Kael lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.
"Do you have any magical power?" he asked quietly.
Dark Smiler looked at him for a moment.
"Listen, Kael…"l
But before he could finish, silence filled the room.
Kael slowly closed his eyes.
---
4:00 AM
Kael's eyes suddenly opened.
He didn't move.
Something… felt wrong.
The room wasn't just dark—
it felt as if the light itself had been swallowed.
The air was heavy.
Unnatural.
Kael slowly sat up.
"…What is this?"
A faint chill ran down his spine.
At that moment, Dark Smiler appeared in his soul form.
"Kael… what's wrong?"
No response.
Kael just stared into the darkness.
Dark Smiler frowned and looked around.
Everything was still.
Too still.
Everyone in the house was asleep…
but the silence felt unnatural.
"Kael?" he called again.
Still no answer.
Then—
Kael slowly opened his mouth.
"हे परमेश्वर, अस्माकं रक्षणं—"
("O Supreme God, protect—")
Suddenly—
"Kh—kh—!"
Kael began coughing violently.
"Kael!"
Dark Smiler instantly took physical form and rushed toward him.
He grabbed a glass of water and handed it over.
"Drink this."
Kael held the glass with trembling hands and took a few sips.
His breathing slowly stabilized.
Dark Smiler looked at him seriously.
"What just happened?"
Kael remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he spoke.
"…I saw something."
Dark Smiler narrowed his eyes.
"What?"
Kael looked down at his hands.
"A girl…"
"Green eyes… green hair…"
His voice grew slower.
"And when she turned…"
His fingers tightened.
"…something came from behind her."
A pause.
"It was dark… completely black…"
Kael's breathing grew uneven.
"It swallowed me."
Silence filled the room again.
Dark Smiler's expression darkened.
"…That wasn't a dream."
Kael looked up at him, shaken.
"…What?"
Before Dark Smiler could answer—
Kael suddenly touched his neck.
"…Why does it hurt?"
He slowly looked back at Dark Smiler.
"Do you know what kind of incantation I was using?"
Dark Smiler's expression turned serious.
"Yes… but right now, you shouldn't get involved in such things."
---
That night, Kael didn't sleep.
He just sat there… waiting.
Watching.
Then—
He felt it.
Someone… was watching him.
Kael slowly turned his head.
A figure stood in the darkness.
Its eyes—
completely red.
It had been staring at him… for two whole minutes.
Kael's body froze.
Then—
A wide, unnatural smile spread across its dark face.
And suddenly—
It lunged toward him.
"—!"
Kael shut his eyes instantly.
A reflex.
A second passed.
Then another.
Silence.
Kael slowly opened his eyes.
There was nothing.
No one.
His breathing became heavy.
"…What… was that?"
Then—
A hand touched his shoulder.
Kael froze again.
He slowly looked at the hand.
It was… completely black.
His heart began to race.
Very slowly—
he turned his head.
"…Mom?"
It was his mother.
Smiling gently.
"Did something happen?"
Kael's face turned pale.
"C… can I take a leave today? Please…"
She nodded slowly.
"Alright… son."
She paused.
Her eyes shifted slightly.
"…But tell me something."
Her voice dropped.
"Did you… see something?"
Kael didn't answer.
He slowly turned his head toward the window.
For a moment—
there was nothing.
Then—
Two figures.
Standing outside.
Not moving.
Just… watching.
Kael's breath stopped.
"…Mom."
His voice trembled.
"They're still there."
His mother's expression changed instantly.
Her eyes widened.
She stepped closer to the window—
and froze.
"…Those aren't…"
A pause.
Her voice became low.
"…humans."
Then—
one of the figures moved.
Slowly.
It began walking toward them.
Step… by step…
Its shape started becoming clearer—
human-like…
but not human.
Kael's heartbeat grew louder.
"Mom… it's coming closer…"
The figure was now just a few steps away from the window—
And suddenly—
It disappeared.
Just like that.
As if it had never been there.
