Shadow Slave

Chapter 3196 Twisting Roads

Snuggle had, indeed, an outstanding feat in mind.

She wanted Noctis to escort them to the Shadow Realm.

There was some merit to her idea, no doubt. After all, neither of them were familiar with the mortal realms and people who populated them — both the shadow and Snuggle were completely ignorant of their customs and traditions, let alone invisible undercurrents that ruled all human societies. They did not know what roads to take and which places to avoid, so they needed a guide.

Well... the shadow could probably find his way to the Realm of Death on his own, eventually. It was just that he would most likely leave a trail of devastation in his wake, which Snuggle wanted to avoid.

Noctis, meanwhile, was not only knowledgeable about the world outside the shadow's lightless kingdom, but also held quite a lofty status among humans — his fame and background alone could open numerous doors for them. And he would probably know where to go, as well. Traveling with a Supreme Titan to one of the Divine Realms was a journey worthy of becoming a legend, so it was in his own interest too.

There was just one problem...

Noctis glanced at the little doll with a lack of amusement on his youthful face.

"To the Shadow Realm, you say?"

Snuggle nodded with a grin.

"Yeah!"

He hesitated for a moment.

"So you are telling me... to just go die?"

The young man grimaced and glanced at the two of them with dismay.

"Listen, friends, if you want to kill yourself, go ahead and have at it! But what do I have to do with any of this? Leave me out of your peculiar suicide pact, please! I am too young to die! Too gorgeous!"

Snuggle waved a hand in front of her face weakly.

"No, wait, I didn't mean it that way..."

The shadow suppressed a smile.

Going to the Shadow Realm had a distinct meaning in most human languages, and that meaning was, simply put, to die. So, it was no surprise that Noctis misunderstood the little doll.

She groaned.

“I meant it literally! Walk down there! Find the Hollow Mountains, traverse the Underworld, jump into the Abyss, say hi to Shadow God! Then come back and have a party!"

Noctis studied her intently, as if contemplating something.

Eventually, he asked, a hint of interest in his voice:

"Party? What kind of party... wait, no! Who would want to party with you?! You're a disembodied soul! You can't even drink!"

Snuggle scoffed.

"You're too young to drink anyway, brat! What kind of priests raised you?!"

With a sigh, the shadow rose and left them to it. He walked out of the hall and then exited the lord's manor, looking into the vast darkness beyond.

Of course, that dark expanse was nothing but a part of him, so peering into it was no different from peering into himself.

Even if he had left the manor, he was still there, listening to two human youths bicker.

Everything in this kingdom belonged to him, was him — the darkness, the shades crowding the streets, the dark trees swaying in the wind. The forests, the fields. Even the buildings of the ancient city had deteriorated with the passage of time, and were held up by the shadows he commanded.

If he left, all of it would disappear. Everything would simply vanish, as if it had never existed at all.

There would be only a lifeless ruin left. But even that ruin would be reclaimed by life eventually — possibly in a hundred years, or possibly in a thousand; grasses and vines would swallow the weathered stones, burying them in the depths of earth.

This land had been his home and shelter since before the world splintered into innumerable realms. Was he really ready to leave?

All of it... was a little bit too sudden.

The shadow could appear anywhere in his kingdom in the blink of an eye, but he chose to walk along the dark streets, looking around with an expression of melancholy. In truth, this city had never felt like home. There were barely any traces of what he remembered left here — everything had been rebuilt, transformed, and altered. A paved plaza lay where the huts of the nomads had once been raised; the familiar fields had long been swallowed by the city sprawl. An imposing temple towered where a humble shrine had stood, and even the old graves were gone.

So was there really anything holding him back?

From the dawn of time, the shadow had only ever wanted one thing — to exist in peace, which was the closest thing to non-existence he could achieve. And from the dawn of time, true peace had eluded him.

Maybe it was time to give up on his impossible goal.

Before the shadow knew it, his feet brought him to a familiar place. He found himself in front of the old cave where he used to reside... a long time ago.

The city was different, and the land was different as well. But the cave was still the same.

Or so it seemed.

As the shadow entered his old abode, he felt nothing. No comfort, no attachment. Just emptiness.

Tatal was not here anymore, and the sound of her voice would never echo between these stone walls again. The silver bell was not here, either.

Even Snuggle was gone, having become a vessel to a peculiar, wandering soul.

