- Brotherhood's Cafe.
A heavy silence filled the room. The only sound was the soft ticking of the clock on the wall.
Melisa narrowed her eyes, glancing between Grandpa and Moona. Then ask.
"… Who's coming?"
Grandpa didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned to the window, his gaze distant, as if he could already see them approaching.
"… The Shadows"
Grandpa finally said.
And hearing that, Melisa stiffened.
"That's not funny, Old Man"
"I'm not joking"
Grandpa says, his voice was calm, steady. That was what made it terrifying.
Moona, standing by the doorway, adjusted the strap of her gloves before speaking.
"… How many?"
Grandpa exhaled, his fingers tightening around the handle of the bag he carried.
"... Too many"
Hearing that, Melisa let out a slow breath, running a hand through her hair.
"… Damn it"
They weren't ready for this. None of them had hunted many shadows in a long time, while Melisa only occasionally hunted shadow creatures that had strayed into the real world, and last night was one of them.
If what Grandpa said was true, if Shadows were really coming here, then something was seriously wrong.
Shadows didn't just appear randomly. They needed a reason.
Which meant…
At those thoughts, Melisa's heart sank.
"… This is about Mikail, isn't it?"
Grandpa didn't said anything, but he deny it either. That was all the confirmation she needed.
She clenched her fists.
"… I knew something was off"
From the moment she had followed Mikail home, she had felt it, that unnatural presence lingering in the air. Watching. Waiting.
But she had ignored it.
She had assumed it was nothing.
Now? Now, she knew she had made a mistake.
Moona sighed, rubbing her temples.
"… So? What's the plan?"
Grandpa finally turned back to them, his eyes cold, calculating.
"We hold the line"
A beat of silence.
Then, a smirk tugged at Melisa's lips.
"… Tch. You always say the most dramatic things, old man"
Melisa said, despite her words, she was already reaching for her weapons.
Moona simply nodded, tightening the straps of her gear.
No more questions.
No more hesitation.
The hunt was on-
"... Wait! Mikail? Mikail Fremawan?"
Moona said suddenly, attracting the attention of Grandpa and Melisa who immediately looked at Moona with questioning looks.
--------
- Mikail's Room. Midnight.
A cold breeze swept through the room, making the curtains flutter.
Mikail stirred, his brows furrowing.
Something was wrong.
He could feel it.
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
And froze.
The room was dark.
But in that darkness… Something moved.
A shape, no, a shadow, stood at the edge of his vision.
Watching him.
Mikail's breath caught in his throat.
His instincts screamed at him to run. To fight. To do something.
But his body refused to move.
The shadow… It tilted its head.
And then...
Whispers filled the room.
Low. Unintelligible. Crawling into his mind.
Mikail gritted his teeth, his fingers digging into the sheets.
His heart pounded.
The whispers grew louder.
The shadow took a step forward.
Mikail's vision blurred.
His body felt heavy.
Like something was pressing down on his soul.
Move.
MOVE!
But he couldn't.
Not until.
[SYSTEM ALERT: UNKNOWN ENTITY DETECTED]
A sudden pulse of energy exploded from his body.
The whispers stopped. The shadow froze.
And in that moment of stillness… Mikail moved.
His hand shot out, grabbing the nearest object, his glass of water, and Immediately threw it at the shadow with everything he had.
The glass shattered, but there was no sound.
The shadow twisted, contorting unnaturally as it faded into the darkness.
Silence.
Mikail panted, his body trembling.
He stared at the empty space where the shadow had been.
Then, slowly, his gaze flickered to the glowing blue screen in front of him.
[SYSTEM ALERT: NEW QUEST RECEIVED]
[QUEST: SURVIVE]
Seeing this, Mikail's blood ran cold.
"… What the hell is happening?"
--------
Brotherhood's Cafe – Moments Later
A gust of wind rattled the windows.
Grandpa's expression darkened as he saw the clock which points exactly to the number twelve.
"... They're here"
Hearing that, Melisa clicked her tongue, drawing her twin daggers.
Moona took a slow breath, magic humming in her palms.
The door creaked.
The lights flickered.
And outside, in the shadows, eyes stared back at them.
The Shadows were here.
Melisa tightened her grip on her daggers. Moona's hands crackled with latent energy, the air around her shimmering faintly. Grandpa, standing at the center, remained still, watching. Calculating.
Outside, the shadows shifted.
Then... A sharp knock echoed through the silent cafe.
Once... Twice, Then, the door slowly creaked open.
A wave of suffocating cold washed over them as an unnatural presence slithered into the room.
A figure stepped inside.
At first, it seemed human. A tall man in a black suit, his face obscured by the dim lighting. But the way he moved, the way the shadows clung to him was wrong.
