The door sealed behind him. The curse faded.
And just like that, his shadows returned.
Quiet. Familiar. Like they'd never left.
He breathed in—slow, deep. A crooked smirk crept across his face.
"I can finally feel them."
The shadows answered before the words had even left his mouth.
They rose around him, coiling like smoke—like breath turning to fire. When he inhaled, they surged upward, crackling, snapping like flames feeding on air. And when he exhaled, they settled again. Calm. Obedient. Waiting.
His eyes dropped. Voice lower now. Almost reverent.
"My shadows."
He gripped his face, fingers pressing deep into his skin. His breath caught—sharp with relief, edged with madness. All his power had come back at once, and it took everything in him not to unravel.
