"Just, keep close, okay?" Jack's voice was reassuring but tense as he tightly gripped Willow's hand. They stood in utter pitch-blackness, a darkness so profound that Willow had never experienced anything like it before. Not even the faintest glimmer of moonlight penetrated the inky void. An unsettling feeling crept over her, as if unseen creatures lurked in the shadows, causing her to instinctively draw closer to Jack for comfort. She had read about Shadiya being the realm of shadows and darkness, but this exceeded her wildest imaginations. How could anything exist in such total obscurity? "Stand still." Jack instructed, his touch gentle as he carefully placed something over her head and onto her eyes. Willow instinctively took a step back, suddenly aware of how close he was. Everything was still dark, devoid of any color but at least she could now see.
"How?" She touched the googles.
"Most species can't see through her darkness of Shadiya, so Lilith got the witches to create the Avalight googles who can," He reached out his hand, and Willow quickly accepted it as he guided her through the the forest. With the goggles on, she could now see everything as clearly as if it were daytime, yet the pervasive sense of being watched lingered, causing her to clutch his hand even tighter. She stumbled over a root, momentarily distracted by the unnerving feeling of unseen eyes upon them.
They found themselves in a thick forest that bore a resemblance to the woodlands back in Germany, but Willow was acutely aware that they were now in one of the most dangerous realms there was. Shadiya itself was withering due to the destroyed moon hanging high on the sky, which only served to heighten the danger of the already menacing creatures that inhabited it. Willow had read about some of these creatures, like the nightterror, a malevolent being that ensnared its prey in nightmarish visions, driving them to madness before devouring their brains with its gaping maw, equipped with two sets of razor-sharp shark-like teeth. Rumor had it that the agonized screams of its previous victims could be heard when it unhinged its monstrous jaw. Nightterrors possessed the unnerving ability to turn invisible to the naked eye for brief moments, enabling them to sneak up on their prey and deliver a sleep-inducing sting with the needle-like tip of their long, sleek tails. What made matters worse was their appearance, resembling tall, emaciated figures cloaked in blackness, their four eye hollow sockets adding to their grotesque visage. Even with the googles making her able to see, she wouldn't see this one coming before it was too late in this nightmarish realm.
They were supposed to pick up a shadowalker which in itself was fascinating.
"Tell me again what a shadowalker is?" She had yet to get through that chap in the angel chronicle. Her eyes scanned the dimly lit surroundings, while Jack's body remained tense, poised for any potential threats lurking in the darkness.
"Shadows was created long before any other species beside angels. Each shadow was linked to one specific angel as their shadow, always near them and lived in what we call Heaven. But one day God decided he had no use for the shadows and wanted to kill them. Death didn't want that, he could see how useful a species who operate in the shadows could become so he cast a spell on them and Lucifer, linking them. If God killed their whole species, Lucifer would suffer the consequences, which at the time there was one thing God didn't want, was it to hurt Lucifer. So, God banished them to the sixth realm beside the ones he at the time already created Shadiya, knowing it was dying." As they pushed through a thorny thicket, Jack held it aside for Willow to pass through. "All most shadows want is to leave this dying realm, but they are unable to as they can only live in the shadows, unless they make a deal with a Nephilim."
"Nephilim?"
"If they make a blood deal with a Nephilim where they promise to keep the Nephilim alive they can walk in the sun. But if said Nephilim die, they're banished back to Shadiya."
"Huh," Willow stumbled forward, only to be caught by Jack as she nearly fell over something. She gripped Jack's hand tightly as they proceeded cautiously. "I swear if I'm dying in this place, I'm gonna haunt you." She whimpered, looking around as she felt like a thousand eyes was staring at her.
"I wouldn't let anything kill you." Jack chuckled.
"You awfully confident, considering we are literally in Shadiya, the realm of darkness and monsters." Willow scoffed.
"Well, it does wonders for your self-confidence when you know you can kill anything before they get a chance to notice." He grinned, when he suddenly froze, his eyes fixed on something ahead, and then Willow heard it, a low, guttural growl, interspersed with deep, raspy breaths.
Out from the shadows stepped a grotesque creature, resembling an emaciated bear that walked on two legs. Its lips were pulled back in a terrifying snarl, revealing a massive mouth filled with needle-sharp teeth. It extended its spiky, elongated tongue, sampling the air and revealing an eerie purple glow from deep within its throat. The creature's long fingers, armed with menacing claws, twitched with eagerness and Willow's heart raced as she realized what they were facing.
An Augaya, the dreaded eye-sucking beast.
