The fog was like a living thing in the forest. The trees were so thick that the sky was almost invisible. Zero and Lyria, who had been traveling for three days, could swear that they were walking on darkness rather than soil beneath their feet. The air was heavy. It felt as though something foreign was filling their lungs with every breath.
Lyria walked ahead, her hands ready to defend against any attack. Zero followed behind, step by step. He tried to control the expansion of the area, but the curse within him stirred, leaving a prickly sensation.
— "This place... it's like a living graveyard," Zero said, looking around.
Lyria replied without turning her head:
"Very few people have entered here and come out alive. You are one of them."
Zero stopped. "Me?"
Lyria turned and they locked eyes.
"You are someone who has survived every battle, Zero. But this time, just surviving won't be enough."
Just then, the bushes rustled among the trees. Footsteps… No, something crawling… Or multiple things. Lyria reflexively raised her magic barrier, warning Zero to open the cursed area within him.
But at that moment, a voice was heard. Deep, calm, but firm:
— "Don't… open the area."
Even the curse within Zero fell silent.
A silhouette emerged from the shadows. A hooded, slender man… Silent. But his very presence was a threat. He moved so quietly it seemed as though he wasn't touching the ground.
The man who emerged from the darkness suddenly crouched down and shattered the three arrows in midair with a single motion.
Silence fell.
Zero instinctively drew his sword. Lyria also lunged forward. But the man merely raised his hand:
— "Even if I'm not my friend's friend, I'm not your enemy."
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Kai
The man lowered his hood. He had silver-gray eyes. He looked at them with a serious yet mocking expression.
— "My name is Kai. They call me the Sword of Shadows. Or those who don't want anyone to know call me 'the fleeing man.'"
Lyria did not lower her sword.
— "Why did you help us?"
Kai smiled slightly.
— "Because in this forest, people live in three ways: fleeing, hiding, or killing. You resemble the third. I became the fourth—the observer."
Zero took a step forward. "Did you save us just to watch?"
Kai's eyes studied Zero.
— "No. Because you... are like me. What you carry inside... isn't just a curse. It's a familiar scent. It was once inside me too."
Zero furrowed his brow. "Were you cursed too?"
Kai looked away.
— "Perhaps I still am. But all I have left is to return to that Academy and confront my past. If you're going there... we should walk together."
________________________________________
Campfire
When night fell, the trio set up camp. Silence hung between the trees like a spider's web. The campfire burned weakly. Kai sat on the ground, sharpening an old knife. Zero watched him, while Lyria checked her magic charms.
— "Kai..." said Zero.
— "What kind of place is it?"
Kai smiled, but it was a sad smile.
— "The Academy of the Lonely... A place where teachers lose their minds and students lose their humanity. Magic is uncontrollable there. It acts like a living thing. The walls whisper. The floor breathes. Time... flows differently."
Lyria widened her eyes.
— "How did you survive?"
Kai fell silent. He didn't speak for a long time. Then he looked at the fire, his voice trembling:
— "Because... I escaped. Leaving my brother behind."
Zero bowed his head.
Kai continued:
— "We were young. I had promised to protect him. But when the shadow within me overpowered me... I survived. He... stayed behind."
Silence... Even the crackling of the fire felt heavy.
— "That's why I'm going back. I'll either save him... or dig his grave."
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The First Light of Dawn
As the sun rose, the forest was still dark. The trio set off silently. Now it wasn't just Zero and Lyria—Kai was also a part of this fate.
Zero whispered to himself:
— "I'm not alone anymore. But that doesn't mean the battle will be any easier."
Kai looked over his shoulder and smiled:
— "Get ready, cursed friend. Because this path... is not only filled with death, but also with confronting your past."
And in that moment, the sky grew dark. Deep within the forest, an ancient door leading to the Forgotten Academy... trembled slightly.
________________________________________
End of Chapter
Friendship with the shadow is born in the darkness.
But sometimes, the only light in the darkness is the shadow itself.