บท 8: 08. Into the Shadow Verse

If you notice any errors, please feel free to give me constructive feedback. English is not my first language, so if you notice any mistakes, please mention them in the comment section at the end of the chapter. Let's begin the story!

Word Count: 2700 Words

*Mass Update: 4 Chapters

Note: I'll be on hiatus till January, because of my exams.

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Lawless City,

Unknown World.

The Lawless City—a name whispered with dread across the globe. A place renowned as the epicenter of criminal activities, its infamy stretched far and wide, casting a shadow over every corner of the world.

Tonight, the city endured a relentless storm. Heavy rain poured from the heavens, and lightning slashed across the dark sky, illuminating the crooked alleys and weathered buildings for fleeting moments. Thunder roared like an angry beast, echoing through the city streets. Yet, amidst the chaos of the storm, an eerie calm blanketed the city—a rare stillness that belied its reputation as a den of criminals.

On one of the narrower streets, a young woman, appearing to be in her early twenties, hurriedly made her way through the rain-soaked alleys. Her clothes clung to her frame, drenched by the unyielding downpour, and her hurried steps splashed through shallow puddles.

'I have to get back to my room. I should never have come out in the first place', she scolded herself silently, her instincts on high alert.

Her movements betrayed her unfamiliarity with the area. The way she hesitated at corners and the uncertainty in her stride revealed her lack of direction and awareness of her surroundings.

Suddenly, a hoarse voice broke through the sound of the rain and the distant rumble of thunder.

"What a waste. That's what you get from a snotty brat."

She froze mid-step, the voice sending a shiver down her spine. Without a second thought, she ducked behind a massive wooden crate discarded at the side of the alley. The crate was rotting, filled with scraps and garbage that emitted a faint, nauseating stench.

Regulating her breathing, she crouched low, her body pressed against the damp surface of the crate. Her heart pounded as she fought the urge to peek at the source of the voice.

"He was useful while he lasted," another voice chimed in. "We should've sold him to those guys from the Crimson Tower when he was alive."

Her pulse quickened. 'Another man!'

The sound of footsteps drew closer, splashing through the rain-soaked ground. Their voices became clearer, every word drilling fear into her consciousness.

"Not like those bloodthirsty freaks would've paid us," the first man retorted. "They'd rather kill us than give us a single coin."

"True," his companion agreed, his voice tinged with disgust. "They're a bunch of lunatics. But we should keep it down… don't want them hearing us."

The footsteps stopped, their proximity sending a fresh wave of panic through her. They were just a meter away, and every nerve in her body screamed at her to run. Yet, she remained rooted to the spot, her presence concealed by the relentless sound of rain and thunder.

Suddenly, she felt the crate shift slightly, a dull thud resonating as they dumped something inside.

Her heart sank. 'What did they just throw in here?'

The men lingered for a moment longer before their footsteps receded, gradually fading into the storm.

The woman stayed crouched for several minutes, her trembling hands clutching at the edges of her drenched coat. Finally, she mustered the courage to rise. Her mind waged a war against itself, torn between fleeing and investigating the crate.

With a deep, shuddering breath, she turned her gaze to the crate. Her trembling hands lifted the lid slightly, revealing its contents.

What she saw froze her blood.

Lying amidst the garbage was the frail, bloodied body of a boy. He couldn't have been older than thirteen or fifteen, his height betraying his youth even as his emaciated form appeared far younger. His limbs were bent at grotesque angles, unnatural and wrong. Blood seeped from numerous wounds, staining the filth around him.

Her chest tightened, and her breath hitched in her throat. She stumbled back, her knees threatening to give out beneath her. It had been a month since she'd arrived in Lawless City, a month of cautious isolation. And yet, here she was, bearing witness to the raw, unfiltered horror of this cursed place.

She had seen the bodies of adults before—some she had killed with her own hands. But this? This was different. The sight of a child's broken corpse stripped away the hardened layers she had built around her soul.

Summoning what little courage she had left, she reached out, her trembling fingers brushing against the boy's cold skin.

And then, his eyes snapped open.

A strangled scream escaped her lips as she stumbled back, her body shaking with terror. The boy's hollow gaze locked onto hers, his bloodied hand latching onto her wrist with startling strength.

He stood, his movements eerily smooth, like a puppet pulled upright by invisible strings.

She could only watch in horror as he turned his head skyward, staring at the moon with an intensity that sent chills down her spine.

And just as suddenly as he had risen, he collapsed. His body fell limp, tumbling back into the crate like a marionette whose strings had been cut.

