- With lisa and Grandpa.
"Is he already gone?"
Grandpa asked as he saw lisa enter the room.
"... Yeah, so... Why did you ask Mikail to go ho? Is there a reason behind it? And why you don't tell him about the Shadow? Old Man, I want you to answer all of that"
lisa said as she took the seat across from Grandpa.
Grandpa let out a long sigh, rubbing his temples before leaning back in his chair.
"You ask too many questions"
He muttered while lisa narrowed her eyes. Then said.
"... And you avoid too many answers"
After that, a mont of silence passed between them. The room felt heavier than before. Finally, Grandpa exhaled deeply and looked lisa in the eye.
"The Shadow has already taken notice of him"
Hearing that, lisa's expression shifted.
"...You're sure?"
At those questions from lisa, Grandpa nodded.
"Yes, the mont he used his magic, I felt it. A disturbance... Small, but there... It was watching, The Shadow Realm show so reaction"
"Damn it. I told you teaching him was risky"
"I didn't have a choice"
Grandpa replied his voice firm. Then he said again.
"If he didn't learn to control it now, it would have awakened on its own. And that would've been even worse"
lisa clicked her tongue in frustration.
"Then why not just tell him? He's not an idiot, you know. He deserves to understand what he's up against!"
Grandpa shook his head.
"No. Not yet"
"Why the hell not?!"
"Because if he knows, he'll try to fight it"
Hearing that, lisa froze for a mont, don't understand why Grandpa said those words. Before she asks.
"... But Why? Why he'll try to fight the Shadow?"
Grandpa's voice lowered, his eyes dark with sothing unreadable, but one thing is sure, there was a sadness in his eyes.
"My friend... Mikail's Grandfather died by The Shadow... If Mikail found out about this... He'll try to fight it... He'll lose, worse, he'll die"
lisa's breath hitched. She hadn't expected that.
"...Mikail's grandfather?"
She repeated slowly as if the words themselves were difficult to process.
Grandpa nodded, his expression grim.
"The Shadow took him years ago. We never found his body. No one ever does... He is an annoying friend, but he is my best friend... We co from different backgrounds... But he is my best friend"
Said Grandpa, and then his sad gaze was replaced with hatred. Grandpa gritted his teeth, and then in a tone filled with hatred, he said.
"The Shadow... That damn shadow creature took him away"
After that big reveal, a heavy silence filled the room. lisa had known the old man had secrets, but this, this was bigger than she'd imagined.
She ran a hand through her hair, frustrated.
"...So you're saying if Mikail learns about this, he'll want revenge?"
"Not just revenge"
Grandpa muttered. Then continued to say.
"That kid has lost too much... And hearing from his Grandmother... The death of his parents probably has so connection to Shadow Creature... Their deaths are unnatural... If he knows about these Shadow Creatures now, he will try to connect everything... Even though the child acts like that, he is a smart boy... With just a little hint he will be able to know many things... And when that happens... He'll throw himself into a fight he can't win. Not yet"
Hearing that, lisa clenched her fists. Then said.
"And what if the Shadow doesn't wait? What if it cos for him first?"
Grandpa's gaze was steady.
"Then we prepare him. Slowly. Carefully. Without letting him know the full truth until he's ready"
lisa let out a shaky breath, leaning back in her chair.
"...I don't like it."
"You don't have to"
Grandpa said, closing his eyes. Then continued.
"But it's the only way to keep him alive"
Another silence. Then, after a mont, lisa muttered.
"...Damn it, old man. You always make things complicated"
At those words, Grandpa let out a tired chuckle.
"That's life, kid"
lisa exhaled sharply, shaking her head.
"Fine"
She said, standing up.
"I'll play along. But if things go south, I will tell him the truth"
Grandpa didn't argue. He only sighed.
"Let's hope it doesn't co to that"
lisa didn't answer. Instead, she turned and left the room, her mind racing.
The Shadow had taken Mikail's grandfather.
Now, it was watching Mikail.
--------
After lise left the room, Grandpa stayed silent for a while before he opened his eyes.
