The city of Neon Heights was always alive at night. Between the pulse of red and blue neon lights and the constant hum of flying cars slicing through rain-filled clouds, it had a life of its own. For Jax, it was home, but tonight, it felt different—like someone, or something, was watching him. Jax hurried down an alley, hands shoved into his jacket pockets, keeping his head low. He was used to slipping through the city's dark corners, but tonight his own shadow seemed to tug against him, like it was eager to be free.
He stopped under a flickering streetlight, heart pounding as his shadow—Shade—shifted slightly on the wall beside him."You feel it too, don’t you?" he whispered. Shade rippled, its form elongating and twisting, like ink spreading across water. It was Jax’s shadow, but more. It had eyes, a mouth—features that didn’t belong to a normal shadow. Shade flickered, whispering something he couldn’t quite hear. Jax scanned the alley, and his pulse spiked. There it was—a shadow, shifting along the alley wall, slithering without an owner. He backed up as it moved closer, stretching into a form that towered over him, its edges smoky and constantly shifting. He could sense its menace. This wasn’t any ordinary shadow—it was a piece of something far darker.“Void,” Shade murmured, a low whisper that sent shivers up Jax’s spine.“Void?” Jax asked. He’d never heard Shade speak of Void before. He’d thought they were the only pair—human and shadow, bonded together.
But Shade’s form trembled as it drew back against him, as if bracing for something big.The Void shadow suddenly lunged. Shade reacted instantly, pulling away from Jax and expanding in a dark cloud that slammed into the Void, splashes of shadow against shadow, like smoke colliding with smoke. Jax watched, half-terrified, half-fascinated as the two shadows twisted and grappled. Jax took a step forward, instinctively reaching for Shade, but Shade pulled back, warning him without words. He understood—it was their battle, a shadow's war. He was just a man, but he knew what he had to do. His bond with Shade was strong; he could feel its fear, its determination.“Alright, Shade,” he murmured, clenching his fists. “We’re in this together.” Suddenly, Shade shrank, melding into his body. The world spun, and Jax felt his vision blur as he became one with Shade. He could see from a different perspective, feel his body stretching, merging into a shadowy form, a living, breathing silhouette. Void loomed ahead, crackling with dark energy. The two shadows clashed, moving faster than Jax could think, slipping in and out of walls, bending with the light. With every strike, Jax felt himself growing weaker, his connection with Shade stretched thin. But he could feel Shade’s will, urging him to press on. Finally, they reached the city’s old power plant, a monolithic structure shrouded in mist. Void lunged again, and Jax, with Shade’s strength, dodged, diving into the mist. He needed an edge, a way to break this monster’s control. He realized what he had to do—sacrifice his shadow. As Void closed in, Jax whispered a silent goodbye to Shade. He stepped into the light, letting Void’s attack strike. Shade broke free, wrapping itself around Void, dark against dark, until they both disappeared into the light. Jax fell to his knees, feeling emptier than he’d ever felt, his shadow lost in the battle. But as the light faded, he saw Shade flicker, just a wisp of smoke lingering before him, a quiet promise that their bond wasn’t entirely broken. With a heavy heart, Jax stood, vowing to honor their fight and protect the city from whatever darkness came next.In the silence, Jax turned to leave, knowing he’d never walk alone—not really.
