Shadow Slave Fanfic: The Song of The Shadow Beast

It was utterly Impossible.

Not in a million years would Nephis have imagined finding herself in such a situation.

Her heartbeat surged, more than it ever had before. And for the last daughter of the Immortal Flame, that was no small statement.

She had faced horrors beyond human endurance, walked a path that others saw as an impenetrable wall. Yet, for the first time in her life, the scene before her shattered the indifference she had clung to so fiercely.

But…it wasn't the fact that the entire Transcendent Royal Family of the Song Clan sat in front of her.

It wasn't even the way Rain had reacted, fury written across her face, at the absurd situation they had both been thrown into.

No.

Because for the first time in years, Nephis felt something foreign, something she had never quite understood.

Jealousy.

Had he gathered all these beautiful women because she wasn't enough for him?

Was that why they wore his clothes, like they had spent a heated night with him and still wished to bask in his warmth?

Or was it something else? Was it a message, perhaps punishment for the words she had once spoken? For telling him that her heart would never fully belong to him? Had that driven him to act, to share his heart with others as well?

For a fleeting moment, Nephis felt devastated. Yet beneath it all, she could still sense it, his longing for her.

So…he hadn't abandoned his feelings.

But the thought that he decided to share them with others still bloomed in her head. And she would not rest until she had an answer to what here transpired.

Had she made a mistake entrusting her heart to him?

She forced herself to stay composed, calling on every ounce of discipline she had.

Her mask of indifference could not slip. Her breath had to remain steady, her heartbeat slow and controlled. Most importantly, she needed to talk to the man she had come to love, to see if their love could withstand the storm of thoughts consuming her now.

'Don't jump to conclusions, Neph. They're just wearing his clothes… that's all.'

Sunny could feel the room heating up.

And now he knew, his little game had officially landed him in hot water with the two most important women in his life.

'I should really start asking Cassie for advice more often…'

Not that the blind seer had any relationship experience to speak of, but as they say, the best coaches don't play.

Still, he had no choice.

He had to come clean before he became the next human torch, instead of Beastmaster.

His gaze met Nephis's, full of careful calculation. To anyone else, the Flaming Princess looked as composed as ever, calm, indifferent. But Sunny knew better.

The Lord of Shadows dismissed his mask, slipping into the easy charm of Master Sunless.

Those who had only just realized his identity from Rain's outburst swallowed nervously as the truth hit them.

They had been played.

But Sunny had no time for them.

Right now, his focus was entirely on Nephis.

"Please, let me explain before you jump to conclusions," he said, his smile terribly nervous.

Nephis crossed her arms, raising a single eyebrow.

That was his cue.

Sunny inhaled deeply before speaking.

"First of all, I captured them so I wouldn't have to kill them. This was all part of the plan."

He smiled, polite but cautious.

"Which means I haven't been unfaithful, no matter what you might think. Neph, I could never love anyone but you. Truly."

He waited.

And, for the first time in years, he prayed, to the Dead Gods, to fate, to whatever force might still look his way. Even though Fate had forsaken him it still owed him a favor or two for tormenting his past.

So he just hoped.

The room fell into a stunned silence. For a long while there was nothing.

Then, at the edges of Nephis's lips, something shifted. A flicker of amusement.

The tension in the air began to fade.

Sunny almost sighed in relief, until she spoke again.

"So let me get this straight," she said, her voice smooth. "You captured them. Held them hostage. For days. Just to… surprise me?"

Sunny straightened, then gave her an elegant bow.

"But of course, my lady."

Still bowing, he lifted his gaze, smirking.

"...After all, did it feel like I was sharing my love with anyone but you last night?"

Nephis's perfect mask of indifference cracked.

A slow flush crept up her cheeks, her ears turning a deep shade of crimson.

Before she could retort, Sunny stepped forward, closing the distance.

Then he kissed her.

A sudden wave of warmth washed over her, leaving her momentarily breathless, but she didn't resist. She kissed him back.

And just when the moment was right, he pulled away.

A permanent grin stretched across his face as he pointed at his Incarnation of Master Sunless.

"Any further complaints," he said, tone amused, "take it up with him. The Lord of Shadows is a very busy Incarnation, as you know."

Then, without a sound, he vanished.

Leaving himself to deal with the aftermath.

'No escaping this one… at least I kept Neph from turning me into a forgotten waffle.'

But just when Sunny thought the worst had passed, he turned, and saw their faces.

Hel, Howl, and Moonveil were not amused.

Revel and Seishan, on the other hand, were thoroughly enjoying the chaos.

But it was Beastmaster who surprised him the most.

The woman looked deep in thought.

Then, with a smirk that could rival Effie's on a good day, she turned to Nephis.

Sunny tensed.

'Whatever is about to come out of her mouth, I won't be able to save her from Neph now…'

Beastmaster's smile widened.

"You're one lucky girl, you know?" she said, tilting her head slightly. "I mean… how do you even function with a boyfriend who has multiple bodies?"

She sighed, shaking her head in mock sympathy.

"You must be limping through Godgrave most of the time."

A single moment of silence.

Then…

Nephis's mask shattered.

Everyone froze.

Well, almost everyone.

Revel, Silent, and Seishan, who had already known of Sunny's true identity, were barely holding themselves together.

Rain, on the other hand, had long since given up.

Sitting in a chair, head in her hands, she groaned.

Sunny turned to her.

Without looking up, Rain whispered, voice barely audible…

"You are fucking insane. You know that?"

Sunny just shrugged.

"I know, smart-ass."

But their silent conversation was cut short as the temperature in the room skyrocketed.

The kettle in the kitchen hissed violently.

