By the time the last bell rang, the sky had turned violet, heavy with rain. Mira waited by the gate, her silhouette a quiet anchor against the darkening light.
"Let's walk together," she said, her eyes not letting him go.
He nodded, each step dragging against exhaustion and the lingering hum of unspent fear.
Arin knew what look she was giving him. It was the look of frustration, frustration because he wasn't telling her something and He actually adored her for it.
But not now, he knew she cared but ...this world, this world of spirits and demons.
It was dangerous...too dangerous.
As they walk, Silence stretched between them, filled only by the rhythm of shoes against pavement and the distant buzz of streetlights.
Near the street, the air suddenly shifted. Cold. Too cold. The wind stilled, the world pausing in anticipation.
Mira stopped. "Do you feel that?"
Arin did. Oh he did, again. It was happening again.
'....this is the pattern, before my awakening, they will try to kill me... Weaken me. Cause they don't want someone like grandpa to be born again...'
Gradually Shadows rippled unnaturally against the dimming light, crawling along walls like living ink.
A sound rose behind them—a low, wet whisper buried under static.
Mira turned, eyes wide. "Arin…"
The shadow moved. Fast. A smear of darkness peeled from an alley wall, twisting into a half-formed shape, impossibly tall, impossibly fluid.
Arin felt its presence, his gut churning with fear, so he stepped forward instinctively. "Stay behind me!"
It lunged, a body flickering between substance and smoke. He swung, fist cutting through air.
[Fear Index +22%]
He stumbled back, dodging the strike to his neck, while its arm lashed out, sharp as steel, scratching his shoulder.
Pain shot up as blood ripped from him, splashing on Mira's face. Warm hot blood splattered on her nose and cheeks.
"Aaaaaaaa!!!!!" She screamed.
[Holy Touch]
[Activation Failed]
[Insufficient Ember]
"Fuuuckkkk..."
The shadow twisted, reforming midair, edges flickering like broken code. Each strike defied gravity, sanity, reason.
Arin swung again. His hand passed through smoke—cold numbing his knuckles, biting deep.
[Fear Index +31%]
[System Glitch Detected: Reward Potential ×10]
He gritted his teeth. "Come on… work!"
The shadow's gaze flicked past him, locking on Mira. Arin turned toward her, trying to grab it, but again, it slipped past his grip.
"Mira, RUN!" He shouted.
She froze, terror pinning her in place.
It lunged. Arin intercepted, taking the blow himself. Pain exploded through his side.
[Health -34]
[Fear Index +42%]
The world tilted, blood filling his mouth. He pushed up, vision swimming. The shadow crouched, head cocked, studying him, mocking him.
"Why…" it hissed, voice scraping like glass. "Do you resist? You can't touch me, harm me???"
He forced himself to stand, arms trembling, legs shaking, body almost giving up—but somehow he managed to remain upright.
Mira sobbed, voice quivering: "Arin—please runaway—" she voiced, sobbing, tears flowing down.
"It...its okay, leave me…runaway." She whispered, her words boiling true or false, even she didn't know.
He stepped forward. As he knew, her words weren't true. Her tears shouting her fear.
"No Mira, I won't leave you."
'NoT AgaiN…'
"You want me right! If you want me… then come!"
The shadow screeched, lunging. Arin's heart beat grew, his body shaking, fearing not for him but for her.
He could not, would not.. lose her.
[Fear index: 85%]
His fist connected—not through smoke, but solid. Shock burned through his knuckles. The creature reeled, a ripple of light flashing through its form.
[Fear index: 100%]
[Exp: 220]
[Ember: 4]
[Fear Conversion Activated]
[Temporary Strength Boost: +40%]
Fear became fuel. His movements sharpened. He dodged, countered, every strike precise. The shadow swung, he ducked, landed another hit. Smoke and fragments of darkness spun, but the creature recoalesced midair.
