Night came with no stars.The city's lamps flickered weakly, their glow smothered by a blanket of heavy clouds. Aloysius sat in the upper corner of a dim tavern, a bowl of untouched stew cooling in front of him.
The stranger's warning still rattled in his head You're being claimed.
He wanted to dismiss it as cryptic nonsense, but the truth was already gnawing at him. His shadow had been… restless. Even now, under the table, it swayed like liquid in a jar, independent of his own movements.
A drunkard staggered too close, sloshing ale over Aloysius's boots."Watch it," Aloysius muttered.
The man sneered. "Or what?"
Aloysius's hand didn't move.But his shadow did.
It rose, stretching like a serpent from the floor, and without warning, it shoved the man back hard enough to send him crashing into another table. Gasps rippled through the room.
Aloysius's pulse spiked. I didn't
The drunkard scrambled up, now more angry than startled. "You think you can" He stopped mid-sentence, his face draining of color. His eyes weren't on Aloysius… they were on the thing writhing at his feet.
The shadow had grown. Too tall. Too sharp. The shape of its head elongated into something inhuman, and the tavern's lanternlight dimmed as if it were drinking it in.
"Aloysius…" The voice in his mind purred, richer and clearer than ever. "You hesitate too much."
He grabbed the table edge to steady himself. "Stop."
The shadow tilted its head mocking him. Then it lunged.
In the chaos that followed, screams rang out, mugs shattered, and people shoved past each other to reach the door. Aloysius fought to will it back into obedience, but it felt like wrestling smoke with bare hands.
Only when the tavern was empty did it finally retreat, curling back into the shape of his own shadow.
The silence was deafening.
Aloysius stared at the floor, his heart hammering.He had no idea whether the stranger's warning meant he'd lose control entirely or if he already had.