Lord Shadow



As the spectacle unfolded in the Valley of Geysers, another intriguing scene played out in stark contrast within the serene confines of a pristine white palace. 

In the heart of this palace, a woman sat in perfect meditation, her legs elegantly crossed beneath her. 

She exuded an aura of serene authority, a stark contrast to the tumultuous events occurring beyond her abode.

This woman was none other than Katarina, the Ice Queen. 

A sense of icy tranquillity enveloped her, and it was reflected in the chilling maelstrom that swirled around her. 

It is as though the very elements had bent to her will. 

A gentle snowstorm, far from the harsh and biting blizzards of her domain, circled her petite figure with an almost reverent obedience.

This ethereal display showcased her mastery over the elements, and the snowstorm, guided by her unspoken command, moved with a graceful serenity. 

It was as if a gentle zephyr followed her every gesture, turning her meditation into a dance of elemental control and serene beauty. 

A woman that seems to be shrouded by regal power and icy grace.

Katarina, the Ice Queen, sat in her tranquil ice chamber

Her meditation is usually a practice of serene solitude, but on this occasion, something disrupted her profound concentration.

With a sudden flicker of alarm in her frosty eyes, she opened them wide, revealing a hint of astonishment that was rarely seen in her composed countenance. 

Her gaze, usually as frigid as the winter's chill, now sharpened like an ice shard, narrowing with killing intent.

She had sensed something, a presence so unexpected that it sent a shiver through her. 

She never thought that she would sense it. 

"I cannot be mistaken," she whispered to herself in a voice as cool as the arctic winds that swirled around her. 

"That... is the aura of my brother."

In that fleeting moment, she felt it, an energy so faint, so subtle, that it might have escaped anyone else's notice. 

But not Katarina. 

She knew her brother's aura intimately

It was weak, as if obscured by layers of other energies, but it was unmistakably him—her brother. 

His life force, his energy signature, the essence of his existence.

In the midst of her icy realm, a spark of warmth kindled in her heart

Her Divine Sense extended like an ethereal web, enshrouding the vast expanse of Old Russia. 

For the past week, she had scoured every nook and cranny, probing for any trace of her missing brother.

In her heart, she harboured a firm belief—a conviction that her brother is being concealed within some hidden dimension, a realm veiled by layers of enchantments and guarded by the apparatus of the Senate.

Information had trickled down to her through her Azief. 

A whisper, a fragment of a clue, that hinted at something ominous known as Tartarus, a place deeply enmeshed with the Republic's secrets. 

Yet, even Azief knowledge was shrouded in ignorance when it came to Tartarus. 

He had only unearthed this name after inquiries with Sasha.

The realization infuriated Katarina, fuelling the flames of her determination. 

It affirmed her suspicions, strengthening her belief that her brother is ensnared within the Senate's grasp. 

"I hope Sasha did not hide anything. Knowing her, I would not put it past her"

Before Sasha's ascension to her position as a staunch supporter of Pandemonium, before she donned the moniker of the Nightingale, and even prior to her assuming the mantle of leadership over the Shadow Guard, there were chapters in her past where her path crossed with the Republic. 

Sasha harboured no fondness for Katarina, and this sentiment is reciprocal.

However, duty trumped personal grievances in Sasha's world, especially when she served as Azief loyal subordinate. 

Whatever orders the Death Monarch issued, she executed without question.

To the rest of the world, Sasha held the unofficial title of Chief of Staff within the Intelligence Division of Pandemonium, a moniker bestowed upon her by both allies and rivals alike.

In the eyes of the people in Pandemonium government, it was more of a nickname than a formal designation, yet it aptly encapsulated her role as the secretive mastermind behind most of Pandemonium covert operations. 

Her actions spoke louder than titles, and her reputation continued to strike fear into the hearts of her adversaries, regardless of the names she was known by.

Within the labyrinthine hierarchy of Pandemonium, a seemingly unified front conceals the nuanced distinctions in its covert operations. 

On the surface lies Pandemonium Intelligence Division, an entity helmed by a different commander. 

To many outsiders, the fine details of this structure remained shrouded in obscurity. 

However, among the elite ranks of the Shadow Guards and those who had delved deeper into Pandemonium's inner workings, the stark disparities between these two factions were unmistakable.

Though there were occasions when their duties intertwined, their overarching missions remained starkly divergent. 

The Pandemonium Intelligence Division specialized in the art of gathering information, their efforts meticulously aimed at amassing a wealth of knowledge for Pandemonium benefit.

In stark contrast, the Shadow Guards operated on a different plane, transcending the bounds of mere intelligence gathering. 

