Welcome to the Innocent World - Chapter 66

Chapter 66: The Departure of Shadows

The sky was an expanse of dull gray, heavy with snow that drifted down in quiet, mournful flakes. I stood at the edge of the crowd, clad in black as the funeral for Arno unfolded. The silence was only broken by the soft murmurs and occasional sobs that drifted through the air, each sound muffled by the gentle snowfall.

My gaze fell upon Athlea, who knelt by her brother’s casket, her face streaked with tears as she clutched the side of the wooden box as if trying to hold on to him, even as he was laid to rest.

Her cries were faint, but they cut through the stillness with a haunting sharpness that lingered in my mind.

I closed my eyes, clenching my fists. Whoever did this—whoever took Arno from her—would pay dearly.

The knights stood at a distance, their watchful eyes fixed on us. There was an unspoken tension among them, a sense that they, too, had picked up on the dark undercurrents surrounding this event. They weren’t here just to pay respects; they sensed the unease, the questions that hung unanswered in the cold air.

As the funeral concluded, Athlea’s remaining relatives offered their condolences and departed one by one. Soon, it was only her and me, standing alone in the deserted cemetery as afternoon edged into twilight. She had drifted over to a lone bench, slumped over with her shoulders heavy, staring blankly at the grave now partially obscured by the falling snow.

I walked over and knelt before her, reaching out to gently take her hands in mine. Her face was etched with a numbness that was almost painful to see, her eyes void of any glimmer of life.

We sat there in silence, caught in a fragile moment of shared grief, each of us lost in our own thoughts.

She broke the silence first, her voice barely a whisper.

“See… I told you. He won’t come.”

Her words hit me like a stone, and in an instant, I knew exactly who she meant. Her husband—the man who hadn’t even cared enough to attend his own employee’s funeral, much less support his grieving wife. My gaze fell, unable to meet hers as a wave of guilt washed over me.

Her face twisted into a mixture of anger and despair.

“Even though his own employee died, he doesn’t care. Even though my brother died, he couldn’t be bothered to attend.” Her voice grew bitter, her words laced with a hurt she could barely contain.

“Athlea—” I started, but she held up a hand to stop me, her expression hardening.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, her voice brittle. “I… I shouldn’t be surprised.”

I held her gaze, searching for some spark of hope, but all I saw was emptiness. She was drowning in a sea of sorrow, and it tore at me to see her like this.

“Don’t lose yourself, Athlea,” I said softly, squeezing her hands. “It’ll be okay. I promise. I’ll be back, and when I do, things will be better. I’ll make sure of it.”

She looked at me, a faint flicker of confusion crossing her features as if she couldn’t fully grasp my words. I wanted to say more, to reassure her that I would bring justice for Arno, but I knew she wouldn’t understand—not yet.

With a final squeeze of her hand, I rose to my feet, stepping back and letting her be. She stayed on the bench, staring into the falling snow, lost in thoughts I could only imagine.

As night fell, I gathered with my shadow mystics on the rooftop, each of them cloaked in black, their faces hidden beneath hoods and masks. We stood as one, a dark, silent force beneath the moonless sky, ready to move as a single shadow across Latros.

Alpha was at my side, her eyes gleaming with anticipation, while Beta, practically bouncing with excitement, looked around at the rest of us with a wide grin.

“We’re going hunting together!” she exclaimed, her voice filled with eager energy that brought a smile to my face despite the weight of the night.

I glanced at Eta, who managed the shadow mystics’ trade company. She nodded, her expression composed, her commitment unwavering.

“No problem leaving your work behind for a bit?” I asked her.

She offered a wry smile. “None at all, Master. The company is only a tool for us shadow mystics. It exists to serve you.”

I nodded approvingly before shifting my gaze to Delta and Epsilon, the two mystics who had families of their own. They, too, were ready and willing, their dedication as unshakable as ever.

“And you two… your families—”

Delta interrupted with a small, reassuring smile. “Master, trivial concerns don’t bother us. We are with you, as always.”

Epsilon nodded in agreement. “Our loyalty lies with you, Master.”

I felt a swell of pride as I looked at each of them, knowing they were prepared to follow me into whatever darkness awaited us.

Clearing my throat, I straightened, taking on the commanding tone I knew they expected.

“Well then,” I declared, my voice resonating across the rooftop, “My shadow mystics, let’s end this Alliance nonsense once and for all.”

With that, I launched myself into the air, feeling the wind rush around me as my body cut through the night.

“Yeahhhhh!!!”

“Yess”

“Yoshhhh”

“All set!!”

“Whoooshhaaaa!!!”

Behind me, the mystics followed, a blur of shadowed figures streaking across the sky like dark comets. We flew as one, a silent storm descending upon Latros, each of us a part of a greater force.

Beta and Zeta on all fours, running along the rooftops at a speed that kept pace with the rest of us. Their bodies moved with a feral grace, their eyes glinting with determination. The others, like me, flew straight and true, cutting through the cold night air.

Below us, people stopped in the streets, their faces upturned as they caught sight of our dark shapes streaking through the sky.

“What are they?” a young child’s voice called out, full of awe and wonder.

“They’re flying so fast, Mommy!” another voice joined in, tinged with a mix of fear and fascination.

We moved with purpose, the wind pulling at our clothes as we hurtled toward our destination. My thoughts churned with the knowledge that, soon, we would face the ones responsible for Arno’s death. I had no doubt the Alliance was behind this, weaving their treacherous schemes in the shadows, thinking they could remain untouchable.

But they were wrong.

The Alliance would soon witness the true strength of the shadow mystics—a force of shadows that none could withstand. And as we streaked through the sky, chasing the wind, my thoughts turned dark, my focus sharpening with every beat of my heart.

Whatever secrets lie in Latros… and every single Alliance member involved… they will pay for what they have done.