Chapter 32 Shadows of the Future

All four sleepers sat around the bonfire Raizel had conjured.

The fire crackled softly, sending embers into the grey sky. Raizel was focused on roasting scavenger meat, the scent sharp and metallic. Meanwhile, Sunny and Nephis sat in silence, visibly shaken by what Cassie had just told them.

Raizel let out a quiet sigh.

'I knew this was coming.'

He remembered Cassie's exact words—still fresh, still echoing like a curse.

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"At first, I saw... a boundless darkness, locked behind seven seals," Cassie whispered. "Something vast and terrible churned inside it. I couldn't look directly at it—I knew I'd go insane if I did. One by one, the seals shattered... until only one remained. Then that, too, broke."

She had trembled then. Her voice had cracked.

"After that... I don't know. My mind shattered. Like a mirror—thousands of shards. Each shard showed a different reflection. Most were terrifying. Some I've already forgotten. But others..."Cassie had paused, visibly shaken, lost in memory.

"I saw the human castle again. But it was night. Darkness covered everything. A single flame burned inside. And then..." she hesitated, her tone hollow, "The castle was engulfed in fire. Crimson rivers of blood ran through its halls. A headless corpse in golden armor knelt in the throne room. A woman with a bronze spear drowned beneath a swarm of monsters. An archer fired arrows into the falling sky..."

Cassie's voice broke as she looked up, her face pale with horror.

"And then I saw it. A colossal crimson spire. At its base, seven severed heads guarded seven locks. And at the top..." she swallowed, " something was getting attacked by a dark shadow. It was bleeding. And I felt like—like something more precious than life itself was being stolen from me."

She had turned even paler.

"But that wasn't all!" she said, her voice rising in panic. "I saw an army. Millions of men and women in red and white armor... marching toward the injured being, trying to end it once and for all, i don't know who the Dark being was"

Her final words came as a whisper.

"Then I felt sorrow, pain, and rage... so overwhelming, I lost what little was left of my sanity. And then I woke up... I think."

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'That's what she said,' Raizel thought darkly.

Now, Cassie was quietly munching on the piece of meat he had handed her earlier. Her shoulders were tense. Her face pale. The vision had clearly done something to her—scarred her, maybe.

'The future's changed,' he realized. 'A lot.'

He remembered the Book clearly: the golden-armored corpse was supposed to be seated on the throne, not kneeling. And definitely not headless.

And instead of a "something" attacked by a shadow, it was supposed to be a dying angel being consumed by hungry shadows.

Raizel's gaze drifted toward Sunny. His violet eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

'So... you became strong enough to hurt me, huh? How cute.'

A dark chuckle escaped his lips. 'I'm the one who taught you how to fight, and you still managed to surprise me, Bastard child of Fate.'

His eyes flicked to Nephis—and saw her staring at him, wide-eyed.

She understood.

'Quick to catch on, aren't you,' Raizel mused. 'Unlike a certain someone.'

He didn't even need to glance back at Sunny to know he hadn't figured it out yet.

Still, those details Raizel could work with.

But it was the last part of Cassie's vision that truly bothered him.

'An army of millions, clad in red and white armor...'

That wasn't in the book. Not even hinted at.

'How the hell could there be an army of millions,' he thought, 'when the Forgotten Shore barely has a thousand souls total?'

It didn't make sense. Not even a little.

He ran through possibilities, theories stacking in his mind.

Maybe the army was made up of the skeletal warriors from the catacombs?

'No, he dismissed the thought immediately. They didn't wear red and white armor. Not even close.'

Maybe there was another power out there—one hidden, one strong enough to send an army of that scale to kill him.

But again—how?

The Forgotten Shore wasn't a place you just strolled into. It was a death zone wrapped in mystery and fog. No force should've been able to breach it, let alone deploy millions.

'Or may be those force are not Humans...'

Well this can be a posiblity too, after all only external forces have those powers.

Their was this last theory on, which he believed was 80% true.

'That fate is trying to kill me.'

Raizel remember that all the things he has done. like changing small things which might be small but can make a big impact on the future.

And fate seems to have catch on to it, and it will try to eliminate Raizel, using any means necessary, after all Raizel is someone who should have not existed in the first place.

