The Umbras

"Genius, there was a reason why I'd said not to follow me on my alone time," scoffed Mavislin, returning to the group.

"So what were those things?" asked Raiyen.

"They are rogue versions of the shadow beings from the Abyss of Stars. In other words, Angry Man's under-developed cousins."

"How'd they end up like that?"

"You are aware of how Shadow beings like Baldwin were created, right?" asked Mavislin, placing a rock onto the ground in front of her.

"Yea. They become whatever they attack, then they stop. They devour, whatever the being that they took on, ate."

"There are some shadows who end up being consumed by their greed. Due to this setback, they revert to their original forms and feed on existence."

As Mavislin explained the situation, she collected a bunch of sand grains and created a hard rock. Then, the entire rock collapsed with a mere touch of a finger. Jeannette and Raiyen had a slight problem understanding the scenario but understood the essential parts.

Meanwhile, Metria was utterly lost.

"So in basic terms, once they lose their sanity, they revert to being mindless beasts?" asked Jeannette, closing her eyes.

"Somewhat, but I don't think that's the whole truth. If anything, I've got to ask the Angry Man about this."

"You can't just eat 'existence.' That doesn't make sense," argued Metria, skeptical at Mavislin's words.

"Shall I feed you to them to prove my point?" asked Mavislin.

"I mean, how would you do it?"

"Do you want a live demonstration? Then, you can be the guest of honor."

Finally, the girl had learned to keep her mouth shut. But, with the number of questions coming out from her, one would need to give her a plant to replace the oxygen she had wasted.

"Anyways, scattered throughout the Universe, the Umbras prey on the existence of others. Once they get you, they take away a single day from your life; the day you were born. That's what we were up against," explained Mavislin.

"So, the Shadows, the Umbras... Are they all around the Universe? And they are powered by sheer greed?" asked Raiyen, trying to wrap his head around the information.

"Yep, it seems like it. So they paid a visit to Valokia for a bit. That is, before realizing they've landed on a planet filled with the one Element that has the capability of destroying them."

"Looks like I was right about being Corrupted. Having too much power would cause this mess," said Metria, folding her arms.

"Power itself is neutral, good or bad. It's up to the person, the user, to wield power however they see fit. A bad person would cause chaos, and a good person will give peace. So not fair by giving power a bad name," explained Raiyen.

"Well said, but they were still the ones who went mad with power. Take it away from them, and they would regain their senses," replied Metria.

This angered the Valkyrie as she punched the ground. Yet, she was not the being to utter the following line.

"Taking away power or Element of any Mage will likely harbor dire consequences. It is the same as taking away the ability to breathe."

The sound of a slow trotting horse came to fruition as a tall man emerged. His long, brown fringe was tied up with a ribbon. This created a little fountain of hair on the top of his head.

Instead of his usual pearl white complexion others had remembered, his skin was now slightly tanned as he approached the group. His body was exceptionally well built, unlike Raiyen's scrawny physique. His shoulders were broad, and his muscles were firm, creating a formidable sight to behold. His eyes were expected, but his hands were not.

The sword he was armed with shone as he aimed it toward the Time Mage.

"Whoa there, Angry Man. It's still me," said Raiyen, jumping out of harm's way.

"I can see that point clearly," replied Baldwin.

He quickly stopped the little brat of a princess from escaping by throwing his sword toward her. Unfortunately, it missed her due to Jeannette's flagpole deflecting the large, broad blade. The Angry Man merely shrugged at the fair maiden before returning to the brat.

"The Umbras were wrong in all the destruction they'd caused, but I will never hold their power accountable for who they are. Just because someone was born a Shadow means they've got to be a devil," explained Baldwin, looking at Metria sternly.

"Why must my warnings always fall on deaf ears..." complained Mavislin.

Baldwin's expression softened when he laid eyes on the injured Valkyrie. On regular days, the pair of wings on her back should have been glowing radiantly. But at the moment, only one was shining while the other remained dull and lifeless.