Shadow
Chapter 4
Blurred Memories

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A new morning comes, its sun dim, silence filling the place. Asma slowly opens her eyes, then sits up in bed… she yawns, rubbing her eyes to push away the messy strands of hair.

• “I slept deeply last night… What’s with this quiet? Isn’t this morning?”

Ivanka appears, bowing without lifting her eyes toward the queen.

• “Good morning, Your Majesty.”

Asma is startled by her presence, then smiles slyly and foolishly.

• “Good morning! …Hmm… What’s your name?”
• “Ivanka, Your Highness!”
• “Ah… yes… Ivanka! …Sorry… So, why is the place so quiet this morning?”
• “Yes, My Lady, but… Norton is the Kingdom of Darkness, and the nymphs of darkness had a hard time adapting to light. That is why New Norton faces the faintest sun in the stellar system. The activity of Norton’s people also decreases in the light.”
• “I see… so you’re like bats then?”
• “Not exactly, My Lady! The difference is, we have adapted to the light, otherwise we wouldn’t have survived after the Great Agartha War against the Light Nymphs.”
• “Light nymphs?”

Ivanka realizes she has mentioned something forbidden to the queen, and quickly falls silent.

• “Hmm… Who are the Light Nymphs, and what is the Great Agartha War?”
• “Forgive me, your highness! I… I don’t know much.”

Asma studies her briefly, realizing this matter might be forbidden here.

• “Alright, maybe you can’t tell me more… But let me ask you something else, which I think isn’t forbidden.”

Ivanka nods.

• “I want to know how I can return to my world! Since my consciousness is here, my body must still be in a coma there until I come back.”

Ivanka does not answer. Asma’s suspicion grows.

• “You… know something, don’t you? At least tell me this: why did the king bring me here? I know I wanted to escape my world, but… I thought it was just a joke at first.”

Ivanka looks at her with concern.

• “My Lady Asma, I want you to know something… I am a knight, and a knight’s loyalty remains to their liege. I am bound to you and only you… until the end, as sworn from the beginning.”
• “Your words mean… that I’m in danger?”
• “Yes, My Lady.”
• “Shadow! He’s the danger?”
• “My king Shadow is a just king. Believe me, he is not truly evil… but…”

The door bursts open, and the red-haired merman, Evan, enters. Ivanka stammers.

Evan looks at Ivanka with a signal from his left eye, Asma can’t understand. Ivanka bows, storms out angrily, and slams the door behind her. Evan’s serious expression melts into a silly grin.

• “Heeeelloooo, my Lady, Star of the Stars, Crab Eater, Asmaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”
• “Who are you?”
• “M… My Lady! Did you forget me?!”
• “I never knew you to forget you!”
• “Sharp and blunt, just as always, my little Sesame!”
• “Sesame?!”
• “Yes! Your grandfather Felix always called you that. I don’t blame you if you don’t remember; that’s the effect of memory erasure that the nymphs use on ordinary humans like you.”
• “First of all, my grandfather isn’t Felix! It’s Samir! Second, what memories are you talking about? You feel familiar to me… and that Crab Eater title… that was mine when I was little. But I feel like part of my memory was erased indeed!”
• “That’s what happened, Asma. Let me help you.”

Evan places his hand on her head, casting a spell—unlike Shadow’s violet and black magic, this one is black and red.

• “Reverse Memories.”

Disturbing images tear into Asma’s mind. She sees an abandoned garden on a sunny day. Seven-year-old Asma sits with her grandfather on a patterned picnic blanket. Evan plays nearby, younger in age, while little Asma braids young Ivanka’s silky pink hair. Ghosts and spirits serve her grandfather food in the garden.

Beneath a great tree stands a gloomy young man, his eyes stern. Little Asma clasps his hand, trying to pull him to play. But he slips his hand away, crossing his arms tightly over his chest and leaning against the tree.

The young man averts his gaze in disdain, clearly despising the whole scene.

• “That young man… Shadow?!”
• “You remembered something?” Evan asks hopefully.
• “Yes… but now I don’t understand anything anymore.”
• “We were with you in your memories… but I don’t know if we’ll stay together. What’s certain is that I won’t let anyone harm you.”

