The Shadow Queen Is Too Alluring—I Can't Handle This Anymore! Chapter 36: When the Chains Finally Break

My chest heaved violently, every breath like fire burning through my lungs. Sweat mixed with blood dripped down my forehead, blurring my vision.

Across the shattered battlefield, my shadow self stalked forward, each footstep deliberate, his lips curled into a mocking sneer.

"You're weak, Liam," he spat, dragging his dark blade along the cracked obsidian floor, sparks flying like angry fireflies. "Always have been. Always will be."

His words hit harder than any blow.

My fists clenched so tight my nails dug into my palms, warm blood trickling through my fingers. But I didn't loosen my grip.

Is he right? Is this really all I am? A failure pretending to be a hero?

My mind scread at to run, to give in, to kneel before the inevitable.

But then—through the swirling darkness and deafening silence—I heard her voice.

"Liam... believe in yourself. Just this once... fight for you."

Her voice wasn't distant this ti. It was real.

Alive.

I forced my eyes open, heart pounding like a war drum.

"No," I whispered through clenched teeth, louder with every syllable. "Not this ti."

The air around crackled with raw, unfiltered energy, as if the very fabric of reality was being peeled back.

The shadows didn't consu anymore.

They obeyed .

My wings unfurled again—no longer fragile and broken, but vast, majestic, and terrifying, cutting through the blackened sky like twin blades forged from living storms.

Lightning arced along their edges, illuminating the battlefield in bursts of violent, blinding light.

The shadow of myself took a step back for the first ti, his confident smirk faltering.

He raised his sword for a final strike.

But this ti...

I moved first.

With a roar that echoed through every corner of the abyss, I lunged forward, my own blade forming from the shadows with a deafening clang, eting his head-on.

As our blades clashed, a shattering explosion of light and darkness erupted.

And then—he was gone.

Nothing left but a fading echo in the wind.

My knees hit the ground, body trembling from the overwhelming force of what had just happened.

And through the dispersing mist, a familiar silhouette approached.

The Shadow Queen.

Her expression unreadable, her crimson eyes locked onto mine.

"Welco back," she whispered, her voice softer than I'd ever heard.

But even as relief washed over ...

Another shadow stirred behind her.

Larger. Older.

And far more dangerous.

To Be Continued...