Why well , first he knows the future, second he is too overpowered to the point if he wanted too, he could clear this first nightmare with some injuries which will heal in seconds.

Third he is using the knowledge of the future, he knows and changing it to his personal taste, but that is also affecting the fate and destiny of other peoples too.

Raizel couldn't help but remember the question he asked his mother.

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It was a night time, both him and his mother lay on the king-size bed, only a thin white sheets were covering their bare bodies.

Raizel lay beside his mother, his head resting on her chest, his eyes were hollow. Emotionless, while his mother lips wore a soft smirk.

Then out of nowhere Raizel asked a question.

"Mother… what happens to those who defy fate?"

The Queen of Darkness "Amaris Dark Solomon" tilted her head slightly, deep purple eyes gleaming with something unreadable. She stared into the dark for a moment before answering in a voice as sweet as it was cold:

"They either become legends… or they die."

Hearing these words Raizel just nodded his head, after that he didn't said anything.

Only one thought was in his head.

'I need to become better and more then a legend itself.'

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'Yeah…'

Raizel didn't flinch. He didn't hope. He calculated.

The path ahead was difficult. So what? Difficulty meant nothing. Pain meant nothing. Victory was the only metric that mattered.

He would reach his goals. Not because of some grand dream, but because failure was not an option that existed in his world.

'What's the point of living if I can't even do that much ?'

It didn't matter if it was Sunny—the so-called fated child—or an army a million strong.

If they stood in his way… 

They'd be cut down. 

Or burned alive in dragon fire.

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Some time later, they sat on the western edge of the stone platform, overlooking the scavengers below.

'Looks like they're almost done with the carcass.'

Raizel observed the crawling horde with cold indifference. He knew the upcoming journey would be brutal—especially with that many scavengers infesting the labyrinth.

"Were there always that many?" Nephis asked, eyes on Sunny, who was busy scouting ahead with his shadow.

Sunny glanced at her, then shook his head. 

"No. There were more before. They're almost finished. I doubt the carcass will last until nightfall."

"Then we leave today," Raizel said flatly, his gaze cutting through the air like a blade.

Both Nephis and Sunny frowned, sharing a silent thought.

"You're right," Nephis said at last. "I don't want Cassie spending another night near that statue. Let's go."

Sunny opened his mouth to speak, but then paused—something below caught his attention. A sudden commotion from the scavengers silenced him.

Raizel and Nephis noticed it too.

At the bottom of the disappearing sea, amid broken coral and murky mud, the ravaged remains of the shark-like monstrosity—barely half of it—had been stripped clean. And nestled between its bleached bones… something shimmered.

Two large, glowing crystals.

Sunny's eyes widened. 

"Are those…?"

"Yes," Raizel replied coldly. "Two shards of transcendent soul cores."

Greed flashed in the eyes of the two Sleepers—alongside fear.

Transcendent soul shards were absurdly rare. Priceless. But the creature they came from was no ordinary Nightmare Beast. A corrupted devil. The kind of monster that could flatten a city unless stopped by a Saint—or a small army of Awakened.

"Should we—"

"No."

Raizel's interruption was instant and final.

Sunny frowned but didn't argue.

"Listen…" Raizel said softly.

The two Sleepers leaned closer.

A faint, distant noise reached their ears—barely audible beneath the scavengers' mindless chittering.

Then both Nephis and Sunny noticed it: a strange disharmony in the sound.

Nephis tensed. Raizel's gaze remained eerily calm.

"There." 

She pointed toward a wide passage leading into the labyrinth.

Sunny narrowed his eyes. After a moment, two massive shadows emerged from the dark tunnel.

And then—they saw them.

Two towering figures stepped into view, easily over three meters tall. They resembled the scavengers, but warped… evolved.

Their carapaces were thicker, colored in jet-black and blood-scarlet, like ancient armor dipped in gore. Wicked spikes protruded from their bodies, and instead of pincers, their upper limbs ended in long, curved bone scythes.

Sunny's heart skipped. 

"What the hell are those things?"

"Awakened monsters," Raizel replied, his voice dead calm.

Nephis shot him a glance but said nothing.

