He didn't move after the shadows disappeared.
For a few seconds, the space stayed completely still, like nothing had happened—but it didn't feel empty. The air still carried something heavy, something that hadn't settled.
I pushed myself up slowly, brushing the dust off my hands.
"You let that happen," I said.
"Yes."
"You knew I wouldn't be able to handle them."
"Yes."
I exhaled sharply, trying to steady my breathing. "And if I didn't make it?"
A brief pause.
"Then it ends."
The answer came without hesitation.
I looked at him for a second, trying to read something from his expression.
There was nothing to read.
"That's a terrible way to train someone."
"It's the only way that works."
I didn't argue again.
Not because I agreed—but because I was starting to understand what he meant.
I glanced at the space where the shadows had been.
"What were they?"
"Remnants."
"Of what?"
"Something that shouldn't exist anymore."
"That doesn't explain anything."
"It explains enough."
I frowned slightly. "They were coming after me."
"Yes."
"Why?"
This time, he didn't answer immediately.
"Because you can see them," he said.
"That's not enough of a reason."
"It is for them."
I watched him for a second. "You're leaving things out."
"Yes."
"At least you admit it."
Silence stretched between us again, but it didn't feel empty. It felt controlled—like he was deciding how much I was allowed to know.
"They said your name," I said.
"I know."
"They were afraid."
"Yes."
I studied him more carefully now. "Why?"
"Because they recognize what I am."
"And what is that?"
His gaze didn't shift.
"Not something they can survive."
The way he said it wasn't threatening.
It was simple.
And somehow, that made it worse.
I crossed my arms slightly. "You keep answering like that."
"Because that's all you need right now."
"That's not true."
"It is."
"How?"
For a moment, he didn't respond.
Then—
"Knowing too much too early doesn't help you survive."
I frowned. "That doesn't make sense."
"It will."
"That's what you always say."
"And you're still here."
That wasn't an answer.
But it wasn't wrong either.
I looked away for a second, exhaling quietly.
"You haven't even told me who you are," I said.
This time—
he paused.
For a moment, it almost felt like he wouldn't answer.
Then he looked at me properly.
"Lucien Vale."
The name landed differently this time.
Not just something spoken—
something that carried weight.
"And that's supposed to mean something?" I asked.
"It doesn't," he said.
But something about the way he said it—
said the opposite.
I held his gaze for a second longer, but he had already turned slightly, as if the conversation was over.
"Come," he said.
"Where?"
"You need to see something."
We walked past the training ground, moving further than before. The space around us changed gradually. The ground became smoother, marked with faint lines that didn't look natural.
When we stopped, I noticed the pattern.
Not random.
Placed.
"What is this?" I asked.
"A weak point."
"In what?"
He didn't answer directly.
"That's all you need to know."
I frowned. "That's not an answer."
"It's enough."
I stepped closer, studying the markings. They formed a structure, something controlled, something deliberate.
"They came from here," I said.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because they can."
"That's not a reason."
"It is."
I exhaled quietly, annoyed. "You're impossible to talk to."
"That's not relevant."
I looked back at the markings.
Something about this place didn't feel right. Not dangerous—but unstable. Like it wasn't supposed to stay the way it was.
"What happens if this… whatever it is—breaks?" I asked.
A brief pause.
"Then it doesn't stay contained."
"Contained where?"
He didn't answer.
I looked at him again. "You're doing it again."
"Yes."
"Why?"
This time—
his answer came slower.
"Because if you understand what this really is…" he said, "they won't come like this anymore."
I frowned. "What does that mean?"
"It means," he said, "you won't be able to handle what follows."
Silence.
That wasn't vague.
That was a warning.
I looked back at the markings, my thoughts shifting.
This wasn't just random.
This wasn't just those shadows.
There was something bigger here.
Something he wasn't saying.
And for the first time—
it didn't just frustrate me.
It made me think.
I turned slightly, ready to leave, but stopped after a step.
"One more thing," I said.
He didn't respond, but he didn't walk away either.
"If they were afraid of you…" I said slowly, "then why are they still coming?"
A brief pause.
"They're not the problem."
I frowned. "Then what is?"
For a second—
he looked at me like he was deciding something.
Then—
"You'll find out when it reaches you."
He turned and walked away.
I stood there for a moment longer, staring at the faint markings on the ground.
The shadows weren't the real problem.
That much was clear now.
And if they were just the beginning—
then whatever was coming next…
was something even he wasn't taking lightly.