Eren felt the room grow smaller around him. The air itself seemed to tighten after the headmaster's words.
"The enemy has already found you."
Eren swallowed hard. "What enemy?"
The headmaster didn't answer right away. He walked to the tall shelves behind him and pulled out an old, black book covered in dust. When he opened it, the pages looked ancient—yellow and cracked at the edges.
He placed the book on the desk and pointed to a strange drawing: a dark shape with no clear face, only white glowing eyes.
"This," the headmaster said slowly, "is called a Void Shade."
Eren stepped closer. "A Shade… like a spirit?"
"Not a spirit," the headmaster said. "Something older. Something that exists between worlds. They can slip through weak points… especially when portals or rifts are involved."
Eren felt cold. "And this is what's after me?"
"Yes," the headmaster answered. "And the mark on your skin—" he tapped the picture "—is a sign that a Shade has taken interest in you."
Eren closed his hand, trying not to shake. "But why me? I didn't do anything."
"You did," the headmaster said. "You survived something that should have killed you. And you carry a power this academy has not seen in years. That is enough to draw dangerous attention."
Eren opened his mouth to speak—but a sudden knock hit the door.
Knock… knock… knock.
Slow. Heavy.
The headmaster's eyes sharpened. "Stay behind me."
Eren moved back automatically.
The headmaster opened the door—
—but no one was there.
The hallway was empty.
Eren stepped forward. "Sir…?"
"Stay inside," the headmaster ordered. "Shades do not always show themselves fully. They test their prey first."
Prey.
The word made Eren feel sick.
The headmaster checked the hall again, then closed the door firmly and locked it. He turned back to Eren.
"Listen carefully," he said. "From now on, you cannot walk alone. Not anywhere. Not even in your dreams."
Eren blinked. "Dreams?"
"Yes," the headmaster said. "Shades attack the mind before they attack the body."
Eren's heart began to race. "How do I stop it?"
"You can't," the headmaster replied. "But we can hold it back. And to do that… I need to seal that mark."
He reached into a drawer and brought out a silver ring with a blue stone.
"This will help control the energy inside you and block the Shade's reach."
Eren took the ring and slid it onto his finger.
The blue stone glowed softly—and the burning mark on his arm cooled instantly, like ice touching fire.
Eren let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "It really works…"
"Only for a while," the headmaster warned. "The Shade will grow stronger. It will come closer. And when it does… you must be ready."
Before Eren could ask what that meant—
The lights flickered.
A cold wind moved through the closed room, even though no windows were open.
Eren's breath froze in front of him like white mist.
The headmaster stepped forward. "Eren. Stay behind me."
A shadow formed on the wall.
Not a person.
Not an animal.
Something tall… thin… shifting… with long fingers that stretched like smoke.
Its eyes glowed white.
Eren's heart stopped. "Is that—?"
"Yes," the headmaster whispered. "A Shade."
The shadow leaned toward Eren, its long shape twisting like it wanted to crawl out of the wall.
The headmaster raised his hand, and a bright spell circle flared in the air.
"Begone!"
A blast of light hit the wall.
The shadow shrieked without making sound—and vanished.
The room brightened again. The cold faded.
Eren was shaking so hard he could barely breathe.
The headmaster finally turned to him.
"It knows where you are now," he said. "And it will come back stronger."
Eren felt the weight of the ring on his finger. Felt the fear in his chest.
"But I won't run," he said quietly.
The headmaster nodded. "Good. Because the next time it comes… it won't be alone."
---