Shadow slave:The Forgotten Spawn

Chapter 11: The Burden of Shadows

The path ahead was no longer smooth or predictable. Instead, it had become jagged and uneven, littered with blackened debris that seemed to pulse faintly, as if alive. The oppressive silence was broken only by the faint whispers that floated on the air, too distant to discern but loud enough to unsettle both the human and the creature.

The human paused to catch their breath, leaning heavily on their knees. Their body still ached from the strain of the fissure, and their mind swirled with doubt. The golden thread between them glimmered faintly, a fragile tether that seemed as strained as their resolve.

"This place is breaking us," the human said quietly, not expecting an answer.

The creature didn't respond, its gaze locked on the path ahead. Its golden eyes flickered faintly, betraying its own fatigue.

When the whispers grew louder, the human straightened, gripping the hilt of their blade. "You hear that, right?"

The creature growled low, its ears swiveling toward the sound. The whispers were no longer just faint murmurs—they were voices, layered and overlapping, each speaking words that neither of them could fully understand.

Then, as if summoned by the tension in the air, the shadows began to move.

Shapes emerged from the blackened debris—twisted, half-formed figures that oozed malice. They were human-like, but their proportions were wrong, their limbs too long and their faces featureless.

The human took a step back, their blade at the ready. "More of them?"

The creature moved to their side, its claws glinting in the faint light. Its posture was tense, ready to strike, but there was a hesitation in its movements—a sense that something about these figures was different.

One of the shadows stepped forward, its movements unnaturally smooth. It tilted its head as if observing them, then spoke in a voice that was eerily familiar.

"You left us behind."

The human froze, their grip tightening on their weapon.

"What did you say?" they asked, their voice barely above a whisper.

The shadow didn't answer directly. Instead, it split apart, forming two smaller figures. Each one bore a faint resemblance to someone the human recognized—a friend, a comrade, a memory they had tried to bury.

"You abandoned us," the second figure said, its voice softer but no less accusatory.

The human shook their head, taking another step back. "No. This isn't real. You're not real."

The first figure moved closer, its form shifting to mirror someone else—someone even more familiar. "You failed us. And now you'll fail again."

The human stumbled, their breath coming faster.

The creature growled sharply, stepping between the human and the figures. Its shadows flared, a clear warning to whatever was taunting them.

But the figures didn't seem threatened. They merely shifted their attention to the creature.

"And you," one of them said, its voice now distorted and inhuman. "You're just a pawn. A weapon without a purpose."

The creature snarled, lunging forward to strike, but its claws passed through the shadow harmlessly. The figures reformed instantly, their laughter echoing in the dark.

"You can't fight us," they said in unison. "We're a part of you both. The fears you carry. The choices you regret. The truths you deny."

The human dropped to their knees, clutching their head. The whispers around them grew louder, more insistent, drowning out all other sounds. Memories they had tried to suppress surged to the surface, each one sharper and more painful than the last.

The creature turned, its golden eyes narrowing as it saw the human's distress. It stepped closer, letting out a low, rumbling growl that cut through the noise.

The human looked up, their face pale and strained. "I can't… I can't do this."

The creature didn't hesitate. It moved to the human's side, placing a clawed hand on their shoulder. The golden thread between them pulsed faintly, its light flickering as if struggling to hold on.

The figures laughed again, their forms twisting into monstrous shapes. "You'll never escape us. You'll never be free."

The creature growled, its shadows coiling around both itself and the human. Slowly, deliberately, it leaned closer, its golden eyes locking onto the human's.

For a moment, the human's breathing slowed. The golden thread brightened slightly, its light steadying.

The creature stepped forward, standing tall despite its exhaustion. Its growl deepened, resonating through the air like a challenge.

The shadows hesitated, their forms flickering uncertainly.

The human took a shaky breath, then rose to their feet, gripping their blade with renewed determination. They looked at the creature, their expression hardening. "We face them together."

The creature gave a short, sharp growl—agreement.

The figures surged forward, their twisted forms clawing at the air, but this time, the pair didn't retreat.

The human struck first, their blade cutting through the nearest figure. It dissolved into smoke, but the creature was already moving, its claws tearing through another.

The battle was chaotic, each shadow reforming as quickly as it was destroyed. But with every strike, the golden thread between them pulsed brighter, its light pushing back the darkness.

For the first time, the voices faltered. The whispers grew quieter, the figures slower.

When the last shadow fell, the silence was deafening. The path ahead cleared, the debris dissolving into faint motes of light.

The human lowered their blade, their chest heaving. They looked at the creature, a faint smile breaking through their exhaustion. "Not bad for a weapon without a purpose."

The creature huffed softly, its golden eyes glinting with something almost like amusement.

Together, they turned toward the path ahead, the golden thread between them shining brighter than ever. But both knew the worst was yet to come.