Gabriel stepped closer, and holding the book in his hand, he tapped Eta lightly on the head.
Tap.
It didn't hurt, but it was enough to make Eta huff in annoyance as she rubbed her head.
Beta chuckled softly, enjoying the rare—and somehow warm—interaction between them.
Then, Gabriel held out the book toward Beta. She took it, her brows knitting slightly as she sensed the unfamiliar aura emanating from the object.
"This is different from Shadow Wisdom," Gabriel explained in a low, deep voice.
"This is the Fruit of the Forbidden—Knowledge of White Mist."
Though he said this, in reality the contents of the book were not truly forbidden for Gabriel.
It was simply a compilation of Fandom Ability knowledge—every concept, theory, and system of powers he had ever read about online.
Under normal circumstances, memorizing all of that information would be nearly impossible.
But for Gabriel, as long as he had read it once and applied certain rules in his mind, any piece of information could be retrieved at will, without degradation.
All of that knowledge had been compiled into a book by himself.
Not with ordinary ink or paper—but using a medium made entirely of dark matter, stable and eternal.
Gabriel's own intention was to make things easier for Beta when writing a novel.
On the other hand, Beta was sweating lightly.
The book… had been handed to her directly by Gabriel.
The tip of her index finger trembled slightly as it touched the cover. She swallowed hard, feeling a pressure she had never experienced, even when taking direct orders from Alpha.
"A-Ash-sama…" she murmured quietly, almost inaudible.
With near-religious caution, Beta opened to the first page.
Her eyes went wide.
___________________
Ability: Shadow Manipulation
Alias: Umbrakinesis / Dominion of Shade
Specification: The ability to control, manipulate, and shape shadows as both a physical and metaphysical medium.
Capabilities:
– Transform shadows into semi-solid substances
– Connect shadows across objects and spaces
– Store objects or information within layers of shadow
– Locally suppress the existence of light
Applications:
– Melee and ranged attacks
– Flexible defense
– Mobility through shadow traversal
– High-level infiltration and concealment
Variations:
– Shadow Binding
– Shadow Clone
– Living Shadow
– Abyssal Extension
Associations: Darkness, absence of light, the concept of "the hidden," area dominance.
Limitations:
– Reliant on the presence of shadows
– High mental stamina consumption
– Weakened in fully illuminated areas
___________________
Beta covered her mouth with one hand.
"This… this isn't just an ability description…" she whispered, her voice trembling. "It's like… an absolute framework. Complete. Structured. Even includes its limitations…"
She swallowed again, then glanced at the next page—and froze.
Not daring to continue.
Slowly, Beta closed the book and hugged it to her chest, as if afraid it would vanish if she let her guard down.
"Ash-sama…"
Her tone shifted—not mere admiration, but pure intellectual submission.
"This book… if it fell into the wrong hands…"
She shook her head slightly. "No. Even we—Shadow Garden—might not be worthy of reading it in full."
Beta lifted her gaze to meet Gabriel's eyes. "…Thank you for trusting me this far."
Her hands clenched over the dark cover, filled with resolve.
"As a writer—and as part of Shadow Garden—I swear. This knowledge will not be tainted."
Seeing Beta's reaction, Gabriel tilted his head slowly. For some reason, there was something odd—a subtle misunderstanding of his true intention.
Yet, since it posed no danger to anyone, Gabriel chose to remain silent.
Without a word, he lowered his gaze for a moment, then looked ahead down the long, quiet corridor, letting the trolley continue rolling between the shadows of the ancient pillars.
Seeing Gabriel once again staring down the corridor as if nothing had happened, Beta fell silent.
Her steps remained steady.
Her expression stayed professional.
Yet inside her mind, thoughts trembled softly.
…I understand now.
Beta cast a brief glance at the book in her hands—its presence felt far too weighty to be merely a "gift."
This was not just a present.
This was a test.
She drew a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heartbeat.
Ash-sama offered no further explanation.
No warnings.
No boundaries.
