The sky remained dark long after the voice disappeared.
Black clouds slowly drifted away, but the cold feeling in the air refused to leave. The battlefield was quiet again, yet everyone knew something terrible had just happened.
Aria stood in the middle of the ruined field, staring at the sky where the voice had come from.
The voice of the Abyss Lord.
Just hearing it once was enough to make her heart feel heavy.
Rowan walked toward her, his sword still in his hand.
"So… that was him?" Rowan asked.
Aria nodded slowly."Yes."
Rowan looked up at the sky again.
"He sounds… powerful."
The Dragon King stepped forward. His enormous wings moved slowly as he looked at both of them.
"Abyss Lord is more dangerous than you can imagine," he said.
"He is not just powerful. He is the source of the shadows themselves."
Aria turned toward him.
"Then how do we stop him?"
For a moment, the Dragon King did not answer.The wind moved softly across the burned land.
Finally, he spoke.
"There is only one way."
Rowan crossed his arms.
"And what is that?"
The Dragon King looked directly at them.
"We must go to the Shadow Realm."
The words fell like thunder.
Rowan's eyes widened.
"Wait… you mean his world?"
"Yes," the Dragon King replied."The Abyss Lord draws his true power from there."
"If we defeat him in our world, he will simply return again."
Aria understood immediately.
"So the only way to end this war… is to defeat him in the Shadow Realm itself."
The Dragon King nodded.
"That is the only way to destroy him forever."
Rowan let out a long breath.
"That sounds like a terrible idea."
Aria almost smiled.
"But it's the only one."
Rowan looked at her."You're actually considering this?"
Aria stepped closer to the Dragon King.
"If we do nothing, the shadows will spread across the world."
She looked toward the distant villages.
"Innocent people will die."
Her voice became firm.
"I won't let that happen."
Rowan sighed.
"I had a feeling you'd say that."
He sheathed his sword.
"Well… if you're going to the Shadow Realm, I guess someone has to make sure you don't die."Aria looked at him.
"You're coming?"
Rowan shrugged.
"Of course."
The Dragon King watched them silently.
"Your courage is admirable," he said.
"But the Shadow Realm is unlike anything you have ever seen."
"What do you mean?" Aria asked.
The Dragon King's eyes darkened.
"It is a world made of darkness."
"The sky is always black."
"The land is twisted and broken.""And the creatures there… are far worse than the shadows you fought last night."
Rowan muttered quietly,
"Great."
Aria did not look afraid.
Instead, she looked determined.
"When do we leave?"
The Dragon King lifted his head toward the mountains in the distance.
"There is an ancient gate hidden beyond those peaks."
"A gate that connects our world to the Shadow Realm."
Rowan frowned."A gate?"
"Yes," the Dragon King said.
"It was built by the dragons thousands of years ago during the ancient war."
"To enter the Shadow Realm safely, we must use that gate."
Aria picked up her sword.
"Then we should go now."
But the Dragon King shook his head.
"No."
"Entering the Shadow Realm is extremely dangerous."
"You must prepare first."
Rowan nodded."That actually makes sense."
The Dragon King continued.
"You will need stronger weapons."
"You will need supplies."
"And most importantly…"
His voice became serious.
"You will need the power to survive the darkness."
Aria looked confused.
"What kind of power?"
The Dragon King stared directly at her.
"A power that already exists within you."
Aria's eyes widened slightly."What are you talking about?"
But before the Dragon King could answer—
The ground suddenly trembled again.
Rowan quickly grabbed his sword.
"Not again…"
From the distant forest, dark shapes began to move.
More Shadow creatures.
Dozens of them were running toward the battlefield.
Aria immediately raised her sword.
"They're coming back."
The Dragon King spread his massive wings."They are searching for you."
"For me?" Aria asked.
"Yes."
The Dragon King's voice became serious.
"Abyss Lord knows about you now."
The creatures were getting closer.
Their red eyes glowing in the darkness.
Rowan stood beside Aria.
"Looks like we're not getting a break."
Aria smiled slightly.
"That's fine."
She tightened her grip on her sword."If we're going to the Shadow Realm…"
Her eyes burned with determination.
"Then this is just the beginning."
The Dragon King roared and flew into the sky.
Fire filled the battlefield once again as the shadows charged forward.
And somewhere far beyond the mountains…
An ancient gate slowly began to awaken.
A gate that had remained sealed for a thousand years.
The gate to the Shadow Realm.
The journey to the Abyss had begun. Corrected Author's Note Author's Note This is the end of today's chapter.
Aria and her team have decided to travel to the Shadow Realm, where the Abyss Lord holds his true power. But the journey will be more dangerous than anything they have faced before.
What do you think will happen next?
Will Aria and her friends survive the Shadow Realm?
Leave your thoughts in the comments. Your support motivates me to continue writing the story.