The northern winds howled between the towering spires of Darkolarin Palace, carrying with them the scent of snow and fire—a scent unforgettable, reminding all that winter in Darkol was unlike any other. On this fateful night, Emperor Selios Darkolarin—known to his subjects as the "Shadow King"—stood watching from the high throne balcony, his golden eyes glowing like embers in the darkness of night.
"Great Malakai," the Emperor said in a voice like the rustling of bat wings in the night, "Have you prepared the rites as I commanded?"
The High Priest, a frail man who looked like a ghost himself, bowed so low his forehead nearly touched the ground: "Everything is ready, my lord, but… the stone serpents in the temple refuse to sleep tonight. They whisper strange names."
The Emperor clenched his fingers on the balcony railing until the black marble beneath turned to dust. "Because they know tonight is no ordinary night. Tonight… the shadow will be born again."
In the palace's central courtyard, where torchlight reflected off the polished obsidian walls, Ryne Darkolarin stood among the noble children. His governess, Olma—the woman who raised him since the death of the first Empress—whispered in his ear: "Do not fear, heir of shadows. The Darkolarin blood never betrays its own."
But Ryne was not afraid. Only a cold curiosity filled his silver eyes—eyes that mirrored the Emperor's perfectly but held a strange gleam, as if eternal winter froze within them.
High Priest Malakai raised the legendary Sword of Vigilance, said to have been carved from the bone of a black dragon. "Today, you will know which path your fate will take! Across the known world—from the iron mountains of Aron to the golden plains of Cyber—the powers are of four kinds: the physical strength of warriors, the spiritual might of sages, elemental magic of the common folk, and shadow powers for the ruling bloodline alone." He shouted, raising the sword high: "But remember! As the ancestors' prophecy said, true power chooses its bearer—it is never the other way around!"
The children stepped forward one by one. The Duke's son, Lucas, his hands ignited with blue flames, while the Countess Ilaria's daughter's hair turned into silver wires. Then came Carlis, the military commander's son. When he touched the Vigilance Stone, nothing happened. "No power," whispered those present.
But Ryne noticed something strange. Carlis's shadow moved unnaturally. Before he could warn, the shadow leapt upon its owner and strangled him to death. The Emperor laughed—a laugh that froze blood in veins. "Weakness is a scent… and shadows devour the weak."
When it was Ryne's turn, the ground trembled. The black stone quivered before he touched it. The moment his hand met it, the stone turned to ash, and Ryne's shadow spread like a black liquid covering the entire courtyard. His blood shimmered silver and then froze in the air.
High Priest Malakai dropped to his knees. "This is no ordinary shadow power… this is the Greater Shadow Awakening!" The Emperor, watching from his throne, closed his eyes for a moment, as if hearing an ancient voice from the past.
In the children's wing that night, where the scent of healing herbs rose from Olma's old jars, the old woman sat with Ryne by the fireplace. "In our ancient village," she whispered as she applied ointment to his wounded hands, "they said the shadow that walks alone is the strongest shadow."
"But my shadow is not alone," Ryne said, "It… speaks to me." Olma paused, her green eyes widening. "If that is true, then you are not just a prince… you are the prophecy itself."
In the Hall of Black Mirrors, where the walls reflected the movements of armies across continents, the Emperor stood with his advisers. "Nora is gathering her armies," General Volkron said, his silver chain glinting in the dim light. "They call us children of darkness." The Emperor looked at his reflection in the mirror, where his shadow appeared longer than it should be. "Because they know… the old covenant returns."
At midnight, Ryne awoke to a whispering sound. His shadow stood in the middle of the room, drawing a map on the wall with frozen blood: "Search for the Forgotten Tower… where the buried truth lies." When Ryne tried to ask, he heard a voice in his mind for the first time—a voice like the Emperor's but deeper and older: "I am what the Darkolarins forgot… and I will bring you back to where your true blood belongs." Outside the window, he saw the ghost of a woman with silver hair melting into the snow… and she had the same silver eyes as his.