Then—
something changed.
The second figure…
the one that hadn't moved at all—
slowly raised its hand toward the sky.
The air shifted.
A sudden pressure filled the surroundings.
The clear sky darkened instantly—
thick, unnatural clouds covering everything above.
Kael's breath caught in his throat.
"…Mom…"
A low rumble echoed.
Thunder.
Louder.
Closer.
Then—
CRACK!
A bolt of lightning tore through the sky—
striking the human-like figure directly.
For a split second—
its form twisted.
Distorted.
Then—
it vanished.
Completely.
Silence.
The clouds slowly faded.
The sky returned to normal.
As if nothing had ever happened.
But Kael's heart was still racing.
"…That wasn't normal."
Then—
Kael spoke through telepathy.
"…Who are they?"
His voice was low.
Uncertain.
Dark Smiler didn't answer.
Not immediately.
Silence filled the room.
Heavy.
Uncomfortable.
Kael waited.
Seconds passed.
Still nothing.
He slowly turned his gaze toward Dark Smiler—
"…Why aren't you saying anything?"
Dark Smiler's expression had changed.
For the first time—
there was hesitation in his eyes.
Then—
Dark Smiler finally spoke.
"…Now is the right time."
Kael immediately looked at him.
"…What are you talking about?"
Dark Smiler didn't answer right away.
Instead—
he stepped forward.
His gaze fixed on the window.
"…You were never supposed to see them this early."
Kael's eyes widened in shock.
"…What are you saying?"
He took a step back.
"Does that mean… you're with them?"
Dark Smiler let out a slow sigh.
"No…"
He paused.
"…It means we know them."
Kael froze.
"…What?"
Dark Smiler's gaze hardened.
"Basically, they are—"
Before he could finish—
The human like structure appeared again.
Not outside.
This time—
inside the room.
The temperature dropped instantly.
Kael's breath became visible.
"…They're back."
Now they spelled a chant.
And there was a magical circle formed in the front of those human like structure.
Then—
they began to chant.
Their voices overlapped.
Low.
Distorted.
Not human.
The air vibrated with each word.
Kael felt pressure building around him.
"...What is this…?"
Suddenly—
a glowing circle formed in front of them.
Intricate symbols appeared one by one—
rotating.
Shifting.
Alive.
The circle wasn't stable.
It pulsed…
like a beating heart.
Dark energy gathered at its center.
Dark Smiler's expression turned serious.
"…A teleportation circle."
The circle flared.
A sudden burst of dark light filled the room.
And in the next instant—
They were gone.
Kael's eyes widened.
"…What—"
Before he could react—
They appeared.
Right in front of him.
Too close.
The air turned cold.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Kael instinctively stepped back.
At that moment—
his mother quietly moved toward the kitchen.
As if nothing had happened.
As if she couldn't see them at all.
Kael froze.
"…Mom?"
No response.
Dark Smiler's voice echoed in his mind—
"…She can't see them."
Kael looked at Dark Smiler, stunned.
"…What? Does that mean… only we can see them?"
Dark Smiler shifted into his soul form.
"Yes."
He paused.
"And your mother… has already forgotten everything that just happened."
Kael's eyes widened.
"…So they can erase memories?"
Before Dark Smiler could reply—
A distorted voice echoed through the room.
"…So… you already understand what we are."
Kael froze.
The shadows stood still.
Watching.
"…We are Shadows."
A brief silence followed.
Then—
"We are here to present you with the truth, Kael."
Their voice grew heavier.
"…By order of—"
Kael suddenly crossed his arms.
"…So someone is watching us from behind the scenes."
The shadows didn't deny it.
Instead—
they slowly sat on Kael's bed.
As if they belonged there.
"Very well…"
"Take the steps we tell you—"
"And we will reveal everything."
A pause.
Kael's heartbeat echoed in his ears.
"…Including the identity of that girl."
Silence.
Then—
one of the shadows leaned forward slightly.
"…She is—"