2025-10-21 08:20:48The mysterious lady appeared on the mountain, materializing out of thin air with Sophia, Caleb, Maya, Ava, and Nana beside her.
They looked around, confused, then saw the Ancient One standing nearby.
Where are we? Sophia asked, looking at the lady.
And who are you?
The lady smiled softly.
You are safe now.
My name is not important, I am a friend of a friend – someone who owes the ancient one a debt.
Nana stepped forward, her Shadowborn eyes narrowing.
What do you mean? What friend?
The lady's smile widened slightly.
The ancient one the former leader of the Shadow clan . helped me escape Ruby's wrath years ago.
Now, I repay his debt by saving you.
Caleb frowned.
But Lyra... Ruby killed her.
The lady's expression turned solemn.
Yes. I arrived too late to save her.
The Ancient one sent for me, so I arrived and rescued the rest of you.
Suddenly, a loud boom echoed from below – Marco bursting through Ruby's palace gates.
The lady raised her hand, and a magical barrier erupted from the ground, stretching towards Marco like an invisible wall.
Stop, Marco Valenti! she called out.
Do not rush into Ruby's trap!
Marco skidded to a halt just before hitting the barrier, his eyes widening in surprise.
What are you doing? She is going to kill them! She already killed Lyra!
The lady's expression remained calm.
I have already saved them.
They are safe with me.
Marco's gaze shifted up the mountain, seeing his friends standing behind the lady.
His face contorted in relief and confusion.
What's going on? Why did you stop me?
The lady stepped forward, lowering the barrier.
Ruby expects you to come alone, driven by emotion.
But with a clear head and strategy, not everything requires your attention .
Go , go be with them .
Marco rushed up the mountain, embracing his friends tightly.
I thought I'd lost you all... Lyra...
Sophia hugged him back, tears in her eyes.
We thought we'd lost you too.
After a moment, Marco turned to the lady, bowing his head slightly.
Thank you. I owe you a great debt.
The lady smiled softly, then turned to the Ancient One.
He is very impatient. You have your work cut out for you.
The Ancient One nodded gravely.
Indeed. His heart rules his head. But he will learn.
With that, the lady vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a whisper of her presence.
The Ancient One turned to Marco.
Now, let us return to your training.
Ruby will not defeat herself.
Marco looked at the Ancient One, determination etched on his face.
I won't leave them. They're my friends, my family.
The Ancient One's eyes narrowed slightly, then he snapped his fingers.
Sophia, Caleb, Maya, Ava, and Nana vanished instantly, leaving Marco alone with the Ancient One.
What did you do?!
Marco demanded, alarm rising in his voice.
The Ancient One's expression remained calm.
If you cannot leave them behind, then they will be protected elsewhere.
My village, hidden from Ruby's reach, will shelter them until your training is complete.
Marco's anger faded, replaced by surprise and gratitude.
Thank you... but how will I know they're safe?
The Ancient One placed a hand on Marco's shoulder.
Trust me, Marco Valenti, Your friends will be safe.
Marco nodded slowly, then asked another question that had been bothering him.
Who was that lady? The one who saved them...
The Ancient One's eyes seemed to gaze into the past.
Her name is Aria – once a powerful sorceress and Ruby's sister.
Marco's eyes widened.
Ruby's sister? But why would she help us?
The Ancient One began walking down the mountain path, gesturing for Marco to follow.
Aria and Ruby were close once. But when Ruby's obsession with darkness and power grew, Aria tried to stop her.
Ruby, enraged, attacked Aria – leaving her for dead.
Marco's eyes narrowed.
But she survived...
Yes.
After I saved her.
Aria fled, hiding her presence from Ruby.
She has been secretly thwarting Ruby's plans ever since.
They reached a clearing, where the Ancient One drew a symbol on the ground.
Now, Marco Valenti, let us resume your training.
Aria's actions have bought us time, but Ruby will not be idle.
Marco nodded, focusing on the Ancient One.
I'm ready. Let's continue my training.
The Ancient One gestured to the symbol he drew – the Trial of Strength rune.
