Harry Freeman POV
I swear to God, I didn't wake up this morning expecting to sneak into an abandoned building.
But here we were me, James, Lily, and Sara creeping behind Tyler like we were in some low-budget spy movie. He had no idea we were following him. Probably thought he was being subtle. Newsflash: he wasn't.
The building he went into? Yeah, I recognized it.
Old place near campus—was supposed to be a community arts center or something, but funding got cut, and now it's just four stories of graffiti, dust, and haunted energy.
I looked around. James was peeking behind a rusted fence, Lily was chewing her thumbnail like she does when she's focused, and Sara... Sara looked like she wanted to punch someone. Probably Tyler.
I nodded toward the building.
"Let's go, guys."
They all followed, no one arguing. That's how weird this whole thing had gotten—we were united in our confusion.
The closer we got, the more I felt like we were walking into a live-action urban legend. Then—suddenly—
A voice echoed from inside.
Loud. Echoing off the concrete.
It was unmistakable.
Tyler.
"I won't let you destroy this world!!!"
We all froze
.
Lily blinked.
"…What."
James whispered,
"Is he—practicing for a drama club audition or something?"
Sara just stared at the building, her expression unreadable.
But me?
I had chills.
Because that didn't sound like Tyler being a weirdo for attention.
That sounded like a scene.
That sounded like something real.
And in that moment, as ridiculous as it was…
I started to wonder if Tyler wasn't just pretending anymore.
I took a breath and whispered,
"Guys… we should go in."
None of them argued.
We pushed the rusted door open slowly.
And stepped inside.
..
Sara Debeu's POV
As we stepped inside—floorboards creaking under our hesitant feet—the dusty silence of the abandoned building was shattered.
WHAM.
Tyler was thrown backward across the room, crashing into a pile of old scaffolding. My heart jumped in my throat. What the hell?!
We all froze in place.
As Tyler hit a stack of metal scaffolding with a loud clang and groaned, but before any of us could run to him, something started happening.
From the ground, black feathers exploded upward in a spiral—spinning around him like a mini tornado.
"Is that… feathers?" Lily whispered.
The feathers didn't fall. They stayed, like they were alive, wrapping around him.
Then suddenly, a black, cracked half-mask snapped over the left side of his face. It looked sharp, like it had come out of a nightmare.
"Tyler?" Harry called out.
But Tyler didn't answer.
I couldn't breathe.
(This… this can't be real. What is this? What is he?)
James stepped forward but stopped cold.
"Guys… what if this isn't just Tyler messing around anymore?"
Then, the shadowy figure that attacked Tyler, he stood in the middle of it all, silent, covered in shadows. His face half-hidden behind that cracked mask. The cloak moving slowly, even though there was no wind.
He looked like someone out of a dark comic. A villain.
Or both.
"...Tyler?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.
He didn't move. Didn't even look at us.
Then he said, quietly, but clear enough for us to hear:
"You shouldn't have followed me."
His voice was deeper. Calm. Scary calm.
The air felt colder around us. The shadows near him… they shifted, like they were alive.
(What… what are you hiding from us, Tyler?)
….
Tyler's POV
The air in the abandoned building felt heavier now. The walls echoed with wind and whispers that weren't there a second ago.
And there he was—Crow.
A shadow-wrapped figure stepped out from the far side of the room. Black mist clung to his form like a living cloak. Feathers spiraled at his feet. His half-mask shimmered with the texture of broken obsidian, covering his left eye.
(He looked perfect. Exactly how I scripted him in OmniScript. My clone. My villain. My performance partner.)
Crow turned, and his voice—my voice, twisted and distorted—cut through the room:
"Hoh… your friends? Hero?"
(God, that line hits. This is the plot now. This is real.)
I stood up from where I'd been knocked down. My side looked bruised, my lip cut, and my breathing shallow.
But in truth?
(I don't feel a damn thing. I turned off pain with OmniScript. Real injuries—fake suffering.)
I stared down my shadow-self and said,
"Don't hurt them… or I'll kill you, bastard."
(Boom. Power line. Cue tension.)
The others had just entered, stunned and confused.
Lily stepped forward, voice sharp and anxious:
"What's going on, Tyler? What is this?"
Harry blinked fast like he was trying to catch up with reality.
"Is this really happening? Did he seriously summon darkness?!"
James, of course, was hyped.
"Okay this is… actually kinda cool."
(Finally. Someone who gets it.)
Then I looked at Sara.
And that's when everything almost broke.
She ran toward me, ignoring the spooky feathers still floating in the air, and grabbed my arm.
Her eyes were locked on mine—serious, worried, emotional in a way I hadn't expected.
"You're hurt!! Tyler, are you okay?! Say something!"
For a split second, I felt my brain lag.
(Wait—why does she look like she's about to cry?? I thought she hated me...)
(She's… really worried about me?)
I looked away. Just for a second. I needed to stay in character. The plot came first. This story was mine—mine to build, mine to control.
(I can't break now… not when it's getting good.)
I pulled my arm free slowly, then turned back toward Crow, eyes narrowed.
"Get out of here. I'll handle this."
Crow just chuckled, deep and slow, like a villain in a trailer.
Behind me, I heard Sara whisper something under her breath:
"Tyler… what are you hiding?"
