Sunny had never seen a few words crush a man's spirit so thoroughly.
…Except for maybe himself, when Nephis had spoken his True Name and commanded him to leave her for dead on the Forgotten Shore.
The soldier managed to remain standing, but he looked like a marionette with its strings cut. All light was extinguished from his eyes. He remained motionless for a while, and then turned slightly, throwing a forlorn glance at the small, battered convoy behind him.
Sunny could imagine how he felt. After surviving the cataclysmic destruction of the siege capital, these people weathered untold horrors to make it this far alive. What had kept them going was probably the hope that salvation was drawing closer and closer. And now, when they almost reached the destination, that hope was cruelly crushed.
He sighed.
"It just happened a few days ago. The news would not have reached you. My people and I are the only ones who survived."
The soldier looked down, silent.
Eventually, he asked:
