《The Paradoxical Shadows》 Authors Warning AUTHOR''S WARNING This is a work of fiction that may contain mature (+18) content and trigger warning scenes. You have been warned. Everything are the products of the writer''s imagination. Any resemblance that may be concerning in regards to real life, living or dead, or events are purely coincidental. There are exceptions towards the author''s inspirations and admirations from her favorite interests, but these are purely for inspirations in writing, nothing else. In this fictional world, the facts and events depicted may not be historically accurate. Keep in mind that the story is not connected to real life. All characters and ideas shown are properties of the writer, Rezochi. Permission to use any of the characters will only be given to those provided with consent from the writer. For further info, rules, and copyright, please refer to Rezochi''s TOS: https://rezochi.carrd.co/#rezochicommtos If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ??????????????????? As mentioned in the synopsis, I will have to apologize in advance if the English is bad as it is not my first language, so please bear with me. I write creatively in my own way. I am not a professional, I am a novice writer who is self-taught and still improving. Which leads me to say: This novel will be "alive" as I revise or edit released chapters. Think of it as wiping out a timeline that could have been (insert angst). Please watch over me as I have a crisis writing this chaotic world, and thank you for considering to read my web-novel. ??????????????????? Please respect my creations and productions. Same with other writers out there whether they are just starting out or have experience, let''s all give them love and a pat on the back. Yipee! Guide: Reading the story GUIDE: READING THE STORY Here are some guide(s) I have made for you, dear reader! ??????????????????? HOW TO READ THE INDICATIONS ? ? ? Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Circles indicate a slight transition of ??? or just a gap / filler space. TTTTTTTTT Double lines indicate a whole new scene whether it be dreams, flashbacks, panning through a different setting or going back to the current one. Name: Dialogue Sometimes I write some chapters or dialogues like a Playwright and I must say that these specific chapters will heavily rely on the reader''s imaginations. Italic Dialogues Indication that the dialogues are being made in the head or mind. It can also indicate the thoughts of the characters. Some readers probably already know the drill on this one. { } These brackets will indicate the setting, POV, or time skips if there is any. ??????????????????? Thank you for your time. Enjoy! PROLOGUE: Wishful Thinking PROLOGUE: WISHFUL THINKING ? ? ? In the sea of blood and dead bodies, a human swam in panic to reach the surface. With decapitated legs, it was only a matter of time before the poor thing drowned. Struggling to keep himself up to breathe in air, he desperately screamed for help. "P-Please! Someone! Help-" Plunging back down he accidentally took a gulp of his own kind. "No! Please!" Dyed with a beautiful warm red, both his vision and tears glistened beside the fiery battlefield. Swimming violently, he tried to call for help once more, but no one heard the cry of this unfortunate soul in the raging war of the Descendants and the sudden attack of tainted creatures. TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT {?????YEAR ????POV ????} "How long will this go on for?!" Surrounded by monsters, a man with sky folk features stood his ground firmly. The air became warm around him, and soon a heat haze can be seen in the atmosphere. As the temperature increased, blobs of blue fire and sparks appeared everywhere. In no time, calm and serene looking flames were hovering near the user, waiting for his command. Without a sign, the tainted creatures rushed towards the man, and with a gesture that looked like a punch, his left fist went upwards instead. Fiery pillars streamed from the ground to the skies above, all the while the hovering blue flames surrounding the area exploded simultaneously engulfing the tainted beings. "Complaining now won''t do you any good, Lathan!" Scolding his friend, another sky folk struggled from a distance while creating a massive ritual circle. "Just keep those nasty things busy!" Lathan laughed as he fought off the Tainted beings in the area. "Aw, c''mon Cedric, and to think you''re the Heavenly Marked, so demanding~" Cedric turned and glared at him, "If they''re dead, come help why don''t you? We don''t have much time" Time. Time wasn''t really their problem. Not quite. It was more so if they could truly pull this off. The plan was to eradicate the tainted creatures by using the ancient weapon through the ritual circle. This will also disrupt the war between the Descendants giving the group an opportunity to fully stop it as