A Game of Shadows

Unlec stared at the cracked mirror, his eyes scanning the reflection of a man who barely recognized himself anymore. The dark circles under his eyes and the slight tremor in his hand were the marks left from sleepless nights—nights spent bargaining with his own soul for something he could never truly grasp. The world had never been kind to him, and in turn, he had become cold, distant, manipulating anyone who could bring him closer to the power he so desperately craved.

There were days where the only solace he found was at the bottom of a bottle or with a lit cigarette burning slowly between his fingers. He wanted more than what this life had offered him, more than the aimless wandering that had defined his early years. He had always dreamed of being someone important, someone the world couldn't ignore. If it meant selling his soul, so be it.

Then, Yuj came to him. At first, Unlec thought he could trick Yuj, bargain on his own terms. But Yuj saw through him. It wasn't long before Unlec realized that the rules of the game weren't his to manipulate anymore. Yuj had a grander plan, and despite his attempts to outwit the otherworldly being, Unlec found himself in debt—both spiritually and morally.

Yuj, ever the puppet master, gave him a sense of purpose. "You will support him," Yuj had said, "The Traitor—The One Who Hunts. He will be the one to change everything, and you'll be at his side when it happens."

That person was Leegna. But Unlec was still unsure if this path would lead to salvation or damnation.

Leegna slumped against the cold stone wall, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His dark blue eye pulsed faintly under his half-closed lids, still shimmering from the aftermath of the intense battle. The eyeless creature hovered nearby, its presence both a comfort and a reminder of the danger that surrounded them.

Unlec, standing to the side, watched Leegna. The man was different now—paler, more drained than ever before. His hair, once vibrant, now had streaks of gray running through it, a haunting sign of the toll that the power and Time Leaps had taken on him.

"We need a new plan," Leegna muttered, barely loud enough for Unlec to hear. "No more sacrifices. Not this time."

The room fell silent as Unlec approached, his hands subconsciously drifting to the weapon Yuj had given him. It was more than just a tool; it was a reminder of the deal he had made, the pact that bound him to this fate. The same pact that, perhaps, still held some hidden strings yet to be pulled.

"Yuj isn't with us this time," Unlec said, his voice cautious. "If we're going to free him, we need to think carefully. The persecutors from the other realm... they're closing in."

Leegna's gaze shifted to the eyeless creature, who now stood like a silent sentinel, protecting them from the unseen threat looming ever closer. "I know," Leegna replied, his voice tense. "But freeing Yuj... it's not as simple as it seems."

The air in the room suddenly grew heavy, the atmosphere thick with a presence neither of them could see, but both could feel. A faint rumble echoed through the stone walls, like the warning growl of a predator just outside their reach.

"They're coming," the eyeless creature murmured, its distorted voice slithering through the air. Its embrace of shadow and darkness was all that stood between Leegna, Unlec, and whatever monstrosities were now on their trail.

Unlec tightened his grip on the strange weapon at his side, the one Yuj had made from a piece of his own body. He still didn't fully understand its power, but he knew one thing—it could tear through shadows and celestial beings alike.

As the faint whispers of the approaching persecutors grew louder, Leegna felt the pull of his Time Leap ability urging him forward. His dark blue eye flickered, and a strange sensation washed over him. It was as if the number 2 suddenly drifted in front of his vision, fading down to 1. Confusion and unease gnawed at him.

Why now? Why the urge to use it?

He wasn't ready to leap again. Not now.

Before Leegna could make sense of the sensation, a cold, overwhelming presence filled the room. The very shadows seemed to recoil as a figure emerged—a dark silhouette, barely human in form, yet radiating danger. The persecutors had arrived, but this one was unlike anything Leegna had faced before.

Without a word, the eyeless creature darted forward, standing protectively in front of both Leegna and Unlec. The creature, for the first time, fully embraced them both within its dark, amorphous body, shielding them from the oppressive aura of the incoming enemy.

But as they prepared to either fight or retreat, Leegna couldn't shake the chilling words that echoed through his mind—words that felt both like a warning and a command