“Lucas…” Before she could continue, Lucas began to walk with Raven still in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck for fear of falling. “I can walk, Lucas.”

“No, not here,” he argued. “I will put you down at the palace, so just bear with me.”

Raven nodded. She didn’t understand what was going on, nor did she know where she was. All she had was Lucas, and he was the only one she could trust right now.

Lucas continued to walk until he reached the palace. “Tomi!” he shouted. Upon command, Tomi appeared. But when he saw Raven, he knew something was wrong.

“Master, why is Miss Raven here?” he asked.

“I will explain later. Right now, I need you to check the sky and make sure it is intact,” Lucas demanded.

Tomi understood his master’s orders and went to complete them. Lucas sighed, then turned to Raven, who was still in arms. He saw the fear in her eyes along with confusion. “I am so sorry, Raven.”

Lucas continued to walk, while Raven remained in his arms. “This can’t be your fault. I saw the look on your face when it happened, so I can’t, and I won’t blame you,” she said wrapping her arms around his neck, bringing him closer. Lucas stopped and returned her hug.

“You may not blame me, but I blame myself. I failed to keep you safe, now I have taken you from your world, your home, your life.”

“You couldn’t have known this was going to happen. So please, stop blaming yourself. Besides, I’ve always wanted to go on an adventure,” she said holding his face.

Lucas smiled a bit, but he couldn’t help feeling responsible. “No offense, but why are you still carrying me? And, where are we?” asked Raven curiously.

Lucas’s smile widened, then he continued his walk. “We are in my homeworld. I am afraid it does not have a specific name, but we can call it the Shadow Lands for now”

“Shadow Lands?”

“Yes. Just like how Earth has humans, the Shadow Lands have shadows.”

“Shadows? You mean like, shadow shadows. Those forms of darkness that everything has.”

“Those exactly. I just take the human shadows, whose owners have passed away. Have you not ever wondered what happens to a shadow when you die?”

“I just thought they stay with us.”

“That is common among humans,” he chuckled. “but the reality is that I guide them to my world, where they remain until they are ready to be reunited with the humans they once shadowed.”

“Wow, that’s amazing! And you live here?”

“I do more than just live here. I am the king of this realm. My people call me, the Shadow King.”

Raven’s eyes widened. A part of her thought it was a dream, but the other knew it was real. She saw Lucas open a door and inside looked like a bedroom, but also a workroom. There was also a huge balcony in the center, right across from the giant bed. Lucas walked over to the balcony and stood at the end. “And this is my kingdom.”

“Wow!” she exclaimed softly. Raven couldn’t believe her eyes. This world looked so much like the human world, except it was more beautiful. She looked up to see a black sky with small lights inside. “What’s that?” Raven asked pointing to the sky.

“My world and your world are connected through the night. During the night, shadows travel freely, and this sky here acts as a borderline between your world and mine,” Lucas explained.

“So, what I’m looking at is the night sky?”

“Exactly.”

“Lucas, your world is so beautiful.”

“It is not the only thing that holds beauty here,” Lucas said turning his attention to her.

Raven turned to face him. His dark eyes that looked lonely, suddenly turned bright and filled with life. They continued to stare into each other’s eyes until…”Master!” Tomi returned.

The two broke their gaze and blushed with embarrassment. “Y-yes? W-what is it, Tomi? Did you find anything?”

“I’m sorry to say, I didn’t, master. However, I did manage to retrieve the item for Miss Raven,” Tomi said holding the pendant in his hands to show Raven. The pendant was a metal symbol with a strong robe like chain.

“Good,” Lucas then turned to Raven. “Raven, you need to wear this pendant. Once you do, you will be able to move about. Do you understand?”

Raven nodded, “I do.”

“Alright,” Lucas turned to his servant. “Tomi, put it on her.”

“Yes, master.” Tomi processed to put the amulet around Raven’s neck. Raven lowered her head to make it easier for Tomi. Once the pendant was on, it glowed for a moment. “There you are, Miss Raven. Now you can walk about the kingdom, worry-free.”

“What do you mean worry-free?” Raven asked curiously.

“Didn’t master tell you?”

“I am afraid that topic did not converse. I was too busy explaining where she was and how she got here,” Lucas interruptedly explained.

“I see,” Tomi nodded. “Well, Miss Raven, the reason why master has been carrying you this whole time is that it’s dangerous for you to walk in this world.”

“Dangerous?” she raised a brow.

“Yes. You see, this world is designed specifically for shadows. Master, here, is an exception because he is his own shadow. But a human, such as yourself, would lose your human body and become a full-fledged shadow with only memories of your former self.”

“So, this pendant is to prevent my human to shadow transformation and loss of self, right?”

“You are correct Miss Raven,” Tomi said with a smile. He thought his smile brought Raven comfort, but instead, it gave her nightmares.