Chapter 4 — The Voice in the Blood
804 Words
The hallway lights flickered.
Kai stood frozen outside the abandoned classroom, his breathing uneven as the black marks beneath his skin slowly faded back into place like living shadows crawling under flesh.
Inside the room—
something was breathing.
Not human breathing.
Too slow.
Too heavy.
Like a beast sleeping in darkness.
Rain battered the school windows while distant thunder shook the building.
Lena clutched Kai’s sleeve tightly.
“K-Kai… we should leave.”
He didn’t answer.
His eyes remained fixed on the classroom door.
Room 3-B.
The same room students avoided.
The same room where a boy had supposedly disappeared years ago.
And now—
Kai could hear whispers behind the door.
Open it.
His fingers twitched.
The voice was inside his head again.
Cold.
Ancient.
Hungry.
Open it, vessel.
Kai staggered back slightly.
Lena noticed immediately.
“Kai?”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.”
The shadows beneath his feet moved unnaturally.
Like black smoke crawling across the floor.
Lena’s face paled.
“Kai… your eyes…”
He looked toward the nearby window.
His reflection stared back with glowing crimson eyes.
Not fully human.
Not anymore.
Suddenly—
BANG!
Something slammed against the classroom door from the inside.
Lena screamed softly.
Another bang followed.
Harder this time.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Kai’s heartbeat accelerated.
Then the whispers returned.
It knows you’re here.
The doorknob slowly turned.
Click.
Lena grabbed Kai’s arm in panic.
“We need to run NOW!”
But Kai couldn’t move.
A strange pressure filled the hallway.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Almost alive.
The classroom door creaked open inch by inch.
Darkness spilled out first.
Not normal darkness.
This darkness moved.
Twisting shadows spread across the floor like black liquid.
Then—
A hand appeared.
Pale fingers.
Long claws.
Lena nearly collapsed.
“What… is that…”
The creature slowly emerged from the darkness.
Tall.
Too tall.
Its body looked human, but its limbs bent unnaturally like broken bones forced together incorrectly. Black veins pulsed beneath gray skin while its empty eyes dripped dark liquid down its face.
Its mouth stretched into an impossible smile.
Kai’s chest tightened violently.
Because he recognized it.
Not from memory.
From nightmares.
The creature tilted its head.
Then it spoke using dozens of overlapping voices.
“Shadow… Blood…”
Lena trembled uncontrollably.
“Kai… please…”
The monster suddenly moved.
FAST.
In a single second it lunged toward them.
Lena screamed—
But black shadows exploded from Kai’s body instinctively.
BOOM!
The hallway walls cracked apart as darkness burst outward like a storm.
The creature flew backward violently into the classroom wall.
Silence.
Kai stared at his own hands in horror.
Black smoke wrapped around his fingers.
Alive.
Moving.
Watching.
Lena slowly looked at him.
Fear filled her eyes.
Not fear of the monster.
Fear of him.
“Kai…”
Her voice shook.
“What are you?”
The question pierced deeper than any blade.
Because Kai didn’t know anymore.
Before he could answer—
the creature began laughing.
Its broken body twisted unnaturally as it stood again.
“Awakened…”
Its empty eyes locked onto Kai.
“The heir has awakened…”
The hallway temperature dropped instantly.
Kai felt something inside his chest pulse violently.
A burning pain exploded through his veins.
He collapsed to one knee.
Images flashed through his mind.
Blood.
Fire.
A giant black gate.
Thousands of shadow creatures kneeling before a throne.
And sitting on that throne—
was him.
Kai gasped sharply as the vision disappeared.
The creature smiled wider.
“You remember…”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
The monster screeched suddenly.
The sound shattered nearby windows instantly.
Lena covered her ears in pain.
Kai’s shadow expanded violently beneath him.
The creature lunged again.
This time Kai reacted instinctively.
Darkness formed around his arm like armor.
He punched forward—
CRASH!
The creature slammed through three classroom walls.
The entire hallway shook.
Silence followed.
Kai stared at his own fist in disbelief.
That wasn’t human strength.
Not even close.
Lena backed away slowly.
“Kai…”
He turned toward her.
Immediately he regretted it.
Because she looked terrified.
Like she was staring at a monster.
His chest tightened painfully.
“Lena, I—”
Suddenly the school lights died.
Everything went black.
A deep voice echoed through the darkness.
“Well… this is interesting.”
Footsteps approached slowly.
Calmly.
A figure emerged from the shadows at the end of the hallway.
Tall.
Wearing a black coat.
Silver eyes glowing faintly in the dark.
Kai’s instincts screamed danger instantly.
The stranger glanced at the destroyed hallway, then at the unconscious creature buried beneath rubble.
Finally—
his gaze landed on Kai.
And for the first time—
the man smiled.
“So the Shadow King’s bloodline survived after all.”
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD