The rain had not stopped.
Cold water continued pouring from the sky, washing away the blood on the stones of the narrow alley. Thunder rolled across the dark clouds above Blackridge City, shaking the night with deep echoes.
But inside the alley, something far stranger was happening.
Kael Draven stood motionless.
The three men from the Iron Fang Guild stared at him with confusion and irritation.
Moments ago, the boy had been barely conscious.
Beaten.
Broken.
Helpless.
Yet now he stood upright as if nothing had happened.
And the shadows around him were moving.
Not with the wind.
Not with the flicker of lightning.
But with him.
The tall man with the dagger frowned.
"What kind of trick is this?"
Kael didn't answer.
His mind was still spinning.
The strange void… the ancient voice… the overwhelming power that had flooded into his body…
Was it real?
Or had he imagined everything while unconscious?
But the darkness curling around his fingers proved otherwise.
The shadows responded to his thoughts.
Kael slowly clenched his hand.
The black mist tightened like smoke trapped in his grip.
His heart began pounding.
This power…
It was real.
One of the thugs stepped forward, clearly annoyed.
"Boss, this brat's playing games."
The leader narrowed his eyes.
"Doesn't matter."
He raised the dagger.
"We kill him and leave."
The man rushed forward.
Kael's instincts screamed.
Move.
Before he even realized what he was doing, Kael's thoughts focused on the shadows beneath the man's feet.
The darkness suddenly surged.
The thug's shadow twisted violently.
Then—
WHAM!
The man's legs were yanked backward as if something had grabbed him from the ground.
He crashed onto the stone floor with a shocked yell.
The alley fell silent.
The other two men stared in disbelief.
"What the—?!"
Kael stared at his own hand.
He hadn't touched the man.
Yet the shadow had obeyed him.
A strange thrill ran through his chest.
The leader recovered first.
His expression darkened.
"So that's your trick."
He stepped forward slowly.
"Some kind of shadow magic."
Magic.
The word made Kael pause.
In this world, magic was rare.
Only trained mages or powerful warriors could control such forces.
And Kael had never been one of them.
Until tonight.
The leader spun the dagger in his hand.
"Too bad for you."
Magic users were valuable.
But an untrained one?
Easy prey.
The man suddenly lunged forward.
Fast.
Much faster than the thug from before.
Kael barely had time to react.
The dagger flashed through the rain toward his chest.
Instinct took over.
"Stop."
The word left Kael's lips without thinking.
And the shadows listened.
Darkness erupted from the ground.
The leader's shadow stretched upward like a living arm.
It wrapped around his wrist.
The dagger froze inches from Kael's chest.
The man's eyes widened.
"What—?!"
He tried to pull his arm back.
But the shadow tightened its grip.
Like iron chains made of darkness.
The other thug shouted.
"Boss!"
Kael's breathing grew heavier.
Controlling the shadows wasn't effortless.
It felt like his mind was lifting a heavy weight.
But he didn't let go.
Instead, he stepped forward.
For years, Kael had been the one on the ground.
The one being beaten.
The one forced to endure.
But tonight…
Something had changed.
He looked directly into the man's eyes.
"You were going to kill me."
The leader snarled.
"You think this changes anything?"
He struggled harder.
Veins bulged in his neck as he tried to break free.
The shadow didn't move.
The thug behind him finally rushed forward with a club.
"Let him go!"
Kael turned his head.
His glowing eyes locked onto the attacker.
The shadows beneath the man's feet erupted again.
This time they didn't just trip him.
They wrapped around his legs completely.
The thug screamed as he was dragged violently across the wet ground.
He slammed into the brick wall of the alley.
The impact knocked the air from his lungs.
Now only one man remained standing.
The first thug who had been knocked down earlier slowly got up.
Fear spread across his face.
"This… this isn't normal."
The leader growled.
"Idiot! Attack him!"
But the man hesitated.
The shadows around Kael moved like living creatures.
They twisted along the walls.
Crawled across the ground.
Watched.
Waiting.
Kael raised his hand slowly.
Dark mist gathered in his palm.
The thug stepped back.
"I… I don't want trouble."
The leader shouted.
"Get back here!"
But the man didn't listen.
He turned and ran out of the alley.
The leader cursed.
"Useless coward!"
Kael looked back at him.
Now only the two of them remained.
The rain grew heavier.
Water dripped from Kael's hair as he stepped closer.
The shadow gripping the man's wrist tightened further.
The dagger finally slipped from his hand and clattered onto the ground.
For the first time…
The leader looked afraid.
"What are you?"
Kael didn't know the answer.
But the shadows seemed to know.
They whispered through the darkness.
And somewhere deep within his mind…
A faint voice echoed.
A title.
A destiny.
Shadow Sovereign.
Rain struck the alley harder now.
Each drop splashed against the stones like tiny explosions, mixing with the blood and mud scattered across the ground.
The narrow passage between the buildings had become eerily quiet.
Only two figures remained.
Kael Draven.
And the leader of the Iron Fang thugs.
The man's arm was still trapped.
The shadow wrapped around his wrist looked like living smoke, tightening whenever he tried to move.
His breathing grew heavier.
"What kind of cursed magic is this…?"
Kael didn't answer.
He wasn't even fully listening.
