Shadow Slave: Prince of Darkness

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Nephis did not know how she made it back, or who that shadow figure was, the one that helped her.

But she only knew one thing and that was pain.

By the time she reached the entrance of the forest, she was unrecognizable.

Her long black hair was burned away, now barely reaching her shoulders.

Half of her face had been torn off, exposing her skull gleaming beneath the blood and grime covered her whole face.

Her left eye was gone, replaced with an dark empty, oozing socket, that seems to be bleeding.

Her right arm was missing, the wound jagged and raw, some of her vines were visible underneath.

Her body was covered in wounds, deep gashes littering her skin, even all of her clothes were also burned away, leaving her body covered in crimson blood of her own.

She staggered forward, barely holding onto consciousness, then their she saw it, the one who has put her in this misery, he was their watching her with a emotionless expression on his face.

Thud!!

Nephis collapsed on her knees.

The exhaustion finally took her.

As her vision faded, but before that she heard his voice, distant and uncaring, hollow but beautiful.

"You passed...."

A slight pause.

".....barely."

Then, Darkness consumed her whole.

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'Soft...' were her first thoughts as she roll to the left side.

'....and warm too.'

Nephis slowly opened her eyes, as looked at front.

For a moment, all she could see was Gold and white. The ceiling above her was intricately decorated, patterns of swirling roses and golden vines stretching across its vast surface. A grand crystal chandelier hung in the center, its delicate prisms casting tiny rainbows against the walls.

"What!?" she said out loud as she blinked, trying to adjust to her new surrounding.

Then she sat up straight, as she looked around herself.

A king-sized bed cradled her body, its silky sheets softer than anything she had ever felt. To her left, a large golden dressing table stood, a massive pearl-shaped mirror reflecting the room's luxurious beauty.

The curtains draped across the tall windows were made of a fabric so fine and rich that even in her clan's most prosperous days, she had never seen anything like it.

Everything about the room screamed wealth, power, and nobility.

Her fingers clutched the sheets beneath her.

'Where am i ?' she thought as she get off from the bed. 

'Wait!!'

Then, suddenly—a realization struck her.

She looked down.

"Hick!!"

Her breath caught.

Her body…

The wounds, the bruises, the cuts—all gone.

Her right hand, the one she had lost in the battle, was back.

Her face… She reached up, running trembling fingers across her skin.

Smooth. Whole.

The horrific injuries—the missing flesh, the exposed skull—healed completely.

She turned her head, catching sight of herself in the massive mirror.

Her long black hair was gone. Instead, short, choppy strands framed her face, barely reaching her shoulders.

But she didn't care about her hairs, after all.

'I am alive.' to her that's all that matter.

She had come back from death itself.

'But how??' a question on her mind, after all she herself knows how thin her chances of survival was.

The injuries she had sustained… she knew they weren't something that could be healed with modern medicine or even the most advanced healing aspects.

Her fingers curled into fists.

'Raizel.'

It had to be him.

But why?

He was not a kind person from the brief conversation they had, she know that no matter what, he would not waste his time saving her.

'What was his reason ?'

As she tried to pieced her thoughts together, another realization hit her like a brick as she looked at the mirror.

She wasn't wearing anything.

She was bare and naked.

A deep red blush spread across her face.

Her clothes—her entire outfit—had been destroyed during the trial.

Which meant…

Had she been carried here… like this?!

Her face burning with embarrassment.

'I— I need to find something to wear!' thought Nephis as she was about to move.

Before she could even move, the door swung open.

Nephis froze.

Standing in the doorway was Raizel.

He was clad in his usual noble attire—deep purple robes embroidered with silver, his long violet hair cascading like silk down his back. His amethyst eyes—cold and unreadable—stared directly at her.

Beside him, two maids stood, each possessing an hourglass figure and an ethereal beauty that seemed almost unnatural.

For a movement both of them stared at each other, one had a emotionless face, while the other one is like a red tomato.

"...."

"...."

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then— a piercing scream was heard throughout the corridor..

"KYAAAAAAA!!!!"

Nephis screamed.

She quickly cover herself with her hands as she glared at Raizel with cold furry in her silver eyes.

"C-Couldn't y-you have knocked?!" she demanded, her voice contains anger.

Raizel blinked, tilting his head slightly.

