Chapter 157: *The Shadow Lord Returns*
The lab's cold, sterile light sliced through the thick darkness as each member of the group struggled to transition back from the nightmarish realm. Their bodies felt heavy and sluggish, the process slower and more jarring than usual, as if the shadows themselves resisted letting them go. One by one, they blinked into focus, their breaths sharp and labored, feeling the weight of reality settle back on their shoulders. When they finally looked up, they were greeted by an unexpected sight—the wide, concerned eyes of the aliens hovering around them.
"Are you all right?" one alien in a white lab coat asked, his voice wavering.
"What's going on?" another alien demanded, their tentacles twitching anxiously.
"It… it looks like they're back…" muttered a third, his voice low but strained.
