2 Welcome to the new world

"Freaking hell…"

She groaned, her head was like someone threw a brick at her. Her hand reached her head, massaging it with a purpose. Her head was like splitting into two, and her vision was like split into three directions. In the darkness, she saw a few repetitive statues.

"Ugh, where am I?"

Opening her eyes seemed like an impossible task when she fucked up her vision, so she became accustomed to the darkness first and foremost. She was no stranger to darkness. In fact, it was her first friend, lover, and protector. In the darkness, it taught her how to survive the unsavory reality, it taught her solidarity and it taught her… that she could be a human.

You see, darkness was her closest friend, beloved parents, and her only light. She had conquered the season of darkness by opening a door to her own light. Ironically, her light was also darkness.

So, it was not strange when she found comfort in this lonely place with darkness accompanying her. That was until her body caught up with her brain, of course, after she felt a foreboding feeling residing under her rib.

Under the moonlight, she slowly opened her eyes as she raised her left arm and scrutinized the bloody long sleeve. The dry blood was evidently painted on her sleeves. Her eyes then traveled to her bloody fingers, her long trousers, and also her clothes. The evidence of trauma was clear on her whole body.

"Yeah, I had a brawl with 'them'." She chuckled dryly.

Brawl? It was an understatement. What she went through was close to war. Well, probably it was a war. The war between her and her family. To her side, it was a suicide, by the way. She waged a war with her family in hopes of dying in it. Unfortunately, Malikul was there, saving the 'apparent' damsel in distress.

"Where am I?" She looked around albeit slow.

The place she was in was downright daunting. It has nothing but an abandoned tree. She was currently sitting on the bench after being dumped by Malikul. But when she refocused her vision, the brain quickly understood the whole picture.

She was inside a silent park with no electricity. Probably, the place she was dumped was the corner of the park because her eyes caught a glint of a road lamp. As the nose inhaled the air shakily, the park grew ever darker.

She shot up, her current strength prevented her from being as fast as before, she stood straight and stretched up. She stretched her arms, her abdomen, and her legs.

"Fine," she mumbled alone, cracked her necks left and right.

Summoning her leftover strength and accumulated fatigue which obviously limited her action, she strode towards the light as steady as she could. As she walked towards the only source of light, the shadows of the trees blended into blackness, and their silhouettes against the sky grew less pronounced.

As the view disappeared the sound emerged as if the volume was gradually turned upward. The sudden breaking of simple leaves or twilights became the focus of Shadow's attention. Frankly, her senses worked just fine, even when she was under the influence; drugs. Her body was highly adapted and resilient to any harmful substance inside her body.

Long story short, her body was immune to any kind of poison, let alone drugs. Her body was an embodiment of perfection.

She noticed the loam fragrance in the earth breeze and looked up to catch a glimpse of the moon before a dark cloud erased the precious silver rays.

"Where the hell am I?" She mumbled to herself, nearly whispering.

The healed skin under the torn fabric felt cold when the night wind brushed against her. She shrank and hugged herself to control her body heat. While looking around, she tried to collect any information.

Her feet planted right under the lamp, her side leaned over it as she took a heavy huffing soon after. Who had thought the almighty Shadow was huffing tiredly from the bench to the lamp which covered up a total of 20 meters in length?

It was hella embarrassing.

"What is wrong with me? What did they do to me? This wasn't supposed to be this difficult." She rubbed her face roughly. "Where am I?"

Her eyes then caught the fallen leaves in slow motion. The green leaves danced in the air, the action was like a ballerina, the movement was so dazzling even for her uninterested eyes. Her eyes followed the leaves swirled around, tossed to the side before it fell on the grass softly.

Something inside her heart flipped, but she didn't understand it yet.

She looked down on the road. The road was a smooth black river, the sort wheels float so effortlessly along. And like fate, the car was passing by steadily. With a loud gasp, she looked up yet again. And only now, she realized what she was doing,

The road didn't rise or sink, it was her that did the walking. Unconsciously, she strode along the road, already exited from the sketchy park.

