The sun was shining above the sky while the birds were singing with melodies. The chirping awakes the forest princess and-

Wait, this is not that kind of story I'm looking for..... Now.....where am I, oh yes...

BOOOM!

The thunder strikes and awakened Aries Gries Fallon von Nightmoon, daughter of the Dark Lord from the Nether Empire.

As she sit up, the maid before the door called "Lady Gries, the Dark Lord and Her Highness are expecting you to the throne room". She nodded and make her way to the changing room.

~

Gries is a 362 years old girl with a heart as hard as stone, a hair as black as coal, an eyes as red as blood and as scary as the void. She is the third princess of the Dark Lord and is decendant of a Dark Elf.

After changing, she went down to the throne room. On her way there, she heard something down the hallway, it was her sister, Alquen.

Alquen Rivella Daeva von Nightmoon, the last princess of the Dark Lord and is a decendant of an Elemental Witch. She is young and vile against the people she didn't know.

"Sister, did father called you too" Alquen ask as she rushed to hug Gries. Gries has no choice but to gave in with the hug. Gries is always cold as an ice, but with her siblings, she is as warm as the fire.

Gries release Alquen. "Yes, do you know why the Dark Lord summoned us" she replied. They continued their walk to the throne room.

"No, but I've heard that the Lord has called sister Qillian and Selena, and your twin brother, Draven too" Alquen replied as she look confused as an ant in a jar full of sugar.

After the reply of Alquen, Gries didn't say a word and keep walking towards the throne room. Gries keep questioning herself why the Dark Lord called all of his offsprings.

~

Gries and Alquen have arrive infront of the throne room.

"Inform the Dark Lord that we have arrived" told Gries to one of the guard standing beside the door.

The guard nodded and say "My Lord, Lady Gries and Lady Alquen have arrived". The guards opened the door after the Dark Lord command them to.

When they entered, the others has already arrived earlier and Qillian was the earliest.

Qillian Menovolent Blair von Nightmoon, the first princess of the Dark Lord. Qillian is 599 years old and is a decendant of a Witch.

Selena Pandora Enola von Nightmoon, the second princess and is a decendant of a necromancer. She got a gray eyes because a decendant of a necromancer always has gray eyes for generations. The Nether Empire usually has red and dark blue eyes and rarely has dark purple. Selena might look weak because she like being quiet and never be the spotlight of the family, but underestimating a necromancer is a very risky choice.

Aries Draven Lock von Nightmoon, the only heir of the Lord's throne and the only prince in the castle. He is Gries's twin brother and is a decendant of a Dark Elf too.

Qillian then walk towards Gries and ask " Why did you two come so late, the Lord and Her Highness has been waiting for ages for you two to arrive" Qillian then say with a mad voice. Alquen lower her head as she trembled in fear. Qillian is the most aggressive person in the castle, that's why Alquen was trembling in fear.

Gries then calm Alquen down and said " We apologize for being late and make the Lord and Her Highness wait, it was my fault" Gries said to calm Qillian down.

Qillian only shooked her head lightly and left a small sigh. "Now that everyone is here, should we bring this talk to the dining area shall we? " the Queen then said. Everyone nodded and make their way to the dining room.

On the way there, silents fill the hallway except the sound of steps and conversation between the Lord and the prince. All of the sudden, three guards came running down the hallway like there was no time on earth.

"My Lord! Your Highness!" shout one of the guard running towards them.

"HOW DARE YOU TALK TO THE LORD AND HER HIGHNESS WITHOUT PERMISSION! " shout Qillian to the guard for talking without permission. The Queen then raise her hand as a signal to tell Qillian that it is okay." What is this urgent matter that you guards can't wait for" said the Queen calmly.

" Your Majesty, there is an unknown intruder that went inside the barrier and is now said to be in the City of Fog. We suspect it was one of the Holy Kingdom assassin because of how well the person disappear " said one of the guard. They gasp in shock, thinking of how the intruder gets in. The barrier was made by the ancestors and only can be entered by the people who were born in the Nether Empire.

The Queen hesitate for a second then command The Aries [Draven and Gries was called 'The Aries' (great combo actually UwU) ] to inspect the intruder in the City of Fog, they then nodded an disappear into shadow using the Dark Elf's skill. Qillian will be guarding the Monster's Lair to make sure the beast are all fine and unharmed (even if they made it there without dying💅) and Selena will be patrolling around the castle with the help of her 'Army of Souls' . Alquen will be guarding inside the castle because she hadn't learn to fight yet and still learning how to use her magic properly.

