Shadow of Myself

A black shadowy figure floated just above the ground, gliding silently through the streets. A boy with black hair and dim blue eyes with heavy breathing following just behind the figure as closely as possible. Even when the whole world is covered with darkness, the black figure still stood out and could be clearly seen.

Although, Null tried to make a conversation with the black shadowy figure. Every attempt Null made to speak was met with silence or incomprehensible murmurs, yet the unspoken pain in the figure's voice kept him following. Despite not understanding the words Null can feel the pain and suffering of the figure by its voice.

The figure visits all the places that Null used to visit everyday. The places like amusement park, hotel, restaurant, shopping malls every place that Null used to visit. Slowly, Null grows accustomed to the black shadows presence. The nervousness when he was walking behind the figure slowly faded, he became a little closer to the figure as he understood the feelings of the figure.

The void-like entity which is accustomed to being very scary was seen as a normal human to Null-though he doesn't remember what a human means.

Unintentionally, Null and the figure started spending their time together and they were always together. Though, Null couldn't understand the words but he can clearly realize the actions of the figure-what he was doing and what he was trying to tell Null.

Null begins to see the figure as if it was his own body part. He couldn't think of any other reason why he would be this closer to someone who is not even a living being.

In this empty world where darkness resembles day and silence resembles night Null starts enjoying his time with the shadow.

As time passed, Null had started to understand the words of the shadowy figure. In the beginning even the actions that the shadow figure was showing were hard to understand but now he can understand the voice a little clearly. But, Null didn't ask any questions to the figure- he didn't want to cause any kind of misunderstanding between them. The time here, right now he is spending is much more valuable than anything. Null fails to explain the rationale, but for him it was important. However, the activities the figure used to perform makes Null nostalgic, flashbacks of his past life come sporadic. While the shadowy figure remains a constant presence, urging him to confront his pain.

Flashbacks of him past memories started coming more frequently making Null more and more  like an empty shell. But there was always the shadowy which helped Null to relieve his pain embracing him. After prolonged exposure to the nature of the Shadowy figure, Null starts to decipher the shadow's messages. Everything that shadowy figure did resembled someone but Null couldn't not think of anyone as he was the only one living soul in this whole world so it couldn't make any sense, but it somehow felt very familiar.

Null attentively looked at the shadow following it as always. The same mall, park, hotel and again the same cliff where it spends most of its time looking down at the abyss of emptiness. Null as always walking slowly behind the shadow taking heavy breaths, his messy hair almost covered his eyes close to the distance between him and the shadow. With every step, Null again got flashbacks of memories but this time the shadow didn't come to aid Null, it stood silently at the edge of the cliff like every time. Null confused by the heedless action of the shadowy figure, he finally brings himself, glaring at the black figure and asks "What are you?"

At the edge of the cliff, a black figure stood high with no distinct body part, no eyes, no face- just blackness like a void, turning itself slowly looking around Null. Even though it had no eyes Null could feel a strange sensation making him nervous. Null's voice caught in his throat watching the shadow his hands were trembling in fear, his heart rate beating faster than ever, he repeats his question again, "What are you?".

The black figure responded in a voice both hollow and infinite, "What am I?" with a strange and calm voice which was pleasant to hear as well as scary at the same time, "I am you" . Null unable to understand the answer he glares at the shadow.

Before his eyes, the featureless void began to twist, coalescing into limbs, skin, and bones. Its formless darkness solidified, growing muscle and sinew. The undefined black figure materializes making it more clear and like a human- legs, hands, head muscles every organ which are required for a living being was materializing. Null watched with shock and couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Just a few seconds, until it resembles itself like a human. It transforms itself from a void like entity to a human , looking at it more accurately, it was like a mirror of Null himself. The figure transformed itself into Null. His breath caught in his throat, as if reality was fracturing around him. Null looking at its eyes, suddenly, pain surged through his body, sharp, intense, unbearable. It felt like his entire body was unraveling, like his body was being torn apart from the inside. Null screamed as loud as possible, rolling on the ground with his hands placed in the head, suddenly memories flickered in his mind, disjointed and sharp, as if pulled from the depths of his subconscious. Each one left him hollow, gnawing at the edges of his sanity. He couldn't grasp the details—faces, places—all blurred, but the ache in his chest remained.

Images flashed before his eyes—"Selene, her sharp gaze, the underground cities... strange creatures lurking in the shadows... Nexum, awakening of a soul... a device ascendrix" each memory twisted and fragmented, leaving him reeling.

After some time, Null stopped screaming, his body still laying on the ground still unable to stand up, Null taking heavy breaths, "What was that? What am I doing here? What is going on"? His mind is unable to function. He pushed his hands on the ground trying to stand up, his squinted eyes looked at his surroundings with curiosity, then he saw a reflection of himself-no not a reflection it was his own body. Null didn't need to understand anything further. The air thickened with a dangerous energy, crackling with tension. Null's breath caught as he stared into the eyes of his mirror image. What stood before him was no mere reflection—it was something far more sinister, dangerous and powerful . He had never felt so powerless, so exposed. Even the wolf he faced was nothing compared to it.