Cursed of the shadow

CURSE OF THE SHADOW

Season One: THE SHADOW WAR

EPISODE 1

THE NIGHT THE SHADOW AWOKE

CHAPTER ONE

THE BOY WHO COULD SEE THE DARK

There are things in this world that humans were never meant to see.

They hide inside abandoned buildings.

They crawl beneath city streets.

They whisper from the corners of empty rooms.

And sometimes...

They stand directly behind you.

But as long as humans cannot see them, they remain harmless.

Mostly.

The night Rai Kazama first saw one, the moon had disappeared behind a wall of black clouds.

Kazehara City was unusually quiet.

The clock on Rai's bedside table showed 2:17 A.M.

Rai opened his eyes.

He was breathing heavily.

His room was dark except for the pale light coming through the window.

For several seconds, he didn't move.

He couldn't.

The dream was still inside his head.

A gigantic black door.

Thousands of hands crawling across its surface.

A voice coming from the other side.

A voice that sounded almost human.

"Rai..."

He swallowed.

"Wake up."

Rai slowly sat up.

"Who are you?"

The voice answered.

"I am what waits behind your shadow."

Rai's eyes opened wider.

Then the dream vanished.

He looked around his bedroom.

Nothing.

Just his desk.

His books.

His school uniform.

And the old photograph sitting beside his lamp.

Rai reached for it.

The photograph showed him when he was six years old.

He was smiling.

Beside him stood his mother.

She had one hand on his shoulder.

Rai smiled.

"Mom..."

His mother had died eight years ago.

Rai barely remembered her anymore.

He remembered her smile.

He remembered the smell of her perfume.

But her voice...

He couldn't remember her voice.

A sharp pain suddenly shot through his right hand.

Rai dropped the photograph.

"Ah!"

He grabbed his wrist.

Something was moving beneath his skin.

A black line appeared.

Then another.

Then another.

Within seconds, a strange symbol had formed across the back of his hand.

It looked like an eye surrounded by broken chains.

Rai stared at it.

"What is this?"

The symbol disappeared.

Silence returned.

Then—

SCRATCH.

Rai froze.

The sound came from the window.

SCRATCH.

He slowly turned.

"Probably a tree."

He tried to laugh.

There were no trees near his window.

SCRATCH.

Rai stood.

He walked toward the curtains.

His hand reached for them.

He stopped.

Something felt wrong.

Very wrong.

He pulled the curtain aside.

The street below was empty.

No cars.

No people.

Nothing.

Rai exhaled.

"See? Nothing."

Then he noticed a woman standing in the middle of the road.

She was completely motionless.

Rai frowned.

"Hey!"

The woman didn't move.

"Are you okay?"

Slowly...

The woman's head lifted.

Her face was hidden beneath long black hair.

Rai opened the window.

"Do you need help?"

The woman smiled.

Rai stopped breathing.

Her mouth stretched far too wide.

The skin around her cheeks cracked.

Two more eyes opened beneath her normal eyes.

Then another pair.

Rai stepped backward.

"What..."

The woman's body twisted.

Bones snapped.

Her arms lengthened.

Her fingers became claws.

Her skin turned black.

Rai couldn't move.

The creature looked directly at him.

Its voice sounded like hundreds of people whispering together.

"You can see me."

Rai's blood ran cold.

"What are you?"

The creature smiled.

"Something that has been waiting for you."

It disappeared.

Rai barely had time to react.

CRASH!

The wall behind him exploded.

The creature flew through the room.

Rai screamed and threw himself onto the floor.

The creature's claws tore through his bed.

Rai scrambled toward the door.

"Get away from me!"

The creature crawled across the ceiling.

Its head rotated upside down.

"You smell like fear."

Rai ran.

He didn't know where.

He didn't care.

He only knew one thing.

He had to survive.

He reached the stairs.

Behind him—

BOOM!

The creature landed.

Rai jumped down the stairs.

He slipped.

His shoulder slammed against the wall.

Pain shot through his body.

The creature appeared at the top of the staircase.

Rai looked up.

"Please..."

The creature slowly descended.

"You cannot run from your shadow."

Rai backed against the front door.

His hand searched for the lock.

Locked.

"No..."

The creature raised one claw.