well. Killing two birds with one stone as they say. However, their group has already exhausted much of their energy during the trials that they were going through before the chaos occurred. "I''m worried about the other two," Cedric said in frustration. Hours probably have passed already after being separated. He was struggling from various emotions and the task at hand. It felt like his mind was about to split physically at any moment. He then felt a pat on his back. "They''ll be fine," Lathan comforted. "Our ladies are strong, remember? Both of them will be here soon." Cedric''s demeanor softened at the thought of his lover. He then noticed Lathan''s hand was also shaking. They were both in the same situation. Being far apart from their loved ones wasn''t easy, especially during these moments of chaos where anything can happen. "Thanks" Cedric replied, "I know we''ll be fine." Joining him in creating the ritual circle, Lathan smiled and stood by Cedric''s side with confidence. All that he had to do was stay in the circle as he gives his energy to his friend, since Cedric is the main anchor for this massive summon. Markings and lines traced along the ground they''re standing on. It went further into the distance until they couldn''t see it. All they knew is that the size of this circle would be big enough to surround a kingdom. With a ritual size like this, it would take about seven of them in the same power level to complete it. However, most of their friends had already died, some in front of them and a few were never found. Cedric refused this calculation. There were only four of them left in total. They have to complete it. A vicious and dark monster suddenly appeared in front of Cedric and Lathan as they focused on creating the ritual circle. "UH, Cedric?" Lathan''s sweat ran down the side of his face and looked at his friend''s back, one of the nicer views he could see other than the demented creature in front of them. No reaction was seen from Cedric. "Cedric, you know I can''t move to kill that thing!" "Shut up! I know! Neither can I." Both knew if one of them stepped out from the inner circle, they wouldn''t be able to complete it nicely. Time would also be their problem. The demented one stood still, then its neck snapped open revealing a masked face. Its legs grew longer and more pointed like a needle. Its back opened also revealing a huge bump that gathered human body parts and faces. It moved like a heartbeat. Thump. Thump. The sounds got louder and louder. "Well, that''s new" Cedric commented as he looked back to his friend who was also surprised. "Seen anything like this before?" "...Nope." The two stared at the creature in front of them. With no plan, they both looked at each other and understood that no matter what, they''ll have to stay inside the inner circle even if their body was rendered useless, because their soul would still be helpful to the ritual. "HELP! HELP! HELP!" The creature shrieked, mimicking the sound of humans in danger. Cedric and Lathan were shocked. These things never spoke, until now. Alerted by the new discovery, both were about to attack with their most powerful range abilities to ensure it will die on the spot, but right before they did the creature was swallowed and gnawed on by a bigger figure. Slowly, the figure flattened on the ground and swirled around in front of them revealing shadows and inky darkness cloaking someone. "Go," ordered the person hidden in the shadows. Gesturing to the shadows to kill the remaining hidden Tainted Beings in the area which lead to revealing her body and appearance. Raven hair and fair light skin. A human wearing a short combat dress with no weapon smiled at the two. "Heinzelle!!" Cedric and Lathan shouted in unison, sweating inside the inner ritual circle. "Didn''t know the boys had trouble dealing with these," Heinzelle laughed at the two who are now showing a relieved expression. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. "Those things certainly surprised us this time," Lathan gestured to Heinzelle. "Did you know they could speak?" Heinzelle came closer and joined the two in the inner circle giving her energy to Cedric, accelerating the ritual circle''s markings. "No, but there''s no time for that right now, just focus your energy." Heinzelle looked tired yet determined which made the other two focus more. The other demented creatures screeched in their surroundings as they were being defeated by the shadows, then silence took over them. After a while, Lathan finally gathered up the courage to speak, and made a very grim and serious expression, his red wings slightly opening up indicating that he would leave even if it cost them. "Zelle, Where is she?" "Lathan!" Cedric was struggling with the situation, he can''t have them fight. Not now. "You know where she is-" Lathan paused as he saw Heinzelle look towards him. For a good minute there was silence, both