While they did undertake the collection of information, their primary role transcend their allegiance to Pandemonium. 

Their unwavering devotion is pledged to Death Monarch. 

This distinction is crucial, for it epitomized the essence of their existence. 

While some might argue that, in practice, both factions served the same master due to Death Monarch iron grip on Pandemonium, the subtleties of this dichotomy were not lost on those who comprehended the inner workings of Pandemonium's clandestine machinations.

As the head of the Shadow Guards, Sasha bore the solemn responsibility of safeguarding Death Monarch interests with unwavering loyalty. 

Her role is a job filled with complexities, demanding a razor-sharp intellect, uncanny foresight, and an unflinching determination to maintain a perpetually advantageous position for herself and her organization. 

The shadows in which she operated were replete with intrigue, making it imperative for her to perpetually outmanoeuvre potential adversaries and stay ahead in this unending game of power.

Of course, it helps when your backer is the strongest man in the world.

Several years ago, whispers had first reached her ears—mere fragments of a rumour suggesting that the Republic was constructing a formidable prison. 

However, the news surrounding this clandestine project had been conspicuously suppressed, as if a shadowy hand were diligently snuffing out the sparks of information before they could ignite. 

In response, the nascent rumour had fizzled into near-oblivion.

Yet, when Azief sought her insights into potential locations where the Senate might have concealed Boris, Sasha embarked on a methodical exploration of known black sites and those locations whose approximate coordinates she had gleaned over time.

  This exhaustive search yielded nothing, leaving her grappling with the Boris whereabouts.

Katarina is quite sure that Sasha did not care that much about her brother. But she did it because it was an order.

However,  it was then that a long-buried urban legend resurfaced in Sasha mind, like a dormant serpent awakening from its slumber.

The urban legend of Tartarus,

It was a tale entwined with the tumultuous time of the Weronian Invasion and subsequent Occupation—a period marred by political intrigue, clandestine machinations, and unexpected alliance

As the urban legend recounted, the Republic had harboured a clandestine ambition—to construct a prison, a fortress of despair capable of serving a dual purpose. 

This endeavour was not merely about incarcerating foes or adversaries but rather crafting a sanctuary concealed so ingeniously that it could seemingly elude even the omniscient gaze of Heaven Will itself.

The intricate design of this stronghold was believed to have been imbued with eldritch secrets, seamlessly melding the physical realm with the arcane. 

It was whispered that Tartarus had the power to veil its existence, rendering it impervious to the prying eyes of both celestial and terrestrial beings. 

In the annals of clandestine architecture, Tartarus was shrouded in the deepest layers of mystique, a fortress of inscrutable enigma.

Sasha contemplated the veracity of this tale.

Could it be that Tartarus, a prison said to possess the very essence of obscurity and secrecy, was the place where Boris had been ensnared? 

Anyway, Sasha told Azief about some place called Tartarus. And Azief told her. It's quite good to have a boyfriend like that, she thought to herself. 

Tartarus, if she read the report right is a secret prison, the grandaddy of all secret prison as Sasha put it in her report.

Untraceable, compressed into the fabric of reality of earth. But other than that, Shadow Guard did not know much about this prison other than it could exist.

Since then, Sasha has been spreading her Divine Sense.

Trying to see if she could sense this prison. 

Katarina did not ask for Azief help

After all, she knows that he is also concentrating to create the Ten Realms. 

When she heard his plans, the first times she hears it, she kind of doubt that he could do it. But after seeing him fight Kaiju and seeing his power, Katarina believe that If anyone could do it, it would be him.

Knowing he would be busy in trying to break through to Essence Creation and also constructing the Ten Realms, she did not feel it right to impose on him. 

And she knows this is her problem. Not his. 

Of course, if she could not handle it, she would ask his help. Katarina is not that prideful that she did not know how to accept help

Azief is like that. But she is not.

Most of her life, she had to ask for help. And she remembered every one of it.

Every scar on the back of her brother is because she asks for help.

Her brother takes the abuse from their father, all so that he could protect her. And now, it is her turn. 

She would abandon pride if she could save her brother. And she also knows that the Senate doesn't want to kill her brother

She knows the dilemma that her brother posed for the Senate. They would not dare kill him to risk a global war with Pandemonium. 

So, the only thing she could do is spread out her Divine Sense trying to find her brother. She did not attack the Senate. But she tries to find a way to circumvent the Senate decision. 

She knows that the Senators are debating about this atter. 

But she could not wait. 

If any other Disk Formation levelers did what she did, they would have been exhausted by now. 

And she is exhausted. 

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