It was large, lined with every type of weapon—blades, spears, staves. A sign on the wall caught my eye:
[ No Use of Chronicles ]
I didn't mind. The Forgotten King's Blade was broken, damaged by the Black Flame. I hadn't tried to control it since... since the scar appeared.
And the scar—
Rune Scar: [Fading Memory]
Your memory serves as its fuel. The darker its flame, the more your memory fades. Only ??? can free you from this curse.
It burned through what I had left—memories. The last thread of hope I held.
But if I couldn't use that… I still had my other traits.
I looked down. My shadow shifted beneath my feet. Strange. It had been acting odd since I returned. Then I remembered:
[Shadow Kin] was a passive trait.
I crouched low, whispering, "Move forward."
And it did.
My shadow stood, peeling off the floor like liquid pulling into form. I stumbled back, heart racing. It looked at me—not blankly, not loyally—but with something closer to disdain, like I had ignored it for too long.
"I'm sorry," I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck. "Do you… have any kind of shadow abilities?"
It shook its head slowly. Figures.
"Can you… punch the wall?" I asked, half-joking.
It stepped forward and swung. Its hand passed through—no sound, no damage. A shadow, yes, but something more. I wasn't sure yet.
I hesitated, then whispered, "Shadow Devour."
The moment the words left my lips, its form trembled.
Fear.
Real fear.
Then came the Hex Voice:
[ You cannot devour your shadow ]
I let out a breath. It made sense.
So I tried it on other shadows. And this time—it worked. The shadows I devoured didn't vanish. They changed. What came out was mist—formless, quiet, perfect for stealth attacks.
But still... it wasn't enough.
"Just like before," I said under my breath. "My traits are useless."
My shadow crossed its arms—or something like that—and gave me a look. Annoyed. If it had a face, it would've been scowling.
It didn't matter.
It slid back toward me, rejoining my body—and something shifted.
Power flooded through my limbs. I felt… stronger. Why?
Before I could figure it out, the door burst open.
Silver entered, whip in hand, hair bouncing with every step.
"Night!" she called, grinning brightly as she ran toward me.
I braced instinctively. For a second, I wished I was invincible—because I knew she was about to crush me with that hug.
But the moment she reached for me, something changed. My body shifted—turned intangible.
She passed right through me, stumbling back with wide eyes.
My shadow slipped out again, returning to my feet with what could only be described as a smug expression—if a shadow could even have one.