The white portal swallowed him.
For a moment, Arjun felt weightless.
No sound.
No light.
No time.
Only a strange pull dragging him through endless emptiness.
Then—
FLASH!
A blinding light exploded before his eyes.
Arjun stumbled forward and nearly fell.
Cold wind brushed across his face.
He looked up.
And froze.
He was back.
Back in the city.
But something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The same streetlights stood overhead.
The same buildings surrounded him.
The same road stretched before him.
Yet the world no longer felt normal.
The air itself felt heavier.
Darker.
Like something invisible had seeped into reality.
Arjun slowly turned.
Behind him—
the portal was gone.
Only an empty alley remained.
He stared at his surroundings.
"This… is Earth?"
Cars moved in the distance.
People walked nearby.
A man crossed the road while looking at his phone.
A woman laughed while speaking to someone.
Everything looked ordinary.
Normal.
But Arjun could feel it.
A faint pulse moving through the city.
Shadow energy.
Everywhere.
"…No."
His eyes narrowed.
"It's changed."
Or maybe—
he had changed.
He raised his hand slowly.
The black mark on his palm flickered once beneath his skin.
For a split second, he saw dark smoke drifting around strangers as they passed.
Then it vanished.
Arjun lowered his hand.
"So I can see it now…"
He wasn't looking at the world the same way anymore.
He was seeing what had always been hidden.
And that thought made his chest tighten.
How much had he never noticed before?
A Familiar Name
Arjun walked slowly through the rain-soaked street.
The city lights reflected on the wet road.
Hours ago this same place had been where he died.
Where everything ended.
Yet somehow—
he had returned stronger.
He stopped near the same broken streetlight where Rohan had left him bleeding.
The memory flashed in his mind.
Rohan's cold voice.
Nisha's empty eyes.
The betrayal.
His expression darkened.
He clenched his fist.
"They're still here."
The old rage rose inside him again.
But this time—
it felt different.
Before, it was pain.
Now—
it was control.
He could hunt them down right now.
He could make them suffer.
But after everything he had seen—
they suddenly felt small.
Insignificant.
Rohan and Nisha had destroyed his old life.
But now Arjun had stepped into something much bigger.
And for the first time—
revenge no longer felt like enough.
Still…
his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket.
Arjun blinked.
He slowly pulled it out.
The screen was cracked.
Rainwater still clung to the edges.
Yet it somehow still worked.
And on the screen—
a message.
From Rohan.
Rohan:Where the hell did you disappear to?
Arjun stared at the words.
Then another message appeared.
Rohan:We need to talk.
Arjun laughed.
A cold, quiet laugh.
"Now you want to talk?"
He stared at the screen for several seconds.
Then locked the phone.
"Later."
Because right now—
something else mattered more.
The system suddenly appeared.
DING
[New Main Quest Available]
Arjun stopped walking.
A blue screen appeared before him.
Main Quest: The Hidden City
Locate the first Shadow Rift Discover the truth of awakened humans Reward: Unknown
Time Limit: 24 Hours
Arjun stared at the words.
"Awakened humans?"
So he wasn't alone.
That silver-haired girl had already confirmed it.
There were others.
Others who knew about this world.
Others who knew what the mark meant.
And apparently—
others who might want him dead.
A strange thrill ran through him.
"Good."
His old life had been simple.
Predictable.
Weak.
This?
This was something else.
Something dangerous.
And for some reason—
he didn't want to run anymore.
The First Sign
Arjun followed the strange pull in the air.
The mark on his hand felt warm.
Like it was guiding him.
He walked through narrow side streets.
Past closed shops.
Past sleeping apartments.
Deeper into the city.
Until finally—
he stopped.
An abandoned subway entrance.
Half broken.
Old caution tape fluttered in the wind.
The sign above the stairs was rusted.
Nobody had used this station in years.
Yet dark smoke leaked from the entrance.
Thin.
Almost invisible.
Except to him.
Arjun looked down into the darkness below.
"So this is the rift."
The system confirmed it.
[Shadow Rift Detected]
Threat Level: Unknown
Arjun smiled faintly.
"Unknown again?"
He stepped toward the stairs—
Then stopped.
Because someone else was already there.
A man stood at the bottom of the subway steps.
Tall.
Wearing a long black coat.
Face hidden under the shadow of a hood.
He wasn't moving.
Just waiting.
As if he knew Arjun would come.
Arjun narrowed his eyes.
"You've been standing there long?"
The man slowly looked up.
A pale face.
Sharp features.
Golden eyes.
Not human.
Or at least—
not completely.
Then the man smiled.
"Long enough."
Arjun's hand moved instinctively toward his shadow blade.
"Who are you?"
The man chuckled softly.
"That's becoming a popular question tonight."
Arjun's expression hardened.
"I'm not in the mood for games."
The man studied him carefully.
Then his eyes dropped to Arjun's hand.
To the hidden mark beneath his skin.
His smile vanished.
"So it's true."
Arjun said nothing.
The man took one step forward.
"I was hoping the rumors were false."
"Rumors?"
The man's golden eyes narrowed.
"The Shadow King's mark disappeared centuries ago."
His voice lowered.
"But now…"
He looked directly into Arjun's eyes.
"It has returned."
A silence passed between them.
Then Arjun asked quietly—
"And what does that mean?"
The man's answer came instantly.
"It means the balance of this world is about to collapse."
Arjun stared at him.
And for the first time since entering this nightmare—
he realized something.
The creatures inside the gate…
The silver-haired girl…
The memory…
None of it was random.
He hadn't simply gained power.
He had become part of something ancient.
Something bigger than he understood.
And everyone already seemed to know it—
except him.
Arjun's eyes darkened.
"Then start explaining."
The man looked at him for a long moment.
Then sighed.
"You really know nothing."
Arjun stepped forward.
"No."
The shadows around his feet began to rise.
"But I'm learning."
The golden-eyed man smiled faintly.
Not mocking.
Almost impressed.
Then he said the words that made Arjun's blood run cold.
"Then let me welcome you…"
He looked toward the darkness below the station.
Then back at Arjun.
"…to the war hidden beneath your world."
The subway lights suddenly flickered.
And deep underground—
something enormous moved.
🔥 [End of Chapter 9]