at him, unreadable.

Valen remained quiet. 

Sunny sighed.

"I'll start."

***

"I'll start," Sunny said, both to show his sincerity and to reveal information about himself in a controlled manner.

"My attributes give me an affinity to shadows. I also have a slight affiliation to divinity. Lastly, I am prone to finding myself in unlikely situations."

Cassie listened carefully, and then lowered her head, as though embarrassed.

"Uh… he is telling the truth. Not that we doubted your honesty!"

Sunny cleared his throat and smiled,

"Really? That's good to know. But… why are you so sure that I am being honest?"

The blind girl shifted a little.

"Oh! That's my Ability. I can "see" people's Attributes. Sometimes, I also receive, uh, "visions". They can be about the future or the past. I mean, that's what I think… it only happened a couple of times."

Valens eyes hardened hearing that.

Noted.

"That's a good Ability. Speaking of Abilities: you have already seen mine. My shadow can move independently and explore. It can't affect the material world, but we share sight and hearing. That way, I can spot danger before encountering it. The shadow is fast and stealthy: it can go anywhere and is almost impossible to notice. Oh, I can also see in the dark."

Hearing that, Nephis slowly turned her head in his direction, while Cassie became a bit pale and raised her hands to cover her chest.

"Uh… what?"

Nephis frowned and said in a flat tone:

"Have you ever used your Ability in the Academy?"

Sunny blinked.

'What a strange question!'

"In the Academy? Sure, of course. Why?"

'..The thing beneath the waves' Valen thought as he tuned out Sunny's babbling out, still listening for anything interesting, but mostly focusing on his experience under the dark waters of the Forgotten shore. 'It had been watching him. An unseen force, ancient and patient. If he had stayed submerged a moment longer, it would have swallowed him whole.'

"-or Memories, I have three. One is an armor, one is a sword, and the last one is a really loud bell."

It was Nephis's turn.

"My attributes give me an affinity to light and fire, as well as a strong affiliation to divinity. I have two Memories: a rope and a sword. The rope is very sturdy and can change its length. The sword is very sharp and can protect its wielder against souls attacks, to a certain extent. My Ability… can be used to heal."

Useful.

'But with his skills,' Valen scoffed, 'He would hardly need someone else's aid.'

With a carefully worded question from Sunny, he gave them an answer. His first ability was powerful but He bet that they already knew it.

"Uhhh, I have 2 memories, A sword and a loud flute of some sorts. I have a ability that's kind of hard to explain." 

With a bit of will form Valens side,

A crushing pressure suddenly descended upon them.

It was subtle at first, always there, but it was just a faint tightening around their chests. Now, it grew.

Cassie shuddered, her breath hitching as she instinctively curled in on herself.

Sunny stiffened, his fingers twitching toward his sword. Even Nephis' grip on her weapon tightened, the muscles in her arms tensing ever so slightly.

The feeling was suffocating. Not just physical—but something deeper. A weight pressing against their minds, their very souls.

Sunny gritted his teeth.

Nephis had felt this before.

"This…" he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "This is your ability?"

Valen tilted his head slightly, watching their reactions.

"Yeah."

The pressure lingered for a moment longer, stretching the silence between them.

Then, just as suddenly as it had come—

It was silently faded away to a bearable state.

Cassie exhaled sharply, shuddering as she gripped her knees.

Nephis said nothing, but her eyes burned with quiet calculation.

Sunny let out a slow breath, forcing a grin.

"Well. That was… something."

Valen just chuckled,

There was no trust between them.

Despite the fact that knowing your companion's Flaw was also important for cooperation and having each other's backs, sharing something like that demanded a very high level of trust. All three of them kept it a secret.

(Except Cassie. I wonder what her flaw is guys)

And right now he preferred it that way.

With a grim look in his face, Valen looked at his runes.

[Flaw: Crown of hollow scorn]

[The crown remembers every slight, real or imagined. You are cursed to do the same].

Teamwork was not his strong suit.

____

Slight means insult.