Which meant… the limits had to be set by me.
Her fingers tightened slightly on the edge of the book's dark cover.
If I am careless, this knowledge could disrupt the balance of the world.
If I am too rigid, its potential will be wasted.
A conclusion formed—calm, logical, and distinctly Beta.
He wanted to see how I would handle "something that shouldn't be read carelessly."
Beta's gaze dropped briefly, filled with determination.
As an Author… as a chronicler…
…I must be the filter, not the disseminator.
Her steps fell back in line with Gabriel's.
Not a single word was spoken.
Ahead of her, Gabriel walked casually—completely unaware that Beta had constructed a profound meaning from something that, to him, was simply:
"Oh, this will suit Beta."
And there lay the misunderstanding.
***
Inside the Alexandria Castle office, the atmosphere felt far quieter than usual.
Gamma, Beta, and Epsilon sat side by side on the large sofa, each lost in their own thoughts.
No conversation took place—only silence, occasionally disturbed by the whisper of the afternoon wind.
Elsewhere in the room, Alpha stood near the open window. A gentle breeze drifted in, lifting the ends of her long blonde hair.
The light of the setting sun—slowly descending toward the horizon—touched parts of her form, casting long shadows across the stone floor.
There was one thought that weighed on all of them.
The reasoning behind Ash's actions… and the true purpose of Shadow.
A few hours earlier, Ash had handed Beta a book—a tome containing a collection of various abilities, compiled in a way they had never seen before.
And the day before, Shadow had given Alpha another book.
A book of laws.
Inside, it contained articles and clauses—rules that every member of Shadow Garden was to study and obey—without any further explanation, without context, only the mandate to understand.
Two books.
Two wills.
And now, the four women sat in silence, trying to piece together the meaning behind the actions of the two figures they followed.
The silence felt heavy—as if marking the beginning of something far greater than mere orders.
Finally, the silence broke.
Beta slowly closed the book resting on her lap.
Its cover—dark, cold, and strangely foreign—let out a soft sound as it shut.
"…I've read it three times," she said quietly. "And my conclusion remains the same."
Gamma lifted her head. "S-Same...!?"
Beta nodded. "The book Ash-sama gave me… and the law book from Shadow-sama."
Epsilon crossed her legs, her expression calm, but her eyes sharp. "The two don't contradict each other. But… they aren't entirely in alignment either."
Alpha finally turned away from the window.
The sunset light struck her usually sharp eyes—now slightly dimmed.
"So you felt it too," she said. "The difference in intent."
Beta took a deep breath. "Ash-sama's book isn't an organizational manual. It's not a command. If interpreted, its content… is potential. Possibilities. Worlds that could exist."
"Whereas Shadow-sama's book," Gamma continued softly, "is… a foundation. Rules that must not be broken?"
Silence descended again, heavier this time.
Epsilon touched her chin. "If we look at this structurally… Shadow-sama is building a system. And Ash-sama—"
"—is equipping individuals," Beta interjected.
Alpha slowly clenched her fists.
"In other words," she murmured, "Shadow-sama is ensuring that Shadow Garden remains a single, controlled entity."
"And Ash-sama?" Gamma asked hesitantly.
Beta looked down at the book in her lap.
"Ash-sama is preparing for the possibility of fragmentation."
The words hung in the air like a knife.
"Shadow-sama is building an everlasting shadow. An organization that will continue to function even without him."
"And Ash-sama…" Alpha exhaled slowly. "…is the one preparing for the day that shadow to shatters."
No one contradicted her.
Not because they were certain.
But because—the conclusion was far too reasonable to ignore.
Outside, the sun finally set completely.
And unbeknownst to them—neither Shadow… nor Ash… ever intended it to go that far.
____
Author's note:
Currently drunk on mineral water. Overthinking 🤣🤣🤣
Ah… if you enjoy this fanfic, don't forget to leave a comment, give feedback, favorite it, and shower it with all the power stones.
This was a heist~ 😈