Shadow Slave: Gleaming Stars

[Audun's POV]

After landing far more gracefully than last time, I navigated my way over to the base of the hill that the castle stood upon. 

Before me was a massive set of marble stairs leading towards the ornate gates of the magnificent marble fortress.

It was dark, so some of the smaller details weren't as clear, but I could still make out flickers of movement from the tinted glass windows.

Scanning my surroundings, I took note of the settlement residing at the base of the castle hill, or more specifically, reminiscing about the resemblance between the class dynamic here and in the British Empire. 

Brushing it off, I soon began my ascent, my steps light and quick as I briskly made my way up the towering set of stairs. 

Humming a light tune, it wasn't long before I reached the summit and noticed a group of miserable-looking guards. 

Grim decorations hung from rusty chains attached to the otherwise beautiful gates, the combination of the rouguish-looking guards and the barbaric ornaments making me silently reassess my initial impressions of the castle. 

Honestly, I just hoped that Cassie, Nephis, and Sunny were safe. 

"Hah..."

I let out a long breath, my trait beginning to suppress the nervousness building in my chest as I approached the guards.

The way that they wore their armor and weapons was devoid of the majesty and pride expected of palace guards, their lack of discipline and respect apparent to anyone with eyes. 

I narrowed my eyes as I noticed the undisguised cynicism and disdain they practically radiated.

Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out a single awakened soul shard, wanting this to be over as soon as possible.

"What does this young master desire?" one of the guards commented sarcastically.

Grimacing, I held out my hand, silently showing off the shard glittering in my palm. 

"An offering? This lowly one is honored by this generous gift~"

The guards let out harking chuckles, laughing crudely at their colleague's joke as I stared blankly at the group.

"No need for that look little prince... Come on in and make yourself at home. Someone will meet with you shortly."

One of the guards, wearing a distinctly ancient Chinese armor, walked up to me and accepted my tribute, ushering me through the castle's gates.

Passing through the marvelous entrance, I was greeted by the sight of a pleasantly built hall.

Thick sheets of fabric were fastened to the tall windows that decorated its walls, preventing the meagerest sliver of light from escaping.

I scanned the hall, appreciating its complex architecture while silently praising its creator in my mind. 

Noticing a wooden desk that seemed oddly out of place in the marble hall, I began tentatively walking towards it, hoping for a bit of guidance.

Currently, there was no one present, a stack of scattered papers being the sole inhabitant of the elegant piece of furniture. 

The hall was largely devoid of life, with only a handful of ladder-holding young women scampering around hurriedly.

Soon, one took note of me, the girl plopping down the makeshift ladder in her grasp before jogging over to me.

"Uhm, Harper's taking care of some other guests right now. Three others showed up right before you, and he's just showing them to their accommodations..."

Looking unsure of what to do, the girl, most likely a servant, lowered her head apologetically and asked me to just wait a bit longer.

I waved my hand dismissively and nodded, shooing the girl back to her tasks.

Crossing my arms, I waited.

And waited

And waited

and waited

...

After a while, a gaunt-looking young man sauntered out of a nearby hallway, face twinged with a heavy tiredness. 

Noticing me standing at the wooden desk, he let out a pitiful sigh, shooting a glance at the ceiling in mock outrage before covering it all up with a business-like smile. 

"Ah, sorry! Were you waiting for very long? Welcome to the Bright Castle. I wasn't expecting a guest at this late hour."

He jogged over to me, his sickly physique apparent despite the clean and tidy clothes covering him. 

"Hi, my name is Harper. Today, I'll be responsible for your accommodations."

Harper gave me a quick scan, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Oh, I don't seem to recognize you... Is this your first time paying the tribute?"

I nodded.

With mock sincerity, the gaunt young man smiled before deliberately declaring:

"Congratulations! I can't imagine how hard it's been for you until now, but don't fret! Now that you're here, you'll be living safely within the castle walls under Lord Gunlaug's protection."

Harper nodded enthusiastically, bobbing up in down in feigned excitement. 

"Just a few weeks ago, I managed to scrounge up a modest collection of soul shards, just enough to pay the tribute to enter the castle. Trust me, it was the best decision of my life! There's not a doubt in my mind that you'll love it here too."

Frowning slightly at the obvious shill, I ignored the little probing glances he'd shot at the guards standing outside the reception hall.

Turning around with an imperceptible sigh, Harper reassumed his position at the elegant wooden desk, grasping a ledger and a quill.

"Alright, next I'm just going to need your name to mark that you've paid the tribute. We've got plenty of spare rooms still, so you've got a few choices in where we choose to situate you..."

He trailed off as he noticed the [Thought Quill] manifesting and moving silently in the air. 

Audun.

