The rain hadn't stopped since the night before.
Kikoshin walked with his hands in his pockets, head down, shoulders burdened by the weight of a world he didn't yet fully understand. The streets of Lumen City shimmered under the water, reflecting broken lights, faded signs, and fleeting silhouettes of people fleeing from the cold… or from themselves.
In his pocket, the black envelope sealed with the insignia of the Order of the Hidden Lamp weighed more than the money inside. More than the promises. More than the fear.
He hadn't slept. Couldn't. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw his father—not as the man in the photos, stern and armored, wrapped in dark runes—but as he remembered him in dreams: a warm smile, a large hand resting on his head, a lullaby whispered into his ear.
And then… the void.
It wasn't a shadow he lacked. It was something deeper. Something unnamed even in the Association's archives.
They called it "The Sixth Instinct."
A curse disguised as power.
A gift that turned him into a beast every time he bled.
And with each wound, it stole a piece of his humanity.
---
The abandoned factory stood in District 7, where the air smelled of rust, dampness, and rotting memories. No one went there. Not even beggars. They said the ghosts of workers who died in the collapse still wandered among the rusted machines, dragging chains and whispering production numbers.
Kikoshin pushed open the metal door. It groaned like a broken bone.
Inside, the darkness was thick, almost tangible. But it didn't scare him. Quite the opposite. He felt… comfortable. As if the darkness recognized him. As if it had been waiting.
— "You're punctual."
The voice made him turn.
Two men. Same black suits. Same emotionless faces. But this time, one carried a long, slender staff with a black crystal orb at its tip. The other held a metallic folder.
— "Follow us. Don't speak. Don't ask questions. And above all… don't look directly at your reflection when the breach opens."
Kikoshin nodded. He didn't need explanations. He already knew. He could feel it.
The man with the staff raised it. Struck the floor.
A circle of black runes appeared beneath their feet. They spun. Expanded. Emitted a deep sound, like the growl of a sleeping beast.
The wall in front of them tore open.
Not a door. Not a portal. It was as if reality itself ripped apart, revealing a tunnel made of living shadows, writhing like hungry serpents, whispering words in dead tongues.
— "Step forward."
Kikoshin took a step.
And entered.
---
The air changed.
Cold. Dense. Electrified. As if every molecule carried ancient energy.
He stood in a vast, circular hall, its ceiling so high it vanished into shadow. The walls were covered in dark stained-glass windows depicting battles between hooded figures and shadow creatures. At the center, a fountain of black water bubbled endlessly, releasing steam that smelled of iron and ash.
Around him, dozens of people.
Hunters.
Some young, like him. Others old, with scars that glowed under the dim light. Some wore light armor, others civilian clothes. But all shared one thing: their shadows… moved on their own.
Not like normal shadows. Not like those of people on the street. These slid, stretched, crouched, rose… as if they were independent creatures, tethered to their owners by an invisible thread.
Kikoshin shivered.
Because he had no shadow.
Yet… he could see theirs.
Not just see them. Feel them. As if each had a pulse, a heartbeat, a voice. Some were calm. Others restless. One near the fountain moved like a serpent, licking the floor with a tongue of darkness. Another, draped over a bearded man, stood like a wolf—vigilant, eyes glowing like embers.
— "Welcome to the Shadow Hunters' Association," said a woman approaching him. Tall. Silver hair tied in a braid. Green eyes that seemed to see through skin. "I am First Evaluator Lira Voss. You are Kikoshin Suyo. Son of Dain Suyo. The Wall of the Night."
Kikoshin didn't respond. Just nodded.
— "We know who you are. We know what you've done. And we know… what you carry inside."
Her gaze dropped—not to the floor, but to his chest. To where his heart beat… and something else.
— "Don't worry. Here, what's missing… is often the most powerful."
She turned.
— "Follow me. It's time to measure you."
---
The evaluation chamber was smaller, but just as intense. At its center, a circle of black stone, surrounded by silver-etched runes. Around it, a dozen hunters waited their turn. Some looked at him with curiosity. Others with disdain. One, an eighteen-year-old boy with a scar on his neck, chuckled under his breath.
— "Him? No shadow? What's he gonna measure? His ability to scare pigeons?"
No one laughed. But no one defended him either.
Kikoshin didn't flinch.
Lira Voss led him to the center of the circle.
— "Place your hands here," she said, pointing to two marks on the stone. "Do nothing. Think of nothing. Just… let the circle read you."