(Hehe… that's the question, isn't it?)
(Let Act One begin.)
…
Lily Croft POV
I couldn't believe what I was seeing.
Tyler—our friend otaku a geek who always made weird jokes—was lying on the ground, looking like he just crawled out of an action movie. His hoodie was torn, blood was on his cheek, and his breathing was uneven.
(No. I'm not just going to stand here and watch him suffer. Not him. Not like this.)
Before I could move, Tyler lifted his head and shouted at us:
"What are you doing here?! RUN!!"
His voice cracked. It wasn't a joke. It wasn't a game. This was real.
Harry rushed to him, dropping beside him and grabbing his shoulder.
"Tyler, what the hell is going on?! Who is that guy?!"
That's when the figure stepped forward. The shadows around him moved like smoke underwater. His cloak whispered against the floor with every step. A cracked black mask covered part of his face, and his voice was calm… almost bored.
"My name is Crow."
(Crow. That name… it sent a chill through me. Like I'd heard it in a nightmare I'd forgotten until now.)
Tyler forced himself up, fists clenched, blood dripping from his mouth.
"CROW!! Don't you dare touch them!"
He stood in front of us like some kind of shield. Even hurt, even shaking—he faced that thing like it was nothing.
(Why is he doing this? How is he doing this?)
Crow looked at each of us. His eyes paused on James for a second too long. Then… he smiled. A sharp, dangerous grin.
"For now… I'll let you be. I have other matters to attend to."
(What? That's it? He's just leaving? Why do I feel like this isn't over?)
Tyler staggered forward, reaching out.
"WAIT, CROW!!!"
But Crow was already gone. Like smoke swallowed him whole. No exit. No door creak. Just… gone.
The room was quiet again.
Too quiet.
James looked around, completely stunned.
"That guy just disappeared. Like… literally vanished."
Harry helped Tyler stay on his feet.
Sara didn't say anything. She just stared at Tyler with wide eyes, still shocked.
And me? I couldn't stop thinking—
(Tyler… what the hell are you hiding from us?)
(You knew him. You fought like you've done this before. You… What happened to you my friend.)
I wanted to scream at him.
I wanted answers.
But all I could do was stare as Tyler lowered his head, shadows still clinging faintly to his body… and stayed silent.
…
Tyler POV
Kekekeke…
(Nice. That was perfect. The mask, the shadows, the clone's dramatic retreat... flawless execution.)
The abandoned building around us groaned faintly in the wind. Dust floated in the beams of morning light that managed to pierce through the broken windows and cracks in the ceiling. Mold clung to old wooden support beams, and somewhere above us, a loose panel clattered, reacting to the vibrations left behind from the fight.
I sat hunched over, knees bent, hoodie torn, blood streaked across my cheek.
Real injuries.
Real blood.
But pain? Nothing.
Thanks to the OmniScript, I had long disabled my pain receptors. I could break a bone and not even flinch. That's how deep I went for the plot. Method acting? Nah. This was god-level immersion.
I could've healed these wounds instantly with just a command, but nah—this was part of the narrative. The climax of Act I.
Let them see the "broken" me. Let them worry. Let them believe.
From across the dim room, the others hesitated.
Dust swirled as they stepped slowly toward me. Their sneakers creaked on cracked tiles, the remains of what was once a teacher's lounge or office space, now long forgotten by the world.
I met their eyes and gave a pained sigh, slumping further against the wall.
"Looks like… I can't hide this from you all, huh?"
(Sheesh… 10/10 actor. Where's my Oscar, huh?)
Harry was the first to approach, pushing his glasses up with one hand and looking like he just walked into a sci-fi movie mid-scene.
"What was that, Tyler? How did you—y'know... do that?"
His voice was shaking between concern and fascination.
James, standing just behind him, was wide-eyed.
"Was that… like what we see in movies? You know—mutants, chosen ones, those guys who awaken secret powers?"
(Good. They're buying it.)
Lily stood off to the side with her arms crossed, but her eyes were locked onto me like lasers.
"Powers, huh?" she said slowly. "You've been acting weird all week, Tyler"
I gave a weak smile, eyes low, voice hushed:
"I thought I could handle it on my own... but it's too late now."
(Ohhh, now that's juicy. Tragic protagonist vibes—A+ delivery.)
Sara stepped forward next, her steps hesitant. She knelt beside me, brushing aside my torn hoodie to see the bruises. Her touch was gentle—hesitant fingers brushing over a bloodied shoulder.
"Are you okay, idiot?" she muttered.
I winced perfectly on cue.
"Ouch."
Her hands pulled back immediately.
"S-Sorry!" she gasped, genuinely flustered.
Lily smirked from across the room.
"Wow. You're really concerned for him, huh?"
Sara immediately fired back:
"W-Who's concerned?! I just don't want blood on my shoes, okay?!"
I let my head fall back against the wall, giving a soft chuckle. Just enough to show a crack in the serious front. Still in character, though. Always.
Harry sat down next to me, leaning against the wall.
"About what I said earlier… who was that guy? Crow?"
I looked toward the shadowy corner where the clone had vanished. The air still felt heavy there. The echo of his presence still hung in the dark like a forgotten breath.
"His name's Crow."
To be continue