Humans fear many things. Darkness, insects, animals, the depths of the ocean… Death, hunger, disease. But in this age, what people feared most could be summarized in a single word: Monsters.
By Azrael's command, Eren Dusk Haven, Kayra, and Raphael were forced to separate from Dean, Rowan, and Mira. The separation was brief and soulless. Dean merely shrugged at Eren; his eyes held the look of "I told you so." Mira and Rowan looked on with concern, but no one uttered a word. Silence was the academy's new rule.
They were to be taken to the Silver Tower—the headquarters of the Shadow Team, the Academy's second most powerful squad. The Gold Tower represented light. The Silver Tower, however, represented darkness.
As they proceeded down the corridors, only their footsteps echoed in the silence. The elevator door opened, escorted by armored guards. Five people were waiting inside. They were all different, yet united in the same shadow.
One of them stepped forward. He was a black-haired, well-built man in his middle age. He wore a black coat. He turned his head toward the newcomers, making direct eye contact with Eren.
Azel: "My name is Azel. I am the captain of the asylum you have joined today."
A relatively younger, shorter man stepped out from the side and looked at the captain. He took a deep breath and spoke in a calm tone:
Dusk: "Please excuse Captain Azel. I am Dusk, the vice-captain. Come into the elevator; I was going to take you to your rooms anyway. It would be best if you came with me."
The young man took the newcomers into the elevator.
Dusk: "Our team is on par with the Lanterns in terms of power level. My captain's words were actually meant to describe the team's personality and its inherent enthusiasm."
The elevator reached the floor it was supposed to, but the door wouldn't open. A man with a tattoo that read 'Cain' on his neck forced the door open with both hands.
Dusk: "Or you could just call it a madhouse because of people like him. Cain! That's the eighth door you've broken!"
Eren was surprised. He managed to utter a sound as he tried to open his mouth:
Eren: "Is everyone really that strange?"
The other two team members standing in the back noticed the student getting off the elevator.
Dusk: "I don't know, some are probably even stranger. What I do know for sure is that I don't get paid enough for this job!"
At the end of the corridor, a large hall opened up, illuminated by dim light. The walls were made of silvery stones, but the light did not reflect off them; it seemed to be absorbed. There were five chairs around a table, and black crystals hung from the ceiling. Dusk gestured for them to sit. Eren, Kayra, and Raphael silently took their seats.
On the other side of the room, Cain leaned against the wall, grinning. He wore a thin, torn jacket; a fiery madness glowed in his eyes.
Cain: "Newcomers, huh? I hope you don't die quickly. This tower's statistics are terrible. There are rats everywhere."
He looked at the long-haired boy sitting next to him.
Cain: "Right, Arlo?"
Arlo was half-lying on the couch. He put his hand behind his head and spoke in a weary voice.
Arlo: "Don't scare them for nothing, Cain. New blood is always needed."
A man who looked like Arlo, who had come with them in the elevator, was sitting silently in the corner. His eyes were fixed on the ceiling, his pupils trembling—as if he was calculating something.
?: "Something is watching us five meters away."
Dusk replied without lifting his head:
Dusk: "That's the patrol spell, Milo. Relax a little."
Milo shook his head.
Milo: "I know… but I panic when the spell's pulse changes. There were others who joined this year, right?"
Dusk: "Yes, there were. But I've already settled them into their rooms."
Just then, the door slowly opened. The sound of a staff hitting the floor echoed on the stone ground. Azrael Solarius entered. Everyone fell silent.
Captain Azel stood up, giving a brief salute. Dusk bowed his head. Azrael's eyes passed over everyone one by one.
Azrael: "Azel, I know you've already received the news. Dusk, take the others out. Then come back. We have something important to discuss."
Dusk began to usher everyone out of the room. The sound of the lock echoed as the door closed.
Milo: "Okay, Cain… I know what you're going to say. I'll do that trick to let us hear the conversation."
Cain: "You are a very good friend."
Milo: "No, I'm not. I'm just doing it so you don't nag me."
Azrael: "Eight people... eight members from the Shadow Team's senior squad. All dead. The bodies were covered in claw and bite marks. The attacker has still not been found. I haven't spoken to you in a long time, Azel… but I didn't want to come with news like this."
Arlo: "Milo, don't overdo it. If Cain thinks this is real, he'll turn the place into a war zone."
Milo: "Shit… this is real! They killed the seniors!"
A silence fell over the room. Azrael's staff echoed one last time, then the door slowly opened. Azel said nothing. Dusk, without lifting his head, said:
Dusk: "The meeting is over."
The newcomers looked at each other. No one understood what was going on.
Dusk turned his head to Eren:
"Come on, go to your rooms. It's been a long day."
As Dusk walked ahead, his shadow was not behind his feet but advancing beside him—as if it were alive. Nothing could be heard along the corridor, only the vibration of the ceiling crystals.
Kayra broke the silence:
Kayra: "I need to stop by someone first. My mother is at the academy; she wants me to stay with her for a day. I'm going home; the news just came."
Dusk gave a brief look.
Dusk: "Go. But be back before morning training."
Kayra nodded and left. Eren and Raphael walked with the others to the end of the corridor. Dusk stopped in front of the rooms.
