"I would advise you to brace yourself, child. It's a long jump." Darkness turned to Kioku with a mysterious smile.
"Jump? We have to jump to get to the Shadow Realm?" The more time Kioku spent with Darkness, the more he became convinced this immensely powerful divine being had a few screws loose.
Darkness placed a hand on Kioku's shoulder. Immediately, the shadows around them began to writhe with an eerie life of their own. A profound chill seeped into Kioku's bones, followed by the unsettling sensation that he was sinking.
'Wait a minute...'
He looked down. His feet, then his legs, were dissolving into the shadows beneath them. It was slow at first, a terrifying mirage, but the process quickly accelerated, sending a jolt of pure panic through him.
"This will be interesting."
Before Kioku could speak, his body plunged into a deep, cold pool. The air vanished from his lungs, which constricted in a vise-like grip.
'What... is... this?' His very thoughts slowed, numbed by the invasive cold. Consciousness began to slip away as the pressure mounted, crushing him, promising oblivion.
Then, as abruptly as it began, it ended.
Kioku's feet found solid footing and he collapsed onto all fours. The entire ordeal had lasted only a moment, yet it felt like an eternity. He gasped, his breath ragged, his body wracked with uncontrollable shivers.
"W-w-what w-was th-that?" he managed through chattering teeth.
"To get to the Shadow Realm, you must naturally travel into the shadows, child," Darkness replied, his voice rich with amusement. "Also, it would do you well to look around."
Kioku realized his eyes were still clenched shut, sealed by some primal instinct that had screamed at him not to witness the journey. He slowly, cautiously, opened them.
He gasped. They were not standing on solid ground as he had assumed, but on air itself. He shifted his weight and his heart skipped a beat.
Before him lay a vast metropolis, a grand city that stretched into infinity. At its center stood an enormous black castle, guarded at its four cardinal points by titanic statues of knights in obsidian armor. Radiating from the castle were beautiful structures of marble, alternating in height, filling the city with a silent, majestic order. To the south, a tall flag bore the symbol of the Accursed: the two-lined hook.
The entire city was illuminated by ghostly blue crystals, casting an otherworldly glow that made the scene both beautiful and alien. Kioku raised his head and saw that even the moon hanging high in the sky was a brilliant, mesmerizing blue, so stunning it made the moon of his home world seem mediocre by comparison.
"Welcome to the Shadow Realm."
Kioku was lost in awe. The Annals of the Great Historian had not done this place justice; it was something out of a sublime fairy tale.
"Beautiful," he whispered, the blue light reflecting in his wide eyes.
"You expected something different, eh?" Darkness asked with a grin.
"I didn't expect this." Kioku could not tear his gaze away.
"Well, yes. Many expect my realm to be a harrowing place of endless suffering. I recall when your Great Historian came here, the look on his face was much like yours."
"Enough sightseeing. I don't want you to start drooling like he did." Darkness placed a hand on Kioku's shoulder, and the familiar feeling of dissolution resurfaced.
"Wait, wait, wait! Let me pre-" But Kioku's protest was cut short as they vanished.
♤♤♤
The disorienting sensation ceased, and Kioku found himself in a circular room hewn entirely from black stone. At the far end sat a simple black throne, which Darkness now occupied.
"You know, I would appreciate a little warning before you do... that," Kioku said, a tinge of annoyance in his voice.
"Grow some spine, child. Travelling via the great abyss is something you'll have to get used to. It's fast and remains undetected by our enemies," Darkness replied lazily.
'The more I talk to him, the more I want to gouge his eyes out,' Kioku thought darkly.
"Right. But now what do we do?"
Darkness held up a finger and closed his eyes, muttering under his breath as if communing with someone unseen. After a moment, his expression grew solemn, and he seemed to age several years in an instant.
"Zeru is occupied with some matters. We shall begin your training tomorrow," said Darkness.
Kioku picked up the subtle undercurrent of anger in his tone and grew curious.
'Something that can make this bastard angry must be major.'
"Nera, you came quickly."
The newcomer pulled Kioku from his thoughts. She was a curvy, tall young woman of average looks with short auburn hair, but her eyes were a captivating, alluring crimson that immediately drew his attention. She wore a formal black uniform, the buttoned top adorned with the Accursed's sigil on the right and a collection of silver medals on the left. Her only odd piece of clothing was her high boots, laced with small chains that were stained with what looked like dried blood.
"You summoned me, my lord." She offered a slight bow, her eyes flicking to Kioku for only a second before settling on Darkness.
"Indeed. Zeru is detained by the task I gave him; I will join him shortly. Meanwhile, I leave this child in your hands. He is the sole survivor of a divine purge on his homeland."
The woman's expression hardened, and her glance at Kioku now held a faint hint of pity. For some reason, that look ignited a small, bitter flame of anger within him.
