When he opened his eyes, a clear blue sky greeted him. He tried to get up from his place and felt the soft strands of green grass beneath his hands. He was in a vast grassy field that stretched endlessly, with nothing in sight except for a single, majestic tree standing on a slightly elevated hill.
"This can't be real…" he thought in confusion. The last thing he remembered was sitting at home, engrossed in the final chapter of his favorite novel, Shadow Slave.
"Am I dead?" he muttered softly, looking around with a mix of wonder and doubt. "Is this the afterlife? Am I going to be judged for my sins? Why am I not panicking about the fact that I might be dead?"
As he was lost in thought, his eyes fell on a girl sitting nearby. Her puzzled expression mirrored his feelings.
The girl's perspective:
The last thing she remembered was walking to university, reading the final chapter of her favorite novel, Shadow Slave. Suddenly, a large truck appeared out of nowhere… then darkness. She had no recollection of anything after that until she woke up here.
She looked around at the seemingly endless field, then at the boy nearby, who appeared just as confused. Questions swirled in her mind, but the answers seemed elusive. Despite that, she felt an inexplicable urge to head toward the lone tree on the hill—perhaps intuition, or simply an attempt to understand this strange place.
Without a word, she began walking across the grassy field. The boy followed silently, both of them cautious but driven by some mysterious instinct.
Under the shade of the tree stood an ornate wooden table with three old-fashioned chairs. Seated on one of the chairs was a woman dressed in a gown that changed colors depending on the angle you looked from. Her shiny pink hair cascaded over her shoulders, almost reaching the ground. Her hands were covered in long gloves, and a serene smile adorned her face.
"Don't just stand there like that," she said in a soft voice. "Come, sit down. Have some tea."
It was indescribably strange, yet they obeyed silently, the situation's allure too strong to resist.
The woman spoke with a professional tone, looking at both of them: "I know you have many questions. I will answer what I can."
The boy spoke first: "Are we… dead?"
She replied with a faint smile: "Yes."
The word carried a heavy weight, yet neither of them felt fear. A sense of calm seemed to envelop them.
"Why are we so calm about this?" the boy asked.
"That is due to the nature of this place," she answered. "We call it the Field of Solace. It has a soothing effect on the souls of humans who enter it."
The girl hesitated before asking, "Who are you?"
The woman smiled proudly. "I am Astria, the goddess of love and beauty."
The shock was evident on their faces. "A goddess?" the boy muttered.
"Yes, a goddess," she replied confidently.
After a moment of silence, the girl asked, "Why are we here?"
Astria clapped her hands with excitement and said, "Good question! You see, the lives of gods aren't as exciting as you might think. Thousands of years ago, we decided to take random human souls and reincarnate them into other worlds. It's a form of entertainment for us."
She then added with a sly smile, "So, my question for you both is: Do you wish to reincarnate?"
The boy asked, "Can I choose the world?"
Astria answered, "Perhaps. Which world do you want?"
He said eagerly, "The world of Shadow Slave. Is that possible?"
The girl was surprised but quickly responded, "I also want to go to that world."
Astria pondered for a moment before saying, "Alright, it can be done, but under one condition. You will be reborn as twins, with your father being a saint and your mother a transcendent. I will also grant you some perks, within limits, of course."
A golden window appeared before them, displaying options:
• [Shadow Child]
• [Shadow Knight]
• [Shadow Priest].
The boy excitedly chose "Shadow Knight", while the girl chose "Shadow Priestess."
Astria then said, "You can each choose three additional traits."
The boy selected:
• [Shadow Bond]
• [Lucky]
• [Shadow Dance].
The girl selected:
• [Blessed]
• [Lucky]
• [Shadow Magic].
Finally, she asked them to choose their true names.
The boy said, "Arrogant Star."
The girl said, "Shadow Beloved."
Astria smiled and said, "You will reincarnate after passing the First Nightmare. Prepare yourselves!"
Then everything turned to pitch black, and their new journey began.
