Shadow Slave novel Chapter 48

Chapter 48 The Storm

"We need to move, now."

As Nephis turned to him, Sunny grabbed Cassie and helped her stand up. His face was even paler than usual, and there was a panicked look in his eyes.

"Now! Help me get her back on the scavenger!"

The silver-haired girl raised her head and looked at the sky. Soon, her expression darkened. Without saying anything, she did as he had asked.

Cassie seemed a bit disoriented. She grabbed the reins and helplessly turned to her friend:

"Neph? What is going on?"

Changing Star glanced at her. When she eventually spoke, her voice sounded heavy.

"A storm is coming."

Meanwhile, Sunny sent his shadow to climb on top of a tall pillar of coral and looked ahead, trying to understand how far the cliffs they were aiming for were. From the look of it, there was still a considerable distance to go. However, the giant statue was already much further away.

Going back now would have been suicide.

He turned to Nephis:

"We're about three or four kilometers away from the cliffs. Do… do you think we can make it?"

She scowled.

"If we take the most direct route. Maybe."

Sunny hesitated, then asked:

"What about the monsters?"

Changing Star looked ahead and gritted her teeth.

"We'll have to cut through."

'That's it? That's the plan?'

As he was fruitlessly trying to come up with some devious trick to save them, Nephis turned her head and glanced at him, puzzled.

"What are you waiting for? Run!"

***

As they darted forward, heavy drops of rain were starting to fall on the ground. Strong winds were howling between the coral blades, sending bits of mud and seaweed flying. With storm clouds gathering in the sky, sunlight dimmed, and a cold twilight descended upon the labyrinth.

Sunny was running with all his might, as though his life depended on it — because it actually did. He was leading their small group, choosing the straightest path toward the cliffs with the help of his shadow. Nephis was a step behind him. The scavenger carrying Cassie was stomping through the mud with its eight legs in the back.

Without the need to avoid monsters and death breathing down their necks, they moved with amazing speed. Side passages and crimson walls were flashing past them in a blur. There was no need to hold back and conserve strength for the long run — if they were late to reach the cliffs by a minute, their lives would be over. They had to give it their all.

Sunny was ready to fight a series of bloody skirmishes all along the way, but, to his surprise, the inhabitants of the labyrinth did not give them much trouble. The scavengers seemed to be as panicked as they were. The bulky beasts were busy trying to hide inside the coral mounds or burrowing underground.

On the rare occasions when one of them showed aggression, a quick slash of the sword or a threatening clack of a pincer was enough to make the monster change its mind.

However, no matter how fast they were moving, the storm was faster. The rain quickly turned into a pelting downpour, each drop becoming a torrent. The winds grew in strength, striking against their bodies with enough force to make them stumble. The light dimmed even further, reducing visibility to almost zero.

Finally, a blinding bolt of lightning tore through the darkness, followed almost immediately by a deafening thunderclap.

In the next moment, the ground under Sunny's feet trembled, causing him to lose balance and fall. He rolled in the mud and tried to stand up, but slipped and fell again. Someone's arm grabbed him by the shoulder and helped him rise.

In the darkness of the storm, Sunny saw Changing Star's face. She opened her mouth and shouted:

"Don't stop! Run!"