Shadows Among Us

Meanwhile, in the shrine ruins…

The corridor sloped downward, narrow and uneven, the broken tile path scattered with loose stones and old roots pushing through the cracks. The shrine ruins had long since been reclaimed by time—moss-covered carvings lined the fractured walls, and shattered statues lay forgotten in alcoves, their faces eroded by years of silence.

Ren led the way, his eyes scanning every corner, every dark opening. Marie followed close, map still clutched in her hand, and Lisa walked at the rear, alert, dagger in hand.

Then they saw her.

A figure slumped against the base of a ruined altar, half-covered by fallen debris—black hair, a familiar sword still clutched loosely in her fingers.

“Rachel!” Ren called out, rushing ahead.

Marie knelt beside her and carefully cleared the debris. Rachel’s face was pale, dust-covered, her breathing shallow but steady.

“She’s alive,” Marie confirmed. “Looks like she hit her head.”

Ren lowered himself beside her, gently tapping her cheek. “Rachel? Come on, wake up.”

She stirred slowly, eyes fluttering open. Confusion flickered across her expression before recognition returned.

“…Ren?”

“Yeah. You’re safe. We’re here.”

Rachel sat up with a wince, rubbing the side of her head. “What happened…? I remember falling…”

“You’re lucky you landed somewhere like this,” Marie said. “Could’ve been worse.”

Lisa stood a few paces away, arms crossed. “We’re still deep in this ruin, and we don’t know what’s ahead.”

Rachel took a breath and nodded. “Then we keep moving. We’re not done yet.”

As the group reorganized and pressed on deeper into the ruins, Rachel walked with them—her steps steady, her expression calm. But where the torchlight touched the others, it cast long, wavering shadows. For her, there was nothing.

---

Meanwhile, in the iron prison…

The heavy silence of the prison hung like a weight in the air.

The iron-barred walls around them were cracked with rust and age, chains dangling from ceilings, some still locked, some broken. Every step echoed too loud, bouncing through the empty cells. Dust floated lazily in the glow of Ignis’s flames, flickering softly at the edges of the torch.

Kazuma led, fists clenched at his sides.

“No signs of life,” Magnus muttered, glancing into each cell as they passed. “Not even bones.”

“Too clean,” Ignis added. “Like something wanted it this way.”

They reached a collapsed corridor when they heard it—footsteps from the side passage.

Kazuma raised his fists, Magnus stepped forward, and Ignis lifted his flame.

Then, a figure turned the corner.

“…Ren?”

The torchlight revealed the unmistakable black-haired boy, looking slightly dazed but otherwise unharmed. He blinked at the group, as if surprised to see them.

“About time I found someone,” he said. “This place is a maze.”

Kazuma relaxed, lowering his guard. “Damn, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”

Magnus nodded. “Good. You’re with us now.”

Ren joined the group without question, falling into step beside them as they pushed forward through the prison halls. He didn’t say much—just walked quietly, eyes forward.

None of them noticed that when the torchlight fell across the others, it left Ren untouched—no shadow followed his steps.

---

Meanwhile, by the underground spring…

The cave widened ahead, leading into a hollow space glowing faintly blue.

A vast underground spring stretched before them, crystal-clear water reflecting the low, natural light of bioluminescent moss hanging from the ceiling like delicate vines. Stalactites dripped gently into the pool, creating ripples that shimmered across the surface. It was quiet, peaceful—too peaceful.

Rachel, Melissa, Alex, and Sakura stepped cautiously into the space, eyes darting in every direction.

Then they saw it—light, orange and warm, flickering off the far wall. Fire.

Rachel tensed. “Someone’s coming.”

Alex instinctively stepped in front of the mages, drawing his staff. Melissa held her breath, and Sakura tightened her grip on her small blade.

Flames approached slowly from the tunnel beyond. Shadows danced wildly behind the glow.

Then the figure stepped into view.

“…It’s just me,” Ignis said.

He held a palmful of fire, his eyes squinting as he took in their defensive stances. “Good to see you all in one piece.”

Alex exhaled sharply. “You scared the crap out of us.”

“Not my fault you forgot I light up like a beacon,” Ignis smirked.

