Nô lệ bóng tối

Rain hesitated, trying to express her question more clearly. Her teacher glanced at her for a moment. He shrugged and said, "What are you talking about? I’m just a human Saint." Rain shook her head vigorously. "Um, okay. I’m not just a human Saint. I’m quite special compared to other Saints."

'One Saint... no longer belonging to the Nightmare Spell?' No longer? Noticing the confused look on her face, her teacher chuckled. "My original body is in another place. Unlike this form, that one eats, sleeps, and does all the things humans typically do. The version of me that’s following you right now is just one of my shadows. That’s why I sometimes seem a bit odd compared to normal humans." Rain quietly observed him. 'So that’s the case!'

Suddenly, a thought struck her. "Teacher... if you are human, then what is your name?" He cleared his throat. "My name? Well... if you want to know, my name is Sunless. But people usually call me Sunny." Rain looked at him for a few seconds before leaning back and laughing. Sunny and Rainy... what a pair, right? 'No way. This can’t be!' Even if he truly was human, he didn’t deserve to be treated like one! 'He is the Lord of Shadows, damn it!'

Finally, another thought abruptly flashed through her mind, and her expression changed. Now that she knew about her teacher's many incarnations, she could understand why he ruled a Citadel in Godgrave and served the King of Swords. She could also grasp why he placed himself near Lady Nephis. In fact, she could even understand why he managed a restaurant somehow.

In all the lives her teacher had mentioned, there was only one thing that was unexplainable. Rain was nothing special. Sure, she was hardworking and talented, but there were many others like that. "Um? Are you ready to see those memories yet? I’ve worked really hard for them, you know!" Usually, Rain would be captivated by the promise of new memories, but today she was not interested in them. Instead, she asked, "Why did you offer to teach me?"

"I’ve told you, because I’m your long-lost brother."

"And I told you I’d remember if I had a brother." He then shrugged indifferently. "Aren’t you an adopted child?" Rain nodded slowly, unsure how that was relevant. 'Wait a minute...'

"So, I was your brother before. Now... you can stop calling me ‘teacher’ and start calling me ‘brother’."

'Before?' Her parents had never hidden the fact that she was not their biological child, and they had never treated her differently because of it. That’s why Rain had never really felt the need to know where she came from...

However, she had eventually tried to find out. Her parents had helped her, and her father had even used some connections at work. The government did not keep records of people in the suburbs—in fact, many of them left no digital traces. They were not citizens, and the government didn’t care to keep records of them. And that was all there was to it.

So why... why did Rain feel as though she was forgetting something? It was as if she had just thought about it, but that thought slipped away. Strangely, Rain found it hard to focus on what he was about to say. Her teacher hesitated for a moment, then looked away. "At first, I was stuck in the suburbs. Then... um. I can’t tell you, and you shouldn’t ask."

He wasn’t joking. She had once thought she didn’t care about her biological family and her past. But now, it seemed she was mistaken. Or perhaps she had simply forgotten. The familiar, annoying, unpredictable, caring, strong, humorous, unreliable yet immensely reliable person who had been her companion, soulmate, teacher, and protector for the past four years... Rain took a shaky breath.