"Huhhhhhhhh?," Valtor struggled to get free from the tight grip, only to be carried up from the darkness of the Void."What exactly is wrong with you," The Shadow Monarch asked, his brows furrowed, "Or do you want to explore Death's Nest?.."Valtor eyes moved to the depth of the darkness, before answering, "I only wanted to go on an adventure..."Waving off this words, the Shadow Monarch replied. He said, "You want to explore the darkness, and all these, because?... You don't know that even the darkness has limits?.."Valtor frowned, mirroring his expression, "And what do you know about the darkness that which, build you up?..""I am born of and from the void, the abyss is my home, the Shadow Realm, the womb. Of course, it is exactly what builds me up, and for your information," He moved an inch close, "You should know that falling into the darkness would bring you zero hope of leaving the Dark Mansion.."Valtor eyes went wide opened, "How do... How did you know that..""We Monarchs a

s Yes the darkness is something to be truly afraid of mo yu are devoured instantly by the void It was supposed to be another day of forest work. Nothing new. Five people—Ayo, Blessing, Jide, Ruth, and Tolu—were hired to clear paths deep in the woods where trees had grown thick and wild. They packed up tools, water, and a few snacks. Birds chirped lightly above as they walked down the first trail. It was quiet, peaceful, too calm for a forest with so much depth.Tolu, who had worked there before, led the way. He said there was a zone nobody liked going near. Rumors, old stories. People claimed they’d heard voices, some saw strange light. But the team didn’t care about myths—they were there to earn their pay.Hours passed as they walked further, cutting branches and marking trees. Then, Ruth spotted something odd ahead. Not a tree. Not a rock. It was a Gate. Not like a gate from a house. This one looked older than anything they'd ever seen. Tall, built from some dark, shiny stone. Carv

The sun hadn’t risen yet.Not fully.It only sat behind the ridges of the Western mountains like a tired flame, throwing pale light across the stone paths that led to the outer fields. The Kingdom had barely stirred. No birds yet, no sounds of boots, or the usual blacksmith hammering. But in the training field just before the edge of the cliff, where the wind howled and carried the scent of pine and distant smoke, one girl moved.She wasn’t dressed in armor.Only in thin, battle-worn cloth — black, grey, and stitched in places where her strikes had torn through them. Her boots were stained, one strap missing, and her gloves were cut at the knuckles. Her long hair had been tied up with a simple ribbon, the same color as her eyes — pale gold.She was breathing heavily. But not from exhaustion.From control.Discipline.Her sword was already planted in the ground. She had finished the first form over two hours ago. And the second. And the third. And the fourth. And now, she sat cross-leg