Chapter 14: Shadows Against the Sun
The survivors stumbled out of the cavern hours later, broken and hollow-eyed. By the time they reached the surface, their story had already become something else. Soldiers repeated it to officers, officers to nobles, and soon it climbed higher — a whisper rising like smoke.
"The Shadow Sovereign."
The name slithered through taverns, temples, and war camps alike, always hushed, always fearful.
But below, far beneath the forest canopy, the Sovereign himself stirred.
I moved through the tunnels with ease, shadows rippling outward as if the stone itself bowed before me. The taste of battle still lingered in my form, power settling deeper, richer.
"Mm. That was barely an appetizer. Just one percent… and already they break. Already they tremble."
My faceless form tilted upward, sensing the faintest kiss of sunlight bleeding through cracks in the rock. The surface called.
I rose through a hidden fissure, shadows spilling into the open air. The forest greeted me with birdsong, sunlight dappling through leaves, and the irritating warmth of day pressing against my essence.
"Ah, the sun. Gaudy, glaring, utterly without subtlety. Truly the kind of thing only zealots would worship."
And right on cue, zealots arrived.
Across the clearing, a squad of armored figures stood in formation. Their armor gleamed, banners fluttering with the crest of a rising sun. The Order of Radiant Dawn.
Their leader, a knight plated in white-gold steel, stepped forward. His voice carried like a sermon across the clearing.
"Abomination! By the authority of the Dawn, we cast you back into the abyss!"
I tilted my head, shadows curling into a jagged grin.
"Oh, splendid. My first surface encounter — and it's with light-worshiping fanatics. Can't a newly crowned Sovereign get a welcome party with less holy shouting?"
I let my voice roll out, each word a decree of iron:
"Between your radiant cruelty and my silent abyss, the world shall learn which is mercy. Light burns. But shadow… comforts."
The clearing stilled. Even the birds stopped singing.
And then, predictably, one of the lesser knights ruined the atmosphere by charging at me with his sword raised.
"Ah. Lesson one: never rush the abyss unless you wish to vanish into it."Dear Readers,
I want to apologize for the late updates. I've been busy "cooking up" this novel behind the scenes, making sure I can bring you more chapters all at once! I'm also excited to share that I'm a new author, still learning and finding my way, so your support means even more to me.
Your encouragement—through likes, comments, or shares—helps me keep going and improve with every chapter. Thank you for sticking with me on this journey, and I can't wait to share more of the story I've been working so hard on!
With gratitude,
Tenko_