Rain fell steadily across the silent street.
Cars passed.
People hurried beneath umbrellas.
The city moved as if nothing had happened.
As if three masked hunters had not just tried to kill him in the middle of the road.
Arjun stood under a flickering streetlight, staring at the place where the last hunter had vanished.
The shadows around his feet twisted restlessly.
Not violently.
Almost eagerly.
As if they had enjoyed the fight.
Arjun looked down at them.
"…You like this."
The darkness curled around his boots like smoke.
For a second, it almost felt like the shadows were answering him.
That thought should have bothered him.
Instead—
it felt natural.
And that disturbed him more.
The system appeared in front of him.
DING
[New Objective Updated]
Survive the HuntorBecome the Hunter
Reward: Unknown
Arjun stared at the words.
Then slowly smiled.
"For once…"
He looked up into the rain.
"…that actually sounds simple."
Because he already knew the answer.
He was tired of running.
Tired of reacting.
Tired of waiting for stronger enemies to appear and decide his future.
If the hidden world wanted to hunt him—
then he would hunt it first.
A Name in the Dark
Arjun returned to his apartment just before dawn.
The building was old.
Cheap.
Forgettable.
Exactly the kind of place no one ever noticed.
That used to bother him.
Now he preferred it.
The hallway lights buzzed overhead as he unlocked his door.
Inside, everything was exactly the same.
A small table.
A couch.
Books stacked in one corner.
A cracked mirror near the kitchen.
The normal life he once cared about.
But when Arjun stepped inside—
he instantly knew he wasn't alone.
The shadows in the room moved before he did.
His blade formed in his hand.
"Show yourself."
A voice came from the darkness near the window.
"You're improving."
Arjun's eyes narrowed.
Kael stepped into the weak light.
Hands empty.
Expression calm.
Arjun did not lower the blade.
"You really need to stop appearing in my house."
Kael glanced around the apartment.
"You need better locks."
Arjun almost laughed.
Instead he asked,
"How did you find me?"
Kael looked at his hand.
"I didn't."
He pointed at the mark.
"That did."
Arjun's expression darkened.
"So I can be tracked."
Kael nodded once.
"By anyone strong enough."
That answer made the room colder.
Arjun lowered the blade slightly.
"Then tell me how to stop it."
Kael remained silent for a moment.
Then said,
"You can't."
Arjun's jaw tightened.
"Helpful."
Kael ignored the tone.
"You can only do one thing."
Arjun folded his arms.
"What?"
Kael's golden eyes met his.
"Become dangerous enough that people regret finding you."
Silence.
Arjun stared at him.
Then smirked.
"Finally."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"You agree too quickly."
Arjun walked past him.
"No."
He glanced back.
"I just hate your timing less than your advice."
Kael actually smiled.
A little.
Then his expression became serious again.
"The hunters who attacked you belong to a faction called the Ash Covenant."
Arjun sat on the edge of the table.
"They didn't seem that special."
Kael gave him a flat look.
"You nearly died twice."
Arjun shrugged.
"But I didn't."
Kael sighed.
"That confidence will either save your life…"
He paused.
"…or shorten it."
Arjun leaned back.
"What do they want?"
Kael answered quietly.
"The mark."
Arjun looked down at his palm.
"They can remove it?"
Kael's face darkened.
"No."
"They can kill you and wait for it to choose someone else."
That made more sense.
And somehow—
that was worse.
Kael continued.
"The problem is no one has seen the Shadow King's mark in centuries."
He looked directly at Arjun.
"Now every faction will move."
Arjun frowned.
"You keep saying factions."
Kael nodded.
"There are five major powers in the hidden world."
He counted on his fingers.
"The hunters."
"The royals."
"The blood cults."
"The gate keepers."
Then he paused.
"And the shadows."
Arjun narrowed his eyes.
"The shadows?"
Kael looked at him.
"That one…"
He pointed at Arjun's hand.
"…is supposed to be extinct."
The Mirror
Kael left an hour later.
But his words remained.
Arjun stood alone in front of the cracked mirror near the kitchen.
He stared at his reflection.
Same face.
Same eyes.
Same scars.
Yet everything felt different.
Because when he looked carefully—
his reflection blinked half a second later than he did.
Arjun froze.
Then slowly leaned closer.
"No…"
The reflection smiled.
Arjun stepped back instantly.
The room became silent.
His heart pounded once.
Then the reflection returned to normal.
Just him.
Just glass.
But Arjun knew what he saw.
And deep down—
he knew he was not imagining it.
The shadow inside him was changing.
Or maybe—
waking up.
His phone vibrated suddenly.
The sound broke the silence.
He picked it up.
Another message.
This time from Nisha.
Nisha:Please answer. Something is wrong.
Arjun stared at the words.
Then another message came.
Nisha:Rohan disappeared.
Arjun's expression changed.
He read it again.
Then a third message appeared.
Nisha:I think someone took him.
Arjun looked at the screen for a long moment.
The old him would have ignored it.
Or maybe laughed.
Rohan had earned whatever happened to him.
But something about the message felt wrong.
Because Arjun already knew—
normal people did not simply disappear after he awakened.
Not anymore.
He looked down at his hand.
The mark pulsed once.
And the system appeared.
DING
[New Side Quest Triggered]
The Missing Betrayer
Objective:
Find Rohan before midnight
Reward:
Unknown
Penalty:
Consequences may spread
Arjun stared at the screen.
Then laughed quietly.
"You really have a sense of humor."
Because out of all the people in the city—
the hidden world had chosen him.
Or maybe—
it had chosen Rohan because of him.
That thought made his expression darken.
Because if Rohan had been taken because of the mark—
then Arjun had brought the darkness into their lives.
Even after everything.
Even after betrayal.
That annoyed him.
And Arjun hated being used.
He grabbed his coat.
The shadows around him rose.
"Fine."
He headed for the door.
"I'll find him."
Not because he cared.
Not because he forgave.
But because if someone wanted to send him a message—
they had chosen the wrong person.
The First Choice
The rain had stopped by the time Arjun reached the old industrial district.
Empty warehouses lined the road.
Rust covered broken metal fences.
The entire place smelled like oil and wet concrete.
No people.
No traffic.
No sound.
Only darkness.
Arjun stopped in front of a half-collapsed warehouse.
The mark on his hand burned.
"This is it."
He could feel it.
A heavy presence inside.
More than one.
Watching him.
Waiting.
A slow clap echoed from inside.
Arjun stepped forward.
The warehouse lights flickered on.
And there—
in the center of the empty building—
Rohan hung suspended by black chains.
Unconscious.
Blood on his face.
Barely breathing.
Arjun's eyes narrowed.
Then a familiar voice spoke from the shadows.
"Well…"
The last surviving masked hunter stepped into the light.
Silver mask.
Gray coat.
And behind him—
three more.
"You came."
Arjun looked at Rohan.
Then at the hunters.
His shadow blade formed instantly.
"You wanted my attention."
The hunter smiled beneath the mask.
"No."
He tilted his head.
"We wanted to see…"
The shadows in the warehouse began rising around them.
"…what kind of king chooses to save the man who betrayed him."
Arjun stood in silence.
The darkness around his feet spread slowly.
Cold.
Alive.
Hungry.
Then Arjun smiled.
A dangerous smile.
And finally answered.
"You're about to find out."
🔥 [End of Chapter 13]