Dusk: "Rest on your first night. You'll meet the captain tomorrow. He'll test you."
Then he slowly walked away, his shadow disappearing into the wall.
1 Hour Later
Eren couldn't stand the stress anymore. The moonlight seeping through the window had silvered the room. He got up, took the sword he had placed right next to his bed. He quietly opened the door and stepped into the corridor.
He saw a bulky figure at the end of the corridor. He had a spear in his hand. He took a torch from the wall and held it forward—and relaxed. It was Raphael.
Raphael: "Couldn't you sleep either? I can't blame you, though… after all, something that hunts us is currently in the place we are in."
Eren: "That's a bit scary, but there's nothing around. Are we safe?"
Raphael: "No. Absolutely not. Anyway, our team members have lit a fire in the garden. Should we go join them?"
Eren: "Sure. We'll be safer together, after all."
They started walking together. After a short distance, they came to the only door that provided access to the section where the rooms were located. A feeling of unease filled Eren. As he looked toward the door, he saw someone—no, rather, something. It was emitting a dark blue, shadowy aura.
Eren stepped back, grabbed Raphael's clothes by the chest, and pulled him down to the floor with him. Just then, the door broke, and a monster leaped in.
Its fur was stained with blood. It looked almost indistinct under the moonlight. Its eyes glowed bright red, and the deep scars on its fur were proof that it had emerged from hell. It was a werewolf.
Eren and Raphael got up, but before they could react, they were thrown to the ground again by the creature's claw. Eren looked at Raphael a little further away—he hadn't fainted, but he couldn't regain his balance. The werewolf began to advance toward Raphael.
Eren used his sword like a cane to get up. He drew it from its sheath and plunged it into the werewolf's back with all his might. The muffled howl from the creature filled the entire corridor. Raphael seized the opportunity, grabbed Eren by the shoulder, and pulled him away. They started running together.
A hum shattered the silence at the end of the corridor. Footsteps were approaching. The sound of metal soles echoed, then stopped. A shadow took shape on the wall.
Vice-Captain Dusk.
He walked slowly, his eyes locked on the monster.
Dusk: "Raphael, Eren. Get away."
The werewolf growled, digging its claws into the stone. Eren backed away, and Raphael dragged him into the next room. As Dusk took each step, the surroundings darkened. The torches in the corridor were going out one by one. As the light diminished, his power increased.
The monster leaped forward, shattering the stone floor. Dusk raised his shadow—like a wave. A black whip extending from the floor wrapped around the creature's arm and instantly pulled it to the ground. Its bones cracked, but the monster paid no mind to the torn flesh. It only became more savage.
Dusk: "It looks like it's going to be the hard way."
His shadow grew, separating from his body. A second Dusk formed behind him—a silhouette made of pure shadows. The two Dusks attacked simultaneously. One brought down chains made of shadows from above, and the other threw a spear made of shadows from below. The werewolf jumped, but the chain caught its leg.
Dusk's eyes turned gray.
Dusk: "You're caught."
The shadow spear plunged in with the tension of the chain. The werewolf crashed into the wall. It was wounded but didn't fall. Black blood oozing from its wound was boiling, repairing its own flesh.
Dusk: "Regeneration... just like in the reports."
The werewolf suddenly roared. With the sound, its shadow dispersed, and the chains dissolved. The creature was now on all fours, blood dripping from its mouth. It suddenly disappeared—it had run so fast it was impossible to follow with the eye.
Dusk reacted instantly. He pressed his palms to the floor.
Dusk: "Shadow Lock."
The shadows on the floor suddenly rose. The werewolf's shadow wrapped around its own body, stopping its movement. But the creature's strength was too great. It slowly broke the chains, tearing its shadow.
Dusk: "Alright... then don't get lost in your own shadow, but in mine."
His shadow expanded, covering the entire corridor. The floor beneath the werewolf turned black. The creature's eyes widened, then its body was pulled down. Like a swamp, it sank into the darkness.
The sound of a roar echoed, then completely silenced. Only Dusk's breathing remained. The shadows slowly receded. The corridor returned to its gray light.
Dusk wiped the blood from his shoulder, turning his eyes to the window.
Dusk: "That was just one of them." he said quietly. "The others are still here."
Eren's voice came from behind.
Eren: "Dusk… what was that thing?"
Dusk frowned.
Dusk: "It wasn't the thing that killed the eight. Just... another creature. And yes, it was a werewolf. It's annoyingly easy to figure out Milo and Arlo's little tricks, so don't try to fool me."
Eren: "Then what killed the eight seniors?"
Dusk: "I don't know. But if it's a werewolf, it's definitely an alpha. And it's not something I can defeat alone."
Eren: "But you are very strong, Vice-Captain Dusk."
Dusk: "Those eight joined a year after me. If all eight had attacked me, I would have been beaten to a pulp. But that thing... managed to kill them all. So be very careful. Lock your doors. I don't think anything else will happen today. Or whatever that thing is, that it will show up... because all the captains, including Captain Azel, are at the academy right now. And everyone will protect their own team until the creature is caught."
Dusk took a deep breath.
Dusk: "Go downstairs and eat some candy. You'll get to meet the other members of the team, too."