with a serious and frustrated expression until Heinzelle smiled softly, "Oh c''mon, don''t stare at me with that scary look, she''s fine you know. She''ll be here any moment~" The two men sighed, they had forgotten Heinzelle likes to give them heart attacks even in these types of situations. Lathan felt reassured and thanked Heinzelle. All three continued to keep focus on the ritual. The inner circle showed how much left of the markings was needed to complete everything, and they only had a little bit left. Cedric felt proud, they didn''t need seven, they were fine with four. Although Lathan was a bit restless, he was still doing what needed to be done. Relieved yet frustrated because he couldn''t do anything. "Don''t worry, she''s fine. She''ll be here any moment," Heinzelle kept smiling at Lathan to make him stop from thinking about negative things. "Trust her, Lathan." Added Ceric, opening his white angelic wings to his friend behind him. Lathan looked at him with teary eyes and thanked the both of them. Everyone was struggling with their emotions, and without each other, who knows what would happen to all of them. A strong gust of wind appeared out of nowhere. Heinzelle felt a shift in the atmosphere and knew right away. "Lathan, look up!" A massive sword made out of wood came flying down with a huge Tainted Being stuck on the end, landing at the side where Lathan was. Fog of dirt engulfed them for a bit until it was sucked back onto the ground. All of them were in shock of how close that was to hitting the inner circle. "Woohoo! Missed me guys?" Everyone made a silly smile back at her. With her beautiful fae features and elf ears, her green wings matched perfectly as it fully opened. Nairah waves from above and slowly lands in front of Lathan. Both shared a hug and a quick smile, relieved that they are both alive. No one expected this sudden war that made the world speechless. It was as if the world had turned crimson overnight. The four then shared quick glances at each other, showing their closeness and understanding of the situation. Nairah hurriedly went to Heinzelle, while Lathan gestured to Cedric to speed up the ritual circle. Before joining, Nairah hugs Heinzelle tightly and whispers a thank you. Heinzelle knew what it was for and smiled at her, patting Nairah''s back. "It was nothing. Now, let''s finish this up, together." Nairah, of all people, knew that what Heinzelle did wasn''t just nothing. While the two shared a moment, Cedric glared at them while struggling with the summoning circle. "You know if you''re going to cheat on me-" Heinzelle glared back which made him pause, "She is my best friend!" "Okay Best friend 1 and 2, care to finally focus?" Lathan added. "Oh of course we would love to help out your majesty, Holder of the Dragon Heart, Lathan!" Nairah teased sarcastically and elegantly bowed to Lathan while his face distorted to an embarrassed expression. "Never call me that again as my soon to be wife, I beg you to not call me that" The two ladies shared some laughs as they joined to focus their energy into the inner circle. When complete, the huge ritual circle would appear across the vast land and oceans of Shiruneia. An Ancient weapon that would eradicate all Tainted beings across the world. When Nairah gave her energy, the inner circle quickly completed itself, indicating the outer markings are done as well. The glowing lines, shapes, and ancient words expanded and were seen across the lands, skies and oceans. Humans stared from where they hid. The Descendants stopped fighting each other being cautious of what is about to happen. The four knew this method would take a great toll on their bodies, both mentally and physically, but it had to be done. They were the only ones who cared enough. Cedric, who can finally move normally, looked at his friends. Eyeing them, "Ready?" The other three nodded back with confidence on their faces. Cedric nodded and the four summoned their Soulcores in front of them. The ability that would eradicate all Tainted Beings needed energy and life force from powerful beings within their soul itself. As no one really has tried this out before, the four of them were ready to die together to protect the world they love. They held onto each other''s hands to continue the ancient ritual as well as to gather all the power they had in their Soulcores. The glowing light from the inner circle shined brighter until no one could see anything. All kinds of elements and abilities eradicated the Tainted Beings across the world. It sent multiple waves of supernatural and miraculous power. Nature itself came to life and helped humans find shelter. It was a sight to see. After what it would seem like a while, the ancient summon was done. The four dropped to the ground slightly wheezing. They were much more powerful than they had thought as they stood back up at the center of it all. It was a success. The