The Villain's Story

Shilam stood before a destroyed horizon. In the center of the Realm of Shadows, a place that didn’t resemble it existed. A frozen wasteland, unlike the Realm of Shadows, where lumps of frost mana and shadow mana fought in the air, small balls of frost and shadow mana trying their best to overcome one another.

On the ground, deep cracks ran through the many layers of ice, and shadows tried to rise from such cracks, only to be beaten down again and again by the chilling mist. Slowly, these cracks began to mend, and Shilam was at a loss for words.

The Realm of Shadows was being pushed back; in this war of mana and domains, Shadows were being bested in their home realm, and ice dominated the area.

“…”

He had never thought he would see a sight like this in the battle. It was as if two Epic Beings had been in a furious battle.

Battles between epics usually resulted in a state like this; however, the fact that the Realm of Shadows was being pushed back was unbelievable. During the battle, he would understand, for it was the will of his lord to let the prince fight undisturbed.

But even afterward? When the prince was nothing but a standing corpse supported by his ruined spear? The Shadows were being bested?

Shilam walked towards the victor of the harrowing battle, supported only by his spear and a serrated tail anchoring him through his own gut. The tail belonged to someone Shilam couldn’t even recognize.

His head was no different from the bloody and broken ice, shadowy flesh that held no resemblance to an actual being anymore. Slowly, the body disappeared, and the prince started to fall.

‘A final burst of mana, which barely managed to save him.’

His eyes began to glow as he examined the situation. His eyes showed him that at the very last second, the prince’s failed heart managed to produce an explosive burst of mana that acted as a shield against the final attack of the Shadow.

It explained the stars of frost mana fighting against the raining shadows, and also why the prince was at the brink of death. It may have protected him against the first volley, but it couldn’t do much.

Still, it was impressive that he had survived, with only his dwindling reserves of aura to protect him.

‘How did he even manage to awaken aura?’

He had been foretold, but it was still difficult to believe, after all, the very notion of a dragon awakening aura was unheard of in their long history. Many had tried, but none had succeeded.

His spear, battered and in desperate need of restoration, fell to the ground first. An ego weapon that had tried to support the master but failed. However, before the prince could fall on the ground, the Black Sun answered.

The clouds parted, and a single tendril of shadow mana the size of an island swooped down and grabbed the prince, taking him towards the Lord of the Realm of Shadows. Shilam watched it happen as he picked up the spear.

“Poor thing, you need some work done on you.”

If his Lord wanted to converse with the prince first, he could. He was actually happy his lethargic master was taking an initiative.

But as he looked up, at the sight of the prince being carried over towards the skies, to the Black Sun, he realized.

‘… The prince is conscious?’

He was still there; he had survived that onslaught and was still conscious, patiently waiting to meet with the Lord of Shadows. Shilam could see the silent determination in his eyes, the diamonds that continued to flicker in and out of existence, desperately waiting for a chance to do something.

“Good luck.”

He offered a solemn bow, both to his lord and the heir of his house, as his figure disappeared, venturing towards the rest of the guests of his realm.

—

[Alan Peccator, First PoV:]

In my dream, I didn’t see much as Valus and Aranus fought behind me. I was busy surviving the excess energy from their fight, and although I was unable to find much.

I couldn’t ignore the Black Sun in the skies of the realm, splitting the clouds and the skies apart with the blood that rained down from it. The split sun from which spewed an endless amount of flesh and blood, innards and the like.

Even in their disastrous fight, it stood out to me, a sole entity in the skies that had its own presence. At first, I had merely assumed it was a characteristic of the dark world, of Valus’s domain.

However, ever since I stepped inside the Realm of Shadows, I couldn’t take my eyes off the Black Sun; every second I spent looking at it was as if I was in the dream again, the only difference being that it wasn’t split by fearsome claws.

‘So it was you.’

The Black Sun, which stood alone in the dark skies, amidst the dreadful battle of Valus, the Supreme of Darkness, and Aranus. I couldn’t help but recall it every moment I was in the Realm of Shadows.

‘Kulak.’

The second son of death, Ariel, the most elusive Supreme being, and the one he knew nothing about. His dreams warned him about Valus, gave him some visions about the other supreme beings, but never was there any about Kulak, the Lord of Shadows.

Was it intentional? Or perhaps the Lord of Shadows didn’t have much of an impact in the previous iterations? Among the two, the latter was almost unbelievable. This entire realm had made me sure of one thing.

He was something. He was definitely a big shot; there was no way the second son of Ariel didn’t have an impact in the previous iterations. Besides that, there was another reason I was looking forward to this encounter.

There was something inside of me, an invisible connection that led me to the Black sun. As the tendril carried me higher and higher, I could feel it more and more.

I passed through the veil of clouds, where I saw hundreds of dragons, all looking at me. Some were the clouds themselves, whilst most just resided within them, not a single one of them was young, or maybe there were, just hiding away, unlike the rowdy little ones in Lanekia.

A sense of tranquility possessed me as I entered a realm full of light, above the veil of clouds. The only thing here besides the blinding light was the Black Sun, ever so visible.

I could see it even if I closed my eyes, its shape and… power, ever present in my mind.

And then, it consumed me, transferring me into a lightless void, where only a single being, hidden behind a veil of unknown mist existed.