Shadow Slave

Chapter 3216 Divine Choice

In the morning, Snuggle and Noctis woke up as if nothing had happened. Listening to their bickering, Shadow did not show that he had conversed with a deity while they slept, either.

He was generally quiet and reserved, so they did not notice his inner turmoil... Noctis did not, at least. Snuggle might have sensed something, but tactfully chose to play along with his silence.

A myriad of thoughts swarmed in Shadow's head.

Had he met a god before?

Across his countless lives, he must have. Yet at the moment, he did not remember — perhaps he had not, after all. The only image in his mind was the harrowing scene of Beast God devouring a Void Creature.

He had been far, far away from that titanic clash, though. Both of those beings were simply so colossal that they could be seen from a vast distance. If Shadow had been any closer, he would have been obliterated by the violent horror of the divine confrontation.

The daemons were not equal to the great gods, but by now, they were Divine. So, for Shadow, meeting Hope was no different from facing true divinity for the first time. Needless to say, she had not disappointed his expectations.

Even if Hope had been suppressing her deific presence to the point that it was all but impossible to sense her existence, her visage had still left a profound impression on Shadow. He could not even describe the feeling she had invoked in him... it was simply too compelling, too poignant. Unknowable.

And he was a vast being on the precipice of becoming a deity himself, at that. Shadow could not even imagine the awe those lesser than him would feel in her presence. Perhaps that was why she concealed it and obscured her visage — because she wanted those whom she met to feel emotions other than awe. To look past her divinity and see her instead.

Unlike Shadow, who hid because he didn't want to be seen.

Beyond the shock of witnessing the Demon of Desire, though, were the words that she had spoken.

Shadow was surprised to learn that Hope was such an... optimist.

Perhaps there was a seed of profound wisdom in what she had told him, but he felt reluctant to accept it. That was because Hope did not know the future — but he did. She had told him that if daemons could live alongside the gods, then humans could too. And yet, all of existence was doomed to be destroyed in a war between the gods and the daemons.

Didn't that make Hope's conviction misguided and naive?

As Shadow and his companions departed from the inn and left the city, Shadow contemplated deeply.

‘No... perhaps not.'

Hope did not strike Shadow as someone who could be naive, let alone misguided. So perhaps what she meant was not that the daemons and the gods were coexisting splendidly, so humans could too. Because they were all the same. Because they were all children of the Flame.

Perhaps what she truly meant had to do with everything she had said before.

Perhaps it was that daemons had a choice, just like humans... just like the gods.

And that she hoped they would choose wisely.

...However, in the end, her hope was destined to be crushed.

It was destined to be crushed by Nether, the Demon of Choice.

Who chose war.

As Shadow was jostled lightly on the coachman's bench, he sighed.

‘Well. It's not like that has anything to do with me.'

Shadow seemed like a vast and unfathomable being to someone like Noctis or Snuggle. But to beings like Hope or the great gods, he was no more than a little, transient shadow.

Gods were great, but Shadow was small. He had no business concerning himself with the fate of the gods and the choices of daemons. All he wanted to do was keep a promise he should have given a dear friend, but never had — and then, perhaps, find a way to end his tedious existence.

‘It is quite ironic, isn't it?'

The Demon of Desire, who called herself Hope, was destined to have her hopes crushed.

And Shadow, a creature of death, wanted to die but did not know how.

‘We really are quite a pair.'

Perhaps that was why he had sensed a hint of affection in the way Hope spoke to him.

“What are you thinking about, Shadow?"

Snuggle's squeaky voice pulled him out of his contemplation.

Pulling slightly on the reins of their horse, Shadow smiled faintly and shook his head.

"I was wondering if the Demon of Desire likes me."

Both Noctis and Snuggle stared at him, their mouths agape — one of their mouths, at least.

In the end, Noctis exhaled slowly and gave him a thumbs up.

His hand seemed to be trembling.

"Please forgive me, Brother Shadow. I did not know that you are a man of great ambition. This junior still has a lot to learn... I've never even dared to think about aiming that high..."

Snuggle seemed to have regained her composure, as well. She looked at him tearfully.

“Our Shadow is all grown up! He likes girls now... well, primordial deities, at least..."

Shadow sighed.

“You two are fools."

Snuggle giggled, while Noctis exploded with laughter.

"That we are, that we are..."

***

Their journey north was uneventful.

