Only I Can Weild A Forgotten Shadow Magic

The walk back to Sparky's hideout felt longer than it should have. Every step sent a fresh wave of pain shooting through my body, but I forced myself to keep moving. The fracture was sealed. The city was safe—for now. That was all that mattered.

Sparky, for once, was quiet. He kept glancing at me, his face tight with worry. I could tell he wanted to say something, but he didn't. Not yet.

When we finally reached the hideout—a converted garage stuffed with Sparky's makeshift tech and half-eaten snack wrappers—I collapsed onto the old, ripped couch.

"You look like death," Sparky said, rummaging through a cluttered table.

"Feel worse," I muttered, leaning my head back and closing my eyes.

I could hear Sparky pacing, the sound of his boots tapping against the concrete floor. "We need to talk," he said finally.

"About what?" I said, though I already knew the answer.

"About this," he snapped, spinning around to face me. "About whatever the hell just happened back there."

I sighed, opening my eyes. "I told you—I don't remember."

"Bullshit," Sparky said, crossing his arms. "You went full Void monster, Kai. Shadows everywhere, eyes glowing like freaking headlights. And then, poof, fracture sealed, monster gone. You expect me to believe you don't remember any of that?"

"I don't," I said, my voice sharper than I intended. "All I know is I blacked out, and when I woke up, everything was over."

Sparky stared at me, his jaw clenched. "This isn't sustainable, man. You're pushing yourself too hard, and it's—" He hesitated, his eyes narrowing. "It's changing you."

"I'm fine," I said, though even I didn't believe it.

"No, you're not," he said, stepping closer. "You think I haven't noticed? The way you hesitate sometimes, like you're fighting something? The way the shadows are getting stronger, more… alive?"

I didn't respond. What could I say? He wasn't wrong.

"And then there's your corruption level," he continued. "Fifty-nine percent, Kai. You're almost at the point of no return. If you don't stop—"

"I don't have a choice!" I snapped, pushing myself off the couch. The movement sent a fresh wave of pain through my body, but I ignored it. "You think I like this? You think I want to lose control? I'm doing this because I have to. Because no one else will."

"There has to be another way," Sparky said, his voice softer now.

"There isn't," I said, meeting his gaze. "The fractures won't stop. The Void won't stop. And if I back down, more people die."

Sparky sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I get it, okay? I do. But you can't keep throwing yourself at these things like this. You're gonna burn out, and then what? What happens when you can't fight anymore?"

I didn't have an answer.

Before either of us could say anything else, the system's voice cut through the tension.

[New mission available. Source: Fracture Activity Alert. Location: Waterfront District. Distance: 3.2 miles.]

Sparky groaned, rubbing his temples. "Just when I thought we were done with this."

I didn't give him the chance to complain further. "We need to go."

"No," Sparky said, holding up a hand. "You're staying here. I'll handle this one."

"You can't," I said. "The fractures are linked to me. If I'm not there, the system won't let you do anything."

"Then we call someone else," he said. "There are other people out there—other system users. We're not the only ones fighting this war."

"And how do we know we can trust them?" I said. "What if they're already corrupted? What if they make things worse?"

Sparky opened his mouth to argue but stopped, his shoulders slumping. "This is gonna kill you, Kai," he said quietly.

"Maybe," I said. "But at least I'll go down fighting."

He didn't respond.

---

The Waterfront District was a disaster zone. It had once been a bustling area with open-air markets, trendy shops, and the occasional street performer. Now, it was nothing but ruins—shattered glass, crumbling facades, and the scent of ash in the air. The fracture had torn through the heart of the district, twisting everything into a nightmare.

It wasn't just the physical destruction. The shadows here were different. Darker, more oppressive.

We moved quickly through the wreckage, staying low and keeping our eyes peeled. I didn't know what to expect, but I could feel something watching us, lurking in the dark spaces between the buildings.

"That thing's gotta be close," I muttered, gripping the hilt of my shadow blade.

"Yeah, I can feel it too," Sparky said, keeping his distance but staying close enough to back me up.

Suddenly, there was a rustle from behind an overturned dumpster. The air grew colder. I felt a pull in my gut, a twisting, gnawing sensation. The creature was here.

The shadows shifted as something large moved in the alleyway, and I saw it.

It was a hybrid—a creature made of both man and shadow, its body a twisted combination of the two. Its eyes glowed red, and tendrils of darkness wrapped around its limbs. It was fast, too fast, and I barely had time to raise my blade before it lunged.

I twisted sideways, narrowly avoiding its strike. It screeched, its voice high-pitched and piercing.

"Keep your distance!" I shouted to Sparky.

The creature ignored me, its attention locked on my position. It charged again, but this time, I was ready. Shadows whipped around me like a storm, blocking its path. The creature growled, snapping at the shadows with sharp teeth, but I wasn't about to let it get the better of me.

I sent a wave of darkness crashing toward it, forcing it to stagger back. The creature recoiled, its limbs twitching as it tried to recover.

Sparky seized the moment, hurling a few of his gadgets toward the creature. A bolt of electricity shot out, hitting the creature in the chest and sending it flying. But it wasn't enough to stop it for long.

The creature roared in fury, rising to its feet and charging again. I felt the shadows building up around me, thicker and darker, responding to the fight. But something was wrong. It wasn't just the creature I was fighting now.

The shadows were starting to get… harder to control.

"C'mon, not now," I muttered to myself, trying to force the power back under control. But it was slipping, slipping fast.

The creature lunged once more, but this time, the shadows surged on their own, throwing it back against the wall with a sickening thud.

It was done. The fracture closed, the creature evaporated into black mist, and the Waterfront District returned to its quiet, broken state.

But I felt it again—the weight. The shadows weren't just moving on their own. They were pulling me.

Sparky rushed to my side, his face pale. "Kai, what the hell was that?"

I didn't answer. I couldn't.

The corruption was growing. I could feel it deep inside me, clawing at my thoughts. The Void was closer now. Closer than I wanted to admit.

"Kai?" Sparky said, his voice tight with fear.

I looked at him, and for the first time, I saw the doubt in his eyes.

I wasn't sure how much longer I could keep this up.