Chapter 160: Shadow Isles!

After the group vanished, the world around them reassembled itself in an instant, and they found themselves in a different place.

The unique aura of the Throne was gone, replaced by the muted hum of mana engines and the creak of carriage wheels on paved obsidian roads.

Albedo blinked once, his vision still adjusting from the darkness of the Throne Hall to the warm glow of the carriage interior. The faint shimmer of teleportation energy faded from the air, leaving behind only the faint scent of lilac incense and mana oil.

Outside, the twin suns of Ghenna hung low over the horizon, casting long shadows across the endless plains of dark stone and crimson sky. The air shimmered faintly with demonic essence, dense and yet strangely breathable.

The environment around them was just as it was before, aside from the magnificent Umbral Spire, everything was still and boring just like before, the aura of the Spire warding off potential beasts.

Across from him sat Miranda, hands clasped over her lap, her expression distant, she was clearly still thinking about what the Throne had shown them.

Beside her, Lucian leaned against the window, watching the jagged landscape roll by, while Elara scribbled notes in a small, rune-bound journal, her brows knitted in deep concentration.

For a moment, none of them spoke. The silence wasn’t even awkward, it was just ’there’ as all of them were busying thinking of their own experiences in the Throne Room.

Then Ysvara’s voice rang out clearly from the lead carriage, amplified by a faint enchantment.

Her tone was warm but commanding, resonating across the line of carriages.

“Everyone, you may rest easy now. The next Monument is a fair distance from here, nearly three full day’s journey, even by carriage. Before we continue, I’ve decided we will make a stop at one of the nearby cities.”

The students shifted, curious glances exchanged through open windows and carriage doors.

“The Shadow Isles,” Ysvara continued, “A city unlike any other in Demonkind — half alive, half spectral. You’ll find it… an experience. We’ll stay there for the a bit before heading toward the next Monument. You’ll have all the chances to have fun there,.”

Her voice softened, carrying a faint trace of humor, “And yes, before any of you ask, you’re free to explore. Consider it… educational relaxation.”

Zeus perked up immediately. “Wait, did she just say free to explore? Like, no demon-infested ruins, no creepy Throne whispering in our heads?”

Miranda gave him a side glance, her lips twitching slightly, “For once, yes, Zeus. Try not to break anything.”

“I make no promises, I heard all Demon Cities have their own gladiator pits,” he said with a grin, thinking of testing his mettle in one of them.

Laughter rippled faintly through the carriages, easing some of the tension. But amid the quiet amusement, Lilian leaned back in her seat, a faint smile playing across her lips as she looked out the window. Her crimson eyes glowed softly against the fading daylight.

“The Shadow Isles, huh…” she murmured, almost to herself, before turning toward the humans. “You all probably have no idea what that place actually is, do you?”

Zeus shrugged. “Sounds like a place that’s either haunted or expensive.”

Lilian chuckled softly, “Both, in a way.”

She folded her hands on her lap, her tone growing thoughtful as she began to explain.

“The Shadow Isles isn’t a city like the others you’ve seen in Ghenna. It’s built on the dead body of an Ancient God. It’s aura seeped out over eons and reinforced the City. It also means the natives of the Shadow Isles are mutants, you can tell that because all of them have a third eye in the middle of their forehead.”

Lilian explained, continuing on, “The entire city also sits between realms. Part of it lies in the physical world, part of it rests within a unique shadow dimension most likely related to the Ancient God buried beneath. The dimension still hasn’t been fully explored after all this time too,”

Elara looked up from her notes, intrigued. “You mean it… shifts between realities?”

Lilian nodded. “Exactly. At night, the entire city changes. The buildings become translucent, the streets glow faintly with spectral light, and the natives of the City get a power boost, but don’t worry,” Lilian added a playful smirk as she spoke, “They’re not hostile to visitors…most of the time,”

“That’s… comforting,” Elara muttered, earning a chuckle from Miranda.

Lilian continued, her voice a melodic rhythm that seemed almost hypnotic as the carriage rolled onward.