Step on the rune, Marco.
Your first trial begins now.
Marco took a deep breath, then stepped onto the glowing symbol.
The ground gave way beneath him, and he fell into darkness.
When he landed, he found himself in a vast, empty arena..
A figure emerged from the shadows – a hulking giant wielding a massive club.
Your opponent is a Shadowborn Golem, the Ancient One's voice echoed in Marco's mind.
Defeat it to pass the Trial of Strength.
Marco stared up at the towering golem, his confidence wavering.
I... I'm not ready for this.
He turned to flee, but the arena's exit was sealed.
Suddenly, the ground beneath him gave way again, and he fell back up to the mountain clearing.
Marco landed hard on the ground, gasping for breath.
The Ancient One stood over him, disappointment etched on his face.
You were not even tested, Marco Valenti.
Your heart still rules your head.
Just then, Aria appeared beside the Ancient One.
Perhaps I can talk some sense into him, she said gently.
The Ancient One nodded and stepped back.
Aria turned to Marco, her eyes piercing but kind.
What is it that truly frightens you, Marco? Ruby, or failing those you care about?
Failing them... and myself, Marco added barely above a whisper.
Aria nodded compassionately.
I too have known that fear.
My sister Ruby and I were once inseparable.
We grew up in a loving family, our parents kind and wise magic users.
She paused, collecting her thoughts.
But as we grew older, Ruby became increasingly obsessed with darkness and power.
She delved deep into forbidden magic, despite my warnings... and our parents'.
Aria's eyes clouded over.
One fateful night, Ruby's experiment went horribly wrong.
Our parents tried to stop her, but... she killed them.
And then attacked me when I tried to reason with her.
Marco's eyes widened in shock.
What did you do?.
Aria's voice remained calm, though sorrowful.
I survived barely because of the Ancient One interferance then I fled, hiding my presence from Ruby.
Since then, I've secretly worked against her, saving those she would harm... like your friends.
Why are you telling me this? Marco asked gently.
Aria smiled softly.
To show you that even in darkness, there is hope.
And that fear of failure can either consume or strengthen you. Choose wisely, Marco.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
The Fourth Fragment’s Trail
The void pulsed with a sinister rhythm, every beat echoing like a drum of inevitability. Marco felt the fragments against his chest, their combined light now blazing, guiding him to the next step—but the path was not just ahead; it was within.As he stepped forward, the shadows thickened, condensing into shapes that were both familiar and terrifying. Malakai’s voice, silky and venomous, flowed through the void.“Ah… Marco Valenti,” he said, voice low and mocking. “You’ve come so far… and yet, do you truly believe you can claim what is mine? That you can reach her before I consume what remains?”Marco’s grip on the fragments tightened. “She’s not yours! She’s not gone!”A wave of darkness surged at him, crushing his chest with its weight. Shapes formed—walls of memories, warped and twisted. He saw Sophia again, her face pale and frightened, reaching for him. But Malakai’s shadow coiled around her, gripping, dragging, twisting the scene into a nightmare.Marco staggered, almost fa
A glimpse of the Fourth Fragment
The void had grown colder.Not just the absence of warmth, but the absence of hope, light, and certainty. Every step Marco took carried a weight heavier than stone, as if the void itself measured the cost of his mission and found it wanting.The third fragment hummed against his chest, its white light fading slightly but still pulsing in time with his heartbeat. Its glow illuminated the path ahead, jagged and treacherous, a bridge of fractured stone stretching over an abyss of endless black.He forced one foot forward, then another.A whisper slithered across the void, soft but unmistakable. “Marco Valenti…”His pulse spiked. The voice was everywhere at once, soft, menacing and familiar.Malakai.The shadow coiled around him, twisting the light of the fragments into serpents of dark energy that hissed and lunged for his mind.“Did you really think it would be that easy?” the voice said. “Did you really think that collecting fragments would bring her back without cost?”Marco’s ja
the Third Fragment