The bell and the doll were the only two things he had ever kept in the cave, so without them, there was nothing left.

‘Must I really leave?'

Turning his head faintly, the shadow observed the innumerable shades that populated his lightless kingdom. They were pretending to be alive to chase away his boredom... but they weren't alive.

He had killed them, and now, he was holding them captive within his soul. Unchanging, uncaring. Utterly quiet. Suddenly, their existence did indeed seem awfully sad.

Just like his own.

The shadow sighed.

‘Shadow God is the god of death, peace, and solace. But... he is also the god of mysteries.'

So perhaps... would he shine light on the mystery of the shadow's peculiar fate?

The shadow left the cave and stopped in front of the altar standing in front of it. There were still human remains lying atop the altar, white bones resting in the darkness, a skull staring at him with reproach in its empty eyes.

He remained in front of the altar for a long time, looking at the old bones.

That was where Snuggle found him, eventually.

“Shadow! Hey, Shadow! Where did you go?"

The shadow let out a sigh and glanced away from the decrepit skeleton, shielding his eyes from the radiance emanating from the little doll.

She climbed the altar, gave the skeleton a wary gaze, and then raised her head to beam at the shadow.

“It's all good! I've convinced him. That kid is a bit of a wastrel, but he has a good heart. And despite how he behaves, he's clever. He'll be a good guide for us."

The shadow gave her a long look. Eventually, a faint smile twisted his lips.

“I never said that I would go with you."

Snuggle raised her chin.

“Hmmph!"

She crossed her arms — which looked a bit comical, considering how short they were — and said:

“I never said that I would go with you, either!"

The little doll turned away defiantly.

“Do you want me to go? Ask first! Say please, pretty please!"

The shadow hesitated for a few seconds, then threw a glance down the mountain, where the dead city lay in the darkness. Eventually, he nodded.

“Will you go to the Shadow Realm with me, Snuggle? Please?"

She turned around and glanced at him and smiled.

"Okay!"

Then, her smile slowly disappeared, and a rare serious expression settled on her crude doll face.

"However, Shadow... I have a condition. You must agree to something first if you want me to accompany you."

He raised an eyebrow.

“What kind of condition?"

Snuggle remained silent for a long while, then said solemnly:

“You must promise not to kill anyone on this journey — or any thing. For as long as we're together."

The shadow stared at her in confusion.

He was a little baffled.

"l am an heir of Death. And you expect me not to kill anything?"

Snuggle nodded seriously.

“Wouldn't things be too easy otherwise? Listen, Shadow — Sister Snuggle will teach you a valuable lesson! Only things that aren't easy are worth a damn, most of the time. So, come on! Promise."

The shadow remained silent for a while. Eventually, he asked with a hint of hesitation:

"Not even Creatures of Corruption?"

Snuggle shrugged.

“Noctis and I will kill the Creatures of Corruption. You just focus on not becoming Corrupted yourself!"

The shadow studied her for a few long seconds, then sighed.

‘What am I getting myself into?’

Walking past the altar — and the bones lying on it — he nodded.

“Alright. I promise."

***

Soon enough, the three of them stood at the edge of the city. Well, Shadow and Noctis were standing, at least — Snuggle was seated comfortably on Shadow's shoulder.

"Are you really ready?"

Shadow closed his eyes for a moment and nodded.

Then, he opened his eyes and absorbed his kingdom into himself.

Suddenly, a terrible wind rose, and the darkness around them seemed to rush like a flood — rush into the depths of his soul, where it had come from.

All across the lightless land, innumerable shades vanished without a trace. The streets of the city were suddenly empty, devoid of the false life that had filled them just a moment ago.

The shadows he had manifested collapsed into their natural form. The trees in the forests and the stalks swaying in the fields disappeared, leaving behind only desolate soil.

The shadow holding up the ancient building vanished as well, and the entire city shuddered. Countless homes collapsed with a thunderous roar, and a billowing cloud of dust rose into the air.

And then, for the first time in innumerable years...

Rays of sunlight fell upon the broken land, shining through the dust as they illuminated the vast ruin.

Shadow studied the forlorn, lifeless scene of the devastated city before him for a long while.

Then, with a sigh, he turned his back on it.

"Let's go."

The twisting roads of the mortal realms awaited...

And somewhere at the end of them, the realm of Shadow God awaited, as well.