The morning sun filtered through the thin curtains of Shawn's bedroom, casting long, golden stripes across the floor. Shawn stirred, his lean, defined body shifting under the sheets. Another day of school. Another day of trying to feel normal.
He rubbed his sharp, pale face and glanced at his reflection in the mirror. Black hair, cut in a precise two-block style with a middle part, fell neatly around his sharp eyes. To anyone else, he looked like any other high school boy. But Shawn knew better.
The day before, everything had changed. He had awoken in a hospital bed, memories foggy, but the system interface hovering before him was impossible to ignore. Level: 5. Shadow Monarch.
Shawn sighed. Level five? I can't even believe it myself…
He got dressed in his school uniform, buttoning his crisp white shirt, adjusting his navy blazer, and tightening his tie. The shadows lurking in his room, Beru and Igris, were invisible to the normal eye. Only he could feel their presence, a comforting weight of loyalty and power.
As he walked to school, Shawn kept to himself. The streets were busy with the usual morning rush. But in his mind, he replayed yesterday's events: shadows obeying his every command, the sensation of the dark power flowing through him, and the tiny spark of fear and exhilaration he hadn't felt in years.
"Hey, Shawn! You're late again!" a classmate called, waving from the classroom window.
Shawn waved lazily and slipped into his seat at the back of the room. Nobody noticed the faint ripple of shadows at his feet, subtle but alive, responding to his thoughts.
The first period dragged on. Math, history, and literature blurred together as Shawn's mind wandered. He imagined what it would be like to summon shadows in the middle of class. I wonder if they'd get detention for me…
Suddenly, his system beeped softly in his mind:
> [Shadow Monarch System Alert]
New Combat Experience Available: Mini-Gate Detected – Nearby.
Shawn's heart skipped a beat. A mini-gate? So soon? And so close to the city?
He looked out the window and saw nothing unusual. But Shawn knew better. A shadow flickered at the edge of his vision—an Elite-class creature, small, crawling with malicious intent.
Shawn leaned back in his chair, hands resting on the desk. Guess it's time to see how this works…
He closed his eyes, concentrating. A soft, cold wind brushed against him as he whispered the command in his mind: "Beru… Igris… rise."
The air in the classroom shifted. Shadows solidified into forms, dark and powerful, silently obeying him. Beru, the loyal and towering beast, appeared first, his presence commanding yet restrained. Igris, sleek and deadly, followed, eyes glinting with blue-black energy.
The classroom remained eerily silent. To everyone else, Shawn was just sitting quietly at his desk. But in his mind, he felt the rush of power, the calm before the storm.
A soft vibration signaled the mini-gate opening nearby, just a few blocks away. Shawn smirked. Let's see what this "ordinary life" can handle.
Without a word, he slid out of his chair, shadows following like obedient extensions of his body. The adventure, the battle, the extraordinary—Shawn's new life had already begun.
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