Only I Can Weild A Forgotten Shadow Magic

The shadows inside my apartment seemed heavier than usual, like they were holding onto the chaos we'd just left behind. I leaned against the door after shutting it, sliding down until I was sitting on the floor. My head throbbed, and my arms felt like they weighed a ton.

The fight with those creatures was still fresh in my mind. The sound of their growls, the way the air seemed to ripple around them—it wasn't something I'd forget anytime soon.

"System. Give it to me straight. How bad is this going to get?"

[Current trajectory indicates increasing encounters with hostile entities. Probability of escalation: 92%.]

"So… really bad, then."

[Correct.]

I let out a bitter laugh. "Fantastic."

The System didn't respond, which was honestly fine. I wasn't in the mood for its cold, clinical answers.

I dragged myself off the floor and headed to the bathroom. A quick glance in the mirror told me everything I needed to know—dark circles under my eyes, dirt smudged across my cheek, and a new cut on my arm I hadn't even noticed during the fight.

I turned on the faucet, letting the water run cold before splashing my face.

"We're in over our heads," I muttered to my reflection.

The problem was, I wasn't sure if stopping now was even an option.

---

The next morning, Sparky was waiting for me outside the building, leaning against the wall with a cup of coffee in hand. His hair was slightly less chaotic today, but the tired look in his eyes matched my own.

"Figured you'd need this," he said, holding out the cup.

I took it without a word, the warmth seeping into my hands as I sipped. It wasn't great coffee, but I wasn't about to complain.

"You sleep at all?" he asked, falling into step beside me as we started walking.

"Barely. You?"

He shrugged. "Had a dream I got eaten by one of those shadow things, so… not really."

"Great," I said. "We're both running on fumes."

As we walked, the streets around us started to change. The crumbling buildings gave way to newer ones, the graffiti replaced with clean brick walls. This part of the city was quieter, the kind of place where people with money lived—people who probably didn't even know places like the abandoned hospital existed.

Our destination wasn't far. The next mark on the map was a storage facility tucked away in a corner of the city that no one paid attention to.

"Any guesses what we'll find this time?" Sparky asked as we approached.

"Trouble.".

"Safe bet."

The storage facility was a collection of identical metal units, arranged in neat rows. A chain-link fence surrounded the property, but the gate was hanging open, like someone had broken in recently.

"Subtle," Sparky muttered, eyeing the broken lock on the ground.

I scanned the area, my instincts screaming that something was off. The shadows around the storage units were unnaturally still, like they were waiting for something—or someone.

"System. What am I looking at here?"

[Magical interference detected. Area exhibits signs of recent activity. Caution advised.]

"Recent? As in… someone's still here?"

[Probability: 67%.]

I sighed. "Great. Love those odds."

Sparky followed me as I pushed through the gate, the crunch of gravel under our feet the only sound.

"You feel that?" 

I nodded. The air was heavy, like it was charged with static electricity.

We stopped in front of one of the storage units, its door slightly ajar.

"System. What's behind door number one?"

[Magical energy signature detected. Object of interest located within.]

"Object of interest? That doesn't sound ominous at all."

I shot him a look before reaching for the door. The metal was cold under my hand as I slid it open, revealing a small, dimly lit space.

In the center of the unit was a pedestal, and on top of it was… something.

It was a small, glowing orb, pulsing faintly with light. The air around it shimmered, distorting like heat waves.

"What is that?" Sparky asked, his voice low.

[Object identified as a containment core. Likely origin: previous containment ward.]

"A containment core," I said slowly. "Like… for those shadow creatures?"

[Correct. Object may contain residual energy or entities. Exercise extreme caution.]

"Extreme caution," Sparky muttered. "Right. Because that's been working out great for us so far."

I stepped closer to the orb, the shadows around me reacting to its presence. They coiled and twisted, almost like they were drawn to it.

"System," I said. "What happens if I touch it?"

[Contact not recommended. Potential risks include destabilization, magical backlash, and entity release.]

"Awesome," I muttered.

"Yeah, let's not mess with the creepy glowing ball," Sparky said, taking a step back.

Before I could respond, the air in the unit shifted. The temperature dropped, and a low growl echoed behind us.

I turned just in time to see another shadow creature stepping through the doorway, its yellow eyes locked onto the orb.

"Of course," Sparky said, electricity sparking between his fingers. "Because nothing can ever be easy."

The creature lunged, faster than either of us expected. Its claws swiped at the orb, but the shadows around it lashed out, blocking the attack.

The creature recoiled, hissing.

"That thing's after the core," Sparky said.

"No kidding," I said, stepping in front of the pedestal.

The creature snarled, its body shifting and flickering. This one was bigger than the ones we'd fought before, its movements more deliberate.

"System. Any advice?"

[Entity is heavily influenced by the containment core. Separation may destabilize it further.]

"Separate it how?"

[Destroy or remove the core.]

"Destroy it?" Sparky said, his voice rising. "What happens if we do that?"

[Probability of magical backlash: 92%.]

"...?!"

The creature lunged again, forcing me to throw up a wall of shadows. Sparky fired off a bolt of electricity, but the thing dodged, its movements unnervingly fluid.

"We can't keep this up."

"Then what do we do?" Sparky shouted.

I glanced at the core, its glow pulsing faster now, almost like it was reacting to the fight.

"We take it with us," I said, making a split-second decision.

"Wait, what?!"

I ignored him, reaching out and grabbing the orb. The moment my fingers touched it, a wave of energy surged through me, and the world seemed to tilt.

The creature let out a deafening roar, its body flickering violently as the core's glow intensified.

"Run!" I shouted, clutching the orb as the shadows around me erupted in chaos.

Sparky didn't need to be told twice. He bolted for the exit, and I followed, the creature's snarls echoing behind us.

We didn't stop running until we were halfway down the street, the orb still pulsing in my hands.

"This," Sparky panted, leaning against a wall, "is officially the dumbest thing we've ever done."

"Probably," I said, my voice shaking. "But now we have leverage."

He stared at me like I'd lost my mind. 

"Leverage against what?"

"Whoever's behind all this."