four shared a tight, warm group hug. They were in tears. For a moment they were cheering for themselves. Cedric glanced at Heinzelle with a smile, and hurriedly approached her for a hug of their own. With her last energy, Heinzelle forced a smile back to her lover as she slowly fell into his arms. Nairah, who knew this would happen, was already right behind Heinzelle and caught her too. Cedric cried out, "ZELLE!" He was in a panic, and quickly used a healing incantation. It wasn''t just a normal incantation, it was his most powerful one. He didn''t care if he was exhausted or if it would threaten his life after just doing a massive summons. Cedric, who is Heavenly Marked, used everything he had. He coughed up blood making the other two alarmed, stopping him from doing anymore. Being Heavenly Marked meant you were loved by Nature and everything good he thought, so why wasn''t it working. He questioned the world he had just saved at that very moment. He thought it was unfair. TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT {?????YEAR ????POV ????} Staring at my hands, I can say for a fact that I am alive, but I can''t help questioning myself everyday if I really am living this life, in this body, right now. More questions start to fill my head: What''s out there? What''s in my mind? What''s in my heart? Do I have a soul? Who is this voice? Is it truly "me"? How do I make sure it IS "me"? It''s frustrating, really, having these thoughts. Or maybe I''ve just read too many fantasy novels that it''s getting to my brain... I proceed to ponder about silly things that would come to mind: Is someone writing about me? Is someone writing about you? Is someone watching over me? Is someone watching over you? After a bit of thinking, my eyes started to feel heavy and I could feel myself drift into a black void. Wait..."you"? Click clack. What was that? The sound of Time got louder. CLICK CLACK. PLEASE WAIT! NO! YOU PROMISED! CLICK CLACK.CLICK CLACK. DON''T HURT THEM! CLICK CLACK.CLICK CLACK.CLICK CLACK.CLICK CLACK. "..." "..." Time is up, it''s my turn. ? ? ? A soul vanished, but its shadow lingered. 【 CH. 1 】A Young Child CHAPTER 1: A YOUNG CHILD {?SOMEWHERE?CURRENT YEAR?POV ????} They were precious to me. They were the only ones who I saw as family. The happiness I felt seeing everyone together again couldnt be described with just words. I couldnt even feel the pain of my wounds, I was that happy. Reunited, it felt like I could do anything. This meant every one had survived the last trials. Yes, this is it, we can do it! The time finally came for us to rule and change the world that hurt us, just a little bit more- HNG! AGHH!! We all looked at our friend who suddenly collapsed to the ground. It seemed like he was in excruciating pain. Alrighty buddy stop joking around, we finally got to where we are- RUN! AGH- Our friend coughed up blood. It was not a joke. A few of us rapidly approached our friend to assist him, at least that was the idea. Im exhausted so I just examined him from afar. Where is it? Where was he injured?, I thought to myself. ITS A TRAP! WERE TRAPPED! IT WAS ALL A TRICK! As our friend finished his sentence, he went silent, then it occurred. Berserking. NO, NO, NO! Another of our friends fell to their knees next to me, panicking at the situation. I knew right away this whole scene was dangerous for us to see. Not because we dont have enough manpower to stop our friend from going berserk, but because of our exhausted mental state of mind. What we need right now is each other. I hurriedly tried to comfort the friend near me who is panicking, but I paused as a shiver went through my whole body. Time is ticking. A deep and husky voice echoed inside my mind. I stopped and stood there in shock. More sweat ran down my neck. TSK, I thought this voice had disappeared, but it was watching me all this time. No not just me, IT is watching all of us through me.. ?! I stared blankly into space as I am, once again, being haunted by this voice. I silently panicked looking at the rest of my friends trying to stop our berserking friend. Thats when I realized we were lied to. THEY were lied to, and it was too late but not for me Haha IM THE CHOSEN ONE! IM THE CHOSEN ONE! IM THE CHOSEN- It will be okay. My best friend hugged me tightly. She seemed too calm. Did she even care? Whats going on? My mind its collapsing, everything is collapsing. I laughed hysterically and I couldnt stop myself. I wanted to, but I couldn''t. Something is inside me, but there was nothing I could do. All I felt was the warmth of my best friend holding me down in a hug. She whispered words of comfort, but I couldn''t hear them anymore. Everything was a blur. