Only I Can Weild A Forgotten Shadow Magic

The next day started with a hangover of adrenaline. Not because I'd drunk anything at The Hollow—I'd stuck to water, thank you very much—but because my brain wouldn't shut up about how insane my life had become.

First enforcers. Then rogue magic coordinates. Now a sketchy alliance with a guy named Sparky who, frankly, looked like he'd bail the second things got dicey.

"System," I muttered, sitting at my cluttered desk with the map of coordinates spread out in front of me. "Is this the part where you tell me this is a terrible idea?"

[Host's current strategy maximizes survival probabilities given available resources.]

"That's comforting." I tapped the map, tracing the glowing points of magical activity. "So, where do we start? There are six locations. Which one matters the most?"

The System didn't respond right away, and for a second, I thought it had gone silent on me. Then its voice returned, sharper and colder than usual:

[The fifth location on the map shows the highest energy spikes and the most recent activity. Enforcers are likely to converge on this site within 24 hours.]

"Twenty-four hours?" I sat up straighter, my stomach knotting. "And what happens if they do?"

[High probability of an execution event.]

Translation: someone was about to die.

"Alright," I said, grabbing my hoodie and slipping my knife into my pocket. "Guess I'd better get there first."

---

Sparky wasn't exactly thrilled when I called him.

"You want me to meet you where?" he said, his voice tinny through the burner phone I'd bought that morning.

"At the old freight yard off Mercer," I said, weaving through traffic as I headed toward the site. "There's a cluster of warehouses. Shouldn't be too hard to find."

"And why, exactly, do you think I'm gonna stick my neck out for this?"

"Because you said you'd help," I snapped. "Look, I'm not asking you to fight anyone—just show up and keep your eyes open. If there's a trap, I need someone watching my back."

There was a long pause. Then he sighed. "Fine. But if this goes south, I'm blaming you."

"Deal."

---

The freight yard was a ghost town. Rows of rusted shipping containers sat abandoned on cracked pavement, and the air smelled like oil and decay.

I kept to the shadows, my heart pounding as I approached the warehouse marked on the map. The energy here was thick—an invisible hum that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"System," I whispered. "What am I looking for?"

[Residual energy signatures. Unstable magic. Signs of enforcer presence.]

"Right. Super specific, thanks."

I slipped inside the warehouse through a broken side door, the shadows wrapping around me like a second skin. Inside, the air was even heavier, and faint glyphs glowed on the walls—runes similar to the ones I'd seen at the first site.

"Okay," I muttered. "This definitely isn't normal."

As I stepped deeper into the building, I caught sight of something that made my stomach drop. A circle of scorch marks on the floor, with what looked like a chain in the center. The chain was shattered, its links scattered like broken bones.

"System," I said, my voice tight. "What am I looking at?"

[Analysis suggests this site was used to contain a volatile magical entity. Containment has failed.]

"Failed? So, whatever was here…"

[Has escaped.]

Perfect. Just perfect.

Before I could process that delightful piece of information, a sound behind me made me freeze.

Footsteps.

I turned, every muscle tensed, as Sparky stepped through the doorway.

"You're late," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Yeah, well, I don't exactly move fast when I think I'm walking into a death trap," he said, his eyes scanning the glyphs on the walls. "What the hell is this place?"

"Something bad," I said. "The System thinks it was a containment site for… something. And whatever it was, it's not here anymore."

Sparky's face darkened. "You're telling me we're dealing with rogue enforcers and loose magical creatures now? Great. Just great."

"Look, I don't love it either," I said, stepping toward the scorch marks. "But we need to figure out what happened here before the enforcers show up."

"Or before whatever broke out decides to come back," he muttered, sparks flickering at his fingertips.

As I crouched to examine the broken chain, something in the air shifted. The shadows around me seemed to recoil, like they were sensing something I couldn't see.

"System," I whispered. "What's happening?"

[Warning: Hostile presence detected.]

"Hostile presence? Where—"

Before I could finish the thought, the air exploded with movement.

Something lunged out of the darkness, fast and silent, its form rippling like liquid shadow. I barely had time to throw myself backward as claws raked the floor where I'd been crouching.

"What the hell is that?!" Sparky shouted, throwing a bolt of electricity at the creature.

The bolt hit its target, illuminating the thing for a split second. It was humanoid but wrong—its body made of twisting shadows, with glowing red eyes that burned like coals.

"System!" I shouted, scrambling to my feet. "How do I kill this thing?!"

[Entity is composed of unstable magical energy. Standard weapons will be ineffective. Use shadow manipulation to destabilize its core.]

"Right, because that's super easy!" I snapped, dodging another swipe of its claws.

The creature turned its glowing eyes on me, and I felt a wave of cold dread wash over me. It moved like a predator, its body shifting and reforming with every step.

Sparky hurled another bolt of electricity, this one brighter and stronger. It struck the creature in the chest, momentarily staggering it.

"Whatever you're gonna do, do it fast!" Sparky shouted.

I focused on the shadows around me, willing them to respond. They twisted and coiled like snakes, waiting for my command.

"Alright," I muttered. "Let's see what you've got."

I lashed out with the shadows, sending them whipping toward the creature. They wrapped around its limbs, pulling it back like chains. The creature thrashed, its form flickering like a dying flame.

"Hold it steady!" Sparky yelled, his hands crackling with energy.

"I'm trying!" I shouted back, sweat dripping down my face. The shadows tightened, dragging the creature to the ground.

Sparky raised his hands, unleashing a massive bolt of electricity that lit up the entire warehouse. The bolt struck the creature's chest, and for a moment, it froze, its form fracturing like shattered glass.

Then it let out an unearthly scream and dissolved into a cloud of smoke.

The warehouse fell silent.

I collapsed to my knees, gasping for breath.

"System," I panted. "Please tell me that thing's dead."

[Entity neutralized. No residual energy detected.]

"Good," I muttered, wiping sweat from my forehead. "Because I am so done with this day."

Sparky leaned against a wall, his face pale.

"You didn't tell me we'd be fighting literal nightmares."

"Yeah, well… Welcome to my life."