Welcome to the Innocent World

"Wait," she whispered, her voice tense. "Zero... someone's here."

Nebula moved with silent grace as she stepped forward, her bare feet making no sound against the crystalline floor of the chamber. Her eyes a vivid blue, their intensity lighting up the room, and her blue hair stood on end, crackling with energy.

The ethereal calm of moments ago was replaced with an unspoken tension. The ripples in the heavenly pond was shaking, and the atmosphere was thick with a clashing of forces.

"Who dares disturb us?" Nebula's voice rang out, sharp and commanding, echoing across the chamber.

I stepped up behind her, placing a firm yet calming hand on her shoulder. Her aura flared in response, the energy around her hesitating. She turned her head slightly, confusion flickering in her glowing eyes.

"Why are you stopping me, Zero?" she demanded, her voice tinged with both irritation and concern.

I smiled faintly, my tone steady. "You can come in," I said, my voice resonating through the chamber.

Nebula glanced at me, unsure, but didn't lower her defenses. Her aura rippled in waves toward the chamber's door, clashing with the foreign energy just outside. As the collision intensified, the glowing doors trembled before a black, swirling portal forced itself open, cutting through Nebula's barriers and space-time fabric like a blade through silk.

The black light of the portal pulsed ominously, and then, with the grace, shadows began to emerge.
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"It's none other than my shadow mystics," I said with a chuckle, recognizing their unique energies even before they stepped through.

*Step* *Step*

The first figure to appear was Alpha, her form commanding and regal. She stand forward with her usual composure, her eyes scanning the chamber with calculated precision.

"Yahooooiiii!!!!" Following closely was Beta, who leapt through the portal like an agile cat, her mischievous grin lighting up her face.

Gamma, ever calm and angelic, entered next, her aura radiating an aura of control. Delta and Epsilon followed, their movements perfectly synchronized. Zeta appeared next, her confident smirk in place, and lastly, Eta slipped through with quiet grace, her gaze flickering with curiosity.

"Master is okay! Yipee!" Beta exclaimed, her voice full of unrestrained excitement as she bounded toward me.

I raised an eyebrow but smiled at her enthusiasm. "I'm okay, thank you," I replied, addressing all of them.

Nebula's gaze darted between the shadow mystics and me, her expression a mix of suspicion and disbelief. "How can they come into this realm?" she asked sharply. "It doesn't let anyone inside without my father's permission."

Alpha stepped forward, her tone commanding as she answered. "If all seven of us shadow mystics come together, we can open a portal to any dimension, realm, regardless of anyone's permission or barriers."

"Oh, is that so?" Nebula replied, her eyes narrowing as she locked gazes with Alpha.

The tension in the room thickened as the two women sized each other up, their auras clashing subtly. Alpha's calm yet assertive demeanor met Nebula's fiery and defensive stance.

"Master," Alpha said finally, her voice unwavering, "it's time to go."

"You bitch—" Nebula began, her hair standing on end as her aura surged, but I quickly intervened, placing my hands on her cheeks and turning her attention to me.

"Enough," I said softly but firmly, my eyes meeting hers. "There's no need for this."

Nebula hesitated, her aura wavering before settling back down. She exhaled sharply but didn't look away from me.

I turned to my shadow mystics. "Go on ahead. I'll follow behind shortly."

Alpha regarded me for a moment before nodding. "As you wish, Master."

The mystics began retreating toward the portal, but Beta lingered, her mischievous nature bubbling to the surface.

She turned back toward Nebula, her animal like grin widening. "I don't trust her," Beta hissed, her aura sparking slightly as she tilted her head.

"Beta," Alpha said, her voice sharp, "come back. Let's go."

But Beta ignored her, stepping closer to Nebula. "Gaarghhhhhhh....Hisss....."

"Beta...!! " Alpha's voice dropped, her tone a quiet warning that sent a chill through the air.

Beta froze, her mischief replaced with fear. She glanced at Alpha, then back at Nebula, and with a nervous laugh, darted back toward the portal. "Fine, fine! I'm going! I am sorry Alpha." she said quickly, disappearing into the black light.

The other mystics followed, their figures vanishing into the darkness.

I walked toward the portal, pausing at its edge. It shimmered, revealing a glimpse of my college's terrace on the other side.

Turning back to Nebula, I found her standing silently, her expression somber. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over.

"Is this really goodbye?" she asked, her voice trembling.

I stepped closer, brushing a tear from her cheek with my thumb. "It's not goodbye," I said gently. "I'll come back. From time to time. Don't worry."

She nodded slowly, her tears falling despite her efforts to hold them back. I leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. The kiss lingered, filled with unspoken promises, before I reluctantly pulled away.

With one last look, I stepped through the portal. "Goodbye...take care of yourself." Said Nebula

"I will." I said, with a genuine smile on my face.

The swirling black light enveloped me, and as I emerged on the other side, the portal behind me closed with a faint hum, leaving only the cool evening air of the terrace.

"Phew," I muttered, stretching slightly as the tension drained from my body. "That was... tiring."

The shadow mystics stood before me, their expressions a mix of relief and amusement.

Alpha stepped forward. "Master, you're back safely," she said, her tone warm.

I nodded, a small smile tugging at my lips. "I am and my powers…" I paused, clenching my fists and feeling the familiar surge of strength coursing through me once more. "They're back.."

Then my curiosity peaked as I looked at my shadow mystics.

"Your energy wasn't cut off when you guys entered the Infinity Realm?" I asked, my gaze shifting to Alpha.

Eta answered softly, her voice melodic. "When we entered the infinity realm through the portal, we bypassed the summoning protocols of King Paimon. Our powers were depleting, but not severed. If anything bad had happened, we would have managed."

"Ehehe, I see…" I said, a nervous laugh escaping me.

"And the festival?" I asked, changing the subject.

Alpha's expression grew serious. "It's still ongoing," she said. "But the knights are here to survey the area. And they've brought the Queen as well."

The weight of her words settled heavily in the air. The Queen's involvement was never a trivial matter. I straightened, my thoughts shifting to the balcony to look below.