The Amnesiac Sovereign

Chapter 17: The Shadow Realm

The silver key pulsed faintly in Ethan's palm.

Ancient spatial runes glowed across its surface.

Every few seconds, another symbol would appear and disappear.

As though the key itself were alive.

Or waiting.

Waiting for someone worthy to use it.

The chamber remained silent after Kael's message vanished.

Nobody liked what they had heard.

The Seventh General.

One of the Nine Betrayers.

A man who apparently felt no regret.

And now he was hunting Kael.

Perhaps hunting the third fragment as well.

None of that was good news.

Aurelius finally broke the silence.

"We leave immediately."

Selene nodded.

"The longer we wait, the greater the chance Kael dies."

Fenrir snorted.

"He'll survive."

Everyone looked at him.

The giant beast shrugged.

"As annoying as he is, Kael has always been difficult to kill."

Aurelius folded his arms.

"That doesn't make him immortal."

"No."

Fenrir's eyes narrowed.

"But it makes me pity anyone trying."

Despite the grim situation, Ethan noticed something interesting.

The others genuinely cared.

Not merely because Kael possessed a fragment.

Not because he was useful.

They were worried about him.

Which raised even more questions about the betrayal.

Five thousand years later, the bonds between them clearly hadn't vanished.

Whatever happened during the Night of Shattered Heaven...

It was more complicated than simple ambition.

Much more complicated.

Another crack echoed through the tomb.

The ceiling shifted dangerously.

Orion looked upward.

"We need to move."

Everyone agreed.

The Tomb of Fallen Stars was dying.

Its purpose had been fulfilled.

The fragment was recovered.

The Sovereign Flame awakened.

The ancient inheritance claimed.

Now only ruins remained.

Ethan walked toward the center of the chamber.

The silver key floated from his hand.

Ancient runes illuminated the air.

Space itself began twisting.

A circular gateway slowly formed.

Unlike ordinary portals, this one felt unstable.

Dangerous.

As though it connected to somewhere reality wasn't meant to reach.

The Shadow Realm.

Just hearing the name felt ominous.

Selene stepped beside him.

"Stay close after we arrive."

Ethan glanced at her.

"Why?"

"Because the Shadow Realm doesn't follow normal rules."

That wasn't reassuring.

Aurelius added his own warning.

"Trust nobody."

Fenrir laughed.

"That's actually excellent advice."

The giant beast looked genuinely pleased.

Then his expression became serious.

A rare sight.

"Ethan."

The use of his name instead of "Your Majesty" immediately caught his attention.

Fenrir's crimson eyes met his.

"Be careful."

There was no humor.

No teasing.

Only sincerity.

"The Shadow Realm changes people."

The giant beast's chains rattled softly.

"I've seen heroes become monsters there."

For a moment, nobody spoke.

Then Ethan nodded.

"I'll remember that."

Fenrir smiled.

"Good."

The portal fully stabilized.

Dark energy swirled within its center.

A cold wind emerged from the opening.

It carried unfamiliar scents.

Smoke.

Blood.

Metal.

Danger.

Without hesitation, Ethan stepped forward.

The moment his body entered the portal, reality twisted around him.

Colors vanished.

Sound disappeared.

Even time seemed distorted.

Then—

Everything returned.

His feet touched solid ground.

Ethan immediately opened his eyes.

And froze.

The sky was black.

Not nighttime black.

Something different.

The entire sky appeared fractured.

Cracked like broken glass.

Millions of glowing lines stretched across the heavens.

Some sections revealed stars.

Others revealed endless darkness.

It looked as though reality itself had shattered.

Below that impossible sky stood a city.

Massive.

Ancient.

Chaotic.

Thousands of buildings stretched across the horizon.

Towers leaned at impossible angles.

Floating platforms drifted between structures.

Bridges connected locations that shouldn't have been physically connected.

Nothing made sense.

Yet somehow everything remained standing.

The City of Echoes.

The destination mentioned by Kael.

People crowded the streets.

Cultivators.

Mercenaries.

Assassins.

Traders.

Monsters.

Ethan immediately noticed something unusual.

Nobody appeared weak.

Not a single person.

Even random pedestrians possessed stronger auras than most martial artists from Earth.

This place was dangerous.

Extremely dangerous.

Aurelius emerged beside him.

Then Selene.

Both immediately became alert.

Scanning their surroundings.

Watching everyone.

Expecting trouble.

Unfortunately, trouble found them first.

"New arrivals."

The voice came from above.

Ethan looked up.

Five figures stood atop a nearby building.

Their clothing was black.

Their faces hidden behind masks.

Each radiated killing intent.

The leader jumped down.

Landing directly in front of Ethan.

The others followed.

Several nearby pedestrians immediately changed direction.

Avoiding the area.

Nobody wanted involvement.

That alone revealed the newcomers' reputation.

The masked leader smiled.

A cruel smile.

"First time here?"

Ethan remained silent.

The man chuckled.

"Then allow me to explain the rules."

His companions spread out.

Blocking every path.

Classic intimidation.

Classic extortion.

Aurelius sighed.

"Here we go."

The masked leader ignored him.

His attention remained focused on Ethan.

"Everyone entering the City of Echoes pays a toll."

"How much?"

The question surprised the man.

Then he grinned.

"Everything valuable."

Fenrir would have laughed.

Unfortunately, Fenrir wasn't here.

The leader continued.

"Weapons."

"Artifacts."

"Money."

"Storage rings."

"And if we're feeling generous..."

His gaze drifted toward Selene.

"...we might let some of you leave alive."

The atmosphere instantly became cold.

Very cold.

Selene smiled.

The sight made Ethan instinctively step back.

Not because it was unattractive.

Because it was terrifying.

The masked leader clearly failed to recognize the danger.

Big mistake.

Aurelius pinched the bridge of his nose.

Already tired.

The remaining robbers confidently released their cultivation.

Power surged outward.

Nearby spectators retreated further.

Clearly, these men were not ordinary criminals.

One of them pointed toward Ethan.

"Hand everything over."

The city fell silent.

Waiting.

Watching.

Enjoying the show.

Then Ethan noticed something interesting.

Nobody looked concerned for him.

Instead, many seemed amused.

As though they expected the robbers to regret this.

That feeling intensified when Selene's smile widened.

And Aurelius quietly stepped aside.

Giving the robbers more room.

The masked leader frowned.

"What's so funny?"

Nobody answered.

Then a new voice echoed across the street.

A woman's voice.

Amused.

Curious.

Dangerously interested.

"Oh?"

Everyone turned.

A young woman sat atop a nearby rooftop.

Her silver eyes glowed beneath the fractured sky.

A black cloak covered most of her figure.

Yet her presence immediately drew attention.

Not because of beauty.

Because of authority.

Power.

Status.

The masked robbers instantly went pale.

The woman looked directly at Ethan.

Then smiled.

A genuine smile.

One filled with surprise.

"Well."

She slowly stood.

"This is unexpected."

Ethan narrowed his eyes.

The silver-eyed woman tilted her head.

Then spoke words that stunned him.

"The Sovereign finally arrived."