The woman stood frozen, her mind reeling. The horror she had just witnessed threatened to consume her, yet her gaze fell upon his face. The serene smile that had briefly graced his lips was now twisted into an expression of pure agony.

Something within her stirred. Trembling, she clenched her fists and stepped forward.

Bending down, she checked for his pulse. Her fingers brushed against the faint, uneven rhythm of life that still lingered within him.

'It's faint. If he stays out in this rain, coupled with these injuries, he'll die.'

Her decision made, she wrapped her arms around his frail, broken body and lifted him. The boy's blood smeared her clothes, but she didn't care.

The storm raged on, but she moved with purpose, the weight of her burden grounding her amidst the chaos.

---

Lawless City, Unknown World

"Ahh!" A boy let out a long sigh. His eyes were closed, his frail body resting on a modest bed. The oversized shirt and loose pants that had replaced his original clothing hung awkwardly on his frame.

In his mind, he mused, 'Was it a success?'

Reluctantly, he opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping across the unfamiliar surroundings.

'An unfamiliar roof—check. An unfamiliar room—check. So, I've reincarnated, but…'

His eyes shifted to his small hands, lingering there.

'They're bigger than I expected. So, I haven't reincarnated as a baby, it's not a restart. Ahh, so it's transmigration. Well, I did wish to travel rather than reincarnate—or worse, transmigrate. But this… this involves me possessing another's body.'

Flexing his hands experimentally, he assessed his new form.

'Well, this is better than being an infant. Moreover, I haven't truly reincarnated or transmigrated. I'm parasitizing this corpse—controlling it, like a marionette.'

Throwing off the blanket, he rose from the bed and crossed the room, his movements slow and deliberate. His eyes were drawn to the window, where the faint glimmer of moonlight spilled through. He opened it, letting in the cool night air, and his gaze settled on the horizon where two massive towers pierced the dark sky. The serene moon hung above them, its pale glow unblemished.

Breathing deeply, he whispered, "Arrodes."

At his call, a white, specter-like entity materialized beyond the window, its translucent form illuminated by the moonlight.

Williams, still gazing at the moon, spoke without turning. "The Spiritual World... the Mirror World. Do you sense any of them here?" His voice carried an edge of doubt, though his senses had already supplied the answer.

Arrodes bowed his ethereal form slightly and replied, "Great Master, they do not exist in this world. We have finally ventured beyond the World of LotM, as you call it. This world, however, remains a mystery. I must map its stars and establish connections to understand it fully. My omniscience, though intact, is not as it once was. I can discern answers to questions within my knowledge, yet things outside my awareness remain cloaked in secrecy. Even so, I shall serve you faithfully, Great Master, King of All That Is, Lord of All That Is Not, the Great Primordial Lórd."

A faint smile tugged at Williams' lips. Turning to Arrodes, he caught his reflection in the window. His hands instinctively moved to his face, tracing its contours.

'I miss my face from the Lord of Mysteries' world,' he thought. 'Being Williams Moriarty has taken its toll on me. Of all the bodies I've inhabited, whose appearances were unaltered by my own hand, Moriarty's was undoubtedly the most handsome. And let's not pretend—being good-looking does make life easier.'

Running his hands across his current face, he chuckled softly before turning back to Arrodes. "So..."

Arrodes bowed once more, now visible in the faint reflection of the window. "Though my omniscience is constrained, I can still delve into time. The past remains accessible, but the future… the future eludes me, Great Master."

"Hm." Williams nodded thoughtfully. "And this place? What is it called?"

"This world, Great Master, is known simply as the World. The inhabitants have no specific name for their planet. As for the city we currently occupy, it is called the Lawless City."

Williams raised an eyebrow at that, walking toward the table in the room. Taking a seat, he leaned back in the chair, his gaze fixed on the ceiling.

'Lawless City? That does sound familiar. Doesn't The Eminence in Shadow have a city by that name? He furrowed his brow in thought. But my memory ends there. I can't recall any other world with a city by that name.'

Shaking his head, he turned back to the mirror, where Arrodes now hovered. "Arrodes, what do you know about the towers visible from this room?"

"The towers, Great Master," Arrodes began, bowing deeply, "belong to two of the three rulers of this city. One tower is home to the Vampires, and the other to the one known as Juggernaut."

A smirk tugged at Williams' lips as he stood and made his way back to the window. His gaze lingered on the towers in the distance, illuminated faintly by the moon's light.

'That settles it. This is indeed The Eminence in Shadow.

Who would've thought I'd end up in such a weak world? But given my current state, perhaps this is for the best. After all, I can't even access Sequence 1 or 2 authorities from the White Tower, let alone the authorities or abilities of other pathways.'