A slight frown marred his features for a fraction of a second before he regained his professional poise, jotting my name down quietly before standing up.

"Great! With that in order, we just need to find you a room-"

Moving quickly, the [Thought Quill] once more began to dance. 

My companions arrived just before me. Two girls and a guy. Could you place me next to or near them?

"Ah, you must be talking about Lady Nephis, Cassia, and Sunless. Those three certainly knew how to make an impression... Ahem, anyway, currently, they're staying in the Tower of Dusk. If I recall correctly, there should be an open room next to Cassia and Lady Nephis' if you'd like it."

I nodded at the gaunt man, flashing him an energetic thumbs-up.

He chuckled before ushering me forward with a wave of his hand.

--------------

Harper began to lead me through the castle, explaining some of the rules and customs I should familiarize myself with as a new resident.

My eyes glew in a faint platinum hue as I shoved whatever he said into the Star of Memories storage bank, more focused on memorizing the layout of the castle and appreciating the intricate architecture and craftsmanship of its halls.

It didn't take long for us to eventually make it to the westernmost tower of the castle.

Expanding my senses, I detected the presence of Cassie, Nephis, and Sunny, along with a few more sleepers residing in the tower. 

Harper brought me to a sturdy-looking door.

"Here we are! The rooms in the Tower of Dusk aren't too big... Definitely more on the cozier side."

He gestured to the door to the left of mine. 

"This is Lady Nephis and Cassia's room, and the room adjacent to it is Sunless's room. Enjoy your first night of safety! And, uh, don't forget, food will be served one hour after sunrise tomorrow, in the main hall of the Keep. If you're late, there probably won't be much left over, so I'd recommend being punctual."

I nodded, silently cataloguing the information.

"Well, good night, and I'll see you tomorrow!"

Harper gave me a professional smile and a parting wave, leaving me with surprising speed. 

I was momentarily left speechless, but a beat later, I simply shrugged and began opening my door.

But I paused, sensing a familiar little shadow sneak out from beneath Sunny's door.

Unhurriedly, I turned around, getting greeted by the familiar visage of Sunny leaning against his sturdy door frame.

I gave him a gentle wave, a friendly smile gracing my features. 

"Took you long enough," he grumbled. 

Rolling my eyes, I began to move the [Thought Quill]

When did you guys get here?

Sunny thought for a moment.

"About half an hour ago? We waited for you at the settlement for a while before getting told by Effie that the gates would close soon."

He shrugged before frowning a bit. 

"What took you so long anyway?"

Before I could respond, I heard the door next to me open.

Nephis walked out with a raised eyebrow.

"You're late."

I tilted my head in confusion as Sunny sighed in exasperation. 

Nephis' grey eyes darted around the hall quickly.

"We need to talk. Come in."

She held her door open and gestured inside, Cassie sitting patiently on the bed.

Sunny looked at her weirdly for a moment before shaking his head silently, muttering something underneath his breath.

I shrugged, walking into the small room with Sunny following closely behind.

Honestly, with all four of us in the room, it felt a bit cramped, but no one complained. 

"Audun, what took you so long?"

This time, Cassie asked. 

Sunny nodded, Nephis also turning her attention to me. 

Cassie continued with a small frown.

"I thought you were just holding off the Spire Messenger? Did something happen?" 

I shook my head, walking over to her and taking her hand. 

Beside me, the [Though Quill] began to dance. 

I thought I had extra time, so I did a bit of hunting. 

Sunny's eyes narrowed. 

"Why?"

I wasn't sure if we had enough Soul Shards.

Nephis cut in. 

"How many did you get?"

45

Sunny's eyes widened a bit as Nephis nodded expectantly.

As I wrote the number on Cassie's palm, she simply shook her head tiredly.

I glanced at Sunny

Do you still have the pouch?

"Nope, I gave it to Neph."

Shrugging, I emptied the contents of my pockets onto the bed, the respectable pile of Soul Shards creating an indent on the soft mattress.

I turned my attention to Neph, trying to steer the conversation back on track.

Anyway, what did you wanna talk about?

___________________________________________________________________________

(A/N: lwk I just felt really tired yesterday.

I wrote an earlier draft of the chapter that read like the diary of a lobotomized Parkinson's-riddled monkey, and naturally, I wasn't really satisfied with it. 

I was supposed to take a quick power nap, but I ended up hibernating until today, and thus, I forgot to upload yesterday...

Normally, I take my breaks on Sundays, but I'll probably count my impromptu coma yesterday as my break and upload on Sunday to make up for it.

Well, with that over and done with, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!

I think I wrote and scrapped it three times cuz I was unsatisfied with the pacing before eventually settling with this. 

Tell me what you guys think in the comments, and leave a review if you haven't. All your comments and critiques help me improve!

See you guys tomorrow!)