She shut her eyes as she continued her walk, into the rich tapestry of dark blue, the cold night shivered one body. To others, the darkness was the time to struggle under the blanket, for her, the cold night tucked under a woolen dove-grey sky was so cruel to her.

"Huh~ what am I even doing?" She chuckled in irony.

Striding in darkness, she felt so free, walking without a purpose. Warming her cold heart.

"Where the freak Malikul is?" She cursed the boy's name out, looking around to find any hint. In case, he played a prank on her.

But, her expectation soon shattered into pieces.

Suddenly, a bright blue-ish light steadily spread across the night, Shadow's eyes seek refuge under her elbow to screen out the excessive light.

"Ugh, what the hell?"

The light slowly spread and engulfed her surroundings. The light ran rampage and blindly attacked the surrounding and loitered around but Shadow had a feeling the sudden appearance of the light had a purpose.

The light brightened up, making it impossible for her to peek at the surroundings, thus leaving her no choice but to focus on her senses. Whatever the light was for, she had no intention to sacrifice her life for the second time. She escaped death numerous times and she was tired to survive another death.

The curse on her was not a simple curse that could be cleansed by killing the one who put the curse. It was more than she could imagine because… the one who was putting the curse had died in her hand, yet, the curse was still implemented inside her.

It was a waste of effort to even think about it.

But, the light circled her. As soon, her sensing alarmed her body.

"What the…" Shadow inevitably opened her eyes, but the strong light against the idea.

The light steadily concentrated right in front of her eyes as soon it found its intended target. After a few minutes of patience, the bright light slowly turned dim. Probably the sign of Shadow to open her eyes.

The game-like message (in the shape of a rectangle) flickered in front of her.

{Welcome, mortal.}

Register name: Shadow.

Gender: handsome lady.

A sudden voice of a robot bulged wide her eyes. Her red and yellow-ish eyes one at each side came into view. Strangely, she managed to sober up from any kind of pain or fatigue she was currently experiencing.

Age: 26-year-old.

Code name: SS50.

Title: The Emperor of the Underworld

Height: 150 cm (short)

"Oi!" Shadow knitted her brows together. This machine just attacked her unprovoked.

{Thank you for safely landing in this world. For a great experience, please listen to the explanation until the end.}

Shadow's eyes quivered. 'What did she just hear?'

{Without further ado, introducing the storyline to you.}

'Storyline? Not a synopsis? I mean… the synopsis is just right.' Shadow blinked rapidly. Her fast brain started to overwork due to a sudden message in front of her eyes. She felt like she was going crazy.

{We are living in an unjust world, where demons, humans, beasts, and many wonderful animals coexist together. The world was never safe for anyone. Particularly to a human.}

Shadow snorted mockingly. Coexist. 'What a unique choice of word.'

{We are searching for world peace, to find a hero within the dark world to light up the unsavory… kssskkk… kssskkkk… hope… ksskk… for humans…. kssskkkk….}

Shadow arched her brow. A certain familiar feeling soon embraced her. 'What is this? Don't tell me…' her brain suddenly made a connection.

{A long time ago, those living were breathing in harmony but everything changed... when the fire nation attacked… ksk! Ksk! Ksk! SIKE!!!!!! Hahahahaha. How are you feeling, Your Excellency?}

"For fuck sake. Wan!!!!!" Shadow's anger flared up.

{Just kidding. Do whatever you want. Shall you eliminate your anger, at the end of the book, you will leave unscathed.}

"Try me, mofo." Her whole body trembled in anger.

{Shall you escape before that, Malikul Afdal will greet you in disappointment.}

Her anger was temporarily stopped. The name was enough to crumble her resort. Malikul Afdal was not a typical boy or man for that matter. Not only was he her boyfriend, but he also was her future husband.

{And before you think negatively, your fiance didn't betray you. He dumped you here to sate your anger. So, Oh the lord of Underworld, destroy your qualm for this humble servant, dare to serve you with his whole heart.}

The robotic voice suddenly had emotion in it, and the voice of Wan was annoyingly clear in her ears.

"What the hell…" She could not believe what she just listened to.

{Don't disappoint us, Your Excellency. Till we meet again. Play to your heart content. I have prepared tons of fun inside.}