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Then everything went pitch black. I cant see. I had thought I became blind from being mentally drained. I stood up, and took a step forward. It seemed like I was alone in this empty space, until my best friend showed up out of nowhere scaring the living soulcore out of me. Heinzelle! A sigh of relief came out of me after yelling her name. Although I was frightened, Zelles appearance made me relaxed. Her facial expression made things clear right away, which made me realize that we are all still in danger. I wish I could stay in this dark place forever, even when everything is pitch black, it somehow feels calming to be here. We dont have much time. She rushed towards me and held my hands, It will not hear us here, I promise you that, can you trust me? TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT Trust me? Muttered the young child in her sleep. The sound of gravel echoed in through the girls beastly kitsune ears making it twitch. The struggling caravan jostled along the bumpy road, serving as an alarm that awoke everyone aboard. The girl slowly woke up, slightly stretching as she welcomed patches of sunlight that came through the windows. She fixed herself and sat up straight to look presentable just like how she was taught, but her own actions made her question herself. She didnt need to look presentable in a caravan. The young girl pondered about it while she looked around only to be distracted by her surroundings. The caravan was full of different beings: Humans, Skyfolks, Fae and Demon Descendants. Eating, sleeping, chatting, the people in the caravan were busy in their own world. Traveling to who knows where, everyone in this ride has the same goal in mind, and that is to start a new life somewhere. Anywhere, as long as it was not the place they were initially in. The young child was, of course, cautious, but also amazed by her surroundings. No one even questioned her, but herself. Am I finally free? The girl kept scanning inside the ride with eyes that wanted to know more. She then glanced at the window in front of her. Curious, the child turned around to face the window behind her, and peeked through, greeting a bright scenery. Squinting her eyes from the light of the Sun, she groaned with furrowed eyebrows, then closed the window. The child smiled yet it faded right away. She let out a sigh as she sat up properly facing forward. How ironic for that deity to be defeated when chaos is a norm in this world, she thought, remembering a story she was told about. Suddenly the wooden vehicle made an abrupt stop making the passengers jerk in their seats. Here we go again, the young girl murmured as if she knew what was about to happen. Loud shrieks came from outside of the caravan along with weapons clashing. The vehicle shook and blood splattered through the window, yet no one was panicking. With an expression that seemed like she was about to get scolded, the child looked down at her feet where her shadow was wriggling about trying to get her attention. A rough voice whispered to her, I told you we should have just gone through the forest. She glared at the shadow for a good minute, then sank into her seat trying to ignore the ruckus outside, waiting for it to pass. I just wanted to experience riding a caravan though, the young child whined. This world may be chaotic, but its home to everyone born in it, thats including me After a while of waiting the sound of fighting stopped, and the driver spoke through the little window between the drivers seat and the passengers. Sorry for the delay everyone, we have some good news and bad news, which would you all like to hear? Everyone glanced at each other and in unison some answered good news and bad news. Well good news, we can continue our journey to the capital, the driver replied hesitantly. Bad news is that we have to make a stop at the nearest town to make repairs for the caravan. Some passengers complained, and some stayed silent not caring. The girl just sat there observing everyone and the scene inside the ride. Then she felt something at her feet again. The child looked down at her shadow and was met with a grin. The rough voice of the creature whispered, We are definitely...getting off this vehicle when we reach that town. After hearing this from her companion, she made a pouting expression that hinted at wanting to keep riding the caravan. Can I be selfish during this time? The girl asked. No, the creature said firmly. Not about this, kiddo. The young child wanted to say more, but instead nodded and properly sat back into her seat. The shadow danced around her feet not knowing that the girl was cursing it with her own made up words. ? ? ? 