Rachel stepped forward. “Are the others with you?”

He shook his head. “I got separated… but I’ve been trying to find anyone. Looks like I found you first.”

Sakura relaxed a bit, though her eyes still scanned the walls. “Then let’s stick together until we find the rest.”

As they turned to continue deeper through the spring cavern, none of them noticed that Ignis’s reflection in the water was missing entirely.

---

Meanwhile Ren's group kept walking. The corridor sloped deeper and deeper until even the faintest daylight from above had vanished. The air turned stale, thick with the scent of stone dust and moss. Marie checked her map every few steps, but the ink offered no guidance—the corridors ahead weren’t marked at all.

“This is all new,” she said at last, rolling the parchment back up. “No paths, no side halls… nothing.”

Ren took the lead again, scanning each bend in the narrow passage. Behind him, Lisa trailed a step farther back than usual, eyes not on the walls but on the girl walking between them.

Rachel.

It was subtle at first. Her stride was steady, but her posture felt… wrong. Rachel normally moved with a kind of quiet readiness, her hand always close to her weapon, her gaze flicking to corners before anyone else. Now her eyes stayed fixed forward, unblinking, and her arms swung a little too loosely at her sides, fingers brushing the stone in a slow, absent motion.

They walked for minutes without change—no doors, no carvings, no branches in the path. The torchlight painted their shadows in long, twitching streaks across the floor. Everyone’s except Rachel’s. For her, the stone behind stayed strangely empty.

Lisa’s brow furrowed. She glanced at Ren and Marie, but neither seemed to notice.

At one point, Rachel stopped. No warning, no word—she just halted mid-step, head tilted slightly, like she was listening to something far away.

“You alright?” Marie asked, turning.

Rachel blinked, then smiled faintly. “Fine.” She fell back into step, pace matching theirs exactly.

Lisa slowed, watching the way Rachel’s lips moved—small, soundless shapes. Whispering to someone who wasn’t there.

The corridor widened briefly, only to choke down again. Roots twisted along the ceiling, dripping cold water in slow, rhythmic drops. Somewhere in the distance, a low groan of shifting stone rolled through the ruin.

Ren pressed forward, torch held high. “We’ll keep going until we find a chamber or fork. Anything’s better than this straight shot.”

Rachel’s head twitched at the sound of the groan, the faint smile returning for a moment before fading.

Lisa’s hand went to her dagger. She didn’t draw it—yet.

They reached a point where the floor dipped, half-submerged in stagnant water. Ren crossed first, boots splashing. Marie followed carefully, muttering about damp leather. Rachel stepped in without hesitation, but she didn’t break the surface like the others—her legs simply slid through, leaving only faint ripples.

Lisa’s eyes narrowed.

When they reached the other side, Ren paused at the sight ahead—a wall of smooth stone, featureless, blocking the passage completely. No doors, no cracks.

“Dead end,” he muttered.

Marie pressed her hands to the wall, feeling for seams. “Could be hidden. Could be…” She trailed off, glancing at Rachel. “What do you think?”

Rachel tilted her head again, the same small smile ghosting her lips. “We go forward.”

Ren gave a short laugh. “Can’t exactly go forward into solid rock.”

But Rachel stepped closer to the wall, pressed her palm flat against it, and whispered something too soft to catch.

Lisa moved.

It was fast—steel ringing in the tight corridor, the torchlight flashing along the blade as she drove it forward.

Rachel didn’t flinch until the dagger’s tip broke through her chest. The sound was wrong—no tearing of flesh, just a sharp crack like ice breaking. Her smile didn’t falter, even as her form began to ripple around the wound, edges smearing like wet paint.

Ren spun, shock on his face. “Lisa, what the hell—?”

The thing wearing Rachel’s shape met his gaze, eyes now black as the spaces between the stones.

Lisa yanked her blade free. “That’s not her.”

The smile widened. “Clever.”

And then the figure melted—collapsing inward into a pool of shifting shadow that soaked into the floor, vanishing between the cracks.

Silence swallowed the corridor. The torchlight wavered in Ren’s grip.

Marie’s voice was barely a whisper. “Then where’s the real Rachel?”

No one answered.

To be continued...