Terror

"Master," The thing—no, he kneeled in front of Lefric. His wide bat-like wings folded behind his shoulders. "May I know your current condition?"

He tilted his head upward a little to meet Lefric's eyes. And Lefric almost scoffed in disbelief over the drastic change on the other's face.

Just now he looked so murderous when he looked at sister Ava. Now he looked so timid, like a one who's genuinely scared of Lefric.

The question is, why would a powerful-looking shadow being that came out of Lefric's shadow scared of Lefric?

Wait a minute.

How did he came out Lefric's shadow in the first place?

Lefric remembered something about the shadow creatures Maro told him. Tariaksuq, they were a bunch of rare and almighty humanoid shadow folks who roamed the realm for centuries.

Though, it's a mystery regarding their origins.

"W-Why do you call me master? I'm just a bird," Lefric whispered, staring at the tariaksuq with wide eyes.

"You manifested me into reality. I was formed through your fear,"

Manifested? Lefric frowned, feeling utterly confused.

"I'm confused. What do you mean I manifested you? What are you?"

The other put his palm on his chest. "I have no name yet. But I am your fear. I appear whenever you feel extremely frightened,"

None of it made any sense. Lefric shook his head, his head pounded painfully. "I-I don't—I'm so lost. Thank you for saving me, but there is no way that I created you. A powerful shadow creature. T-There's no way,"

"Of course it's possible, master,"

"What do you mean?"

"You're a Nightweaver, master. You have the ability to manifest extreme emotions into reality,"

Lefric enlarged his eyes by an inch, looking at the shadow being as if he grew another head.

"You're telling me, that I—a mere raven—created a tariaksuq?"

"Yes. And master, you're a Nightweaver. Not a raven,"

"Stop—" Lefric sighed, feeling tired all of a sudden. "I can't keep up. My head hurts,"

"I'm sorry, master. As a form of fear, I don't have the power to heal your injuries," The shadow being frowned, his purple eyes dimmed. "I only have the ability to create extreme irrational fear to someone,"

Lefric massaged his throbbing temple. "Right. Ok, um. I need to lay down,"

"In the middle of the forest? master, I can't let you do that. Rogue creatures could attack if you let you guard down,"

'An existence made out of fear. Funny,' Lefric thought, narrowing his eyes at the other who's looking around their surrounding skeptically.

"I can't walk," Lefric said, pointing at his swollen ankles. "I need to rest here and let my ankles heal,"

The shadow being furrowed his eyebrows, nodded obediently.

"Then, if you don't need my assistance anymore, I'll leave,"

Lefric didn't like that. Sure, he's terrified about learning the fact that he literally created his emotion into existence, but being left alone in the middle of the woods with the sisters still hunting him down unsettled him.

He wanted the shadow being to keep him company for a bit.

"Wait, um, you don't have a name yet, right?"

"Yes, master,"

"Don't call me that,"

"But you are my master, master,"

"It's not like I'm going to hit you if you call me by my name,"

The taller male fidgeted. Lefric felt his lips twitched into a smile. "Fine, keep calling me master. Oh, um, is it okay if I give you a name now?"

The other's bat wings flapped, he seemed happy by that. "It would be an honor,"

"Okay. I'll call you Terror,"

Terror, which means fear. Lefric also noticed something. Maro told him that bats symbolized fear, so the wings made a lot of sense. Lefric wondered if he's hallucinating right now. Everything felt so surreal.

Terror smiled, relief and happiness coated his face. "Thank you, master. Words cannot convey the amount of gratitude I feel at the moment. Thank you,"

"Eh, It's not a big deal," Lefric shrugged.

"Thank you nonetheless,"

With one last sincere smile from Terror, he slowly submerged into Lefric's shadow. Lefric swallowed the lump down from his throat, breathed out shakily as he flopped backward to the ground.

"... I'm going crazy,"