The darkness was thick, surrounding everything as if it were a living entity devouring the world. When Rain crossed the black gate, it didn't feel like he was merely stepping into another place—it felt as if he were plunging into the void itself.
There was no light, no sound, no sense of time. Only a strange coldness and faint whispers echoing in the depths of his mind, words incomprehensible, as if spoken by an ancient entity watching him from the abyss.
Then, within this absolute darkness—
"You have chosen the path of no return, Rain Earthen."
Rain halted, his eyes scanning the void for the source of the voice, but there was no one.
"Now, you will learn what it means to be one of us."
There was no fear in his heart. On the contrary, a strange anticipation stirred within him, a feeling that this place… was not entirely unfamiliar.
Then, suddenly—
Light exploded!
The darkness dissipated swiftly, as if it had been sucked into nothingness, and Rain found himself standing on solid ground. His feet pressed against cold, black stones, while the walls around him were ancient and cracked, bearing the marks of thousands of years.
Slowly, he lifted his head.
The space was vast, a massive hall stretching endlessly, with towering columns rising toward an unseen ceiling. Dim purple flames flickered in the air, dancing without any clear source.
But the most important thing—
He was not alone.
Seated upon a colossal stone throne in the center of the hall was a tall man clad in dark armor. His eyes glowed deep red, burning like unnatural flames.
When their eyes met, Rain felt time itself freeze for a moment.
"Welcome to the Realm of Shadows, Rain Earthen."
Rain did not speak immediately. Instead, he took a moment to observe the man before him. There was a strange aura surrounding him—not just energy, but an overwhelming presence, as if he did not fully belong to this world.
"Who are you?" Rain finally asked, his voice calm but carrying hidden vigilance.
The man smiled, but it was not a smile of joy. It was the smile of someone who had witnessed the end of the world with his own eyes.
"My name has long ceased to matter," he said in a deep voice before raising his hand slowly, gesturing toward the surrounding darkness. "But to you… you may call me the Master of Shadows."
Rain did not react outwardly, but something about those words felt… strange.
"Master of Shadows? Is that a title? Or… something else?"
The man did not answer immediately. Instead, he rose from his throne, his steps slow but carrying immense weight, as if the very ground bowed beneath him.
"Do you know why you are here, Rain Earthen?"
Rain did not respond, but the man did not need an answer.
"You are here because you have crossed the boundary between what is human… and what is eternal."
Rain frowned slightly but remained silent.
"The power you now wield is not just a gift. It is not merely a fate written for you," the Master of Shadows said, his eyes gleaming with an even sharper light. "It is a price."
"A price?" Rain echoed, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Yes."
At that moment, the Master of Shadows raised his hand, and with a single motion, the entire hall vanished.
Rain found himself in an entirely different place.
The sky was completely black—no sun, no moon, only darkness stretching to the horizon.
And beneath his feet, the ground was covered with countless corpses.
They all looked… like him.
A sensation like lightning struck Rain's mind. This was not just an ordinary scene.
This was a vision.
Or perhaps… a memory?
He turned to the Master of Shadows, who now stood beside him, watching the scene with an unreadable expression.
"What is this?" Rain asked in a low voice.
"This is the future that was supposed to happen," the Master of Shadows replied.
"What do you mean?"
"You are not the first, Rain Earthen," the man said, his voice carrying the weight of a thousand years. "And you will not be the last."
"Everyone who possesses an SS-ranked insect or higher… faces the same fate," the Master of Shadows continued, his gaze locking onto Rain. "They either become gods… or fuel for something far greater than themselves."
Rain said nothing, but something dreadful stirred within his mind.
He had always known his power was not normal.
He had always known the Black Butterfly was no ordinary insect.
But he had never known… that there had been others before him.
"They all tried," the Master of Shadows said, gesturing toward the corpses around them. "Every one of them was like you. Every one of them believed they could break these chains."
Then, he turned to Rain, his eyes glowing like smoldering embers.
"But in the end, none of them succeeded."
Something like a storm ignited within Rain.
"I don't believe that."
"Do you think I'm lying?"
"It doesn't matter what happened to them," Rain said in a low voice, yet his tone carried absolute confidence. "Because I am not like them."
At that moment, the Master of Shadows smiled, but this time, it was a smile of genuine interest.
"Then, you have a choice now, Rain Earthen."
He raised his hand, and in the air before him, a gate materialized.
"You can return from where you came and continue down this path… until you meet your end, just as they did."
Then, with his other hand, he conjured another gate—one completely different.
"Or you can cross this gate… and begin something entirely new."
Rain did not move immediately.
He knew these were not ordinary choices.
This was a turning point.
He stood there for a moment, then—
He chose.