Chapter 3: Whispers of the Abyss
The morning air was crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth and burning incense from the remains of the festival. But for Ryo, Tenryu no longer felt like home. The whispers had already begun.
"The cursed one…"
"That Shadow isn't normal…"
"He should be exiled before it's too late."
Ryo tightened his fists as he walked through the village, Saya and Kaito at his side. He could feel the stares, the judgment. Even those who once pitied him now looked at him with fear.
"So much for being a hero," Vex muttered in his mind.
"They think I'm dangerous," Ryo thought back.
"They're right."
Ryo stopped in his tracks. "What?"
Vex's voice was calm, almost amused. "They should be afraid. They don't understand what you've awakened."
A cold shiver ran down Ryo's spine. But before he could press Vex for answers, a voice cut through the air.
"Ryo Kisaragi! You are summoned by the Council of Elders!"
The trio turned toward the village square, where five robed figures stood before the Temple of Shadows. The entire village had gathered.
"Here we go again," Kaito muttered.
The Elders' Verdict
Ryo stood before the council, his gaze unwavering.
The eldest of them all, Master Renji, stepped forward. His aged face was etched with concern.
"Ryo, you have always been an unusual case, but now, you have become a danger to this village."
Ryo clenched his jaw. "A danger? I saved everyone!"
Renji sighed. "That is not the issue. Shadows do not appear from nowhere. Every child is born with one. You, however… you were born with nothing. And now, this—this thing appears from the abyss?"
Vex's voice rang in Ryo's head. "They know more than they're saying."
Renji continued. "The ancient texts speak of something similar. A Shadow born from darkness itself. An omen of catastrophe."
The crowd gasped.
Saya stepped forward. "You're basing this on some ancient myth?!"
Renji shook his head. "Legends hold truth. And if there is even a chance that Ryo's Shadow is connected to the abyss… we cannot ignore it."
Kaito scoffed. "So what, you're going to kick him out?"
Silence.
Then Renji spoke the words that changed everything.
"No. He must leave of his own will… and seek the truth himself."
A Journey Begins
That night, Ryo stood at the village gates, a bag slung over his shoulder. The weight of exile wasn't as heavy as he expected. Maybe because, deep down, he had always been an outsider.
Saya and Kaito stood beside him.
"So where do we go?" Kaito asked.
Ryo pulled out an ancient scroll that Renji had given him—a single clue. It spoke of a temple hidden deep within the Abyssal Mountains. A place where Shadows were said to originate.
"This," Ryo said, "is where our journey begins."
As they took their first steps into the unknown, Vex's voice whispered in his mind.
"You're finally walking toward destiny, Ryo. But are you ready for what you'll find?"