Shadow Slave - One Shots

After what felt like hours of rides, splashes, and near-death experiences (or at least that's how Sunny felt, my guy was sufferin), the cohort finally decided to take a break.

The sun was starting to dip lower in the sky, casting long golden rays across the water park. The air was still thick with the scent of chlorine but now, something else lingered. Food. The kind that made Sunny's stomach twist with hunger the moment he smelled it.

They walked toward a restaurant near the pools, a casual open-air place with a mix of grilled food, cold drinks, and fresh fruit. The scent of sizzling meat and fried snacks made Effie's eyes light up immediately. (writing this makes me hungry)

"I'm ordering everything." she declared.

Kai chuckled. "At least let us sit down first."

The group found a table near the edge of the restaurant, with a clear view of the large pool area below. It was busy but not crowded, the sound of laughter and splashing water blending with the hum of conversation.

Sunny sat at the blue colored seat, sighing.

Nephis, sitting beside him, was quiet. Not in her usual unreadable way, but more like she was lost in thought. Every now and then, her fingers brushed against her arm, as if remembering the feeling of holding onto him during the rides.

Sunny noticed. He didn't say anything, but his gaze lingered for a moment longer than it should have.

Before either of them could dwell on it further:

"Well, well," a familiar voice drawled from behind them. "Look who it is."

Sunny froze.

A chair scraped against the floor, and then, before he could fully process it, someone dropped into the seat across from him, leaning back with a lazy smirk.

Jet.

She looked exactly the same as he remembered, sharp, intense, radiating an effortless kind of authority considering her origin. Her black hair was tied back, and she wore simple but practical clothes, her posture relaxed but somehow still commanding.

Before Sunny had the chance to speak first, Jet cut him off.

Jet, smirking. "So? What brings you to a water park, of all places?"

Sunny crossed his arms. "I could ask you the same thing."

Jet shrugged. "I was in the area. Figured I'd check things out. Didn't expect to run into you of all people." Her eyes glinted with amusement. "Let me guess, this wasn't your idea."

Effie cackled. "Oh, absolutely not. We practically had to drag him here."

Jet snorted. "Yeah, that checks out."

Sunny scowled. "Are you just here to insult me, or do you actually want something?"

Jet leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. "Relax, kid. I'm just here to eat." Then, after a brief pause, she added, "But now that I am here, I might stick around. See how much you've changed."

Sunny narrowed his eyes. "I haven't changed."

Jet's smirk deepened. "Oh, I highly doubt that."

Before he could respond, a waiter approached with a notepad. "What can I get you all?"

Effie, already holding the menu like it contained the secrets of the universe, immediately launched into her order. "I'll take three of these burgers, a full plate of fries, and—ooh, do you guys have milkshakes?"

Kai, still laughing, put in his own order. Cassie requested something light, and Nephis, as usual, was direct and to the point with hers.

Then the waiter turned to Sunny.

He sighed. "Just give me whatever's easiest."

Jet clicked her tongue. "Still as indecisive as ever."

"I just don't care," Sunny muttered.

Jet smirked but didn't push further. Instead, she placed her own order. Something simple, but quick, before stretching her arms behind her head.

"So, what's next?" she asked. "More rides? Or are you all finally calling it a day?"

Effie grinned. "Actually, we were just about to do the Abyssal Drop."

Jet raised an eyebrow. "The what now?"

Kai gestured toward the towering ride in the distance. It was massive, standing over everything else in the park. A near-vertical drop into what looked like an enclosed tunnel of water.

Jet let out a low whistle. "Damn. That looks… fun."

Sunny, who had been trying to ignore the ride's existence, scowled.

Nephis, who had been quiet for most of the conversation, finally spoke. "You should join us."

Jet blinked. Then she grinned. "Oh? An invitation?"

Nephis tilted her head. "You're here. Might as well make the most of it."

Sunny shot her a look. Seriously?

Jet chuckled. "Well, well. How could I say no to that?"

Effie cheered. "Yes! This is gonna be amazing."

Sunny groaned.

'This day just kept getting worse.' Sunny thought inwardly.

********

After eating, they wandered back into the park, energy restored. The sky had deepened into a warm orange, casting long shadows over the shimmering pools.

Then they reached it.

The Abyssal Drop.

It loomed over them, towering and terrifying. A near-vertical slide that dropped riders straight down before launching them into a winding tunnel of water.

Sunny stared up at it.

"…This is stupid."

Jet let out a low whistle. "Damn. That's a hell of a drop."

Kai grinned. "Back out now, and we'll never let you forget it."

Jet laughed. "Please. I'm not the one you should be worried about." Her eyes flicked toward Sunny with barely concealed amusement.

Sunny crossed his arms. "I'm fine."

Nephis, standing beside him, glanced his way.

She hadn't teased him about the water once. Not after the wave, not after the slides. She had just… stayed by his side.

Effie rubbed her hands together. "Alright! Who's going first?"

Kai stretched. "Effie and I, obviously."

The two of them practically sprinted up the stairs.

Sunny exhaled, glancing at Nephis. "I guess that means we're going together again."

Nephis nodded. "If you want."

Sunny groaned. "That again?"

Jet chuckled. "Oh, this is fun."

As they climbed, the view stretched out beneath them. The pools, the park, the entire world below. So far away.

Sunny felt his heart pick up speed.

Nephis was quiet beside him.

They reached the top.

Effie and Kai were already gone, their cheers echoing from the tunnel below.

Then it was their turn.

Sunny stared at the near-vertical drop.

"…This is so stupid."

The attendant gestured for them to sit.

Nephis stepped forward first.

Then, as Sunny hesitated, she turned.

Held out her hand.

Sunny stared at it.

A thousand moments flashed through his mind. Her trust. Her presence. The weightlessness of the water, the sound of her voice.

And suddenly, he realized.

This wasn't just a ride.

It wasn't just fear.

He wasn't just nervous about falling.

He was nervous about falling for her.

But Nephis was patient. Always patient.

Sunny swallowed.

Then, slowly, he reached out.

Took her hand.

She closed her fingers around his.

Warm. Steady.

The attendant barely gave them time to process before...

A push.

The world tilted.

And they fell.