I Awakened The Shadow System

Chapter 3. In Training

Liam woke with a violent gasp, the image of the red-eyed figure still burning in his mind.

He wasn’t in the throne hall anymore. He was back in his bed, drenched in sweat. The candle beside him was cold. “Just a dream…” he whispered, though the tremor in his hands said otherwise.

[System calibration complete. Host synchronization: 12%.]

[New Daily Quest available.]

The glowing text appeared mid-air, calm and merciless.

[50 push-ups, 50 squats, 10km run. Reward: +3 Strength, +1 Agility.]

Liam exhaled shakily. “So it wasn’t a dream.”

He looked out the window; dawn was still hours away. His body still ached from the last quest, but the thought of that red-eyed thing watching him kept him from staying still.

He dropped to the floor and began to move. The courtyard was empty, puddles reflecting the moonlight.

Liam’s breaths cut through the silence as he ran, his steps splashing across wet stone. Each time fatigue crept in, the System whispered: [Pain is growth. Shadows bloom through suffering.]

He ran harder. His muscles screamed, his chest burned, but something inside him roared back, a stubborn defiance older than fear.

When he finished, he collapsed beneath the academy gate, eyes to the sky.

[Quest complete. Strength +3. Agility +1.]

A pulse of warmth filled his limbs, the ache fading instantly. He stared at his hands, steady, powerful. He laughed under his breath, half-mad with relief. “Maybe I’m not nothing after all.”

By morning, he slipped into class unnoticed, or so he thought. From the front row, Rhea Solen watched him. 

Her expression was calm, but her eyes… curious. When he met her gaze, she looked away. Headmaster Varian lectured at the front, his voice a slow thunder: “Power without purpose is corruption. Discipline is the difference between a weapon and a warrior.”

Liam barely heard him. His whole body hummed with quiet energy. After class, Kane’s voice sliced through the crowd. “Well, well, the Null actually showed up today. I thought you’d quit.”

Liam brushed past him. “Some of us don’t have time to waste.”

Kane grabbed his shoulder. “Watch your mouth, gutter rat.”

Liam’s shadow twitched under his feet. The System’s voice whispered, [Provocation detected. Initiate Shadow Reflex?]

He clenched his fists. No. He shrugged Kane’s hand off. “You’re not worth the energy.”

The students gasped. Kane’s smile vanished. “Say that again.”

Before he could strike, Varian’s cane slammed against the stone floor. “Enough.”

His eyes, pale and ancient, settled on Liam. “Mr. Cross, stay after class.”

Kane smirked as he walked away. “Looks like you’re already in trouble.”

When the hall emptied, Varian stood by the window, the storm outside painting his face in blue light. “You move differently lately,” he said without turning. “Lighter. Faster. As if something unseen guides you.”

Liam’s throat went dry. “I’m… just training.”

“Training,” Varian repeated. “At two in the morning? Alone?”

He turned, gaze sharp. “Be careful what awakens inside you, Liam Cross. Some gifts come from dark places.”

Liam met his stare. “And if that darkness is the only thing that ever noticed me?”

Varian’s expression flickered, pity? admiration? He couldn’t tell. “Then control it before it controls you,” the headmaster said quietly. “You may go.”

That night, Liam returned to the empty gymnasium. Moonlight pooled on the floor; dust glimmered like stars.

He faced the mirror, hands trembling. “Shadow Step,” he whispered.

Dark smoke curled around his feet. The world blinked, and suddenly, he was across the room. A thrill rushed through him. He tried again. Once, twice, each time faster, sharper.

Until a soft voice behind him said, “You really are hiding something.”

Liam spun, eyes wide. Rhea stood in the doorway, arms crossed, expression unreadable. He stammered, “You, you shouldn’t be here.”

She stepped forward, slow and graceful. “And yet, here I am. The boy who calls shadows like servants.”

“It’s not what you think.”

“Then tell me what it is.”

He hesitated. “If I do… you’ll think I’m insane.”

Her gaze softened. “Try me.”

