Passing through the city undetected was slow and tedious. Myrica and Kara were scouting the way ahead to make sure no one spotted them. The streets were eerily empty. There seemed to be no nightlife here at all. The taverns and pubs were barely louder than during the day; only a faint light illuminated the windows. There were no laughs, no singing, no signs of drunkards or brawls. The only sound breaking the silence was the clang of armours and heavy boots from the guards patrolling the city.

Iris was waiting in a dark alley with the rest of their company for the signal to move out. Their plan was good, they went over all the details with great care, but she still trembled in fear at the sheer thought of what they were attempting to do. She looked up at the church's towers already visible in the distance. They were close now, just a few streets away. She looked down at her hands. They were shaking, so she clenched them in fists.

A hand squeezed Iris' shoulder, and she jumped, surprised. She looked up at Jayden.

'Are you all right? You look pale.'

'I'm fine.' She shrugged.

'Don't worry, little one. You'll do fine,' Arlo said with a smile that was barely visible under his bushy beard.

Before she could respond, Kara appeared at the end of the alley and signalled them to follow. Even though they were relatively close to the church, they still had to duck and meander through the small alleyways to avoid the patrols, so it took them almost an hour to finally reach their destination – a small street right next to the building.

'We are here,' Myrica said, coming into their hideout after checking their surroundings for guards. 'It is time. Are you ready, Iris?'

Iris took a deep breath. 'Yes, I'm ready. But I need some light to start it up.'

'I've got you cover,' Jayden said and took a few steps towards the main street, lit with the torches. He reached with his hand, and the bright sphere of light appeared immediately while the glow of nearby torches dimmed a bit. Iris looked in awe. She wouldn't even dream of drawing the light from such a long distance. 'Would that be enough?' he asked, coming back to join them.

'Yes, more than enough, thanks. Now, your hands, please.'

They all clasped hands, creating a small circle.

'Remember, the moment we enter the Shadow Realm, I'll have to cloak us so that we won't alarm any Shadows nearby,' Sam said. 'It might feel a little unpleasant, but it's necessary if we want to avoid detection.'

'Do what you have to.' Myr nodded. 'Iris, we are ready when you are.'

Iris closed her eyes and calmed her breathing. She focused her senses on a light pulsing in front of her, feeling its comforting warmth. Then, she reached inside of her, to the very core of her being, where similar luminosity thud in rhythm with her heart. She could physically feel the shift in her surroundings. She opened her eyes and saw the reality paled, and something darker overlapped the view. Iris narrowed her eyes and focused on the otherworldly shapes, gaining more substance. After a few seconds, they were standing in the Shadow Realm.

The alleyway was still the same. Almost. The buildings that made up a solid wall on their side hold barely any resemblance here, looking more like ruins of something existing here hundreds of years ago. A cold wind blew straight in their faces with a shrilling howl.

'Brace yourselves,' Sam said, wasting no time. He raised his hands, and the darkness surrounding them followed his movements, swirling around him obediently. He murmured something inaudible, and the shadows burst toward them, covering them from feet upwards.

Iris gasped, surprised with sudden motion as well as a chilling sensation. It felt as if someone had plunged her into the ice-cold water. The darkness covered them tightly like perfectly tailored clothing. It felt odd and unnatural, but it did not restrict movements in any way. Iris looked up at her companions. They all looked equally surprised and unsettled.

'That's all, we're good to go,' Sam said calmly.

'Are you sure this... thing is going to work?' Kara asked, looking dubiously at the darkness covering her arms.

'Yes, love. It's important to conceal yourself if you're not from this world. This way, the Shadows won't sense us unless we get close. That was the first thing I learnt when I made a pact with Alfie.'

'All right, let's move then,' Myrica commanded and started walking out of the alleyway.

The church was undoubtedly there, although it looked more like wreckage like most things in this realm. There were no proud towers anymore, just a collection of massive walls in different stages of collapse. But the shape of the building remained the same, so it was possible to walk inside.

Suddenly Iris swayed and groaned, pressing hands to her temples.

'Iris! Are you all right?' Kara asked, steading her.

'Ugh, yes. I think. He's here. Inside,' Iris huffed.

'Brath?' Sam asked.

'Yes.' Iris nodded and stood up straight again, still massaging her temples. 'But it feels kind of weird at the same time. The last time we were trapped in the library, I could feel his movements. But now I can't sense anything. It's like he's....'

'Sleeping,' Sam suggested.

'Do those things sleep?' Kara asked with raised brows.

'Well, I wouldn't call it sleeping exactly,' Sam mused, rubbing his chin. 'More like meditating? You know, it's boring here, in the Shadow Realm. So, while its inhabitants don't need the rest the same way we do, they can wind down. They became part of the landscape, and you couldn't possibly distinguish them from the regular darkness. That is until they identify you as prey and suddenly bite your head off.'

'That doesn't sound good,' Arlo said with a frown.

'No need to worry, though. We are perfectly covered for now, so unless we bump into Barth or any other Shadow, we should be safe.'

'Somehow, that doesn't sound convincing.' Jayden sighed.

'Enough idle talk,' Myrica interjected. 'If the creature is asleep, we need to use it. Let us see how far we can venture into that building. Iris, are you be able to walk?'

