The Truth of Narkaal — The First Shadow

The world shook as gold and black clashed in the sky.

Kemp’s golden aura pushed back the dark pull of Narkaal’s sphere, but only slightly. The air trembled. The ground cracked. The heavens groaned as if they could not handle the pressure of these two forces.

Ayon struggled to stand.

Ayon:
“W-We’re fighting a god… how is this even real…?!”

Sumit gritted his teeth, flames lifting around his fists.

Sumit:
“Doesn’t matter! God or not—we’re here with Kemp!”

Jirsong pulled his shattered spear out of the ground.

Jirsong:
“We survived the Demon King. We can survive this too!”

Ajmal, clutching his staff tightly, took a slow breath.

Ajmal:
“No… this is different. Narkaal is on a level far beyond the Demon King. We must understand what he is… before we attack blindly.”

His eyes narrowed, scanning Narkaal’s form.

The darkness around the ancient being rippled like liquid ink.

Narkaal slowly lowered his hand, the tiny black sphere floating calmly above his palm like a miniature collapsing star.

His hollow mask turned toward Ajmal.

Narkaal:
“You seek answers.
You mortals always seek answers.”

Ajmal stepped carefully forward.

Ajmal:
“If you want to destroy our world, at least tell us why. Tell us what you are.”

The world fell silent.

Even the wind froze.

Narkaal stayed still for several seconds, then spoke in a deep, distant voice.

Narkaal:
“Before creation… before light… before life…

There was only me.”

The heroes shivered. His voice wasn’t loud, but it felt like it echoed across thousands of years.

Narkaal raised one hand toward the sky.

A wave of darkness spread like ink, painting illusions above them.

They saw a vast empty space—no stars, no planets, only endless black.

Narkaal:
“I am the First Shadow…
A being born from the emptiness before the universe.”

Ayon whispered:

Ayon:
“What… what does that even mean…?”

Narkaal:
“When the first spark of light appeared…
I was forced into exile.”

A tiny golden spark appeared in the illusion—like the first star ever born.

Narkaal continued:

Narkaal:
“I hated the light… and yet, I needed it to shape myself.”

The illusion showed Narkaal absorbing parts of the newly formed light, twisting it into black energy.

Ajmal frowned deeply.

Ajmal:
“So you used the first light to gain power…?”

Narkaal:
“Yes. And then… I created my first vessel.”

The illusion changed again.

They saw a humanoid shape appearing in the darkness.

Narkaal:
“The Demon King.
He was my creation.
A seed of destruction meant to grow across worlds.”

Sumit clenched his fists.

Sumit:
“So the Demon King… was just your puppet?!”

Narkaal:
“He was never meant to win.
He was meant to weaken worlds.
To make them ready…
for me.”

Everyone felt their stomachs drop.

Jirsong:
“So all the war… all the death… all the pain… it was just preparation for you?!”

Narkaal:
“Yes.
The Demon King was nothing but a door.
And now that you destroyed that door…
I am free to enter.”

A wave of cold fear washed over the team.

Serdihun 1:
“S-So killing the Demon King… helped Narkaal?!”

Ajmal nodded slowly, his face pale.

Ajmal:
“Yes… by destroying the vessel, we removed the barrier keeping Narkaal away.”

Serdihun 2:
“T-Then… what do we do now?!”

Alir’s hands shook as she held her bow.

Alir:
“Kemp… this is worse than anything we imagined…”

Kemp stepped forward, golden light rising from his shoulders.

Kemp:
“Everyone… calm down.
We didn’t make a mistake.
We saved the world from the Demon King.”

He pointed his spear at Narkaal.

Kemp:
“And now… we save it from him.”

Narkaal tilted his head.

Narkaal:
“You cannot save what already belongs to me.”

The darkness behind Narkaal began to twist and rise.

A massive shadowy structure formed—like a gate made from black lightning.

Ajmal’s eyes widened.

Ajmal:
“Kemp… everyone… that gate… it’s a dimensional breach!”

Ayon panicked.

Ayon:
“A breach?! That means—”

Ajmal:
“Yes.
Narkaal is trying to pull his true body into our world.”

The heroes froze.

Sumit’s voice cracked.

Sumit:
“H-His true body?! Then what is this thing?!”

Ajmal swallowed hard.

Ajmal:
“This is only an avatar.
A projection.
A tiny piece.”

Everyone felt numb.

If this piece alone was strong enough to distort the sky…

What would the real Narkaal be?

Narkaal raised a finger.

Not a hand.

Not a palm.

Just a finger.

A black needle of darkness shot forward.

FAST.

So fast that no one even saw it move.

Ajmal’s eyes widened.

Ajmal:
“KEMP—!!”

Kemp moved instantly—

CLANG!!!

He blocked the attack with his spear.

But the force sent him skidding back, digging trenches into the ground, sparks flying.

Ayon shouted:

Ayon:
“He blocked it—!”

Ajmal:
“No… look carefully.”

A thin crack ran along Kemp’s golden spear.

Kemp stared at it silently.

That one small attack…

Nearly broke his weapon.

Narkaal:
“You are strong…
But far too weak to challenge me.”

Kemp stood tall, ignoring the throbbing pain in his arms.

Kemp:
“Doesn’t matter.
Even if you’re a god…
Even if you created the Demon King…
We won’t back down.”

Sumit stepped beside him.

Sumit:
“Damn right. We’re not cowards.”

Ayon moved next.

Ayon:
“We fight together!”

Jirsong smirked.

Jirsong:
“Let’s make this god cry.”

Alir raised her glowing bow.

Alir:
“For this world!”

Serdihun sisters activated their healing aura.

Serdihun 1:
“For the people!”

Serdihun 2:
“For each other!”

Ajmal stepped forward last, his staff glowing with ancient sigils.

Ajmal:
“For the truth… and for hope.”

Kemp tightened his grip on his spear.

His golden aura rose like a sun.

Kemp:
“Narkaal!!
You will not destroy our world!!
WE—WILL—STOP—YOU!!!”

The golden light burst outward.

Narkaal simply watched.

Then slowly, he raised both hands.

Narkaal:
“Then come.
Let your hope burn brightly…
before I extinguish it forever.”

Kemp charged.

Sumit ignited into flames.

Ayon unleashed wind.

Alir fired arrows of light.

Jirsong leaped with lightning speed.

Ajmal cast a sealing spell.

Serdihun sisters boosted everyone with healing magic.

And together—

They launched their first combined attack at Narkaal.

The sky exploded into gold.

The world shook.

Narkaal lifted one hand…

And darkness roared back.

Gold and black collided—

BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!

A blast so powerful it erased mountains in the distance.

The world trembled.

The heroes were thrown back.

But they stood up again.

Breathing hard.

Bleeding.

Shaking.

But standing.

Kemp wiped blood from his lip.

Kemp:
“This is only the beginning.”

Narkaal’s hollow mask stared back at them.

Narkaal:
“Yes.
The beginning…
of your world’s end.”

The battle of gods… had begun.