Chapter Five: The First Shadow Test
Lian didn't sleep that night.
He sat by his bed, staring at his hands. He felt a strange warmth coursing through his veins, not like a fever, but as if something new was about to explode.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the scene of the fire replay.
The silver threads that emerged from his hand... the net that smothered the flames... and the many eyes that stared at him.
"Everyone saw me."
That thought alone was enough to trap him between fear and astonishment.
---
At dawn, he went out to catch his breath by the river. The cool air refreshed his body slightly, but it didn't dispel the tension. As he contemplated the water, he heard a voice behind him.
"You were amazing last night."
He turned around sharply.
There was a man, with very ordinary features, but wearing a pale gray cloak. His face didn't exude strength or danger, but his eyes... were deep, as if they concealed another sky.
Lian took two steps back. "Who are you?"
The man smiled. "Just an observer. I wanted to see how you would react when danger knocked on your door."
---
Lian was confused, not knowing how to respond. He tried to raise his hand, summoning the silver thread... but the man lightly raised his finger, and the flow of energy within him was cut off as if someone had blocked its source.
"Don't bother yourself," he said calmly.
"You're still at the beginning of your journey. The seed inside you is too weak to face me now."
Lian stiffened, trying to hide his trembling. "What do you want from me?"
The man took a step closer, until his voice was almost a whisper. "We just want to see if you deserve to be left alive."
---
Lian felt a chill run down his spine.
"What do you mean?"
He didn't answer. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small stone, black as night, and threw it into the river.
And suddenly... the water changed.
Pillars of thick gray mist rose from it, forming shimmering ghosts around Lian. Each ghost bore a familiar face from the village: his friend Mark, his mother, Uncle Vitor… but their eyes were dark, and their smiles were eerie.
"This is your first test," the man said.
"You have two choices: If you can distinguish truth from illusion, you'll still be able to walk. If you can't… your ghosts will swallow you up forever."
---
Lian shuddered as he looked around.
The ghosts drew closer, surrounding him on all sides. One was a copy of his mother, reaching out her hand toward him. "Lian, why have you changed?"
Mark's copy screamed. "You're a monster!"
Uncle Vitor's copy shook his head sadly. "I told you your eyes weren't normal anymore."
Lian pressed his hands to his head, shouting, "Enough!"
But the voices didn't stop.
Then he remembered the words of the voice he'd heard by the river:
"Power isn't a gift, it's a question. What will you answer?"
---
He took a deep breath.
He opened his eyes, looked directly into the face of the ghost that looked like his mother, and said slowly,
"You're not her. My mother wouldn't be afraid of me... My mother believes in me."
In a flash, the ghost was torn apart and vanished into silver dust.
The screams of the remaining ghosts rose, but they began to shake and lose their shapes.
Lian turned to Mark's clone: "Mark doesn't hate me. He just doubts me. That doesn't make him an enemy."
And with those words, Mark's ghost collapsed.
Then he faced Vitor's clone: "Even if he doubts me, he hasn't judged me. You're just an illusion trying to shake my heart."
The last ghost disappeared.
---
Calm returned.
The gray fog evaporated, and the river was clear again.
The man in the gray cloak smiled faintly, as if this had been nothing more than a small game.
"Amazing. I didn't expect you to discern the truth so quickly."
He approached him and placed his hand on Lian's shoulder.
"But don't get too excited. This is just the first test. The next one will be tougher, and it won't be limited to illusions. Then... we'll see if you really have what it takes to stand up to us."
Then he turned and disappeared into the mist before Lian could say another word.
---
The boy stood stunned, his heart pounding.
But he felt something different this time. He wasn't just afraid anymore... there was a small spark of determination.
"If they're testing me... I'll prove to them that I'm not just a weak seed."
He raised his eyes to the star-filled sky and vowed to himself:
"No matter what force, no matter what organizations, I will find my way."