Shadow Slave novel Chapter 78

Chapter 78 Bliss

In the morning, Sunny was woken up by the gentle rustling of leaves. Opening his eyes, he saw rays of sunshine falling through the scarlet crown of the Soul Tree, painting the world in soft shades of pink. The sight was beautiful and tranquil. It felt as though none of the dangers and terrors of the Dream Realm could reach him here.

A soft breeze touched his skin, bringing with it coolness and the smell of fallen leaves.

For the first time in a long while, Sunny felt at peace.

'Is this what a vacation feels like?'

If so, their decision to have one was the best decision ever.

He sat up with a yawn and lazily looked around. Cassie and Nephis were already awake. Seeing them put a smile on Sunny's face.

'Why the hell am I grinning?'

Shaking his head, Sunny put on a serious expression and said:

"Good morning."

The girls greeted him. Then, Nephis slightly tilted her head and asked:

"Hey. Do you remember why we didn't leave anyone to keep watch last night?"

Sunny blinked. Indeed, why hadn't anyone guarded the camp?

"Uh. No. I guess we were too tired? Plus, it's so safe here. Why deprive ourselves of sleep?"

She frowned. Sunny expected Changing Star to berate them, but, unexpectedly, she just shrugged.

"...I guess."

'Huh. That's not like her. Am I not the only one in a great mood?'

To make Neph feel better, he pointed down and said:

"Don't worry. My shadow would have warned us if anything had happened ."

She seemed to have forgotten about her question already, returning to whatever she had been doing before. All three of them were easily distracted these days. Sunny sighed.

"So… what are you guys going to do today?"

Cassie turned to him with a smile and answered in a teasing tone:

"Nothing! We're on vacation, remember? So we're just going to rest and relax."

'Sounds like a plan. Speaking about plans…'

At that moment, Cassie scowled and said with a comically strict expression:

"You too, Sunny! You are not allowed to plan, plot and scheme. Just sit back and enjoy the day. Alright?"

Sunny scratched the back of his head.

"Alright."

He felt as though he was forgetting something.

But what?

Looking at Nephis, Sunny hesitated and asked:

"Remind me, why did you climb the Soul Tree yesterday?"

She glanced at him in confusion.

"Uh… I don't really remember. To get the fruits?"

Sunny smiled at the mention of the miraculous fruits and nodded.

'Yeah. That makes sense…'

***

A few days passed by. Sunny, Nephis and Cassie spent them idling away, not concerned with anything in the world.

Their tired bodies and minds needed time to rest.

They slept until noon, ate the delightful fruits and sat around the fire, talking or simply soaking in the warmth. Sometimes, they would play games or engage in other forms of entertainment.

Other times, they would keep to themselves, enjoying the almost forgotten feeling of privacy. Sunny had been a loner for most of his life, so these past few weeks that he had spent side by side with other people, without even a minute to himself, were a taxing experience. He relished the opportunity to be alone with his thoughts once again.

Luckily, the island was large enough for the three of them to stay apart if they didn't wish to be disturbed.