MORPHORCE-Chapter 49 - 48: The Shadow Knight

The entire group trembled beneath the Shadow Knight’s oppressive aura.

Even though everything was happening right before his eyes, Ishan could hardly believe what he was seeing.

What is going on? We can’t move...!

He forced his gaze toward the figure seated upon the throne.

Is he the one doing this to us?

No...

There’s no way...

There’s no way a single monster could overwhelm all of us with aura alone.

But the more he looked, the less the being resembled a monster.

No... it doesn’t look like one at all.

But that doesn’t matter.

Could we even fight something like that?

The figure’s lips curled faintly as it looked directly at him.

Ishan’s eyes widened.

It’s looking at me...

For a split second, he was certain it would attack.

Then—

BOOOOOOM—

The pressure vanished.

All at once.

Like an invisible hand releasing its grip.

The sudden absence hit them like a physical blow. Several people staggered, gasping as air rushed back into their lungs. Knees buckled. Someone retched. Weapons clattered loudly against stone as trembling hands lost their strength.

"Wha—"

"Is it—"

"Why did it—"

Voices erupted everywhere. Broken. Overlapping.

"WHY IS IT JUST SITTING THERE?!"

"WE NEED TO GET OUT—!"

"SOMEONE DO SOMETHING—!"

Ishan opened his mouth.

"Everyone, stay—"

Too late.

Panic had already consumed the group.

Suddenly, someone from the back bolted forward.

"I’M NOT DYING HERE!"

A man broke into a full sprint.

Boots slammed against stone.

THUD—THUD—THUD—THUD—

"HEY—STOP!" Rihan shouted.

The man didn’t stop.

Or couldn’t.

Pure animal terror had taken over — no thought, no reason, only the desperate instinct to escape.

He reached the doorway.

The massive door still stood open behind them.

Freedom... just a step away.

His foot lifted—

—and stopped.

His entire body froze mid-motion. One leg raised. Arms still swinging from momentum that no longer existed.

Like time had stopped for him alone.

“...What...?” someone whispered.

Silence fell.

Heavy.

Absolute.

The man’s mouth opened.

No sound came out.

And then—

Slice.

Clean.

Effortless.

His head separated from his body and dropped to the ground.

Thud.

A heartbeat later—

His body collapsed forward, hitting the stone floor with a dull, sickening impact.

Blood spread slowly across the stone in a dark widening pool.

No one screamed.

No one moved.

No one even breathed.

Twenty-six pairs of eyes stared at what remained of the man who had tried to run.

The Shadow Knight had not moved from his throne.

Had not stood.

Had not raised his sword.

From across the chamber—

Without even looking—

He had done that.

One by one, their heads turned toward the throne.

The Shadow Knight still sat there, relaxed... as if nothing had happened.

Then it opened its mouth.

“NOW... NOW... WELCOME TO MY TEMPLE, HUMANS.”

The deep, ominous voice rolled through the chamber like distant thunder. A violent chill raced down every spine as eyes widened in terror.

They had already been horrified by its presence alone.

But now—

It was speaking in their language.

And that made the fear multiply many times over.