Somewhere in the modern world, on a smog-choked evening in the city of steel and screens, there sat a quiet hospital tucked between highways and high-rises. Its walls were worn, its windows fogged with breath and condensation. Inside, fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, bathing the hallways in pale, sterile light. The scent of antiseptic clung to the air, sharp and cold.
Within these walls, humanity unfolded every second—births, deaths, laughter, cries. Machines beeped steadily. Televisions flickered above waiting rooms. Stretchers wheeled by like solemn ghosts. Nurses whispered codes, wheeled carts, handed out pills. Doctors passed clipboards, traded patient notes, muttered concerns.
Voices layered over one another:
"The transplant's delayed again."
"Mrs. Lau has visitors—only fifteen minutes, please."
"We need an MRI on 514, stat."
"Did you see that kid in 317? Still hanging on. It's been years, hasn't it?"
"That boy... he's still alive? How is that even possible?"
Room 317 stood out—not because it was special, but because it never changed.
Behind its door, silence reigned.
There lay a boy.
Wires coiled across his pale frame, looping into machines like metal roots into dying soil. His bed creaked with the slight rise and fall of his chest, mechanical in rhythm. His skin clung to his bones. Raven-black hair framed a gaunt face, and his silver-gray eyes, though open, stared at nothing. Dull. Lifeless.
Kade Blackwell.
Seventeen.
Orphaned. Abandoned. Forgotten.
He hadn't eaten in weeks. Hadn't spoken in months. Couldn't sleep in years.
His voice lived only in his head.
"They all left. Said they couldn't take it anymore. Not the pain. Not the uncertainty. Not watching me die one breath at a time. I can't even blame them. I would've left too, if I could."
A memory pulled him backward.
A hospital room. Dim. Rain tapping the window.
His mother sat beside him, clutching his thin fingers. Makeup smeared, shoulders trembling.
"Kade… baby… I don't know what else to do…" she whispered. "We've tried everything. The treatments. The doctors. The prayers. We're broke. We're broken."
His father stood at the doorway, arms crossed, jaw clenched to suppress grief.
"He's not getting better, Elise. We're watching him die slowly. Every day. I can't do it anymore."
His mother sobbed. "I can't either."
Then they stood.
His mother kissed his forehead one last time, her lips trembling.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I love you."
And they left.
The door clicked shut.
And for three years, it never opened again for them.
No letters. No calls.
Just silence.
"They couldn't watch me die. So instead, they left me to."
Back in the present, Kade lay still. Machines hissed and whirred like background static.
But then—
Something was wrong.
The monitor next to him let out a sharp beep. Then another. Faster. Urgent. A screeching alarm suddenly pierced the room.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEEEEEEEP—
Red lights flashed.
In seconds, chaos erupted.
"Code Blue! Room 317!"
Nurses sprinted through the hallway. Doctors abandoned coffee and clipboard.
They burst into the room.
"Vitals crashing!"
"BP's plummeting—he's not responding!"
"We need 10cc of epinephrine, NOW!"
"His oxygen's dropping fast—get the crash cart!"
A nurse gripped his limp wrist, voice shaking.
"Kade? Kade, can you hear me?! Stay with us, sweetheart! Stay with me!"
"Get those pads on him!"
Another nurse pressed her stethoscope to his chest, frantic. "I can't get a pulse. He's going into V-fib. We're losing him."
The lead doctor barked orders:
"Prep defib. Charge to 200."
"Charged."
"Clear!"
THUMP. His body jolted.
Nothing.
"Still flatlining! Try again!"
"Clear!"
THUMP.
Nothing.
One nurse whispered through clenched teeth, "Come on, kid. You've made it this far. Don't give up now."
Another murmured, "He's been fighting longer than anyone thought possible. This kid has no reason to still be alive… and yet he was. Until now."
A third nurse choked back tears. "He's all alone. He shouldn't die alone."