Resting his hands on the windowsill, his smirk deepened. 'By the looks of it, Shadow—or rather, Cid—has yet to make his presence known here, in this city. The Eminence in Shadow, Cid Kageno.'

"Hmm. Interesting," he murmured absentmindedly, unaware that he had spoken aloud.

---

Turning back into the room, Williams fixed his gaze on Arrodes, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Go ahead, Arrodes. Fire away with your questions. I know you—freed from your old constraints, yet still bound by your love for the game. Let's hear them."

The specter flickered in the mirror, its form shimmering as though caught between worlds. With a nod of resignation, Arrodes began.

"Great Master, the first question: does the Great Master intend to destroy this world?"

The question gave Williams pause. Was this truly the same Arrodes he had once known? Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought and replied, "I have no interest in that."

Arrodes inclined slightly in acknowledgment before proceeding to his second question. "What does the Great Master seek to do now?"

Williams' expression grew contemplative as he stared at the specter like being. "What do I seek? Entertainment. Life has grown rather dull lately. I wish to play with this world—a little like Amon, perhaps. Toy with it. Stir chaos, induce a little horror, and revel in the spectacle. Hmm," he added, a sly smile curling his lips as if struck by sudden inspiration. "Starting a cult doesn't sound too bad. Becoming a god through such a path… that could be quite entertaining."

Arrodes flickered, its tone unfaltering as it continued. "Great Master already holds the Uniqueness of twenty-two standard pathways, combined with another pathway's Uniqueness. I presume the Great Master refrained from taking the Demoness Pathway's Uniqueness to avoid becoming the Fourth Pillar—and with it, risking the universe's destruction. So, does the Great Master plan to house the rest of the Uniqueness now, or seek others to bear it, perhaps seek new servants to serve, Great Master?"

Williams threw his head back, laughter bubbling out in waves. "Jealous, are we, Arrodes? Rest assured, no matter the circumstances, you shall always accompany me. As for your question, yes, I considered the implications of becoming the Fourth Pillar. The convergence of the law would compel me, yet I resisted."

His laughter faded, replaced by a nostalgic smile. Memories of his journey flashed vividly before him—countless battles fought, bodies ruptured by writhing tentacles and maggots, the eternal cacophony of the Original Creator's ravings whispering into his very soul.

'Ah, what a life that was.' a smile tugged his lips, reminiscing about it, he smirked. 'One that is close to my heart, yet it is the one, that I would rather seek death than relieve my life there.'

He allowed himself a moment of silent reflection before continuing his monologue again, his voice softer. 'Though my reasons may seem childish, I refrained from housing the Demoness Pathway's Uniqueness because doing so would create a feminine ego within me. I respect women deeply—but as a man, my path is to pursue them, not to become one.'

Shaking his head at the thought, Williams returned his focus to the present. "To be honest, Arrodes, I haven't decided what to do with the rest of the Uniqueness. Weakened as I am now, my priorities remain unclear. Though finding others to host them, does sound interesting."

His gaze drifted to the two towering structures visible through the window. Stretching his arms above his head, he snapped his fingers. The oversized garments he wore were replaced by a plain white shirt and black trousers that fit him perfectly.

With his hands tucked into his pockets, he stared at the distant towers. "So, Arrodes, is there any event in this world worth my attention?"

Arrodes shifted from the mirror to the window's reflection, bowing deeply. "Great Master, though my omniscience has been reduced, I sense something significant on the horizon—an event that will alter the course of this world. It is set to take place in a city to the south of this one."

Williams' eyes narrowed slightly as he weighed the words.

'What could it be?' he wondered. 'The birth of Shadow? The princess' marriage? Or perhaps this world has progressed beyond the events of the light novel.

If so, why is Juggernaut still alive? Could it be that this world is still behind light Novel or perhaps, Cid is yet to be born, if he is going to, or he has already taken birth and has joined the Academy?'

He snapped back to the present with a faint smirk. "Yes… let's go there, Arrodes. Life does need its fair share of entertainment."

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Williams remained standing by the window, his gaze lost in thought. With another snap of his fingers, his connection to the body he inhabited deepened. Memories flooded his mind like a torrent, painting vivid images of the life this body had once lived.

His eyes glazed over, processing the influx of information, until his concentration was broken by a faint sound.

'The door?'

Looking over his shoulder, he saw the door to his room still firmly closed. Yet he could hear it again—the unmistakable creak of hinges.

Slowly, deliberately, Williams turned to face the door. He watched as the knob twisted, the door creaking open inch by inch.

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**The End**

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