"... Grandpa, Lisa and... Huh?... Moona?! You're Moona, right?"
Moona blinked at him, her expression unreadable. Then, with a small smirk, she crossed her arms.
"It's been a while, Mikail, good to see you didn't change that much"
Moona said, her voice carrying that same confidence Mikail remembered.
Mikail stared for a second, still trying to process why she was here, in his house, with Grandpa and Melisa.
He hadn't seen Moona since graduation. Back in high school, they were practically rivals, he was the best in their school, and she was always right behind him.
No matter how much she tried, she could never surpass him.
And yet, despite their academic competition, there was always something… Else.
A tension that lingered in the spaces between words, in stolen glances when they thought the other wasn't looking.
Moona had once, just once, almost confessed something to him. But she never did.
Now, standing in his living room, she looked different. Older, more composed. But that sharp glint in her eyes? That was the same.
"What… are you doing here?" Mikail finally asked, glancing between her, Grandpa, and Melisa.
His grandmother sighed, patting his hand.
"You've been unconscious for a while, Kail"
"…What?... For how long?"
"Three days"
Hearing that, Mikail stiffened. His mind raced.
He had only just woken up from that endless void, convinced it had been just one night. But three days had passed? What the hell was going on?
Moona watched his reaction carefully. Then, taking a step forward, she spoke.
"... Mikail"
Mikail looked at her. Waiting for what she will say.
"…We need to talk"
There was something in her tone... Something serious. And in that moment, Mikail knew.
Whatever had happened to him that night…
It wasn't over.
--------
Sensing the seriousness in the air, Grandma, although curious about what had happened to her grandson, still stepped back, leaving under the pretext of making Mikail something to eat, giving the four of them space to talk.
Mikail, who saw that his grandmother had gone to the kitchen, looked at the three people in front of him, especially at Grandpa.
"... What's really going on here, Grandpa?"
Grandpa didn't answer Mikail's questions Immediately; he just looked at Mikail with a curious gaze as he tried to figure out something.
"... It's wrong"
Grandpa finally spoke after being silent for a while, but that's not the answer that Mikail wanted, so he tilted his head in confusion. Asking.
"... Wrong? What is wrong?"
Grandpa exhaled, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. His sharp gaze locked onto Mikail's.
"You"
Grandpa finally said.
"Something is wrong with you"
At that word, Mikail frowned, his fingers twitching slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"... Three days ago... Do you still remember what happened that night?"
"..."
At that question, Mikail's breath hitched.
His mind flashed back to that night, the suffocating darkness, the creatures crawling out of the shadows, and the figure that wore his father's face. He remembered fighting, his instincts screaming at him to survive. And then… the void.
But only that, after something... Something awakened inside him, Mikail going blank, he remembered the sensation, but what had happened?
After something inside him was awakened.
What happened?
Mikail fists clenched unconsciously.
"... I... I only remember fighting the shadow... After that... I don't anymore"
Grandpa studied him for a long moment, then sighed.
"That's what I was afraid of"
Grandpa murmured.
Moona and Lisa exchanged glances, but neither interrupted. The air in the room had grown heavy and thick with unspoken words.
Mikail clenched his jaw.
"What do you mean, Grandpa?"
Mikail asked, frustration creeping into his tone. Then continued.
"... Just tell me already"
Grandpa leaned back, his gaze never leaving Mikail's.
"You say you don't remember… But the entire district... All of the being in the Zero Zone that night does"
Mikail stiffened.
Melisa hesitated before speaking.
"That night, after the shadows appeared… There was an explosion"
"An explosion?"
Mikail repeated, frowning.
Moona nodded.
"A pulse of energy. It was massive. A burst of light and shadow at the same time. It wiped out every trace of those creatures"
At those words, Mikail blinked. Then asked.
"...I did that?"
Grandpa nodded gravely.
"And you collapsed immediately after"
Mikail's mind reeled. He had no memory of this. If what they were saying was true, then... Just what had awakened inside him?
"You see the problem now, don't you?"
Grandpa said.
"Whatever happened that night, your body remembers, but your mind doesn't. That kind of power doesn't just appear out of nowhere"
Moona crossed her arms.
"Which means someone, or something... Did this to you"
Mikail's breath caught.
The system.
He had ignored it earlier, thinking it was just some strange aftereffect of the battle, but now…
Mikail's hands trembled slightly.
That wasn't just a dream.
Grandpa watched his reaction carefully.
"Mikail"
He said slowly.
"I need you to tell me the truth. Do you remember anything... Anything at all, about what caused that explosion?"
Mikail hesitated.
Could he tell them? Would they even believe him?
That he had seen something... No, felt something awakening within him? That he had heard a voice calling him a bug in the system? That the world itself had glitched around him?
Moona's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"You're not the only one looking for answers, Mikail"
She said. Then continued.
"After that night… Things have started happening"
Mikail frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Melisa spoke up, her voice quiet but firm.
"More shadows. More disturbances. We've been tracking them, and they all seem to be leading back to you... What happened that night had made you the target of the entire Shadow Realm"
Mikail's breath hitched.
This wasn't over.
Whatever he had awakened that night…
It was only the beginning.
--------
After that conversation, Grandma came, announcing that the food was ready.
He also invited Grandpa and the others to join him for dinner, but for some reason, Grandpa couldn't join them. But Melisa and Moona decide to stay.
"... Grandpa, Isn't there something you want to explain to me?"
Mikail asked Grandpa as he escorted him to the exit.
Grandpa stopped at the doorway, his back to Mikail. For a moment, he didn't answer, simply looking up at the sky as if searching for the right words. Then, with a deep sigh, he finally spoke.
"...There are things you're not ready to hear yet, Mikail"
Mikail frowned, stepping closer.
"You said that again... Grandpa, what are you hiding from me?... Something happened to me that night. I need to know..."
Grandpa turned to face him, his gaze firm but not unkind.
"And you will know, Melisa and Moona will explain to you what exactly that Shadow Creatures and Zero Zone to you... But more than that... You're not ready, Mikail"
Mikail clenched his fists, frustration bubbling up.
"Then when?"
Grandpa studied him for a moment before shaking his head with a small, tired smile.
"Soon. But for now, focus on what's in front of you"
His eyes flicked toward the house, where Moona and Melisa were waiting.
"They will stay here with you and your Grandma... Tonight..."
Grandpa hesitated, but in the end, he remained silent. With a sigh, he simply shook his head before finally speaking.
"... I just hope you survive tonight because I'll not be around for a while; there's something I need to take care of before I come back... Stay close to Melisa and Moona... And if you hear whispers... just ignore them, don't respond... I'll go now, take care"
Mikail watched his Grandpa leave, his heart heavy with unanswered questions.
The vague warnings and cryptic words only added to the growing sense of unease he couldn't shake.
"What is really going on…?"
Mikail muttered under his breath, but his voice faltered.
The door closed softly, and Mikail turned back toward the living room where Moona and Melisa were waiting.
He could feel their gazes on him, sharp and expectant, but there was also an undertone of concern, especially from Moona, who hadn't broken eye contact since he'd returned.
....
...
..
.