Kade blinked. Slowly. The world was darkening. Their voices turned to echoes, then to whispers, then to silence.
His hearing faded.
"I… I wanted more… I wanted a life. I wanted to run. To laugh. To feel something besides this bed and these wires. I didn't want to die forgotten."
Tears slid down the sides of his face.
His chest rose once.
Then stillness.
Then silence.
Kade opened his eyes.
He was… wet?
Lying in water. But he wasn't cold. He wasn't suffocating. He wasn't dying.
The sky above him was a cathedral of black velvet, scattered with constellations that pulsed like ancient heartbeats. Galaxies spun slowly, as if time itself bowed to this place. Celestial bodies floated freely—some small as orbs, others the size of mountains suspended in the void. Meteor trails streaked across the heavens like tears of light.
Nebulas in hues of amethyst, sapphire, and deep crimson shimmered in far-off distances. Planets hovered in silence—some ringed with luminous halos, others with molten surfaces glowing like dying embers.
The water beneath him was a mirror, reflecting every star and every thought. And yet, when he moved, there was no ripple. No splash.
"Where… where the hell am I?" he whispered aloud, voice surprisingly strong.
He rose slowly — standing not in water, but on it.
"This place… it's beautiful. Unreal. Quiet. Too quiet."
He turned in a slow circle, drinking it all in. The silence was suffocating and sacred.
"Is this what death looks like? A dream stitched from stars?"
Above, one of the planets shimmered with violet light. Moons spun lazily beside it, casting pale shadows over the sea of glass.
"Hello?!" he called again, louder. "Anybody here?!"
His voice echoed through the stillness — a lone declaration in a realm untouched by time.
Nothing answered.
The silence deepened.
Kade frowned. "Am I alone here too? Even after death? Is that the punchline?"
Just as he was about to call again—
"Hello."
Kade spun.
Across from him stood a shadow.
Tall. Humanoid. Featureless. A silhouette bleeding darkness into the air. The black around it pulsed, alive, breathing.
Kade narrowed his eyes, stepping back. "What is that? A soul? A monster? Another dead kid? No… it's watching me. Waiting."
Then the echoing voice returned — layered, ancient.
"Kade Blackwell."
His blood froze. Eyes wide.
"H-how do you know my name?! Who… who are you?!"
The shadow shimmered — like ink stirred in water. It unraveled, twisting, collapsing into a fine violet mist.
Then she emerged.
A woman.
No — a goddess.
Tall. Ethereal. Glowing faintly under unseen moonlight. Her porcelain skin shimmered with runes that shifted and flowed. Her waist-length hair danced in air that didn't move, made of shadow and stars. Her gown fluttered like living smoke, stitched with threads of soullight.
Her eyes… galaxies trapped in violet amethyst.
Her voice…
"I am Nyxaria. Goddess of Shadows… and the Forgotten."
Kade's breath caught. He stared, paralyzed — not in fear, but awe. Her presence pressed on him like time itself.
"The goddess of shadows?" he stammered, half-screamed. "What the hell?!"
Nyxaria smiled — faint, knowing.
The stars behind her dimmed.
Kade stood frozen in the endless darkness. The strange mist curled around his feet like silent smoke, and in front of him stood a radiant, inhuman figure — her. Tall, elegant, and impossibly calm, she radiated power without lifting a finger. Her presence bent the space around her, the fabric of reality humming at her existence. Her eyes — deep violet and endless — were locked on him.
"What… what is this? A dream? A fever illusion? Am I hallucinating in my sleep again? Why is there a goddess — the Goddess of Shadows, of all things — standing right in front of me?" he thought, stunned.
He slowly took a step back. His breath caught in his throat.
*"No... this can't be real. I'm supposed to be dead, right? I remember… the machines… the silence… everything fading. So then—"
"No, Kade. This is real. Not a dream."*
Her voice was layered like a dream, soft and echoing.
Kade's eyes widened. His heart thumped.
"You— how did you… hear that?"
