Shadow Slave - One Shots

Sunny leaned back on his hands, utterly satisfied with himself. 

Nephis, still seated on the grass, remained as composed as ever, on the surface. But even in the dim glow of the enclosed space, he could see it.

The red tint on her ears, the way her fingers twitched slightly against the ground. 

She lifted a hand, brushing it absently over the spot he had just marked. Her silver eyes flicked up to meet his. 

Finally, she spoke, her voice even, controlled. 

"…What was that for?" 

Sunny exhaled slowly, tilting his head, letting his gaze linger on her just long enough to make her shift almost imperceptibly. His smirk deepened. 

"Nothing," he said, voice deceptively light. "Just a game." 

A pause. 

Then- 

"Did I win?"

Nephis didn't answer. Not right away.

Her fingers lingered against her neck for a moment longer before dropping to her lap. She was still composed but the flush on her skin refused to fade. Sunny could see it even as the shadows around them unraveled, dissolving into nothingness.

The barrier was gone.

The world rushed back in. The sounds of laughter, of Cassie yelping as Effie and Kai continued their relentless assault, of the breeze rustling the leaves above them. It was as if nothing had happened at all.

Nephis turned her face away, just slightly, her silver hair shifting with the movement. And then, in a voice just quiet enough that only he could hear.

"…I don't think so."

Sunny blinked.

She wasn't looking at him. She wasn't smirking, or teasing, or making a move to retaliate. But something about the way she said it made his chest tighten.

'Was that… a challenge?'

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Then, before he could think better of it, he reached out and flicked her lightly on the back of her head.

Nephis blinked, finally turning back to him.

"What was that for?"

Sunny shrugged, feigning indifference. "Just a game."

For the first time in a long time, he thought he saw the faintest hint of amusement flicker in her gaze.

But before he could say anything else, a sudden voice cut through the air-

"HEY!" 

Both he and Nephis turned, only to find Effie standing a few feet away, hands on her hips, eyes narrowed in suspicion. 

"The hell are you two whispering about over there?" she demanded, glancing between them.

Then, her eyes sharpened as she looked closer. "Wait… what's that on your neck, Neph?" 

Sunny felt Nephis go completely still beside him. 

Cassie, who had just been freed from Kai and Effie's torment, perked up. "What?" 

Kai leaned in. "Ohhh, interesting." 

Nephis, to her credit, didn't react outwardly.

Her expression remained cool but the faintest shade of pink began creeping back up her neck. 

Sunny, meanwhile, had already changed his face into the most neutral expression possible. 

"…It's nothing," Nephis said evenly. 

Effie's eyes narrowed further. "It doesn't look like nothing." 

Kai grinned, clearly entertained. "Oh, I don't know… it kind of looks like a-" 

"Nothing," Nephis repeated, her tone firm.

Kai snorted but wisely decided not to push further. 

Effie, however, wasn't so easily deterred. 

She shot Sunny a sharp look. "You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?" 

Sunny met her gaze without hesitation. "No idea what you're talking about." 

Technically, not a lie. 

Effie squinted at him for a long moment, then at Nephis, then back again, before finally throwing her hands up in defeat. 

"Whatever, I don't care anymore," she muttered, waving them off. "We're eating now. Come on before all the good stuff is gone." 

With that, she stomped off, dragging Cassie along with her. 

Kai lingered for a second longer, smirking, before following. 

Sunny exhaled, shaking his head. When he glanced back at Nephis, she was already staring at him. 

A silent promise passed between them. 

The game wasn't over. 

Not yet. 

And it would continue soon. 

Sunny smirked to himself. 

******

For now, there were more important matters at hand.

Food.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he followed the others toward the makeshift picnic spread, where an assortment of meals was laid out. The scent of grilled meat, fresh bread, and something sweet lingered in the air.1

Effie had, unsurprisingly, taken up the role of serving herself first, her plate already piled high with everything she could grab.

"Finally!" she huffed, biting into a piece of roasted chicken. "Took you two long enough."

Cassie sat cross-legged on the blanket, her fingers idly tracing patterns on the fabric while Kai sat beside her, effortlessly balancing a plate on one knee.

"What's wrong, Sunny?" Kai asked with amusement, motioning toward the food. "Not hungry?"

Sunny rolled his eyes and grabbed a plate. "I'm starving."

He filled it up with whatever looked good, though he made sure to keep an eye on Effie.

Just as she turned away for a moment, distracted by Cassie asking her a question, Sunny casually reached over and plucked a piece of food right off her plate.

He took a bite.

Delicious.

Effie turned back, only to pause, her brows furrowing. "Hey, where the hell did my dumpling go?!"

Cassie tilted her head. "I thought you ate it?"

"I... what?" Effie blinked at her plate, genuinely baffled. "I did?"1

Sunny kept his expression carefully neutral.

Kai, unfortunately, noticed.

And smirked.

Cassie frowned. "You might be eating too fast again, Effie."

Effie squinted at her plate, then shrugged. "Maybe…"

Sunny took another bite of his dumpling.

Nephis, sitting beside him, elbowed him lightly. He glanced at her, only to find her watching him with that quiet, knowing gaze.

She had seen everything.

But instead of calling him out, she merely hummed, picking up a piece of fruit and taking a slow bite.

Sunny narrowed his eyes.

A silent exchange.

A warning.

She was planning something.

He chewed thoughtfully, gaze flickering to her throat, where the faintest hint of a mark remained.

This wasn't over.

Not even close.

The meal carried on, filled with easy conversation and the occasional bickering from Effie when food mysteriously vanished from her plate. Sunny remained inconspicuous about it, though Kai's smirk grew more pronounced every time it happened. 

Cassie, oblivious as ever, simply enjoyed her meal. "This is really nice," she murmured, savoring a bite of something sweet. "We should do this more often." 

Nephis nodded in agreement, though her attention never strayed far from Sunny. 

He could feel it. 

Effie, in response asked. 

"Since we've done the Waterpark, and now this picnic.. what do we say we play a sport!"

Kai, seemly ecstatic of the idea, responded with, "How about Tennis?"

Sunny inwardly groaned at the idea, but didn't seem much of it.

"Sounds nice. Though I won't be able to play." Cassie said.

Silence.

"Anyways..." Effie muttered.

After a while, Kai stretched lazily, reclining back on his elbows. "So," he mused, eyes flickering toward Nephis. "Are we just not gonna talk about the obvious, or...?" 

Sunny stiffened. 

Nephis remained composed, but he caught the way her fingers curled slightly against her knee. 

Effie, licking her fingers clean, tilted her head. "Obvious what?" 

Kai gestured vaguely toward Nephis. More specifically, her throat. 

The spot where Sunny had left his mark. 

Effie squinted, leaning in slightly. 

Nephis, calm as ever, reached for a drink. 

Sunny, on the other hand, felt his stomach drop. 

Cassie, ever perceptive in her own way, frowned. "What's happening?" 

Effie suddenly gasped, pointing directly at Nephis. "Hold on-" 

Sunny moved fast. 

He flicked his fingers subtly, and a small wisp of shadow curled around Effie's wrist, making her jolt. "Ah, what the hell?!?" 

She flailed, the momentary panic making her drop her focus entirely. 

Kai barked out a laugh, while Cassie looked vaguely concerned. 

"Why does it feel like I'm missing something?" she mumbled. 

"You are," Kai said cheerfully. 

Sunny exhaled, forcing a lazy smirk. "Nothing important." 

Nephis sipped her drink, her expression unreadable. 

Effie, still grumbling about "phantom hands" grabbing her, seemed to forget about the whole ordeal. 

'Crisis averted... For now.'