-Alexander City-
-King's Gardens-
The King stood in upon the warm grassy grounds of his garden as he marveled at the serene and breathtaking beauty that enveloped him.
The gardens were renowned throughout the continent of Egiladore for their lush greenery, vibrant flowers, and meticulous landscaping.
Spread across a vast expanse of land, the King's Gardens showcased a harmonious blend of nature and artistry.
A network of winding paths meandered through the garden in a path created for the king to allow him to see everything within it in a single stroll.
A colorful array of flowers bloomed in carefully arranged beds in one corner, creating a vibrant tapestry of hues. The fragrance of roses, lilies, and jasmine filled the air, enchanting all who ventured through. Skilled gardeners meticulously tended the plants, ensuring they thrived and flourished.
The garden's centerpiece was a grand fountain adorned with intricate sculptures depicting mythical creatures and scenes from the kingdom's history.
The water cascaded gracefully from the top, creating a soothing symphony of sounds as it gently splashed into the basin below. The King often found solace and inspiration in the tranquility of the fountain, contemplating important matters of the kingdom.
As the king continued to marvel upon the lands before him, he felt a slight breeze that caused his robes to flap with the wind.
"What is it?" The king asked relaxedly, his hands still calmly placed behind his back.
"My king. There have been developments within the areas of the demon continent that we own. There have been whispered talks of rebellion within their lower ranks, and their populous seems to have gotten more riled up within the past weeks." An elderly voice explained from behind the king,
"Their demons. They get riled up and rebel, and eventually they get thwarted with a single one of our soldiers... It's nothing new."
"But, my king-"
"Have you forgotten? We have sealed their entire race's bloodline. My grandfather's curse won't wear off their race for another thousand years. They are pathetic and will remain that way for the next millennia."
"..."
"Don't waste my time with this again. No leave me to enjoy my garden." The king sneered.
"Understood, my king..." The man disappeared, leaving nothing but a gust of wind behind him that caused the king's robes to flap.
As the minutes passed, the king could not help but look at the sky and sigh.
"First the Eldrich terror, and now this? Gilea... Has the time come? Has he finally shown himself?" The king asked while looking down at his hand where an emblem of circling flames could be seen on his palm.
"If it is... Then I must get ready.
I have to make sure he never creates them."
***
-???-
In a dark hall, barely illuminated by the grey light shining through the rocks around them, several shadowy figures stood around as the shadows warped and changed.
Despite the fact that the hall was mildly illuminated, it was not they who created the shadows. It was as if light went right through the figures.
Instead, the shadows within the room came from the large pillars made out of grey rock, holding the ceiling up from collapsing.
The bipedal shadow creatures spoke in a strange language, where words were formed out of sounds that humans could only imitate. It was nothing like the human tongue, as it utilized clicks, knocks, and subtle screeches, all of them coming out of their throats as if their vocal cords were made out of wood.
The creatures were standing on all types of surfaces. Some stood on the pillars, while others stood on the ceiling, conversing casually as if this was nothing but an everyday occurrence.
No drinks or food were being served, but it was quite obvious to anyone with a keen eye that this was some kind of gala. Of course, it didn't look like a gala one would see on Gilea. However, it had the standard layout of one.
In the middle of the great hall, there was an elevated platform that was three steps high. A magic circle could be seen on it, drawn with a black material that gave off a certain creepy vibe to anyone that wasn't of their race.
Suddenly, a figure rushed into the great hall as a shadow blob on the ground. They had come through a slit within one of the walls. The people of this race could go through even the smallest gaps within the walls, so they didn't see any use in creating doors.
The blob of shadows shot into the hall and traversed it in a zig-zag pattern, going under many of the creature's legs, causing them to shout in outrage.
However, the blob didn't listen to any of them as it shot toward a certain person that was holding some kind of staff that everyone recognized.
Their race didn't go through the same kind of deterioration as other races, so the staff wasn't there to allow the man to walk... It was a sign of high class, and was usually held by someone who held a gala like the one so many were currently attending.
When the blob finally got close to the man holding the staff, a figure quickly ascended out of its shadow, materializing in front of all the other shadows and catching them by slight surprise.
*"Karr... Why are you here?"* The man holding the staff asked as his shadowy body flared in curiosity and annoyance.
*"I have located another one of our kind."* Karr spoke with a little bit of excitement within his voice.
The shadows around Karr flared; however, while some flared their shadowy body in curiosity, others did so in anger, relief, or annoyance.
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[The next chapter may be the last chapter of this volume. If you enjoyed it so far, you can help me by giving me gifts, golden tickets, and even power stones. The top three fan values will receive a special role in my server. Tag me with a screenshot of your account name, and I will give you the role.]
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