Overlord of the Four Powers

Chapter 10: Abandoned

Surikong grinned widely. “That’s a good decision. Get ready, we’ll be leaving soon.”

Celya happily turned around and stepped back toward the door. But she stopped in her tracks when she passed by Alkan. She looked at his face and smirked, as if challenging him. Then she rolled her eyes and continued walking.

He ignored the princess’s actions and turned to Surikong, who was still smiling at him. His lips pressed into a thin line before he turned away and left the room.

He could still hear Surikong’s voice behind him, saying, “You should get ready too, Alkan. We’re leaving soon.”

Alkan clenched his fists. He really didn’t like being told what to do. However, he wanted to get out of that palace, so he decided to follow Surikong’s orders without arguing.

As the sun neared the western horizon, Alkan found himself standing outside a factory. The king did not accompany them, but he had sent two large men to escort them to the entrance.

“We can only go this far, king of witches,” one of them said.

Surikong raised his hand, gesturing Alkan and Ambong to follow him. Alkan trailed behind the witch silently. In truth, he had no close connection with Surikong, so he didn’t feel too much tension.

But Ambong has different thoughts. Before he invaded Alkan's life, he was once a small bud of force that gained intelligence inside Surikong.

He knew Surikong’s misdeeds and had accompanied the man on several expeditions. He had witnessed firsthand how Surikong injured and killed his enemies. He also knew that Surikong favored his sister (another entity born from Surikong's powers), which made him uneasy as he followed in his father’s footsteps.

It wasn’t long before they reached a fork in the road—one path to the right and one to the left. Both paths were dark, making it impossible to tell what lay ahead.

Surikong stopped, causing the two men behind him to halt as well. The witch turned to Alkan, who swallowed nervously. Surikong had been silent earlier, and now that he was facing him, Alkan couldn’t help but think suspicious thoughts.

Is this the end for him? A sudden chill ran down his spine.

“Do you know which way's the right path?” Surikong asked.

Alkan looked past the witch, scanning the roads ahead. He shook his head. But instead of frowning, Surikong smiled sweetly. “Then we'll go our separate ways. I hope you could live past dawn,” he said with a mischievous grin.

There was something off about Surikong’s smile, but Alkan couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

Surikong placed a hand on Ambong’s shoulder, and in the blink of an eye, both vanished into thin air. Alkan stood frozen, glancing around. Had they really left him behind?

In another situation, he might have shed tears of joy, but as he looked at the two paths ahead, fear crept in.

He was in an unfamiliar place with no one to guide him. He realized it would have been better to have Ambong by his side while exploring the vast lands of Tribal.

But having Ambong by his side, he knew that he'll be mistaken for an ally of the Black Wing Tribe. That would cause a lot of trouble, especially when Gio seemed unwilling to let him fall into the hands of the Black Wing Tribe.

He sighed and stepped onto the left path, unaware that a shadow was following him and had slipped into his body without him noticing.

Not long after, Alkan saw an abandoned settlement. The ashen ground told him that this settlement was burned down not too long ago.

He stepped toward the center of the ruins, hoping to find any materials he could use for protection.

But instead of materials, he spotted a cluster of shadows not too far away. It wasn’t very large, but it was dense and was moving in his direction. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

Alkan thought that he's the origin of the shadows, but why was he seeing other shadow beings like Ambong?

He quickened his pace to avoid the shadow, but it seemed to sense his attempt to flee and moved even faster. Losing patience, Alkan broke into a run. The shadow sped up as well.

He didn’t know where he was, but he knew he was standing in a dangerous place. Shadows surrounded him, their eerie giggles filling the air.

The once ashen ground was now shrouded in mist—mist that emanated from the shadows inching closer to him.

Alkan stopped advancing and shut his eyes. He didn’t want to see the shadows, but closing his eyes only made the hairs on his neck stand even more, as he could hear their laughter more clearly.

He wasn’t sure if it was because Ambong had once dwelled in his body that the shadows were drawn to him. But one thing was certain—nothing good would come from their approach.

He took a deep breath and stepped away from that place. He felt as though he were blind, unable to see his surroundings clearly. The shadows had blocked his path, making it impossible for him to navigate. At times, he stumbled over protruding rocks and tree roots.

The only sound he could hear was the chirping of crickets. Occasionally, the wind would blow, rustling the leaves on the tree branches, adding to the noise around him. It was better that way than walking in complete silence—that would be far more terrifying.

Since he couldn’t see his surroundings, he decided to shut his eyes completely and rely on his other senses. He ignored the discomfort of tripping and quickened his pace.

Before long, a cold wind brushed against his face. He inhaled deeply and caught the scent of smoke ahead. He opened his eyes and saw a burning settlement. Only then did he notice the desperate screaming in the distance. Alkan froze.

"Hurry! Run faster! The houses are burning!"

"Hide! They might come back!"

"The women and children are in danger! Hide them first! The men will handle the rest!"