“The city is governed by the Shadeborne Council, descendants of the original group of natives. You’ll find all sorts of things there, the Ancient God’s aura effects artifacts and crops quite a-lot, so its a unique experience. You’ll spot taverns that serve drinks brewed from spectral energy, markets that appear only when the twin moons align. Even music sounds different there, it’s said the songs echo from both the living world and the afterlife.”

Zeus leaned forward, clearly intrigued, “So basically… haunted nightlife.”

Lilian’s lips curved. “You could say that. The Shadow Isles are a place where the veil between life and death is thin. It’s dangerous to linger in certain districts after midnight, but it’s also one of the most beautiful places in all of Demonkind.”

As all of them were speaking, Lucian was listening quietly, his gaze fixed on the dark horizon. The hum of the carriage wheels blended with the faint wind outside.

Something about the idea of a city split between realms stirred something within him, curiosity, yes, but also an odd familiarity.

The thought of a place that existed halfway between life and death… resonated with him more deeply than he expected.

’A city of shadows,’ he mused silently. ’Maybe I’ll feel more at home there than I should.’

Miranda glanced at him then, catching the faint flicker of thought behind his calm expression. “You seem quiet, Lucian,” she said softly. “Still thinking about the Throne?”

He gave a faint shrug, his voice steady. “Maybe. Or maybe I’m just thinking about what comes next.”

Lilian studied him briefly, her crimson eyes narrowing, but she said nothing. She could feel it, that strange aura about him, the faint whisper of something ancient beneath his calm exterior. Whatever the Throne had shown him, he wasn’t sharing it.

Outside, the landscape began to change. The smooth plains gave way to jagged canyons and crystalline rivers of glowing mana that cut through the dark earth like veins of light. Strange winged creatures glided between the cliffs, their eyes gleaming with faint luminescence.

The sky itself had grown darker, not with night, but with mist. A shimmering black haze stretched far ahead, rippling like water beneath moonlight.

Lilian leaned slightly toward the window, her voice lowering. “We’re entering the Isles’ borderlands. You’ll start to feel it soon.”

Almost on cue, the temperature dropped. A faint chill spread through the air, subtle but undeniable. The world outside blurred slightly, as though reality itself were bending. Shadows deepened unnaturally, stretching across the ground even though the suns still hung above.

Elara shivered, “It feels… strange. Like we’re being watched.”

“You are,” Lilian said simply, smiling faintly, “But don’t be afraid. The shadows here aren’t malevolent, they’re curious.”

“Shadows?” Albedo asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I didn’t tell you? In the Shadow Isles, there are Shadows, or Ghosts. They come from various time periods in the past and can only survive in the Shadow Isles, they don’t have the standard kinds of power, but don’t let that make you ignore them. They can influence the environment quite heavily.”

Zeus blinked, “How interesting, why are they formed?”

“Memories cling to the Isles like cobwebs. When people die in the immediate area, sometimes their thoughts… their regrets… stay behind. The city absorbs them, turns them into echoes. That’s why they call it the Shadow Isles, it’s built on the remnants of countless lives.”

The carriage fell into silence again. The only sound was the faint hum of mana lines and the soft, rhythmic clatter of wheels against obsidian stone.

Then, slowly, faint lights began to appear ahead. They weren’t lanterns, they were souls. Wisps of pale blue flame floating in the distance, marking the city’s edge like ghostly beacons.

As the convoy crested the last ridge, the view opened before them, and every single student fell silent.

The Shadow Isles stretched across the valley like a dream carved from twilight. Its towers were slender and crystalline, gleaming faintly as though sculpted from moonlight itself.

Bridges of translucent stone arched between the buildings, connecting spires that floated weightlessly above the ground. Below, the streets shimmered with rivers of black water that reflected stars that shouldn’t exist, constellations unseen in any mortal sky.

Even Ysvara’s voice softened slightly as it came through the carriages again, “Welcome, students… to the Shadow Isles. The City Between Life and Death.”

The convoy descended the winding path toward the shimmering gates of the city, where spectral guards bowed silently as they passed. The air was alive with whispers, faint, melodic, and hauntingly beautiful.

The wheels turned, the gates closed behind them, and the Shadow Isles swallowed them whole.

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