The ruins around Aiden shimmered faintly as dust settled from the earlier chaos.
Students whispered and pointed, some wide-eyed, some skeptical, as the boy who defeated a Hollow Wraith with nothing but a metal pipe walked past.
Aiden's system pulsed quietly in his mind:
```
[ECLIPSE SYSTEM ACTIVE]
[Shadow Sense: Activated]
[Level: 1]
[Forms: None unlocked]
[Skill Tree: Available]
```
He had survived the first unexpected trial… barely. But this was only the beginning.
---
The massive gates of Arcane Dawn Academy opened with a slow, metallic groan.
Towering over the students, the academy looked like a fortress from another world.
Its walls were etched with ancient runes that glowed faintly, pulsing as if alive.
Aiden followed the other new students into the main courtyard.
Some looked confident. Others, like him, looked wary, uncertain.
A voice echoed across the stone steps.
"Welcome, new students."
The entire courtyard fell silent.
A tall man, his silver hair glinting in the dim sunlight, stepped forward—**Professor Kairon Elthar**.
His eyes scanned each student like a hawk.
When they landed on Aiden, they lingered… a fraction too long.
```
"Ah… the Last Human."
```
Murmurs spread like wildfire.
Aiden felt his pulse quicken.
Was this reputation, or prophecy?
---
"Today marks the start of your training," the professor continued.
"Your abilities, your minds, and your shadows will be tested."
Suddenly, the ground in the courtyard shifted.
Tiny dark tendrils began crawling along the stone floor—barely visible, but unmistakable.
Aiden froze. His Shadow Sense pulsed.
```
[Shadow Presence Detected: Level 1]
```
The tendrils moved like living things.
He could feel them reach for something… something alive.
One of the confident students laughed nervously.
"This is… part of the initiation, right?"
The professor's eyes narrowed.
"Indeed. First test: survive the Shadow Crawl."
The courtyard floor cracked open as more shadows seeped through.
Students screamed, scattered, tried to summon magic… most failed.
Only a few could hold their ground.
Aiden exhaled slowly.
This was different from the Hollow Wraith.
This wasn't a mindless monster.
These were the shadows of the academy itself—alive, sentient, waiting for prey.
He felt the system interface pulse with a warning:
```
[Hint: Shadows respond to fear and hesitation]
```
Aiden clenched his fists.
If he didn't move first… the shadows would strike.
Stepping forward, he let his instincts guide him.
A ripple of black spread beneath his feet.
A shadow rose—not a clone, not yet—but a simple tendril responding to his presence.
```
[Shadow Control: 1%]
```
It struck first, slamming into one of the creeping tendrils.
The darkness recoiled, hissed, and struck another student.
Aiden moved again, faster this time.
The courtyard was chaos, screams echoing.
But slowly… steadily… he realized he could guide the shadows, control them just enough to defend himself.
By the time the professor's gong rang to signal the end of the test, only a handful of students remained unscathed.
And one of them stood in the center of the courtyard, untouched, breathing steadily… Aiden Vale.
The professor's silver eyes locked onto him.
A faint, approving smirk appeared.
```
"Interesting," he murmured.
"Perhaps the shadows have found their host."
```
Aiden swallowed hard.
This is only day one.
And already… the shadows are testing me.
---