Liam swallowed hard. “It talks to me. A… System. It gives me quests, power. It’s alive.”

For a moment, silence. Then she whispered, “You shouldn’t even exist.”

“What?”

“My father was one of the researchers who studied the Rift relics,” she said. “He told me once, the first Shadow System destroyed an entire city before it was sealed away.”

Liam’s blood ran cold. “You think that’s what this is?”

She didn’t answer. He turned away, fists trembling. “I didn’t ask for this. I just wanted to stop being nothing.”

Her tone softened. “Then don’t let it turn you into something worse.”

He looked at her, eyes burning. “Easy for you to say. You were born powerful.”

Something flickered in her gaze, pain, maybe guilt. “No one is born without chains, Liam. Some of us just hide them better.”

They trained together in silence after that. Rhea sparred with flame and wind; Liam moved through darkness like a blade. 

Every strike, every dodge sharpened them both. Between breaths, she murmured, “You learn too fast.”

He smirked faintly. “Maybe I finally found a teacher worth keeping up with.”

A pause. Then she smiled, small, reluctant. “Careful. Compliments don’t suit you.”

For a while, the tension eased. Until footsteps echoed from the doorway. Kane. 

He stood there, eyes narrow, golden aura faintly glowing. “Interesting training partners.”

Rhea straightened. “Kane, this isn’t.”

He raised a hand. “Save it. I know what I saw. The Null just vanished into thin air.”

Liam stepped forward. “Leave her out of this.”

Kane smirked. “Or what? You’ll disappear again?”

The System flared inside Liam’s mind: [Threat level: High. Skill suggestion, Shadow Step Lv.2 available.]

Liam clenched his jaw. “Not here. Not now.”

Kane’s voice dropped low. “I don’t know what trick you’re using, but I’ll find out. And when I do.” He leaned close, whispering, “, you’ll wish you stayed powerless.”

Then he walked away, leaving the air heavy with unspoken war. Rhea exhaled. “He’s going to report you.”

Liam stared at the door. “Let him.”

“Liam.”

He turned to her, eyes hard. “If he wants a fight, he’ll get one.”

She studied him silently. “You’re changing.”

“Maybe that’s the point.”

She reached out as if to touch his arm, but he stepped back. The shadows rippled around him. “Liam.”

He vanished. It was midnight at Headmaster’s Tower. Varian stood before the great window, watching the storm outside. 

Lightning flashed, illuminating shelves of ancient scrolls. He murmured to himself, “The pattern repeats. The seal weakens.”

Behind him, Kane knelt. “Sir, I saw him. Liam Cross. He’s using dark magic.”

Varian’s gaze didn’t waver. “You’re certain?”

“Yes. Shadows obey him. He’s hiding something.”

The old man sighed softly. “Then the Shadow System has chosen again.”

Kane blinked. “System?”

Varian turned, eyes glacial. “Leave this to me, Kane Drayden. You play with light; you do not understand the dark.”

Kane’s jaw tightened. “If he’s dangerous, I’ll stop him myself.”

Varian’s cane struck the floor. “Do not touch him.”

For a heartbeat, the lightning froze mid-flash, shadows bending toward the old man’s voice.

Kane felt his breath hitch. He bowed stiffly and left, anger burning in his chest.

…

Back in the Gym, Liam stood alone again, breathing heavily. The System’s glow surrounded him like a living pulse.

[User progress satisfactory. Next tier available.]

[Warning: External eyes upon you. Continue to grow stronger.]

He whispered, “You mean Kane?”

[No. Older eyes. Watching from above.]

The lights flickered. A whisper slithered through the air, the same voice from his dream. “Grow stronger, child of shadow. When the seal breaks… you’ll remember who you are.”

Liam froze. “Who are you?!”

The pendant on his chest burned with heat. He tore it off, hurling it to the floor, but it floated mid-air, spinning, glowing.

Shadows burst from it, coiling like smoke, wrapping around his wrists. The world tilted; the gym dissolved into darkness.

He was standing once again before that throne of black stone. The red-eyed figure leaned forward, smiling faintly. “You called me again.”