Melisa exhaled sharply.
"… That's not human"
Hearing those words, the man tilted his head, as if amused. And then, he spoke.
"... You are in the way"
His voice was layered, echoing like multiple beings speaking at once.
At this, Moona's fingers twitched.
"And you're trespassing"
She shot back. But as he didn't care, The figure took a step forward. The shadows behind him pulsed, shifting like living things.
Grandpa finally moved. His voice was calm, but it cut through the tension like a blade.
"We don't negotiate with Shadows..."
Hearing that, The figure smiled.
"So be it"
After that, The lights went out. Darkness swallowed the room. Then... Chaos followed.
The windows shattered as inky figures poured inside, their forms writhing and shifting unnaturally.
Melisa moved first, her daggers flashing as she struck down the first Shadow lunging at her.
The creature screeched, disintegrating into wisps of black smoke.
Moona clenched her fists, summoning a wave of energy that erupted outward, blasting back several creatures at once.
Grandpa stood unmoving until one of the creatures lunged for him.
In a single fluid motion, he swung his fist at that shadow, and a heavy cracked sound was heard.
The Shadow let out a choked gasp before collapsing into nothingness.
Melisa smirked.
"You and your fist, as expected from The Legend, The Iron Fist'
Grandpa didn't respond. His gaze remained fixed on the suited figure, still standing in the doorway, watching them with eerie amusement.
Then, the figure vanished. Then Melisa's breath caught.
"Shit!"
A whisper of movement... Behind her.
Too fast, Melisa didn't have time to respond when suddenly she fell, Cold fingers closed around her throat.
-------
Mikail's Room – Midnight
The glowing screen hovered in the air, its message clear.
[QUEST: SURVIVE]
Mikail's breathing was ragged. His body still tingled from whatever energy had surged out of him moments ago.
Then... A new message appeared.
[SKILL UNLOCKED: AWAKENED INSTINCTS]
[TEMPORARY BOOST ACTIVATED]
A sudden rush of awareness flooded his senses. The room, still dark, still silent, it was was no longer his room; it was like he was in a different dimension.
He could feel the presence lurking in the corners.
Not gone, but watching. Waiting.
Mikail swallowed hard.
He wasn't safe yet.
Slowly, he slid out of bed, his movements cautious. His body felt lighter and sharper like every nerve was on high alert.
His gaze flickered to his desk.
His phone.
If he could just, but he can't because he felt a sudden shift in the air.
Mikail ducked just in time.
A clawed hand swiped through the space where his head had been.
His instincts screamed. He rolled to the side, grabbed the closest object, a chair, and swung it with everything he had.
The chair shattered, but once again, it didn't create a sound; the Shadow reeled back, its form distorting.
Mikail didn't stop to think.
He bolted.
Out of his room. Down the hall. His heart thundered in his chest.
Then... He heard it.
The sound of something moving.
Not behind him but Ahead of him.
His blood ran cold; slowly, he looked up, then at the end of the dark hallway... A figure stood.
Tall. Motionless. Watching.
It wasn't a Shadow, It was worse because Mikail knew this figure.
"… Dad?"
His voice was barely a whisper.
The figure tilted its head, then, it stepped forward.
--------
- Brotherhood's Cafe
Melisa gasped, her vision swimming. The grip around her throat tightened, shadows curling around her like living tendrils.
She struggled, kicking out but the creature didn't let go.
Her vision darkened. Until...
A gunshot rang out.
The force ripped through the Shadow's head, sending black mist exploding into the air.
Melisa dropped to the floor, coughing.
Moona stood nearby, her palm still glowing from the magic-infused bullet she had just fired.
"You good?"
Melisa groaned, rubbing her throat.
"I will be"
No time for recovery. The Shadows kept coming.
Grandpa moved with terrifying precision, his fist swinging like a gun itself, each strike sending Shadows crumbling into nothing.
The suited figure reappeared at the center of the chaos, unfazed.
His hollow gaze settled on them.
"Human... You struggle for nothing"
He said, his voice amused.
Grandpa wiped a smear of black mist from his sleeve.
"... You talk too much"
At those words, The figure smiled, then, he raised his hand.
Immediately, The Shadows froze, and then they turned and began moving, not toward Melisa, Moona, or Grandpa.
But toward the exit, toward the city.
Seeing this sight, Melisa's breath caught.
"No… No, no, no!"
Grandpa's eyes narrowed.
"They're not here to fight"
Moona cursed under her breath.
"They're here for Mikail"
And at that moment, a distant scream echoed through the night.
Melisa's heart stopped.
"… Mikail"
After that, no more hesitation, no more waiting. She ran.
....
...
..
.