Nightmare Beasts with one core were called _beasts_—dangerous but dumb. If a creature had two soul cores, it became a monster—smarter, more deadly, and far more unpredictable.

The two monsters marched toward the remains of the shark. The scavengers scrambled out of the way—those too slow were tossed aside or sliced clean in half. Azure blood flowed freely.

 'They're going for the shards,' Sunny realized.

'Of course they are,' Raizel thought, already knowing exactly why they'd come.

The monsters reached the glowing shards. Each one took a crystal. But instead of absorbing them, they turned and started walking back into the labyrinth.

The scavengers parted before them in silence, their beady eyes locked on the stolen power.

Sunny blinked. 

"…Do we still leave now?"

Nephis hesitated, frowning. Raizel answered first.

"Yes."

Nephis looked like she wanted to argue, but bit her tongue.

Finally, she said, 

"…Get your shadow to follow them."

Sunny was about to obey— 

—but Raizel stopped him with a raised hand.

"No. Don't."

Both Sleepers stared at him.

"Why?" Sunny asked, confused.

Raizel exhaled slowly. 

"Think. Those are monster-ranked creatures—which means they possess some level of intelligence. But even so, monsters like that don't take shards and walk away. Not unless they were ordered to."

Sunny blinked. 

"Maybe they're just trying to absorb the shards somewhere safer?"

Raizel shook his head. 

"That's where you're wrong. Creatures like that don't wait. If they want power, they seize it the moment they see it. But they didn't. Can you guess why?"

Silence.

Neither Nephis nor Sunny had an answer.

Raizel sighed. 

"It's simple. Someone—or something—ordered them to retrieve the shards. And if it has enough authority to command monsters of that rank..." He paused, voice dropping to a near-whisper. 

"…then it can likely sense your shadow, too."

The realization hit them like a falling blade.

Sunny shivered. Nephis's face darkened.

"You know a lot about Nightmare Creatures," she said quietly.

Raizel just shrugged. 

"It's common knowledge. You'd know it too, if you actually read the Academy library."

Neither of them replied.

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Raizel used his telekinesis to lift the others into the air, then slowly descended from the giant knight statue like a silent god descending from his throne. Moments later, their feet touched the ground.

Before they could move, Nephis spoke, her voice sharp and focused.

"Today will be different. There'll be more Scavengers in the labyrinth. A lot more. We may not be able to ambush them—or avoid fighting multiple at once."

She looked directly at Sunny.

"If things go sideways, your job is to get Cassie out. We'll retreat using narrow tunnels the Scavengers can't follow through. If we get separated, head to the high point. Don't wait for us. Got it?"

Sunny nodded solemnly. "Got it."

"Good," she said, already turning. "Time's short. Let's move."

Nephis led the group, Raizel at her side. Sunny's shadow scouted ahead, silently mapping out paths and searching for monsters.

Every Scavenger they encountered was handled quickly—mostly by Raizel and sometimes Nephis. Occasionally, Sunny joined in, usually just to finish off the weakened beasts.

"Halt," Sunny suddenly whispered, and everyone froze.

He turned his head slowly. "Scavengers ahead."

Nephis glanced at him. "How many?"

"...Thirty," Sunny whispered. His face went pale as his shadow sense scanned the swarm beyond.

Cassie gasped, her expression full of dread. Nephis's jaw tightened, her hand gripping her sword.

"There's no other way?" Cassie asked, her voice trembling.

Sunny shook his head. "No. Everything else is a dead end."

A heavy silence fell over the group as the weight of the situation settled in.

'Thirty… That's double what they faced in the Book,' Raizel thought. 'This is different. Is it because of the two Divine Aspect users? A scared one and… a --- ? Or fate is trying to intervene ?'

This wasn't supposed to happen.

Without a word, Raizel summoned his sword and began walking forward—only to be stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

He turned to find Sunny staring at him, wide-eyed.

"...What?"

"Don't tell me you're actually planning to fight them alone," Sunny said, his voice a mix of disbelief and rising panic.

Raizel paused. "Yes."

Everyone was stunned.

"Are you insane?!" Sunny barked. "There are thirty Nightmare Creatures! That's twice as many as you've ever fought before!"

