Chapter 203: The Infiltration Begins

Chapter 203 – The Infiltration Begins

Eric, Shadeva, Ester, and Sari reappeared in the same dark cave Noah had once fallen into.

And as they turned to take in their surroundings, they all felt it—the same impression Noah had described. There were no clear walls, no ground, no ceiling. Only... shadows.

But not shadows on something.

No.

Everything was shadows.

The ground beneath them, the cavern’s ceiling above, the air around—it was all composed of shadowstuff, ever-shifting, ever-pulsating with life. And if you looked closely—truly looked—you’d notice the subtle movement. A slow, imperceptible dance.

It was unnerving.

But also... strangely comforting.

Because for beings like them—shadows, or those deeply bound to shadow—they felt at home. As if this place whispered in their bones that this is where you were always meant to be. That this realm was theirs.

And in a way... it was.

"Now, let’s discuss how we’ll proceed," Shadeva said suddenly, her voice cutting through the thick air, pulling the others into focus.

Once she was sure all eyes were on her, she began to speak, calm and deliberate.

"As I told you—this realm is dangerous. But we are not here to fight. Not yet. We’re here for one reason and one reason only..."

She paused.

"...information."

All three nodded. Their faces were serious. Especially Eric, whose jaw was clenched tight, his eyes sharp with tension.

He knew the truth.

He was the weakest here.

And that meant one thing: he was the most likely to screw this up.

So he listened carefully. Memorizing every word Shadeva said. No distractions.

Shadeva continued.

"To gather information more efficiently... we’ll split up. There are three major domains here, each under the direct control of one of my siblings. Since we are four—one group will have two members."

She looked at them without saying anything else. Letting the decision be made by them.

She herself would go alone. She didn’t need anyone. That much was clear.

Eric glanced at Ester, then at Sari.

Sari opened her elegant lips to speak—but Eric beat her to it.

"I’ll go alone," he said firmly.

All of them turned to him, surprised.

He was the one they thought would need protection. The one they’d keep an eye on.

But that was exactly why he wanted to go alone.

Because if he failed—he didn’t want to drag someone else down with him.

And more than that...

He wanted to prove himself. To challenge himself. And if he was paired with someone, he might not be forced to act on his own.

He needed that pressure.

"I’ll go alone," Eric repeated, voice calm but resolute.

The others stared for a second longer... then nodded.

"If that’s what you want," Shadeva said neutrally.

"Any preference on which domain you’d like?" she asked.

But none of them answered.

They had no preferences.

So Shadeva chose for them.

And she was satisfied. She knew her siblings. She knew her allies. She knew where they would thrive—or at least, survive.

"I will go to Ebony. Eric, you go to Mortis. Ester and Sari... you’ll handle Sylphira."

As she spoke, she threw black slips of paper toward them—each glowing with a faint, flickering shadowlight.

"These will guide you to their domains. I don’t know what’s changed in all these years, so you’ll have to adapt to any unpredictable situations on your own."

Then, she paused.

Her face turned serious—almost solemn.

"Be careful. And..."

She let the words linger.

"...don’t die."

And then—she was gone.

The shadows swallowed her.

Shadeva had gone straight into Ebony’s domain.

Eric looked at the remaining two and gave a small, nervous smile.

"Well... I’m off too."

And just like that, he disappeared.

Ester and Sari remained.

Neither said a word.

They didn’t need to.

They were both silent types. Efficient. Focused. Communication wasn’t something they wasted unnecessarily.

"Ready?" Ester asked flatly.

"Yes," Sari replied in the same tone.

Then, without another sound, they vanished as well.

...

While Shadeva and her group infiltrated the Shadow Realm, the very masters of that realm were gathering.

And ironically... the topic of their meeting was none other than Shadeva herself.

Perhaps she had forgotten.

Or maybe she hadn’t thought it necessary.

But wasn’t it obvious?

If someone binds you, and you escape... won’t they know?

That’s pretty obvious right?

But oh well...

It’s the most obvious truths we tend to overlook—precisely because they’re obvious.

And Shadeva had made that mistake.

Because her siblings... were very aware.

...

In a hidden zone within the Shadow Realm—where shadow upon shadow layered like silk curtains stacked infinitely—there was no ground, no sky. Only a vast expanse where nothing existed but the concept of shadow.

Floating midair were four thrones—each one crafted from shadow, each one distinct.

But only three were occupied.

On one throne—black, jagged, and endlessly corroding—sat a man. Slender figure, soft features, his posture lazy, his eyes tired, but beneath it all... something deadly. His hair was pitch black, like a corrosive tar, bubbling and flowing like venom. This was Mortis.

Another throne—fluid, shifting, like spilled ink frozen in motion—held a woman of grace. Her spine was straight. Her legs crossed. Her fingers tapped slowly on the armrest, each tap sending ripples through the air. Her eyes looked like ink had exploded inside them, blotting out all color. This was Ebony.

And the third... belonged to a childlike figure. A short girl laying sideways like she was playing on a playground, hair wild and eyes ever-shifting—changing shape, changing meaning.

From beasts to blades. From humans to ghosts.

This was Sylphira.

And these were The Originals.

Shadeva’s siblings.

"Why did you call us here, Ebony?" Mortis asked, voice laced with boredom, as if his sister had just interrupted a much more interesting nap.

"Yeah! Why, big sis? I was in the middle of infiltrating a world! I needed more puppets!" Sylphira added, pouting in frustration.

Ebony didn’t respond immediately. Her gaze drifted, almost involuntarily, toward the fourth throne.

An empty one.

A simple, plain seat—black, unassuming.

But none of them looked at it with indifference.

Because they knew.

They knew the weight of the one who once sat there.

She sighed.

"...Big Sister has escaped."

The moment the words left her lips—

Mortis’ posture straightened.

Sylphira stopped smiling.

And both of them—at the exact same time—spoke:

"How?"

"Since when?"

They blinked. Realized they’d spoken in unison.

And immediately glared at each other.

As if saying: how dare you speak when I speak.

Yes.

They were siblings, alright.

—End of Chapter 203—