The Truth Behind the Shadow

CHAPTER 21

"Listen…" Gideon said, taking a deep breath and fixing his gaze on Vlad and Edric. His voice carried both exhaustion and the weight of centuries. "I'm going to tell you everything I know. If you're ready…"

The room fell silent. Vlad narrowed his eyes, Edric crossed his arms. Svetlana lowered her head and made no sound. Only the echo of heartbeats could be heard.

"The creature we saw… it's called the carrier," Gideon began. His words were slow but certain. "But the carrier's story goes back much further than you think… thousands of years."

His eyes seemed to drift into the void, as if his mind wandered through the shadows of the past while he spoke.

"There was a woman. She lived in one of the darkest times of her era. Her family, her loved ones… were taken from her before her very eyes. Inside her burned a fire of vengeance, and nothing else mattered anymore. She begged, she cried, she pleaded… but no one helped. Eventually, she reached a point where… she abandoned her human limits. And she found a ritual."

Vlad frowned.

"The demon ritual…" he muttered.

"Yes," Gideon nodded. "She performed it. She shed her blood. She whispered the forbidden words. And he came. The demon appeared to make the deal. The woman offered her soul. In return… she wanted power beyond imagination. Just to take her revenge."

Gideon took a deep breath and slowly opened his hands.

"And the deal was made. The woman became the first to make the shadowseal pact with the demon. She gave her soul… and she got her revenge. But… when she died, the demon took her soul. And from her skull… he crafted a mask and sealed her soul inside it."

Everyone in the room flinched.

"That's the truth behind the mask," Gideon said, his voice trembling slightly. "And since that time, the demon has been searching for a way to descend into this world. But for that… he needs thirteen special souls. Without sealing those thirteen souls… he can't manifest in an avatar form."

"And we… killed the fifth carrier," Gideon said in a low voice.

That night was still vivid in his mind. But…" his gaze hardened, his tone suddenly grew heavier. "…what the children saw… was the last carrier."

Ethan's eyes widened. Vlad let out a deep breath. Gideon continued:

"These carriers are not chosen at random. Not just anyone can put on the mask and become one. They must share a bloodline with the first carrier. It's a lineage traceable through generations. For centuries I've followed the trail. I've tracked the signs. Collected every clue. And I've realized this: stopping it won't be easy."

Edric's voice was cold.

"So what do we need to do?"

Gideon looked into their eyes.

"We have to remove the mask from him. But we must do it… before he completes his mission, goes to hell, and returns with his next task. Because after that…" his gaze sharpened, "…it will already be too late."

But what none of them knew was a truth even Gideon didn't realize: Mike no longer had the mask on his face. Mike had become the first in history to remove the mask while keeping its powers within his body. Because the demon was chained, the mask's influence had weakened. Mike was freer because of it… but also far more vulnerable.

As this secret remained buried in the heavy silence of the room…

At the same time, somewhere completely different…

Mike had left the hospital room. His face was pale, but there was a strange lightness in his eyes as he walked alongside Emily. Before leaving the hospital, he had turned to her with a faint smile and said, "Tomorrow…"

Now… they had a date.

Mike had gone home, changed his clothes, fixed his hair. Normally, he never bothered preparing this carefully for anything, but today… was different. He was going to meet Emily. Maybe, for the first time, he could forget all the shadows in his life and do something normal.

Just as he was looking into the mirror to straighten his tie, the phone rang.

It was Zack.

He picked up. Zack's voice was excited:

— "Dude! Dude! Dude! Things are finally looking up! You're actually going on a date with Emily?!"

Mike smiled, letting out a small laugh.

— "I know, man… I still can't believe it. Everything… is going so well."

On the other end of the line, Zack's laughter echoed.

— "See? I told you, good things would come eventually!"

Mike hung up the phone and grabbed his jacket. There was still a faint unease deep inside him, but for the first time… he could silence that voice.

He didn't know that at the very same moment, Vlad, Edric, and Gideon were talking about him… making plans to break the chains of the past once again.

And Mike was at the very center of this game.