[False Night… Activated!]

Whoosh…

A thick veil of darkness dense enough to feel almost solid - spread across the ancient palace once ruled by the legendary Black One, ancestor of the Blackcat folk. Inside, the blackness stretched without end, swallowing every hint of light. Outside, in the kingdom of Felmora, citizens stared in terror as a violent, malevolent cloud blanketed the palace and bled tendrils of shadow into the city. Panic rippled through the streets as people fled from the unnatural phenomenon.

"Are we going to see Master?" Rin's soft, almost childlike voice floated through the darkness inside the palace.

"Yes, Rin! We've got to fill him in on our discoveries, right?" Tama grinned, hands on her hips, tail flicking side to side. Though crowned Queen of the Shadows, wielder of power, palace, and the one to lead the blackfolks, Tama still placed one figure above herself: her master, Asher Reynolds.

"Wherever you go, I follow, my king." Estella—black-haired on one side, blonde on the other bowed low.

"Hm–mm. You're the leader of the Shadowlings, Estella. Stay here and guard the palace," Tama ordered, then turned to the white-and-black catgirl beside her. "I'll take Stellani as my personal guard."

"Yes, my king. With pleasure," Stellani said, stepping to Tama's side with a faint smile.

"Alright, everyone—hold the fort." Tama waved.

"Rin will see you next time!" Rin giggled.

Sylvester adjusted his spectacles and offered a crisp farewell alongside Estella and the remaining Shadowlings.

[Black Spiral Gate… Activated!]

The dark cloud began to whirl, funneling toward a single point before them. A vortex yawned open on the ground, pulling at the air like a silent storm. Two seconds later it swallowed Tama, Rin, and Stellani in a smooth rush.

The instant they vanished, the False Night dissipated, sunlight flooding the palace grounds as though the darkness had never been. Felmora's citizens halted mid-panic, staring skyward in stunned relief.

****

Meanwhile…

"You're weak!"

Asher's cold, confident voice cut through the quiet as his Double crumpled, shattered by a single brutal punch to the gut. He glanced back at his family, still holding their ground against the horde. The zombies Sharon defeated stayed dead, but the others refused to stay down—decapitated, smashed, even cut in half, their limbs coiled back together like a relentless virus.

With his appraisal active, Asher's eyes widened when a new presence appeared, unlike any other zombie in the area, and it was charging straight for his mother.

Onalenna was standing amidst the battlefield, consulting the glowing orb in her hand. Tennis-ball-sized eyes floated within it, revealing enemy movements. Yet even her sight globe failed to track the approaching threat. All she saw was a thin, dark streak of shadow and then she felt a sudden, icy stab to her stomach.

Asher's legs flared with crimson energy, tiny sparks dancing around them as he launched forward at blinding speed. But even he was too late.

Drip… drip… drip…

Drops splattered onto the pavement like water from a leaking tap. Onalenna froze, staring at the figure before her: Mrs. Lawson—or something wearing her shape. From the waist up she still had her dark, beautiful elven skin, long ears, and hollow eyes. But below the pelvis, eight black, metallic spider legs scraped against the stone. The missing eyeglasses only confirmed Onalenna's dread. This wasn't Mrs. Lawson anymore.

That realization barely registered before the real pain began.

Schwkkk!

The creature wrenched its limbs free of Onalenna's gut, tearing a deep wound. Blood poured from Onalenna's stomach as the adrenaline ebbed and agony roared in. She released a guttural cry as her knees buckled—only to be caught by warm, steady hands.

"Mom! MOM!" Asher's desperate scream made everyone turn. They saw Onalenna choking on her own blood, barely able to breathe, and horror rippled through the group. None could help; the zombies were closing in, drawn as if the entire horde in the area converged on Asher's location.

"No… no… no!" gasped Asher's Double, horror etched across his face. He struggled upright, but his right leg snapped at the knee with a sickening crack, the lower half sliding away. No blood spilled—only thick, slimy goo.

"No!! Not my mother! You promised you wouldn't hurt her!" he shouted, crawling toward them. "You said we'd only kill the otherworlder not my family!"

Sharon's heart shattered at the sight of her mother's dying form, and that disturbed her focus. Her fire spirit flickered out like a dying candle, disappearing. Sharon sprinted forward. But before she reached them, Lawson's spider limbs lashed toward her.

Asher, in anger summoned a wind shield that deflected the strike. He wasn't gonna let the wrenching spider chimera hurt anyone else he cared about.

He growled. "Kill the damned spider, Rose!"

Rose leapt without a moment of hesitation to do as her husband had ordered.

Meanwhile, Asher yanked healing potions from his system store, tearing them open with his teeth. He pressed a hand against the gaping wound, lifting his mother's shirt to slow the bleeding while forcing the liquid between her lips.

But the potions did nothing noticeable. Onalenna only weakened, the injury likely severing vital organs.

Then Asher sensed it—a familiar, dangerous aura he dreaded.

His head snapped up. Anna stood frozen, eyes fixed on Onalenna, tears streaming down her cheeks. Yet a dark red aura pulsed from her, thick enough to make the air itself uneasy. Even the zombies hesitated.

Schlick.....

Rose's cursed whip sliced the spider-chimera in half, but her gaze swung instantly to Anna as well.

"Oh no," she breathed.

"W-what's happening?" Natalie shrieked, clutching Derrick's arm.

Lorraine remained firm.

Anna's innocent face warped into a feral grin, teeth lengthening into jagged points until the smile nearly reached her ears. Her eyes suddenly turned crimson. She touched her chest and giggled—then the giggle deepened into a low, cruel laugh.

"Finally. I'm in control. How elegant."

The voice wasn't Anna's. It was deeper, guttural, dripping with malice.

"Damn it," Rose hissed, tightening her grip on her cursed whip. She recognized the presence. Even in her sleep, she wouldn't forget the disgusting presence of Draegonoth.

But why did the bastard show up now? No...No. There's a zombie attack—fear and death is thick in the air which is perfect fuel for him.

She glanced at Asher, still focused on his mother, then back at the demon. Negative energy swirled toward Anna's body like smoke drawn into a furnace. Her green-and-silver hair ignited at the tips; her forehead cracked, a single horn pushing through.

The others who had never seen such a terrifying sight before in their lives shrieked and backed away. Only Rose and Lorraine held their ground.

"I knew something about Anna felt off," Lorraine muttered, tightening her fists. "Now that I've seen her true form, l won't hold back. This is a rematch for the academy tournament."

"Elegant," Draegonoth rumbled through Anna's mouth, his smirk deepening. "Truly elegant. You're only the second mortal to stand in my presence without breaking. Too bad you're still a small fry."

Whoosh!

Wind buffeted Lorraine before she even saw him move. Fingers clamped over her face and—

CRACK! Pain exploded through her back as she was slammed into the ground, earth fracturing beneath her.

"Tch… he's even faster than the last time we fought him." Rose spat, snapping her whip. Its snake-head tip darted toward Draegonoth, but he simply raised a hand. A wall of molten red lava erupted, the whip shrieking like a dying insect the moment it struck. Rose screamed as fire raced up the cord, forcing her to release it.

"It saddens me you're still weak after all this time, my wife," Draegonoth taunted.

"I'm not your damn wi—"

The ground beneath her glowed, then burst like a volcano. Scalding lava shot upward. Rose barely dodged, the heat searing her legs. She screamed as the smell of scorched flesh filled the air.

"The zombies! They've trapped us!" Mirai screamed in fear on the other side, pressing against the wall with Derrick and Natalie.

"We're gonna die! Is this the end of the world?"

TBC

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