"This is my castle." he spoke as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, his voice sounded was cool, indifferent, as he continued. 

"I do as I please."

Nephis's face darkened hearing this, as much as she hated to admit it, he was right.

This was his domain and she could do nothing about it, she was the uninvited guest not him.

Before she could respond, Raizel's next words shattered her very soul.

"Besides....." he paused as his gaze landed at her bare body, he added, "it's not like there's anything worth seeing."

'.....what??'

Nephis's mind blanked.

Her breath hitched.

SHATTER!!

Even the sound of her heart cracked into a million tiny pieces. was heard by everyone in the room.

"You… you—!"

Before she could lash out at him, one of the maids suddenly stepped forward.

Without a word, an elegant black dress appeared on one of the women hands.

Before Nephis could protest, both of the maids swiftly began dressing her.

"W-Wait—!" Nephis stammered, trying to stopped the maids, but wasn't able to.

'W-what is s-she d-doing ?'

She wasn't used to being dressed by others.

And worse—Raizel was still in the room.

She clenched her fists as the maids efficiently adjusted the fabric, their movements precise and practiced.

Meanwhile, Raizel stood near the doorway, waiting.

Not sparing her a glance.

Not reacting in the slightest.

As if she was nothing more than a passing nuisance.

'So she was able to pass the trial, the no one was able to do.' thought Raizel as he remember the 10 Master that his mother has capture from the three clans, they were not able to get out of the forest alive.

'While this girl was able to.' his gaze shifting towards Nephis who seems to be blushing mess, trying to avoid his eye contact.

'i tried to kill her, but it seems that the fate did not want that outcome.' 

Raizel knows the importance of Nephis from the book he has read. But he didn't really think that she will be that important to the fact that one of the shadow would try to save her.

'In shadow defense, he didn't know anything about the trial, to him it seems like Nephis got their by accident.' 

But still the shadow that save Nephis from that nightmare creature was actually a one of the shadows, that his mother trusted the most and he is valuable to her, so even if Raizel wanted he can't kill that shadow.

But still it is interesting for fate to intervene indirectly, to save one of it's tool.

'Well now this is getting interesting.' 

Raizel now couldn't wait to try his theory on those people, people who are directly linked to fate or has some connection to it.

'But still..' Raizel knows that, no matter how powerful Nephis will become she will never be able to suppose his mother and her minions.

'Let's see how far you will go... Changing Star.'

Once she was properly clothed, the maids quietly exited the room.

Nephis took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure.

Then—Raizel moved.

With a flick of his wrist, he threw something toward her.

Nephis caught it instinctively.

'A scroll ?'

Her eyes narrowed.

"What is this?" she asked as she pointed to the scroll.

Raizel leaned against the doorframe, examining his nails.

"Your hard-earned reward." He said in his usual cold voice.

His smirk a little, which seems to have sent a shiver down her spine.

'My reward he says...'

Nephis quickly unrolled the scroll.

As she read the contents, her emotions whirled violently.

Shock.

Disbelief.

Anger.

'Is this a Joke ?'

Her grip on the parchment tightened.

Her gaze snapped to Raizel, cold fury burning in her eyes.

"What is the meaning of this?" she demanded, her body was trembling not by fear but by rage.

Raizel finally looked at her, his face was Blank, indifferent and he was unfazed by her rage.

"It is what you have earned."

The contract read:

1. The Dark Solomon family will provide protection to Nephis of the Immortal Clan within and outside of their territory.

2. The Dark Solomon family will NOT aid Nephis in her revenge or in the restoration of her clan in any way possible.

3. If Nephis of the Immortal Clan makes enemies, using any means, she will lose this protection.

Nephis's hands shook.

"I asked for an alliance, not some half-hearted protection!" she snapped, to her it seems that Raizel has cheated on her.

Her silver eyes burned with rage, this is the second time in her life she has felt this much rage.

"I passed your trial! i brought back the ring you asked for!"

Raizel's amethyst eyes finally met hers.

Unblinking and Cold, beautiful but hollow.

Then—he spoke, his voice now sounding more emotionless.

"Did you ?" he only said two words, yet it seems to have made Nephis's heart stopped.

'What did he mean by it ??'

A creeping dread coiled around her spine.

"What… do you mean?" she whispered in low voice.

Raizel took a slow step forward.

