The carriage crossed the arch and continued on its way. Shadow's expression did not change, but he turned his head slightly, looking north.

Their long journey across the mortal realms was nearing its end.

It had taken them a few years to reach the Kingdom of Hope — the last mortal realm they had to cross before reaching the Hollow Mountains.

Noctis was not nineteen anymore. His face had lost the last traces of adolescence, and he did not look like a boy now, resembling a man more and more with each day. Snuggle and Shadow, meanwhile, remained the same... at least outwardly.

In truth, many things had happened during their journey, so neither of them was the same.

Even if Shadow did not want to, he had allowed himself to be pulled deeper into the whirlpool of humanity. After meeting countless people and witnessing their lives, often becoming an unwilling participant in their joys and conflicts, he had no choice but to become painted in similar hues. He was now much more human than he had been or ever wished to be.

Snuggle seemed to have changed the least. She had grown more comfortable with her Transcendent powers, learning more about her Aspect and its depths — but apart from that, the little doll was just as cheerful and clumsy as before.

It was just that now there was a dark undertone hidden behind her brightness, even more so than there had been in the past.

That was because now that they had spent so much time together, both Shadow and Snuggle had an inkling of who the other one was. It was just that nothing good could come from knowing the truth, so both of them avoided broaching the subject, even in their thoughts.

There were enough things happening every day to keep them occupied, anyway.

In hindsight, meeting Noctis had been a blessing. If Shadow and Snuggle — an ancient Titan and a homeless soul occupying a child's doll — ventured into the cauldron of the mortal realms alone, they would have probably left a trail of ruin and devastation in their wake, eventually attracting the attention of beings who were too powerful even for Shadow to face.

He was not the most sociable of creatures, after all. Even if he did not want to get entangled with the world, the world rarely left him a chance to stay detached from it, and since Shadow wasn't really familiar with such concepts as humility, fear, and knowing when to shut up, things were bound to get complicated when the world came knocking.

His propensity to always tell the truth alone was disastrous.

But with Noctis there to shield Shadow from the countless people and beings they had met on the way, most of their journey had been somewhat smooth. Noctis was not only able to smooth things over, but had also proven himself useful in countless ways, from renting rooms at inns to navigating the complicated web of relationships between the great powers of the mortal realms.

It was just that the young Transcendent's usefulness had its own drawback, as well. There were many things that Shadow would have passed by indifferently, but Noctis refused to.

So... their journey had not been entirely smooth, after all.

In fact, it was full of twists and turns, conflicts and unexpected resolutions. Noctis and Snuggle handled the Creatures of Corruption — those they could handle, at least. Shadow stepped in when things became too perilous.

Like those two Sacred beings Noctis had mentioned. The way he told the tale to the bandits, both of them had been easy prey to Shadow... of course, it wasn't true. In fact, it was the exact opposite of the truth.

After testing himself against these two Sacred beings, Shadow came to the conclusion that while he could handle some, each of such battles would be a matter of life and death. Sacred beings were different from each other, after all. Just like there were people who were weak and people who were paragons of martial skill, Spirits were not created equal either.

Among those who were Supreme, Shadow was like a herald of death. Even if he had promised not to kill, he could still devastate most opponents of his own Rank with relative ease. In a battle against those who were Sacred, however... even if he could hold his own, the outcome was up to luck.

Shadow had a feeling that if he stumbled on a truly powerful Spirit one day, he would be destroyed. Of course, he wasn't really afraid of death.

But every time he had died in the past, he was thrust into a new life.

So if there was something Shadow feared, it was life.

With a sigh, he guided their carriage across a well-maintained stone road. Around them, the tranquil vista of the Kingdom of Hope sprawled toward the horizon. The vast expanse of emerald grass, the golden fields in the distance, the boundless blue sky above — the scene was blissful and picturesque, infused with a feeling of peace.

Among all the places they had visited, this land — a mortal realm ruled by a Divine being — seemed like the safest. From what Shadow had heard, people here thrived. Their lives were not without worries, of course, but far better than in most places.

And yet, Shadow could not help but feel a chill run down his spine.

The moment they entered the Kingdom of Hope, he suddenly felt disturbed and uneasy. Looking at the beautiful landscape around them, all he could hear was the rattling of chains.

All he could think about were memories of madness.

Unable to stop himself, Shadow turned his head and glanced at the carriage, where Noctis was still sleeping off his recent escapade.

Shadow's expression darkened.

Just at that moment, the door of the carriage opened, and Noctis climbed onto the coachman’s bench while yawning.

"I told you to wake me up, did I not?"

“H—hey, watch it!"

In his groggy state, he didn't notice Snuggle and almost sat on her, forcing the little doll to scurry closer to Shadow and give him a resentful look.

“You stink!"

Noctis scoffed.

“So what? You don't have a nose."

Shadow smiled quietly.

Noctis, meanwhile, glanced around with curiosity.

"So this is the Kingdom of Hope."

His eyes glinted with wonder.

"The Demon of Desire has always been fond of humans, but it's still a bit strange, isn't it? For her to establish a kingdom in the mortal realms. I heard she is a wise and benevolent ruler."

He smiled.

“And she invented writing, too!"

His admiring smile widened a little, then suddenly disappeared. Noctis remained silent for a short while, then said with a dark expression on his face:

"Come to think of it, I had to endure all those exhausting reading lessons because of her. Shadow, do you know the horror of having to stay inside and read when the weather outside is perfectly fine? Actually, don't answer. You spent thousands of years in a damp cave. You'd probably love it, lunatic!"

Shadow shrugged.

Noctis sighed heavily, then shivered.

"Still, it's weird. The rest of the daemons are so aloof and terrifying, but the Demon of Desire seems... nice."

Shadow looked at him, then turned his gaze back to the road.

"Really? I think differently."

His faint smile dimmed a little.

"I think she is the most terrifying of them all."

Noctis and Snuggle both glanced at him with surprise.

"Really? Why?"

He did not answer for a while, then leaned back and sighed.

“All things start from desire. And all things bow to desire, as well."

Noctis scoffed.

“Sounds like a lot of rubbish..."

Looking ahead, they could just see the walls of a bustling city. Noctis seemed to liven up, expecting to rest from the road soon.

The closer to the city they got, the more people there were on the road. Carts, carriages, and wagons moved both ways, and from time to time, a horseman would fly by, rushing on some unknown business. There were some traveling on foot, as well — their faces were relaxed and healthy, as if they knew no fear of the Creatures of Corruption.

That, at least, made sense. What kind of Nightmare Creature would be bold enough to enter a land ruled by a Divine Titan?

Noctis seemed more and more pleased. It seemed that he was already imagining the wonders of local cuisine and culture — or maybe he was simply looking forward to curing his hangover with some wine. However, Shadow led their carriage around the city without approaching its gate. Noctis was startled.

“Huh? Wait, where are we going?"

Shadow kept looking ahead.

“There's a place I want to visit."

Despite the protests of the young man, the carriage rolled forward, soon leaving the city behind.

Before too long, towering white walls revealed themselves in front of them once again.

Not too far from the city, a magnificent structure stood under the boundless sky, emanating an overpowering feeling of joy and excitement.

It was a great colosseum built of white stone.

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