The Sherry in Shadow

Chapter 12: Eye Sees You

"Lunch time!" Lambda announced from one end of the training grounds.

At last! Her arm was trembling, nearly ready to detach after her countless failed attempts at crafting her first slime sword. The constant 'motivational' pep talks from 718 and 719 had nearly given her a migraine. Since slime can practically be formed into any other shape, Sherry couldn't quite grasp the logic behind Shadow Garden's insistence on learning the sword. Regardless, she was grateful for the respite.

Sherry had already been given her slime suit although the experience came in the form of another initiation rite disguised as a "magical control test" for 719 or so they said. To sum it up: they drenched Sherry in slime and 719 sculpted it into a form-fitting suit while Sherry simultaneously had to imprint her signature into it. The actual experience was a bit more visceral than that, but Sherry didn't want to relive it. What mattered is that Sherry now looked the part of a Shadow Garden member.

"720, over here," 719 beckoned, a hint of enthusiasm coloring her voice.

With no reason to resist, Sherry followed 719 and 718 out of the training grounds, blending in with the rest of the trainees. Admittedly, she was eager to finally explore beyond the confines of the training grounds and get a closer look at the city she now inhabited.

Despite her rude awakening this morning, Sherry had at least quickly figured out where she was geographically speaking. In her research, she managed to map out several Mitsugoshi transport routes, and they all mysteriously converged at the same point, the Abyss Woods. It was a place covered in a poisonous mist that was impossible to navigate for living things, and yet somehow, the vast majority of known Mitsugoshi routes congregated around it. After all, no matter how hard they tried, it was impossible for Shadow Garden to hide their distribution center given the amount of throughput Mitsugoshi has.

The sighting of the three cliffs encircling the city solidified her hunch; she was in Alexandria. Even before the loss of her father, Sherry had pored over the tales of Alexandria and its supposed disappearance into the mists of the Abyss Woods. To be standing in the heart of an authentic archaeological marvel some thought myth was surreal. Yet, it was also regrettable she was slated to annihilate it. Shadow Garden had already defiled the historic city with their countless statues of Shadow. In her eyes, it was a minor loss given the ongoing desecration.

"That's Shadow!" 719, brimming with excitement, yanked Sherry from her thoughts. For a moment, Sherry's heart skipped a beat, before she realized 719 was gesturing at a statue. "Isn't he amazing?"

"Uh huh..." Sherry forced down a lump in her throat. "What makes him so...special? Just asking out of curiosity."

The statue towered over them, a colossal, 15-foot figure forged from an unfamiliar black stone. Its humanoid shape was draped in a cloak that swallowed its entire form, hood covering its face. The cloak was a dark, ebony. The face beneath the hood remained hidden, save for a single, gleaming red eye peering out. To Sherry, it was the epitome of malevolence.

More unsettling were the Shadow Garden members paying their respects to the statue. Some bowed deeply while another clung to one of its boots, a look of bliss etched across her face. Why did they display such profound devotion?

"Shadow is our guardian, our beacon," 718 began, "His existence is the foundation of ours. We owe our lives, this city, our slime suits, and our advanced technology to him. Without him, we would have been handed over to the so-called 'Church' and amount to nothing more than guinea pigs, subjected to a truncated existence full of horrific experimentation. Our lives are a testament to his legacy." Sherry clamped down on her instinct to object.

"Don't forget about the food! Shadow's culinary genius is out of this world!" 719 chimed in, pushing open the doors of the cafeteria and releasing a tantalizing aroma.