Shi Dimension
She stood on a high dune in the middle of a vast desert of shifting black sand. There was no sun, no heat, no chill—only profound, enveloping darkness. She looked out over the infinite expanse and knew: this was hers. Her domain. She couldn't fully claim it yet, but the darkness was opening itself, reminding her it was waiting. She needed energy, strength, and knowledge. Yana ran forward and dove off the dune. An inky black pool of pure shadow opened to swallow her before she ever touched the sand, sealing instantly behind her.
Yana Pallindrone sat straight up, instantly remembering where she was and where she had just been. She hadn't learned her full name from the System; she knew it, a memory fragment granted by the deep dive into pure shadow. She now knew she was from Shor, a location deep within the Shadow dimension of Sho, in the Cosmos of Pa. She was born of the union of a Sho shadow and a Wao shadow, making her an anomaly that should never have existed. To other sentient shadows, she was indescribable, an entity that simply did not—could not—exist.
She took stock of her Spell Weave knowledge: more barriers, wards, and a new movement spell.
She stood. Her shadow covering naturally rippled to adjust itself over her body. She used Shadow Manipulate to tighten it and make it lie smoothly, then Shadow Control to teach the shadows how she wanted them to behave.
"Let’s go. I am very ready to be outside this place." They all understood this tone of voice. She was regaining her core memories, and they suddenly felt safer. When she was fully Yana, nothing and no one could harm them. That was why they had chosen to be with her.
She used Shadow Step to bring everyone to the dimensional door in one step, to the location her Discernment indicated was safe. The door was closed, but Void Beasts were aimlessly milling about or just standing around, all watching the archway. Yana thought for a moment.
She wove a repellent ward into a tight ball and tossed it to the tightly clustered entities. In its downward arc, the weave released its core into the group. Purple-black magic arced across the Void Beasts, hitting each member. They all stampeded away. The magic continued to spread outwards 200 meters from the dimensional door, causing those who were not hit to also quickly depart.
Yana was at the arch that held the dimensional door as soon as the area cleared. She was a bit more sensitive now and could actually see the shimmer of the inactive door.
"We’re leaving." Protective spells and wards wove around them, forming a brilliant tapestry of magic that instantly faded from view. She then combined four movement methods to boost the core Level 2.5 Dimensional Door magic: her Dimensional Step, her Shadow Step, Jasmine’s Dimensional Walk, and Tasha’s Shadow Dimensional Walk. Guided by her Discernment and Seer abilities, the door opened swiftly.
"Now!"
As soon as the clear liquid pool flowed out from the center point of the arch to fill it completely, the entire group was through.
TASK COMPLETE!
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TASK COMPLETE!
TASK COMPLETE!
You have completed the given task. All of your magics have been increased by half a level.
You successfully opened a Dimensional Door four or more levels above your own.
Your Dimensional Door ability has been increased by half a level.
A new, glaring alert flashed:
HIDDEN MISSION UNLOCKED!
HIDDEN MISSION UNLOCKED!
HIDDEN MISSION UNLOCKED!
MISSION: Find six of your memory shades in fourteen days and add them all to your memory.
The stakes were massive:
1. Failure means all magics reduced by one level.
2. Success means soul Depth increases by two depths and magics increase by half a level.
3. Refusing the mission will result in punishment.
Memory Shades? Her Discernment confirmed the immediate necessity. As she thought about it, she called shadows to her and manipulated them to build a better protection suit around her. The light was so intense here that it was actually burrowing in.
I will take the mission.
MISSION ACCEPTED. You have fourteen days to complete.
SOUL SYSTEM
Name: Yana Pallindrone
Age: ????
Location: Shi Dimension
Soul Depth: Seer Soul
Rank: Shadow Novice
ABILITIES
Dimensional step: Adept
Shadow call: Adept +0.5
Shadow Walk: Adept
Shadow control: Adept
Shadow step: Adept
Shadow dispersal: Adept
Discernment: Adept
Seer: Adept
MAGICS
Spell weave: level 2
Shadow manipulate: level 2
Shadow create: level 2
Fate: level 2.5
Illusion: level 1.5
Dimensional door: level 2.5
Pets: 2
Starguide
Name: Starlight
Abilities: Star Walk, Star Void Magic
Level: Advanced
Dimension Wraith
Name: Jasmine
Abilities: Wraith Walk
Level: Advanced
Familiars: 4
Shadow cat
Name: Amber
Abilities: Shadow Step, Shadow Weave
Level: Adept
Dark Fae
Name: Tasha
Abilities: Shadow Dimension Walk, Void Step
Level: Advanced
Marked Demon
Name: Demon Dust (DD)
Abilities: Shadow Kill, Void Rip
Level: Intermediate
Shadow Doll
Name: Alisha
Abilities: Shape Shifter, Shadow Flame, Shadow Weave
Level: Intermediate
Mission Timer: 13 day 23 hours
She joined the others. "We are in Shi."
Yana nodded. "It is in the inner ring with Sho." She looked at everyone. "My memory is not completely back, but I do know that we have been together for a long while, and I know we were mercenaries. I have to focus on finding my memory shades, so it is probably better if we just split now. I know I am breaking..."
"What are you talking about? We are going with you!" Tasha interrupted, non-negotiable.
"I should have thought about your memory shades," Starlight exclaimed. "As much memory as you have lost, you must have hundreds or even thousands out there. You need our help."
DD stretched and walked to her, examining her intently. “Of course we are going with you. You don’t remember Illusion magics? You don’t really look like a Shadow, but your grey skin is a bit off-putting. You know how jumpy people are in the light dimensions.”
"I didn’t even notice that you didn’t have your illusions up. Pull from my (Star Void) in the light dimensions; it is (Illusion) magic." She wove a spell to create a reflective surface and looked at herself for what seemed like the first time.
She had long blue straight hair, black eyes, and light grey skin. It all looked too normal to her. She pulled Starlight’s energy and used her Illusion magics to change her hair to dark brown, her eyes light brown, and her skin a sun-kissed tan.
"Perfect. You did well. But change your nose too. Just a little bit more narrow," Tasha commented.
Yana frowned at Tasha. "My nose is fine. Does anyone know where Shi connects with a Shadow dimension?"
All of them, except for Starlight and Jasmine, transformed into human forms.
"We may need to mingle a bit." Amber shrugged, responding to Yana’s confusion. "I know where Shi meets Orb, but not Sho."
"Mm. I know where it meets Lem."
Yana looked at DD. "I feel that some of my memory shades are there. We will go to Lem first. I am not excited about heading home anyway."