The goddess giggled. It wasn't mocking — more like the sound of wind through ancient halls.
"Why am I here? Wasn't I… supposed to be dead?…And are you… really the Goddess of Shadows?"
Her smile deepened. Her hands clasped gracefully in front of her as she stepped closer.
"I've heard the last thoughts of many… but yours stood out. Your wish was quiet… but not forgotten."
Kade narrowed his eyes. Confused. Uncertain.
*"Wish? I— I did… wish I could live. But I never said it out loud. I couldn't. I couldn't even breathe—"
"How could you possibly know that—?"
Before he could finish, she interrupted.
"Because I've been watching you… for a very long time."
Kade froze.
Something in her voice wasn't just divine — it was personal. Like she knew him.
"I've seen your pain. The wires. The tubes. The silence. You smiled for others… even when your world was fading. You were forgotten by the world… but never by me."
His eyes trembled. He didn't know whether to be scared… or relieved.
"So… I'm not in trouble?"
"No, Kade. You're not in trouble. You're being… given a choice."
Kade stood motionless, staring down at the endless ocean of still black water beneath his feet. There was no wind. No horizon. Just an infinite mirror.
"Is this really it? Death? A quiet, empty void? I didn't want this... I wanted to live. To breathe without pain. To run. To fight. To laugh. I don't want to be dead… I just wanted to be free."
A soft ripple danced across the water. Behind him, the voice returned.
"It's going to be alright, Kade. Everything will be fine now."
He clenched his fists and turned, eyes narrowed.
"How!? I'm dead! My body's gone! My parents left me behind! There's nothing left! I'm… alone!"
Nyxaria stepped closer, shadowy mist trailing behind her.
"You are not alone. Not anymore. I have watched you suffer in silence for years. And now… I offer you something no one else could."
Kade's breath caught.
"A second life. Not as a broken boy on borrowed time… but as something more. The power of a Shadow Mage. No—I give you the full power of the Shadow King."
Kade's eyes widened.
"A second life...? Power...? Me? She's saying I'll live again… with strength? Magic? A new world? Is this real?"
"It looks like I have your full attention now, Kade."
She stepped toward him again — tall, graceful, towering.
"She's getting closer... why is my heart racing? She's a goddess… not human. So why—"
Nyxaria raised a single hand. Kade flinched slightly. But she only lifted his chin with her fingertip. Their eyes met — galaxies behind mist.
"I will send you to another world… with the gift of the forbidden art: Shadow Magic. You will become its master. Its king."
"Shadow King…? Me? She's not just giving me power… she's giving me a title feared across worlds."
"What is this new world? What does it mean to become… a Shadow Mage?"
"A world of sword and sorcery… chaos and order… where light is worshipped, and shadow is feared. The magic I give you — the Forbidden Art of Shadow — was outlawed long ago. Too powerful. Too free. But with it… you will shape your own fate."
"This… this is really happening. I'm going to live again. Not as a sick kid… but as something more."
"I get to… live again…? Start over…?"
"Yes. And you won't be forgotten this time."
Kade looked into her eyes — the void, the promise, the weight — and something inside him ignited.
"Then I'll do it. I'll take this gift. This power. And I'll become more than a survivor. I'll become a legend… even if I have to walk through shadows alone."
The silence between them deepened — sacred and final.
She raised her hand — slow, graceful, divine. Her fingers glowed with swirling black mist, laced with silver threads of ancient starlight. The air around her palm twisted, warping like the universe itself was recoiling from what it sensed. Space contracted and sighed with reverence as time seemed to slow, the cosmos holding its breath.
"You are no longer bound by light… or death," she said.
Then it began.
A whisper broke across the silence — not a sound, but a concept — a breath exhaled by eternity.
A tremor rippled through the void.
A pulse of unreality cracked the very idea of distance, ripping the air with sacred weight.
From that rupture… something began to form.
It wasn't forged.
It wasn't born.
