The air grew colder around Hiro as the battle with Midnight Specter came to an end. Exhausted and drained, his body felt like it could barely move. The night sky above Noctyra(The Name Of The World) was still, an eerie calm that did nothing to settle his racing heart.
As Hiro tried to gather his strength to return to the village, a new presence materialized out of the darkness. His body stiffened—he could feel it before he even saw it. A shadow, more sinister than anything he'd ever felt, loomed over him. The weight of the darkness was suffocating, pressing down on him like a crushing force.
Out of the blackness stepped Shadow Sovereign—the Supreme Shade, Rank 1 of the Six Shades of Darkness. His form was more imposing than anything Hiro had faced, his aura heavy and menacing. The darkness around him seemed to bend and warp reality itself, swirling with an otherworldly power that made the very ground tremble beneath Hiro.
Hiro tried to stand, but his muscles refused to obey. Every breath felt like it was being stolen from him, as if the very air was consumed by the presence of the Shadow Sovereign. His legs wobbled, and he fell to his knees.
"You fought well against Midnight Specter," Shadow Sovereign said, his voice deep and resonant, like the echo of nightmares. "But I've seen your true potential, Hiro."
Hiro couldn't respond. He couldn't breathe.
"There is darkness in you, more than you realize, and you wield it with a power that even the others cannot match." Shadow Sovereign continued, his eyes narrowing as he gazed at Hiro. "Join me, and I will make you stronger than any of the Shades. Stronger than even Shadeborn. Together, we can reshape this world."
The words lingered in the air. Shadow Sovereign, the most powerful of all the Shades, was offering Hiro a place among them. Hiro's mind raced. The prospect was tempting—he knew how powerful Shadow Sovereign was. There was no denying the allure of the strength and knowledge he could gain.
But something tugged at his heart. His friends. Ayla, Ronan, Aqua—they had fought by his side, believed in him. He remembered their training sessions, their laughter, their victories. He remembered their faces, trusting him even in the darkest moments.
Hiro gritted his teeth, forcing himself to move, to speak. "I won't betray my friends," he said, his voice shaky but resolute. "I will never join the Shades of Darkness."
Shadow Sovereign's eyes glimmered with amusement, but the air around them grew colder still. "Pity," he said, stepping closer. "You have the power to surpass me, Hiro. I could kill you right now, but where's the satisfaction in that? Your current state is… pathetic. When we meet again, I will see the full extent of your strength. And when that time comes, I will crush you."
Hiro's heart pounded as Shadow Sovereign's presence finally receded. He could feel the suffocating darkness lift, though his body was still too weak to move. As dawn approached, Shadow Sovereign disappeared into the shadows, leaving Hiro lying on the cold ground.
The first rays of sunlight kissed the horizon when Hiro's friends found him. Ayla rushed to his side, kneeling beside him. "Hiro! What happened?" she asked, her eyes wide with concern.
Hiro's voice was hoarse as he explained everything—the battle with Midnight Specter, and the encounter with Shadow Sovereign. "He wanted me to join them… but I couldn't do it. I refused."
Ronan clenched his fists, his expression grim. "This changes everything. If Shadow Sovereign's watching us, we'll need to be ready. We can't let our guard down for even a second."
Ayla and Aqua exchanged uneasy glances. The looming threat of Shadow Sovereign was heavier than ever, but as Hiro looked into the faces of his friends, he knew he had made the right choice. They would face this together, no matter how dark the path ahead became.
With the morning sun rising, the group helped Hiro to his feet. They knew the next time they faced the Rank 1 Shade, it would be a battle unlike any other. But for now, they would prepare, knowing that even the greatest darkness couldn't extinguish the light they carried within them.