They finally arrive in the City of Fog, such as Gries who is in charge of. All the Dark Lord's offsprings have their own job, such as Gries is in charge of protecting and handling the City of Fog. Alquen is in charge of the Blood River where the Nether Empire hold their sacrifices every year, they sacrificed people such as the virgins, the youngs, and the unborn. Qillian and Selena has two place to handle because they two are the oldest, Qillian is the Poison Valley and the Monster's Lair, while Selena is in charge of the Dungeon of Sorrow and the Pandora's Grave. Draven didn't have to guard any of this places because he is the future Crown Prince.

" The intruder really going to make me work even more after this, the civilian in this city going to blame me for not protecting this city" Gries groaned in anger that she have to work more after this incident. Draven only laugh lightly of how funny Gries was sulking just then.

They then arrive in the City of Fog, they search around the city but didn't see anyone nor anything suspicious. As they wanted to go back, Gries sense a familiar power that she didn't sure what in one of the houses. The energy wasn't from the other kingdom or a monster, it was something else.

She then get down from her horse and approach the house. Draven quickly realized Gries reaction and follow her steps. They were infront the house as Draven blast the door as Gries command draven to. They sprint inside and to their surprise, there is a guy wearing all black standing inside. The guy wore a glove and a mask so they can't see his face clearly.

Draven then shout " Who are you and why did you come here!". The guy then walk closer toward Gries and said " Just paying a visit to an old friend, why? Can't I?" the last words shocked both Draven and Gries.

Gries then ask "What is your real motive. Don't lie!" she then pull out her bow and arrow towards the anonymous person. Draven then shout, pulling out his sword "You better answer quickly or this sword will go through your chest" The guy smirked and said " Calm down, I don't have any ill attention. I really just want to visit my old pal"

He then look at Gries while walking towards her. "DON'T COME CLOSER" Gries warned." So it's true that you didn't remember me, well it has been a hundred years, how can you remember me" the guy said to himself." Well then if you doesn't remember my voice, maybe you will remember the name I used to call you" the words confused them even more.

The guy then walks away from Gries while saying "I want to talk to you even longer, but I guess I'm not very welcome here". There were shadows all around him "Meet me tomorrow if you have time..." he then took a short glance at Gries "...Little Shadow" he finish his sentence with a warm smile and disappear into shadows.

Something snap in Gries's mind, she wanted to ask the guy something but she was to late,the guy has already gone. Draven stared at Gries confused while the other was zoning out. Gries then came back to her sense.

They both then decided to report what just happened to the Dark Lord. The ride to the castle was quite and fast I dare say. Gries doesn't even took a moment to took a glance. Draven was all confused and full with questions in his mind. After a few minutes, they arrive infront of the castle front gate.

When Gries get down from her horse and wanted to open the gate, Draven ask "Gries, who is that guy". The question frozed Gries. She then let out a long breath, and slowly face Draven.(not romantic okayy💅) "I think that, he is someone I used to know" she answered. Draven wanted to ask another question but was interrupted by Selena who just finished her patrol around the castle.

"You guys just finished patrolling the City of Fog, anything interesting? " Selena asked. Draven wanted to say that they met an anonymous person but was cut of (again) by Gries. Gries told Selena that it was a false alarm and the guards get it wrongly "It was nothing,they thought it was an intruder but it's just a normal robbery, how can someone outside get inside the barrier without permission of Her Highness". Suddenly, Selena pull Gries into a cuddle, "I'm so glad you both didn't get hurt" Selena say releasing Gries from her hold.

They then end their conversation and went inside the palace. "Why didn't you tell her?" Draven ask out of confusion. Gries only shooked her head lightly and smile fondly at Draven. "I hope that you don't mind if I ask you to not tell anyone about today's accident" she then left Draven alone in the hallway all confused and full of questions.

Gries was walking towards the Dark Lord's work room to report the situation they were just in and explain who the anonymous person was. As she arrived infront of the Dark Lord's work room, she think back about the guy she saw earlier. She can't stop thinking about it, but she cleared her mind before entering. She then knock the door and ask for permission to come in. After the Dark Lord told her to come, she push the door open.

Gries went inside and saw the Dark Lord reading on his chair "Yes Gries, is there anything to report?". She took a few second to relax, hoping she wouldn't be punished, because everyone who gets the punishment will be train ten times harder.

"I want to report that the intruder was not from the people from the Holy Kingdom and the guy seems familiar to me" she said,still standing beside the door. She closed the door and walked towards the Lord.

She then explain the situation she and Draven were just in when they were patrolling. The Dark Lord listen carefully and at the same time trying to think what's the intruder intentions are.

The Dark Lord has already understand except who the anonymous person is. "Gries, you've told me that you are quite familiar with that person,would you mind telling me who the person was?" the Dark Lord ask.

Gries then took quite a time to answer. Before she spoke, she left a small light breath out " I think that the person we encountered today was the person I used to met a hundred years ago" she answered with calm voice.

Gries then answered with more details " The guy Draven and I encountered today was my 'friend' " Gries realized the Dark Lord's expression after she say the word 'friend'. "I was young and naive at that time father, I didn't know anything about him neither who he is nor where he come from" the Dark Lord's expression change again.

