Shadow Guide

In the grand mansion where the Orion family resided, an unusual atmosphere began to take hold. Although everyone celebrated the growth of the young child, some things were far from normal.

From the moment Orion uttered his first word, he never ceased to amaze everyone. He was unlike any other child his age, developing at a pace that surpassed all expectations. In the following days and weeks, his vocabulary grew steadily, and it became clear that he wasn't just repeating words randomly like other children. He understood their meaning and used them intelligently.

A Child Beyond His Years

"Mama..." he said clearly one day, looking at Clara with curious eyes.

Clara felt a slight shiver, not because her son spoke the word, but because his gaze was different. It wasn't the look of a child uttering a new word with joy, but a deep look... as if he were testing its effect on his mother.

It wasn't just a coincidence. In the following days, Orion began to form short sentences. When his grandfather Oscar held him, he said in a calm voice:

"Grandpa... big... strong."

Oscar laughed loudly, but he felt something strange. Orion's pronunciation was very precise, without any of the stutters or common mistakes of children.

His father, Oberon, was more reserved. One night, he sat contemplating his child, who was playing with his hands in the air, as if drawing invisible shapes. It wasn't just a child waving his hands randomly; he seemed to sense something that others couldn't see.

Shadows Moving...

One night, as Clara was putting her child to bed, she noticed something odd. When Orion closed his eyes, the shadows in the corners of the room moved as if pulsating slowly. There was no breeze or changing light source, but the shadows seemed to respond to his presence.

Clara stepped back, her heart pounding. She could have deceived herself and said it was just her imagination, but she saw how one of the shadows wrapped around her child's bed for a moment before fading away.

"I'm imagining things..." she murmured as she left the room, but she couldn't forget what she had seen.

Family Gathering - Growing Anxiety

The next evening, the family gathered as usual in the spacious hall, everyone around the round table, exchanging small talk.

But the atmosphere was different.

Clara watched her son, who sat in her lap, while Oscar observed him curiously, and Mona felt that something strange was in the air.

"He's intelligent... unnaturally so," Clara said in a quiet voice, gently stroking Orion's soft hair.

"Intelligent children are not uncommon," Oberon said in a neutral tone, but he knew it wasn't that simple.

"It's not ordinary intelligence," Mona interrupted, looking directly at her grandson, who in turn was staring at her with deep eyes. "I've seen many children in my life, but I've never seen a child his age do what he does."

Everyone looked at Orion, who seemed unconcerned by the conversation around him. But he suddenly raised his head and looked towards a shadow in the corner of the room.

Then he said in a calm voice, without any hesitation:

"The shadows... are listening."

Everyone froze.

They had all noticed his strange behavior, but this sentence was different. A child less than six months old shouldn't be able to say that, nor pronounce the words with such precision.

"What did you say, little one?" Clara asked, her voice a mixture of concern and curiosity.

But Orion didn't answer, he just continued to look at the shadow, as if he could see something the others couldn't.

At that moment, Anarak didn't need an explanation; he felt it. The connection between him and Orion had become stronger. It wasn't just a link between a shadow creature and a human child, but something deeper, something beyond ordinary understanding.

"He's changing..." Anarak whispered in his depths. "But into what?"

A Moment of Realization

In the following days, these phenomena recurred.

Clara noticed that her son didn't cry much, nor did he scream or get upset like other children. Instead, he was calm, observing the world around him with an analytical gaze.

Oscar, despite his constant joking, watched his grandson with greater attention, and sometimes, he felt a shiver when Orion stared at something that wasn't there.

As for Oberon, he began to feel worried. He tried to convince himself that it was all just exaggerations, but a part of him knew that Orion was no ordinary child.

And one particular night, while everyone was asleep, Orion slowly opened his eyes and looked at the shadows surrounding the room.

Then, in a quiet voice, as if whispering to something no one else could see, he said:

"Anarak... you're here, aren't you?"

Within the shadows, Anarak felt a tremor.

This wasn't just a gifted child.

It was something else entirely.

The moment Orion uttered those words, Anarak felt a tremor he had never experienced before. He was supposed to remain unseen, unfelt... just a shadow observing quietly. But Orion hadn't just sensed him; he had addressed him directly.

"How? How can a human child sense me this quickly?"

Deep within the shadows, Anarak remained silent, avoiding a response. But he knew this silence wouldn't last, and that the relationship between him and Orion was surpassing all expectations.

Strange Occurrences Continue

The Family Watches in Silence

Over the following weeks, the entire family began to observe him closely. It was clear that Orion wasn't just growing physically, but there were other, more complex things happening within him.

One day, as Mona watched him trying to grab one of his toys, she noticed that he wasn't moving randomly like other children. Instead, he was studying the toy, looking at it from different angles, and then reaching for it confidently, as if he knew exactly how to get it.

"This child... doesn't think like a child," Mona muttered softly, while Oscar and Oberon exchanged worried glances.

The First Real Sentence

One evening, while the family was gathered in the great hall, Orion sat on his mother's lap, staring at his father who was reading an important document.

