Sunny analyzed Mordret in silence before slowly speaking:
"You're not part of the lost, are you..."
The leader's lips curled into a smile.
"Mordret?" Sunless calmly observed the person in front of him.
Mordret let out a low whistle, shrugging.
"Congrats on figuring it out, I just thought you'd realize it faster."
Sunny's eyebrow rose, his foot tapping anxiously.
'He was already expecting that...?'
"The bare minimum a shadow should do is recognize its equals." The ironic tone cut through Sunny's thoughts like a razor, pulling him out of his mind.
"How do you—!"
"Don't worry, I know a lot of things."
"A lot of things..." Mordret repeated like a broken record, his voice turning cold.
Sunny fell silent, his nerves tense and ready to burst into a symphony of steel and sparks.
Then he noticed Mordret taking a sip of soup naturally, calmly enjoying the taste.
His forced smile sent chills down his spine.
After finishing, he looked Sunless straight in the eyes. Staring at him, he said:
"You can't understand, Sunless, and even if you do, it won't be the same."
Mordy's hands trembled visibly, as if something dark was hiding inside the shell he wore.
"You'll never understand the hatred I feel. The desire to destroy, to make the world burn..." Suddenly, murmurs spilled from Mordret's mouth without restraint, his voice breaking. Then everything came out at once.
"What?" Sunny blinked, confused, being bombarded with information.
"Do you know why betrayal hurts so much, Sunless?"
The question was thrown like a blade into Sunny's heart, making his stomach twist.
"Because it never comes from an enemy."
...
...
...
The hall turned solemn, both of them quiet. The corpses were silent as well.
Deeper feelings and emotions passed through Sunless' eyes. A mix of disdain, anger, indignation, but mostly sadness reflected on his face.
Somehow, Sunless could agree with Mordret. After all, he knew the feeling of being betrayed just as well as anyone else.
And Mordret knew that too.
Becoming serious for the first time since the conversation began, Mordret broke the silence and spoke:
"I have to say, Sunless, I find you very interesting."
Without giving it much thought, Sunless nodded, signaling for Mordret to continue.
"Your mindset is one of—if not the best—this world needs. The ability to adapt and keep evolving is valuable, and you have it."
"However, you're still young and naive."
A look of disbelief appeared on Sunless' face, but it was quickly replaced by something like an innocent researcher.
"I-I guess that's true..."
Mordret looked at him with a neutral expression.
"Do I look like a fool to you, Sunless? Do you really think I'd fall for that?"
Sunny let out a light sigh, not bothering to explain.
"Worth a shot."
Silver eyes fell upon Sunless, leaving him speechless.
"I know quite a bit about you. Many of your secrets are like an open door to me."
"Which one should I tell? Maybe about your divine Aspect? Or your ability to evolve your echoes? Or better yet..."
A killing intent fell over Mordret, cold and sharp in Sunless' pupils.
"Your true name, Lost From Lig—"
Sunless' blade came down on Mordret, nearly piercing his chest.
Throwing himself backward, Mordy rolled on the ground while commanding the corpses to defend him.
"Got irritated?" he hissed mockingly.
The Cruel Vision blade chased after Mordret, cutting through everything in its path.
Sunny crouched to dodge a diagonal strike from behind, spun around, knocked the dead one down, then struck from above, slicing through its legs.
More came, but Sunless didn't falter. He danced among the dead like a dark storm, destroying bodies, growing stronger with his three shadows.
The clash of steel and the sickening sound of flesh being cut formed a horrifying symphony.
Mordret watched with amusement, not interfering. After all, Sunless couldn't defeat him.
A beast could never defeat a terror.
The air filled with the metallic scent of blood, Sunless' shadowy figure like a reaper from hell.
'The shadow dance really is a problem.' Mordret reflected on the young man's abilities, until he decided to intervene.
"Sunless, you should stop."
He missed a strike against a corpse, the blade hitting the shoulder instead of the neck.
There was hesitation in Sunny's movements, and he stopped destroying the dead soldiers.
Likewise, they stopped. Just over four had their heads separated from their bodies.
'I'll have to stitch them later... how annoying.'
Coughing, Mordret raised his arms in surrender.
"Why don't you hear what I have to say, and then decide if you want to kill me?"
Sunny froze, the shadows twisting into strange shapes.
He hesitated, gripping the blade's handle tightly, his fingers turning pale.
Cold sweat slid down his face, his eyes half-lidded.
"First tell me how you know about my true name." He stared at Mordret without moving his pupils, his teeth audibly grinding.
Lightly touching his chin, Mordret stroked it before answering with a melancholic smile.
"Isn't it obvious? When you killed my 'Echo,' what method did you use to defeat it?"
The words lingered in the air. Sunless was exasperated, not knowing what to say.
His expression changed, his hand sliding to his face, showing clear disappointment.
"I should've figured."
Silence reigned once more, until Mordret slowly approached the bonfire and resumed stirring the stew.
His movements didn't go unnoticed by Sunny, who couldn't understand the young man's actions.
"Sunless, do you think I'm a bad person?"
The question came out of nowhere, creating an awkward tension.
Stuttering, the shadow answered:
"I think so...? So far, at least, I haven't seen anything good."
No sound came from Mordret's mouth. He simply inhaled the aroma of the soup deeply.
A clink came from one of the dead—no, from someone who stood out among the corpse soldiers.
It was a young man with completely burned skin, yet still holding a pure, bright smile full of hope.
"You're right, Sunless." Mordret began again, his expression more reflective and somber. "I'm not a good person, far from it. But..."
He took a spoonful, savoring the taste, just as the dead one reached his side.
He carried a small piece of broken mirror, just enough to reflect a person.
The mirror was turned toward Mordret's face.
"A mirror can only reflect what stands before it, Sunless. Is it my fault that what stands before me is cruel, vile, and deceitful? I don't think so... then again, maybe it is. Either way, I don't really care."
Extending his hand toward Sunny, Mordret gave a wide grin.
"What I do care about is..."
A dangerous gleam appeared in his eyes.
"Would you like to help me burn this place down? I promise I won't harm you—or the blind girl."
The confusion and distrust on Sunless' face made his answer clear.
"Why would I?"
Mordret clicked his tongue, shaking his head in disappointment.
"Why not? As far as I know, shadows and reflections are similar. Both reflect something, and both faithfully follow those they mirror."
Sunless carefully analyzed his words, searching for any hidden manipulation. What Mordret said was true—something Sunny understood well.
"So, Shadow, what do you think about being my first friend...?"
His lips curled provocatively.
"I promise it'll be fun."
Sunless stayed silent for a moment, then opened his mouth:
"I..." the future was being decided.
And what Sunless said left Mordret in disbelief.