Shadow’s voice cuts from the door.

• “And who would dare harm the queen?”

Evan panics. “N-no… no one!”

• “You! You, Shadow! You’re the one who dares harm me!” Asma shouts angrily at him.

Shadow stares at her coldly, then a smirk touches his lips. For the first time, Asma truly notices his sharp features, the scars running from his left brow down through his lips, stopping at the beauty mark on his chin.

• “And why would I? No one is worth harming unless it’s in war! And have I fought you?”
• “I know you’re a bad person. That’s all I know.”
• “Hah… Perhaps I am. Perhaps you are too. And maybe Prince Evan is as well… who knows?”
• “What do I have to do with this?!” Evan protests.
• “Shut up!”
• “…Fine.”

Asma frowns. “What do you want exactly, Shadow? I don’t like games.”

• “I want you to sign a contract.”
• “…What? A contract? What kind of contract?!”
• “The truth is, I brought you here, Asma, to make an agreement with you. And don’t forget—you came here of your own free will.”

Asma grumbles, Shadow smiles.

• “You must sign this contract, which has only three conditions.”
• “And why should I?”
• “Don’t you want your freedom from this world? There’s only one way to escape from here!”
• “Why offer me this deal?”
• “Let’s just say I’m a diplomat. I like both sides to win in negotiations.”
• “…Alright, what are the conditions?”

Shadow conjures the contract into the air, clear before her eyes, and begins.

• “First condition: You must rule Florencia the Rose, or Norton as you prefer to call it. You must be a happy queen of your kingdom and people, enjoying all royal luxuries within the palace and realm.”
• “That sounds far too peaceful, which makes it suspicious! Alright, what’s next?”
• “Second condition: You must never attempt to escape Norton under any circumstances, because without me you cannot. And I will no longer be able to protect your life.”
• “As if my life is protected now…!”
• “Yes, I protect your body through my healing power. Your body is safe.”
• “Yet I don’t wake up, thanks to you!”
• “We need you to do us a favor by staying. Don’t worry, I will return you after I finish something.”
• “And what is that ‘something’?”

Shadow continues.

• “The third and final condition: You must agree to marry me.”
• “Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!”

…

Shadow walks the palace halls, leaving Asma after she outright refused his marriage offer. He warned her she would be forced to remain in Norton longer, while he would have freed her from the burdens of her life in her world if she had agreed.

Shadow’s mind drifts, until Evan cuts in.

• “Shadow! I understand your intentions—you want to save the powers of darkness, but…”

Shadow, calm.

• “What is it? Go on, I’m listening.”
• “Asma did nothing wrong… It was her grandfather’s fault… and the Light nymphs. They started this chaos and killed my father, the former king!”
• “I know that… But some mistakes can only be redeemed by sacrificing innocents. In a world of clashing forces like the Nymphs Paths, survival belongs to the strongest. The end justifies the means.”
• “Are you saying killing Asma is the only solution?”
• “I don’t hate her… Her grandfather was simply clever. He enslaved me to save Light Agartha… but the price was the destruction of Dark Agartha and the death of Norton’s people!”

Evan sighs.

• “Energy spheres… They’ve always been a source of conflict in this world, and even in Asma’s world.”
• “Yes… unfortunately. They’re a source of life, destruction, and… betrayal!”
• “If you were freed from your enslavement, and we were all freed, does that mean we could protect Dark Agartha from certain ruin? Save our people?”
• “Yes. But the contract her grandfather forced upon me makes it impossible. How can I marry her and love her, when I lost my heart long ago… so very long ago? There’s no reason for us to share any feelings but hatred. So, the better option is to kill the contract holder. In the end, I should have killed her grandfather in the Great Agartha War as revenge for your father anyway. If we rewrite the rule… Asma has no right to exist at all.”

Evan looks at him in deep worry, then suggests:

• “Why not at least try? I love Ivanka, as you know… She sees me as just a child, but I’ll keep trying.”
• “It’s different with a human. Ivanka is a Fairy of Darkness—she won’t betray you. Humans, on the other hand… all of them are traitors.”
• “But Asma isn’t like your former fiancée!”

Shadow’s expression darkens with anger, and Evan swallows his words. Shadow leaves him behind.

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