Then, in a clear voice that held no hesitation, the child uttered his first complete sentence:

"Daddy... works a lot."

Silence fell for a few moments.

It wasn't just a simple sentence; it was a conscious observation... an analysis of what he saw around him.

Oberon looked at his son in astonishment, then smiled faintly and said, "Are you watching me, little one?"

Orion blinked before answering, as if considering his reply.

"Daddy strong."

Oscar laughed loudly, while Mona put her hand over her mouth in surprise. As for Clara, she looked at her child with a mixture of pride and concern.

"He's smarter than I expected," Mona said, while Oberon shook his head thoughtfully.

Development Too Fast?

The passing of months didn't just mean an increase in the number of words Orion could say, but his awareness also increased remarkably.

He was only six months old, but he could understand the feelings of others, observe the smallest details, and express his thoughts in clear sentences.

Clara began to notice that some of the servants in the mansion felt uneasy around him, not out of fear, but because his gaze made them feel completely exposed.

On one occasion, when a servant tried to hide a small crack in one of the valuable artifacts, Orion was sitting in his usual corner, looking at him calmly, and then said in a low voice:

"You are scared."

The man almost fell over in fright, while everyone else quickly looked at the child in astonishment.

"What did you say, little one?" Mona asked, but Orion didn't answer, he just continued to look at the servant until the latter began to sweat.

Oscar laughed loudly and said, "It seems our little one is going to make everyone's life difficult."

But the truth was far from funny.

What's Happening to Him?

One night, while everyone was asleep, Orion woke up quietly in his bed. He opened his eyes slowly, then looked at the shadows in the room.

Something was moving there, something invisible to others, but he could feel it.

"Anarak..." he whispered, barely audible.

Within the shadows, Anarak felt a tremor again. It wasn't just awareness, but more like a direct attempt at communication.

"He has grown quickly... too quickly."

He didn't know how or why, but one thing was certain:

Orion was no ordinary child, and this was only the beginning.

The Turning Point

The days passed, and with them, Orion's awareness of the world around him grew. He wasn't like other children, who cried for no reason or laughed at the randomness of things. Instead, he observed, analyzed, and reacted in unexpected ways.

One day, as Clara was carrying him on a tour of the mansion, he suddenly stopped playing with his small fingers and stared at one of the new servants.

The young man was carrying a tray of drinks, but Orion looked at him with strange focus, then whispered a single word:

"You will fall."

He had barely uttered the word when the servant tripped over his own feet, and the tray fell from his hands, the liquid scattering on the floor with the sound of shattering glass.

The servant's eyes widened in shock, while Clara looked at her son in astonishment.

"How did you know that, little one?"

He tilted his head innocently, then said in a calm voice: "He was scared."

Everyone realized that Orion wasn't just learning to talk, but he was learning to understand emotions and expectations, as if he could see things that others couldn't.

Strange Events Multiply

It wasn't just a coincidence, for the older he got, the stranger the events that revolved around him became.

He could tell if someone was lying just by looking at them. He was drawn to places with strange energy without understanding why. And sometimes, things would move on their own around him when he was upset or deeply focused.

The family began to feel that Orion wasn't just a gifted child, but that something unnatural was growing inside him.

Age Six Months - The Incomparable Child

By the time he was six months old, Orion could speak in almost complete sentences. He could name family members and servants, and ask questions that weren't expected from a child his age.

At one family gathering, while everyone was enjoying dinner, Orion looked at his grandfather Oscar and asked in a clear voice:

"Why are you worried?"

Conversations stopped abruptly, and everyone stared at the small child who sat in his high chair, looking at his grandfather curiously.

Oscar laughed, feigning ease, and said, "Me? I'm not worried, little one."

But Orion wasn't convinced, he just continued to look at him before adding: "You're lying."

The fork fell from Mona's hand, and Oberon looked at his son seriously.

"How did you know that, Orion?"

The little child blinked, then said simply: "I feel it."

Undeniable Signs

As time passed, everyone began to realize that Orion was completely different.

While other children his age couldn't even say clear words, he was forming meaningful sentences. While other children cried for food or comfort, he would ask for things with words. He was capable of understanding complex emotions, and even predicting some events seconds before they happened.

Clara began to feel worried. "He's developing unnaturally fast, Oberon. This... this isn't normal."

But Oberon wasn't entirely surprised. He had known his son wouldn't be ordinary from the moment he was born.

Confrontation with Anarak

One night, while everyone was asleep, Orion sat up in his bed, staring at the dark corner of the room. He wasn't scared, but curious.

Then he whispered softly: "Anarak, you're here, right?"

Within the shadow, there was no movement. But Orion didn't need to see him to know he was there.

"Why don't you talk to me?"

The shadow remained silent for a few moments, before a low voice echoed from nowhere:

"Because you are not ready yet."

Orion smiled, as if he had found confirmation of what he had felt all along.

"But I will be soon..."

Within the darkness, Anarak had no doubt about that.