Chapter 5: The Silent Threat in the Shadows
The Chip Test was entering its deadliest phase. The weak had already fallen. Only the determined, the cunning, and the powerful remained on the battlefield. Those still standing bore more than just bruises and exhaustion — they carried dreams, burdens, and burning ambitions in their eyes.
Sohan, Isha, Lamia, and Nose had grouped up after the last fight. Breathing heavily, they stood in a small clearing surrounded by broken trees and scattered dust.
Sohan rested his hand on the hilt of his katana, his breathing slow but steady.
"Everyone okay?"
"I'm fine," Lamia replied, retracting her weaponized hair strands back into their natural form.
"I'm okay too," Isha added gently. Her soothing voice was like the calm after a storm. "But… doesn't the air feel heavier all of a sudden?"
Nose narrowed his eyes, scanning the surroundings. "Shh… Something's coming."
---
The forest went eerily still. The wind froze. Even the leaves stopped rustling. There were no birds, no footsteps, only silence — a suffocating, unnatural silence.
Sohan instinctively reached for his katana. His senses were screaming. Danger wasn't coming — it was already here.
Then it came — a whisper.
"You've come too far... too quickly."
The voice was cold. Emotionless. Like it didn't belong to a human.
"Who's there?!" Sohan demanded.
From the shadows emerged a figure cloaked in black, his face obscured by a mask. His presence was unnatural — the shadows at his feet writhed like living creatures.
"I'm not here to take the exam," the masked figure said. "I'm here to stop you."
---
Isha stepped forward. "Are you a participant?"
Nose narrowed his eyes. "Or... are you from Faw?"
The figure chuckled softly. "Not yet. But I can feel its shadow... and it's watching you closely."
He pointed directly at Sohan.
"I've come to see how far you've grown, Sohan."
Sohan's eyes widened. "How do you know my name?"
"I know everything about you. Like how you don't know... where your brother is."
The words hit Sohan like a dagger.
---
"You... know my brother?"
"Your brother?" The figure tilted his head slightly. "He's not your brother anymore. He's something far worse."
Sohan took a step forward, fury burning in his eyes.
"Where is he?! Tell me!"
"If you want to know..." the figure raised his arms, "...prove you deserve to."
That was the last straw.
Sohan shot forward, channeling Fire and Wind into his blade.
"Breath of Flame and Gale — Third Form: Blazing Slash!"
His katana glowed, trailing flames as he spun and struck directly at the figure's chest.
But—
Nothing.
The figure vanished — no sound, no trace. Only a whisper behind his ear.
"You're too slow."
---
Sohan turned with a gasp, but the figure had already backed off.
Nose whispered, "This guy… He's not normal. He's… like a shadow."
"Let's strike together!" Isha said, extending a gentle pulse of light to reveal the area around them.
Lamia's hair extended like steel wires, surrounding the figure's last known position. Nose hurled a sphere of electricity, and Sohan launched another high-speed slash, mixing lightning and air.
But again — the shadow moved like smoke. Unharmed.
"You're strong," the figure said, now emotionless again. "But strength alone won't save you."
He bent down and placed a hand on the ground.
The ground turned black.
---
Dark mist surged from the earth, spreading like ink in water. It covered the field, swallowing sight and sound.
"I can't see!" Isha called out.
Sohan closed his eyes. He could feel his heartbeat — his breath — the nature around him.
> "Nature… respond to me. Guide me through the dark."
He took a deep breath. His katana started to glow — not just with fire or lightning — but with an eerie blend of elements. The edge crackled with power.
The mist began to part.
---
Sohan launched forward, slicing through the darkness with a new form.
The figure tried to dodge again — but this time, Sohan was faster.
The blade grazed the shadow's shoulder. Sparks flew.
A pause.
"You actually..." The masked figure looked down at the torn edge of his cloak. "Interesting."
---
Sohan raised his blade again, breath steady.
"Tell me where my brother is."
But the shadow had already begun to fade.
"I'll be watching you, Sohan. Next time... I won't be alone."
And with those last words, he vanished into the darkness — leaving only cold air behind.
---
As the mist cleared, the forest returned to normal. Birds chirped again. Wind returned.
Nose stepped beside Sohan. "You alright?"
Sohan nodded slowly. "He knew about my brother…"
Lamia said nothing. Isha gently touched Sohan's arm.
There was silence between them — heavy and unresolved.
---
> "That wasn't just a test," Sohan whispered to himself.
"That… was a warning."
---
[Chapter 5 End]
> Next Chapter Preview:
As the Chip Test continues, Sohan's connection to a mysterious past begins to surface. New enemies emerge, more dangerous than ever. And somewhere, in the hidden chambers of Faw... his brother watches, waiting.
---