Kikoshin obeyed.
The runes lit up.
First, a faint blue glow. Then purple. Then black. Deep. Absolute.
The circle vibrated. A low hum, like an ancient engine, filled the room.
The hunters stopped murmuring. Even the scarred boy shut his mouth.
The runes expanded, climbing up Kikoshin's arms, wrapping him in a dark aura that didn't burn—it caressed.
Lira Voss watched, impassive. But her eyes… gleamed with something that wasn't surprise. It was recognition.
The circle stopped.
A number appeared, etched in the air, floating above Kikoshin's head.
**C9**
A murmur swept through the room.
— "C9? —someone said—. But he has no shadow ally!"
— "Impossible —murmured another—. Without a shadow, the max is D3."
Lira Voss raised a hand. Silence returned.
— "Not impossible. Unprecedented. Your potential doesn't come from a shadow. It comes from what's inside you. What you inherited. What hasn't awakened yet."
She looked at Kikoshin.
— "Your rank is C9. Not because you're strong now. But because you'll be devastating… when you use it."
Kikoshin lowered his hands. The runes faded. The number vanished.
But everyone looked at him differently now.
Even the scarred boy.
---
The evaluations continued.
Other hunters stepped into the circle. Some reached B5. Others barely D7. One, a red-haired girl with cat-like eyes, achieved B2, and her shadow—a panther of black smoke—roared with pride when the number appeared.
Kikoshin watched. Not with envy. With curiosity.
Because while others summoned their shadows, he… felt something different.
Not an external presence. An internal one. Like a fire sleeping beneath his skin. Like a heartbeat that wasn't his own. Like a voice that didn't speak… but promised.
The Sixth Instinct.
He hadn't used it yet. Hadn't awakened it. But it was there. Waiting. Thirsty.
And it recognized him.
---
The Evaluator called him back at the end.
— "Come. There's something you must know."
She led him to a secluded corner, away from the others.
— "Your father… Dain Suyo… didn't just seal Darckholl. He also sealed something inside you. Something that shouldn't exist. A power born from pain. That grows with blood. That turns you into a monster… to kill monsters."
Kikoshin didn't blink.
— "What is it?"
— "We call it 'The Sixth Instinct.' It's not a shadow. Not an ally. It's a blessed curse. Every time you're wounded… you grow stronger. Faster. Deadlier. But each time… you lose a piece of yourself. Your humanity. Your memories. Your pain… and your love."
She paused.
— "Your father had it. And he controlled it… until the end. But you… you're different. In you, it's not sealed by runes. It's sealed by will. By your own mind. And that… is more dangerous."
Kikoshin looked at his hands.
— "And if I use it?"
— "If you use it once… you'll want to use it again. If you use it twice… you'll start forgetting why you shouldn't. If you use it three times… you won't be the one deciding when to stop."
She said no more.
But she didn't need to.
---
At the end of the evaluations, Lira Voss gathered them before a long black marble table.
— "Listen carefully. From today, you are part of the active hunters' network. You'll receive a communicator. It's linked to the Association's Alert System. When it vibrates, it means a breach has opened, a creature is loose, or a mission is assigned."
She pulled a dozen small devices from a drawer—coin-sized, with touchscreens and a red button.
— "Respond only to missions at or below your rank. If you see a mission above your rank… do not go. This is not a suggestion. It's an order. Going means death. Not a glorious death. A useless one. Forgotten."
She distributed the communicators.
When it was Kikoshin's turn, Lira Voss held his a second longer.
— "Yours… has a hidden protocol. If you feel you're losing control… press the button three times. We'll locate you. We'll stop you. Before you become what we hunt."
She said no more.
But she didn't need to.
Then, she handed out small black leather briefcases.
— "Initial compensation. For expenses. For silence. For survival."
Kikoshin opened his. Inside: stacks of credits. Exactly five million.
The same amount they gave his mother when his father died.
He closed it without a word.
---
The farewell was brief.
One by one, the hunters were led to different points in the hall, where individual breaches opened to return them to their origins.
When it was Kikoshin's turn, Lira Voss accompanied him personally.
— "Don't force it," she said, as the staff-wielding man prepared the breach. "The Sixth Instinct isn't a weapon. It's a beast. And beasts… only emerge when they smell blood. Your blood."
Kikoshin nodded.
— "And if I have no other choice?"
Lira Voss looked at him with sadness.
