2026-07-24 20:01:32The Shadow Sun–not a real sun, but a giant crystal suspended in the sky of the Shadow World that emitted a dim light at all times–had just reached its peak brightness when Aldric walked cheerfully toward the Palace of Eternal Darkness.
That day, he woke up earlier than usual. Ever since yesterday’s skills competition, he had been eager to see Elara. He wanted to hear directly from his cousin whether she had watched his performance. He wanted to know if Elara had smiled upon seeing the shadow shield and sword he had created.
Aldric wore his black ceremonial robe with silver embroidery at the cuffs. He had combed his curly hair neatly–something he rarely did. In his hand, he carried a small box of crystal candies, Elara’s favorite treat that could only be found at a specialty shop in the South Shadow Market.
He was almost at the palace gates when a voice called out to him from the side.
“Aldric!”
Aldric stopped. He turned to his left, his brow furrowing slightly. Davina stood there, smiling sweetly in a burgundy dress that fluttered lightly in the breeze. The dark-blonde girl was the daughter of one of the most influential noble clans in the Shadow World. Her face was beautiful, her eyes sharp, and she always got what she wanted.
“Aldric, where are you going?” Davina asked in a sweet tone. She stepped closer, her hands clasped behind her back. “I’m looking for someone to play with. Do you want to come along? I know a new spot in the eastern garden. I heard the shadow flowers are blooming tonight.”
Aldric offered a faint smile, but his eyes lacked enthusiasm. “Sorry, Davina. I’m planning to see Elara.”
Davina’s expression changed. Not drastically, but enough for a keen observer to notice. Her smile stiffened slightly. “Elara again? You’re always seeing her. Every single day.”
“Because she’s my cousin,” Aldric replied flatly.
“Cousin.” Davina repeated the word with a slightly mocking tone. “Just a cousin. You don’t need to see her every day.”
Aldric was about to reply, but from behind the palace gates, a cheerful voice cut into their conversation.
“Aldric!”
Aldric turned his head. Elara was jogging toward him from the palace gate. The light blue dress she wore fluttered in the breeze, her black hair flowing freely. Her face was radiant, her smile wide and bright.
“Elara!” Aldric immediately raised his hand, waving back. His previously flat expression brightened. He walked quickly away from Davina, heading toward his cousin.
“I wanted to see you!” Elara exclaimed, slightly out of breath. “I’ve been waiting since this morning. Mother said you’d definitely come.”
“I’m here. And I brought this for you.” Aldric held out the small box in his hand. “Crystal candies. The ones you like.”
Elara accepted it with sparkling eyes. “Really? Thank you, Aldric! You’re so kind.”
They both chuckled. Before them, the dark Shadow World seemed a little brighter.
But behind Aldric, Davina stood silently. Her hands were clenched at her sides. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at Elara with burning intensity. She saw how Aldric smiled at the girl. She saw how Aldric brought her a gift and forgot all about her the moment Elara appeared.
Davina couldn’t take it anymore.
“Aldric,” Davina called out once more, her voice colder this time.
Aldric turned his head briefly. “What is it, Davina?”
“I asked you to play, and you said no. But the moment Elara appears, you’re ready to play with her.” Davina took a step closer. “It’s not fair.”
Aldric sighed. “Davina, I already told you ....”
Without warning, Davina raised her hand. From the palm of her hand, a burst of dense shadow shot rapidly toward Elara. It wasn’t a deadly attack, but it was enough to knock someone down, leaving them bruised and humiliated in public.
Elara didn’t have time to react. The girl simply froze, her eyes wide with fear.
But before the burst of shadow reached Elara, something else moved even faster.
The shadow beneath Aldric’s feet stretched out like a striking serpent. In an instant, it formed a circular wall that enveloped Elara’s body. The shadow shield was solid, dark, and impenetrable. Davina’s burst of power struck the shield and shattered into pieces like water hitting a rock.
Elara was stunned. She stood in the center of the shadow shield, safe and unharmed.
Davina lowered her hand, her face pale. “Aldric, you ....”
“Enough, Davina!” Aldric’s voice changed. No longer friendly. No longer patient. He glared at Davina with piercing eyes–a look he rarely showed anyone. “This is why I don’t want to play with you. You’re always trying to hurt Elara.”
Davina went quiet. Her lips trembled. She wasn’t used to being rejected, let alone in public. “I was just .…”
“I don’t care what you meant.” Aldric took a step back, moving closer to Elara. The shadow shield around Elara slowly faded, merging once more with Aldric’s shadow. “Go away, Davina. I don’t want to see you today. Or tomorrow. Not until you learn to control yourself.”
Davina bit her lip. Her eyes were glistening, but not from sadness–it was pure anger and embarrassment. She glanced at Elara one last time, her gaze filled with hatred, then turned and hurried away.
After Davina left, Aldric turned to Elara. His expression softened instantly. “Are you okay?”
Elara nodded. “I’m fine. Thank you, Aldric. You protected me again.”
“I’ll always protect you,” Aldric said firmly. “I won’t let anyone hurt you–no one!”
Elara smiled. But behind that smile, there was a small pang in her heart. Once again, she couldn’t protect herself. Once again, she had to rely on someone else.
“Aldric.”
“Hm?”
“Will I ever be able to protect myself one day?”
Aldric gazed at Elara for a long time. He reached out and clasped her fingers. “I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “But I promise, until you can, I’ll always be by your side.”
The two of them stood in front of the palace gates beneath the dark sky of the Shadow World. In the distance, Davina disappeared around a corner. And inside the palace, Queen Seraphina watched from her bedroom window, a bittersweet smile on her face.