【 CH. 2 】Parental Guidance (I) CHAPTER 2: PARENTAL GUIDANCE (I) The sun glared across the vast land on this fine morning. In a certain forest, a dark figure sleeps comfortably. Titan-like trees stood around this figure, and patches of sunlight came through the empty gaps of the forest touching the fair skin of this being. Suddenly a slight movement can be seen from this mysterious figure as they awaken from their slumber. Slowly sitting up, the appearance of this figure was shown. The mysterious being was a young woman who had shadowy and inky markings covering parts of her body. She then looks around her surroundings trying to find clues about her whereabouts, but she didnt recognize this place. The only thing she found beside her is a weapon. A long dagger almost resembling a sword. An obsidian colored weapon with golden markings engraved on it. As the young lady approached it, the weapon melted into an inky matter, wriggling about as if it was made out of liquid. It slowly crawled beneath her, becoming her own shadow. At least I didnt lose my favorite weapon, she let out a sigh of relief. The young woman then looked around once again, curious about where she was. A huge breeze then interrupts her curiosity, shaking the leaves of the titan-like trees resulting in a sound similar to the ocean waves. She stared at them with longing eyes while welcoming the patches of sunlight. As she was about to get lost in her own little world, she was abruptly interrupted. Her expression changed right away, it was a look that was fully aware of reality. Turning around, she was met with a black wall. A shadowy creature towered over her with clothing on its head. It spoke to the young woman with a serious look on its face. Here, wear this for now. The tall figure dropped the clothes on the young ladys hands as she reached out for them. Where are we? She asked. The shadow creature sighed, and approached closer, transforming into its smaller form. Somewhere in Ixdum, the creature licked its companions thigh that had dried blood on it, showing familiarity and a concerned expression. ...Hows your wound? It healed already, don''t worry. She patted the creature on its head and smiled. Im just glad were out of that place now, arent you? Of course, I am but, the creature paused and then turned its back as the shadowy matter that was surrounding her body was now dissolving on the ground and joining the blackness beneath her. But? the young lady asked, even smiling more knowing what her companion was worried about. She then took the clothes to change. It was a worn out, white clothing that seemed to shape like a dress. I still think we should have killed them all- Stop it. The woman glared at the shadow creatures back. It definitely knew she was staring as the creature tensed up. After putting on the clothing, she then started walking and gestured to the shadow creature to hurry along. We need shelter right? Lets go.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The two started walking. Catching up to her footsteps, the creature hesitantly continues on, You know very well you have the right to do anything you wantRezochi. The lady who kept walking stopped in her path, and looked at the concerned shadow creature beside her. And here I thought you wouldnt say my name nor accompany me anymore after escaping that place. Rezochi chuckled and continued walking. The shadow creature followed. What do you mean by that? You know Ill always be there for you! Rezochi looked at the creature as they walked along the path they found in the forest. Its just Just?! The shadow creature looked worried. I thought you had another agenda to attend to, no? The shadow creature stopped at its tracks and shouted. YOU BRAT! HOW LONG DO YOU THINK I TOOK CARE OF YOU?! IM BASICALLY YOUR PARENT! Shocked, the shadow creature was now being hugged by Rezochi. Thank you. She said softly, making eye contact with the creature. The two walked and looked for shelter in this huge forest. Rezochi now had a serious expression on her face. One that had determination of surviving no matter what. Rezochi knew what she was. She is a hybrid. A hybrid between a Shadow Being and a Heavenly Kitsune. Not that being a hybrid matters, but to her parents clans specifically, it was something of great concern. Shadow Beings who were nonexistent hundreds of years ago suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Their purpose was obviously shown in their actions. To protect the balance of nature and the powers of other beings. They had laws like any other beings that resided in this world. Though there is one certain law: not to mate with any other beings. This laws purpose was not to let other beings gain the power of what the Shadows have been blessed with. It was also to not cause grief to other beings as the Shadows are closer to something unknown, it would mostly affect the offspring and its survival. It would seem that in most cases, the offspring would die as it cannot contain the shadowy matter that would soon become one with them. Mothers of such offspring would also be affected; they go mad and in the end become a Fallen. However, Rezochi is alive. She knows that the Shadows see her as an abomination and would want to see her dead, yet the very thing thats helping her right now and has always been with her are