His attention was fixed on the shadows.
They were everywhere.
Along the walls.
Beneath the broken crates.
Under the dripping roofs.
And somehow…
He could feel them.
Not with his eyes.
But with something deeper.
Something inside his mind.
It was like suddenly gaining a new sense.
Like hearing whispers in a silent room.
The shadows were waiting for commands.
Waiting for him.
Kael slowly raised his hand.
The darkness on the ground responded instantly.
The leader's shadow stretched longer, rising behind him like a dark serpent.
The man's eyes widened.
"Stop!"
Kael tilted his head slightly.
For years, people had ordered him around.
Threatened him.
Beat him.
But now the roles had reversed.
The power difference between them felt… enormous.
Yet Kael hesitated.
He had never killed anyone before.
The thought alone made his stomach twist.
The man seemed to notice his hesitation.
His expression suddenly changed.
The fear disappeared.
Replaced by a cruel grin.
"You're weak."
Kael blinked.
"You don't have the guts to kill me."
The man's free hand slowly reached behind his back.
"You think some strange trick will scare the Iron Fang Guild?"
His fingers grabbed something hidden in his belt.
A small throwing knife.
Kael's instincts screamed.
Danger.
But the moment of hesitation had already passed.
The knife flew through the air.
Kael barely managed to twist his body aside.
The blade sliced across his shoulder.
Pain exploded through his arm.
"Agh!"
He staggered back.
The shadow grip loosened for just a moment.
The leader seized the chance.
With a roar, he yanked his arm free from the darkness.
"Idiot brat!"
He lunged forward.
Without the dagger, he swung his fist instead.
The punch slammed into Kael's face.
Kael crashed against the brick wall behind him.
Stars exploded across his vision.
The leader didn't stop.
He grabbed Kael's collar and slammed him into the wall again.
"You should have run when you had the chance!"
Another punch struck Kael's ribs.
Pain shot through his chest.
The man raised his fist again.
But suddenly…
He stopped.
Something cold wrapped around his ankle.
The leader slowly looked down.
The shadow beneath him had moved again.
It had crept across the ground silently.
Now it coiled around his leg like a dark chain.
"What…?"
Kael lifted his head.
Blood ran from the corner of his mouth.
But his eyes had changed.
They glowed faintly in the darkness.
"You talk too much."
His voice sounded calmer now.
Colder.
The shadows around the alley began moving faster.
Like black waves spreading across the ground.
The leader tried to step back.
But the shadow tightened.
Then another one appeared.
And another.
Dark tendrils wrapped around both of his legs.
Then his waist.
Then his arms.
Panic spread across his face.
"No—!"
The shadows lifted him off the ground.
His feet kicked helplessly in the air.
"What are you doing?!"
Kael slowly pushed himself away from the wall.
The pain in his body still burned.
But something else burned stronger.
Anger.
Years of humiliation.
Years of suffering.
Years of being powerless.
The shadows seemed to feel it.
They reacted to his emotions.
Growing darker.
Stronger.
The leader struggled desperately.
"If you kill me—"
Kael raised his hand.
The shadows stopped the man's words by tightening around his throat.
His voice turned into a choking gasp.
Kael walked closer.
Rain fell between them.
"You were going to kill me."
The man shook his head frantically.
"I— I was just following orders!"
Kael paused.
"Orders?"
The man's face turned pale.
He realized his mistake too late.
Kael stepped closer.
"Who gave them?"
The leader hesitated.
The shadows around his throat tightened again.
He gasped.
"I'll tell you!"
Kael waited.
The man swallowed nervously.
"The Iron Fang Guild… isn't the real problem."
Kael frowned.
"What do you mean?"
The man looked around as if afraid someone might hear him.
"Someone powerful is buying things from the guild."
"What things?"
"Artifacts."
Kael's eyes narrowed.
Artifacts.
Objects containing ancient power.
Rare.
Dangerous.
And extremely valuable.
The man's voice trembled.
"The ring you stole… it wasn't meant for the guild."
"Then who?"
The leader shook his head weakly.
"I don't know their name."
"But everyone calls them…"
His voice dropped to a whisper.
"The Black Council."
The moment those words left his mouth—
A sudden whistle cut through the rain.
Kael's eyes widened.
Too late.
Something shot through the darkness.
A black arrow pierced straight through the man's chest.
The leader's body jerked violently.
Blood spilled from his mouth.
The shadows holding him loosened automatically.
His body dropped to the ground.
Kael stared in shock.
An arrow?
From where?
He turned toward the rooftops.
Lightning flashed across the sky.
For just a brief second…
He saw them.
Three figures standing on the roof of a nearby building.
Completely silent.
Watching him.
And even from this distance…
Kael could feel their presence.
Cold.
Dangerous.
One of them spoke calmly.
"So… the artifact chose him."
Another voice answered.
"Interesting."
The third figure drew another arrow.
"Should we eliminate him?"
The first figure shook his head slowly.
"No."
"Not yet."
Lightning faded.
The rooftops returned to darkness.
And the three figures disappeared.
Kael stood frozen in the alley.
Rain continued falling.
But the world suddenly felt far more dangerous than before.
Because now he understood one thing.
The Iron Fang Guild had never been the real threat.
The real hunters…
Had just arrived.