The Shadow Beckons
A distant, bloodcurdling scream echoed through the forest.
Everyone snapped awake.
Weapons were drawn, eyes darting around the camp.
"What was that?" one soldier muttered, his knuckles white from gripping his sword.
Evelyn was already on her feet, her blade reflecting the flickering firelight. "Stay on guard."
Then, the black fog began to expand.
Thick, suffocating, unnatural.
Within moments, my vision was completely blocked. The soldiers who had been standing just feet away from me—gone.
My instincts screamed. Something was terribly wrong.
A blade came at me from the fog.
I barely managed to block in time. Sparks flew as my sword clashed against the attacker's.
"What the hell are you doing?!" I shouted.
No response.
Through the thick haze, I finally got a look at my attacker—one of the soldiers. His eyes were vacant, lifeless, as if he weren't even seeing me.
Then, another soldier attacked.
Then another.
One by one, they all turned their weapons against me.
My breath hitched. They're possessed.
I couldn't fight all ten of them alone.
I did the only thing I could—I ran.
Through the fog, through the trees, dodging their swings. The clanging of metal against metal rang in my ears as I barely avoided getting cut down.
Then I saw her.
Evelyn.
Her piercing golden eyes had lost their sharpness. They were empty—completely void of reason.
And she was charging straight for me.
"Evelyn, snap out of it!"
No reaction.
Her sword swung toward my neck.
I barely dodged, the sheer force sending wind blasting past my face.
Then came her second attack.
A perfectly executed slash.
Straight for my throat.
I couldn't dodge.
The blade connected—
And my head was severed.
I woke up gasping.
Sweat drenched my body as my hands instinctively shot up to my head.
Still attached.
I was alive.
Panting, I scanned my surroundings.
The campfire was still flickering. The soldiers were still asleep. Evelyn was still there, resting by a tree.
No fog. No battle.
Just… silence.
"A dream…?" I whispered, trying to slow my racing heart.
But it hadn't felt like a dream.
It had felt real.
Too real.
Nyx let out a soft growl, rubbing himself against me as if sensing my unease.
"Yeah, yeah," I muttered, stroking his fur. "I know. You're with me."
But even as I sat there, staring at the sleeping camp, I couldn't shake the feeling.
Something is going to happen.
As I sat beneath a tree, my mind still restless, something moved at the edge of my vision.
A small shadow.
I turned my head and saw…
A creature.
A tiny bear-like beast, its form shifting like living darkness.
I knew exactly what it was.
A Shade Familiar.
A creature in the game, typically summoned by dark sorcerers.
Evil dark sorcerers.
So what the hell was one doing here?
The small creature crept toward our camp, its tiny clawed hands grabbing the leftover cooked meat from our supplies.
Then, it turned and ran.
Straight into the forest.
I didn't hesitate.
I got to my feet and followed.
The little shadow bear moved fast, weaving between trees, its body almost melting into the darkness.
But I kept my distance, tracking it through the forest.
Eventually, it reached a cave.
The entrance was jagged, unnatural—like something had ripped it open.
The bear darted inside.
I stood at the entrance, hesitating.
Then I steeled myself and followed.
Inside, the cave was dimly lit by glowing blue runes carved into the stone walls.
And in the center—
My breath caught in my throat.
Because I recognized her.
She turned to face me, her dark robes shifting like the shadows themselves, and her piercing crimson eyes locked onto mine.
Iris Nightshade.
The Dark Sorceress.
One of the future heroines of this world.
And the woman who, in the game…
Would become one of the greatest villains.
I took a step forward, my heart pounding.
Was this…
The beginning of a new journey?