I was in my secret room, hidden beneath the Altherion family estate.
No one knew this place existed.
Not even the most loyal servants.
This was my stage.
My laboratory.
The place where shadows work.
In front of me lay the cursed creature I had rescued from the bandit hideout last night.
Her body was weak.
Skin pale.
Breath heavy.
I extended my hand, slowly channeling my magic mana into her body.
A wave of energy flowed, seeping into the cursed network entwining her.
The curse growled.
As if it refused to leave.
But I'm not the kind of person to be stopped by a mere low-level curse.
I frowned. Focused.
"The sealing system... doesn't match. I guess I'll have to force it using dual-pressure of pure mana."
My hand trembled slightly.
The mana within me surged wildly, trying to stabilize the rampaging curse.
Then... ZRAAK!
A small magical explosion burst inside her body.
Thin white smoke rose.
And in that moment...
The curse collapsed.
The creature coughed weakly.
Her once-empty eyes blinked slowly.
She was waking up.
I stared at her silently.
And... I was surprised.
She... was a girl.
Her skin glowed pale, her long hair tangled.
But what stood out the most... were her ears.
Long. Pointed.
"An elf...? Or maybe a half-breed?"
I muttered under my breath, then sighed.
"Why does this world always throw such fascinating mysteries at me?"
I took the black cloak hanging on the wall and gently covered her bare body.
"This isn't because I'm a good person," I said coldly, as if speaking to myself.
"It's just... too early for the world to see your body before I find out who you truly are."
She still wasn't fully conscious.
Her eyes blinked in confusion, lips moved weakly, unable to speak.
I turned away.
My steps slow as I walked toward the old stone shelf in the corner of the room.
I took one of the thick books bound with magical chains.
Ancient Magic Book.
The one I seized from where that curse originated.
I stared at its cracked cover.
A dark aura surrounded its pages, but I could feel... this was no ordinary book.
"Hmm... this is more than just a forbidden artifact. It's a clue. A fragment of a grand puzzle yet to be solved."
I sat back down, placing the book on my desk.
A magical light illuminated the first page.
I smiled faintly.
"Looks like... a new chapter is about to begin."
Behind me, the elf girl coughed lightly.
I glanced back slightly, but didn't approach.
She slowly opened her eyes.
Her gaze trembled, scanning the room in confusion.
Her breath caught, her body shivered.
"...W-Where... am I...?" she whispered, barely audible.
I sat on the stone chair, one leg crossed, chin resting on my hand.
A dramatic pose, of course. The signature pose of a cool character who never needs to explain anything.
I gave a faint smile. "Hmm... so you're awake?" I said softly, with style, as if I were the mastermind behind everything.
She turned sharply.
Her eyes widened.
"Who... are you!?" she cried out, panicked, trying to sit up even though she wasn't strong enough.
I didn't move.
No need for many words.
Just one sentence... to silence the room.
"I'm Kazuki," I said flatly.
Then I lowered my voice an octave.
"The White Reaper."
Silence.
The girl froze.
Her eyes widened, mouth slightly agape.
No sound.
Only... shock.
Maybe... fear.
Or perhaps, confusion mixed with awe?
I didn't care.
What mattered was that my stage presence had been established.
Shadows covered the corners of the room.
A cold wind from nowhere gently blew my cloak.
And I smiled faintly...
...like a background protagonist who controls everything from behind the curtains of the world.
After a brief exchange, I finally learned the girl's name.
"My name is... Neera," she said quietly, her pointed ears twitching slightly, typical of elves.
I gave a small nod, staring at her with eyes full of mystery.
Then, with a flat but pressuring tone, I spoke.
"Neera... do you know who sold you to those filthy bandits?"
She looked at me, confused. "Huh...?"
I narrowed my eyes, then spoke with unwavering confidence, even though of course... it was a complete lie carefully crafted by the main actor of this shadowy stage.
"A hero."
Neera's eyes widened. "W-What...?"
"Yes," I continued dramatically, turning my back on her, letting my cloak flutter in an illusory wind that existed only in my mind.
"The heroes of this world... sold you for their own gain. They're not saviors. They're just empty symbols... of a rotten system."
Her face turned pale.
Her small hands clenched.
Her jaw trembled.
"No... they... they said they'd protect us..." she whispered, wounded.
But that wound... is a weapon.
I stared at her deeply, then held out my hand.
"That's why... join me, Neera."
She turned, eyes wet. "What...?"
"I'm building something.
An organization... that walks outside of light and darkness.
A place for those cast away by this world. Misunderstood. Forgotten.
We are... the shadows that will rewrite the world."
Neera bit her lip.
Her tears fell... and slowly, she lifted her hand... and accepted my grasp.
"...Alright," she whispered.
Wow, that was easy, I thought, stifling a small laugh inside.
But, as the shadow protagonist, of course I wouldn't show that joy on my face.
I turned slowly, walking away from her.
"Our organization is called... Nocturne Eclipse."
My footsteps echoed through the underground chamber, shrouded in heavy and mysterious atmosphere.
And without turning back, I said,
"From now on, you will wander. Find other potential members. I will call you... when the time comes."
Neera just stared at my back as I walked away.
And that night...
I returned to the Altherion house like usual.
Acting like a normal eight-year-old boy.
Clumsy, awkward, insignificant.
But behind that innocent face...
I was the mastermind of a secret organization that would shake the world.
Nocturne Eclipse.
The shadow... had just begun to move.
When morning came, the Altherion estate was in chaos.
Servants panicked.
Guards ran everywhere.
Cries and shouting filled the mansion.
My sister... had been kidnapped.
My father, that bald-headed man... fainted on the spot. Truly pathetic.
I just stood in the middle of all that mess, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Pretending to be a confused child who didn't understand anything.
"Oh right... in case you didn't know, my sister's name is Lycia."
I turned away from the noise without a word, then took a deep breath.
It was time to move.
I activated my secret communication spell and contacted Neera.
"Neera. Have you found other members?" I asked flatly, but with pressure.
"Yes," Neera replied from the other side.
But then...
"...They're all girls."
I went silent for a moment.
The wind blew softly.
...Seriously? I thought, resisting the urge to sigh.
But now wasn't the time to debate Neera's recruitment preferences.
Focus.
I spoke again, my tone tightening, aura slowly flowing from my body.
"Neera. I want you to start locating my sister now. Use your abilities... I'll channel some of my mana from here."
"Understood," she replied calmly, but I could sense a faint nervousness from afar.
Then I began channeling my mana, deep, thick, flowing like the shadows cloaking the night.
Far away where Neera was, she gritted her teeth.
"I... I can feel enormous mana...!"
Perfect.
I slowly opened my eyes, then smiled faintly.
Tonight...
Tonight... my stage begins.
As the White Reaper.
The shadow who will overturn the world.