That night, Kael wandered alone through New Berlin. The city seemed alive. Lights flickered with his heartbeat. Shadows slithered in alleys. Whispers called his name, soft, melodic, dangerous.
Kael touched his chest, the glyph throbbing. "Who are you?" he whispered.
The shadow didn't answer directly. Instead, a vision flashed: a dying city floating in a void, people frozen in time, and Kael at the center.
He staggered. Fear churned. But he also understood: the shadow wasn't an enemy entirely. It was part of him. And survival meant learning to walk the line between control and surrender.