It was remembered into existence.
Above her palm, it coalesced — a presence, a memory, a weapon of legacy.
Spinning slowly in the dark, its frame was woven from strands of black so deep they shimmered violet — like molten midnight wrapped around collapsed stars.
Three upward-curving spires, jagged and regal, reached toward a sun that no longer existed.
Between them pulsed a single crystal — a shard of living shadow magic, glowing like a heart that refused to die. It throbbed with rhythm older than gods.
Faint sigils spiraled around the base — etched names of the forgotten, glowing softly: lost souls, erased gods, abandoned heroes.
It radiated no heat, only the weight of silence — the kind found in sealed tombs and final breaths. The void bent around it like it knew better than to touch it.
Kade stared at the Crown of Eternal Dusk, his chest rising in awe.
Nyxaria stepped forward, her eyes on his — soft, solemn.
She pressed the Crown of Eternal Dusk against his bare chest.
At first, it felt like a touch.
Then a brand.
Then—
It did not rest.
It sank into him, like ink into parchment — like blood into sacred earth.
The moment it touched…
Reality screamed.
A deafening shriek tore through the stars as a black explosion burst outward. Concentric rings of shadow energy blasted the void like a detonation from beyond understanding. The ground beneath him cracked like glass. Stars blinked out as if the universe itself recoiled.
Kade's body arched.
His mouth opened, but no scream came — only light. Voidlight. Pure and furious, bursting from his throat, his eyes, his chest.
"What is happening to me—!? My skin... it's burning! My soul — it's on fire! But I can feel something inside me unlocking. Something ancient… Something mine! It hurts… but it feels real. This pain… it's alive. I'm alive."
The crown was burning its shape into his very essence.
Shadow surged from every pore, forming a second skin — a living body of smoke and lightning.
His bones cracked, then reknit, stronger, layered in radiant sigils.
His blood turned black, laced with Nyxaria's divine essence.
Where his heart once faltered, a core of solid shadow now beat with a force that echoed across time.
His eyes ignited — twin eclipses swirling in violet and black.
Tendrils of darkness spiraled and wrapped around him, merging into obsidian armor that flowed like liquid, reforging him.
A mantle of mist took shape across his back, coiling like wings that hadn't yet learned to fly.
Above him, the Crown re-manifested — no longer in Nyxaria's palm, but above his head, pulsing and alive, as if it had always belonged there.
The void trembled. It couldn't contain him.
The stars broke, shattering like glass.
The air froze… then melted… then ceased to exist.
Kade hovered, arms extended, shadows curling from his fingertips like divine blades waiting to strike.
The silence exploded into clarity.
He opened his eyes.
The shadows stilled.
The stars dared to return.
He descended slowly, boots touching the fractured glassy surface of the void. Black leather, etched with moving runes, wrapped his feet.
Kade stood.
He breathed.
Every inch of him pulsed with life. Real life. Fierce. Wild.
His heartbeat no longer flickered weakly — it thundered.
When he spoke, his voice echoed — faintly trailed by whispers of forgotten souls.
He looked down at his new body. His arms. His armor. The shadows swirling around him responded to his thoughts.
All around, the void reshaped — stars aligning differently, the space itself honoring his rebirth.
"This… This is me now? This is what it feels like? Power. Real power. Not borrowed. Not artificial. Mine. I'm not a prisoner anymore. I'm not broken. I'm whole."
Nyxaria watched in silence, smiling.
Then, beneath his feet, a massive sigil began to glow — a summoning circle of runes and magic intertwined.
Light burst upward, swirling with stardust and violet fire.
Kade blinked, looking up at the goddess.
She nodded gently.
"Make the world yours, my Shadow King."
In a flash of light and shadow, he vanished.
Nyxaria stood, gazing at the empty space.
Her voice was barely a whisper.
"Go, Kade… Rule the silence."
—
The forest glowed.
A circle of light erupted on the ground. The air shimmered as reality bent.
