The city was alive, but to Seren Vale, it all felt distant—like echoes from a place he no longer belonged to. Students crowded the sidewalks, cars blared impatiently, and vendors called out the day's deals, but his mind wandered elsewhere. Ever since the encounter with the Shadow, something fundamental had shifted.
He walked to school as usual, his hands tucked in his pockets, eyes darting across the environment. Only now, they didn't just see; they studied. Every glance revealed something deeper—the nervous twitch of a classmate, the fake smile of a teacher, the subtle power plays between groups of students. It was like a filter had been lifted, showing the web beneath the surface.
"You're noticing it now, aren't you?" The voice returned, smooth and confident.
"Shadow," Seren muttered, not aloud, but within. "What is this... ability?"
"Shadow Sense," it replied, a slight chuckle in its tone. "You see intention. You read subtle signs. People wear masks, Seren. You're learning to see under them."
Seren paused at the school gates, staring at the crowd like a hunter studying prey. But he wasn't hunting. He was observing. Absorbing.
His eyes locked with someone across the courtyard. A boy he knew—Kyren Rook. Known for his temper and empty bravado. Something in Kyren's stride, the clench of his jaw, the quick flicker in his eyes—he was going to confront someone.
Seren felt it before it happened.
"You're awake now," Shadow said, impressed. "Your instincts are sharpening. The city is a cage of stories, and you're starting to read its language."
Sure enough, Kyren made his way toward Seren. Shoving aside another student, he stood too close.
"You think you're better than the rest of us now? Been acting all weird," Kyren hissed.
Seren didn't flinch. His eyes scanned Kyren's body—posture aggressive, but unbalanced. Breathing shallow. Right foot slightly back. He was bluffing.
"Do you want to test that theory?" Seren said calmly.
Kyren threw a punch. It was fast, but Seren moved like water. His body acted before thought. Silent Step activated without conscious command. He pivoted, dodged, and let Kyren's momentum betray him.
Kyren stumbled forward, and Seren struck—just once. A clean palm to the chest. Kyren collapsed, gasping.
Gasps spread through the students around them.
"Not bad for a first dance," Shadow said, amused. "But you didn't win with strength. You won with clarity. That's the path of the awakened."
Seren looked down at his hands, breathing evenly.
"I didn't even think," he murmured.
"You didn't need to. Your body is adapting. It remembers truths your mind has yet to process."
As teachers rushed to break it up, Seren stepped back and blended into the crowd. But inside, a storm was building.
Later, on the rooftop, Seren sat alone. The city stretched before him, vast and uncaring.
"You said there's more," he whispered.
The Shadow emerged behind him, shaped like a silhouette made of liquid dusk.
"There is. This was just the beginning. The world isn't what it claims to be. Beneath the surface lies another realm—one of power, secrets, and truth. And you, Seren Vale, are one of the first to awaken."
"Why me?"
"Because you were watching while others slept. Because you listened when others spoke only to be heard. You've always seen the cracks. Now, you can step through them."
Seren looked at his reflection in the building's glass.
"Then teach me. Show me the path."
The Shadow smiled, its voice like wind through an empty corridor.
"Each path is unique. Mine is yours, yet not. I am the echo of your truth, not its master. But I will walk with you until the veil tears."
And for the first time, Seren didn't feel alone.
The world had shifted.
He had awakened.
And something far larger had begun to stir beneath the veil.