Shadow Slave/// Oldest Dream

Effie and Kai stood outside Sunny's house. Apparently, he was leaving. They didn't know why—but figured he must have his reasons. At least, that's what they told themselves.

Effie stared at him for a few moments, then let out a sigh.

"And you're still not going to tell us where?"

Sunny offered a small, crooked smile.

"Ah, I'm not at liberty to say. Don't worry, though. You'll probably find out in about a month."

She blinked, unimpressed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Sunny waved a hand vaguely.

"It just means… you'll know soon."

Effie rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, irritation creeping into her voice.

"Well, alright. Be that way, then."

Sunny hesitated, then asked quietly:

"What about you? And… the others?"

This time, it was Kai who answered.

"You must've seen the news. It's not official yet, but word gets around. Nephis is being adopted by Clan Valor."

Sunny's smile faded slightly.

Kai continued, "The Fire Keepers are following her, of course. But I can't say the same about Cassie. There's another seer joining Nephis in Valor… and, well, we can probably guess who arranged that."

He glanced at Effie, then added with a shrug,

"As for the two of us… honestly, we haven't decided yet."

Sunny blinked, his expression turning thoughtful. Wait… Cassie isn't following Nephis as her retainer? That didn't make sense—unless...

She doesn't want to serve anyone anymore.

The realization hit him with unexpected weight. Cassie, choosing her own fate for once.

Sunny found himself conflicted. What will Nephis do without Cassie?

The answer came swiftly—and it wasn't comforting. Nothing. That was the harsh conclusion his mind settled on.

Cassie had always been the one behind the curtain: managing Nephis's plans, her resources, her people, her fame… everything. Nephis wasn't a fool, but she wasn't a strategist or schemer, either. Cassie, on the other hand—while lacking Nephis's overwhelming might—had something else: insight, knowledge, and sharp, dangerous cunning.

Still… it seemed Klaus's influence had run deep. Cassie had made her choice. For once, she wasn't anyone's shadow.

Is she abandoning the cohort? Sunny didn't know. But the more he thought about it, the more unsettled he felt. A creeping sense of wrongness coiled in his gut.

Cassie had always known things—things others didn't. She saw the threats before they even appeared, and quietly dealt with them before anyone noticed. Without her… he suddenly felt blind. Exposed.

At least the seer Klaus sent will manage things. That's what he told himself. Maybe Cassie even asked him to help.

She and Nephis were friends, after all. Even if Cassie chose to live her own life now, there was no reason she wouldn't help Neph from a distance.

That thought, at least, gave him a shred of comfort.

Sunny was lost in thought, trying to process everything… until he heard footsteps.

Not normal ones, though—no. These were loud, uneven, and absolutely reeked of drunk energy.

He groaned and facepalmed immediately. He already knew who it was.

Sure enough, Klaus stumbled into view, plopped himself down on the stairs beside him, and casually raised a half-empty bottle of beer.

"So that's it?" Klaus drawled, peering at him with a lazy smirk. "You got ragebaited?"

Sunny blinked, frowning in confusion.

"What…?"

Then his eyes widened as realization dawned—and he let out a dry chuckle.

"I guess? I don't know, to be honest. But I've been thinking about what you told me…" He shrugged. "I think I should try it."

Klaus grinned, ruffling Sunny's hair as he slung an arm over his shoulder.

"That's my boy. Off on a great voyage to grow taller… I mean, stronger."

Sunny's smile twisted into something bitter. He elbowed Klaus sharply, making him cough.

Klaus staggered, taking a deep breath to keep from throwing up.

"Ugh… I really shouldn't have drunk that much. Bleh."

But then Klaus laughed—suddenly and loudly—leaving Sunny confused and unsure of what was so funny. Klaus didn't stop for a while, laughing until his voice turned breathless and ragged. When he finally calmed down, still chuckling, he glanced at Sunny with a mischievous grin.

"So you're going there because she left you?"

Sunny stayed silent, glaring at him with quiet resentment. But his flaw made it impossible to lie.

"Not necessarily. There are other reasons too... but yeah, that's one of them."

Klaus sighed, taking a sip of his beer and rolling his eyes.

"Are you dumb or something? All of this... just to prove her point?"

Sunny grimaced.

"We'll see about that."

Klaus waved a hand dismissively, a disappointed look crossing his face.

"No wonder she didn't stay with you. Not even a washed-up whore from the outskirts would. That's the goddamn truth."

Effie blinked, then suddenly burst into laughter, while Kai shifted uneasily, clearly uncomfortable talking about… retired ladies.

Sunny looked at him in disbelief, then spat out spitefully,

"Then what am I supposed to do? That's the only way out for me!"

Klaus shrugged, leaning back against the stairs.

"Well, you can still do that — just don't go around proving her point."

Then Klaus glanced at Effie and Kai as he lay back on the stairs, giggling softly.

"All he does is whine, whine, and whine about how unfair life and fate are."

Sunny clenched his fists, shooting Klaus a murderous glare.

"Excuse me?!"

Klaus scoffed in disbelief.

"Oh, don't get all angry at me now. It's not gonna change a thing. You're hopeless—and I mean that literally. You've got no hope. Just look at you."

He stood up, staggering slightly as he spread his arms wide.

"Look at this place!"

Everyone turned to look at Sunny's house. It wasn't terrible—just nothing special, especially if you ignored the hole in the wall, obviously Effie's handiwork.

Klaus shook his head in disbelief.

"Dream home, huh? I've seen better nightmares in the Dream Realm than this so-called dream."

Then he glanced back at Sunny and sighed, settling into what he did best—trash-talking.

"Get some self-respect, you miserable sack of shit."

Sunny stared at him, horrified.

What the... Hell?

Klaus suddenly grabbed his shoulder, eyes welling with tears—making Sunny even more confused, almost forgetting his anger.

Then, like some dramatic Italian mafia boss, Klaus kissed him on the cheek and spoke with sage-like seriousness:

"If she cannot sit because there's no place~

She can always sit on your face~"

Sunny blinked, eyes wide in disbelief.

Wait… That doesn't—

What the hell?! Where is all this nonsense coming from?!

Klaus mistook Sunny's wide-eyed stare for understanding—an epiphany, even—and continued with the same sage-like tone.

"You fart in the bathroom and nobody cares. But you fart at the dinner table? Suddenly, everyone reacts. Do you understand what I'm telling you, my dear student?"

He completely ignored Sunny's dumbfounded expression and pushed on.

"In life, sometimes you just need to change your location to succeed… Your foundation is firm. Now... Go down the mountain and temper your Dao in the mortal realm."

Sunny opened his mouth, then closed it again. He shook Klaus's hand off and started pacing in circles, biting his nail. He glanced at Klaus, clearly wanting to say something… but nothing came out. He was utterly lost.

Wait... Is that…?

Sunny could swear peach blossom petals were floating around Klaus.

Then, the petals began to swirl around him—gently at first, then faster—until Klaus vanished completely.

Sunny stood still.

"Uhm… what the fuck?"

***

I usually write chapters that are around 1500 to 2000 words, but this one's a bit shorter. I know, I know. Anyway! The master has finally sent his disciple out to explore the world. It's time for Sunny to temper his Dao… in Antarctica, of all places! Hahaha.

Right now, the tone is mostly comedy, but that won't last forever. Soon, everything will shift. war is on the horizon, and the world's about to get absolutely cooked thanks to four insane bastards fighting each other for world domination. Funny, right?

That's all for today. If I find the time, I might write more. But hey, what matters most is enjoying the journey, my dear desciples!

***