Chapter One: Seven Shadow Monarchs
Caleb woke to knocking at the door. "Breakfast is ready, honey," his mother Nae called, her voice muffled through the wood.
Caleb stood and opened the door. His hair stuck up in a tangled mess, but he didn't bother fixing it. His hair had always been like that—wild and untamed—and he refused to change it to fit anyone's expectations. "What's for breakfast?" he asked, studying his mother's face.
She turned without answering and walked away. Caleb followed, curiosity prickling at him. She led him toward the kitchen, where a large breakfast spread covered the table—enough for him, his mother, and his older sister Emily.
"Sit down and eat. I'll wake your sister," Nae said before disappearing upstairs.
The food looked absolutely amazing. Golden pancakes stacked high, crispy bacon, scrambled eggs that still steamed. Caleb stared at the abundance before him. It was far more than usual, and honestly, he felt relieved he didn't have to eat much. Food had never interested him the way it did other people.
His sister, however, was the complete opposite. Emily could devour mountains of food without gaining an ounce. She remained extremely skinny—so thin that strangers often assumed she was malnourished. But she was anything but unhealthy.
Caleb sat down and took his first bite. The flavors exploded across his tongue, and something inside him shifted. He continued eating, unable to stop even for a second. This wasn't like him at all. The steak tasted incredible, but beyond that, he felt ravenous—desperately, unnaturally hungry.
By the time he looked up from his plate, he had devoured two full servings without pausing to breathe. Shock rippled through him. How had he not choked? How had his heart not given out from the sheer speed of consumption? A stroke seemed more likely than this impossible appetite.
What was happening to him? Why couldn't he control himself? Usually, one plate filled him for three hours or more. His hands trembled slightly as he set down his fork.
Footsteps on the stairs drew his attention. Emily smiled at her younger brother as she descended with their mother, but her expression froze when she saw the table. Her eyes widened in disbelief. She looked toward Nae. "Mom, did you eat before getting Caleb?"
Nae shook her head, confusion crossing her features.
Emily turned back to Caleb, her voice rising. "Did you... did you eat all of this?"
Caleb looked up, food smeared across his face. "Yeah," he admitted, shame heating his cheeks.
"How? How is that even possible?" Emily knew her brother better than anyone. Caleb barely ate—if anything, he was the malnourished one, not her, despite appearances. The boy typically ate one plate and called it done. He rarely felt hunger at all. So why was he suddenly eating like a starving animal?
Caleb wondered the same thing. He had never consumed this much food in his entire life. Stranger still, he felt no pain in his stomach, no uncomfortable fullness. All he felt was an overwhelming compulsion to eat, and once he had taken that first bite, his body had acted on its own. This was beyond strange—it was terrifying.
Caleb stood abruptly from his chair. "Anyway, I'm done now," he said, heading toward his room. He needed space to think, to understand what was wrong with him.
But Emily quickly blocked his path, her hand gripping his arm. "You think you're just going to leave without explaining yourself?" Her voice carried both concern and frustration.
Caleb met her eyes, and the fear he had been suppressing bubbled to the surface. "I don't even know what came over me. It's like... I took the first bite and just couldn't stop. My body was moving on its own. I couldn't do anything about it." His voice cracked slightly. "Look, can we solve this later? I'm tired."
Emily's expression softened, though worry still creased her brow. "Fine. But just so you know, when you wake up, we're getting to the bottom of this."
Caleb nodded gratefully. After eating two full plates without choking, having a stroke, suffering a heart attack, or dying of natural causes, exhaustion crashed over him like a wave. He was tired—bone-deep, soul-crushing tired.
Caleb was normally the type to stay up all night. He didn't get thirsty often, though thirst struck him more frequently than hunger. Sleep was even rarer. He could go days without feeling drowsy. But now he felt both effects simultaneously—a lingering hunger gnawing at his insides as if his soul craved food, while exhaustion pulled at his consciousness, demanding rest. It was as if his body couldn't decide which need was greater, so it chose sleep over hunger.
Caleb walked up the stairs quietly, his feet dragging slower with each step. Fatigue weighed down his limbs like lead. He opened his bedroom door, closed it behind him, and fell back onto his bed without ceremony. The situation was absurd—he had just woken up, and already he was returning to sleep.
He lay there, pulling the covers up to his chin, and closed his eyes. Not even five minutes later, darkness claimed him.
*System searching for host.*
*System has found host.*
*System will now start integrating.*
*System is unable to integrate with host. Host's body rejects system. System will try again.*
*System cannot integrate with host. Host's body will not allow system to integrate. System will try again.*
*System has failed two times already. System is getting very angry. Why won't host's body integrate with system? System is now trying to force its way into host's body.*
*System is nearly about to give up. System is thinking about finding another host. Host's body would not allow system to break in and integrate with host. This host is a pain.*
*Host's body has finally stopped resisting integration. System will now integrate. Finally. Host's body is no longer being stubborn.*
*Integration process: 0%. System hopes host knows this will take a while. System also hopes host is asleep.*
**Around twelve hours later**
Caleb finally woke to find his sister Emily staring down at him. Confusion fogged his mind—he wasn't in his bed. Instead, he lay on the living room couch, afternoon light streaming through the windows.
Caleb tried to sit up, but Emily quickly pressed him back down, her hands firm on his shoulders. "Be careful. I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with you."
"It was just a few off things. Can we just let it go?" Caleb said, though even as the words left his mouth, he knew they were a lie. This wasn't just an off day. Something fundamental had changed inside him, and denying it wouldn't make it disappear.
*Get your hands off my host.*
Caleb recoiled at the voice that suddenly echoed through his skull. He looked around frantically. "Emily, did you say that?"
Emily stared at him as if he had lost his mind. "Are you schizophrenic now? Are you hearing voices? What's wrong with you?"
"I'm fine, gosh," Caleb said defensively. He lay back down, trying to calm his racing heart. "Just continue what you're doing while I go back to sleep. And stop staring at me—it's weird." He closed his eyes, hoping the voice had been his imagination.
*I said get your hands off my host,* the voice repeated, and this time an electric shock shot through Emily's arm.
Emily jerked back with a gasp, her hand tingling painfully. The voice now thundered through her own head, and she understood exactly what Caleb had experienced. Fear and confusion warred in her chest.
*Touch my host again and I will—*
*Integration successful. Immolation of target unsuccessful.*
Emily stared, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief. "Am I schizophrenic now?" she said, trying to laugh off the terror creeping up her spine. "What's going on?"
She took a shaky breath, backing away from the couch. "I'll check up on him later," she muttered, desperate to ignore what had just happened. "I'll just go finish the chores I didn't complete."
Even though she had no intention of actually doing chores, she needed something—anything—to distract her mind from the impossible voice and the electric shock that had felt all too real. She retreated to the kitchen while Caleb slept like a baby on the couch, oblivious to the chaos he had caused.
*System is getting agitated. Host has been sleeping for twelve hours and now wants to go back to sleep. System will forcefully wake up host. System will try to get rid of grogginess as best as possible so host's mind is clear.*
*Host's body will not let system wake host. Stop. System is getting very angry right now. System hates how host's body is so stubborn. Let me wake host up.*
*System has given up on waking host up. System will just allow this body to do its thing. System will wait for host to awaken naturally.*