As preparations were completed, all that remained was to wait for them to make the first move.
"Here they come," Ernst muttered quietly.
The air grew still—unnaturally so. In that suffocating silence, they appeared like thieves slipping into a home unnoticed. Everyone turned to face their assigned directions, alert and ready to intercept. Yet none of us expected what came next.
Because we never thought they would come from above.
Sharling—
A faint sound, like glass scraping against metal.
Vaelon's instincts flared. He looked up sharply. "Everyone! Above!" he shouted.
"But how—" one of his comrades started, but the answer revealed itself before he could finish.
A massive black space opened on the ceiling, swallowing the dim light that the crystal nearby emitted. A shadow—impossibly inverted—crawled across the upper surface, stretching until it consumed nearly the entire ceiling.
"Everyone spread out!" Vaelon barked. "Don't let it hit you!"
The shadow quivered. Then it bulged outward, like thick tar ready to burst.
And it did.
The mass dropped violently, slamming against the floor with a wet impact. It splattered in every direction—thick, viscous, and disturbingly alive.
Everyone barely managed to dodge.
Huston stepped forward cautiously, peering down at the pulsing black sludge. "What the hell is this?"
"I wouldn't get close to it if I were you," Glenn warned, hand gripping the hilt of his weapon.
Huston hesitated, then stepped back. "Right… good point."
Usually, in horror fiction, someone would ignore common sense and die for their curiosity. I suppose real life isn't always so predictable.
"Everyone, form a semicircle!" Ernst ordered sharply. "Outer line, watch the rear! Inner circle, keep your eyes on that… thing!"
He took a few careful steps toward the puddle. "Stand guard. I'll analyze it myself."
The group held their positions, weapons raised as Ernst circled the black spot. His eyes narrowed—puzzled, even disturbed. Whatever he saw, it defied reason.
"It's not possible…" he muttered, voice barely audible.
"What's wrong?" Vaelon asked, eyes still scanning the room.
"This thing…" Ernst hesitated.
"What is it?" Huston pressed.
"It's not sludge. It's a shadow."
Huston frowned. "That's impossible. It's connecting the ceiling and the ground. It even splattered!"
A grim silence fell over the group. Their expressions twisted in disbelief and fear.
"We might actually be in trouble," Elaris murmured.
"We are in trouble," Glenn sighed.
Elaris gave him a tired look, but said nothing. Somehow, I had a feeling those two would get along.
"We really are gonna die," one of the students whispered, voice trembling.
The atmosphere grew heavier, morale crumbling fast.
Vaelon and Ernst exchanged glances—they noticed, but said nothing. They knew someone had to step up.
And Eugene did.
"We? Who's 'we'?" Eugene's voice cut through the air like a blade. "I don't know about you, but I have no plans of dying here. And neither should any of you. Our goal is to survive—to make it out of this place alive. That's what the plan was for, wasn't it?"
His conviction spread like wildfire.
"He's right!" Elizabeth followed, stepping forward with fierce eyes. "And I believe in that plan. I trust him with my life."
"Thank you," Eugene said softly, offering a small, tired smile.
"They're right!" Vaelon roared. "We've already had this conversation. Why are you giving up now?"
He exhaled deeply, frustration cracking through his calm demeanor. "Aren't you supposed to be protectors? If you understand that, then stop whining—fight like your life depends on it, because it does!"
Silence.
The students exchanged glances, their fear slowly being replaced by resolve.
"Forgive our cowardice!" they shouted together.
"We'll fulfill our duty with everything we have!" Huston added.
I walked toward Ernst, who was still crouched near the anomaly, deep in thought.
"That's… one peculiar shadow," I said quietly.
He didn't look up. "Is there something you need?"
"Not really," I replied. "I just want a closer look."
Without hesitation, I dipped my right hand into the shadow. It passed straight through—yet my hand still cast a shadow on it.
It was an impossible phenomenon.
"It really is… impossible," I murmured. "A shadow that exists in space without a source. But the bigger question is—what's casting it?"
Ernst's eyes flickered. "Do you have any idea?"
"Try this," I suggested. "Cast a simple light spell and dip your hand into it."
He blinked. "What will that do?"
"I'm not sure," I admitted. "But without testing, we won't know anything."
He hesitated, then nodded. "Fair point."
A faint chant left his lips, and a small orb of light formed in his palm. The soft glow painted his face with pale radiance.
"You're awfully calm for someone facing the unknown," he remarked.
"I could say the same to you."
He chuckled weakly. "Maybe. But I'm terrified. I just can't show it—not now."
He was right. Showing fear would only destabilize everyone else. The smartest thing to do was to pretend he wasn't afraid.
"I feel the same way," I said.
He smiled faintly. "Then here goes."
He dipped his hand—along with the glowing orb—into the shadow. Instantly, a small portion of it dissolved.
"It really is a shadow," he whispered.
"A real one?" Livia asked quietly, voice trembling.
Ernst nodded.
Livia's expression turned pale. She looked at me—worried, almost pleading.
And then I realized our mistake.
So did Ernst.
"Damn it!" he cursed.
At that moment, he had only two options—dispel the orb, or amplify it. But whichever choice he made, it was already too late.
The shadow had been recognized.
If it was a true shadow, the real problem wasn't the phenomenon itself—it was what lurked within.
Shadow Wolves.
Creatures capable of traveling through space by using shadows within a hundred meters. They hadn't attacked earlier for one reason—they were waiting. Waiting for confirmation that we were still here. We had just given them that signal.
"Everyone, Dodge!" Vaelon shouted.
Ernst's orb flared brighter, expanding with unstable intensity before bursting.
But before it reached its full brilliance, hundreds of shadows erupted outward—splintering from the impossible dark.
Instinctively, I jumped towards Livia, shielding her under my arms. The fragments scattered like bullets, embedding themselves into the ground and walls.
"What is happening?" Lily asked.
"I don't know!" Eugene responded.
And then… silence.
We were surrounded—encircled by countless shifting silhouettes.
Those weren't shadows. They were Shadow Wolves, cloaked in darkness.
The impossible shadow had done its job.
Grrrrr...
A deep, collective growl echoed through the room.
Hundreds of wolves—emerging from every corner of the dark.