>>6246802

You close your eyes and focus on the weight above you — the unseen presence, the cold tether. You reach out with your will, trying to bridge the gap between your soul and whatever watches from beyond the veil.

The shadow stirs.

At first, it's just whispers. A chorus of them, hungry and low, like something chewing language instead of speaking it. You don't understand the words, but you recognize them — syllables from the dark tongue, echoing around your skull like biting flies with insistent hunger.

Your knees buckle. You fall, catching yourself clumsily on a nearby wall. The world tilts. Your vision blurs.

Still, you reach out. You want to understand. And so the shadow answers.

Your breath catches as, without warning, a woman appears before you. Beautiful, pale, and dressed in flowing black. Her eyes are deep voids, her presence suffocatingly heavy — but she stands with grace, calm and composed, as if she’s been waiting for this moment for centuries.

You blink, dazed. "Who… who are you?"

"I’m the one you’ve been trying to speak to," she replies softly. "The shadow over your head. The one feeding on your breath. You called me… and I came."

Her voice is melodic, strangely kind — but there is no warmth in it. Only endless cold.

You stagger to your feet, every movement draining. "What are you?"

"A remnant. A fragment of a girl long dead, now made something more. In the elder days, the ancients taught their sacrifices magic — just enough for them to speak. Then they were slaughtered. Burned. Fed to the dark gods. So their spirits could cast from the other side. The words you now learn are built from that pain."

She raises one gloved hand, tilting her head at you. "Each spell drains from us, the dead. And when we are bound to a living speaker… we feed in turn. It is the bargain your kind made. Whether you remember it or not."

You stumble again. "Then why show yourself? Why not just… keep feeding?"

"You asked to speak. And I am curious." Her voice dips, almost a whisper. "But I must go now. Holding this shape is draining you. If I stay much longer… you’ll die."

You try to protest, but you’re already falling to one knee.

The woman turns and vanishes like smoke on wind. The pressure lifts, and you collapse into darkness.

When you awaken hours later, you’re still weak. Cold. But alive.

What do you do?
> Tell your companions everything — They need to know the source of the curse, and what you saw
> Try to banish the shadow now that you know it has a form — There might be a way to force her out
> Learn more dark words to test her limits — Knowledge is your weapon, even if it costs you
> Seek out ruins tied to the old sacrifices — Maybe clues remain about how to free these spirits
> Try to find another shadow-user — Perhaps you're not alone, and others have learned the dark tongue
> Let the memory settle — Focus on rebuilding your strength before making your next move
> Write in