Rai closed his eyes.

"NO!"

Silence.

Nothing happened.

Rai slowly opened his eyes.

The world had stopped.

The creature was frozen in midair.

A tiny piece of glass hung motionless beside his face.

Even the rain outside had stopped.

Rai stared.

"What... happened?"

Then he noticed his hand.

The black symbol had returned.

But this time it was glowing.

His eyes widened.

Lines appeared everywhere.

Thousands of thin, blue-white lines surrounded the creature.

Rai could see them.

Every possible movement.

Every attack.

Every mistake.

Every weakness.

A voice whispered inside his mind.

SEE.

Rai stepped forward.

He could see exactly where the creature would strike.

He could see where it would move.

And he could see one glowing point in the center of its chest.

A weak point.

Rai's heart raced.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

The world suddenly moved again.

The creature attacked.

Rai ducked.

Its claw passed over his head.

Rai grabbed a broken piece of wood from the floor.

He moved exactly where the glowing lines had shown him.

One step.

Two.

Three.

Then—

CRACK!

He struck the creature directly in the chest.

The creature screamed.

Black blood exploded across the floor.

Rai stared at his hands.

"I..."

He looked at the creature.

"I actually hurt it."

The creature slowly stood.

Its wound began closing.

Rai's confidence disappeared.

"Oh."

The creature smiled.

"Now I remember you."

Rai froze.

"What?"

"You carry the mark."

The creature's eyes opened wider.

"The Infinite Mark."

Rai didn't understand.

"The what?"

Before the creature could answer—

SLASH!

A silver blade cut through its arm.

The creature screamed.

A girl stood behind it.

She looked around Rai's age.

Black hair.

Dark coat.

Cold eyes.

A silver blade glowing with blue energy in her hand.

She didn't even look at Rai.

"Move."

Rai stared.

"Who are you?"

The girl raised her blade.

"Someone saving your life."

The creature roared.

It attacked her.

She disappeared.

Rai blinked.

The girl reappeared behind the creature.

SLASH!

Another cut.

Then another.

The creature fell to one knee.

The girl finally looked at Rai.

"You're a Kokuin User."

Rai shook his head.

"I'm a what?"

Her expression changed.

"You really don't know?"

"No!"

The creature suddenly rose behind her.

Rai saw the glowing lines again.

He could see the attack.

He could see the exact moment the creature would strike.

"BEHIND YOU!"

The girl turned.

Too late.

The creature's claw came down.

Rai moved without thinking.

He jumped between them.

The claw tore across his shoulder.

"AAAAH!"

Blood splashed onto the ground.

The girl caught Rai before he fell.

"You idiot!"

Rai gritted his teeth.

"I saw it coming."

"You should have let me take the hit."

"I couldn't."

The girl stared at him.

For the first time, something changed in her eyes.

The creature laughed.

"Interesting."

Rai looked at his hand.

The mark was still glowing.

The girl suddenly grabbed his wrist.

Her eyes widened.

"You used the Infinite Mark."

"So?"

"Do you know what that power costs?"

Rai said nothing.

She looked directly into his eyes.

"Every time you use it..."

She paused.

"You lose a memory."

Rai froze.

"What?"

The girl released his wrist.

"Tell me something."

"What?"

"What is your mother's voice like?"

Rai opened his mouth.

Nothing came out.

He tried to remember.

He could remember her face.

Her hands.

Her smile.

But her voice...

Nothing.

His breathing became shaky.

"I..."

The girl understood.

Rai looked at the photograph lying on the floor.

His mother's face stared back at him.

He knew she was his mother.

He knew he loved her.

But he couldn't remember the sound of her voice.

Rai whispered,

"I forgot."

The girl lowered her sword.

"What's your name?"

Rai looked at her.

"Rai."

"Rai what?"

"Rai Kazama."

The girl stared at him for a long moment.

Then she said,

"My name is Mira Kurosawa."

The creature suddenly screamed.

Its body began expanding.

Bones cracked.

Its arms multiplied.

Four became six.

Six became eight.

The street beneath them shattered.

Mira's expression changed.

"Rai."

"What?"

"Run."

The creature opened its mouth.

"You cannot escape the Shadow Order."

Mira's eyes narrowed.

