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Chapter 29 – Wings Torn from Shadow

The sky seemed to have been torn apart by a merciless darkness. Deep within the Shadow Dimension, everything existed within a moment where even time struggled to flow. A voice echoed from the depths of the endless night; with each reverberation, the delicate fabric of the universe trembled, like a command resonating across dimensions.

“The time has come.”

These words did not merely pass through V’s lips—they emanated from his very being, from his corrupted divine essence. With his utterance, shadows quivered, the fabric of space twisted, as if an unholy birth was commencing.

Kneeling before him, Nihreth raised his head upon receiving the command. Though he did not remove the dark mask from his face, the depth shimmering in his eyes conveyed everything. He was no longer a summoned entity; he was the shadow itself. And now, by his master’s decree, he would become the harbinger of destruction across dimensions.

“I will fulfill your commands, my Lord,” said Nihreth. His voice was a whisper, yet within that whisper lay an echo capable of shattering stars. “I will emerge from the shadow. And I will remind them of the darkness.”

V closed his eyes. The expression on his face did not reflect triumph but rather a sense of collapse. The voices echoing within him—no longer singular but two distinct minds—had intertwined. One issued commands, the other memorized them like sacred scriptures. A distorted duality rising from his own being, living on that indescribable boundary between a smile and a scream.

“Hunt them,” said V, his voice nearly melodic, “one by one. And remind them… darkness is not merely absence. Sometimes, it is a will. My will.”

Nihreth bowed his head. Then, he unfurled his massive wings made of shadow—one darkened as if absorbing stars, the other sharpened as if slicing through the void. He took a step, and the boundary of the dimension rippled. Then, like a wind, he glided towards Midgard.

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Midgard – Pulse of the Night

In a Midgard village engulfed by night, the stars had vanished. The sky seemed cloaked in the black veil of oblivion, the breath of the night had grown heavy. As a shadow silently passed over the rooftops, dogs began to howl, and babies started to cry. Yet no one could see it—for Nihreth was invisible not only to seeing eyes but also to feeling hearts.

His eyes searched for the echoes of ancient gods. The divine vibrations that had just begun to touch Midgard. All creations withdrew from around him, trees bent, waters forgot their flow. As if his presence questioned the balance of nature.

Eventually, he saw a shimmering crack at the foot of a distant mountain range. The color of the air here was different—a pale veil between green and gray. Nihreth floated in the void, then stood before this crack.

“Otharys,” he whispered. The weight of the name bent the surrounding reality.

And he took a step. The crack absorbed him.

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Otharys’s Dimension – The Infinity of Hunger

Here, there was no time. Here, there was no form. Only hunger.

Otharys’s dimension was not a void but a devourer. As soon as Nihreth entered, even shadows disappeared. Each of his steps distorted a new form of space. The very fabric of the dimension resisted his presence. The flow of time tried to rewind around him—but failed.

And at that moment, an entity appeared. Its appearance defied reason: a body composed of interwoven creations adorned with horns. In each of its eyes, a different sin of the past flickered. Its body was both a woman and an infinity. Otharys, the Goddess of Infinite Hunger, awakened.

“You… are a summons,” said Otharys. Her voice was the rustle of shattered stars.

“No,” said Nihreth. “I am a will born in the essence of darkness, shaped by will. I was V’s summons, but now I possess a mind that would even rebel against his dominion.”

Around Otharys, entities writhed, creatures moaning from hunger. “V… Lord of Shadows. A petty godling. Has he come to destroy me with the hand of my own executioner?”

Nihreth’s eyes gleamed. “No. I have not come to destroy you. But to remind you of something: the darkness hidden in the shadow, which you forgot in your slumber. You are a god, but you have been forgotten. He is now creating a reality. And you… are a step behind.”

A silence ensued. Silence, like the heartbeat of stars.

Otharys took a step. She tore the fabric of existence.

“You… have overstepped, dark bird. Your master is about to annihilate your being. I will consume you.”

“Try,” said Nihreth, in a low voice. “But be careful, Otharys. Perhaps now I am a consumer too.”

And suddenly, the dimension trembled. Neither had moved. But existence had bent with their words.

⸻

The Power of Words – Distorted Reality

Nihreth raised his hands. The void began to collapse around him. The fragmented space trembled like a visual storm approaching. Otharys’s eyes sparkled with sparks. For the first time, the balance of power between a god and a summon was this shaken.

“Your words… possess the power to weave,” said Otharys. “This is impossible.”

“I was V’s summon. I am the emissary of Oblivion. Darkness did not shape me. I shaped the darkness.”

The goddess let out a scream. In her voice was the lament of continents. Boundaries began to shatter. Nihreth did not retreat. He fixed his gaze. At that moment, everything paused like a spark.

Both had raised their hands. Words were beginning to be replaced by spells. Energies danced just before clashing.

That moment was like the breath of ultimate destruction.

But before the battle began, Nihreth spoke:

“No. Not yet.”

Otharys was surprised.

“I only tested you. I just wanted to see how corrupted you have become. I will not fight yet. Because this battle… must be in front of V’s eyes. So that he himself hears the song of divine collapse.”

And Nihreth withdrew from the dimension. Otharys screamed in fury, but she could do nothing. The shadows had receded.

⸻

Shadow Dimension – Sharing with the Master

V opened his eyes on his throne. A tremor in his gaze. He seemed to hear Nihreth’s voice.

“I took the first step, my lord. I provoked the hunger. I awakened the forgotten. And now the breath of the gods will descend upon Midgard.”

V’s lips twitched. Two voices spoke simultaneously:

“Good. Good… Let them all awaken. Let them all… die.”

And the shadow trembled with laughter.