The air smelled of metal dust, rancid oil, and mold.
Kael stepped slowly, his back pressed against the cold concrete wall.
In his left hand, a sphere of shadow pulsed like a broken heart, dimly lighting the sloped corridor.
He had found the entrance almost by accident—beneath a massive stone in the heart of the forest, a rusted hatch that had creaked like a wounded animal when opened.
Now he was descending.
Deep.
Deeper and deeper.
Each step came with a heavy breath. Not from exhaustion—but from thoughts.
Seraphine was silent.
And her silence unsettled him more than any scream.
At the bottom of the stairs, he opened a heavy, reinforced door.
Someone had scratched the word "BETRAYAL" into it—either with nails or knives.
Inside:
Peeling walls, exposed wires, shattered monitors.
A laboratory.
Or what used to be.
Now it was just a grave for dead dreams.
Kael knelt down, placed his palm on the floor, and whispered:
— "Shut up, Seraphine. From here on... I'll handle it alone."
The shadow in his palm spread, coiling across the floor like a spider.
A black screen appeared in front of him, silent and menacing.
[ SYSTEM ACTIVATED ]
Welcome, Kael. The shadows recognize you as their Master.
STATUS: Hidden – Unknown – Unstable
Active abilities:
• [Shadow of Life] – You can shape your own shadow and detach it from yourself for a short time.
• [Spiritual Devour] – You can absorb weak souls to heal or temporarily empower yourself.
Kael closed his eyes.
The image of his mother appeared instantly.
The laughter of soldiers.
Her screams, reduced to echo.
He clenched his fists, and from his shadow burst a long, dark arm, like a living whip, slamming into the wall.
Over the next hours, Kael moved slowly through the bunker—activating old generators, cleaning out a room, drawing protective symbols with charcoal on the walls.
He starved himself on purpose.
Punched his own ribs a few times, just to feel real pain.
So he wouldn't forget.
So he wouldn't get lost in power.
In the end, he knelt again, and a new shadow—small and weak—slid out of his back.
He looked at it.
It resembled nothing he'd seen before.
But it was his first true creation, made without Seraphine.
Small.
Unstable.
But alive.
Kael smiled.
Not because he was happy.
But because it had begun.
"One step closer. One step closer to crushing you all."