Kade appeared within the circle, knees slightly bent, shadow cloak flaring behind him.
The circle flickered, then vanished.
He stood in awe.
The forest was unlike anything on Earth — a dream painted by gods.
Towering trees twisted skyward, their trunks glowing faintly with bioluminescent runes. Leaves of silver and jade danced on a wind that hummed with arcane energy. Flowers pulsed with light. Insects shimmered like glass. Birds with crystalline wings drifted between branches, singing in tones that shaped the air.
The soil beneath his boots was soft but ancient, pulsing with life.
A river glistened in the distance, winding like liquid starlight through moss-covered roots.
Kade took a breath — and for the first time, it didn't hurt. He tasted earth, magic, and freedom.
He smiled.
"Let's begin my new adventure."
Each step echoed with promise. His cloak fluttered behind him. The forest whispered his name.
And Kade Blackwell — once a boy tethered to machines — walked forward.
Alive.
Free.
Kade walked deeper into the radiant forest, the shadows of enormous trees trailing behind him like a second cloak. Light filtered through the leaves above — tinted blue, silver, and violet. It was quiet, serene, and otherworldly. Every breath filled his lungs with a sense of freedom he had never known.
Birdsong echoed in the distance, unlike anything from Earth. Strange creatures peeked out from mossy trunks — some glowing, others shifting between forms, watching him curiously.
He stepped carefully, the new weight of power still buzzing in his limbs.
"So this is it… I'm alive again. Stronger. Faster. Whole. But what exactly can I do? What skills do I have now?"
He frowned slightly.
"Back on Earth, in the hospital… I used to read manga all the time. Those old isekai stories — the hero would always say 'open status' and boom — a window would pop up."
He chuckled under his breath.
"Tch. Can't believe I'm about to try this. I feel like a total weeb."
He raised his hand hesitantly.
Then mumbled, "Open status."
Instantly, violet runes surged around him, and a translucent, shadow-colored screen burst into view. It hovered before him like a digital scroll forged from magic and dusk. Letters shimmered into existence, glowing faintly.
STATUS WINDOW
Name: Kade Blackwell
Age: 17
Race: Shadowborn (Reincarnated Human)
Level: 777
Class: Shadow King / Abyssal Sovereign
Titles:
Shadow King
Chosen of Nyxaria
Abysswalker
Crowned of Eternal Dusk
Sovereign of Silence
Enemy of Light
The Forgotten Flame
Eclipse Lord
Health Points: 745,000+
Magic Points: ∞
Strength: 12,800
Agility: 11,600
Endurance: 13,500
Mana: Maxed
Luck: 77
Charm: ???
Normal Skills
Shadowstep – Instantly moves between connected shadows. Becomes undetectable during movement. CD: 0.5 sec.
Weapon Mastery (Blades) – Grants full proficiency with all sword and dagger types. Increases critical rate with shadow-forged weapons.
Night Vision (MAX) – Can see clearly in complete darkness. Perceives thermal and soul-based energy sources.
Dark Presence Suppression – Automatically hides user's aura, footsteps, and mana signature while stationary or concealed.
Ability Skills
Parallel Thought Core – Allows simultaneous execution of up to three strategies or spells at once. Immune to mental overload.
Sixth Sense – Predicts immediate threats within a 25-meter radius. Activates passively during stealth or combat.
Aura Suppression (Divine-Class) – Suppresses divine or magical detection from gods, systems, or enchanted devices. Triggers dread in lower entities.
Fear Immunity – Unaffected by fear-based effects, curses, or divine intimidation.
Soul Resistance (MAX) – Cannot be possessed, cursed, or soul-extracted. Soul cannot be copied.
Magic Shadow Skills
Shadow Manipulation (SSS-Rank) – Bend, forge, and weaponize shadows at will — create armor, tendrils, projectiles, or mass illusions.
Shadow Clone – Creates independent tactical shadows.
