-New beginnings- BOOK 1: THE ORIGIN OF DARKNESS

-CHAPTER 6: LATE NIGHT-

Megumi Fushiguro trudged down the dim hallway toward his room, exhaustion settling into his bones. The training had been grueling—he could still feel the dull ache in his muscles and the lingering tension from the day's talks about the fight that lay ahead. Every part of him wanted to collapse into bed and let sleep take him. He reached his door, ready to push it open, when a faint sound stopped him cold. It was barely perceptible, almost a whisper, like a breeze slipping through the cracks, but it held an unnatural edge that made his skin prickle. He paused, his hand hovering over the door handle, listening.

There it was again—a low murmur, a voice. His instincts sharpened instantly, alert and tense, as he tried to make out the words. It wasn't coming from down the hall or from another room, though. The sound was coming from inside his own room. He placed his hand lightly on the door, then opened it slowly, keeping his guard up. The room was dark, shadows stretching over the walls and pooling in the corners. At first glance, nothing seemed out of place—his bed, desk, and the familiar clutter of books and talismans were as he'd left them. But the air felt wrong, heavy, as though it was laced with something unnatural.

"Who's there?" he demanded, his voice low but steady, one hand slipping into his pocket to grasp a set of cursed talismans. The whispering stopped. The room fell silent, save for the muffled sounds of the night outside. Megumi took a cautious step forward, scanning the space, his senses heightened. And then, just as he was about to relax, the voice returned. This time, it was closer—directly behind him.

"Megumi..."

The sound was chilling, a voice like ice that echoed with familiarity. Megumi turned sharply, but no one was there. His eyes narrowed, his heart pounding as he gripped a talisman tightly.

"Whoever you are, show yourself," he commanded, his voice unwavering.

The silence that followed felt thick, like a veil hanging over the room, until the voice responded again, this time softer, almost taunting.

"You're not ready. None of you are."

A shadow flickered in the corner of his vision, dissolving the instant he looked at it. Megumi's mind raced. Was this a curse? A warning? The voice felt like it was seeping into him, threading fear and doubt into his thoughts. But Megumi clenched his jaw, dismissing the sensation. He was a sorcerer, trained to face curses, and he refused to be unsettled by a few shadows and a disembodied voice.

"Get out," he ordered, his own cursed energy flaring as he summoned a shadow behind him, poised to strike. For a moment, nothing happened, and the air cleared, the voice gone. Megumi felt the tension ease slightly, his shoulders relaxing as the room returned to its usual stillness. But as he turned to close the door, one final whisper drifted through the air, faint and haunting.

"I'll be waiting, Megumi..."

Then the room was silent. Megumi released his grip on the talisman, exhaling deeply, his brow furrowed in thought. Whoever—or whatever—it was, he knew this was only the beginning.

As the room settled into silence, the last trace of the whisper lingering in the air, Megumi took a shaky breath, still clutching the talisman in his hand. His mind raced, replaying the words that had crept into his ears, each syllable sharp and cold. It felt like they were still echoing, taunting him from somewhere deep inside his mind. Slowly, his knees gave way, and he sank to the floor, his back pressed against the door. His hand loosened, the talisman slipping from his fingers to the ground beside him. He sat there, staring blankly into the dark, his breath shallow.

"You're not ready. None of you are."

The words gnawed at him, threading fear into the marrow of his bones. He'd been preparing himself for this fight, pushing past the limits of his own cursed energy, and yet, in this quiet, shadowed room, he felt that weight of doubt crushing him.