— "Then… pray someone stops you before nothing remains of you."
The breach opened.
Kikoshin stepped in.
---
He reappeared in the abandoned factory.
The rain still fell. The air, just as cold. But he… was no longer the same.
He walked toward the exit. Not in a hurry. With purpose.
In his pocket, the communicator vibrated softly. A silent alert. A D8 mission in District 3. He didn't accept it. Not yet.
He had something more important to do.
---
The next day, he went to the clinic.
He climbed the stairs. Passed nurses who ignored him. Doctors who didn't even glance his way. Until he reached Room 307.
His mother was awake. Sitting on the bed, gazing out the window. Paler than yesterday. Thinner. But alive.
When she saw him, she smiled.
— "Kiko… what are you doing here so early? Don't you work today?"
He didn't answer. Just approached. Pulled out the briefcase. Placed it on the bed.
— "Pay for my mother's treatment. Everything. The Moonblack Elixir. Regeneration sessions. Whatever's needed."
The nurse who entered at that moment's eyes widened.
— "Is that…?"
— "Yes," said Kikoshin. "Count it. All of it. And start today."
The woman nodded nervously and ran out.
Amara looked at him. Eyes full of questions. Fear. Hope.
— "Kiko… where did you get all this? Did you steal? Did you get into something dangerous?"
He sat beside her. Took her hand. Cold. Delicate. Broken.
— "I didn't steal. I didn't get into trouble. I got into… something bigger. But don't worry. I'll take care of you. Like Dad would."
She wanted to cry. But she didn't. Just squeezed his hand.
— "And Vorlan? What will he say when he sees that…?"
— "Vorlan won't say anything. Because he won't be there. We're leaving. The city, if necessary. Somewhere he can't find us. Where he can never touch you again."
She looked at him. For the first time in years… she saw her son. Not the scared child. Not the boy who wiped tables and collected bones. She saw a man. With a promise in his eyes. Fire in his veins.
— "And you, Kiko? What will you do?"
He stood. Walked to the window. Outside, the sun struggled through the clouds. But the building's shadow covered everything.
— "I'll do what I have to. So you can live. So he… didn't die in vain."
He turned.
— "Soon, you'll leave that bed, Mom. And when you do… I'll take you far away. To a place with gardens. With sun. With silence. Where you can sing again… without fear."
She nodded slowly. Tears finally dared to fall.
— "Then… I'll believe you. Because if anyone in this world can do it… it's you."
---
That night, Kikoshin returned to the apartment.
Vorlan was drunk. As always. Sprawled on the couch, empty bottle in hand, TV blaring.
He didn't see Kikoshin enter.
Kikoshin went to his room. Closed the door. Placed the communicator on the table.
Then, he sat on the floor. Back against the wall. Staring out the window.
The moon was full.
And in his chest… something stirred.
Not a shadow. A heartbeat. Deeper. Darker.
The Sixth Instinct.
It didn't awaken. It only… breathed.
As if it knew that soon… very soon… it would be needed.
He closed his eyes.
And in the darkness of his mind, he saw it.
Not a shape. An instinct. A hunger. A promise of power… and loss.
> "Son of the Wall… it's time."
Kikoshin didn't respond. Just breathed.
— "Not yet," he whispered. "First… save my mother. Then… I'll let you out."
The presence in his chest calmed. Like an obedient dog. Like contained fire. Like a beast that recognizes its master.
> "As you command… my King."
On the table, the communicator vibrated.
A new alert.
**Mission: Breach Level 5 — District 9. Creature: Shadowmorph Class C. Reward: 200,000 credits. Minimum Rank: C7.**
Kikoshin opened his eyes.
Looked at the device.
Then, at his hand.
And for the first time… he felt a faint warmth beneath his skin. As if his blood… were alive.
He smiled.
— "Tomorrow, Mom. Tomorrow, everything begins."
---
**[System]: User: Kikoshin Suyo. Rank: C9 — "Broken Lantern". Status: ACTIVE. Hidden Ability: "SIXTH INSTINCT" — STATUS: DORMANT — CONTAINMENT LEVEL: 100%. First mission available in: 12 hours. Accept?**
Kikoshin turned off the screen.
Didn't respond.
But in his chest… the heartbeat grew stronger.
And for an instant… his eyes glowed in the dark.
Black.
Like his father's.
Like a king's.
________________________________________
Leave your comment and review so we can improve the story. Thanks for reading.