Ray received a phone call while he was still at the mansion. The voice on the other end was familiar but tense—his uncle, Cally.
"Ray," Cally said quickly, "come to our old apartment. Now. Don't tell anyone too much."
Ray frowned. "What happened?"
"Just come," Cally replied, then the call ended abruptly.
Ray stood still for a moment, the silence of the mansion pressing around him. Cloud noticed his expression immediately.
"What is it?" she asked.
"My uncle… he needs me at our old apartment," Ray said.
Cloud hesitated. "Should you go alone?"
"I'll be fine," Ray answered, already heading for the door.
Without wasting time, he left the mansion and walked down the road. The evening air was cool, and the streets were quiet. As he moved further away from the main road, he suddenly heard something unusual.
A child crying.
The sound came from somewhere inside a thick bush nearby. It was not normal—it was emotional, distressed, and almost painful.
Ray stopped. His instincts tightened.
"Hello?" he called out.
No answer. Only more crying.
He pushed through the bush immediately, branches scratching against his arms, until he stepped into a strange open area he had never seen before. It looked like a hidden farmland—wide, abandoned, and eerie. In the center sat an old man on a three-legged stool, completely still.
Ray looked around. "Where is the child?"
The old man didn't respond. He didn't even look at him.
Ray's expression hardened. "Hey, I'm talking to you."
Still no answer.
His mind jumped to the worst conclusion. A kidnapper.
Ray stepped forward sharply. "I don't know what you're doing here, but I'm ending this."
He moved to attack.
But suddenly—
His body froze.He couldn't move.
His muscles locked as if invisible chains had wrapped around him. Ray's eyes widened in shock.
"What… what is this?"
The old man slowly stood up from the stool. His movement was calm, almost effortless. He walked toward Ray without urgency.
Ray struggled harder. "Who are you?!"
The old man stopped in front of him.
Then he spoke.
"Do you want to activate your Shadow?"
Ray froze again—but this time from surprise.
His eyes sharpened. "You… know about Shedox?"
The old man tilted his head slightly, studying him. Ray felt it now—this man was not normal. Something about him felt ancient… powerful.
Ray had no choice. If this man wanted, he could kill him instantly.
"…Yes," Ray answered carefully.
The moment he said it, the air changed.
The old man exhaled slowly. "Good."
Then his body shifted.
Dark energy burst from him as his form transformed into something far beyond human. A full Shadow being—dense, powerful, and unstable in appearance.
Ray's eyes widened. "You… you're a Shedox…"
The being nodded. "A lost one, yes."
Ray's heart raced.
Without warning, the Shadow being placed a hand on Ray's chest.
A surge of energy exploded through him.
Ray's body reacted instantly. Dark lines of energy began forming across his skin, spreading like cracks of light. A suit-like Shadow armor started constructing itself around him, piece by piece.
But just as the transformation intensified, the being clenched his fist.
The energy stabilized.
"It is not time for full release," the Shadow being said. "External interference must be controlled."
Ray struggled to breathe, feeling the power inside him fighting to break free—but also being held back.
Then suddenly, the pressure eased.
The training began.
The Shadow being moved faster than Ray could see, striking and shifting positions, forcing Ray to react instinctively. At first, Ray failed again and again, but slowly, he began to adapt.
"Your power is not anger alone," the being said. "It is control."
Hours passed like minutes.
Ray trained under him repeatedly, learning how the Shedox energy flowed, how it reacted, and how it could be shaped instead of released blindly.
For the first time, Ray understood something important.
His power wasn't just inside him.
It was waiting to be mastered.
Ray managed his time between Cloud, school, and training with the mysterious man. He ensured Cloud never felt lonely, spending evenings with her after classes. In mornings and nights, he trained his Shedox abilities. Despite pressure, he stayed focused, balancing friendship, studies, and power growth without losing control completely yet.