"Some shadows are not born of evil… they are born of abandonment."
After restoring Infernara and freeing Kael, Pablo and his new companion returned to the heart of Transporium, where the next portal pulsed with a strange energy: cold, soft, yet unsettling. It was not fire, nor stone… it was living darkness.
The hooded figure, still guarding the tower, raised its head.
—Now you enter a world without sun. You will not see your reflection, you will not hear your echo, and you may not return with your soul intact.
—I have already walked through death —Pablo answered firmly—. Shadows do not frighten me… only oblivion does.
Kael's voice trembled.
—In Infernara, fire obeyed me because it was my blood. But here… what if the shadows reject me?
—Then you will learn to walk through them —said Pablo—. Just as I will.
The portal tore open like a black veil ripped through the air, and both crossed without looking back.
⸻
Umbrallya
The transition was silent. No sound. No wind. Only a shift in atmosphere.
When Pablo opened his eyes, he stood upon a floating island suspended over a sea of purple clouds and black stars. The sky was an eternal night, yet he could see as if the darkness carried its own light.
On the horizon, other islands drifted, connected by bridges of solid smoke and hanging roots. It was a realm caught between dream and reality.
—Here… there is no noise —whispered Kael—. It feels like the world refuses to wake up.
—Because this realm never sleeps nor lives —answered a voice from the shadows.
From behind a floating stone, a woman emerged. Her skin was gray, her hair woven of mist, and her eyes were empty mirrors.
—I am Umbriana, keeper of the sealed archives of night. And you… you are the echo of those who abandoned this place.
Pablo faced her without fear.
—I am Pablo, son of the fallen. I came to restore Norgalia, and I came for Umbrallya.
Umbriana studied him in silence.
—You cannot restore what was never broken. Here there are no ruins, only memories frozen in time, waiting to devour the one who dares awaken them.
Kael took a step closer, whispering:
—Memories… frozen?
Umbriana lifted her bone staff and pointed north. On a vast island, a dragon lay asleep. Its scales were black as obsidian, its eyes shut yet glowing faintly with silver light.
—That is Umbrazeth, the dragon of eternal night. Forged by Shastakan… or by the one you believe was Shastakan.
Pablo narrowed his gaze.
—So you, too, know the truth.
—In this realm, shadows whisper truths… and lies —Umbriana said—. We witnessed how the first Pillars came to hide what they knew. Gabriel and Julius sealed the names of the original founders.
—The founders? —Pablo asked.
—The true leaders of the United Kingdoms. Before Norgalia erased them.
Kael leaned over the edge of the island and froze. Beneath the clouds, cities hung upside down, suspended like roots—entire civilizations falling forever into the void.
—Gods… —Kael whispered—. How many lived here?
—Millions —Umbriana answered—. And none were remembered.
Pablo clenched his fists.
—Then tell me, what can be restored here?
Umbriana pointed toward a nearby platform where a glowing white pedestal floated, inscribed with runes that pulsed like a heartbeat.
—Umbrazeth must be awakened. He is not just a guardian—he is the seal of this state. Without him, Umbrallya will remain a shadow of itself.
Kael bit his lip.
—And if he destroys us?
—Then you will know Umbrallya was never yours to claim.
Pablo stepped forward. Kael followed reluctantly.
—Are you certain? —Kael whispered.
Pablo smirked faintly.
—Was I ever?
He placed his hand on the pedestal. All Umbrallya shuddered. The islands quaked. The stars trembled. The dragon's eyes burst open.
Umbrazeth rose, his wings blotting out the heavens. His roar was a thunder that shattered silence itself.
—WHO AWAKENS ME?
—I am Pablo III of Norgalia. Heir to the crown. I came to restore this state.
The dragon coiled around the island, his colossal eye fixed on Pablo. In its reflection, Pablo saw not only himself but his lineage: Eldric, Draven, Shastakan… and a broken figure he could not name.
—I know your fire —Umbrazeth thundered—. And your doubt. But here, titles are worthless. Only truth remains.
In an instant, Pablo's mind was seized by visions: the forging of the Pillars, Shastakan's betrayal, the rewriting of history. He saw Umbrazeth chained into slumber so no one would remember what he had witnessed.
Pablo fell to his knees, blood trickling from his nose. Kael rushed to him.
—Pablo! Stay with me!
Umbriana's voice cut through the still air.
—Did you survive?
Pablo raised his head, his breath unsteady, but his eyes burning with resolve.
—Yes… and now I remember more than I ever wished to.
Umbrazeth roared once more, shaking the heavens. His wings spread, and from them rained a shower of luminous ash. The islands steadied. The smoke bridges turned to black stone. Temples rose anew. Gardens of shadow bloomed under the eternal night.
Umbriana closed her eyes.
—Umbrallya breathes again.
The dragon ascended into the northern dark, leaving behind a trail of newborn stars.
Kael helped Pablo to his feet. Both were silent for a long time, staring at the restored realm.
—Only one state remains —Kael finally whispered—. One more, and then… the coronation.
Pablo's gaze hardened, his voice carrying both weariness and strength.
—And with it… the judgment of this nation.