I was in my secret room, hidden deep beneath the Altherion family estate. No one knew this place existed. Not even the most loyal servants had ever sensed its presence. This was my stage. My laboratory. The place where shadows worked in silence.
In front of me lay the cursed creature I had saved last night from the bandits' lair.
Its body was weak. Skin pale like wax. Breathing heavy, as if each inhale was a struggle against death.
I reached out my hand and began to channel my magic mana slowly into its body. A wave of thick energy seeped in, tracing the curse pathways that coiled like savage serpents.
The curse growled, screaming without sound, as if resisting being cast out. But I'm not someone easily stopped by low-level curses.
I narrowed my eyes. Focused.
"The sealing system... doesn't match. I guess I'll have to force it with double pressure from pure magic."
My hand trembled slightly.
Mana surged wildly inside me. That energy tried to match the curse's violent resistance.
Then… ZRAAK!
A small magical explosion shattered the air, shaking the underground lab.
Thin white smoke rose from its body.
And in that moment… the curse collapsed.
The creature coughed faintly. Its empty eyes blinked slowly. Consciousness began to return.
I stared at it in silence.
And… I was shocked.
She... was a girl.
Her skin glowed pale. Her long hair was tangled. But the most striking feature, her ears.
Long. Pointed.
"An elf...? Or maybe a mixed blood?"
I muttered, letting out a slow sigh.
"Why does this world keep giving me such intriguing mysteries?"
I grabbed a black cloak hanging on the wall and carefully covered her naked body.
"This isn't because I'm a good person," I said coldly. A statement more to myself than anyone else.
"It's just... too soon for the world to see your body before I find out who you really are."
She wasn't fully conscious yet. Her eyes blinked in confusion, lips moving weakly. No clear words came out.
I turned around.
My steps calm as I walked toward the stone shelf in the corner of the room. My fingers touched a thick book bound in magical chains, an artifact I called... the Ancient Spellbook.
I seized this from the same place that cursed being came from.
Its cover was cracked. Dark aura seeped from every gap, but I could feel... this wasn't just a forbidden book.
"This... is more than just an artifact. It's a clue. A fragment of a greater puzzle still unsolved."
I sat back at my desk. Magical light illuminated its first page.
I smiled faintly.
"Looks like... a new chapter is about to begin."
Behind me, the elf girl coughed softly.
I glanced back slightly. I didn't approach.
She slowly opened her eyes. Her gaze trembled, confused. Her breath hitched. Her body shivered faintly.
"...Wh-Where... am I...?" she whispered, barely audible.
I sat in a stone chair, one leg crossed, my chin resting on my hand.
A dramatic pose. A signature pose of a mysterious character who doesn't need to explain who he is.
I gave a faint smile.
"Hmm... so you're awake, huh?" I said softly, with flair. A voice like a mastermind pulling strings from the shadows.
She turned quickly. Her eyes widened.
"Who... are you!?" she cried out in panic, trying to sit up despite her weakness.
I didn't move.
No need for many words.
One sentence is enough.
"I'm Kazuki," I said flatly.
Then... I lowered my voice by an octave.
"The White Reaper."
Silence.
She froze. Her eyes widened, lips slightly parted. No sound. Just stillness... and shock.
Maybe fear.
Maybe awe.
I didn't care.
What mattered... was that my aura had filled the room.
Shadows cloaked the walls. A cold wind from nowhere rustled my cloak.
I just gave a faint smile...
...like a shadowy protagonist pulling the strings behind the world.
After a few brief exchanges, I finally learned her name.
"My name is... Neera," she said faintly. Her pointed ears trembled, a trait of her Elven blood.
I nodded slightly, gazing at her with deep, enigmatic eyes.
Then, slowly, my voice dropped, full of weight.
"Neera... do you know who sold you to those bandits?"
She looked confused. "Huh...?"
I narrowed my eyes. Then spoke with calm certainty, of course, it was a pure lie, crafted with care.
"A Hero."
Her eyes widened. "W-What...?"
"Yes," I continued dramatically. I turned around, letting my cloak flutter in an illusory wind from deep within me. "The heroes of this world sold you for their own gain. They're not saviors. They're empty symbols... of a rotten system."
Neera's face turned pale. Her hands clenched. Her jaw trembled.
"No way... they... they said they'd protect us..." her voice cracked, almost breaking.
But that wound... was a weapon.
I looked straight into her eyes, then reached out my hand.
"That's why... join me, Neera."
She turned to me. Her eyes were wet.
"What...?"
"I'm building something. An organization that stands outside both light and darkness. A place for those cast aside by this world. The misunderstood. The forgotten. We are... the shadows that will rewrite this world."
She bit her lip. Tears fell. Then, slowly, she raised her hand... and grasped mine.
"…Alright," she whispered.
So easy to trick... I thought, stifling a small laugh in my heart.
But as a shadow protagonist, of course I didn't show that on my face.
I turned slightly, then stepped away from her.
"Our organization is called... Nocturne Eclipse."
My footsteps echoed in the underground chamber, merging with the dark, heavy atmosphere that shrouded this place.
Without looking back, I said,
"From now on, you'll wander. Find more candidates. I will summon you... when the time comes."
Neera simply stared at my back.
And that night...
I returned to House Altherion as usual. Acting like an ordinary eight-year-old boy. Clumsy, awkward, and completely overlooked.
But behind that innocent face...
I was the mastermind of a secret organization that would shake the world.
Nocturne Eclipse.
The shadow... had begun to move.
As morning came, House Altherion plunged into chaos.
Servants panicked. Guards ran about. Screams and cries echoed throughout the mansion.
My sister... was kidnapped.
My father, that bald-headed fool, fainted on the spot. Truly pathetic.
I stood amidst the turmoil. Staring at the ceiling blankly. Pretending to be a clueless child.
"Oh right... in case you didn't know, my sister's name is Lycia."
I turned slowly, leaving the uproar without a word. Inhaling deeply.
Time to move.
I activated my secret communication spell and contacted Neera.
"Neera. Have you found the others?" I asked flatly, but with authority.
"I have," Neera replied.
But then...
"...They're all girls."
I went silent. A breeze drifted past.
…Seriously? I thought, holding back a sigh.
But this wasn't the time to talk about her recruitment preferences.
Focus.
Aura began flowing from my body. My voice sharpened.
"Neera. I want you to start locating my sister now. Use your abilities... I'll send part of my mana from here."
"Understood," she answered, calm but clearly nervous.
I began channeling mana. Deep. Thick. Spreading like shadows that engulf the night.
Far away, Neera gritted her teeth.
"I... I sense enormous mana...!"
Perfect.
I opened my eyes slowly. A faint smile on my lips.
Tonight...
My stage begins.
As the White Reaper.
The shadow that will overturn the world.