Veer and Shadow stood facing each other in the blank darkness.
For a second, neither of them moved—like they were afraid the other might vanish if they blinked.
Then Veer finally spoke, his voice rough.
"What the hell was that prank?"
Shadow's faint smile faltered.
"You know I was ready to lash out at you till death. That was worse than going to hell."
Shadow's shoulders dropped.
"Sorry, Veer. I was so happy to see you… and I was frustrated. I ended up pulling a prank."
Veer narrowed his eyes.
"Frustrated? What do you mean? Did I do something wrong?"
Shadow looked at him for a long second before answering.
"No, Veer. You didn't do anything wrong."
His voice softened.
"It's just… it's been too long. I kept trying to blame someone instead of accepting reality."
Veer stepped forward and placed a hand on Shadow's shoulder.
"You're way stronger than me for handling all that mental stress," Veer said calmly.
"But that doesn't mean you have to carry everything alone."
Shadow didn't reply, but his face shifted—like something inside him finally unclenched.
"I'm glad we met again," Veer continued.
"So take a breath…"
He paused, suddenly realizing something.
"Hey. Can we even breathe here?"
Veer tried anyway—instinctively pulling in air.
Nothing.
No chest movement.
No lungs filling.
No warmth in his throat.
Shadow gave a short, humorless exhale.
"Looks like not."
Veer glanced around.
The black space still didn't have a sky or ground, yet they stood on something solid.
"But we're still standing," Veer muttered.
"So this is… soul space."
Shadow nodded once, then forced his tone lighter.
"Okay, Veer. I'm fine now. We've got a lot to catch up on. Sit."
As soon as Shadow spoke, the space morphed.
Two chairs materialized out of the darkness.
Nothing else changed.
No light.
No horizon.
Just endless black… and two chairs.
They sat facing each other—more relaxed now.
Veer took the chance to stretch his arms and shoulders.
His body moved, but it felt strange.
No bone-bending pressure.
No crack sounds.
Just movement without sensation, like a thought pretending to be flesh.
Shadow watched him for a moment, then spoke quietly.
"So after we separated… I was sent back to the blank space."
"And it looks like the other four are also separated from us."
Veer nodded.
"Yeah. I don't know much about it."
"We were in some storm—like we were getting crushed and torn apart."
"That's when we got separated."
Veer swallowed, then added honestly,
"I was hoping I'd find you guys again by reconnecting… like those cultivation novels."
"So I tried meditation. A lot."
"Tried to find my soul—my inner space."
Shadow's expression changed slightly.
"Well… that's why I'm here," he said.
Veer's eyes lit up—
Until Shadow finished his sentence.
"But not initially."
Veer's excitement cooled instantly, and he stayed silent as Shadow continued.
"After we separated, I was sent back to that space."
"I managed to gain control over a small pocket of it."
"I tried to expand it, but it was futile."
"I'm not strong enough."
Shadow's jaw tightened.
"I tried to get out of that place by finding the hole again…"
"But the black hole vanished after sending me back."
He looked away for a moment, the darkness reflecting in his eyes.
"A lot of time passed."
"I got frustrated."
"I blamed myself."
"I blamed everything."
Then he looked back at Veer.
"And that's when I met a being who was already residing there."
Veer's breath caught—out of habit, even though he couldn't breathe.
"That being sent me out," Shadow said.
"Because that space wasn't a public domain."
Shadow's voice lowered.
"It was private property."
Veer stared at him, stunned.
"That being… was the owner of that space."
For a second, Veer couldn't even process it.
"So who was he?" Veer demanded.
"What kind of being was he?"
"Wait—was it a 'he' or a 'she'?"
Shadow shook his head slowly.
"Sorry, Veer. I can't explain it to you."
"And I can't tell you."
Veer's brows tightened.
"Why not?"
Shadow searched for words.
"Think of it like this: a one-dimensional being trying to comprehend a six-dimensional one."
"I know we aren't one-dimensional… but it's a measure."
"A power scale."
Shadow's throat bobbed.
"I can't tell you the name because… I don't know how to speak it."
Veer frowned.
"You don't know the name?"
"I remember it," Shadow said, almost frustrated at himself.
"But I don't know how to speak it…"
"…or write it…"
"…or express it."
The two of them sat in silence,
the black space swallowing everything except their voices.
--
Hey guys,I know I haven't been uploading chapters regularly. I truly want to, and I'm trying my best to be more consistent.
I'd really appreciate it if you could give reviews and ratings for this book. Every single bookmark motivates me a lot, but I also need your guidance—I want to know how I'm doing and what you want to see more in the story.
Once again, thank you to everyone who has bookmarked this book. Your support genuinely means a lot to me 🙏