One rainy day, as I was running through the woods in a downpour, a bolt of lightning split the sky and struck me. A dazzling shock passed through my body, then nothingness...
When I opened my eyes again, I was no longer on my way. All around me, an immense forest loomed, its towering trees rising towards a sky hidden by thick fog. The air was heavy, charged with an indefinable presence. My heart pounded in my chest. As I straightened up, a whisper slipped through the foliage. A voice... or perhaps the forest itself, trying to speak to me.
Suddenly, a luminous silhouette emerged from the mist. My breath caught. This was no stranger... Was it me? An ethereal version of myself, floating slightly above the ground. Its eyes, with a disturbing glint, were riveted to mine.
- You're not who you thought you were," he declared in a calm but resonant voice. You've been extremely lucky to meet me, and what you're about to discover will change everything.
I froze. Where was I? Was this a dream, or a reality I was missing?
The being slowly stepped forward and introduced himself as Onizuki. He was no mere reflection. He was the first creature of perfect shadow, fashioned by the gods themselves. He explained to me that shadow was the first element, from which all the others were born, and that he was its guardian. This encounter, called the Awakening, marked the beginning of a three-phase process: the Encounter, the Expansion and the Gold Mode.
- You're in the first stage," he continued. This is where you'll discover your true power.
A shiver ran down my spine. Shadow... an elusive, mutable element that refused to accept any fixed form.
- To move forward, you must first understand yourself," declared Onizuki. I'm going to ask you five questions. Answer truthfully.
He scrutinized me, and in his gaze I perceived a weight that almost crushed me.
- What are you hiding from others, and what do you refuse to see in yourself?
I swallowed. Too direct, too intrusive. But he was already going on:
- In your life, have you ever found yourself between two opposing choices, unable to decide?
My mind wavered. Memories resurfaced.
- What illusion are you still clinging to today?
The fog thickened around me. The air became denser, as if reacting to my hesitations.
- Have you ever felt afraid of your own potential?
I clenched my fists. That feeling... I'd known it. All too often.
- What's the thing you accept least about yourself, but which could be your greatest strength?
Silence fell.
Every answer I gave seemed to awaken something inside me. The shadows around me quivered. They listened. They reacted.
Onizuki nodded slowly.
- You're beginning to plunge into your own abyss," he murmured. The shadow is both your strength and your weakness. Whether you master it or let it consume you... all depends on you.
He held out a hand. A black dagger materialized in it, formed of shifting darkness.
Before I could step back, it shot towards me and pierced me. A searing pain, followed by a torrent of energy that poured into me.
I staggered, panting. My body no longer belonged to me. The shadows closed in around me, pulsating.
- You have a choice to make," said Onizuki. Train and advance to the second phase, or lead a normal life with this power inside you.
He gave me a moment to breathe before adding:
- Element carriers always end up crossing paths. If you accept this power, others will come to you. Some as allies... others as adversaries.
I stared at my trembling hands. A peaceful life? Or a journey into the unknown, from which I might never return?
- Your gift is adaptation," clarified Onizuki. Shadow is the most changeable of elements. It can imitate others... but only your mastery will define its true power.
A dull rumbling sounded. Everything flickered.
A flash. Unbearable pain.
Then, nothingness...
I opened my eyes. White light dazzled me.
Machine noises, hushed whispers. A soft voice came to me:
- You've been lucky.
The sanitized smell of the hospital washed over me. Was all this... was it all a dream?
But when my gaze fell on the shadows dancing on the walls, I shuddered. They seemed alive. They were watching me.
I closed my eyes for a moment, and a single thought echoed in my mind:
Nothing will ever be the same again.