MORPHORCE-Chapter 50 - 49: The Shadow Knight (2)
The chamber felt smaller somehow.
Tighter.
Like the air itself had thickened.
“W-What just happened?” someone whispered, their voice shaking uncontrollably. “T-That thing didn’t even move... So how—how did it kill him?”
No one answered.
No one could.
Disbelief was etched across every face. Even Ishan and the other high-rank Awakeners — warriors who had seen death countless times — struggled to comprehend what had just occurred.
The Shadow Knight remained seated upon his throne.
Still.
Composed.
Untouched by the chaos he had caused.
Then he spoke again, his tone calm... almost conversational.
“IT HAS BEEN SO LONG... SINCE I LAST HAD ANY GUESTS.”
A faint smile curved across his lips.
Then—
Fwoosh!
He vanished.
“HUH?!”
Gasps tore through the chamber.
In the very next heartbeat—
“ONE.”
He appeared directly behind Rayhan.
A cold, armored hand settled onto Rayhan’s shoulder.
Clink.
The faint metallic sound echoed like a death knell.
Rayhan’s pupils shrank to pinpoints. His entire body locked up, muscles refusing to obey him.
Before anyone could move—
Fwoosh!
The Shadow Knight was gone.
“TWO.”
Now he stood behind Rihan.
So close that Rihan could feel the faint chill radiating from the armor.
A breath.
Right beside his ear.
Rihan’s spine went rigid.
And then—
Fwoosh!
“THREE.”
He appeared behind Soraya.
“FOUR.”
Behind Afraan.
“What the hell is he doing...?” someone muttered hoarsely.
“FIVE.”
Fwoosh!
“EIGHT.”
Fwoosh!
“TEN.”
Each blink of blue light marked another appearance.
No footsteps.
No wind.
Just sudden presence.
“TWENTY.”
Torches trembled violently in shaking hands.
“TWENTY-FIVE.”
Several Awakeners had already begun sweating, unable to even turn their heads fast enough to follow him.
“TWENTY-SIX.”
Silence.
Fwoosh.
He vanished once more.
This time—
He reappeared in front of the throne.
Standing.
Not sitting.
His posture looked almost serene. Both hands rested lightly over his chest. His head tilted upward, eyes closed, as if basking in something only he could feel.
The smile on his face carried an unsettling satisfaction.
“AH... AHHH... AHHHHHHHH...”
The deep voice rolled through the chamber like distant thunder, vibrating through stone and bone alike.
“HOW MARVELOUS.”
“To think I would receive this many guests in a single day.”
Ishan’s expression darkened.
“What the hell is it saying...” he muttered.
Then louder—
“Everyone, don’t listen to him. We attack together on my command.”
“But—”
“Don’t ask questions,” Ishan snapped. “We don’t have time.”
Slowly, the Shadow Knight lowered his head.
His eyes opened.
“AHHH... IT’S BEEN SO LONG.”
“I HAD FUN.”
A pause.
His gaze locked onto them again.
That same chilling smile returned.
“I CAN’T WAIT ANY LONGER.”
“I WANT TO PLAY WITH YOU.”
The blue flames atop the pillars flared higher.
Fwoooooosh!
“LET’S PLAY.”
His voice deepened.
“LET’S PLAY.”
The pressure in the chamber began to rise again — not crushing, but suffocating.
“LET’S PLAY.”
And—
“EVERYONE!” Ishan roared, steel singing as he drew his sword.
SHING!
He dropped into a combat stance.
“NOW!”
In unison—
THUD! THUD! THUD! 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞
Twenty-six survivors charged forward across the stone floor, torches falling, weapons raised, battle cries tearing from their throats—
Straight toward the Shadow Knight.
Author’s Note:
Hello everyone,
With this Chapter, MORPHORCE has officially reached 50 Chapters.
Honestly, I still can’t believe it. This is my first novel to ever reach this milestone, and it feels surreal.
When I first started this story, I had only a single sentence in mind:
A powerless boy in an awakened society attempts suicide after years of bullying.
That boy was Johan Navraan. The only other character I had clearly imagined was Logan Mizraan. That was it. There was no Afraan, no Jihan, no Lian, no Navraan family history — nothing beyond those two.
Everything else was born along the way.
As the story moved forward, I kept thinking, “What if I create this character? What if this person had this kind of past?” And slowly, the world began to build itself. In many ways, I feel like I’m also a reader of this story, discovering it Chapter by Chapter alongside you.
Well... that’s not entirely true. You already know I have some future plot points in mind. But honestly? I don’t know the entire story either. Maybe I know only 0.000001% of it. The rest unfolds as I explore it.
And that’s what makes writing MORPHORCE so exciting for me.
Where’s the thrill in writing something you already know completely? The real fun is in discovering the unknown — in letting the story surprise even its own author. Of course, sometimes that process is frustrating. But whenever I read your comments and see your support, that frustration disappears instantly.
That’s how MORPHORCE has come this far.
And yet... what lies ahead is even greater.
Thank you for staying with MORPHORCE.
Thank you for believing in this journey.
See you in the next Chapter.
— MASKO