" But... " Gries suddenly spoken. "I'm not that stupid enough to not knowing his name and his power, with this little information we maybe could find him". The Dark Lord then agreed with Gries's opinion. The Dark Lord then ask if there anything else. She wanted to tell the Lord that the guy wanted to meet tomorrow, but instead she shooked her head and said that there was nothing else.

The Dark Lord get up from his chair and head to his shelf full of books "You are now excuse" said the Lord.

Gries then nodded and went to the door. As she open the door, she stopped and stood there for second. She turn her face to the Lord "There is actually something I wanted to tell you father".

~

The next day, the first thing in the morning that Gries do is going to the library. She wanted to take something that she put there, the 'thing' has been decades already. As she walk into the library, she saw Selena walking around with her book and her candle in the dark library.

Selena then realized the existence of Gries in the library, she then walked closer to Gries with a font smile. "Everytime someone's searching for you, they don't even need to search for other places" Gries said teasingly and referring to Selena who never leave the library. Selena then laugh lightly with her hand covering her mouth halfway. "Are you looking for that 'thing' again?" Selena ask.

Gries then smiled back " Yes, but today I came to take it, and I see you're still keeping this secret for years now" Gries said while the both of them going to the place where the 'thing' was placed. "You know I won't say anything except when they ask" Selena remind Gries. They both just laughed while walking in the dark with only the candle as a light source.

~

At the gray and dreadful afternoon, Gries went to the 'Nameless Land'. "Are you sure you don't need me by your side My Lady" asked Leal(Leal means loyal in France😝), Gries's maid. The Dark Lord's offsprings maids are no ordinary creatures, they were trained to protect and fight even though the Dark Lord's childrens can took care of themselves.

"No need Leal, I don't think I need you for this one. Besides, I know that Alquen will ask billions of questions when she knows my inexistent in the castle, and the first person she's going to ask is definitely you, Leal" Gries replied. Leal then decided to just walk Gries to the gate. Gries then use her spirit animal, the animal was a pitch black shadow horse, named Shady. (Shady the Shadow horse ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) [puns]😂)

Every creatures has their spirit animal and most of the royals has mystical animals. Selena has the Legendary Dragon, 'Kamish' (I got the name from solo leveling bcs I can't think of any legendary dragon's name 🙏pls don't say I copy it, it's just I liked the manhwa🙏), and Draven has the White Tiger while the others has unique spirit animals but not legendary as Selena and Draven.

She arrived an hour later in the Nameless Land, she then get down from her horse when she arrived at the place the person mentioned. She then sit on an old bench she and the guy build when they were young. Suddenly,she heard a sound of steps at a pile of rock behind her. "I'm busy, I don't have time to play, come here and get straight to the point why you want me here" she command because she knew that was her old friend playing with her, but after that there were no response. Her curiosity grew bigger as there were no sound of reply a few minutes later.

She then approach the pile of rocks carefully and quietly while pulling out her arrow. She quickly point out her arrow behind the rock and saw a giant dessert centipede crawling on the rock. She was frighten a bit but she remain calm as she was thought. The giant centipede tried to attacked her but her eyes and arrow were more quicker than the centipede thought it was. The arrow went through it head and stucked in a tree.

"I improved a lot UwU" said Gries to herself proudly. She checked the centipede if it died or not, but what creature can survive Gries's arrows. The Nameless Land used to be beautiful and filled with butterflies, but after the big in the Central Continent, the land now we're filled with dangerous animals and creatures.

She went to take back her arrow so she didn't left any trance and a voice "I thought you wouldn't come" said her old friend with a smile. She wanted to hug him because she misses him so much as she flashed back to her memories with him, but she then remember what her motive is coming here.

"I came here for business, why do you invade my kingdom and how" Gries ask seriously. The guy then walk towards the old bench and asked Gries to seat with him too with a playfull smile. She left a small sigh and went with it as she remembered how childish her friend was.

They seat for a while and talk, she misses her childhood time and how she wishes it could last, but as the saying goes 'What goes, can never come back' .

"It's good to see you back, Little Shadow~" the guy said. Gries smile disappear as she see that it is almost dark soon.

She get up from the bench and look him. "It's nice seeing you too, Alex..." (I got the name from the person I admired, 'Alexis' UwU) out of the sudden, many soldiers of the Nether Empire surrounded him. The soldiers were always there while waiting for Gries's signal.

Alex was not expecting that, he didn't think that Gries would send an army to take him. "How can I forgot that you have trust issue " said Alex while two soldiers were grabbing him. "Send him to the castle" Gries command as she ride her horse, heading to the palace.

"YES MY LADY!" shout the soldiers following her command. They then chained him and follow Gries behind the back.