shadows. Worries about the clans doesnt stop there as the Heavenly Kitsunes are also looking for her whereabouts. Lost in her thoughts about her origin, Rezochi realizes something tugging at her clothing. Seriously, Ive been calling out to you, kiddo! The creature tilted its head, wondering what was going on in her mind. Theres a small cave under that huge tree. It pointed out the location. Oh, thats perfect! She replied happily. Rezochi jumped off from the huge tree branch she was standing on and landed perfectly on the ground. The shadow creature followed and already guessed that Rezochi was lost thinking about many things. The creature then stopped at the entrance of the cave as Rezochi was looking around inside. Ill keep guard for tonight. The shadow creature dissolved into inky matter on the ground then swiftly went on a patrol outside. He could have just stayed, we both know the area is clear by now. Rezochi leaned against the cave wall, A parent huh? She smiled at the thought. Thank you. Sitting down, Rezochi remembered about the illusionary training her companion gave her growing up. She never thought she would actually see the outside world for real. Her eyes suddenly felt heavy after some time and minutes later she was sound asleep. The night slowly came to reign over the whole place. TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT 【 CH. 3 】Parental Guidance (II) CHAPTER 3: PARENTAL GUIDANCE (II) After patrolling and concluding that the surroundings are cleared and safe, the shadow creature headed back to Rezochis location. The creature let out a sigh as he found her sleeping peacefully. Well this is a surprise, I really hope you get some proper sleep this time. The shadow creature then prepares to rest on the opposite side of Rezochi. Facing her, the shadow creature stared at his sleeping companion as he laid down. Looking at her sleeping face, then her long, fluffy black hair and slightly ragged clothing, one could tell she is something more even if she looks a bit messy. The shadow creature then stared at his body. His body was of shadowy and inky matter; it didnt have a solid form. The shadow looked at Rezochi again, and back to himself letting out another sigh. He then moved closer, beside Rezochi, and kept watch. Seriously though, I cant believe I would become a caretaker The shadow wriggled about beside Rezochis slumbering body. He knew there was not much of an option back then. The two guardians who left the young child were also in a desperate situation. Ecli, please take care of this child. Memories flashed through the shadows mind from that night. Ecli was in a deep sleep, forever chained to the nightmarish forest of Senka. The Shadow Beings dont have a reason to explore the enchanted forest of this place unless they wanted to be cursed by the Ancient Being residing in it. Every shadow knew it was a forbidden and sacred place that only the Royals of the Shadow Beings could set foot into. Others would be devoured by the forest as they get lost in the thick fog and nightmarish illusions specific to the trespassers fears. No one knows what happens to those that disappeared. Eclis stomach growled. He missed devouring the greedy shadows that would roam into the woods, but never in his lifetime would he have imagined that he would be visited by a Royal, let alone two of them begging for Ecli to be a guardian to a young child. He was asked to keep the child a secret within the forest while helping to guide her into adulthood. The first part was an easy one for Ecli, though the second part caught him off guard. They were basically asking Ecli to adopt the child on the spot. Why ask a slumbering Ancient Being to be a guardian to a child? Were these Royals insane in the head? No doubt Ecli didnt go down without a fight or argument. In the end, Ecli still lost as an old promise from centuries ago was brought up. If it werent for that promise he wouldnt be in his current state now.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Ill be back. Those were the promised words made to Ecli, but that person never came back. Waiting became worry, and worry became sadness. Eventually that sadness turned into hatred towards that person for leaving him there; however, there was another promise. It was Eclis promise to that person. Ill never forget you. is what I said, could it be this child is No, that cant be. This world plays tricks on everyones minds. I wont believe it until I know for sure. He sat back up and glanced at Rezochi whos still sleeping soundly. This child has grown, but I dont see that person within her Ecli shook his head, he knew he shouldnt be looking for that person anymore. He wanted to move on. If anything, Rezochi has become one of his priorities, distracting him from other difficult things. Training her to be ready for the outside world has been a work in progress goal for the both of them. She really has become