The Shadow Chronicles: Rise of a Legend
Chapter 1: The Awakening of Fate
The world of Eldoria—a vast land of mysteries, legends, and forgotten powers. A place where every person is born with a Shadow, an ethereal entity that grants them unique abilities. But in the 500-year history of Eldoria, there has never been a case where someone was born without a Shadow. Until now...
A boy stood at the edge of a quiet lake, staring at his own reflection. His silver-white hair swayed with the wind, and his crimson eyes carried an emptiness that no one could understand. Ryo Kisaragi—the boy without a Shadow.
"Why am I different?" he thought. His entire life, he had been treated as an anomaly, a mistake of nature. In a world where power was everything, he was nothing. His only support came from his two best friends—Saya and Kaito.
Behind him, Saya stretched her arms.
"Ryo, stop overthinking. Shadow or not, you're still one of us!" she said with a bright smile.
"Yeah, besides," Kaito added, smirking, "you're probably just a late bloomer. Maybe your Shadow will awaken when you least expect it!"
Ryo gave a small smile, but deep inside, he knew the truth. People without Shadows don't exist—that was the rule of this world.
But everything changed that night.
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The Festival of Shadows
The small village of Tenryu was celebrating its annual Festival of Shadows, where young warriors showcased their Shadow abilities. Lanterns glowed in the sky, and the streets were filled with music and laughter.
As Ryo, Saya, and Kaito walked through the festival, an eerie black fog began to rise from the ground. The cheerful atmosphere suddenly turned into chaos as a monstrous entity emerged from the darkness.
It was a Ravager—a corrupted Shadow that had lost its master and turned into a mindless beast. Its crimson eyes locked onto Ryo.
Before he could react, the Ravager lunged at him with terrifying speed.
Everything went black.
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A Voice in the Darkness
Ryo opened his eyes to find himself in a strange, endless void. A deep, unfamiliar voice echoed in his mind.
"So... you are the one who called me?"
A dark mist swirled before him, forming the shape of a small, weak-looking Shadow. Unlike other Shadows, this one had no form—just an unstable, flickering mass of darkness.
"Who are you?" Ryo whispered.
"I am Vex. Your Shadow."
Ryo's heart pounded. This couldn't be happening.
"But… you're so... weak," he muttered.
Vex chuckled. "And you have no Shadow at all. We're both weak… but together, we will change that."
As the voice faded, a surge of energy coursed through Ryo's body. He opened his eyes to see the Ravager still charging toward him. But this time, his body moved on its own.
A dark aura erupted from his hands, forming a shadowy blade. With a single swift motion, he slashed through the Ravager, cutting it in half.
The festival grounds fell silent. Ryo Kisaragi had awakened his Shadow.
But this was just the beginning…
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