Chapter One: A Presence Beyond the Light
Seven years have passed…
Seven years in which everything changed,except for one question that still haunts the heart of a girl who is no longer a child:
Was the shadow real?
She is no longer the little girl who fell asleep after hearing the story.
Now… she has become a beautiful seventeen-year-old girl, a high-school student,with calm features that hide something no one knows.
Her hair is longer.
Her gaze is deeper.
Her smile is fewer.
But the only question that never left her since childhood
still resides in the corners of her mind.
She lives in the same house, but the house… is no longer what it used to be.
Since that night— the night of the last story— she awoke to a silence she never expected.
That night…
after the father told the story and wished her a peaceful sleep, he and the mother left in their car for errands they never explained.
The father only said:
We won't be late.
But they were late…
Forever.
The police said it was an accident.
A sudden collapse in a small bridge that crossed over a stream.
The car slipped…
The bridge collapsed…
Both of them drowned.
Just an accident.
That's what the police said.
But there was no rain that night.
And no collapses in any area.
And no cracks in the bridge before the incident.
And the strangest thing of all:
The only witness said:
"I saw a shadow…
standing on the bridge seconds before it fell.
But the police ignored the testimony.
And the girl…
couldn't forget that one word:
Shadow.
The same word that stayed with her in her childhood.
The same word her father always stopped at.
The same word he was afraid to continue the story after.
As if that shadow declared an ending, not a beginning.
After the parents' death:
• She now lives with her caretaker, who is 30 years old
• And with her younger brother, who is 15
• In the same large house
• Under the light of memories that never rest
The caretaker tries to be strong…
but her eyes carry a sorrow she cannot hide.
And the younger brother—rational, calm, yet his features hold a fear he never speaks of.
And the girl…
She tries to look normal at school, but the anxiety living inside her
has become bigger than she can ignore.
Especially…
after she saw, in the recent nights,
something standing at the edge of the forest near their home:
A shadow.
The same stillness.
The same stance.
The same presence that does not resemble a human.
That night—
after the school festival ended, she was walking slowly inside the cemetery where her father and mother were buried, and the world around her was strangely still.
The wind whispered between the gravestones…
but the sound she heard was not the wind.
It wasn't an animal.
It was more like something passing by… with an unnatural lightness,as if the air itself split open for a moment.
She stopped.
Her gaze trembled, and her breaths slipped out in uneven bursts.
Then there—
at the edge of the trees touching the cemetery—
she saw him.
A tall shadow… a man…
standing in silence, as if he had emerged from the darkness itself.
The same shape… the same feeling… the same stance she saw seven years ago in her father's story.
Her body froze.
Her eyes gleamed in the darkness.
And her whisper escaped without awareness:
Dad…
Is that… you?
But the shadow did not move.
Did not approach.
Did not step away.
It was simply… there.
She took a step back—
and stumbled.
She almost fell onto the cold ground, but just before the impact…
two arms wrapped gently around her waist,catching her,steadying her as if time itself had stopped.
An unexpected warmth brushed against her,and a low, soft voice—carrying a faint, subtle charm—leaned close to her ear:
Are you alright?
I hope… I didn't scare you.
She lifted her head slowly—
to see a beautiful young man standing before her,his eyes glowing with a calmness unlike any human's.
It made his heart beat, and for the first time in his life once again, he felt a strand of attraction toward someone—a real attraction.
Her words stumbled on her tongue,and the warmth wrapped around her waist made her heart beat in a way it had never felt before.
Even the air around her changed…becoming heavier, deeper, as if the world itself had stepped back.
The young man lifted his head slightly…
his eyes shining with a color she could not name—somewhere between silver, gray, and night.
When their gazes met,she felt something like falling inside her chest.
His face was very close…
so close that she could feel the heat of his breath brushing her cheek.
But she suddenly remembered she was still in his arms.
Her face turned completely red,and she quickly averted her eyes from him.
She spoke with nervousness, her voice slightly broken:
I'm sorry…
and… thank you…
Can… can you let go of me now?
You're… holding me.
He didn't move.
He didn't try to step away immediately.
As if he didn't understand her words for a moment.
Then—very slowly—
he withdrew his arms from her, just one step back,as if he feared she might fall if he moved too quickly.
