SoUl

The bell hadn't rung yet, but students were already packing their bags, chatting about their plans after school. Laughter and conversations filled the air..... All of a sudden, the light outside the windows dimmed unnaturally.

A wave of cold passed through the classroom, making the hairs on Vieira's arms stand on end. The excited murmurs died down, replaced by uneasy glances and hushed whispers.

"Is it gonna rain?" someone muttered.

"Why does it feel so….. so weird in here?" another asked.

Vieira felt it too. But to him, it wasn't just discomfort, it was something deeper.... Something familiar. A presence that gnawed at the edges of his mind, whispering to a part of him he didn't even know existed.

Then, a scream.

HAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The hallway was deathly silent, except for the wet, sickening tearing sound.

Vieira stepped out with his classmates, their curiosity quickly twisting into horror.

A figure stood in the middle of the hallway, hunched over something. The dim, flickering lights barely illuminated the scene, but the smell of blood was overwhelming.

Then, it moved.

A grotesque, shifting entity of pure darkness lifted its head, its glowing red markings pulsing as it turned toward them. In its jagged claws, it held a torn piece of what was once a student. A girl.

Her lifeless eyes stared back at them.

empty.

Something inside Vieira's chest tightened. His friends stood frozen in place, unable to scream, unable to breathe. They didn't know what happened... They didn't want to believe what happened, The weight in the air was unbearable.

Then they saw it.

The Shadow was feeding.

From the remnants of the girl's body, a dim, wispy glow floated toward the creature's open maw. Her soul.

As it consumed, its markings glowed brighter, its form pulsing with power. It shuddered, then turned its gaze fully on them.

Vieira's heart pounded. He could feel it in his bones, in the air, something was wrong. His legs screamed at him to run, but something deeper inside him stirred. A whisper, a pull toward the thing in front of him.

It was familiar.

It was part of him.

The Shadow twitched, then lunged.

Time seemed to slow as it rushed forward, its claws outstretched, ready to carve into its next prey....

Vieira.

The Shadow twitched.

A deep, guttural growl rumbled from its shifting mass, sending a sickening vibration through the floor. Its hollow, soulless eyes locked onto Vieira, and for the briefest moment, something inside him stirred, like a distant voice whispering from the depths of his soul.

The hallway, once filled with whispers and laughter, had become a frozen nightmare.

Blood pooled on the tiles, reflecting the dim, flickering ceiling lights. A girl's lifeless body lay in a grotesque heap, her limbs torn apart as though she had been ripped open by unseen hands. The Shadow loomed over her, wisps of glowing essence flowing from her corpse into its shifting form.

Vieira could hear the faint cries of the consumed, souls being drained into nothingness.

The students behind him barely breathed. Some clutched their mouths in silent horror; others trembled, paralyzed by fear.

Then.....

The Shadow lunged.

It moved impossibly fast, a blur of darkness surging toward Vieira with claws outstretched.

His instincts screamed... MOVE!

But his body refused.

A silver flash erupted between them.

A figure crashed into the Shadow, driving it back with the force of his strike. The hallway trembled as the two collided, sending waves of energy rippling through the air.

Vieira staggered, his ears ringing. When his vision cleared, he saw the newcomer.

A man?! no, a young man, stood in front of him, barely older than a university student. He was clad in torn exorcist robes, his body covered in gashes. Blood seeped from fresh wounds along his arms and face. He gripped a blade glowing faintly with soul energy, but his hands trembled.

The Shadow screeched, its form regenerating rapidly.

"Damn it…" The exorcist coughed, spitting blood onto the floor. "Run, kid! Get out of here!"

Vieira didn't move.

The exorcist barely had time to react as the Shadow struck again. He raised his blade, barely deflecting the blow, but the sheer force sent him crashing into the lockers. He groaned in pain, struggling to push himself up.

The Shadow advanced, its markings flaring as it prepared another attack.

Vieira's fists clenched.

Something inside him burned..... a deep, unfamiliar rage rising to the surface.

The Shadow lunged.

Vieira moved.

His body reacted before his mind could catch up. In an instant, he surged forward and punched the creature square in the chest.

A deep, thunderous impact shook the hallway.

The Shadow staggered back.

For a moment, the students behind Vieira gasped.

Had he hurt it?

No.

The creature barely reacted. Its body rippled where Vieira had struck, like a stone sinking into water.

No soul energy. No real damage.

The Shadow screeched and retaliated. Its claws slashed forward, Vieira barely dodged, the sharp wind from the attack slicing through his uniform.

The exorcist's eyes widened in shock.

"Are you insane?! You can't...."

But Vieira didn't stop.

He threw another punch... then another, and another.

Each strike landed with incredible force, his raw strength making the creature recoil. But no matter how hard he hit, the Shadow regenerated instantly.

It didn't matter.

Vieira kept going.

The students watched in disbelief. "The Shadow should have torn him apart by now... so why was he holding his own?"

The exorcist gritted his teeth. "Idiot….." He forced himself to stand, his sword trembling in his grip.

The Shadow, now angered, unleashed a massive, sweeping strike. Vieira was fast..... but not fast enough.

The claws raked across his chest.

Pain erupted through his body. Blood sprayed against the floor.

Vieira staggered, barely keeping his footing.

The exorcist cursed under his breath. He didn't know who this kid was, but if he kept this up...

No.

He couldn't let him die here.

The exorcist gripped his blade tighter. The soul energy within it flickered weakly, he had already used too much. But he had one last move left.

The Shadow lunged at Vieira, its mouth widening unnaturally....

Now.

The exorcist dashed forward, pouring everything he had into his final strike. His sword carved through the Shadow's body, splitting its core in two.

The creature shrieked.

Its form convulsed violently, markings flashing erratically. The energy holding it together unraveled, and within seconds, it collapsed.

The darkness faded.

The exorcist panted, barely staying on his feet. Blood dripped from his chin as he turned to Vieira, who was still standing, breathing heavily.

".....You...are not... normal," the exorcist muttered.

Vieira looked at his own hands, his knuckles still clenched, blood dripping down his arm.

Something was wrong.

Something inside him was awakening.

And for the first time in his life...

He felt afraid of himself.