Leon and Tessa instantly turned in the direction Arin was looking. Their eyes widened as they noticed something forming.
It was a black portal. It wasn't too big, but it wasn't small either. No sound came from it, and nothing emerged. It simply hung in the air, staying still.
Tessa stared at the portal, her eyes slightly widening. "T... That's the Shadow Portal, huh?"
"Yes," Arin replied shortly, stepping forward without hesitation.
Leon, on the other hand, was frozen in place. His mouth hung slightly open, and his body trembled. His mind struggled to process what he was seeing.
As Arin and Tessa walked toward the portal without even the slightest hesitation, panic overtook Leon. He dashed forward and grabbed Arin's shirt, tugging at it.
"What?! What do you think you're doing?" he asked, his voice sharp with urgency. His wide eyes locked onto Arin, who turned back to look at him, his expression hidden beneath his mask. "A black thing just appeared out of nowhere, and you're walking toward it like it's nothing?!"
He swallowed hard, his grip tightening on Arin's shirt. "And... And you don't even know what it is!" His voice wavered as he stammered. "How can you be so relaxed?"
Arin smiled, a small, almost amused expression. "You have nothing to worry about, Leon."
Leon frowned, still gripping his shirt. "Nothing to worry about? You expect me to just stand here while you—"
"How about you stay here with Tessa?" Arin interrupted, his tone calm yet firm. "She'll make sure you're safe."
Leon instinctively turned to Tessa, who simply smiled at him—a smile that felt oddly reassuring as if she was telling him "I'll take care of you."
Leon hesitated for a moment before exhaling a heavy sigh. He slowly released Arin's shirt. "I really don't understand what's going on, but…"
He paused, glancing briefly at Tessa before continuing, "...if I'm staying here with her, then fine. I'm okay with that."
He wasn't just agreeing because he'd be with Tessa, but because, deep down, he felt relieved that he wouldn't have to step anywhere near that eerie portal.
Observing Arin's composed demeanor and how he spoke, Leon could tell one thing—Arin intended to enter the portal alone.
His gaze flickered toward the mask covering Arin's face. 'And that mask of his…' Leon thought, narrowing his eyes. 'I still don't understand why he told me not to call his name when we reached the forest. He's definitely hiding something from Tessa.'
Leon was sharp enough to notice the inconsistencies, but he also knew better than to question them outright. If Arin had a reason for keeping things secret, then Leon would respect that—at least for now.
However, he wasn't the only one thinking about this.
Tessa had also noticed Leon's odd behavior. 'Leon is in my class… and Arin is in the same class as well,' she thought, her gaze briefly shifting between the two. 'Is it connected somehow? And for some reason, Leon hasn't called Chaos's name yet…'
A voice suddenly snapped her out of her thoughts. She looked up and saw Chaos watching her closely.
"Now's not the time to space out," Arin said as they neared the portal.
Tessa blinked before nodding. "Yes, I understand."
"She's getting more suspicious," Seraphine's voice echoed in Arin's mind. "She must have noticed some clues."
Arin glanced at Tessa, his eyes unreadable behind his mask. "Yeah… I know I won't be able to hide it for long. Sooner or later, she'll figure it out. To be honest, I don't think I'll be too bothered when that happens."
Finally, they stopped in front of the portal. Leon, however, stayed a safe distance away. His body tensed as an involuntary shiver ran down his spine.
'This black thing is just too scary,' he thought. 'What the hell is it?'
He swallowed nervously, forcing himself to stay put. 'I didn't know this offer would involve something … but I'm already here. There's no turning back now.'
Arin turned to face them. "Okay," he said, his voice steady. "I'll be right back."
Leon's face contorted into an expression of confusion. "Wait, what—?"
Arin, however, wasn't surprised by his reaction. 'For someone like Leon, explaining things afterward is the best option.' He reasoned. 'If I tell him what the Shadow Portal is and about the Shadow Seed now, I don't know how he'll react, so I'll explain later..... when I'm done with everything.'
Just as he was about to step into the portal, Tessa's voice stopped him.
Arin turned to her. She had lowered her head slightly, her fists clenching at her sides.
"Be careful," she said, her voice quieter than usual.
Arin didn't hesitate. He nodded once before turning back to the portal.
'Let's hope what's inside isn't different from what the novel mentioned.'
Without further delay, he stepped forward and disappeared into the darkness.
The portal emitted a faint hum before it stilled once again.
Leon stared at it, his expression unreadable. He then glanced at Tessa. "Will he come back?"
"Yes," she answered simply, folding her arms across her chest.
Leon hesitated. "I see… Uh, can you tell me more about this offer?"
Tessa raised a brow. She wasn't surprised—Leon must have been referring to something Chaos told him.
A playful smile tugged at her lips. "When he returns, you'll find out."
Leon blinked, his body stiffening. 'For some reason, that smile of hers is giving me chills… It wasn't before.'
Tessa turned back to the portal, her voice barely above a whisper. "Just be patient… Come back soon, Chaos."
As soon as Arin entered the portal, an odd sensation washed over him. His body felt… strange. Smaller, almost as if it was being compressed.
The sensation didn't last long, as his feet suddenly met solid ground.
Arin's eyes snapped open as he took in his surroundings.
"This place sure is scary," he muttered.
Above him, the sky stretched endlessly, covered in swirling dark clouds. Five moons hung ominously, casting an eerie glow over the desolate landscape.
The ground beneath him was made of hard, black sand—almost like frozen ash. In the distance, jagged hills loomed, their silhouettes barely visible against the bleak horizon.
Yet, apart from that… there was nothing.
A barren land that seemed to stretch endlessly.
Even without the moons illuminating the surroundings, he would have been able to see clearly—his enhanced vision as a Vampire ensured that.
Turning around, he spotted the portal he had just stepped through, hovering in the air.
His eyes narrowed slightly. "So that's where the Shadows passed to enter the Human Realm, huh?"
Suddenly, his body tensed as he looked forward, and then, he felt it.
Two energies approaching at a fast pace.
His gaze locked onto the distance, his expression sharpening as he squinted his eyes. And that was when he saw them.
Two figures, moving toward him at high speed.
Arin clenched his fists.
"They're finally here, huh?" he muttered under his breath. "The Shadow General… and the Nightmare Shadow."