He stood before her, straight, fluid,and in his eyes there was a strange look…
A look of someone seeing the world for the first time,or seeing something in her that unsettled him.
He spoke in a low, calm voice, arranged in an almost non-human manner:
I apologize… I didn't mean to touch you in that way.
He lowered his head slightly,as if trying to appear less frightening,or less… dangerous.
But that aura surrounding him
was telling her something entirely different:
This is not an ordinary human.
Her hand tightened around her school bag unconsciously,and she tried to steady herself as she said:
Who… who are you?
And why were you in the cemetery?
The young man gave a small, light smile—a smile that didn't reach his eyes,as if it were merely a habit his lips spoke.
I was passing by…
and I noticed you were about to fall.
Her eyebrows rose slowly.
His words explained nothing.
They only created more questions.
She said cautiously:
I saw… someone standing there.
And she pointed toward the trees touching the edge of the cemetery.
The young man turned slowly in the same direction—a calm… eerie slowness…
as if he knew the place well.
A tall shadow
that had been standing there moments ago
was no longer present.
Silence swallowed the air.
Then he turned back to her,and his eyes gleamed with a faint flicker—
as if something awakened inside him when he heard her words.
He spoke in a very low voice,closer to a whisper:
I'm sorry, I didn't see anything.
In any case, it's nighttime now.
It might have been some animal, or maybe you're thinking too much—
it could be an illusion.
In any case, do you need any help?
I will accompany you to your home if you want that.
Anyway… you beautiful and brave girl,what is your name?
She answered in a low voice,still carrying a slight tremble:
Hmm… my name is Lily.
And you?
The young man lifted his head slightly,as if the name pleased him in a way he couldn't explain,then he smiled—a small, more genuine smile than the one before.
Alex.
He said it calmly, as if the word alone was enough to define him.
They exchanged glances for a brief moment—a silent moment that wasn't strange…
just confusing in a beautifully unsettling way.
Then Alex continued, scratching the back of his head with a slight shyness:
By the way… I'm really sorry about what happened earlier.
I didn't mean to embarrass you.
Lily shook her head quickly, trying to hide the redness on her cheeks:
No… it's fine.
I just… got surprised.
Alex let out a soft laugh—a short one, but it warmed the cold night.
Then he gestured with his hand toward the dark path leading out of the cemetery:
Anyway, it's nighttime now…
and what you saw might have just been a shadow or an animal's movement.
He paused for a small moment before adding:
Do you want me to walk you home?
Or at least to the main street?
Walking alone might be unpleasant.
Lily hesitated for a moment—not because she was afraid,but because the presence of this strange young man…
It was far too sudden for her heart.
Then she said in a shy yet gentle tone:
Okay… maybe… it's better if we walk together.
Alex smiled, a warm smile this time:
It's an honor, Lily.
They began walking side by side,their steps slow and in sync,as if they had known each other for a long time.
After a few minutes of quiet silence,
Alex spoke while looking ahead:
Do you live near here?
She answered:
Yes… our house is about ten minutes away.
My brother… and my caretaker.
He raised his eyebrow lightly, with a soft curiosity:
Oh, so you're the older sister?
Lily laughed shyly:
Sort of… yes.
Then she looked at him and said with a gentle smile:
And what about you?
Alex looked at her for a moment,then said in a calm tone:
I live near here as well.
I moved recently.
—And the conversation flowed more smoothly between them,simple questions exchanged,small laughs,quick glances they both grew shy from afterward.
And when they reached the corner of the main street,
they stopped.
Alex said gently:
I think this is closer to your home… right?
Lily nodded:
Yes… thank you for walking with me, Alex.
He smiled:
You're welcome…
and if you ever need anything… or if you feel scared again…
He paused for a second, then continued respectfully:
You can call me.
He extended his hand slowly,his phone in it.
Would… it be alright if we exchanged numbers?
Her heart hesitated…
but her face lit up with a soft smile.
Yes… of course.
They exchanged phones,each writing their number in the other's device,and returned them with a shy smile.
Before walking away,Alex said, looking at her with a gentle expression:
Good night… Lily.
She replied, her eyes shining with a new feeling she didn't yet understand:
Good night… Alex.
Then they walked away in different directions—but in each of their hearts,there was a small step
toward the beginning of something
neither of them knew the name of yet.