He sprinted, throwing himself between them. The shadow struck—his hands caught it instinctively, both burning with cold.
Then light burned through him.
[Ember detected]
[Holy Touch Activated]
Warmth erupted from his chest, spilling outward in a golden pulse. The shadow shrieked, recoiling, unraveling into dust carried by wind.
Silence returned.
Arin collapsed to his knees, muscles screaming. Vision blurred. Mira knelt beside him, tears streaking her face. "Arin—what—what was that?"
He couldn't answer. Warmth faded, leaving exhaustion and a quiet pulse in his chest.
[System Update]
[Fear Index: 100%]
[XP Gained: 220]
[Fear Conversion Complete]
[Holy Touch Level → Rare]
A pulse of energy crawled through his veins, colder than light yet strangely grounding. The System's voice faded, leaving behind a faint hum—fear, refined into strength.
Exhaling shakily, he leaned against the pavement.
Mira gripped his hand. "Don't you dare pass out again."
He smiled weakly. "No... promises…"
His vision dimmed, last sight Mira's terrified, resolute face, faintly tinted with the same shimmer as the System.
Arin's body sagged against the cold pavement, every muscle trembling, joints screaming, and blood trickling from a shallow cut on his shoulder.
Mira crouched beside him, her hands trembling as she tore a strip from her sleeve. Without a word, she pressed the fabric against his shoulder, trying to steady her breath as blood seeped through the cloth.
"You're bleeding… here, drink this," she murmured, pressing a small bottle of water to his lips. Her thumb brushed his jaw; the contact sent a warmth through his chest that was almost painful in its suddenness.
He coughed, tasting iron and the sharp tang of adrenaline. "The… Shadows," he rasped. "They won't stop…" His voice faltered, but the tremor in it wasn't just fear—it was helplessness.
[Fear Index: 97%]
[Ember: Fluctuating]
[Holy Touch: Cooldown 2m 15s]
[Fear Conversion: Cooldown 3m 40s]
Mira's eyes didn't leave his face. "Then we make it stop. But not here. Come on—let's move somewhere safe."
...
They struggled to their feet, Arin leaning heavily on her shoulder, the city around them eerily quiet.
Streetlights flickered, casting long, unnerving shadows that twisted unnaturally across walls.
At the corner of his vision, Arin saw faint pulses of light, echoes of the fear energy he had just unleashed.
Arin shook his head, though the tether between them hummed faintly in his chest.
They ducked into a narrow alley, the brick walls pressing in.
Mira crouched behind a rusted dumpster, examining his shoulder. Arin hesitated as she gently pressed a finger to the gash. Pain flared, but he gritted his teeth, unwilling to show weakness.
"Holy Touch," he murmured, feeling the warmth return briefly. "It's… different now. Stronger."
Mira nodded, her gaze intense. "I can feel it too. It's… you. But not just you."
A sudden movement in the alley caught his attention—a flicker of darkness at the far end, barely perceptible, yet unmistakably alive. His chest tightened.
[Alert: Demonic Entity Detected – Potential Threat Level High]
[Next Objective: Investigate]
The Demonic fragment recoiled at his presence, a ghostly smear that pulsed with malevolent energy before vanishing into the cracks between the bricks.
Arin exhaled shakily. "It's not gone. Not really… they will come. They will all come… from the underworld…"
Mira glanced up at him, eyes wide. "Don't worry, you're not alone, I'm here ...we deal with it. Together."
The rain began to fall, light at first, then harder, tapping against the bricks. Each drop seemed to whisper, carrying the remnants of the Demonic's presence.
Mira shivered, and he realized the tether between them made him aware of even her slightest tremor.
"Arin… what do we do now?" she asked, voice barely audible over the patter.
She hesitated, then added, "My home is just nearby. Maybe...Maybe… we could stay there for the night?"
[System Note: Host Fatigue High – Recovery Recommended]
[Objective Updated: Regroup and Rest – Assess Fear & Ember Levels]