Mark of Umbra

Cedric could hear Aria returning with their food before he could find a way to clear the misunderstanding without sounding lame. He was still using his narrator skill to understand what Ember was thinking when he suddenly noticed something.

[At the same time that the knight pledged herself to Cedric, a shadow creature also took notice of them because of the black feather. Prince Cedric had just invited another pair of eyes to join his list of pursuers, but this one is more deadly than anyone else.]

The narrator allowed Cedric to be aware of things he could not feel or anticipate. This was the second time this had happened, which he attributed to his luck. However, the narration did not tell him anything more about this figure, only beginning to mention the food that Aria brought.

Ember rose once Aria called for them, and she was the first to leave the balcony. Cedric followed her as he became aware of the gaze on his back and the black feather in his hand. Once he went inside and closed the doors, he left a small gap in the curtains as he joined the two women.

Cedric could feel his blood run cold as he began eating. His eyes glanced toward the gap he had left in the window. The moonlight still illuminated the balcony. For the briefest second, Cedric saw a humanoid figure standing outside, but it disappeared when he blinked.

The black feather was already back inside his ring. The system did not even tell him about the feather's abilities or that it acted as a beacon for shadow creatures. Cedric tried to eat his fill just because he didn't have the energy for another fight. Once they were done, Aria cast a protective spell on their room that would alert them.

"How effective is it?" asked Cedric with a frown that made the two women confused.

"Is it effective?" asked Cedric while sitting on the bed, his leg restless. "The barrier, I mean. Can it protect us?"

"It could protect us from almost anything," answered Aria with pride. "Don't worry about it and sleep."

"Nothing," muttered Cedric, knowing that the keyword here was almost. If something was bound to go wrong, it would. He considered telling them about the shadow creature outside, but he would have to explain why he wanted to enter the Trial of Shadows. Just like summoners, dark affinities were considered a forbidden power loathed by the church. "We should go to sleep."

Cedric remained vigilant throughout the night, but nothing happened. The shadow creature did not attack or enter the barrier, but Cedric still spent the night sleepless. As dawn broke through the horizon and the inn came to life, Cedric sat there with red eyes.

Ember and Aria were worried about him since he almost acted like an undead monster rather than a human. Cedric knew there would be no point in telling them, because he was the only one capable of sensing the shadow if it approached.

The group resumed their journey the next day, with Cedric lagging behind out of exhaustion and wariness. He was tired of being on high alert, but he didn't know if he could ever sleep without fearing for his life.

Cedric refused to be careless.

Ember was quick to notice his unusual alertness and began following in his footsteps. Cedric began to feel that he should tell them what was happening because it also endangered their lives.

In the camp that night, Cedric was dozing off in front of the fire. Ember was cooking some of the food they had gotten from the inn, while Aria was again creating her barrier. Cedric felt his consciousness fade before he fell asleep.

Cedric opened his eyes, and the camp was gone. It was replaced by a vast expanse of darkness-filled land. He stood alone before a lake that extended infinitely. As he stared down at the lake, he saw his shadow staring back at him.

Realization dawned on the dreaming prince as he understood that this lake was the gate to Umbra, the world of shadows. He staggered back, fearing the lake would swallow him into the trial. A cry echoed in his ears, its source coming from above.

Cedric raised his eyes to stare at the eclipse in the sky. It blocked the light and cast a large shadow over the world, bringing darkness and danger. As Cedric peered into the eclipse, he saw it move and unfold into a giant creature.

A colossal creature with wings that spanned the horizon, covered in feathers that seemed to be made of pure darkness. Its talons were like massive, jagged blades, and its beak was a curved scythe. Its eyes were bottomless voids that seemed to stare down at him.

The giant creature suddenly bled, and a droplet of its black blood fell into the lake. It caused ripples on the surface, distorting the shadows of the world. Cedric witnessed their rise before he felt his consciousness return to his body as it slammed to the ground.

"Cedric!" called Ember as she ran to him, but he rose before she could help him up. Cedric was back inside the camp. He had fallen asleep for just a few seconds before hitting the ground, but it felt like he had spent hours inside the dreamscape.

"A dream?" muttered Cedric as he rubbed his aching head. "No, it was—"

[You have been branded by the Mark of Umbra.]

[You have witnessed the vision of the Shadow Roc, the Ruler of Umbra. Those who witness the vision are chosen by the Shadow Roc to participate in its trial. Their bodies will become vessels of shadows, making them hunted down by shadow creatures nearby.]

Cedric was still confused as he felt a burning sensation on his neck. The pain was so severe that it rid him of his sleepiness. Ember could not understand why he was shaking or sweating, but she tried to hold his hand.

It took a few minutes for the pain to disappear, but Cedric still held on to her hand while shaking. The experience left him breathless and covered with sweat. He could feel something pulse on his neck but tried to hide it using his hood.

"Please tell me what's happening, my lord? Are you in pain?" asked Ember with tear-filled eyes as Cedric collapsed and turned on his side. He breathed in and out before his smile returned. Aria walked over to look at him with a frown.

"What have you done?" asked Aria in a low voice. "Your presence is disappearing, Cedric, even more than before. Did you—" she stopped mid-sentence, seemingly deep in thought. Then, she watched him rise.

"I need to confess something," said Cedric as he breathed out. "We are being chased by an otherworldly creature that no one can see, and more of them are expected to pursue us until we reach the Valley of Death."

"An otherworldly creature? Is that why you didn't sleep last night?" asked Ember with trembling lips. "Why didn't you tell us? We could have taken turns to stay guard."

"It doesn't matter because I thought I was hallucinating, but I saw a vision," said Cedric as he looked at Aria. "I saw a vision that something is waiting for me inside the valley."

Her violet eyes squinted as the bonfire cast its orange hue on her silver hair. Although she appeared to be as young as them, her eyes could see things that others could not. She was called the genius of a millennia for that reason.

"Something branded you, right?" asked Aria with a sigh as she sat down. "I don't know which higher being noticed you, but this could either bring great fate or… death. It depends on what kind of man you are."

Cedric grinned as he rose with a hand on his neck. He could feel the mark pulsating, barely hidden from view. As he looked at the darkness around him, he could see the infinite numbers of shadows lurking in the world of Umbra.

"I like to think of myself as someone who doesn't fear a challenge," muttered Cedric with a grin. "And I already have some plans on how to kill the shadow tailing us."