Obsidian Wave – AOE sweep of blade-like shadow tendrils.
Umbral Chains – Roots target in place; drains stamina.
Blackout Field – Silences all sound, light, and magic inside area.
Shadow Gate – Teleport across linked shadows anywhere in the realm.
Eclipse Domain – Suppresses all light, buffs shadow magic by 300% within range.
Unique Skills
Crown of Eternal Dusk – Grants divine-class command over shadow magic, passive domain control, and suppresses light-based powers.
King of Shadows – Commands shadow spirits, monsters, and constructs.
Abyssborn Rebirth – Revives Kade once per battle with increased resistance.
Anomaly Sovereign – Immune to divine detection, prophecy, and timeline interference.
Shadow Archive – Stores magic, souls, and cursed relics in subspace.
Eclipse King's Will – All allies gain stat boosts under darkness.
Weapons
Obsidian Edge – Shadow-forged greatsword. Ignores armor and phase-shields. Can split into dual daggers.
Fang of the Eclipse – Dagger that deals cumulative damage the longer it's held in shadow.
Voidfang Scythe (Sealed) – Legendary weapon said to have ended a god's reign. Awakens at Level 800.
Items
Crest of Nyxaria – Proof of divine contract with the Goddess of Shadows.
Chrono Tear – One-time time-reversal crystal (10 seconds max).
Soulmark Ring – Soul-linked to all companions. Tracks emotional state & location.
Ebon Cloak – Cloak forged from the first shadow. Grants immunity to detection.
Kade blinked, his mouth slightly open.
"Holy… this isn't a status screen. This is a legend. These stats... this gear... I'm not just strong — I'm terrifying. A literal walking nightmare for anyone who messes with me."
He waved his hand slowly, and the violet screen faded into wisps of smoke.
The forest remained still, though he swore he heard leaves rustle slightly as if the world itself had reacted to his presence.
He looked ahead. Trees arched over the trail like cathedral pillars. Sunlight pierced through in shafts of gold.
He took a deep breath.
"Alright then… new world, new power. Let's see what this 'Shadow King' can really do."
His cloak fluttered behind him as he continued walking into the unknown.
The forest had grown denser as the hours passed. The trees thickened, their roots twisting like coiled serpents across the moss-covered ground. Shafts of golden light had turned dimmer now, as if even the sun hesitated to pierce this part of the wilderness.
Kade walked with purpose, the sound of his boots crunching over fallen leaves and soft soil echoing between ancient trunks. Shadows followed him — not because of the light, but because they were drawn to him, stitched to his aura like threads of dusk.
He breathed deeply, his new body never tiring, his senses heightened. Despite the stillness, he remained alert.
"Alright… so I've got shadow powers, a ridiculous stat sheet, and apparently I'm the Chosen of a literal goddess. But where do I go from here? Do I look for a city? A village? Someone's gotta know how this world works. I need information… maybe a map… or a bed that doesn't come with monsters."
He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.
"Yeah… finding civilization sounds like a good first step."
He continued walking.
For hours, the scenery shifted slowly around him. The trees grew taller, older — some with bark the color of iron, others wrapped in glowing moss. Strange birds with mirrored feathers soared overhead, chirping like crystal chimes. The air smelled faintly of mint and stardust. Occasionally, he passed wildflowers pulsing with magical essence — glowing blues, deep purples, and pale silvers.
"If I wasn't constantly expecting something to jump out at me, this place would be beautiful. Peaceful, even. But I know better."
Then—
A sudden rustle.
Kade stopped in his tracks.
The trees whispered nothing. The wind had stilled.
Then came the sound again—deeper this time, a guttural chuff beneath thick underbrush. Leaves trembled. Branches creaked.
From the darkness ahead, shadows surged unnaturally. Tendrils of gloom spilled outward like leaking ink, creeping along the roots and grass.
Kade's eyes narrowed, every muscle in his body sharpening like a blade.
