Eldrin's tears did not cease with the setting of the sun. As daylight gradually surrendered to evening's embrace, the young heir remained locked in the prison of his trauma, reliving fragments of that terrible night whenever his exhausted mind drifted toward sleep. Each time his eyelids grew heavy, the vivid images would return blood pooling across ornate carpets, his mother's golden hair stained crimson, his father's strong form crumpled in unnatural stillness.
The bedchamber, once bright with afternoon light, now lay in the gentle glow of oil lamps strategically placed to keep the deepest shadows at bay. Outside the tall windows, stars began to appear in the darkening sky, indifferent witnesses to the suffering taking place within the ducal mansion's walls.
Throughout the long hours, Sera had not once left Eldrin's side. Her arms, though aching from maintaining the same position for so long, remained wrapped protectively around the boy's thin shoulders. Her voice, growing hoarse from continuous soft reassurances, never faltered in its gentle cadence of comfort.
"Your dedication is remarkable child," the priest of Vaelis observed quietly as he prepared to take his leave. He had spent hours channeling soothing divine energies toward the traumatized child, the soft blue-gold glow of healing magic emanating from his palms at regular intervals. Though the spells had helped calm Eldrin's most extreme outbursts, they could not reach the deeper wounds festering within his psyche. "Few among the Temple's most devoted servants could match your endurance, good woman."
Sera acknowledged the compliment with a tired nod but offered no verbal response. Her focus remained entirely on Eldrin, whose sobbing had finally diminished to occasional hitching breaths. The boy's eyes were swollen and red-rimmed, his face blotchy from hours of weeping. His small hands clutched at Sera's apron with less desperate strength now, but still he refused to release his hold completely.
"I must return to the Temple for now it's time for evening prayers," the priest continued, gathering his ceremonial artifacts into a modest leather satchel. "Rest your mind at ease the goddess will hear special intercessions for young Lord Valtross tonight." He hesitated, then added with genuine compassion, "His condition has improved somewhat. Small victories must be cherished in healing journeys such as this do not waver."
"Thank you, Your Holiness," Sera replied, her voice barely above a whisper to avoid disturbing Eldrin's fragile calm. "Will you return tomorrow?"
"As soon as the first light," the priest promised, making the sacred circle over his chest. With a final concerned glance at the boy, he departed, his white and gold robes sweeping softly against the marble floor as he exited.
Sir Dorian and Magister Thorne had left hours earlier, reluctantly pulled away by the mounting chaos requiring their attention. The assassination of Duke Rowan Valtross and his family had sent shockwaves throughout the duchy and beyond. Messengers arrived hourly with inquiries from allied houses, trading partners, and eventually, the royal court itself. Each required immediate response, and the practical management of the crisis fell squarely on the shoulders of the Knight Commander and the ducal secretary.
Lord Valerian, as the most senior vassal and distant blood relative to the main Valtross line, had temporarily assumed management of the duchy's day-to-day affairs a pragmatic solution that even the most ambitious vassals found difficult to challenge openly. His age and experience, combined with the universal respect he commanded, made him the natural steward until more permanent arrangements could be made.
As full darkness descended outside, Sera finally felt Eldrin's grip loosen enough that she could gently disentangle herself from his embrace. Moving with careful slowness, she eased him back against the pillows, relieved to see that his eyes, though vacant and haunted, tracked her movements with growing awareness.
"There now, young master," she murmured, arranging the blankets around him. "You should try to rest. Would you like me to bring you something to eat? Just a little broth, perhaps?"
For a moment, it seemed Eldrin might respond verbally his lips parted slightly, a flash of his former self visible in his amber eyes. But instead of words, only a small whimper emerged. When Sera made a tentative move toward the door, intending to fetch food from the kitchens, Eldrin's reaction was immediate and distressing. He scrambled across the bed toward her, fresh tears spilling down his cheeks, a plaintive cry escaping his throat.
"Shh, shh, I'm not leaving you don't worry," Sera quickly reassured him, returning to his side. "I'm here, my little lord. I won't go anywhere I promise."
Eldrin settled somewhat as she resumed her seat in the chair beside his bed, though he remained curled up with his knees drawn to his chest, making himself as small as possible. The defensive posture broke Sera's heart; the once vivacious, curious child now reduced to this frightened creature.
"Do you remember the story about the Silver Knight of Moonvale?" Sera began, reaching for one of Eldrin's favorite childhood tales. "The one who faced the shadow beasts with nothing but courage and a magical shield?"
She continued the familiar story, hoping to provide some distraction from the horrors playing in his mind. Eldrin neither responded nor showed interest, but he remained attentive to her voice, his eyes occasionally drifting to her face before returning to some middle distance only he could perceive.
As the mansion settled into night's stillness, with only the occasional footstep of a guard patrolling the corridors breaking the silence, something unexpected began to happen. Eldrin suddenly gasped, his right hand jerking upward as if pulled by invisible strings.
"Young master?" Sera asked, alarmed by the sudden movement. "What's wrong?"
Eldrin didn't answer. Instead, he stared at his right palm with growing horror. Where the skin had appeared normal throughout the day, now strange patterns began to emerge—dark lines pulsing beneath the surface like living ink tracing arcane symbols. His fingers trembled violently, and his face contorted in a grimace of pain.
"It burns," he whispered, the first words he had spoken since awakening. "My hand it's burning! Sera help me!"
