Episode 8: Marked by Shadows
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It started with the scent of burnt leaves.
Kael jolted awake in the middle of the night, his room filled with an eerie silence. Outside, the moon glowed red—too red. He stumbled to the window, and his breath caught.
Across the forest bordering Shadowbound High, an ominous light pulsed—deep violet and black tendrils swirling into the sky. Like something was tearing the world open. Again.
He grabbed his coat, ignoring the stinging pain in his shoulder—the bite still hadn't healed completely.
Downstairs, Felix was already awake, poking at an old grimoire with a half-eaten sandwich in hand.
"Oh, look who's finally up," Felix muttered. "Someone summoned something nasty. I told Lana not to leave those ancient runes lying around like Halloween decorations."
Kael snatched his boots. "Where are the others?"
"Rhea's scanning the wards. Tunde's… well, trying to ride a ghost elk or something."
Kael blinked. "A ghost what now?"
"Don't ask."
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The Forest Breach
Within minutes, the group regrouped in the clearing near the breach point. The atmosphere was thick—choking. Trees leaned unnaturally, their bark blackened with pulsing veins.
Rhea ran her hand through the air, whispering incantations. "This wasn't a normal summoning. Something ancient came through—something that wasn't supposed to."
Tunde, still holding what looked like an elk antler, added, "Or someone's just playing demon Jenga again."
Kael moved forward cautiously. As he did, the mark on his chest—where the werewolf alpha had bitten him—burned fiercely. He dropped to his knees.
Rhea rushed to him. "Kael! What's wrong?"
"It's reacting… to something here."
Suddenly, the ground shook.
From the center of the twisted clearing, the earth split open, revealing a glowing pit. Shadowy tendrils erupted from it, and with them came figures—humanoid but grotesque, with mouths where eyes should be, and blades fused into their arms.
Felix groaned. "Nope. Nooope. That's a nope demon. Can't fight what I can't look at."
Lana arrived, hair tied up and her hands glowing with protective magic. "Then don't look. Blast."
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The Battle
They fought like lightning had struck the forest.
Kael's speed had improved drastically. He moved like a blur, slamming one of the shadow creatures into a tree before flipping over another and slicing through it with a summoned light blade formed by sheer instinct.
Tunde and Felix worked together, Tunde summoning energy pulses while Felix reloaded his cursed bullets mid-air. One shot went straight through two creatures—only for a third to reform behind him.
"Guys?" he called. "I think they're learning!"
Rhea surrounded the pit with protective runes. "We have to seal it! This is a Hellmouth, and it's growing!"
Kael leapt into the center of the fray, fighting his way toward the pit. But something grabbed him—a clawed hand made of black fog. He was pulled into the darkness.
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The Shadow Plane
Kael opened his eyes to a colorless world. Shadows bled across the sky, and before him stood a tall figure. Not a demon. Not human.
Its voice came not from its mouth, but from the space behind Kael's thoughts.
> "You are Marked. Not by one force—but two."
> "The bite… and the Chosen mark."
Kael tried to speak but couldn't.
> "When the time comes, you will break. Or you will ascend. But if you seek the truth—walk into the flame."
Suddenly, a ring of fire erupted around Kael. From its center came a whisper… a name that made Kael's head throb.
> "Velmorth'Rael…"
He gasped—and was flung back into the real world.
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The Seal
The pit was now fully open. Rhea had collapsed from exhaustion, and Felix was running low on ammo. Lana fought desperately to hold the protective wards together.
Kael rose, his veins glowing with both silver and gold.
He slammed his hand on the ground.
Symbols burst across the clearing, ancient ones, ones no one had taught him. A beam of pure energy shot into the sky.
The creatures screamed—then were sucked back into the pit. With a final blast, Kael sent the darkness slamming shut.
Silence.
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Aftermath
The team gathered, breathing heavily.
Felix flopped onto a log. "I vote we all go on vacation. Somewhere warm. With zero eldritch pits."
Tunde nodded. "Somewhere with Wi-Fi. My ghost elk deleted my playlist."
Lana looked at Kael, her expression unreadable. "What was that? That power…"
Kael shook his head. "I don't know. But I think… I think I'm changing."
Rhea walked over. "You're not just changing. You're evolving, Kael. Fast. That's dangerous."
Kael didn't answer.
Far away, the last tendrils of shadow sunk into the ground. But deep below, in the pit's remains, something ancient stirred.
And it remembered his name.