The Shadow Realm

Chapter-1

The light is calling..?

Chapter One -The Light Is Calling!

There was once a place called Venttra, a lively tourist spot surrounded by beauty and wonder. But over the years, it had been abandoned — erased from travel guides and forgotten by most.

People whispered about strange disappearances. Those who vanished could never explain what had happened to them, as if they had disappeared into thin air. And even if they returned, they remembered nothing. The police searched and investigated countless times but found nothing.

Venttra was far from the city, tucked away in the beautiful mountains. The people there were generous and kind to everyone. Life seemed normal, yet a heavy silence always lingered — everyone was waiting for their loved ones who had vanished.

Among the people who lived there was a boy named Senzi. He wasn’t special — just an ordinary teenager from an average family. He went to school, studied, and walked home every day.

But today, he had stayed late at the library, finishing his math homework and project files. Time flew by, the sun had already set, and now it was getting dark. The weather looked unsettling, and Senzi couldn’t shake the uneasy thoughts in his mind.

His house was far from the town center, and he often had to pass through lonely paths and half-deserted roads. It usually took him two hours to reach home.

> “Agh! Everyone always teases me for rushing, and now look — I stayed late today, and they left me all alone to rush home themselves. Even my best friend ditched me today. They’re all so selfish,” Senzi muttered angrily.

As he walked, another thought crept into his head:

> What if one day, that creature — the one people believe is behind the disappearances — suddenly appeared in front of me?

“Ah! Even thinking about this makes my whole body shiver. I have to hurry before it gets any darker. I really need to stop these useless thoughts,” Senzi whispered in a shaky voice.

Then he suddenly remembered one particular alley — narrow, shadowy, hidden between two old buildings.

> It always makes me feel uneasy, Senzi thought. Whenever I pass by, the air feels colder and the silence feels like it’s biting me. Ah! Why are these thoughts suddenly popping up today? It’s probably because I’m alone… no way.

He started walking faster. Then suddenly, something unusual caught his eye. From deep inside that alley, a faint light shimmered. It flickered softly — almost like it was breathing.

At first, Senzi thought his mind was playing tricks on him. He laughed nervously, shaking his head.

> “It’s nothing,” he whispered to himself and began walking again.

But the light pulsed again, brighter this time — as if it was calling him.

Senzi stopped and tried to peek from the side of the alley.

> “What is this? I can’t seem to see it properly,” he muttered.

He took small steps forward, torn between fear and curiosity. Part of him thought he might finally discover what had happened to his parents. But then another thought struck — his family.

> What if something happens to me too? Who will take care of my sister? What about my grandparents, who’ve been raising us since our parents disappeared? I’ve been trying so hard not to be a burden to them…

He swallowed hard and grabbed his head with both hands.

> “What should I do? There’s nobody else around… what if something really bad happens to me? But I also have to find the truth,” he whispered shakily.

> “Anyway, what could really happen? It’s just some flickering light,” Senzi said, gripping his bag tightly and forcing a confident look on his face.

The police had never found his parents’ bodies. He never got to see their faces one last time.

> I have to find the truth — not just for me, but for everyone still suffering because of this.

Curiosity also gnawed at him, stronger than fear. His feet moved on their own, carrying him into the alley. Each step echoed unnaturally loud against the walls. His heart pounded so fast it felt like it might burst out of his chest. The deeper he went, the darker it became — except for that strange, glowing light.

It hovered there, as if waiting for him.

Senzi’s breath quickened. His hands trembled. Still, he reached toward that mysterious glow. With every step, his body felt heavier.

Just as his fingers brushed against it, a violent shiver tore through his body. The light surged into his skin, racing through his veins, burning like fire. His vision blurred.

And then—

Everything disappeared.

The buildings, the alley, the night sky — all gone.

Around him stretched an endless black void.

That’s when Senzi heard it.

A whisper. Soft at first. Then another. And another. Countless voices surrounded him, rising into a chorus of madness.

He was no longer in Venttra.

He was nowhere at all.

To be continued...

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