Shadow Slave novel Chapter 3225

Months before, the Oracle of Thetis had issued a summons to the rulers and champions of the peaceful kingdom.

Soon enough, they gathered in the inner sanctum of the Temple of Fate, where three priestesses sat behind the veil.

One of them was a young girl, one was a mature woman, and one so old that she seemed like a crumbling statue made of sand.

All three were blind, and yet they saw more than any mortal could.

They were the voices of the Oracle, after all.

The king — a man with wise eyes who had the bearing of a scholar — bowed reverently before the priestesses, and then knelt.

“We have received the summons. What message does the Oracle have?"

Behind him were the most prominent people of Thetis — warriors, ship-builders, philosophers, artisans, and more.

The priestesses spoke, their voices effortlessly intertwining to create a peculiar, melodious sound — as though it was fate itself speaking, not merely three mortal women.

“The Oracle has shared two truths."

“The Oracle is leaving."

"Prepare for war."

The king froze, shocked by the two revelations. He did not know which one had shocked him most — the fact that the Oracle, who had been the Supreme patron of Thetis since the day of its creation, was leaving... or that they had to steel themselves for war.

Behind him, the sanctum exploded with a hum of voices.

Glancing over his shoulder, the king frowned.

"Silence!"

The the rest obeyed his command, allowing silence to return.

Exhaling slowly, he turned around to the thin veil that obscured the figures of the three priestesses.

He had never been a fearful man, but now, he felt the need to gather his courage before asking the next question:

“What... what does it mean? What war?"

After a long pause, a childish voice spoke:

"It is the war against War."

The king flinched.

‘War... against War?’

His expression turned ugly.

One did not need to guess in order to understand the meaning of this revelation. It meant that the Empire of War, which had been devouring realm after realm somewhere far away, had finally set its sights on Thetis. The king was dismayed, since no one had expected that to happen so soon — at the current rate of expansion, the Empire was not poised to reach them until centuries later.

Even then, most believed either that the war would never happen or that they would be able to reach a peaceful resolution. Fate had other plans, it seemed.

But if that was true, then didn't they need the Oracle more desperately than ever before?

The king closed his eyes for a moment.

“Then why did the Oracle leave?"

A mature voice responded him a moment later:

"She left to ensure that we win."

An old, feeble voice added:

"She left to gather allies that will save Thetis."

The king was a pious man. How could he not be? The Oracle, despite her nebulous nature, had been the guardian of Thetis for centuries — in fact, numerous believed that Thetis would not have existed without her, since this land used to be tainted by a harrowing plague of spreading Corruption once. Therefore, the Oracle was beloved and revered by her people.

And yet, for the first time in his life, he could not help but doubt her words.

The king believed that the Oracle had left in search of help, hoping to enlist the aid of powerful allies.

But he doubted that there were beings powerful enough to repel the Empire of War anywhere in the mortal realms. Trembling, he gritted his teeth and asked:

“What allies does the Oracle seek? Who can save Thetis from the clutches of the Empire, and how vast an army would they need to assemble in order to face the endless legions of War?"

Once again, the three priestesses responded.

“The Oracle does not seek an army."

"The Oracle seeks champions."

“She only seeks four."

There was a hum of voices behind the king. This time, he did not silence his people. Instead, confused and wary, he asked:

“Only four champions? How can this be?! Who are these four heroes then, those who can defeat War?"

There was a long stretch of silence.

Then, the childish voice spoke:

“One Who Brings Light, the Tyrant of Compassion, the Eternal Flame, the First Ruler... the nephilim, White Abyss."

The mature voice continued:

"The Shattered One, He Who Observes, the Companion of Hope... the mirror wraith, King of Nothing.”

The old voice was next.

“The Blessed of Dread, the Truth Keeper, the Lady of Sin... the gorgeous monster, Jade Queen."

And finally, all three voices resounded together, sending shivers running down the king's spine.

“The Rightful Heir of Death, the Bastard Son of Fate, the Apostle of Ruin... the shadow, Lost from Light!"

***

“By the Moon..."

On a cloudless night, a startled voice resounded on the upper floor of the Ivory Tower.

The full moon was traveling across the velvet sky, and its silver light spilled into the spacious chamber. The figure of a man was outlined by the light, his long hair tied carelessly by a ribbon. There was a miserable expression on his face.

The man was miserable because he was wearing black, and he had been forced to wear black because, tonight, his mission was to sneak into the Ivory Tower.

No matter how he loathed his current garment, none of his usual clothes were suitable for creeping in the darkness of the night.

Hence, the black attire.

At the moment, however, Noctis all but forgot about his misery.

‘I know that I am mad — the maddest man in all of the Kingdom of Hope, no less! — but am I that mad?'

No, his eyes were not deceiving him.

“So there's indeed someone living in the Ivory Tower..."

The traces of a person inhabiting the chamber were subtle, but unmistakable. Noctis glanced around in bewilderment, then walked over to the stairs and descended to the floor below.

There, the traces were not even subtle anymore.