'Yes, I'll be fine,' Iris replied, although, with a constantly throbbing head, she felt a bit shaky.

Myr studied her for a few seconds and then turned to the young Mage. 'Jayden, stay close to her. Make sure she's safe.'

'Will do.' Jayden nodded without a pause.

They moved towards the ruins. Besides the ever-present rubble, they could move without difficulty. They crossed the vast space, which was a main hall of the church on their side and walked toward the east side of the building.

'Why is it so empty?' grumbled Arlo quietly. He has already drawn his axes looking around nervously. 'I expected this place to be crawling with Shadows.'

'Well, it's true that with the steady amount of light that our Grand Inquisitor so kindly provides, this place is uncommonly attractive,' Sam explained. 'Although the Shadows are not herding creatures, they don't like sharing their meals. I'm guessing Brath made sure every creature in this land knows it's his territory.'

'Good for us, then,' Kara said. 'Iris, can you still feel this thing? Is it still sleeping?'

'Yes, I think so. Nothing changed.'

They moved farther, crossing through half-collapsed halls, with wind racing through the holes, chilling them to the bones.

'I think we are already here,' Kara said, looking around. 'It seems like we are far enough to be in the East Wing.'

'And we found our dungeons, it seems,' said Myrica gesturing to the stone steps leading down under the surface. It was pitch black there. They all stare down with dismay.

'So, Sam,' Arlo said. 'How exactly are we going to see anything down there?'

'We won't.' Mage shrugged. 'Shadows don't need light to see in the darkness.'

'Can you see in the darkness?' Jayden asked.

'To the extent, yes. But I'm unable to grant you the same ability.'

'But down there, it's must be where they keep all the Mages!' Iris protested. 'If we could go in and....'

'It will do us no good to go in there blindly,' Myrica interrupted. 'We have no idea what could be lurking down there, and without sight, we are at a great disadvantage. I know Sam said there are probably no other Shadows there, but I will not rely on his word.'

'Ouch, that hurt!' Sam scoffed with a wounded expression.

Myrica ignored him. 'I say this is as far as we can go through the Shadow Realm. We got in, and we found the dungeons. Now it's time to go back and fight our way inside. If we are lucky, they won't expect us here so that we will have an element of surprise on our side.'

'I agree,' said Kara. 'Iris, can you peek through to check if there are any guards posted here?'

'Give me a second.' Iris nodded and focused. She felt for the other realm, and her view started to shift, with overlapping images. It became easier each time she did it. Iris narrowed her eyes, looking at her world but not entirely going all the way through. And there they were. Two shapes stood in front of a dark portal covering the stairs on their side. The light glimmered on their armours. Iris quickly looked around to see if she could spot any more, but she saw nothing except stone walls.

Iris blinked several times, letting go of her gift and shook her head to clear her vision.

'Two knights,' she said, gesturing towards the stairs. 'Here at the entrance.'

'We can take two of them fairly quickly,' Jayden said. 'Shall we move back a bit?'

'No, let's do it right here,' Kara said with a smirk. 'They will be too shocked to do so much as shout when we appear out of thin air. And before they get back to their senses, it will be too late already.'

'Kara is right,' Myr said, already taking Iris' and Jayden's hands. 'Kara and Arlo, you can stay at the end with your weapons drawn. Try to take them out before they raise the alarm.'

'You've got it, boss,' Arlo said, suddenly all excited, as if an upcoming fight was the best thing that happened to him all day.

'Are you all ready?' asked Iris. When they nodded, she closed her eyes and focused on her inner light and desire to go back to their world.

Everything happened so fast when they reappeared in the Light Realm that Iris barely comprehended what happened.

Two knights guarding the dungeon's entrance were gaping at them in shock with their mouths open. But Arlo and Kara, already used to crossing the realms, sprang to action immediately, their blades flashing in the torchlight. The guards hadn't even managed to draw their weapons and fell to the ground with muffled groans of pain. Iris turned away from the growing pool of blood on the floor.

Myrica put the finger on her mouth, signalling them to keep quiet while she listened. But the stone hall was silent. There were no alarm sounds or steps nearby, so they probably haven't been spotted just yet. It was the middle of the night, so most knights were probably resting in their barracks, leaving only those on night duty prowling the perimeter.

'We're clear,' Myr whispered finally. 'Sam, Iris, take torches with you. And draw some light now, as much as you can keep for a while. We do not know what awaits us downstairs. But I am certain Inquisition do not use light in a place where they keep the Mages imprisoned. I will go down and scout ahead.'

She moved towards the stairs, but Arlo grabbed her elbow. 'Be careful, Myr,' he whispered with solemnity uncharacteristic to him. He was looking at her as if he were looking for something. A promise that she will come back.

Myrica put her small hand on his and smiled. Iris was surprised at how much her expression changed in this short moment. The huntress was always calm and collected and had a dignified air around her, so it was easy to see she was not human right away. But now, she was not only smiling with her lips, but her whole beautiful face also lit up, her golden eyes filled with honest affection and care. 'I always am, mi ignas amare.'

And before Iris blinked, the moment is gone, and Myrica already disappeared in the darkness of stairs, her steps light and soundless.

Picture by ehrendreich from Pixabay