Before Sera could react, Eldrin let out another agonized cry, clutching his right wrist with his left hand as if trying to separate it from his body. The veins in his neck stood out prominently as he threw his head back in silent suffering, tears streaming anew down his face.
"I'll get the healer!" Sera exclaimed, rising from her chair in panic, but Eldrin's next words froze her in place.
"No!" he gasped, his eyes suddenly wide and focused not on her, but on something in the empty space before him. "There's... something there. Something only I can see."
Indeed, hovering directly in front of Eldrin's vision was something invisible to everyone else in the world: a translucent screen of softly glowing text. The pain in his hand subsided abruptly, replaced by a curious tingling sensation that spread up his arm. A gentle chiming sound—like distant crystal bells—rang in his ears, bringing with it an unexpected moment of mental clarity that cut through the fog of trauma and grief.
The ethereal display pulsed once, then steadied into readable text:
WELCOME NEW USER SHADOW SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE
Eldrin's shout of surprise and his sudden stillness did not go unnoticed by Sera, who moved closer, her weathered hands reaching for his shoulders.
"Young master? What is it? What do you see?" Her voice was tight with concern, but Eldrin barely registered her questions.
His attention remained fixed on the impossible floating text before his eyes. The display expanded, revealing more information:
USER: ELDRIN VALTROSS
AGE: 12
GENDER: MALE
RACE: HUMAN
Below this basic identification, another set of information appeared:
PHYSICAL STRENGTH: 8/100
AGILITY: 12/100
ENDURANCE: 7/100
INTELLIGENCE: 23/100
MENTAL FORTITUDE: -25/100 [CRITICAL]
MAGICAL AFFINITY: UNKNOWN [LOCKED]
SPECIAL ABILITY: SHADOW MANIPULATION [LOCKED]
Before Eldrin could process what he was seeing, another window materialized, overlapping the first. The text on this one pulsed with greater urgency:
CONGRATULATIONS You have been selected as the new host for the Shadow System. Your predecessor failed to fulfill the System's requirements. You have been chosen as a suitable replacement.
Eldrin blinked rapidly, wondering if this was some new form of trauma-induced hallucination. He reached out tentatively to touch the floating text, but his fingers passed through it without resistance. Yet the display reacted to his movement, shifting slightly to remain centered in his field of vision.
A new prompt appeared, the text glowing an ominous red:
ACCEPT SYSTEM INTEGRATION?
[YES] [NO]
Instinctively, Eldrin attempted to select "NO," his mind recoiling from this strange intrusion on his already shattered reality. The moment his intention formed, excruciating pain shot through his right hand again—a burning, electric sensation that made him cry out. The dark lines beneath his skin flared visibly, momentarily bright enough that even Sera gasped at the strange patterns briefly illuminating the boy's palm.
"What's happening?" Sera cried, her hands hovering helplessly over Eldrin's trembling form. "Should I call for the priest?"
But Eldrin couldn't respond to her. The pain intensified as he continued to resist, becoming so unbearable that spots danced in his vision. The message before him changed, the text now pulsing like an angry heartbeat:
REJECTION NOT PERMITTED SYSTEM INTEGRATION IS MANDATORY CONTINUED RESISTANCE WILL RESULT IN INCREASED PAIN
With no choice left to him, Eldrin mentally selected "YES," his survival instinct overriding his fear of the unknown. Immediately, the pain ceased, leaving behind only a residual tingling sensation. The display changed once more:
INTEGRATION ACCEPTED INITIALIZING FIRST QUEST...
A new window appeared, formatted differently from the previous ones:
QUEST #1: "RECOVERY OF SELF" OBJECTIVE:
Achieve restful sleep and begin recovery of mental fortitude
CURRENT MENTAL FORTITUDE: -25% [CRITICAL]
TARGET MENTAL FORTITUDE: 0% [MINIMAL FUNCTIONING]
REWARD: Basic System Access, Pain Relief, Dreamless Sleep
FAILURE CONSEQUENCE: Continued Mental Deterioration, System Punishment TIME LIMIT: 8 Hours
ACCEPT QUEST? [YES]
Unlike before, no "NO" option was presented. With resignation rather than enthusiasm, Eldrin selected "YES," having learned the painful consequence of resistance.
The display immediately minimized, retreating to a small, unobtrusive icon in the corner of his vision—a stylized shadow that pulsed gently, reminding him of its presence without dominating his sight.
As the strange system receded from his immediate awareness, Eldrin became conscious again of Sera's concerned face hovering inches from his own. Her hands gripped his shoulders, her eyes searching his for any sign of recognition.
"Eldrin? Please speak to me, child," she pleaded, using his given name rather than his title—something she did only in moments of greatest intimacy or distress.
"I'm... I'm tired, Sera," he managed to whisper, the system's quest objective suddenly aligning perfectly with his body's needs. An overwhelming wave of exhaustion washed over him, different from the feverish restlessness of earlier. This was a healing tiredness, his body and mind finally ready to surrender to necessary sleep.
"Of course you are, my poor boy," Sera soothed, helping him lie back against the pillows. "Rest now. I'll be right here when you wake."
As Eldrin's eyes grew heavy, the small shadow icon in the corner of his vision pulsed once more, a gentle reminder of the strange covenant he had just entered. Whatever this "Shadow System" was, it had become part of him now—for better or worse.
His last conscious thought before drifting into the first peaceful sleep since the massacre was a question: What had the assassin done to him? And why?