The Underworld and its eternal darkness were terrifying… but they were not nearly as terrifying as the endless expanse of white mist above the mountains.
And yet, Shadow disliked the Underworld much more.
The white mist robbed him of his senses and quietly eroded the very foundations of his existence. True darkness merely robbed him of his senses, so in theory, Shadow should have felt better once he and Snuggle escaped the white mist and dove into the depths of the Underworld. But in practice, it was quite the opposite.
Shadow felt deeply uncomfortable.
Maybe it was because the mist was a natural force — a literal manifestation of absolute absence — while true darkness felt… alive. Not only did it feel like a living being, but like a being that was a natural predator of shadows.
Shadow felt like he marched into the belly of a hungry beast of his own volition.
"What… is up… with this creepy place?"
