The Whispering Mist

Darkness.

That was all Reed could see.

He floated in the shadows, his body seemingly dragged into an endless void. A faint rumbling sound could be heard in the distance, like the whispers of spirits trapped on the brink of death.

Then, the pain came.

Reed's chest throbbed, every breath felt like a knife tearing at his lungs. The wound on his left arm was still gaping, his blood flowing and mixing with the cursed energy burning in the air.

He felt his body begin to fall… but before the darkness could swallow him completely, a small, warm hand touched his cheek.

"Wake up, Lord Reed."

The voice was clear, but there was tension in it.

Reed's eyes opened.

The red light from the torches around the tent illuminated Shia's face as she crouched beside him. Her usually calm yellow eyes were now filled with worry.

Reed blinked, realizing that he was lying on a rough carpet inside their makeshift base. The voices of goblins guarding the area could be heard from outside.

He wiggled his fingers.

Pain followed immediately, shooting through his bones and muscles like hot coals being pushed under his skin. 

"We're safe?" his voice was hoarse. 

Shia nodded. "For now." 

Reed closed his eyes, trying to remember what had happened before their retreat. 

His fight with Alexander. 

The clash of their swords. 

The flash of holy light that burned his flesh. 

And finally… the black mist that engulfed the battlefield. 

Reed knew that they were not retreating in victory. They were fleeing. If he had held out any longer, he might have been reduced to ashes beneath Alexander's holy blade. 

The thought made his jaw clench. 

"Situation report." 

Shia took a deep breath before speaking. "Of the five thousand troops we brought, only two thousand made it back alive. We lost half our army in a single day, Lord Reed." 

Reed didn't answer. He just closed his eyes and took a deep breath. 

Then, Shia continued in a more serious tone. 

"That's not the worst of it." 

Reed opened his eyes again.

Shia stared at him deeply, then said in a low voice, "The Estalian army did not stop there. They are moving north… straight towards Fort Nox."

Reed's heart beat faster.

Fort Nox.

Their main base. Where the rest of their troops, supplies, and equipment were. If Estalia managed to take it…

Then everything would be over.

The darkness in Reed's heart grew thicker.

He couldn't let that happen.

"How much time do we have?"

"Three days."

Reed sat up slowly, though his body screamed in pain.

"Then we'll give them a reason to stop before they get there."

Shia stared at him. There was something in his expression that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

She recognized that look.

The look of a predator who had found its prey.

The air in the forest was heavy as if the mist that shrouded the trees carried the weight of a thousand unheard whispers. 

Reed stood in the middle of it, his eyes watching the shadows moving through the trees. 

Around him, the remaining troops gathered in silence. Elite goblins with sharp eyes, shadow demons whose bodies blended with the darkness, and other creatures that could only live under the cover of night. 

Before them, a large, black figure stood tall. 

It was Varak, the Shadow Demon King. 

The creature stared at Reed with flashing red eyes, its voice echoing like a growl coming from the depths of the abyss. 

"You come to me again, Lord Reed." 

Reed showed no fear whatsoever. 

He stepped forward and said in a cold voice. 

"I wish to make a deal." 

Varak's eyes narrowed, a sinister smile forming on his face. 

"You wish to use the shadows?" 

Reed nodded. 

"I wish to make Estalia see true fear." 

Varak laughed, his laughter echoing through the trees.

"Hahaha… Alright. But you know the consequences, right?"

Reed paused for a moment, then said without hesitation, "I know. I don't care."

Varak stared at him for a few seconds, then held out his large hand.

"Then let us plunge this world into darkness."

Three Days Later 

The Estalian Holy Knights advanced in perfect formation, their flags flying in the air.

Alexander Vael was at the forefront, his eyes full of vigilance.

He could sense something was wrong.

The wind in this valley felt… dead. There was no sound of birds, no rustling of leaves. It was as if the world had stopped breathing.

Then, suddenly—

The shadows beneath their feet moved.

A scream rang out.

One of the knights walking in front was suddenly pulled into the ground. He tried to scream, but the shadows swallowed his body in an instant.

One by one, the Estalian troops began to be dragged into an invisible abyss of darkness.

Alexander drew his sword, trying to spread holy light.

But this time, the light could not dispel the darkness.

From behind the mist, a figure slowly emerged.

Reed stood there, his eyes burning with a dark purple light.

Behind him, thousands of shadows rose from the ground, taking the form of faceless demons.

His voice sounded like a death whisper.

"You said you would end my reign of terror, Alexander."

He raised his hand, and the shadows began to dart toward the Estalian army, hunting them like hungry wolves.

"Now… I will show you what fear truly means."