Shadows in the Hometown

It had given its students only the rare privilege of a week-long holiday. A time from which they could step out for some brief distance to return to their roots. For Kade, it was a trip back to the small orphanage where he had grown up. Sitting on the outskirts of a peaceful town, the orphanage was a place of warmth and bittersweet memories-a far remove from the chaos that had been his life recently.

As Kade stepped through the gates, he was met with the usual children playing and caretakers running around. The laughter filled the air, and for a brief moment, the weight he carried seemed to lift off his shoulders.

"Kade!" one of the younger kids shouted, running up to him. Soon enough, a crowd surrounded him, peppering him with questions about the academy. Among them was Mira, his childhood friend, her face lighting up as she approached.

"Look who's back," she said with a teasing smile. "The academy's big shot."

Kade chuckled. "Big shot? Not quite. Just here to escape the madness for a while."

They spent the day reminiscing about old times, with Kade helping with chores and sneaking in moments to train his inner core in private. The shadowy energy within him had grown stronger, yet it still felt wild and untamed. He knew he needed more control—a way to channel the power effectively.

As evening approached, Mira suggested, "Why don't we have a picnic tomorrow? We haven't visited the riverside in ages."

Kade hesitated but looked at the eager faces of the children. "Alright," he agreed, "but you're carrying the baskets."

The following day, they went to the river just outside town. The waters were very calm and shimmered in the sun. The group spread out a blanket on the grass. Laughter filled the air as they played games, shared food, and recounted stories from their childhood.

The sky was painted in hues of orange and pink when they returned to the orphanage. The children were too tired from the activities of the day to bother much about settling into bed for the night. However, Kade could not let go of this feeling that something was wrong. He had experienced this during the picnic, eyes on him that seemed to lurk in the shadows.

He had decided to investigate later that night. He crept out of the orphanage quietly and headed toward the park where he felt the disturbance. The streets were empty, moonlit. Kade's footsteps were light, his senses acute.

Near the entrance of the park, he felt it again-that feeling of being looked at. He deliberately walked to a bench and sat as if resting. In fact, he projected his shadow energy, creating his clone on the bench while he watched from a hiding place.

Just moments later, a hooded figure stepped out of the darkness and slowly advanced on the clone. The figure reached under their cloak for something and froze as a voice broke the silence.

"Surprised? It's a clone of myself," Kade said, stepping into view.

The figure turned around and immediately assumed a defensive stance. Kade blocked their escape route, his voice firm. "I'm not letting you out of here until you tell me why you're following me. What do you want?"

They remained silent, still, their posture tense. It only got heavier with each passing second until the sudden scream snapped the silence apart.

Taking his chance, he dived into the darkness. Kade clamped his jaw together. "Shit," he growled, running on the sound of the scream.

Kade rounded a corner and came upon two muggers holding an old woman in the alley. The old woman hugged her purse closely to her face, her expression a mask of terror.

"Back off," Kade snapped, his tone hard.

The muggers spun around and sneered at him. "And what is a little whelp like you going to do about it?

"You really don't want to know," Kade said, stepping closer in.

The battle was quick. The robbers didn't expect him, their raw moves lacking in comparison to his training and shadow powers. In no time, they were disarmed and tied to a pole near him. Kade called the town guards, leaving them to face justice.

The old woman came to him, her hands in spasms. "Thank you, young man. I wouldn't know what I would have done without you."

She put something small into his hand. It was old and intricately carved, a soft glow emanating from its surface. "This is for your kindness," she said.

Kade looked at it, unsure of what it meant, but he pocketed it anyway. "Be safe," he said, watching as she disappeared into the night.

Back at the orphanage, Kade lay on his bed, staring at the token. The events of the night replayed in his mind: the cloaked figure, the scream, the token. Nothing seemed connected, yet he couldn't shake the feeling that it all tied back to him somehow.

In the still night, he set his mind for uncovering whatever was happening for he knew only that it must be the very beginning.