Interlude Shadow Mga Nobela at Kwento

The only light in the room was a bare bulb hanging from its electric wires, and it was sent swinging, throwing dancing shadows across everything. Emily's attention snapped over to see what the commotion was, and she found two men standing the doorway, framed by the aged wood. At first, she could only make out their silhouettes in the darkness, and a hint of features as the light swung their way. Then they moved more fully into the room, and she got a clear view of them.

The room was dimly lit, the heavy scent of cigar smoke curling through the air. Alessandro De Luca leaned back in his leather chair, swirling a glass of red wine. Across from him, Mateo Salazar stood with calculated ease, his sharp eyes betraying no emotion. The silence between them was razor-thin, each man waiting for the other to speak first. “A man of your reputation shouldn’t be wasting his time in the shadows, Alessandro.” Mateo spoke, breaking the silence. “Especially not when there’s an opportunity to reclaim what’s rightfully yours.”

It was the kind that hummed in your bones, that sharpened your instincts and made your trigger finger twitch. Zayn stood to my left, arms crossed, his eyes scanning the half-lit structure as our footsteps echoed against the concrete floor. The overhead lights flickered erratically, casting the occasional buzz and making the shadows dance like phantoms. Pallets stacked with sealed crates surrounded us, forming narrow corridors that we knew by heart. This warehouse had seen countless deals, had housed everything from crates of rifles to top-tier surveillance gear. But tonight, it didn’t feel like the fortress it had always been. Tonight, it felt like a tomb.

Progress, I suppose, though hardly control. The shadow pauses, seeming to assess my defensive posture. For a heartbeat, I think I hear whispering—words too faint to decipher, spoken in a language that tugs at some primal recognition within me. Then the shadow retreats, melting into the deeper darkness beyond the orchard's edge. I remain frozen, light crackling between my fingers, waiting to see if it returns. Only when minutes pass without further sightings do I allow myself to breathe normally again, though I don't extinguish my light. Its gentle glow illuminates my path forward, keeping the deepest shadows at bay.

"And I’m here to reclaim the assets." The Shadow let out a screech, her red dress beginning to smoke as the real Union resonance hit her. She lunged at Iris, her hands turning into claws of black ink. I stepped in her way, my shoulder hitting the Shadow with the force of a truck. We went down together, sliding across the slick floor toward the fountain. She was cold—freezing—but I didn't let go. I pinned her arms, my teeth bared. "Get the ledger, Iris!" I yelled.

I whisper, my voice barely audible. No reply. I sit up, my heart pounding, trying to get my bearings. Then I see him, standing at the door, his silhouette barely visible in the dark. “What are you doing?” I ask, moving closer. “Listen.” At first, I hear nothing—just the creaking wood beneath my feet and the distant moan of the wind. But then I catch it: a faint sound, like branches breaking under the weight of something… or someone. “Take it,” Shadow says, still staring out the window.

The leaves were rustling as if the wind had passed through them. However, when one looked closely at the dark, forbidden forest that the tight community of Paphos, Cyprus had to forbid their children and citizens there, one would find that something was moving through the leaves, not the wind itself. The shadow lurked in the shrubbery, trying to stay hidden from its pursuers, laying low on the ground as its blue eyes were looking at the people—bad, dirty humans—who were trying to catch it beforehand.

In silence, the two locked eyes. Suddenly Pauline let out a chilling laugh. As she turned back, a syringe needle appeared in her hand. “Don’t blame me! Since you know my secret and refuse to side with me, then you all must die!” she growled. “You don’t love me anymore! You’ve fallen for Mariah, haven’t you? If that’s the case, I’ll send you to meet her like the pair of doomed lovers you are!” Her eyes glowed with madness as she lunged forward, grabbed the needle, and pierced Chandler with it.

" I asked Colton impatiently waiting for my woman. I stood at the altar in my wedding tuxedo waiting for my bride while every guests wait for her arrival too but she was nowhere to be found. " I don..." Colton wasn't able to speak anymore because he lets out a scream of pain holding his shoulder and looked at me wide eyes then at his shadow fellas " Oh no, someone is tricking mistress to open the gate to the shadow dimension. Something is not right. We need to go now."

Fuck. Something runs past me hiding in the shadows of the woods. I stop in my tracks, scared of death. I can almost hear my heartbeat. My blood is raging in my veins. "Show yourself," I yell angrily. I hear a low growl and see strange eyes focused on me for a second. I scream and fall to the ground. "Alice! Alice! Alice!" The voices have gotten closer. Something is definitely following me in the woods. I stand to my feet hurriedly. My cloth and shoes have mud stains on them. "Fuck," I grunt. The midnight bell rings from afar in the village. What a hell of a way to start my eighteenth-year birthday. I hear the growling clearly as it draws closer to me. My hands are shaking as I grab the dagge