one of my own Yikes, I sound like a parent. I dont even know if Im doing this right. The shadow creature melted into inky matter and swiftly travelled through the surface of the ground. It looked as if Ecli was teleporting with how fast he moved. A few laps would do, I guess. Ecli loved racing through places. He never got to do it for the longest time, and now that hes free its his most favorite thing. As the creature slowly tires himself out, his last thought was how thankful he was that Rezochi is growing up nicely despite her guardian being so different. At times, the Shadow creature felt frustrated with himself. Leaving and escaping Senka has made Eclis power and physical form limited along with certain restrictions. He couldnt be of much help to his companion now if something serious happened. With that thought in mind, Ecli rapidly went back to Rezochi. 【 CH. 3.5 】Authors Note AUTHOR''S NOTE Hello, writer here! just in case so there''s no confusion, I''ll use "Zero" as my writer''s name instead of my OC: Rezochi. First, please hear my thanks. I just want to say thank you so much everyone for taking an interest in my first ever novel/ lore. Ive always wanted to make my persona come alive in many ways, and this is one of them. I appreciate everyones support and love! I want to also say thank you so much for being patient when it comes to releasing content. I truly appreciate it and I am thankful to have everyone be by my side on this journey. Ill keep doing my best, and I hope you also enjoy this journey were taking! Now, hear my apologies because I did not expect to go on hiatus, but I guess in a way it was a good thing. Some of you may know that I''m actually a VTuber / streamer that does writing commissions too. I''ve been truly busy with that and dealing with personal matters in real life as well. Fortunately it''s nothing too serious, but it''s just been mentally draining. I hope I can overcome it, we will see. I always try to be optimistic and do my best. I''ve been trying to manage my schedule and everything else which is a bit rough right now as I am a one-man in all this. I do plan on changing things for streaming and other activities. I am truly sorry for being away. I enjoy writing this story and have built a lot for it which leads me to say that I actually do have good news! I''ve also been busy refining and revising the power system and world building for this story along with planning ahead future chapters which I''m proud of. I am just a novice though, so please don''t expect professional, high quality, 4K HD writing. Besides that, I also have other news which I''ll list below. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. UPDATES COMMING SOON - Old chapters will be revised and edited. With my current plans, I had to slightly make changes, but not too drastic. Old chapters will have slight addition to them besides the editing. I encourage to re-read them again after I make another update post. - New chapters. After I make the updated post for the old chapters, I''ll also be uploading new chapters. - Official website. I''m trying to finish up my official website that will consist of all my content, look forward to it! - Engagement. I''m not sure about others, but I do plan on engaging with readers in the comments section, so please don''t be shy. I don''t bite, so please don''t bite either. This kind of sums up what I had planned with my comeback from hiatus. I do want to say, I also want to participate in the new Writathon that''s active right now for motivational purposes. It will help me as a writer, and I''ve never really participated in something like this so I think it will be fun. I''m also just truly thankful that there are people that do care and are interested in this story, and I seriously appreciate any support. I want to be active and consistently write for me and the readers. Thank you so much for waiting. I am back!
On another note, Ill be answering some questions that Ive gotten recently and often asked about! How did you come up with your OC / persona name? I didn''t think anyone would be interested in this. Inspired by the first vocaloid song I''ve come across called HIBIKASE (Resonate). I just played around the word "Resonate" and added "chi" (blood) at the end since I was obsessed with my birthstone years ago which is Garnet. What is Ecli? Ecli is somewhat of a guardian to our young lady. Will we revisit the characters from the Prologue chapter? Yes! Do you and your persona share something in common / differences? We like strawberries, reading, and dancing. We hate insects. I''m not as athletic or built like "Rezo". I have asthma, pretty weak and sensitive. "She" is stronger and slightly healthier compared to me.
That''s all for now! Feel free to comment questions and I''ll gather all of them and answer it again next time! Thank you once again for waiting. Let''s enjoy the chaotic world of Shiruneia!