Nephis was seconds away from reducing Beastmaster to a pile of ash.

Sunny reacted fast.

"WAIT!" he shouted. "The rules of my Soul Sea forbid any form of violence unless both parties consent!"

The hissing in the kitchen faded.

The air cooled.

And Rain, finally, could breathe again.

Sunny let out a breath of his own.

This was far from over.

But at least, for now, she had probably survived.

A Dangerous Game

Nephis took a deep breath, her gaze settling on Beastmaster with quiet murder in her eyes.

Subtle…but filled with killing intent.

Seemingly calm, she stepped closer to the enchanting woman and asked the only relevant question.

"So… do you consent to combat? I promise I won't need my Aspect to make my opinion of your bewitched words perfectly clear."

A gleam of promise shone in her silver eyes as she awaited Beastmaster's response.

The woman in question leaned back in her chair, casually crossing her legs as she mused a teasing reply.

"No. I'd much rather we get along. Who knows? Maybe you'll change your mind and share one or two of his bodies every now and then."

Nephis inhaled deeply. Without a word, she turned and walked up to Sunny. She didn't lash out. She didn't let her anger show.

Instead, she simply pulled him close to her side, clinging to him like a child unwilling to share her favorite toy.

Revel let out a soft chuckle, her amused gaze flicking to Nephis.

"Now, do you really fear the consequences so much that you're willing to spare my sister?"

Nephis raised an eyebrow, the rest of her face betraying nothing.

"No. But I respect my partner and his decisions."

Her gaze flickered back to Beastmaster, her voice carrying a dangerous edge.

"Though I do think you should teach your sister the meaning of respect… because her stay here won't be forever."

Sunny exhaled sharply.

"Thank the Dead Gods."

But Beastmaster, as it turned out, was utterly fearless…and completely shameless.

Turning to him with a greedy smile, she purred, "So, as you just heard, she respects your decisions. What about you? I'm still interested."

Sunny blinked.

For a moment, he simply stared at her, stunned into silence.

Then, he felt a subtle squeeze on his arm.

Nephis.

Clearing his throat, he quickly gathered himself, keeping his voice steady as he responded.

"Don't get your hopes up. Nephis may not hold grudges, but I do."

His signature smile took on a darker edge.

"And I'm still pissed off about the hell you put me through with your devilish illusions."

Before she could argue, he added smoothly, "While I fought the urge to kill you, I might add."

The room fell silent again.

Howl turned to her sister, Hel, with a troubled expression.

"What is happening?"

Hel sighed, shaking her head.

"Beats me." She gestured toward the scene unfolding before them. "But from the looks of it… some of our sisters already knew about our warden's second identity."

Both of their gazes instantly shot toward Revel, Seishan, and Silent, who sat side by side, looking equally amused and unapologetic.

For them, this entire exchange was downright entertaining.

But not everyone shared that sentiment.

Howl, proud as she was, did not appreciate being left in the dark.

"Since when?" she demanded, her voice laced with quiet resentment.

Revel, ever composed, calmly folded her hands on the table and glanced at her wolfish sister.

"I figured it out myself shortly after we were brought here."

With a single finger, she pointed at Seishan.

"So did Shan."

Then, her finger traced further down the row until it landed on Silent…who, realizing what was coming, stiffened slightly but had no way to stop it.

Revel's smirk widened.

"And our dear sister Silent…" she mused, "…learned the hard way when she thought it would be a good idea to violate the first rule and stab Sunny in the neck…. with a knife."

Silent visibly tensed. Even now, she could feel a cold sweat creeping down her spine.

Letting out a small sigh, she hesitated before adding, more embarrassed than frightened…

"…Yes. And although I was surprised to find that I wasn't immediately disposed of… he still scared me to death."

She swallowed, fidgeting slightly.

"So much so that I lost consciousness."

Sunny chuckled softly. He had half a mind to pat himself on the back for his performance back then.

Unfortunately, his amusement was cut short when he felt Nephis's piercing gaze on him.

Turning to her, he frowned.

"…What?" he asked, completely unaware of why he was in trouble again.

Like a fool.

Nephis's expression was unreadable, but a slow, dangerous smile curled at the corners of her lips.

"Not that," she said smoothly, sparing Revel a quick glance before looking back at him. "I was referring to something else. Why did the Lightslayer call you Sunny? Are you sure there's nothing you need to tell me?"

"No, we're just friends."

To everyone's surprise, two voices answered simultaneously.

Sunny and Revel.

The two exchanged a quick glance, then burst into laughter.

Sunny manifested a hand from the shadows and gave her a clearly audible high-five.

Nephis watched the interaction with mixed emotions.

On one hand, she was glad, and even intrigued, by the possibility of having Revel as an ally.

'So that's what he's been doing here.'

A slow, concealed smile formed in her mind.

'Seems like I have good taste in men after all.'

Though she didn't show it, she had come to a final conclusion.

She might not know his flaw exactly, but she had an idea.

And she believed him.

She had no other choice.

Leaning slightly against him, she let out a small breath.

"Next time you ask me to step into a black duffle bag, it would be nice to get some information beforehand."

Her voice was calm, but the message was clear.

"I was thinking you had, only the Dead Gods know what done in here."

Sunny wrapped an arm around her and leaned in as well.

Rain, still seated in the corner, scoffed.

"At least he asked you."

Crossing her arms, she shot her brother a glare full of lingering frustration.

"I was just stuffed in a bag, fearing for my damn life."

Revel, still smiling playfully, turned to her.

"At least you weren't beaten senseless first."

Rain's eyes widened in horror.

Slowly, she turned back to Sunny, her expression one of sheer disbelief.

"You vicious scoundrel."