Rey didn't move.
The park was silent except for the rustling leaves above him. The faint glow from the streetlights stretched long shadows across the path, but Rey barely noticed any of it.
His eyes were locked on the mark.
It glowed softly now—silver instead of black. The light pulsed gently beneath his skin like a slow heartbeat.
And the voice was still there.
Quiet.
Waiting.
"…Hello?"
Rey swallowed.
"You… can hear me?"
For a moment there was no response.
Then the light flickered again.
"…Yes."
The voice sounded clearer now, though still uncertain. It wasn't deep or threatening like the shadow had been.
It sounded almost… young.
Like someone who had just woken up and didn't understand where they were.
Rey rubbed the back of his neck nervously.
"Okay," he muttered. "This is definitely not normal."
The voice hesitated.
"…Did I do something wrong?"
Rey blinked.
"…What?"
"You sound worried."
Rey stared at the glowing mark.
"No—no, that's not… I just thought you were gone."
"Gone?"
"The shadow," Rey said quietly. "The thing that tried to take over my body."
The mark dimmed slightly.
For a moment Rey felt something strange.
Not anger.
Not fear.
Sadness.
"…I remember something like that," the voice said slowly.
"…Dark… loud… broken pieces…"
Rey frowned.
"You remember the shadow?"
"…Only a little."
The glow pulsed again, weaker this time.
"It was hurting."
Rey's chest tightened slightly.
Hurting?
The shadow had never sounded like it could feel pain.
It had always spoken with cold certainty, like a creature that only cared about control.
But this voice was different.
"Who are you?" Rey asked quietly.
The voice didn't answer right away.
Instead Rey felt something strange move through his thoughts.
Not invading.
Just… searching.
Like someone opening doors in a dark hallway.
Finally the voice spoke again.
"…I don't know."
Rey sighed.
"Well that's reassuring."
The voice sounded embarrassed.
"…I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize," Rey said quickly.
He sat down on the nearby park bench.
"This is just… unexpected."
A gentle pulse of light moved across the mark again.
"…Where are we?"
"A park."
"…What's a park?"
Rey blinked again.
"You don't know what a park is?"
"…No."
Rey leaned back against the bench.
"Okay. That's… concerning."
He thought for a moment.
"Alright. Let's start simple."
The mark flickered slightly.
"…Okay."
"My name is Rey."
There was a small pause.
"…Rey."
The voice repeated the name carefully, like someone testing a new word.
Then it asked softly:
"…Are you my creator?"
Rey nearly fell off the bench.
"WHAT?"
The glow flickered rapidly, like the voice had panicked.
"I—I'm sorry! That was the first explanation I could think of!"
Rey rubbed his face.
"No, I definitely didn't create you."
"…Oh."
Silence filled the park again.
Then the voice asked quietly:
"…Are you my friend?"
Rey paused.
That question felt different.
Not curious.
Hopeful.
Rey stared at the glowing mark on his arm.
A strange thought formed in his mind.
The shadow had tried to consume everything.
It wanted control.
Power.
Dominance.
But this voice…
It didn't feel like that.
It felt small.
Lost.
"…Yeah," Rey said finally.
"I guess I could be your friend."
The glow brightened slightly.
"…Really?"
"Sure."
Rey shrugged.
"You're living in my arm now, apparently. Might as well get along."
The voice sounded relieved.
"…Thank you."
Rey leaned back again.
"So if you don't know who you are," he said, "we'll need to figure that out."
"…Okay."
"And we probably shouldn't tell anyone yet."
"…Why?"
Rey looked up at the sky.
"Because the last time a mysterious entity was inside my body it nearly destroyed a city."
The voice went very quiet.
Then it whispered:
"…I promise I won't do that."
Rey smiled faintly.
"I believe you."
For the first time since the whisper appeared, Rey felt calm again.
Maybe this was another problem.
Maybe it would become dangerous later.
But right now…
It just felt like someone needed help.
Rey stood up from the bench.
"Alright," he said.
"Let's go home."
"…Home?"
"Yeah."
Rey started walking down the quiet path.
"It's where I live."
The glow pulsed again, softer this time.
"…I'd like to see it."
Rey smirked.
"Trust me. It's not that exciting."
But as he walked out of the park, neither Rey nor the small voice noticed something strange.
The silver glow of the mark had grown slightly brighter.
And far beneath the ruined underground facility, deep in the collapsed chamber, a tiny fragment of darkness shifted.
Not alive.
Not yet.
But listening.