Suddenly, the foliage ahead burst apart.
A shape lunged forward — humanoid, but not human.
It stood hunched, its body covered in scales that shimmered a sickly green. Its eyes were slits of golden hate, glowing with primal instinct. A jagged bone helmet rested crooked on its skull, and crude metal armor was lashed to its limbs with vines.
A hiss escaped its lips — the sound sharp and wet.
"What in the hell…? That thing — it's like a cross between a lizard and a goblin. Definitely not human."
Two more emerged.
Then five.
Then more.
All crawling out from between tree trunks, bursting from bushes, sliding down from low branches like silent assassins.
Fourteen in total.
Each one carried primitive but lethal-looking weapons — rusted blades, bone spears, chipped clubs. Their movements were coordinated, instinctive, and eerily quiet.
Kade took a half step back.
"They're not random beasts… they're hunting as a unit. Tactical. Organized. Reptilian… tribal… crap. Kobolds. That's what these things are, right?"
He activated appraisal.
Appraisal: Target Identified
Species: Kobold (Forest Variant)
Level: 43–52
Class: Tribal Warrior / Shadow-Touched
Health Points: 2,900–3,400
Magic Points: 220–280
Abilities: Pack Tactics, Ambush Expert, Minor Regeneration, Night Stalker
Traits: Low Intelligence, High Aggression, Tactical Coordination in groups
Weaknesses: Light-based magic, Fire, Blunt Force Trauma
Note: Kobolds often travel in packs. Opportunistic scavengers. Dangerous when provoked or in high numbers.
"Yup. Kobolds. But damn, they look way more dangerous than the little cartoon ones I saw in games. Alright then… let's give them a show."
Four of the kobolds suddenly shrieked and sprinted at him, their weapons raised, clawed feet kicking up dirt.
Kade stood his ground.
"Let's test something out."
He extended his arm, eyes glowing faintly.
"Shadow Manipulation — Shadow Bind."
The moment the words left his lips, the shadows exploded to life.
From beneath his boots, the darkness surged forward like a rising tide, snaking outwards in every direction. It twisted and lunged, splitting into 14 separate tendrils. They moved fast, impossibly fast — whiplike jets of darkness that wrapped around legs, arms, weapons.
The four kobolds charging him stopped mid-lunge, their bodies seized midair as thick coils latched onto their limbs. They struggled wildly, eyes wide, jaws snapping.
The other ten were yanked off their feet — some dragged into trees, others slammed into the dirt and pinned.
Screeches filled the forest.
Kade's face remained calm, almost amused.
The tendrils held firm, pulsing gently with his will.
"That… looked badass. Like something out of a high-budget anime. I can't lie — this is insanely cool. But now let's finish it."
He scanned the writhing kobolds.
Then grinned.
"Shadow Manipulation — Shadow Spikes. Multiply: Fourteen."
A chill wind swept through the clearing.
The shadows under each kobold began to quiver — first subtly, then violently. Like something ancient and angry was waking beneath them.
They shrieked, sensing it.
Then—
The shadows exploded.
From each one, a towering black spike shot upward, shaped like jagged obsidian, glowing faintly with violet veins. They pierced the kobolds through the chest, abdomen, and spine — lifting them off the ground with bone-cracking force.
Fourteen kobolds screamed as one.
Then fell silent.
The spikes stood tall for a moment longer, then began to dissolve into drifting motes of darkness.
The bodies of the monsters faded with them — swallowed by shadow.
Kade stood in the eye of the aftermath, wind tugging at his cloak, his hair fluttering around glowing eyes.
"That… was art. Brutal, efficient, and beautiful. Shadow magic is everything I never knew I needed. I'm not just strong — I'm untouchable."
He exhaled.
The forest quieted.
Only the whisper of wind through leaves remained.
With a final glance at where the kobolds had fallen, he turned.
The path ahead shimmered with twilight.
He continued walking, each step a silent promise.
To be continued…