Darkness flooded everything like a tide. Cale felt as if his body was being torn apart as he sank into an endless abyss. Countless whispers echoed in his ears, as if the souls in the Shadow Realm were recounting their pain and resentment.
"Cale... Cale..."
The voice was both familiar and eerie, sounding like Darlene's call and yet also like Ivan's murmur.
He opened his eyes and found himself standing on the street of the village. All was silent around him. The cold moonlight spilled onto the stone - paved road, and a gentle breeze blew, as if everything had returned to the very beginning.
However, the village street was incredibly empty. There wasn't a single person in sight, and even the black cat that usually wandered around was nowhere to be found. Cale frowned, tightened his grip on his short blade, and walked forward slowly.
"Is this an illusion?" he muttered to himself, his eyes scanning the surroundings vigilantly.
Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a tattered bronze mirror standing by the roadside. The mirror was covered in cracks, yet it clearly reflected his shadow. However, the shadow had one more eye than he did. It stared at him, its mouth slowly splitting into a strange smile.
Cale took a sudden step back, but the shadow in the mirror didn't disappear. Instead, it slowly walked out of the mirror and faced him from a distance.
"Who am I?" the shadow rasped, black flames dancing in its eyes.
"Are you me?" Cale held his short blade tightly, eyeing the shadow warily.
The shadow walked closer, tilting its head slightly. Its voice was tinged with mockery. "No, I'm the suppressed part of your heart. You know why you've become a 'vessel', but you've always refused to admit it."
Cale's heart jolted, and his face paled slightly. "What... what are you talking about?"
"Remember what Ivan said? The Shadow Master is hidden within you." The shadow grinned menacingly. "If you don't believe me, give it a try. Let me take over you and see what happens."
As soon as the words were out, the shadow's body elongated rapidly, transforming into a pitch - black lance that stabbed straight at Cale's chest!
—Clang!
The short blade blocked the lance, sending sparks flying. Cale felt a heavy impact. He stumbled backward, the stone slabs beneath his feet cracking inch by inch, and his palm went numb from the shock.
"Don't think you can control me!" Cale gritted his teeth, doing his best to resist the shadow's attack.
The shadow sneered. "It's only a matter of time. The more you resist, the deeper the shadow's power will take root in your soul."
As the shadow spoke, black patterns gradually emerged on Cale's body. His heartbeat was especially clear in this silent space.
Suddenly, a hand was placed on his shoulder.
"Cale."
He spun around abruptly and saw Darlene standing behind him. She looked at him with a complex expression, holding a burning torch in her hand.
"How did you..." Cale was taken aback.
"After you disappeared, we searched for you in the Shadow Realm for a long time." Darlene furrowed her brows, worry evident in her eyes. "Come on, this isn't a place to stay."
Cale turned to look at the shadow, only to find that it had vanished. The broken bronze mirror lay in shards on the ground, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.
But when he looked down at his palm, the black patterns were still clearly visible, as if branded into his flesh and blood.
—
After leaving the Shadow Realm, Cale followed Darlene back to the depths of the cellar. Lucas was crouching beside the sarcophagus, his fingers touching the runes on the coffin, his expression solemn.
"You're back." Lucas stood up and looked at Cale. "What happened just now? You disappeared suddenly. We almost thought you'd been devoured."
Cale said in a deep voice, "I saw the shadow."
"Shadow?" Lucas's pupils constricted slightly. "You mean... your shadow?"
Cale nodded, his fist clenching slowly. "It told me that I'm already a vessel for the Shadow Master."
The atmosphere froze instantly. Darlene and Lucas exchanged a glance, both their eyes filled with complex emotions.
"So, what Ivan said was true?" Lucas said in a low voice. "You're the Shadow Master?"
"I don't know." Cale lowered his head, his tone subdued. "But I can feel that power awakening."
Darlene took a deep breath and said softly, "Anyway, we won't give up on you."
Cale looked up, meeting her determined gaze. A warmth welled up in his heart. However, he soon realized that things were far from that simple.
Suddenly, Lucas noticed that the runes on the sarcophagus began to glow faintly. The runes seemed to be breathing, flickering on and off, as if about to activate some kind of power.
"There's something wrong with these runes." Lucas said in a deep voice. "Is Ivan leading us into a trap?"
Darlene's face changed. "You mean, he deliberately made us lift the seal?"
Cale stepped forward and examined the runes on the sarcophagus carefully. "No, Ivan might have wanted to prevent the seal from being lifted, but he knew... it was already too late."
Before he could finish, the sarcophagus trembled violently. Cracks spread along the coffin, and a withered and distorted hand slowly stretched out from the gap, accompanied by a low, pained roar.
"It's the true body of the Shadow Master!" Lucas took a step back, gripping his weapon tightly.
Darlene quickly nocked an arrow, the firelight dancing on the arrowhead. "Don't let it wake up completely!"
Cale stood in front of the sarcophagus, his gaze calm. The short blade in his hand glinted with a cold light.
"Maybe..." he murmured in a low voice, "only a shadow can fight against a shadow."
Darlene was stunned and shouted hastily, "Cale, what are you going to do?"
Cale closed his eyes, allowing the black patterns to spread all over his body. The whispers of the shadow echoed in his ears. His figure gradually melted into the darkness, facing off against the monster crawling out of the sarcophagus.
"There can be two Shadow Masters..." Cale opened his eyes, black flames surging in his eyes. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, forming a strange and familiar smile.