Aira always believed shadows were silent.
Until one blinked.
It happened on a normal Tuesday evening. The streetlights flickered as she walked home, headphones in, lost in music. The alley beside her apartment was darker than usual.
Then she saw it.
Her shadow… moved differently.
She stopped walking.
Her shadow didn't.
A cold chill ran down her spine.
Suddenly—
[System Initializing…]
The glowing words appeared in front of her eyes. Floating. Faint blue.
She blinked hard.
"This isn't real," she whispered.
[Host Detected: Aira Khan]
[Compatibility: 98%]
[Shadow System Activated]
The air around her grew heavy. The darkness in the alley twisted unnaturally.
And from that darkness… something stepped out.
It wasn't human.
Red eyes burned in the shadows. Long claws scraped against the wall. A creature made of smoke and hatred.
Aira's breath stopped.
[First Mission Assigned]
Objective: Survive for 10 Minutes
Reward: Shadow Control (Basic)
Failure: Death
Her hands trembled.
"Why me…?"
The creature moved.
Fast.
It lunged toward her with a screech that didn't sound like it belonged to this world.
And in that moment—
Her shadow rose from the ground.
Alive. See in ch ch 2