"He will stay within the castle. Provide him with a room and show him around the capital while I am away." Darkness then turned to Kioku with a small, infuriating smile. "I should mention this child has a habit of crying and clinging to strangers, so watch out. Farewell."
With that, Darkness disappeared, leaving Kioku and Nera momentarily stunned. Nera glanced at Kioku with newfound discomfort and took a small, deliberate step back.
'If I could go back in time, I would stop myself from ever idolizing that ingrate!' Kioku gritted his teeth as he followed Nera through the large doors.
♤♤♤
Nera led him down a long corridor illuminated by the same ethereal blue crystals. Their footsteps echoed in a silence that was thick and heavy. Kioku continued to curse Darkness in his mind with every step.
'Damn him. If I were the Divine Council, I'd want him dead, too.'
"How old are you, kid?" Nera asked abruptly.
"I've lived ten life cycles," Kioku answered.
"Life cycles?" Nera replied, amused. "There are actually mortals who still use that old lingo?"
"Uhm, yes?" For as long as he could remember, everyone had used the complete cycle of the sun to count their age.
'The Great Historian used life cycles, too. Things must be different here.'
"Well, here, you're ten quins old. Or ten years old, okay?" Nera's voice was cheerful, a refreshing sound after the cheeky bastard's tone.
"It seems my lord has plans for you, so if you have any questions, I'll answer them to the best of my authority," she added, giving him a radiant smile. Her cheer was contagious, and in that smile, Kioku saw the ghost of another cheerful, cheeky smile he had once known.
'They probably would have gotten along,' he thought with a pang of melancholy.
"Who is Zeru?" Kioku asked, trying to clear his head.
"Master Zeru is my lord's most powerful and loyal servant," Nera said, her voice filled with pride and worship. "He's the strongest Adept in the Shadow Realm and commander of the army."
"He sounds powerful. How come he isn't mentioned in the records of the Arcane War?" Kioku had read the Great Historian's records so many times he could recite full chapters from memory.
"Oh, he is. You probably know him as the Black Storm," Nera answered mindlessly.
Kioku stopped dead in his tracks, his heart dropping into his stomach.
'The Black Storm...'
It was a name he would never forget. The name of the Adept of Hakai who had single handedly massacred three entire realms. The descriptions in the Annals were so harrowing they had given him nightmares.
'The way Darkness spoke, it was as if he wanted me to meet him.' A shiver ran down Kioku's spine, and he hurried to catch up to Nera.
"By the way," Nera began, turning her head to look back at him. "You're a Dajan Hatan, right?"
"A what?"
"How backwater was the world you lived on?" Nera asked, shocked.
"Never mind. I'm sure my lord will explain it in due time. Anyway, here we are."
They stopped at a door near the end of the hallway. Nera opened it and beckoned him inside. The room was small and spartan, containing only a bed and a small table and chair by the window, all lit by the ubiquitous blue crystal.
"It's not much. The castle was really only made for Lord Hakai and Master Zeru, so there are barely any guest rooms," Nera said apologetically.
"No, it's alright. Thank you," Kioku replied. He wouldn't complain, he had a roof over his head and a bed to sleep in.
"Hm. Turn this way." Kioku turned to face her. Standing so close, he realized how tall she was; he barely reached her waist.
'Now that I think about it, everyone from here is tall.'
Black energy coalesced in Nera's palm, swelling into a storm that enveloped Kioku. When it subsided, his ruined appearance was gone. His robes looked brand new, and his hair was now neatly tied in a small pigtail.
"Thank you," Kioku said, bowing to her.
"No need for that. It was a minor trick, it didn't use much Rian. Get some rest. I'll come check on you later." Nera gave him one last, long look before exiting, leaving him alone.
'She didn't have to force her kindness like that,' Kioku thought with a sigh.
He could tell Nera was not naturally sociable, she was simply accommodating her orders.
Kioku moved to the window, intending to open it, when he caught his reflection. His own worn face stared back. His expression grew sad as he studied his blue eyes.
Everyone in Ju had dreamed of visiting the Shadow Realm, himself included. His father had often spoken of its grand scenery during his sermons, filling every child and adult with wonder. And now, Kioku was standing in that very place of their, of his, dreams.
And all he felt was a cold emptiness.
The only reason he could appreciate this place at all was because of the sight they had granted him.
"Take a look... all of you..." Kioku whispered, raising a hand to wipe the single tear tracing a path down his cheek.
"He was right. You do have a habit of crying, Fateless One."
Kioku spun around. A figure in a purple cloak stood behind him. He could not see its face, only two glowing purple eyes regarding him with intense curiosity.
"Who are you?" Kioku asked. He considered jumping from the window but dismissed the thought instantly. The same primal alarm bells that had screamed during the shadow travel were now blaring in his mind, warning of immense danger.
"Who I am matters not. But you," said the hooded figure. The purple eyes glowed brighter, and the feeling of peril intensified.
"Who or what will you be in this age? That is a far better question."