Raizel raised a brow, unbothered.

"Raizel, what Sunny means is… don't just charge in without a plan," Cassie added gently, trying to pull him back from the edge.

"See even Cassie agree with me"

Raizel sighed.

"The plan is simple: I'll take twenty of them. You and Nephis deal with the remaining ten."

Sunny's mouth dropped. "That's not a plan! That's a suicide note!"

"I'm not asking you to fight them," Raizel said, cutting him off with a raised hand. "Just distract them. One minute. That's all I need."

He glanced at Nephis and Sunny. "Any questions?"

Nephis shook her head, calm and composed as always. Sunny, on the other hand, looked like he was staring at a lunatic.

"Are. You. Crazy?" Sunny repeated.

Raizel looked at him flatly. "You wanted a plan. Now we have one. So what's stopping you?"

Sunny sputtered. "You call that a plan?! That's not a plan, that's you throwing yourself at a meat grinder and hoping it jams!"

Raizel's expression didn't change, but his voice turned ice-cold.

"If you think my plan is suicide… feel free to share your brilliant alternative. Assuming you have one."

That last line cut deep. Even Nephis flinched. Sunny swallowed hard and looked away, unable to meet Raizel's glowing purple eyes.

"Nephis," Raizel said, his tone softening only slightly. "Take Cassie and hide her somewhere safe."

Nephis nodded and guided Cassie into a side tunnel.

Raizel turned back to Sunny, who instinctively stepped back, fear in his eyes.

Then—

SWISH

Raizel vanished.

In an instant, he reappeared near the horde of Scavengers. Sword in hand, he didn't hesitate.

SLASH!

The first Scavenger was split in half.

{You have slain an Awakened Beast: Carapace Scavenger.} .

{The darkness within you grows stronger.}

Raizel barely registered the runes. Another pincer came flying—he dodged with Void Steps, vanishing and reappearing behind another beast.

SLASH. SLASH. SLASH.

{You have slain an Awakened Beast…} 

{You have slain…} 

{You have…}

The messages flooded in like a grim death toll.

Raizel danced between them, a phantom cloaked in purple flames. His sword ignited with crimson fire, the Aether burning fiercely.

With a downward strike, he stabbed through a Scavenger's chitin, dropping it with a heavy 

THUD

{You have slain an Awakened Beast: Carapace Scavenger.}

{The darkness within you grows stronger.}

Then came the pain.

Raizel clutched his head—like a molten iron rod had been driven through his skull. His knees almost buckled.

But he pushed forward.

Another pincer flew toward his face.

!!!

He flipped back, dodging just in time, disappearing in a flash of violet.

SLAM! The pincer crushed the ground where he'd just stood.

The Scavenger looked around, confused.

"Looking for someone?" Raizel's voice whispered behind it.

SLASH.

{You have slain an Awakened Beast…}

His eye twitched. Something inside was… stirring. But he ignored it.

Turning his gaze, he saw Sunny and Nephis locked in a desperate battle, trying to keep ten Scavengers busy.

Raizel raised his hand toward them.

'Let's see how many I can hold…'

He tapped deeper into his Aether.

Suddenly, all the Scavengers froze, locked in place as if invisible chains held them.

Nephis and Sunny blinked in confusion.

'Idiots!'

"Stop staring! Kill them now—I can't hold them for long!" Raizel shouted, his voice strained.

Wasting no time, the two rushed in. With the beasts immobilized, striking their weak points became effortless.

Raizel gritted his teeth, feeling the pain.

'Why are they taking so long.'

He could also feel his Aether drain like a broken dam. He switched to essence. Same result.

The flow was unsustainable.

With only two Scavengers left, he released his hold.

"I can't hold them anymore! Get ready!" he shouted.

Nephis and Sunny immediately readied their blades.

The Scavengers snarled, no longer restrained. With a screech, they lunged.

"Sunny, right one!" Nephis ordered, dashing at the left like a rocket.

Sunny cursed, gripping his weapon. The gap between him and the charging beast narrowed fast.

Raizel watched silently from the distance, his glowing purple eyes unreadable.

'Seems like fate wants to push those two together… huh.'