---
The stadium roared like a crashing wave.
"UNIT 06 WINS!"
Screams rose into the air, drums echoed across the dome, and lights flared as Elliot and Zane stood at the center of the battlefield — exhausted, breathless, but victorious.
Smoke slowly cleared, revealing the faint, vanishing traces of the Shadow Domain Elliot had unleashed moments ago.
The announcers couldn't keep up.
> "I don't even know what that was! That wasn't just soul pressure—he changed the battlefield itself!"
> "Did that kid just release a domain?! Is that even possible at their level?!"
In the chaos, Unit 06 members — Kayden, Devin, Henry, and Kira — rushed to join them, limping but smiling. Bandaged, bruised, and aching, they still managed to pull their two teammates into a massive group hug.
"You maniac," Henry laughed, his voice hoarse. "You pulled a whole new world outta your shadow!"
Elliot didn't answer.
He was still lost in the echoes of what he had just done.
---
Scene 2: Lexa's Approach
Out of the crowd, Lexa stepped forward, her soul armor cracked and fading away, her blonde hair fluttering softly in the air. Light shimmered around her skin—a natural after-effect of her Light Affinity.
She walked calmly, but her aura was sharp.
Elliot turned as she approached.
There was tension in the air—thick and silent.
"You," Lexa said quietly. "That was your domain, wasn't it?"
Elliot met her gaze.
"I don't know what it was."
Lexa frowned slightly. "You're a shadow user. I'm Light. We're meant to oppose each other, you and I. But that... that domain—it wasn't like any shadow I've ever seen before."
Elliot stayed silent.
She looked him over for a moment longer, then said, softly:
> "You should learn to control it. Shadow can consume more than enemies."
Before turning away, she added with a smirk:
> "Still, impressive. Just don't get ahead of yourself, Elliot."
Then she vanished back into the crowd.
---
Scene 3: Inspectors' Lounge
In a quiet, dim-lit chamber above the field, Inspector Travis leaned against the glass window, arms folded.
Across the room, Inspector Leo stared at the battlefield below.
"So," Travis said, "that was your boy?"
Leo didn't respond at first.
Travis smirked. "Didn't expect that from your cadet. A domain at that level? Tch. You sure you're not holding back secrets?"
Leo sipped his drink calmly. "It wasn't just a domain. It was something ancient."
Travis chuckled. "You're always dramatic."
But the atmosphere remained tense. Though rivals, both men knew what they had just seen. It wasn't normal. It wasn't even military-grade.
It was something far deeper.
And far older.
---
Scene 4: VIP Lounge – The Northern Eyes
Far above, in the elegantly lit VIP Lounge, the real watchers sat in silence.
General Oscar of the Northern Military Region kept his eyes on the screen, unmoving.
To his side sat leaders of prestigious clans—elders, nobles, military heads. One of them, the cold-eyed Jordan Caldwell, head of the Caldwell family, crossed his fingers calmly.
"That domain," Jordan said. "It looked... similar."
Another elder turned. "To who?"
Jordan stared forward. "To Lucan."
The room went quiet.
Lucan—the greatest shadow user in human history. The man who had nearly changed the course of the Great Rift War before being killed by vampires. His Shadow Domain was said to stretch over miles of battlefield, suffocating even high-class vampires before they could move.
"It can't be," someone whispered.
Jordan simply said:
> "Perhaps not him. But the rhythm of that darkness... is familiar."
Another general spoke:
> "Then let's see if he survives long enough."
---
Final Scene: Dorm 06
The celebrations had ended.
Unit 06 was back in their dorm, snoring peacefully. The moon outside was a cold half-glow, casting soft shadows over the tiled floor.
Elliot stood by the window, his hand pressed against the glass.
His thoughts were heavy.
The domain still echoed in his chest, like a memory he didn't remember choosing.
> "It felt... alive. Like it wasn't mine alone."
He closed his eyes.
> "Shadow Domain... Why now? Why me?"
He sighed as he remembered how the Domain came to existence
---