Secret part-1

The celestial hall trembled as the air grew thick with an oppressive, otherworldly energy. The faint glow of the stars above flickered, casting eerie shadows across the towering stone guardians that loomed behind the throne. Julius, the self-proclaimed Shadow God, stood at the edge of the dais, his gaze fixed on the boy kneeling before him. Caleb's body convulsed, his skin shimmering with an unnatural, silvery sheen. Scales—like those of a serpent—began to form across his arms and face, glinting ominously under the starlight.

Julius's heart pounded in his chest. He had seen many strange things since inheriting the fragmented power of the Shadow God, but this… this was something else entirely. The boy's mouth opened unnaturally wide, his jaw unhinging as if pulled by an invisible force. A low, guttural hiss escaped his lips, and Julius's instincts screamed at him to act. But before he could move, something began to slither out of Caleb's mouth—a long, sinuous form, glistening with a metallic silver hue.

The serpent emerged slowly, its scales catching the light of the celestial hall as it uncoiled itself from the boy's body. It was massive, far larger than any natural creature, and its eyes glowed with an intelligence that sent a chill down Julius's spine. Caleb collapsed to the ground, unconscious, as the serpent fully extracted itself, its body twisting and writhing in the air as if testing its newfound freedom.

Julius took a step back, his mind racing. How had something like this been inside the boy? And more importantly, what was it? The serpent's movements were deliberate, almost ritualistic, as it began to coil around itself, its massive form shrinking and condensing. The air around it shimmered, distorting as if reality itself was bending to its will.

Then, in a flash of silver light, the serpent was gone. In its place stood a woman.

She was tall and striking, her silver hair cascading down her back like a waterfall of moonlight. Her eyes, sharp and piercing, glowed with the same metallic hue as the serpent's scales. Her attire was both alluring and unsettling—a flowing, silken gown that clung to her figure, its fabric shimmering as if woven from starlight. She exuded an aura of danger, her beauty both captivating and ominous.

The woman's gaze swept across the celestial hall, her expression one of awe and disbelief. She murmured something under her breath, a language Julius didn't recognize at first. But as the words lingered in the air, they began to resonate with something deep within him. It was as if the language itself was alive, whispering secrets he couldn't quite grasp.

"This… this cannot be," she said, her voice trembling with a mixture of reverence and shock. "The towering throne… the stone guardians… it's just as it was described. The Hall of Forgotten Kings… it's real."

Julius's eyes narrowed. She knew this place. How? The celestial hall was a mystery even to him, a relic of the Shadow God's power that he had yet to fully understand. The stone guardians behind him, their eyeless faces turned toward the woman, began to whisper louder, their voices a cacophony of ancient, forgotten tongues. Julius could feel their agitation, their unease. They recognized her—or at least, they recognized what she represented.

"Who are you?" Julius demanded, his voice echoing with the authority of the shadows. He stepped forward, his form shrouded in darkness, the power of the celestial hall surging around him. "How do you know of this place?"

The woman turned to face him, her silver eyes widening as they met his. For a moment, she seemed speechless, her lips parting as if to speak but no words coming out. Then, tears welled in her eyes, glistening like liquid silver as they streamed down her cheeks. She fell to her knees, her hands trembling as she reached out toward him.

"My lord…" she whispered, her voice breaking with emotion. "Great Sharun… is it truly you? Have you… have you returned to us?"

Julius froze. Sharun. The name struck a chord deep within him, a fragment of memory he couldn't quite place. It was the name of the Shadow God, the one whose power he had inherited. But this woman… she spoke as if she knew him—not as Julius, but as Sharun himself.

He hesitated, his mind racing. Should he reveal the truth? That he was not the true Shadow God, but merely a successor? No. Not yet. He needed answers, and if playing the part of Sharun would get them, then so be it.

"Do you think this is enough to kill me?" Julius intoned, his voice resonating with the power of the shadows. He stepped closer to the woman, his form towering over her as the darkness swirled around him.

The woman's tears flowed freely now, her expression a mixture of joy and sorrow. "If you survived… if you regained your power… why did you not summon us? We waited for you, my lord. For decades, we believed in your return. We never lost faith that you would rise again, that you would overcome the treachery of that vile King of Darkness!"

Julius's blood ran cold. The King of Darkness. The name sent a shiver through him, a memory of the stories he had heard—stories of a great battle, of the Shadow God's defeat at the hands of a powerful enemy. But this woman spoke as if it were more than just a legend. As if it were history.

And then there was her mention of "us." Who were they? How many others were out there, waiting for the Shadow God's return?

Julius's mind raced, but he kept his composure, his voice steady as he replied, "The time was not right. But now… now I have returned. And I will have my answers."

The woman nodded fervently, her silver eyes gleaming with devotion. "Ask, and I shall tell you everything, my lord. Everything you wish to know."

Julius's gaze hardened. He had stumbled into something far greater than he had anticipated. The celestial hall, the stone guardians, this woman… they were all pieces of a puzzle he had only just begun to unravel. And as the whispers of the guardians grew louder, their voices a chorus of warning and anticipation, Julius knew one thing for certain:

The shadows were stirring. And with them, the truth.