The Noble Queen-A Shadow Slave Fanfic

Rain felt a little bad about asking her mother to leave after she came just to check on her—especially if the weather was bad enough for them to cancel the rest of the opening day of school. 

At least her father hadn't come also. She needed to sort things out before speaking to him. 

He had looked so hurt. So broken. It had made something inside Rain break as well. She never wanted to have her father make that face because of her.

She wanted her parents to be happy, not hurt. 

Rain's first real memory was of seeing a beautiful lady in the window of the orphanage when she had snuck away from her caretakers yet again.

The Awakened woman had looked so sad, and little Rain had wanted desperately to see the lady smile. And the moment she did, Rain knew that she never wanted that smile to leave her ever again. 

Fort later told her about how depressed Noble had been before they had visited that day. He had been worried that his wife might never recover.

Rain had brought her back and allowed their family to begin healing.

'If I die in a Nightmare, who will help them heal?' 

Rain might not even have to die. Her father had said that seeing her unconscious had brought up memories of Seb. 

The teen felt an odd sense of loyalty to the brother she never met. He was the reason that she had such a wonderful home. 

Would entering a Nightmare willingly betray him somehow? 

'I don't want Mom and Dad to suffer because of me. And I definitely don't want to disappoint Seb...'

But Rain wanted to be strong also. Strength was the only thing that mattered against the horrors of the Spell. 

Love was a type of strength, sure, but not one that was valued by the cruel world around them. She would need more than love to survive. She would need physical might.

And that kind of might only manifested in those who Awakened.

Rain sighed. Her mind was a muddled mess. 

'Why is everything so complicated?'

Maybe her earlier inclination was right. Being a baker didn't usually land people in life-or-death situations.

But would she be happy living such a simple life? No…no she wouldn't.

Sniffing at the air, the teen grunted and stood from her stool. One of the earlier loaves had baked long enough. It needed to be removed before it burned.

Covering her hands in thick mitts, Rain opened the oven and removed her recent creation. A rush of heat and the smell of yeast filled the air around her, but she simply set the bread aside, unable to enjoy her success. 

Tossing the oven mitts, Rain turned away to see what else might need to be done. Perhaps some more work would help her untangle the web of confusion plaguing her thoughts. 

Instead, she caught sight of her shadow on the ground. It flickered uncertainly in the firelight fueling the oven, looking a bit like it was dancing. 

'What are you so happy about?' Rain frowned.

Cleary the shadow had all of its problems worked out. Maybe it could work out hers as well. 

"What should I do, shadow? I don't want to hurt my parents, but I want to get strong." 

The dark figure on the ground wavered as unsteadily as ever, continuing its celebratory dance.

But then, the head stopped shifting and looked, unwavering, in her direction.

"I can help you if you want."

"You can talk?!" Rain took a step back.

Of course, her shadow followed her, causing her to take a second step toward the sweltering oven.

"Whoa!" In her haste, she lost her footing. Rain reached out her hand to catch herself on the sizzling metal.

Instead, the shadow of the cooling rack sprang from the wall. Dark tendrils wrapped around her arms, stopping her from the imminent fall.

The figure on the ground brushed its hands together.

"Among other things, yes, I can speak."

Rain shook herself free of the shadowy vines and gripped her forehead. "I hit my head even harder than I thought! You can't be real. Shadows…don't talk!"

"Well…this is awkward…"

Rain wasn't sure what the voice meant, but then a pale head with dark hair sprang up from the void of her shadowy form.

A body followed shortly after to reveal one of the most stunning beings that Rain had ever seen. His porcelain skin was smooth and the darkness of his eyes looked more boundless than the night sky.

There was just one big problem. The man had come out of her shadow?!

Rain fled a second time.

Only instead of a shadow, the man's arm reached out and pulled her away from the wall.

"Didn't I just save you from that? Tsk, it's like you want to get burned!"

"Monster!" Rain looked for anything she might use as a weapon.

Not finding anything else, she lifted a rolling pin above her shoulder, causing the man to chuckle.

"Monster? I suppose I am, but not the kind that you mean. I'm not corrupted or defiled…At least not anymore. Been there…done that."

Confused, the girl lowered her weapon slightly. "You mean that you are human?"

"If you can call someone who is both newly born and thousands of years old a human, then yes." The stranger nodded seriously.

Rain furrowed her brow. "That description sounds more like a dark deity than a human."

"Yes, I suppose it does." The pale figure smiled.

When he did, Rain felt something change within her. She had seen him before somewhere. He was…familiar.

Lowering the rolling pin to her side, Rain studied him more carefully.

"Why would a dark deity be lurking in teenage girls' shadows?"

The man coughed, looking incredibly uncomfortable for the first time since he manifested from the darkness.

"Oh uh, not all teenage girls' shadows, just yours. And I prefer the term residing not lurking."

He paused, winced, and then continued.

"As for why, I already told you I would help you with your problem."

"My problem?" Rain had been so startled by the developments that she had completely forgotten that she had summoned the man before her by asking him a question.

The stranger placed his hands on his hips. "You want to become an Awakened without the risk of dying in a Nightmare. I believe that I can help with that…"

"You can guarantee my success in a Nightmare?" Rain's eyes glistened.

A being that could bring people safely through a Nightmare and help them Awaken! The man really was a deity if he could pull off something like that.

The shadowy figure guffawed, slapping his knees a couple of times for emphasis.

"Guarantee success in a Nightmare? No. Ha, that would be nice, wouldn't it?" The stranger continued to chuckle, and Rain's face darkened.

"So when you said you could help, you were lying."

The mysterious man clicked his tongue.

"Oh no. I never lie. I'm the most honest person you'll ever meet. My assistance just has nothing to do with Nightmares."

Rain glared at him suspiciously.

"What exactly are you offering then?"

The man looked down at his fingernails.

"What am I offering? Just a new way for the humanity of Earth to Awaken. Or, more precisely, a very old way…"