"don't move." Jack's voice was low and urgent, and Willow's heart raced as she obeyed, freezing in place. In the realm of shadows, movement was a dangerous game, as this creature tracked their prey by the sound of their heartbeat due to their lack of eyes.
Jack swiftly retrieved a reaper dagger from his jacket, his eyes fixed on the threat. Just as panic began to grip Willow, a loud yell pierced the air, and a figure leaped onto the back of the Augaya. The beast thrashed wildly, trying to dislodge its unexpected attacker.
Willow watched in astonishment as the newcomer, a girl with a pixie haircut, clung to the Augaya's back. Jack shoved Willow away from the struggle, putting himself between her and the frenzied creature. The Augaya's snarls grew louder, and the girl held on with unwavering determination.
Though it felt like minutes, the entire encounter was over in a matter of seconds. The girl manifested a shadow-shaped blade on a shaft, a shadow blade. She expertly maneuvered out of the Augaya's way and drove the blade into its neck. With a final, ear-piercing shriek, the creature collapsed to the ground, twitching.
Still twisting, the girl pulled her blade free and turned her attention toward Jack and Willow, with a grin.
"LejÃn." the girl said, casually wiping the blade clean on her pants. "Are you here to reap Rubeus?" She pushed a lock of her hair away while her eyes studied Willow as if what she just did wasn't one of the most badass things Willow had ever seen.
"Yes, will you lead us the way to your village?" Jack responded, his grip on Willow's hand briefly tightening before the girl nodded.
"I had expected he would succumb to his injuries," she remarked, then turned around, gesturing for them to follow as her blade vanished into thin air.
"That was so cool," Willow breathed.
"That? That isn't a rare occurrence, they tend to keep close to our village to try and snatch the children." She shrugged, offering Willow a brief smile. "By the way, my name is Lika shadow of Ryhan."
" Lika, you're a total badass." Willow stated matter-of-factly.
"And what am I? Dry turkey?" Jack huffed as Willow let him guide her through the thick underbrush.
"You're cool too," she clapped his back.
"Thank you for the pity, appreciate it."
I did mean it though she thought as the forest begun thinning out, revealing a meadow.
In the distance loomed a sprawling village, its quaint houses crafted from a blend of stone and wood. These structures had clearly been built centuries ago, but they appeared to be well-maintained, almost as if time itself had respected their existence. Jack halted and glanced back at Willow, his voice a hushed whisper. "Shadows are strong, so you need to stay close just in case anything goes bad."
Willow nodded, her gaze unwavering as they followed Lika who confidently led the way toward the village while Willow tightened her grip on Jack's hand.
They walked along cobblestone streets worn smooth by centuries of foot traffic, drawing the curious gazes of the villagers. In the heart of the village was a bustling marketplace, stalls lined the square, selling trinkets and handmade crafts Willow wished they had time to look at. Lika guided them through winding roads until they came to a stop in front of a two-story house with a little garden.
The door creaked open, revealing a woman with long hair who gestured for them to enter. As they stepped inside, the house appeared deceptively ordinary, except for one noticeable detail, the walls lacked any photographs. They followed Lika up to the second floor and into the master bedroom, where a man lay in bed, drenched in sweat and writhing in pain. Half of his upper torso was covered with a bandage from which shadows ominously emanated.
Jack pulled Willow closer to the bed as the room began to fill with concerned onlookers. "It is time, Rubeus," Jack said with a soft smile, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
"I tried to save him," Rubeus coughed, blood splattering across his chest. "My Nephilim."
"You fought bravely," Jack reassured him. "But even a shadow has a hard time winning against an angel."
Willow had learned that killing a shadow was no simple feat, as they possessed accelerated healing. However, if Rubeus had fought against an angel, they must have employed their seraph, which could kill a shadow.
"Can we have a minute to say goodbye?" The woman choked back tears.
"Of course," Jack stepped back, allowing the woman and the others to gather around Rubeus, offering their final goodbyes. Willow felt her throat tighten as she witnessed the mourning before her. Going on a job with Jack was never easy, no matter how much she wished otherwise.
"I'm ready," Rubeus finally said, and Jack stepped forward, placing a hand on his chest. Rubeus closed his eyes, and the woman's cries grew louder as Jack pulled away, concealing the clock within his sleeve. Seeing the pain on the woman's face, Willow reached for Jack's hand, and he gave it a reassuring squeeze.
"I am sorry for your loss, Laila," Jack said softly before guiding Willow out of the house. Once they stood on the stone road again, Willow let out a sigh.
"I wonder when it will get easier for me."
"If it ever does, I will be concerned," Jack replied.