My decision to leave

The monster that guarded the exit was a massive dog--2 meter long huge--that emitted a thin layer of shadowy aura that was like a smoke. Its eyes were red and full of bloodlust. 

Grrr!

Bending into attack mode, it bared its fangs and snarled at the figure of Kara. As the dog continued snarling, Kara could smell the stench from it. 

Kara's crimson eyes glowed faintly in the dark, and narrowed to a slit, as he walked forward in ease. One foot after another, his position could not be more confident. 

The monstrous dog finally launched an attack, and a gleaming claw emitting a sharp glow indicating danger slashed towards Kara, bringing along a hot wave of air. 

The veins in Kara's arms appeared. He concentrated his strength in his arm muscles, and rushed forward, dodging the claw away, and appearing right in front of the face of the dog! 

"Take a rest and spawn again after a few days." He muttered, as he calmly pulled his right fist back with force, and struck the dog's forehead!

Bang!

The massive monster dog was struck in the forehead, and the force brought his down to the ground with great impact. But Kara was not finished yet. This monster dog would stand back to his feet and attack again if given the chance. Immediately following Kara's first attack, he controlled his magic energy to the tips of his fingers, making his nails turn black, thick, tough, sharp, and deadly! 

On both of his hands, Kara's black claws slashed towards the weakened massive monster dog in the ground. Following a sharp intense sound cutting through the air, the black claws of Kara followed a warped curve, before it mercilessly tore towards the flesh of the monster's thick hairy neck! 

Psh!

Unk! 

Kek!

The monster was only able to voice out a croaky death cry before it limped and become impotent. 

Kara felt his whole left hand pierce through the massive monster dog's flesh, and it seemed as though his claws were firmly struck in the monster's neck. 

He moved his hand inside the monster's flesh a little and tried to retract it. 

Skh!

The sound of flesh getting ripped apart sounded, as Kara swiftly yanked his hands backwards. He pulled his claws violently, causing fresh beast blood to gush out like a faucet momentarily. 

"Phew." Kara blew as he let out a single deep breath. He raised his head and stared at the ceiling. He couldn't help but grin. 

"I really did it. It would not be long before the elders of the clan learn of this," he said and started to grin wider. 

After a few moments where his face seemed to be thinking about something regarding the future, his eyes and facial expression started to go back to his usual. The thin layer of shadow smoke being emitted from his black claws disappeared, followed by his black claws also turning back to normal human nails. 

The massive monster dog staggered in pain a little, before the life on its crimson eyes became gone, and its eyelids closed. 

Not long after, the massive monster dog turned into particles of light and disappeared on the spot as though it never existed. 

After a few moments, the figure of Kara going out of the cave could be seen. He walked neither extremely fast or slow, just his casual walking pace. It looked like he had not even done something he should be guilty of. 

"I need to get that book now; the elders will know of this and learn it is just a diversion." He said. 

Thud! Thud! Thud! 

Kara suddenly increased his speed ten times more, and jumped like a ninja atop the black ethereal structures. He headed above bridges after bridges and stopped by a massive temple with complex and intricate designs. 

Kara ignored the magnificent architecture and went to the wide stairs heading inside like it was his house. While walking, he glanced at the two massive statues holding big swords with the size of two story buildings and muttered something. 

"Old man... I be leaving now, don't ever come back from the grave." 

The image of a man with a few wrinkles on his face showed in his mind. The man did not look old yet to call himself 50, but he was actually more than a hundred years old. He also had a raven-hair, and was the spitting image of the boy. The only necessary difference between them was that the old man's eyes were pitch-black. 

After a few seconds, Kara was inside and walked at the center of a wide corridor. 

Columns that stood apart from each other stood side by side. A few people wearing the same black coat as him bowed before him as he went past them without even returning a greeting. His walking posture remains unchanged and his expressions were calm as though he had no obligation to greet them. 

Finally, he arrived at his destination. 

The throne room of the Lord of this village, a.k.a. the Supreme Shadow. 

He sauntered towards the majestic dual doors that could even fit two adult giants. On the opposite sides, cold faced statues stood intimidatingly. But they suddenly bowed to him before he could reach the dual doors. 

"Welcome back, Supreme Shadow." The massive statues greeted in unison. Their voice was deep as though it went out of a hollow void. 

As usual, Kara did not return a greeting. 

He fixed his attire which was black coat which emitted a thin layer of faint moving shadows. He put his right foot ahead, and the giant doors automatically opened silently, revealing a dreary throne room. In the center of the front wall, at a slightly elevated platform with three stairs, was a black throne that was like created by a collection of black massive roots. The throne was big, two meters high. 

Heading to the throne, his footsteps echoed against the black material that the floor was made of. As soon as he came in, figures wearing other black coats bowed before his presence on one knee. 

When he reached the throne and sat down, he couldn't help but smile inwardly before he commanded, "Raise your head." 

The people all raised their heads, and stood up. 

These people were the elders of the clan. One thing that they have in common was their eyes, pitch-black. Compared to someone like Kara whose eyes were crimson, this trait meant they were of pure blood.

That was right. Despite his identity as the Lord of this clan, Kara was not purely shadow. He was part human. Although a shadow was a human and a monster to begin with, he was born out of his shadow mother, who married a human. 

Once, he also used to live on the surface, in a simple neighborhood of what used to be a great city. But his parents and all of his father's relatives were slaughtered in just one night by mysterious individuals. 

Ever since, he had lived here, learned physical combat, manifested shadow magic, and became who he was. Compared to his face when he was a child, his emotions now were hardly traceable. And now, his grandfather who had taken him was gone, so, as the strongest shadow around, he became the Supreme Shadow. 

He gazed at the columns around the throne room, and silently looked at the ceiling which was like an infinite dimension of darkness. 

This was his life as the Lord of the Shadow clan, a clan that according to myths, used to serve the Demon Lord. 

'What a ridiculous story.'