Chapter 106 : Five shadows
Five shadows
Milo’s POV
The echoes of the announcement continue to ring faintly in my ears, and for a second of standing in front of everybody, my brain tried to process the information.
Induction?
Everything was happening too fast, as if I were a stranger watching an epic drama unfold before me. The word induction continues to ring in my ears like a curse, as I was dragged like a sacrificial lamb being prepared for slaughter.
Within seconds, I was stripped out of my initial clothes, I was only being left with my boxers. I shivered instinctively, trying to beg for anything to cover my smooth and tender legs that were too smooth and too tender for a hardened warrior, but I was not given the chance to.
The shadows as they were called, gathered in a circle, boots pounding against the ground in a rhythmic old song, as they moved, sealing me into the center like prey. Their eyes burned into me, but this time… they weren’t filled with mockery or disapproval. They were simply watching.
A hooded figure stepped forward, carrying a round bowl filled with a dark liquid that was hard to identify.
My stomach turned when a coppery scent hit me. Even without telling me, I immediately knew that it was blood.
James stepped forward, dipping his hands into the mixture, then began smearing lines and symbols across my arms, my chest, my face. I fought the urge not to scream. As the marking acted like they were alive, sinking into my skin.
“By the mark of shadows, you are stripped of the old,” James chanted, voice booming through the chamber unnaturally loud.
“By the mark of shadows, you are bound to the new.” The crowd repeated the words in unison, their voices low, guttural, vibrating through my bones.
“By the mark of shadows,” James boomed again, his voice like iron, “you are stripped of the old.”
The crowd thundered back the words in unison:
“By the mark of shadows, you are stripped of the old.”
James’ eyes locked with mine. He leaned closer, his voice dropping lower and dangerous.
“By the mark of shadows, you are bound to the new.”
The chant erupted again, each time becoming louder and more deafening than before.
The hooded figure handed him a red hot rod, with an emblem attached to the ending.
That was the shadow unit sigil. James looked at me with an emotionless face, then with practiced movement, he lifted his shirt where the same small mark was at his lower abdomen region.
My heart shook.
I understood immediately what he was trying to tell me. The pains and trauma I had from Damon branding me came back alive, and for a moment throughout the forced ritual ceremony, I hesitated, fear flashing in my eyes.
But James' stare grounded me, like a strong unwavering pillar that refused to let go of me.
With a slight nodding of his head, James moved, pressing forward with the rod.
Agony ripped through my entire body. My whole muscles tensed as the white-hot fire etched itself against my skin. I cried out in pain, gritting my teeth so hard I feared that I would gnash it to pieces. The crowd roared even louder, their chanting reaching its maximum volume amidst their stamping as if they were feeding on my pain.
I almost collapsed. My vision darkened, but James’ hand came up at the moment, gripping the back of my neck in a hard, steady grip.
“Stand, Milo, you must endure the pain else they will never see you as one of them.”
I forced my trembling knees to stand erect for a little while longer, as I endured the pain with clenched teeth.
Finally, after what seemed like years to me, the iron lifted from my skin. The pain throbbed through me, leaving behind the glowing scar of the sigil, a sign of membership to the most sought-after unit in the whole kingdom.
The shadow unit of the mafia king.
James didn’t let go of my hands, He raised his hand high before announcing, “Rise, a new shadow-born has been brought among us!!!”
His voice traveled like thunder, The arena exploded in chants.
"Shadow-born."
"shadow-born."
Their voices rumbled through the ground like a heartbeat, stamping their acceptance into my bones.
But I wasn’t looking at them.
I was staring at the sigil that had been imprinted as a form of tattoo on the right side of my abdomen. Unknown emotions continued to swell inside me like a flood of dam that was let open. I was so lost in thought that I didn't know when the chants finally died down.
I looked up, but to my shock, they continued to surround me, I could taste the heavy anticipation in the air. Each of the shadows that have gathered all had an excited and vicious look on their faces now, like they were waiting for something to happen.
Just then, as if to sensing my nervousness, the hooded figures voice cut through the cheering crowd:
“The ritual fight begins now!”
My head snapped up in shock.
“Wait… fight?” My voice cracked from disbelief. But my protest was drowned out by the screams and cheers of excitement coming from the crowd.
James, on the other hand, didn't look fazed at all. If anything, his ever sharp gaze locked on me. He leaned closer to whisper in my ears. “Don’t panic, milo. This is the second and most important part of the ritual. Do your best and try to survive… Think of it as part of your training for tomorrow night.”
My throat went dry. “Training? Against who? What does he mean by trying as much as possible to survive?”
A lot of questions plagued my head in alarm,
I didn't even need the answer, I saw the answer in front of me.
Five masked shadows stepped forward from the group. They moved like wolves circling their prey, I couldn’t see their expressions behind their skeleton mask, but that was what made everything more bone-chilling.
Each one carried a dangerous menacing weapon that looked like they were carved out of the hardest materials one could find. The first shadow held double edged longswords, one was with heavy chains, two of them had a whip that cracked through the air, the last one held a huge sledgehammer that continued to glint wickedly in the low light. Their eyes locked on me as though they couldn’t wait to tear me apart.
The crowd cheered louder, pounding the floor with their chants and shouts that seemed to vibrate through the entire facility.
“Before the second part of the induction ritual begins, I would like to spell out the clauses.” The hooded figure’s voice boomed out over the chaos. Immediately, every noise quietened.
“The tick of the bell shall decide your fate :
Survive until the clock ticks to one hundred, and you will walk out alive with a bronze badge.
Survive until the clock strikes two hundred, and you earn the silver badge.
Disarm two of them within the stipulated time free, and you can claim the gold badge
But disarm all five within two hundred ticks of the clock… and you will be crowned diamond.”
Gasps and jeers rippled through the room. Some laughed, some cursed, while others leaned forward eagerly, their eyes lightening up. My chest tightened uncontrollably as he mentioned the rules.
Five against one. Each of them was twice as dangerous and strong looking than the warrior I had fought before. Judging from their aura that was filled with unimaginable depth. Even an Alpha, wouldn’t dare to face two of them alone in a fight not to talk of five.
No wonder to qualify was just to try and survive till the 100th tick of the clock.
A massive iron clock was revealed at the far end of the room. I swallowed hardfethe pressure of everything descending on me.
James leaned in, his hands clapping me on my shoulders encouragingly. “Milo, remember this, you don't need to do much. Just survive 100 ticks of the clock, and you are good to go.”
Then the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the bloody fight.
The sound echoed like a death toll, and before I could even take a breath, the five shadows moved in sync, all rushing at me in all directions, covering any way of escape
A bitter smile tugged at my lips despite myself.
“So this is how I die…”
I took a deep breath. I braced myself to meet the incoming storm.