Only I Can Weild A Forgotten Shadow Magic

The industrial district blurred behind us as we stumbled down the cracked streets. Sparky was half-carrying me, his grip tight on my arm. My legs felt like lead, and my head was swimming, a mix of exhaustion and the shadows clawing at my mind.

"Fifty-four percent, Kai," Sparky muttered, shaking his head. "You're a walking time bomb."

"I've got it under control," I lied.

"No, you don't," he snapped, dragging me around a corner and leaning me against a graffiti-covered wall. "Look at you. You're pale as hell, your hands are shaking, and—" he gestured vaguely at my face "—your eyes keep doing that creepy glowy thing."

I wiped a hand across my face, pretending to steady myself, but Sparky was right. I could feel the shadows more now, pressing against the edges of my thoughts, whispering promises and threats in equal measure.

"Don't you think it's time to slow down?" Sparky said. "Maybe call in backup? I mean, we're in way over our heads here."

"Backup?" I scoffed. "Who? The Authority? They'd kill me the second they saw what I can do."

"Not if you don't tell them everything!" he shot back. "Just give them enough to get them involved—let them handle the fractures. You can't keep doing this, Kai. It's eating you alive."

"I said I've got it under control," I said, pushing myself off the wall. My legs wobbled, but I forced them to hold steady.

"Yeah? And what happens when you don't?" Sparky stepped in front of me, blocking my path. His usual grin was gone, replaced by something sharp and serious. "What happens when you go full Void and I have to stop you?"

I flinched. He wasn't wrong. I'd felt it during the last fight—the shadows taking over, pulling me toward something darker. But what was I supposed to do? Walk away and let the Void spread unchecked?

"I don't have a choice," I said quietly.

"Everyone has a choice," Sparky said, his voice softening. "You just don't want to admit that you're scared."

"I'm not scared," I snapped, my fists clenching.

"Yes, you are," he said, his eyes locking onto mine. "And that's fine. But you've gotta stop pretending you're invincible, Kai. You're not. And if you keep pushing like this, you're gonna get yourself killed—or worse."

The words hung between us, heavy and sharp.

I wanted to argue, to tell him he didn't understand. But the truth was, he was right. I was scared—scared of what the Void was doing to me, scared of what would happen if I lost control.

But more than anything, I was scared of failing.

Before I could say anything, the system's voice cut through the silence.

[New fracture detected. Location: Waterfront District. Distance: 4.3 miles.]

"Another one?" Sparky groaned, rubbing his temples. "Can't these things give us a break?"

"We have to go," I said, straightening up.

"No," he said firmly, stepping in front of me again. "You're barely standing. If you try to fight like this, you're going to get yourself killed."

"And if we don't fight, the Void wins," I shot back. "People die, Sparky. Innocent people. I can't just sit here and do nothing."

He stared at me for a long moment, then let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. But we're doing this smart. No hero crap, no pushing yourself to the brink. If it gets too bad, we pull out. Got it?"

"Got it," I lied.

---

The Waterfront District was one of the city's nicer areas—or at least, it used to be. Now, it looked like a war zone. The fracture had torn through the docks, its energy warping the wooden planks and twisting the water into jagged, frozen waves.

And, of course, there was another creature guarding it.

This one was massive, its body made of shadowy tendrils that writhed and shifted constantly. Its glowing eyes scanned the area, and even from a distance, I could feel its oppressive presence.

"That thing looks like it could crush us in two seconds," Sparky muttered, crouching behind a stack of rusted shipping containers.

"We've taken down worse," I said, though I wasn't sure I believed it.

"Uh, sure," he said sarcastically. "Because I definitely feel great about fighting the Void while you're half-dead and barely standing."

"Just focus on the plan," I said, summoning the shadows around me. They responded sluggishly, like they were resisting me—or maybe I was resisting them.

The creature let out a guttural roar, its tendrils lashing out and shattering a nearby container.

"Okay, so what's the plan again?" Sparky asked, his voice tinged with panic.

"I distract it, you aim for its weak spots," I said.

"Right, the weak spots," he said, rolling his eyes. "Because those are super obvious on a giant shadow tentacle monster."

"Just figure it out," I said, stepping out from behind the container.

The creature turned toward me immediately, its glowing eyes narrowing.

"Hey, ugly!" I shouted, the shadows forming a blade in my hand. "Come and get me!"

It roared and charged, its tendrils slamming into the ground where I'd been standing a moment ago. I darted to the side, slashing at the tendrils as they came.

Sparky stayed back, firing off bolts of lightning that crackled through the air. Some of them hit their mark, but most were deflected by the creature's shifting form.

"This thing's a lot tougher than the last one!" he shouted.

"Just keep it busy!" I yelled, dodging another swipe.

The fight was chaos. The creature was faster than it looked, its tendrils lashing out in every direction. My shadows barely kept up, and every strike felt like it was draining what little energy I had left.

"Kai, watch out!" Sparky's voice cut through the noise, but it was too late.

One of the tendrils caught me in the side, sending me flying into a pile of rubble. Pain exploded through my body, and for a moment, I couldn't move.

"Kai!" Sparky shouted, his voice frantic.

"I'm fine," I said through gritted teeth, pushing myself up. But the truth was, I wasn't fine. The shadows were screaming in my head, louder than ever, and I could feel myself slipping.

The creature loomed over me, its tendrils poised to strike.

Let us in, the whispers said. We can save you. We can give you the power to win.

"No," I muttered, summoning the last of my strength.

The shadows lashed out, striking the creature with a force that surprised even me. It staggered back, and for a moment, I thought I had it.

But then it roared, its tendrils surging forward in a wave of darkness.

"Kai, get out of there!" Sparky shouted, firing another bolt of lightning.

I didn't move. I couldn't.

The shadows wrapped around me, their whispers drowning out everything else.

And then, everything went black.