Lord Shadow

He waves his sleeve and coming out from his sleeve is ravens. They perched themselves on top of his arm but when he shakes his hand the ravens flew away high into the sky.

He looks at the forest and he could see the dark blob creatures that roamed the forest even from where he is standing

Around it is a forest that emerged out from the grassy terrain and dark creatures that is like a dark blob that guarded the area around the stones.

He came here at night. It had required him to do may preparations to come here. As he looks at the glowing light in the distance he smiles bitterly.

Then he heard the sound of hissing behind him.

But he did not turn back. There is a large serpent behind him and it slowly approach him but the serpent did not attack this man.

Instead it curls around his foot.

This man is none other than the Regent of Pandemonium and also known in the world as the Trickster, Loki.

He is at the area around the Stonehenge. There is only one reason he comes to one of the Forbidden Zone in the world

He had found out that an old friend is here.

The Stonehenge have been a forbidden zone from two years ago. Dark aura rises up from there and no signs of life could be detected.

Since it seems to be so dangerous, the Seven Great Powers and a joint announcement declaring the place around it to be a Forbidden Zone.

He had read the report and at first he found nothing strange in it and agree with the declarations. It wasn’t until he tries to calculate the place with Karma that he stumbled.

And with that he knows someone like him is there. This is the accumulation of Fate and Destiny that give him this luck of coincidence.

Azief wanted to slow him down by giving him the position of Regent. And his effort was slowed down but it does not stop.

And because Azief gave him the position of Regent, he stumbled into the fact than his old friend is here.

If not for the massive intelligence that Pandemonium possess, Loki is sure that he would never notice that one of his friend is here after Morgana.

He could see the ring of the Stonehenge that cover a large swath of area. The standing stones stood tall and wide.

He walks into the forest. The dark blob monster rushed to him like he was an animal that fall on a river that is filled with piranhas.

Each of these dark blob had some kind negative aura around them.

Loki only smiles.

The serpent that curl itself on his foot suddenly expanded and grow to thirteen feet tall serpent. It then swallows the dark blob like they were food

Loki only smiles and he walk calmly through the forest with his thirteen feet high serpent behind him.

The blue aura glowing in the distance seems to be closer. Then he saw it. He saw nothing and he smiles.

‘This formation…’ he said to himself and then he closes his eyes and sighed. This is an illusion. What he sees I an empty area other than the large tree and the stones.

Someone is there.

He whistles and the tall serpent turns back into a smaller size.

The dark blob no longer tries to attack Loki seems any of the have bene swallowed by that serpent.

Instead they roamed on other places ignoring Loki.

The serpent slithers and climb up Loki foot and climb to his sleeve.

The serpent waited as it coils itself around Loki hand.

Loki sighed and patted the serpent head and the serpent hiss. While he could not understand animal language, Loki could feel that the serpent is happy.

They are connected by the soul after all.

This serpent is rarely brought out from his lair. But he knows the only thing that could counter these dark blob is only these serpents.

Because he knew what these dark blob is. And if the person here is his old friend, that person would also know how to pass these army of dark blob.

He looks at the serpent and said

‘You are not like Jormungandr which makes you cuter’ Loki said and the serpent went into Loki sleeve.

Loki then blows wind from his mouth but what comes out from his mouth is more than just the blowing of wind.

Instead a green smoke comes out from his mouth as it corrodes the space and time in front of him.

Whatever barrier was put around here, it dissipated and suddenly a gust of energy rushed through Loki when the barrier around it disappeared.

He smiles.

‘Even the energy around this area was trapped inside this formation’ Loki muttered.

It was like color have returned to the world and this area.

He steps into the circular ring of stones and he look at the tree with a complicated expression.

He shakes his head as he walks to that tree

It is a thin tree that reached the clouds, its roots are tangled and on the branches of the lower part of the tree hang many small fruit like cherries, its skin is like the combination of white and gray.

The moment he saw that tree he sighed. He now knows who this old friend of his and why that person is here.

In the end, he did not know everything about Death Monarch and that mysterious lady

This must be where it would happen’ he said to himself.

Sitting under that thin but tall tree is none other than the Oracle Erika. Sleeping not far away from her is Antonius.

Loki calmly walk to the tree. Even from afar he could see that the eyes of the Oracle are cloudy white and skies and the heavens is inside her eyes.

When he is close enough Erika said

‘You are not him. I am not waiting for you’ she said, her voice sounded ancient and authoritative.

Loki stop and then he closes his eyes. There is an expression of sorrow on his face. Then he sighs and slowly opens his eyes

‘Is she still there?’ He asks.

Erika blink and her eyes turns to normal. Erika look at the man in front of her. She knows who he is. At least the future him.