Draco's perspective:
He woke up in a dark, windowless room. His breathing was shallow, and his back was covered in blood. He heard a voice—both familiar and strange at the same time:
"Hey, you're finally awake?"
He jumped to his feet, looking at a man and a woman standing nearby. The man asked worriedly, "Are you alright?"
"Yes," he replied hesitantly, but his mind was flooded with memories. The shock almost overwhelmed him, but the man held him steady, saying, "Take it easy, what's going on?"
Looking at the man brought clarity: this was his father. And the woman beside him… his mother. Just as Astria had said.
The man smiled and said warmly, "Welcome back to the world of wakefulness."
Draco laughed despite his confusion. After washing up and looking in the mirror, he was stunned by his appearance: blue eyes as clear as the sky and white hair like light. He could never have imagined looking this way.
Nyx's perspective:
She awoke to the sound of her parents talking. Her mother said, "Our children are strong; don't worry."
She slowly opened her eyes. Her body felt weak, and her mother gently held her, saying, "Wait, don't move too quickly. Are you alright?"
"Yes," she replied. "Where's my brother?"
Her mother chuckled, "He's fine. He's bathing now. Go wash up, and then we'll talk."
After washing up and looking in the mirror, she was amazed at her beauty: a perfectly balanced face, black hair like the night, and eyes glimmering with shadow.
When the Twins Gathered with Their Parents
Status
Name: Nyx
True Name: [Shadow's Beloved]
Rank: Dormant
Class: Monster
Soul Cores: [1/7] [0/1000]
Traits: [Blessed], [Shadow Magic], [Lucky]
• Trait Description - [Blessed]:
Your soul has been blessed. The speed at which you absorb soul fragments is tripled.
• Trait Description - [Shadow Magic]:
You are loved by the shadows.
• Trait Description - [Lucky]:
Your luck is unnaturally good.
Appearance: [Shadow Priestess]
Aspect Rank: Divine
• Aspect Description:
You are the last Shadow Priestess, a secret religious sect devoted to the Shadow God. You are on a quest to find the last remnant of your god: His Divine Shadow.
Passive Ability: [Shadow Puppet]
• Ability Description:
You can enchant the shadows of creatures you have killed to fight for you. These shadows become stagnant and will never grow naturally. Shadow puppets can be concealed within your own shadow. The number of puppets you can control depends on your Soul Cores.
Innate Ability: [Shadow Veil]
• Ability Description:
Your physical strength and essence regeneration increase when you are completely enveloped by shadows.
Flaw: [Tone Deaf]
• Description:
You are unable to distinguish correct musical tones when singing.
After reading this, Nyx felt everything was beneficial to her. She hoped that her brother Draco would be as lucky.
(Draco's Perspective)
He looked away and said:
Status
Name: Draco
True Name: [The Arrogant Star]
Rank: Dormant
Class: Monster
Soul Cores: [1/7] [1/1000]
Traits: [Lucky], [Shadow Bond], [Shadow Dance]
• Trait Description - [Lucky]:
Your luck is unnaturally good.
• Trait Description - [Shadow Bond]:
You can form a stronger bond with shadows than any other divine shadow.
• Trait Description - [Shadow Dance]:
A legacy of a treacherous shadow. A deadly sword-dance concept that destroys enemies ruthlessly. The Shadow Knight inherited it without effort, but beware—it is as treacherous as its origin. Master it properly, or it will bring no benefit to you.
Appearance: [Shadow Knight]
Aspect Rank: Divine
• Aspect Description:
You are the last Shadow Knight, a religious sect devoted to the Shadow God. You are on a quest to find the last remnant of your god: His Divine Shadow.
Passive Ability: [Shadow Blade]
• Ability Description:
You can quickly comprehend any sword technique, immobilize your opponent rapidly, and transform any shadow into a transcendent blade.
Innate Ability: [Shadow's Favorite]
• Ability Description:
Half of your opponent's attacks will be absorbed by your shadows instead of you.
Flaw: [Cannot Sing]
• Description:
You are unable to sing a song you like or enjoy it.