Elara, no matter what, would never possess any power. She was just an ordinary human child–a fragile creature. But Seraphina loved Elara dearly.
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Shadows of Suffering and Silent Miracles
The hospital room was quiet that afternoon. Kiana sat beside Serena's bed, her hand gently clasping the girl's. Arven stood near the window, letting Kiana speak first."Tell me everything," Kiana said softly. "I'm here to listen."Serena looked at Kiana, then turned her gaze toward Arven. Her eyes were still red, though her tears had dried. Taking a deep breath, she began to speak."That night, I went to a hotel on the outskirts of town. I was brought there by a broker, a man who said he could help me get money. I needed the money, Kiana. My father has prostate cancer. The surgery is expensive, and I have no one else to turn to."Kiana squeezed Serena's hand tighter."The broker told me there was a wealthy man willing to help me, but I had to meet him at the hotel. I knew it wasn't right, but I was desperate." Serena lowered her head. "I went into the room. The lights were dim. I couldn't see his face clearly. But from his voice, and from what the broker told me ... it was Leander."A
The Girl on the Roof
Gideon sat in his room, accompanied by the flickering light of an oil lamp. Before him lay the red cloth he had always kept, a remnant of a past he could never release. Yet that night, his mind was not on Sarmila.His thoughts were consumed by Arven."That boy," Gideon muttered, his fingers tapping against the table. "Why did I feel that way?"He recalled Arven’s gaze by the gate. It was not sharp. It was not angry. Just calm, far too calm for a high school boy. Yet beneath that stillness lay something that made Gideon shudder. Something he could not explain. Like standing at the edge of a deep abyss, oblivious to what lay below."His face," Gideon continued. "He bears no resemblance to Ajiman. Nor Sarmila. Where did the boy get such striking features?"Gideon stood up and walked to the window. Outside, the night in Valdoria felt eerily silent. Only the sound of crickets and the wind rustling through the trees broke the quiet."Ajiman could never sire a son like that. Arven's aura is
Jealous
Ellara reopened her book after Moverick departed, but her mind no longer registered the script before her. Moverick's smiling face, his gentle manner of speaking, all of it felt unfamiliar yet strangely pleasant.She shook her head, trying to focus on the pages. "I shouldn't be thinking like this," she whispered. "I already have Aldric."Suddenly, the air around her turned frigid. It was no ordinary chill, but a piercing freeze that made the hairs on her neck stand on end. Ellara lifted her head.In the corner of the room, nestled between two dark bookshelves, a shadow stood. Motionless. Formless. It was merely a darkness far deeper than the gloom around it.Ellara tensed. "Who's there?"The shadow did not answer. Slowly, however, it began to move, advancing silently as it glided across the stone floor.Ellara stood up, taking a step back. "I will scream!"The shadow halted. Then, from within its depths, a voice emerged—low, raspy, like a distant whisper."Do not fear, little princess
The Unspoken Longing
The following day, Davina sought out Ellara in the palace gardens. She purposefully chose a moment when Aldric was absent, leaving Ellara sitting alone on a stone bench near the crystal fountain, her fingers absently tracing the petals of shadow-blooms growing along the edge of the pool.Davina approached with an easy stride, a warm smile gracing her face. "Ellara, good morning."Ellara looked up, slightly startled to see Davina approaching alone. "Davina? What brings you to the garden so early?""I prefer the tranquility before the crowd arrives." Davina sat beside Ellara without waiting for an invitation. "I wanted to talk to you."Ellara regarded her with quiet caution. "About what?"Davina met her gaze, her expression radiating apparent sincerity. "I have been thinking about what transpired in your chamber that night. That strange entity that came to you. And I also heard that the realm's ethereal guardians failed to react."Ellara knit her brows. "What are you driving at?""Perha
The Temptation of Trust
Davina and Moverick stood at the edge of the first layer of the Forbidden Forest. The toxic mist still swirled slowly before them, but this time they felt no fear. In Davina's hand, a single strand of Ellara’s hair radiated a soft, bluish-white luminescence—bright enough to force the deadly vapors aside.The mist parted, carving out a wide path ahead. It was as if the gloom itself dared not touch that radiant thread.Davina stared unblinkingly at the glow cupped in her palm. A strange warmth seeped into her fingertips. It was not the biting heat of fire, but a soothing, quiet warmth—something she had never known in all her years residing within the Shadow Realm."Ellara is hardly powerless," Davina murmured under her breath. "She possesses a rare, hidden magic. One that eclipses even our own as the next generation of the Shadow Realm."Moverick stood beside her, his gaze similarly fixed on the glowing strand. "What we are witnessing is proof," he said. "A single strand of Ellara’s hai
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Deep in the Forbidden Forest, beyond the toxic mist and dying trees, Drakon sat upon his throne. Before him, a creature prostrated itself—its form ink-black and its eyes glowing crimson, yet it was unlike the other beasts.This one was different. It was calmer, wiser, and far more loyal. Its name was Morvane, the only being Drakon had forged not from malice, but from the fragile remnants of love still lingering in his heart.Morvane raised its head. "My Lord, I have returned from the mortal realm."Drakon looked down at him. "What did you see?""Gideon attempted another strike at Ajiman's stall," Morvane reported. "I stepped forward to intercept the attack, but refrained. Gideon's black magic recoiled on its own. A formidable protective ward shields the place—it rejected his sorcery and hurled it back into his own body."Drakon raised an eyebrow. "A ward? Who cast it?"Morvane answered, "The boy, Arven, My Lord. Untutored and without guidance, his power matures naturally from within.
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