"... Light Affinity... Is that the reason why the Shadow Creature took you, my friends? *Sigh* I always thought of myself as special in front of you, but it turns out you were hiding sothing more special that you didn't even know... That's a life, huh?"
After saying that, Grandpa also left his chair; he then walked towards the door with a very serious look.
"... I can't keep my promise to look after your children... But let at least take care of your Grandchildren"
Grandpa murmured before leaving the room.
--------
While walking along the road, Mikail reached into his pocket to take out his cigarette; he did promise his grandmother to quit smoking, but a lot of things happened today, so he needed a cigarette to clear his mind.
And quitting smoking takes ti, so let's let's smoke a cigarette or two before going ho.
With that in mind, I make my way to the bench I saw.
For so reason, this road is to... Quiet.
Or is it just my feeling? I don't know. I rarely leave my house, so I don't know how this road usually is.
I sat down on the bench, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it with a practiced motion.
The first inhale burned my lungs slightly, but the familiar sensation cald my nerves.
Today had been... A lot. Grandpa sending ho forcibly, lisa's weird attitude, and that strange feeling I got when I used my magic.
It was like sothing stirred, sothing watching from the darkness.
I exhaled slowly, watching the smoke disappear into the night air.
Then I noticed it again, it's not just my feeling.
The silence.
Too quiet.
No distant car engines. No murmuring voices from nearby houses. No rustling of the wind through the trees. Just... Nothing.
A feeling crawled up my spine.
I wasn't alone.
I shifted my posture, pretending to take another drag from my cigarette while subtly scanning my surroundings.
Nothing.
But that feeling only grew stronger.
Then.
A whisper.
Faint. Distant. Almost like it ca from inside my own head.
"You are not supposed to be here"
I stiffened. The cigarette almost slipped from my fingers.
Slowly, I turned my head.
At first, there was nothing. Just the empty street, the dim glow of the streetlights, the shadows stretching unnaturally long across the pavent.
Then I saw it.
A figure.
Standing at the edge of the shadows.
Not moving.
Not breathing.
Just watching.
My heartbeat picked up. My fingers twitched.
"You should not exist"
The voice ca again, but the figure's mouth didn't move.
Then, the shadows around it shifted.
A chill ran through .
This was wrong.
Deeply, fundantally wrong.
I stood up slowly, eyes locked on the figure. My mind scread at to move, to run, but my body wouldn't listen.
Then, in a blink...
It was gone.
No sound. No movent. Just vanished.
The silence broke.
The distant hum of the city returned. The wind rustled through the trees. The world resud as if nothing had happened.
I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.
"...The hell was that?"
I ran a hand through my hair, forcing myself to shake off the lingering dread.
It was probably just my imagination.
...Right?
Frowning, I stubbed out my cigarette and turned on my heel, heading ho.
But even as I walked, I couldn't shake the feeling.
Sothing had been there.
And it had been watching .
--------
Without him realizing it, Mikail walks ho too fast and only realizes it when he arrives in front of his house.
Mikail reached into his pocket to take out the house key and without waiting any longer, he imdiately opened the door of his house, entered, and then locked the door again.
It was only when he was inside his house that he felt safe, free from the watching gazes he had felt all this ti.
Mikail took a deep breath before saying.
"... Fuck, What the fuck is tha-"
"Why are you so late?"
"FUCK!!"
Before he can process anything else.
*SMACK!*
A slipper from Grandma hit him. Followed by a reprimand from Grandma
"Language, young man!"
Hearing that, Mikail quickly straightens up, masking his nerves.
"Tch- Sorry, sorry, Grandma. You just scared , that's all"
"Scared? What, were you doing sothing guilty outside?"
Grandma said, narrowing her eyes, suspicious of his Grandson.
Mikail forces a lazy grin, shoving his hands in his pockets. Then walk toward his Grandma.
"Nah, just lost in thought. Didn't expect to get interrogated the mont I walked in"
Grandma huffs but doesn't push further.
"... Go wash yourself and then eat... After that, let know what happens on your first day at work"
....
...
..
.
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