Modret glanced at the maid who was bowing slightly before him. His brow furrowed in deep thought as he turned toward the silent fairy hovering nearby, seeking an explanation. He did not understand what was going on.
Sensing his confusion, the fairy exhaled softly, her wings fluttering with a faint shimmer of light before she began explaining.
{Every shadow servant regains their manner of speech and faint memories from when they were alive.}
Modret's expression stiffened in mild surprise. He pointed at the shadow servant standing before him.
"So you mean she recalls what transpired before she was killed?"
{Quite plausible. There is even a slight certainty that she does.}
"Isn't that dangerous?" Modret asked quickly, his voice edged with concern, already imagining the worst.
The fairy's voice carried a hint of amusement as she responded calmly.
{You do not have to worry about that. As your shadow servant, she is bound to you and unable to resist.}
Modret nodded in relief, the tension in his shoulders easing. He turned his full attention to the shadow servant standing motionlessly in front of him.
"You can understand me, right?"
The shadow servant gave a small nod.
"In that case, can you recall who ordered you to assassinate me?" Modret's eyes shimmered with curiosity that was difficult to suppress. Perhaps he would finally uncover the identity of the one who had tried to kill him.
The maid's expression twisted repeatedly, her features flickering between frustration and effort. After a tense silence, she finally replied, "I can't seem to remember her name or face, but I do recall that we were supposed to meet under the umbrella tree. I was meant to hand her your head. Perhaps she's still waiting there."
Modret's eyes lit up with sudden realization. If he could follow her to the meeting spot, would he not be able to uncover the mastermind's identity?
But then he quickly shook his head. That would be far too dangerous. What if it was a complex trap?
He had heard of scenarios where the true mastermind observed everything from a distance, ready to eliminate anyone who approached. If that were the case, he would be caught instantly.
The fairy beside him rolled her eyes.
{Still so cautious about everything. If that is how you feel, then simply let her go and use the shared vision. Currently, you can use it for one minute. Perhaps tell her to activate it once she reaches the umbrella tree.}
"There's something like that?" Modret's eyes widened in amazement. He stared at the fairy, visibly astonished.
{Of course there is. It is called shadow sense. It allows the Lord of Shadows to tap into all five senses of his subordinates. You can hear what they hear, see what they see, and even control them to speak the words you wish.}
Modret nodded in understanding, his heart quickening with excitement. This development was far beyond what he had expected.
"Time to try it, then," he muttered under his breath. He clenched his fist and began plotting silently, running through countless simulations in his mind alongside the fairy.
Time passed swiftly, carried on the wings of the spring breeze. In the blink of an eye, night had fallen. Beneath the dark veil of the evening, Modret lay quietly in his room. From the shadows near his bed, something slipped out unnoticed.
The form of the maid materialized outside his house and began moving swiftly in the direction of the umbrella tree.
The distance was slightly greater than expected, but she eventually arrived. The tree's wide canopy stretched out above her, its dark leaves veiling the moonlight. Upon reaching the spot, she called out softly, "Master?"
The surrounding area was cloaked in silence, broken only by the faint rustle of branches and the whisper of wind through the leaves. Crickets hummed gently, their soft song filling the air, while an owl hooted somewhere in the distant canopy.
The maid waited patiently. Just as she began to suspect that no one was coming, a faint creak echoed through the night. A deep voice, unmistakably feminine, followed.
"I thought you died?"
The voice carried a faint undertone of curiosity.
The maid quickly bowed and repeated the words Modret had instructed her to say.
"After failing to kill the boy, I went into hiding. I feared the wrath of his parents and the other noble families."
The figure nodded, apparently satisfied with the explanation. Then she stepped out from the shadows. The moment she did, just as Modret had ordered, the shadow servant activated the shadow sense.
In that instant, Modret became her.
His vision shifted violently. One moment he was lying on his familiar wooden bed surrounded by lavish furniture, and the next, he stood beneath a massive tree shaped like an umbrella. Its branches reached outward, blotting out the moonlight entirely.
Standing before him was a figure clad in flowing green robes. Her aura was shrouded in mystery, like a myth come to life. What truly caught Modret's eye, however, was the blue mask that covered her face.
Her gaze beneath the mask bore into him with quiet intensity. Just as everything seemed to be proceeding smoothly, her eyes narrowed suddenly, and her solemn voice echoed in the air.
"Who are you?"
Modret's heart raced in alarm. Had she sensed the subtle change?
He refused to panic. Masking his surprise, he replied using the maid's voice.
"Master, what do you mean? Who am I?"
The masked woman sneered faintly.
"I can sense the shift in aura. Tell me, who exactly are you?"
At that moment, Modret knew he had been discovered. Judging by her perception, this woman must be a powerful awakened. It was clear that his shadow servant would not leave this place alive.
"In that case, I might as well give them a show," Modret thought with a smirk tugging at his lips.
His voice deepened into a masculine tone. He looked her directly in the eyes beneath the mask and spoke with calm confidence.
"They call me… the Enigma."
"What?" The woman took a step back in surprise. She had not expected the warnings from her organization to be true. Her pupils shrank in disbelief.
"The Enigma?" she repeated cautiously.
The maid did not respond immediately. Instead, she clasped her hands behind her back and spoke in a somber, deliberate tone.
"I am the being who walks through the land of death. Embraced by the shadows, I dwell within them. I am the Lord of Shadows. Meeting this vessel of mine can be considered your luck. Do not worry. I am sending another vessel soon. Tell your master this: the Enigma says hello."
With that, Modret severed his connection to the shadow servant, another useful ability he had learned from the fairy.
The moment he did, the maid's body collapsed lifelessly to the ground with a dull thud. The eyes of the masked woman shimmered with shock.
She hesitated briefly before stepping forward and placing a hand on the corpse.
"Dead? I was actually speaking to a dead person the entire time?"
She pulled her hand away and stared at the body.
"Just who the hell is… the Enigma?"