There were no powerful Creatures of Corruption in the Kingdom of Hope. There were no Transcendent warriors searching for trouble or rampaging Spirits, either. The roads were well-maintained, and the weather was gentle. Their carriage rolled forward at a steady pace, devouring mile after mile.

Without having to hurry, they reached the northernmost edges of the Kingdom of Hope in a few weeks. Those weeks were blissful and carefree, full of nothing but leisure — none of them spoke about the inevitable parting, which was drawing near. In the end, however, that day still arrived. The carriage stopped near a vast meadow, a modest mountain chain looming far in the distance. A warm breeze blew across the meadow, making the grass ripple like the waves of an emerald sea. The sun was shining high in the sky, and there was no cloud in sight to obscure it.

It was only when they alighted from the carriage and gazed at the horizon that Noctis finally lost his smile, looking ahead with a dejected expression.

Snuggle remained silent for a while, then tentatively pulled on the hem of his colorful robe.

“I meant it. There is no need to feel sad. We will definitely meet again, someday."

Noctis stared into the distance, his face solemn.

Eventually, he shook his head.

“No, it's not that. I just... realized something only now. When it's already too late."

Shadow and Snuggle looked at him quietly, giving the young man time to speak.

After a while, Noctis let out a long sigh.

“I realized that once Shadow leaves..."

His face hardened.

"This damn horse will disappear. So I'll have to either abandon this wonderful carriage or pull it myself. By the Moon! What a travesty!"

As he looked at the luxurious carriage, his expression turned mournful.

His lips even quivered a little.

Shadow stared at him for a bit, then patted him on the shoulder.

"Stay strong.”

Snuggle nodded seriously.

“Our thoughts will be with you. You can endure!"

Noctis looked down, hiding a smile.

When he looked up, however, there were traces of genuine sadness in his eyes.

“What are you doing? Go. We have already said everything that needed to be said... trying to pull off an emotional farewell will only be awkward. It's been a pleasure traveling with you, friends. But there are countless other pleasures to be enjoyed in the world, and I am off to enjoy them all by myself. If anything, you are the one who should wallow in sadness and envy."

Shadow smiled faintly.

"Perhaps we will."

Then, he looked back at the radiant vista of the Kingdom of Hope.

"So, what are your plans? Are you going to stay here for a while and explore Hope's domain?"

Noctis shook his head slowly.

"No. You saw it yourself — there are no dreadful abominations or bloodthirsty villains in the Kingdom of Hope. I am not needed here. So, I'll go someplace where a fool like me can be of use."

He sighed, then beamed them a smile.

"I'll go be a hero... no different from all the other Transcendent heroes, but far more handsome and with better style. Be prepared! You may hear about my incredible deeds and astonishing looks even in the Shadow Realm."

He hesitated for a moment.

“But what about you? Are you sure that you want to continue forward? The Hollow Mountains, the Underworld, and the Realm of Death itself... as far as itineraries go, that one sounds like a real drag. You might want to consider a better pastime."

Shadow chuckled.

“We'll be fine. I've been to all those places before, I think... a long time ago. We'll manage."

Noctis studied him for a long while, then nodded.

"In that case, go. I wish you luck on your journey. And now that I think about it..."

He fell silent for a brief moment, then nodded decisively.

"I think I'll drag that carriage to the nearest settlement, after all. Surely, I'll be able to buy a horse there! Luxurious coaches like this one don't just grow on trees, you know."

Shadow smiled.

“It depends on the tree, I guess."

As he turned to face the distant mountains, Snuggle climbed to Noctis's shoulder and hugged him tightly. She whispered something into his ear, causing him to laugh, then jumped down and scampered over to Shadow.

Picking her up, he prepared to cross the realm boundary and enter the Hollow Mountains.

The last leg of their journey awaited ahead. Just before the pull of a different realm grasped him, Shadow turned his head and looked at the young man who stood behind them.

"Noctis..."

Shadow lingered for a moment, struggling with something, and then finally said:

"Do not let yourself be bound, Noctis. Wolves... are meant to be free."

In the next moment, the warmth of the Kingdom of Hope disappeared, replaced by a chilling cold.

The radiant vista of the emerald meadow was gone, as well.

Instead, Shadow and Snuggle were surrounded by swirling white fog, unable to see anything.

As if nothing existed in the world anymore, except for the two of them — and the endless expanse of swirling mist.