The Hidden Truth
The silence that followed the battle was anything but reassuring…
It felt like waiting for something worse.
Ryan lay on the ground, his body still, but his chest rose and fell with difficulty.
The light that had surrounded him had almost disappeared, but its remnants still glowed in his veins, as if trying to settle… or take control.
Liora sat beside him, her hand trembling slightly as she placed it on his chest.
"Ryan… can you hear me?"
There was no response.
She looked at Salim, anger and worry evident in her eyes:
"What did you do to him?!"
Salim didn't answer directly.
He was looking at Ryan silently… as if he had seen something she couldn't.
"I didn't do anything…" he said finally.
"Yes, you did!" she shouted.
"Since you appeared, everything has started to fall apart!"
The atmosphere became tense.
But Salim didn't get angry.
He spoke softly, overcome with emotion:
"If I hadn't appeared... he would have died the moment the sword touched him."
Leora was silent.
Then she said in a low voice:
"Then tell me the truth... the whole truth."
Silence.
After a long while... then Salim spoke:
"Ryan isn't just an ordinary person..."
"That's obvious," she interrupted.
"No... you don't understand."
He moved closer, his voice deeper:
"Ryan... is a consequence."
"A consequence of what?!"
"A consequence of what happened on the island."
Leora frowned:
"Speak clearly!"
Salim breathed slowly... even though he wasn't alive.
"When the island was destroyed... it didn't disappear."
"It split."
"Part of it became a shadow..."
"And the other part..."
He looked at Ryan.
"It became light."
Silence.
Leora didn't move.
"You say... that this young man..."
"Is... he the light itself?"
Salim shook his head slowly.
"Not exactly... but the closest thing to it."
Liora felt a shiver.
And that meant...
"The shadow... will haunt him."
"Always."
At that moment—
Ryan woke up.
His hand rose slightly... then grasped the sand.
He opened his eyes slowly.
Goal—
They weren't normal.
One was blue, glowing with light.
The other... was dark, with a faint shadow.
Liora took a step back:
"What was that...?"
Ryan sat up slowly, breathing deeply.
"I saw... something..."
His voice was unsteady.
"I saw the island... but it wasn't like you described it."
Salim moved closer:
"What did you see?"
Ryan looked directly at him.
"I saw you."
Silence.
"I was there... but..."
"But what?"
Ryan stood with difficulty, his face serious.
"You weren't fighting the shadow..."
"You were... part of it."
Liora gasped:
"What?!"
Salim didn't move.
Ryan continued:
"I saw you... inside that thing..."
"You were screaming... but you weren't trying to escape..."
"You were trying to... control."
The silence grew heavier.
Liora looked at Salim:
"That... is true?"
Salim closed his eyes.
Then he said:
"Yes."
A stunned silence filled the room.
"What?!" Liora cried.
Salim opened his eyes... but this time, they were anything but calm.
"When I got to the heart of the island..."
"I wasn't any different from them."
"I wanted immortality."
Ryan clenched his fist.
"So you..."
"Yes."
"You opened the way for the Shadow."
Silence.
The air grew heavy.
Liora took another step back.
"You're the reason for all this?!"
Salim didn't deny it.
"I thought I could control him..."
"A goal..."
"He controlled me."
Ryan glared at him.
And now... I pay the price?!
Salim took another step closer.
"No."
"You... are my chance to fix what you've done."
"I'm not your chance!" Ryan shouted.
"I don't want to be a part of this!"
But suddenly—
He stopped.
His hand began to tremble.
The blackness in his eyes deepened.
A voice... came from inside him.
But it wasn't his own.
"You won't run away..."
Ryan froze.
Liora gasped.
"What is this?!"
"The shadow inside him is waking up!" Salim said quickly.
Ryan put a hand to his head, wincing.
"Get out... of my head!"
The voice laughed...
"You... are us."
The ground shook.
The air grew heavier.
And from among the trees...
The shadows began to gather.
But this time—
They weren't the same as before.
They were bigger...
Slower...
And more dangerous.
"This... isn't from the Black Squad..." Liora whispered.
"No..." Salim said in a low voice.
"This... is something older."
Ryan raised his head... and his eyes darted around.
"What... does he want?!"
Salim looked at the approaching shadows...
Then he said:
"He didn't come just for you..."
"He came... to take you."
And suddenly—
Out of the darkness emerged…
A creature.
Huge.
Her body was completely shrouded in shadows, but inside… a faint light stirred, as if trapped.
Her eyes weren't empty.
They were filled… with awareness.
He looked at Ryan…
Then, in a deep voice, he said,
"Finally… I've found you."
Silence fell.
Leora slowly raised her bow…
And Salim whispered,
"Prepare yourselves…"
"This… is no ordinary foe."