"The Shadow Order..."

Rai looked at her.

"What is that?"

Mira raised her sword.

"The people who created these creatures."

The creature charged.

Mira moved first.

"Moon Fang!"

Her blade flashed.

A wave of blue energy tore across the street.

The creature blocked it.

Rai ran.

Mira followed.

The battle exploded around them.

Buildings shook.

Windows shattered.

Cars flipped through the air.

Rai watched Mira fight.

She was fast.

Too fast.

But the creature was stronger.

It caught her by the arm.

Rai saw the glowing lines again.

He could see the future.

He saw Mira being killed.

"No!"

The mark activated.

Everything slowed.

Rai ran.

He grabbed Mira's hand.

He pulled her away.

The creature's claws struck the ground.

BOOM!

Rai and Mira rolled across the street.

Mira looked at him.

"You used it again."

Rai looked at his hand.

The black symbol burned brighter.

Something inside his head disappeared.

He couldn't remember his first day at school.

He knew he had gone to school.

He just couldn't remember it.

Rai stared at the ground.

"How many memories do I have left?"

Mira didn't answer.

The creature stepped forward.

"Your memories will disappear."

It smiled.

"And when nothing remains..."

The ground cracked.

"The King will awaken."

Rai slowly stood.

"The King?"

Mira looked at him.

"The Shadow King."

A strange silence fell over the city.

Then the creature whispered a name.

"Aeron."

Mira's face went pale.

Rai noticed.

"You know that name."

Mira didn't answer.

"You know him, don't you?"

She tightened her grip on her sword.

"Not here."

The creature suddenly attacked.

Rai looked at the glowing lines.

One point.

One opening.

One chance.

He ran.

Mira shouted,

"Rai, don't!"

He ignored her.

The creature attacked from the left.

Rai dodged.

A claw came from the right.

He ducked.

Another came from above.

He jumped.

He was getting closer.

The creature roared.

Rai reached its chest.

The glowing point was directly in front of him.

He clenched his fist.

Black energy surrounded his arm.

"I don't know what this power is."

The creature stared.

"But I know one thing."

Rai punched.

"I won't let you hurt anyone else!"

BOOM!

The creature's chest shattered.

A shockwave destroyed the street.

The creature screamed.

Then its body turned into black dust.

Silence.

Rain began falling.

Rai stood in the middle of the ruined street.

His hand was trembling.

Mira walked toward him.

"It's over."

Rai looked at her.

"Is it?"

"No."

She looked toward the horizon.

"That was only the beginning."

Rai picked up the photograph.

He stared at his mother's face.

"Mira."

"What?"

"If I keep using this power..."

He paused.

"How much of me will be left?"

Mira didn't answer.

Rai smiled sadly.

"That's what I thought."

Mira walked beside him.

"Come with me."

"Where?"

"Somewhere you can learn what you are."

Rai looked at her.

"And if I don't?"

Mira looked toward the destroyed city.

"Then the next Kuro will kill you."

Rai sighed.

"Fine."

He began walking.

Then stopped.

"Mira?"

She looked back.

"Yes?"

"Who is Aeron?"

Mira's face became serious.

"The first person who ever carried the Infinite Mark."

Rai waited.

"And the strongest Kokuin User who ever lived."

She looked toward the dark sky.

"Three thousand years ago, Aeron tried to control human fear."

"He failed."

"He became the first Shadow."

Rai's eyes narrowed.

"And now?"

Mira answered quietly.

"Now he's waiting for you."

Rai looked at his hand.

The black mark pulsed once.

THUMP.

Somewhere far beneath the city...

Something answered.

THUMP.

Rai stopped walking.

Mira turned.

"What is it?"

Rai looked toward the ground.

"I heard a heartbeat."

Mira's expression changed.

"That's impossible."

Another heartbeat.

THUMP.

The entire city trembled.

Far beneath Kazehara...

A gigantic black door opened its eyes.

A voice whispered from the darkness.

"Rai Kazama..."

A smile appeared.

"Come home."

CUT TO BLACK.

END OF EPISODE 1

NEXT EPISODE:

THE ACADEMY OF SHADOWS

"To defeat the darkness, Rai must first learn how to control the darkness inside himself."