"You failed your trial."

His words cut through her like a blade.

"First, you didn't bring back the right ring."

Nephis's breath hitched.

"Second, you were three seconds late."

".........."

A deafening silence fell between them.

Nephis's body tensed as she tried to process his words,

She failed, no that wasn't right how could she failed she brought back the ring.....

"You… you never explained what kind of ring I had to bring."

Raizel's gaze turned sharp hearing this, then he said.

"You didn't ask." his voice was cold as ice.

"I told you—this trial would test everything about you. Your strength, your endurance, your will to survive… but also, your intellect."

"And you failed."

Nephis felt her world crumble right in front of her.

Everything she had fought for—everything she had endured—was for nothing.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then—Raizel moved.

He stepped closer, standing inches from her.

His androgynous beauty was almost unreal.

His amethyst eyes gleamed with quiet amusement as he tilted his head slightly.

"Well," he mused, "you tried hard."

His lips curled into a small, mocking smile.

"But it wasn't enough."

Then, he added—his voice dropping into a whisper:

"Not everything can be won with strength alone."

A pause.

"Sometimes, you need to use your brain—"

His smirk widened.

"Well… if you even have one."

Nephis's reaction ?

A murderous glint flashed in her eyes.

Her silver eyes burning with fury.

She gritted her teeth.

The humiliation was unbearable.

She had bled, fought, and nearly died—only to be told she had failed.

Her fists clenched at her sides, nails digging into her palms.

She hated it.

She hated him.

Nephis took a deep breath, trying to calm the raging storm inside her.

"So, what now ?" she asked, her voice sharp.

Raizel gave her a lazy look, as if he was already bored of the conversation.

"Now?" he tilted his head slightly, violet strands of hair cascading down his shoulder.

Then, his expression shifted.

"Now, you leave."

Nephis stiffened.

"What?!"

Raizel sighed, as if her reaction was tiresome.

"My mother is returning soon." his amethyst eyes darkened slightly. "And she doesn't like outsiders in the castle."

Nephis blinked.

"Your… mother?"

She had never heard much about Dark Solomon family. The Solomon family was a mystery, but one thing was clear—they were powerful.

And if his mother had authority over him, then…

A chill ran down her spine.

And they way he said, their was something odd in his tone—something almost bitter.

But before she could press further, he continued.

"I'll allow you to stay until nightfall. After that, you need to leave."

Nephis clenched her fists.

"And if I refuse ?"

Raizel's gaze turned hollow, as the surrounding temperature turned cold, his next words made Nephis scared.

"Then I'll throw you out myself." his voice sounded, he was not joking he would really, it seems that he is not playing any more.

A heavy silence filled the space between them.

Nephis wanted to scream.

She wanted to punch him.

But most of all—she wanted to win.

She wasn't done yet.

Not by a long shot.

Raizel just looked at her with his hollow gaze, then he said.

"Everything here is worth a billions. I doubt you can afford to pay for even a splinter of the furniture."

Nephis's eye twitched hearing this.

The way he said it—so casually, as if she was some beggar who couldn't afford to breathe the same air as him—made her want to throw something at his head.

But she held herself back.

She forced a smirk onto her face.

"Then I better make myself comfortable for the next few hours, Prince."

"Do as you wish. Just don't break anything."

With that, he turned on his heel and left the room.

As the door clicked shut, Nephis exhaled sharply.

She had lost this round.

But she wasn't leaving without a fight.

And if Raizel thought this was over…

He was dead wrong.

She clenched the scroll in her hands, her knuckles turning white.

"Protection, but no aid in revenge. No help in restoring my clan."

A bitter laugh escaped her lips.

What was the point ?

She needed an alliance, not pity disguised as protection.

Her eyes flicked to the contract once more. The words were clear, carved in ink that seemed to shimmer with something unnatural.

The contract required a blood signature.

Nephis had no doubt that once signed, it would become absolute.

Her silver eyes darkened.

Did she really have a choice ?

She had pushed herself to the brink of death, believing that it would earn her Raizel's respect.

Instead, she had been treated like a child throwing a tantrum.

"I will pay you back for this...."

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Roziel was just outside the door, as he head her words, he couldn't help but simile.

Then he started walking ahead.

'You can try all you want, but in the end it is you who will lose.'