A new day had begun.
The first rays of sunlight spread across Yolsbut, touching every living creature and even the smallest stone with their gentle glow.
One of those rays reached a two-story inn at the edge of the city. On the upper floor, in one of the rooms, a girl named Luna—currently staying there under a false name—was sleeping peacefully.
Her shimmering, silken white hair spilled across the pillow like a waterfall of light, covering it completely. The blanket she had pulled over herself brushed against her flawless pale skin, shielding her from the merciless chill of the night.
Through the curtains of her window, sunlight crept in, falling upon her face—so pure, so beautiful it seemed almost inhuman. The warmth disturbed her slumber, making her delicate features twitch. With a faint groan, Luna opened her radiant sapphire-blue eyes, their brilliance dulled only by drowsiness.
If a poet or painter had seen her lying there, they would have cursed the sun forever—for daring to spoil such a divine image with its intrusive light.
Luna blinked slowly, raising her head. Even sleep seemed reluctant to release her beauty, but in the end, it had no choice. She sat up gracefully.
Though awake, exhaustion weighed on her body. She had traveled for days without rest, searching for someone—her quarry still eluded her, but the hunt pressed on.
Rising from the bed, Luna drew a long black cloak over her dark clothes, pulling the hood up to shadow her face. She turned toward the door.
She could already sense someone waiting outside.
A moment later, a woman's voice came from beyond the door—it was one of the inn's attendants.
"Lady Kaytlin!"
Luna had checked in under that name. She disliked using her true identity.
Expressionless, she stepped closer, opening the door just wide enough for her eye to peek through. Her cold, detached gaze met the servant's, startling the woman for a moment. So beautiful… the thought flickered in her mind before she quickly composed herself.
"Lady Kaytlin," the servant asked cautiously, "how much longer do you plan to stay at our inn?"
"Inconclusive," Luna replied flatly.
"Will you… be staying another night?" the woman pressed, a little nervous.
"Yes."
Relief brightened the servant's face.
"Wonderful! In that case, please join us for breakfast downstairs."
But Luna had already begun to shut the door.
"I'll eat elsewhere," she said through the gap, and the door closed.
The servant muttered, a little disheartened,
"Such a pretty girl… but her manner…"
Though spoken quietly, Luna heard it. She didn't care. She had heard the same thing too many times to bother with it anymore.
Moving back into the center of the room, she whispered in her mind: Shadow Shift.
Her body sank as if plunging into water, swallowed by her own shadow. In the next instant, she emerged in a deserted alley connected to the city's bustling main street.
This was her mark—her bond with the Emblem of Shadows. She had borne it since youth, rising over time until she had reached the rank of Master. Few in the world could claim such a title.
Because of her rare silver hair, her cold, mysterious nature, and her mastery of shadow, people knew her as The Moon's Shadow.
Stepping to the alley's mouth, she peered into the busy street. Soldiers marched past, escorting a massive covered cage on a wagon.
Judging by how heavily reinforced it is, whatever's inside must be powerful.
She followed quietly, weaving into the crowd.
Up ahead, children darted across the road, forcing the driver to halt suddenly.
"What happened?" one guard barked.
The driver snapped over his shoulder.
"Damn brats ran in front of me."
The guard grunted.
"I see. Move on, then."
But another soldier murmured uneasily,
"This kid… doesn't look like the Lord of Darkness at all."
His partner spun and cuffed him hard on the head.
"Don't ever speak of that! If the people hear, they'll panic."
"Sorry," the man muttered, rubbing his skull.
"Forget it. Just keep your mouth shut."
The exchange was too quiet for the crowd to notice. But not for Luna. She slipped back into the shadows of another alley, a thin smile tugging at her lips.
Found him.
The one she had been searching for was inside that cage. Now, she only needed to extract the truth.
At the gates of Yolsbut, Eli struggled to understand what had just happened.
Where had those soldiers come from? Who had ordered them?
Questions spun in his mind as he approached one of the guards.
"Hey, soldier! What's going on here?"
The man straightened at once, pounding his fist to his chest in salute.
"Good morning, Sword Master! By order of the city governor, we are taking the boy into custody."
"What charges?" Eli demanded. "He hasn't committed a crime!"
The soldier's voice remained firm.
"He bears the Emblem of the Lord of Darkness. That alone warrants his arrest."
Eli froze. He knew the boy carried the emblem—but he also knew the boy had done nothing wrong. In fact, he had saved Eli's life.
Watching as they forced the boy into the cage, Eli pressed further.
"Why lock him in that thing? He's not a beast!"
"He's too dangerous," the guard replied. "Even with that emblem, we cannot trust him. This cage was made to hold monsters—and from here, he'll be taken to the dungeons."
Eli's jaw clenched.
"Fine. Then I'll go with you."
The soldier nodded as though expecting it.
"Of course. The governor awaits you at the castle."
Eli's suspicion deepened. Someone had known they were coming, had arranged this… But whether coincidence or conspiracy, only the governor of Yolsbut could answer.
He turned toward the city, but after a step, stopped and spun back. Pointing sharply toward the boy in the cage, his voice cut like steel.
"If you harm him in any way, you'll answer with your life!"
The soldier bowed low, pressing a fist to his chest in silence. Eli knew the gesture's meaning—acceptance of responsibility. He said no more and entered the city.