Chapter 2742: Swallowed by Shadows |
Sunny's servants moved in the shadows of humanity, unseen. The members of the Shadow Clan were spread out across both worlds, embedded into all layers of society. Theirs was usually a quiet kind of work, with high-intensity missions happening surgically after months of careful preparation.
On a moonless night at the peak of summer, things were transpiring in the same manner. Only, this time, it wasn't only one or two cohorts participating in the clandestine operation — instead, the entire Shadow Clan had been mobilized in complete secrecy, with dozens of elite Awakened teams preparing to descend upon the adversary from the darkness.
In Bastion, Quentin led his men to surround the Church of the Moon as the electric light of the street lamps flickered and died out, plunging the city into the embrace of shadows. Somewhere else, Rain and Tamar were preparing to assault the hidden base of a black market auction, accompanied by Ray and Fleur.
In NQSC, Kim had donned her armor and led a cohort of Awakened warriors to a fortified compound of a minor Legacy clan, the street cameras conveniently falling victim to interference as they passed. June and his people had boarded the Night Garden only a few days before, and were now quietly making their way through its cavernous cargo holds.
In Ravenheart, the members of the Shadow Clan shivered and looked back with terrified eyes as a breathtakingly beautiful woman in dark leather armour walked between them with arrogant steps, torrents of darkness swirling around her like a terrifying storm. Their voices were full of awe.
"It really is her... the Lightslayer!"
"Princess Revel is with us!"
"Gods! Leave it to Boss to con Dark Dancer herself into becoming one of his lieutenants."
“As expected of the Dark Lord, I guess?" Hearing the last one, Revel snarled quietly and gave the man a menacing look, which made him pale and shudder with his whole body.
The Shadow Clan did not only possess the skill and strength of its elite warriors, of course. Its main power was the near omniscience of the Lord of Shadows, whose senses could spread across vast distances, unearthing hidden secrets and supplying his servants with a detailed knowledge of the enemy.
They also wielded Memories he had forged, could travel between the worlds through seven hidden Dream Gates, and were accompanied on their missions by the incarnations of their Lord.
Now, as well, six of Sunny's avatars were escorting those of the Shadow Clan members who had to assault the most dangerous of Asterion's sleeper cells. He could augment his people, if need be... he could also summon shades and Shadows to help them, even if that would risk revealing hints of his existence to the outside world. So, Sunny hoped that he would not have to act personally today.
“This is such an enormous mess."
Aiko's voice was laced with fatigue.
It was no surprise that she was exhausted — after all, it wasn't easy to coordinate a simultaneous assault across three continents and various regions in the Dream Realm, especially if it had to happen in complete secrecy. She had received help from Cassie and Jet, of course, as well as from Revel and Sunny himself, but he had not been shy about pushing more work on his trusted assistant.
"You know..."
Aiko stared at the moving shadows with a distant expression.
"Back when you hired me to run a Memory shop, this was not what I imagined my job would be. Gods, how did I end up here... why am I even helping you kidnap thousands of random people?"
Sunny looked at her thoughtfully for a few moments, then smiled.
“Because of my charming personality?"
Aiko gave him a long stare, then gasped. "Oh, gods. I've been conned, haven't I?"
He grinned.
"What, you're only figuring it out now?" Chuckling, Sunny turned back to the table. "Still, I'd say that you're being compensated quite well for all the trouble. It's your own fault for being so good at this stuff." Noticing that most of the Shadow Clan members were in position, he sighed and erased the smile from his face.
“It's time to begin, then."
Aiko closed her eyes with a grimace before activating the communication Memories. "All shadows, advance!"
On the table, hundreds of small figures exploded into motion.
All lights went out in the Church of the Moon as cold wind threw the windows open. The people gathered inside were instantly blinded... but those who entered through the windows could see perfectly well in the dark, so they did not waste any time rushing forward with noiseless steps. In front of the vault of a secretive auction house, the Awakened guards suddenly heard a beautiful voice that seemed to belong to a young woman. In the next moment, they found themselves unable to move, see, or scream... all they could do was stand there, frozen in terror, and listen to the subtle sound of approaching steps.
The heavy reinforced gate of a Legacy clan's manor opened despite being sealed with a master command, and armed figures poured in. The few Awakened retainers who patrolled the grounds fell victim to paralytic Memories before even making a sound. The security systems — both high-tech and magical — were disarmed in a matter of moments. Within a single minute, the invaders were already entering the house.
A sea of impenetrable darkness suddenly flooded the stone headquarters of a newly formed battle sect in Ravenheart, robbing everyone inside of sight. Before the Awakened initiates had time to react, chilling screams shattered the silence, and a harrowing sense of coldness grasped their hearts.
In the depths of the Night Garden, a sudden explosion bloomed, illuminating the darkness of a remote cargo hold where a group of sinister smugglers had built their secret lair.
“Corsair, that bastard! Why do things keep exploding when he's around?!"
Aiko slammed her dainty fist into the table. Sunny coughed, hesitating to answer.
He couldn't really comment, because he knew someone like that himself...
Comments 54