Fate’s Slave - Shadow Slave X Honkai Star Rail

A pale, malnourished child with pitch black hair and a matching set of eyes sat on a bench within an empty park. It was far too late for anyone to be out — much less one of his age — yet here he was, holding a cup of coffee as he stared into the night sky with darkened eyelids.



If one were to look closely, they would see all manners of injuries on him. The skin around his left eye was starting to turn purple, with a gruesome cut near his temple. His hands were dirty, and it seemed that his left ring finger was broken.



The day was quite eventful for this youth; in only the worst ways of course. Unfortunately, it was not quite over just yet, as this boy was about to face a challenge even the most experienced of men would tremble at.



The pale child blinked the tiredness away, taking a sip of his coffee. He had spent all of his life savings on this cup. Well, what remained of his savings, that is.



The boy paused for a second, removing the cup from his chapped lips.



‘…So bitter.’



He regretted getting the coffee — real coffee that is. He lamented the fact that he could have gotten himself some real meat instead. It would have been a much better choice for a last meal!



But alas, it seemed the time to rest is nigh. The young lad felt the seductive, ghostly hand of sleep pull on his consciousness.



Now that he thought about it, he realized that he should probably go to a police station first.



‘It wouldn’t matter. I doubt that there are any Awakened left nearby. There might not be any in the rest of the city.’



He wouldn’t know, as he has never been to anywhere outside of the outskirts — a portion of the city that was ridden with poverty. There would be no point in going to a police station if there were no Awakened present in a scenario where things went… wrong.



Well, his chances weren’t looking to good anyways.



As the grip of slumber grasped the boy, he laid onto his side, back resting upon the backboard of the bench. He curled up — much like how a fetus would within the womb.



At this thought, he recalled the words that were spoken to him all those years ago.



He had never realized their worth until now.



The pale child started to hyperventilate as his shoulders began to shake. He tried to curl up tighter, just now realizing how ridiculous it was to sit in a park during a winter night. Not that he had anywhere else to go, of course.



He began to sob violently, the tears streaking across his colorless cheeks as they dripped onto the bench. The despair he was feeling was immeasurable, having lost all hope only a few hours earlier.



He was going to die.



Alone.



And there was nothing he could do to save himself.



Cross-Posted on ao3