The void shifted around Marco, the bleak darkness folding inward, stretching, reshaping into something new.After Malakai’s retreat, silence settled—an unnerving quiet that felt less like peace and more like the world holding its breath.Marco exhaled shakily, one hand pressed to his chest where the second fragment still glowed faintly beneath his ribs. The warmth it gave him was a modest comfort, a reminder that he had won a small victory. But fragments were not resurrected and the path ahead was growing darker.He moved forward.The ground beneath him changed from shadow to hardened, glassy stone. Veins of pale blue light slid through the surface, pulsing slowly like the heartbeat of something ancient. The air thinned, cold and sharp. The third realm of the Shadowfold was waking, aware of him, sensing the foreign light he carried.He forced his steps to stay steady.“You can do this,” Marco whispered to himself. “For Sophia.”The thought steadied him more than the fragment’s ligh
hope in hidden places
The glow of the second fragment still burned faintly in Marco’s chest, a white-hot pulse that both steadied and shattered him.The Shadowfold had retreated for now, curling into distant corners like a wounded beast, but he knew it would not stay down for long.And he was not alone.A ripple in the darkness shifted his attention. The void itself trembled, the black mist convulsing as if inhaling sharply.Then he felt it.A presence cold and familiar, dragging against the edges of his consciousness, probing, testing.Malakai.Marco’s stomach dropped, and his hands tightened around the fragment.“Not now,” he whispered. “I don’t have time for this, I don't have time for your mind games and tricks.”But the Shadowfold was his conduit, and in this place, there was no escape.A shape emerged from the darkness, Tall, Lean, draped in shadows that seemed to writhe like serpents. Malakai’s eyes—sharp, merciless, and impossibly dark—pierced Marco like twin blades.“You’re persistent,” Malakai
the second fragment
The Shadowfold shifted around Marco as he pressed forward.The darkness was no longer passive, It pulsed, like a living heart with uneven beats, echoing against the walls of his mind.Every step carried weight—the memory of Sophia, her laughter, her hope, a fragile thread guiding him deeper into the void.And yet, he could feel the presence of the second fragment before he even saw it.It was closer.He could sense it, a tug at the edge of his consciousness , a whisper of warmth hidden beneath the cold, relentless shadow.But as he reached for it, the Shadowfold reacted.The darkness thickened, Shapes emerged.This time, not illusions or masks—but memories.The floor beneath him became cobblestone streets, familiar yet fractured.Houses loomed with missing walls.Children played—but their faces melted into ash as he watched.And there, standing on a burned-out doorstep…Sophia.She smiled at him, small and warm, reaching for his hand.“Marco, please don't come , why are you here?” she
The Shadowfold
Darkness filled the air , Not absence of light—no.This was darkness that touched back, that breathed, that noticed , that felt.Marco felt it immediately: the pull.Like invisible threads hooking into his nerves, tugging gently, testing him.The Shadowfold did not welcome intruders.It studied them.Marco took a step forward.The ground… was not ground, maybe something of imagination, It flexed like soft leather, sinking slightly beneath his weight.He forced his voice steady.“Sophia… I’m here.”No echo replied.Sound behaved strangely here—swallowed by the void.He kept walking.At first Marco simply felt cold, Then he began to feel… forgetting.It started small , little by little he lost himself.He tried to recall the scent of the Mountain air—sharp with ice and old stone.But it slipped away.He tried to remember the color of Aria’s eyes — Gone, he couldn’t remember. He tried to see Sophia’s face — and for a heartbeat, he couldn’t , why couldn't he remember.Panic flared.No—no
You may also like
Demons Battle
Princez15.9K viewsSwordbound Chronicles
Jimmy-Chuuu25.8K viewsI AM DESTINY'S MISTAKE
Dere_Isaac16.6K viewsVINCENT MILES: AND THE FIST OF FIRE
Kurt Dp.16.5K viewsCelestial Hybrid
Ëmpyrëäñ Reignez675 viewsTHE ARMOURER;
etaiwo6333.0K viewsGenesis: Tale of a Jobless Engineer
Twilight1.7K viewsTRINITY: The Secret of the Old
Lorace1.5K views