Between Shadows: Silent Journeys

No More Ties

Kamui awoke to the gentle sensation of cool water on her face. She blinked against the light, her uncle Cory's familiar silhouette looming above her. He paused, his hands still as he locked eyes with her, and for a moment, surprise flickered across his features.

He rose, effortlessly lifting her into his arms. She nestled against him, comforted by his warmth, as he carried her to the car. He set her down in the back seat before sliding into the driver's seat and starting the engine. The car rumbled to life, the sound vibrating through her small frame.

"I'm not a child, you know. I'm almost seven!" Kamui protested, her tone half-hearted, as if the claim was more about wanting recognition than a genuine objection.

Cory chuckled, a soft pat on her head. "Has it really been a year already?"

As they drove along the desolate road, occasional houses flickered past like ghosts. The silence wrapped around them, broken only by the hum of the engine and the rhythmic thump of the tires against the asphalt. Kamui rummaged through her uncle's bag, her small hands finding a snack. She munched absently, blissfully unaware of the shadows lurking beneath the surface of their reality. Cory found himself torn-relieved by her innocence yet haunted by the knowledge of what lay ahead.

"Don't worry, sweetie. We'll get to a diner soon. In the meantime, let's do something fun to keep our minds off things," he suggested, a flicker of determination igniting in him. He decided to teach her how to manipulate shadows even in daylight. She was a quick learner, absorbing the lessons as if they were part of her.

Isolating her from the outside world had been a necessary choice. The questions that might have weighed her down-wondering if this life was normal-seemed absent in her youthful innocence.

"Can you show me your shadows?" he asked gently, speaking to her as though she were a fragile flower.

Kamui pointed to her own shadow, cast by the bright sunlight streaming through the window. As she concentrated, the shadow began to shift and morph into a small, dark ball. Cory felt a surge of excitement; she was demonstrating an instinctual understanding that even he had taken years to grasp.

"Can you make your shadows visible even in the sun? Can you do that?" Cory asked, his heart racing with hope.

He recalled the teachings of his old mentor, memories mingling with a sense of purpose. Kamui, younger than he had been when he first began learning, possessed an untapped potential. He wished he hadn't escaped his village, but there was no use in dwelling on regrets. Instead, he was determined to impart everything he hadn't learned.

As days passed, however, trouble began to brew. On the sixth day, Kamui's innocence started to shift, questions blossoming in her mind. While playing, she had created a shadow ball for a nearby child. When he took it, his curiosity turned to panic as he attempted to wash away the inky mist, but nothing worked. In frustration, he had fled, leaving Kamui confused and alone.

"Where's my mother? Where's my father?" she suddenly asked, her voice small, cutting through the tension like a knife.

Cory's heart sank. "Kamui, your mom's dead. Do you really not remember your father?"

He glanced at the necklace around her neck, a delicate piece, shimmering faintly. It was the last gift her mother had given her, a sacrifice of magic meant to protect her from illusions. If only that woman had thought to add protection against physical threats. The necklace held memories, each bead a reminder of their past. Cory shook his head, unwilling to let her remember just yet. Not until his last breath. She must not know the full truth of her history.

The weight of the moment settled heavily on him. Kamui looked up at him, her eyes wide with a mixture of confusion and trust, and in that gaze, he felt the crushing responsibility of protecting her from the darkness that loomed just beyond their fragile bubble of safety.

"Your father took the lead; he's going to meet us at the airport." Cory's voice hung in the air, a fragile promise wrapped in uncertainty. The statement seemed to quiet Kamui, a flicker of understanding crossing her youthful face. Was isolating her again the right decision? Doubts gnawed at him.

The sun had barely broken over the horizon when his niece jolted awake, fear etched across her features. "Uncle, my shadows go waaay back!" she exclaimed, her voice a mix of excitement and urgency.

Cory hummed in response, half-listening, his mind elsewhere. Jealousy simmered beneath the surface; at her age, she could send her shadows out to a fifty-mile radius. A part of him should have been proud, but another part twisted with insecurity.

"Look, Uncle! You see that guy over there?" Her small finger pointed excitedly to a figure in the distance.

Cory turned his gaze to the far right, focusing on the old man in a brown business suit. The man's posture was slightly hunched, a walking stick providing his only support. But then, Kamui's eyes sparkled with mischief as she turned back to the man, anticipation radiating from her.

Before Cory could react, the old man began to dance-a display of agility that defied his frail appearance. The sight was surreal, and as the man gracefully transitioned from one movement to another, Cory felt a tightening in his chest. How was this possible? The man climbed the side of the building, defying logic and gravity with each nimble ascent.

Cory bit his tongue, the taste of blood a distraction from the surge of anger boiling inside him. Kamui had now solidified her shadows, granting them a life of their own. To her, it was merely a game-a playful exhibition of her burgeoning powers. But to Cory, it was a stark reminder of the dangers that lay ahead.

"Well done," he managed to say through gritted teeth, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

Kamui beamed at his praise, unaware of the turmoil it stirred within him. As the old man continued his impossible feat, Cory felt the weight of his responsibility settle heavily on his shoulders. Protecting her from the world was one thing; protecting her from herself was another.

He watched as she reveled in her abilities, oblivious to the shadows gathering around them, both literally and figuratively. Each moment spent in this precarious balance was a step deeper into the unknown, and Cory couldn't shake the feeling that the ground beneath them was shifting.