White Reaper will show his power

That night, I walked slowly through the shadows, heading to the place where Neera and the others had been waiting.

An old house... decayed, silent, forgotten by time. Its walls were cracked, the air inside cold and musty. A perfect place to serve as a temporary base, for those who would live in the shadows.

As soon as I arrived, seven pairs of eyes immediately turned to me.

All of them... girls.

"…They're all girls?" I muttered inwardly, a bit shaken by this... absurd reality.

Yet my face remained calm. No signs of surprise. No overreaction.

"I don't really care," I murmured, folding my arms. My cloak fluttered slightly in the night wind. "After all... I only have one goal. To enjoy this stage, like a true shadow actor."

My gaze swept over each of them one by one.

Neera stood at the front, as usual. Her gaze sharp, serious, full of resolve. Behind her, six other girls. Unfamiliar faces… but for now, their names weren't important.

I raised one hand.

My magic flowed out, thick, pure, deep.

The mana of the White Reaper.

Their bodies trembled as the energy enveloped them. Their breaths caught, but none of them stepped back.

Good.

They... were ready to become shadows.

Without many words, we moved. Our goal was clear: to rescue my sister.

The location? A small castle on the outskirts of the mountains. Quiet. Forgotten. Surrounded by fog and ancient stones that seemed to carry grudges of the ages.

The night sky was covered with clouds. No moon in sight. The cold wind pierced the bones.

Perfect.

But I didn't lead from the front.

I chose my own path.

"Neera," I said flatly before parting. "There are seven of you. Think of this as your first trial. Face whatever awaits you there."

Neera nodded. The others followed her without a sound, like a line of ghosts ready to judge the world.

I took a different route.

A narrow, dark underground passage. Damp walls, suffocating air. But I kept walking. Silent. Without hesitation.

They... were strong enough to fight.

But me?

I'm not just here to fight.

I am the shadow in this tale.

The main actor... who doesn't appear on stage, but controls everything from behind the curtain.

My steps were silent.

A faint smile formed on my face.

Tonight... the performance begins.

Elsewhere…

Lycia, my sister, was bound by iron chains in a damp, lightless room. Her body covered in wounds. Her breathing heavy. But her eyes...

Still sharp.

No fear. Only determination.

Her captors tortured her. Mercilessly. Endlessly.

And strangely...

I didn't feel angry.

Not because I had no heart.

But because this... wasn't my scene.

I'm not the kind of hero who cries when their family is hurt.

I'm not a dramatic savior filled with tears.

I... am merely a shadow.

And now...

Nocturne Eclipse takes the stage.

Neera and the six other girls emerged from the darkness. Their movements swift, precise, and merciless.

The sound of magic explosions shook the air. Clashing weapons pierced the night.

Bandits? Kidnappers? Monsters?

Fallen. All of them.

Only one remained.

Their leader.

Breathing heavily and drenched in blood, he stared at Neera with burning rage.

"You damn brat…!"

His attack was brutal. Raw emotion fueling his every move.

But Neera... didn't flinch.

She raised one hand. A magic shield formed. A loud impact echoed, but Neera… didn't budge.

Her face cold. Her eyes unblinking.

The enemy stepped back. Panicking.

"This is insane… you… you're not a normal girl!"

Of course not.

She... is a shadow.

A member of Nocturne Eclipse.

And when the enemy realized he wouldn't win, he fled.

"Teleport!"

A flash of violet light wrapped around his body. And... he vanished.

But I didn't chase him.

Because this... was only the first act.

However...

I got lost.

This underground passage was like a labyrinth. Silent. Dim. Directionless.

I looked up at the damp ceiling.

"Ohh… looks like I really am lost," I muttered flatly. As if everything was still going according to the script in my head.

My steps were light. Unbothered. As if I were strolling through a park.

But then...

At the end of the dark corridor, I saw a familiar figure.

The bandit leader.

He looked just as confused. Wounded. And... lost.

A thin smile appeared on my lips.

Like a shadow actor... appearing at the most absurd moment.

"Heh... so you got lost too?" I said.

His face instantly turned red with rage.

"DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME, YOU BRAT!!!"

He attacked.

Wildly. Out of control.

But it was...

Too slow.

I dodged easily. One step. One deflection.

"Your attacks... are slow. And... boring."

My hand lit up.

A white-gold light flared.

Light magic.

Pure. Deadly.

One thrust.

Straight through his chest.

His heart stopped.

"I don't want to waste time on a dull fight."

His body fell. Soundlessly. Without dramatics.

I turned and walked away.

My sister was still bound.

I returned. Freed her calmly.

She was still unconscious.

Good.

"I don't want my family to know... who I really am."

After the first debut of the shadows of Nocturne Eclipse, we returned to the Altherion residence.

But we didn't go inside.

We simply left Lycia at the gate.

Without a word.

Without a trace.

Let tonight... remain a mystery.

The next morning...

Lycia woke up. Her steps weak, but steady. She returned into the Altherion home.

Panic broke out. Tears and hugs filled the morning.

And me?

I sat quietly in the dining room.

Sipping water from a glass cup.

A small smile formed.

No applause needed. No praise.

This is a story of the shadows.

Of the White Reaper.

Years passed...

Now I'm fifteen years old.

And right now... I'm inside a magic train. Speeding along rails of energy toward a prestigious magic academy.

I sat still. Staring out the window.

"Hmm... if only this magic could split dimensions," I muttered. "But well... impossible. For now."

But I will try.

Because the impossible... is intriguing.

At the academy, I'll just be a background character.

A low-ranking student.

Living in a dorm full of dust and decay.

Good.

Perfect.

An ideal hidden stage... to begin everything.

I bowed my head slightly. A mysterious smile playing on my lips.

"It's time…"

"I'll show the world..."

"...that within the darkness, there is one who will shake everything."

"I am... the White Reaper."

And here...

My story begins.