I’m really doing this huh.
Yuna suggested I start writing my thoughts down.
She said it might help clear my head. Said I’ve been too quiet lately—even for me. So here I am, putting thoughts to paper, even if the words feel heavier than they should.
It’s been a few months since I woke up back in october.
A full 10 years lost to the void while my body moved on without me—driven by the worst and realist parts of myself. I haven’t faced that side of me yet—not directly. But I feel him. Still there, somewhere in the corners of my mind. Watching. Smirking. Waiting.
What he did in those years… it’s hard to even write down. Whole realms burned. Families torn apart. Lives ended without reason but for only power.
The atrocities weren’t random—they were precise, almost surgical, like he was trying to make a point. And the point was pain.
Now I walk free in a world that looks at me with such hate.
Even after regaining control, I carry the bounty he earned. The faces of my victims are still fresh in the memories of those who survived. And I… I carry them too, just in a different way.
Because now they follow me.
The shadows I command—my “power”—they’re not born of darkness or magic in the usual sense. They’re them. The ones he slaughtered. The souls broken and scattered across Creation, drawn back to me like echoes to their killer. And I don’t feel like I deserve any of it. Not their power. Not their loyalty. Not even their silence. I don’t know why I was able to inherit such an inhumane power, maybe it could be some sick way of making sure I don’t get killed, who knows.
My elite shadowborns are the only ones that still feel like people.
Some even speak, though not often unless commanded. Others are... amalgamations. Fused weak spirits, stitched together into something stronger, something worse. I can feel it in them—bits and pieces of lives that never got to finish. Memories that bleed into mine when I fight. Their rage. Their grief.
Their pain.
And because they’re mine… I feel all of it.
Every time he absorbs one, he and I get their experience, their skills, their instincts. It should be a blessing in battle. But it’s not. It’s a curse that drips
in my veins and lingers behind my eyes when I try to sleep. I don't deserve this power—not when I know where it came from.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m just another amalgamation like them.
Maybe I never fully came back. Maybe I’m still a collection of broken pieces trying to act whole.
Yuna doesn’t say it out loud, but I think she knows.
I don’t know what comes next. But I know this—
Every time I walk forward, I drag the past behind me like a shadow that won't let go.
— Yourupt
Since waking from the coma, I’ve come to understand this new power—Shadow Sanctum I call it. It allows me to manifest shadows from the remnants of souls deep within myself. There are two kinds: regular shadowborns and Elite Shadowborns. Regular shadows are simple and obedient, formed from weaker or fragmented souls. Elite Shadows, on the other hand, are born from powerful individuals or fused from multiple souls. Some still carry traces of their former selves.
But when I absorb a new soul to create one, something happens. I feel everything they felt—their pain, their memories, their regrets. It only happens once, during creation, but it stays with me. A permanent scar. Along with that, I gain their skills, their abilities, and most of the time... their burdens.
I won’t document this power often—only when I encounter or create a new Elite Shadow. For now, I’ll write about the three who currently stand beside me. Each of them carries a history, and through them, so do I.
What I Know of His Past:From fragments of memory left behind, Kyorik was once a human—an old, seasoned hunter who lived alone in the frozen edges of an unknown realm. He wielded powerful ice magic and had a reputation for surviving what others couldn’t. At some point in his life, he took in a lone wolf pup that turned out to be something far greater—an ancient wolf god with the power to endlessly multiply itself. The bond between them was strong, almost sacred.
Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.
I believe they tried to stand against my dark self during the siege on the Central Core of the Unknown in their home realm. From what I can gather, they fought well, but it wasn’t enough. My dark self absorbed them both, and in doing so, fused them into one being. That fusion is what gave birth to the shadow now known as Kyorik.
How He Is Now:Kyorik barely speaks. In fact, he only talks when I directly ask him something, and even then, it’s brief. He’s incredibly stubborn—something I suspect comes from the old hunter’s personality before he was taken. He keeps to himself, prefers to stay on the edges of a room or battlefield, always watching. There’s a quiet strength in him, and he never acts without purpose.
Abilities:Like all Elite Shadows, Kyorik gained core powers when he was formed through the Shadow Sanctum:
- Shadowborn Traits: Invulnerability to most forms of physical or magical damage, shadow manipulation, enhanced physical and mental stats, adaptive power level, supernatural instincts, and deep knowledge of mana and hand-to-hand combat from both me and my dark self.
- 360-Degree Senses: An almost impossible awareness of his surroundings.
- Unrestricted Movement: Kyorik isn’t limited by conventional movement—walls, terrain, or even gravity mean little to him.
- Abnormal Movement: His body moves in ways that defy normal anatomy—faster, sharper, more erratic.
- Dark Mana Channeling: He can wield dark mana naturally, often to amplify his attacks or cloak his presence.
- Ice Magic: A remnant of his human life, still laced into his strikes and presence.
- Shifting Form: Kyorik can create multiple copies of himself, each one retaining full awareness and the ability to coordinate flawlessly through telepathy.
- Shadowstep: Teleports between shadows instantly, perfect for flanking or escape.
- Pack Coordination: His copies operate as a single, cohesive unit, making them almost impossible to outmaneuver.
Role in a Fight:Scout, support, and precision striker. Kyorik is rarely on the front lines but is always where he needs to be. His multiplications allow him to cover multiple areas at once—either gathering information or striking from all sides.
