Another day began. Ki entered the classroom and slid into his usual chair by the window. Shortly after, Zephyr bounded in, taking the seat in front of him.
"Morning," Zephyr greeted with a grin.
"Hey," Ki replied.
"There's a festival at the city's center square today. Wanna go?" Zephyr asked eagerly, leaning forward.
Ki glanced at him. "I'm free this afternoon, so sure. What about Septh?"
"She's busy with school guidance right now," Zephyr explained. "She's clearing all her tasks so she can come with us later."
"Must be exhausting to be a council officer," Ki mused quietly.
Zephyr followed Ki's gaze out the window. "Yeah," he said, his voice softening.
The bell rang, and the teacher entered as the students settled. Ki's eyes drifted to the slightly cracked edge of the classroom window, then to the mountains in the distance. Dark clouds had begun gathering over the peaks, a storm waiting in the wings.
The day ended quickly. Ki, Zephyr, and Septh walked together toward the city's center square. The festival was alive with color: street performers juggling fire, stalls spilling delicious smells, and people laughing and moving through the crowd.
Zephyr's eyes lit up. "Wow…" he breathed, taking it all in.
"You seem excited," Septh observed, a smile tugging at her lips.
"Don't mind him. He's been like that all morning," Ki replied, watching Zephyr dart toward a food stall like a child.
Septh and Ki moved down the center of the street, letting Zephyr explore freely. One street performer caught their attention... a masked figure who seemed to stare directly at Ki. He felt a prickle of unease but ignored it.
"This is fun," Septh said, nudging him with a smile.
"Yeah," Ki answered softly.
Zephyr continued to flit between stalls, buying snacks and watching performers, his excitement infectious. When Ki glanced to the side again, he noticed the masked performer watching him once more. Their eyes met, and Ki felt a sharp chill run down his spine. But before he could react, a passerby walked between them, and the figure vanished. He dismissed the feeling, turning his attention to the fireworks exploding overhead.
Hours passed quickly, and the trio stayed until midnight. As they walked down the wide street, Zephyr cracked jokes, making Septh laugh. Ki's eyes scanned the crowd... and froze.
Under a flickering streetlamp, the masked man stood motionless. The others stopped too.
"What is it, Ki?" Zephyr asked, following his gaze.
Ki didn't answer. The masked figure slowly removed his mask. The streetlight flickered and died. Darkness swallowed the man, leaving only a shadow where he had been. Ki instinctively stepped in front of Septh, extending his arm to shield her.
"Hello?" Zephyr called, uneasy. "Are you okay?"
Septh, sensing danger, grabbed Ki's arm.
The light flickered back, revealing the figure... now a dark creature, its face a void of endless black. It lunged at them. Ki moved instinctively to defend them, but before they could react, the shadow shattered like liquid, flowing toward them and consuming the space around them.
Ki's eyes widened as darkness spread... a sheet of void-like matter creeping over everything, swallowing them whole.