Shid returned home after a long school day. He opens the door to his house and sees that the place is dark.
"It seems my mother hasn't returned yet."
He enters his room, puts his bag on the ground, then goes to his bed and sleeps, until he wakes up at 1 am.
"Damn, I slept too much."
He gets up from the bed and leaves his room, glancing around the house, but he doesn't find his mother.
"She's late again."
He goes and picks up his scattered clothes to take them to the laundry. When he finishes gathering them, he enters the kitchen, finds a meal, and takes it.
"I'll eat it while I wait."
He leaves the house heading toward the laundromat. After ten minutes, he arrives, goes inside, puts money into the washing machine, and turns it on. He eats his meal while waiting. After a few minutes, an old man approaches him.
"Hello, boy, can you give me some money?"
Shid agrees and gives him the last of his change. The old man thanks him and continues on his way, but Shid notices shadows moving behind him. Shid thinks he's just imagining things and ignores it.
After some time, while returning home, he sees the old man again, and the shadows are still behind him. This time Shid focuses on him intensely until he crashes into a streetlight pole. Shid stops and holds his head, and when he raises it, he sees that the old man has disappeared. Then he feels a hand on his shoulder; Shid is startled, and when he turns, he finds it's the old man.
"You're the boy who was at the laundromat."
But Shid doesn't respond; instead, he focuses on the group of shadows behind the old man. The old man notices Shid's gaze.
"Anyway, thank you, boy."
The old man goes his way, and so does Shid. He keeps thinking about it until he reaches his house. He opens the door, but his mother still hasn't returned. He sets the laundry basket aside and goes to his room to sleep.
But a shadow appears, staggering toward him. Shid runs toward the kitchen, and the shadow follows him. Shid grabs a knife and rushes at the shadow, but it is only a shadow—it isn't stabbed; instead, it enters Shid's body.
Shid stops moving, his nose starts bleeding, then he falls. He tries to move but cannot. He tries to get up but fails. His eyes turn white, and he begins vomiting, after which he is able to stand.
Shid feels extremely exhausted, and the air leaves his lungs with difficulty.
At that moment, he hears a knock on the door. He goes to open it, leaning against the wall. He reaches the door and opens it to find the old man standing there, along with a girl about Shid's age.
The old man steps forward toward Shid and strikes him in the middle of his body, causing Shid to lose consciousness. The old man catches him so he doesn't fall and gently places him on the ground, then he and the girl move deeper into the house. She heads toward the kitchen and freezes in shock.
"Master, we're too late. It has become part of the boy."
He goes to Shid, carries him, and orders the girl to
clean the place.
"But Master… it's gone."
Hours later, Shid wakes up in a small room, and in front of him is that girl with silver hair and black edges.
"You're awake, you bastard. The master made me clean your house. Anyway, come with me now."
Shid gets up quietly, still in shock and confused, and follows the girl until they reach a room. The girl opens it, and they both enter. Shid sees six people, each with a tattoo on their face, sitting at a table, and in front of them is the old man, whose eyes are completely black and whose beard is black.
One of them shouts at the old man
"Come on, Zendar, this is an offer you can't miss. At least give us one of your students."
But the old man gestures no with his finger, disappointing them all, and they leave the place.
Shid and the girl enter the room and sit in front of the old man. Shid looks at the old man and points at him.
"Can I leave, old man?"
The girl turns to him angrily, but the old man orders her to calm down, as it was his fault their meeting was inappropriate.
The old man begins to tell him about the girl named Renara, but Shid interrupts him, feeling uneasy as he sees the shadows behind Zendar.
"Believe me, I don't want to know anything. All I want is to leave."
Zendar points to the door and tells Renara to show him the way out. Shid stands up and leaves with Renara, who shows him the exit. But Renara notices a shadow emerging from his head with eight spikes, then the shadow disappears.
Renara steps back and runs toward Zendar. She opens the door to the room where Zendar is.
"Master… I've found the Shadow Knight."