And with her eye she could see that the Laws of Time around Loki is chaotic.

‘A person that doesn’t belong’ she mused

Lord Loki’ Hearing the appellation of Lord Loki laughed bitterly.

She sacrificed a lot. He said after a few moment of silence.

Erika nodded

‘It seems I were not able to see my old friend after all. Did she tell you everything?’ Loki asked. She did not want to become a ghost and become a baggage to her past self.

Who knows? Maybe that decision is the right one.

Erika nodded

‘That is unfortunate. It is not a happy memory’

Erika nodded and answer

‘It is not.’

‘Still, you are here’ Loki said, a kind smile on his face

Erika nodded and answer

‘Still, I am here

Loki then look at Erika; his gaze is now different.

He thought he came here to meet his old friend. Though it seems his old friend have leave and probably would never come back.

And that made him sad. After all, they all fought in the same war.

He then asked

‘You are waiting for him?’

Erika nodded

‘I am afraid to ask but do you think it will still turn out like that?’

‘The end has already been written’

‘Then, it is futile’ Loki said with a calm tone.

‘I never said that’ Erika retorted. Hearing this Loki chuckles.

‘You know; you remind me of her.’

‘I am her’ She said

‘Ah, I can argue that argument if I wanted to.’ Loki said, staring at the Erika in front of him.

She did not have that same kind of coldness that the future Erika have but clearly whatever that was shown to her has also changed her a bit since she did not feel like the Oracle he used to know.

A different kind of Erika.

‘Will you leave?

Loki look around him. All he saw is the forest and the stones. He could not help but shakes his head

‘I guess you also have your own plan’ he looks at Antonius. He seems to be asleep blissfully unaware. That is not normal. It seems Erika made him sleep, foreseeing his arrival.

‘If she has given you the memory, then I thought you would go back to Will. I think you know what your relationship with him’

‘She is her, and I am me’

Loki chuckles and then he said

‘You are her’ he said and he waved his hand

A scroll floats and arrived in front of Erika.

‘What is this?

‘I lost the bet’

‘What bet?’ This time Erika look puzzled

Loki look at Erika and then he smiles

‘I guess she didn’t give you that memory.’ Then Loki explain

‘I bet against her. About Time. I guess we old people all have the same desires. It is unfortunate that we all found different ways to make sure that event never happens again. Morgana choose the hardest path and I simply got lucky. While you are using your own ability to come here. I don’t know what your plans are but I don’t think it is that different from me. Though Yewa Hafar would be shocked to know there is a third player hidden in his chess game’

‘You and Yewa Hafar always thought yourself to be the smartest. That was always both of your weakness’

‘Hahaha’ Loki laughs.

‘I guess we forgot about you’ Erika smirks and she grabbed the scrolls.

‘Thank you.’

‘Eat well and see beautiful scenery. I don’t think it is long now. He would seek you when he comes back. If it sis till the same as before, that would surely happen.

Erika nodded and she said

‘I know. That is why I am making a reservation’ They look at each other and Loki once again close his eyes and take a deep breath.

‘I will not be coming here again. So does Pandemonium forces. Thought I couldn’t guarantee Sasha and her Dark Blade division. That scroll would help you if you were ever in a pinch’

Erika nodded

While she did not fight in the same war as Loki and her future self, she of course has the memory. But it is a different thing to experience a thing and have memory of it.

Memory is distant and sometimes distorted. But experience etched itself into one existence. Which is why the gaze she looks at Loki is complicated.

‘I won’t be seeing you off.’ Loki did not immediately return.

He approached the tree and plucked one of the fruits hanging on the low braches. Erika saw this but she did nothing to stop him. He took it and put it inside his sleeve

Then wlaking back into the forest, he dissapered and grene smokes enecirle the ring ebfore it morphed into a more powerful proetctcion formation.

Erika sighed and lean her back on the tree.

‘Loki…. are you really sure that my plan is the same as you?’ she asks to no one in particular as she closes his eyes.

While this is happening Sofia is heading to the World Government to meet up with Raymond. Void had attacked the Island of Peace!

Will on the other hand had also roam the Universe, running through dimension after dimension chasing a broken floating stars that hides itself among many multiversal points in the Universe

Season changes, people move on and while the worldly matters distract one from the Grand Path, up there beyond the skies and Heavens of Earth, a person just landed on the true Supremacy Stairway.

***

Yes, the meeting between Oracle and Loki. There is a lot of subtle conversation between the two. Anyway. Next chapter we will go back yo Azief and he is still walking the stairway. Anwyay like always pelase voyte and rate the chapter and I woudl appreciate a few gifts

See you all tomorrow