[78.4] Haunted by Shadows

….Asmonious was startled awake as he felt the overwhelming feeling of demonic power.

He reverted into a shadow and traveled through each patch of darkness, followed by the shadow men, women, and children that haunted him. 

The void was always there, feeding off of him.

He managed to keep them at bay, preventing their resentment from killing anyone he came into contact with. However, it carried a hefty price.

His skin, while healthier now, still carried a grey hue.

Asmonious appeared in the courtyard to see vibrant colors and nauseating visual effects. Trees were transforming to have mouths, laughing as sap poured from their opening.

His eyes flashed orange as he absorbed the power, understanding each weakness and strength.

He muttered in awe, "Such powerful illusions…"

"AAAGGHHHHHHHH!" Zephyr held his head screaming out in agony as blood trickled out from his broken horn. He wailed, "IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS!"

The more he screamed, the more the world started to warp and twist around him.

Astra held onto the body of her Mother, gritting her teeth to refrain from screaming. However, she couldn't stop the tears from freely rushing down her cheeks as she felt her head splitting open.

Asmonious panicked at the sight of her tears, freezing in fear.

However, Zephyr's screeches grew more high-pitched, signaling a change in the illusion.

Asmonious watched as his other siblings started screaming in pain and scratching their heads to dig out their source of pain. He took a quick breath and went to work dispelling the powerful illusion, slowly absorbing the mana around him.

The whites of his eyes slowly started changing to gray then to black as the voices of the shadows circling him started screaming at him louder and louder. His orange eyes were so vibrant, it was as if they were the only light source in the endless darkness of shadows.

At the same time, Zephyr's wails slowly quieted down as his eyes started to sleepily close.

His red eyes dulled and he collapsed simultaneously with Astra.

Asmonious felt the power of the demons around him enter his body as a rush of adrenaline coursed through his veins.

He forced his eyes closed and quickly cut off the power source, releasing his siblings from the absorption. They all collapsed, in a deep sleep.

When he reopened his eyes, his skin was a healthier gray hue and his eyes reverted back to normal.

His steps echoed off the courtyard walls as he approached a woman standing in a daze. He smiled weakly, "...Master."