Weaknesses:He’s not a powerhouse. Alone, a single Kyorik isn’t built for sustained combat. His strength lies in strategy, speed, and precision. Overwhelming force or opponents who can detect and destroy his copies quickly can nullify his advantage. Also, his stubborn nature makes him difficult to direct in fast-changing situations unless I give him a clear order.
What I Know of Its Past:Drakaros wasn’t born of one soul, but many. From the shattered remains of the Vermillion Incident—where an entire legion of dragons was wiped out—Drakaros was formed. I can barely piece the memories together, but they speak of an ancient draconic resistance, dragons of every kind uniting against overwhelming destruction. It seems my dark self absorbed them in the aftermath, merging their essence into one singular being. That fusion, driven by rage and sorrow, created the beast that now follows me.
What They’re Like Now:Drakaros has a voice—deep, slow, and echoing like thunder rolling over mountains. It doesn’t speak often, but when it does, it's blunt, commanding, and laced with centuries of fury. Oddly enough, it’s fiercely protective of me out of the three elite shadowborns. Almost like a guardian beast or a loyal hound, it watches over them with a sense of duty that’s almost... familial.
- Shadowborn Traits (inherited from all shadow creations):
- Near-invulnerability to most physical and magical damage
- Shadow manipulation
- Enhanced strength, speed, and durability
- Supernatural instincts
- Full knowledge of mana and hand-to-hand combat from both myself and my dark self
- Dark mana control
- Dragon Fusion Physiology:
Formed from the fused souls of countless dragons, Drakaros retains full knowledge and command of Dragon Rune Magic, a powerful system granting mastery over:
- Elemental Runes: Fire, ice, lightning, wind, earth, water, etc.
- Spiritual Runes: Soulflame, spectral breath, and protection wards
- Mental Runes: Fear projection, illusion breath, psychic disruption
- Cosmic Runes: Gravity shifts, space distortion, astral flight
- Primordial Runes: Reality-scorching fire, memory-draining void, ancient roars that distort time
Drakaros is my frontline juggernaut. When facing hordes or large-scale threats, he soars into battle like a living calamity. His breath alone can tear through parts of the unknown, while his wings create windstorms that break formations. He brings destruction, but always with intent. He doesn’t lose control—he chooses violence.
While devastating in open conflict, Drakaros is too large and chaotic for precision-based missions or stealth. He struggles with confined spaces and tends to rely on brute force over finesse. He also burns through energy quickly when tapping into his higher-tier rune abilities—especially the cosmic and primordial ones.
What I Know of Her Past:From the fragments of her soul that I’ve seen, Vereia was once a gifted student at Kāinga Mākutu, the legendary sanctuary of all magic. She was a natural healer—some believed she could’ve become one of the most powerful sorcerers in her realm’s history, just from her sheer understanding of restorative magic. She never craved power or recognition. All she ever wanted was to save lives.
She was shy, gentle, and deeply compassionate. Killing was something she couldn’t accept—not because she was weak, but because she saw value in every life. From what I can tell, she sacrificed herself to protect others during the final stretch of my dark self’s rampage. She was absorbed, like the rest—but unlike the others, Vereia is not a fusion. She’s still herself.
What She’s Like Now:Vereia is the most talkative of my elite shadows. Her voice is soft, calm—still carrying that kindness from her past life—but now there’s strength behind it. She’s more confident in her powers, even if the shy part of her still lingers. She dislikes violence, especially when it seems unnecessary, and she isn’t shy about letting me know. But if I’m in danger, she acts without hesitation. That quiet resolve of hers is unshakable.
There’s something familiar about her appearance—long light-red hair, an aura that feels... historic. She resembles an old, famous sorcerer. Maybe that’s why my dark self created her as a shadowborn—to harness that legacy. Her healing and support magic is unmatched, though I suspect she’s still holding back. Compared to the other two, she hasn’t tapped into her full potential yet.
Abilities:
- Advanced Healing Magic/Mana: Can rapidly restore injuries, remove ailments, and even stabilize fatal wounds using life-infused mana.
- Status Buff Removal: Can cleanse allies of harmful magical effects or strip enemies of power-ups.
- Support Magic Mastery: Capable of strengthening allies’ speed, power, endurance, and magical output during combat.
- Power Erasure: With direct contact, Vereia can temporarily suppress an enemy's magical ability or drain their mana.
- Shadow Infused Casting: All her spells are drawn from a deep connection to shadow, giving them unique properties and amplifying their strength.
- Standard Elite Shadowborn Traits: Includes invulnerability to most forms of damage, shadow manipulation, enhanced stats, dark mana, full knowledge of mana flow, and hand-to-hand combat knowledge shared from both me and Dark Yourupt.
Role in Combat:Vereia focuses entirely on support and survival. She keeps me and the others in peak condition, removing curses or restoring strength in the heat of battle. She rarely takes offensive action unless the situation calls for it—particularly when my life is on the line. Then, she fights like someone who refuses to lose anything ever again.
Weaknesses:Vereia isn’t built for direct combat. Her offensive power is minimal, and she often avoids conflict unless necessary. Her emotional attachment to life and mercy can sometimes delay action, and her powers require time and focus to use at their highest level.