Shadow slave: In The Eye of The Beholder

*SCREEEECH!!!*

In one of the more intact parts of the outskirts, a sleek matte-black PTV skidded to a halt in front of a police station. The vehicle tipped precariously before settling back on its wheels, the tires still smoking from the sudden stop. Inside, one passenger remained glued to their seat, completely unfazed, while the other was flung forward, only saved from a face-first collision with the windshield by the tight grip of their seatbelt.

The passenger door slid open with a mechanical hiss, and the grey-haired occupant, still clinging to the door for comfort, tumbled out onto the concrete driveway. Though his enhanced body prevented any injury, his less-than-graceful exit drew a hearty chuckle from the driver.

Silas recovered from the fall, quickly dusting himself off before casting a furtive glance at Winter, who continued to grin. Did she find it amusing to terrorize him with her reckless driving? He had only decided not to jump out of the vehicle with the reassurance of [Beholder's Eye].

The string had stayed consistent as she drove, never veering toward a random wall or sudden crash. So, amidst the chaos, he knew she wouldn't crash immediately. Even with that reassurance, the experience was still unnerving.

Under Silas's glare, the mischievous master finally spoke up.

"Had fun there?"

Silas only stared deeper, unamused.

"It felt like I was going to die any second. Of course, that's fun, but I had to rely on your driving not to actually die, that was not fun.

Winter raised an eyebrow. "Oh, so you don't trust me. Fair enough, I did get a bit carried away. But it was incredibly funny to watch you hold on for dear life."

Silas absorbed her words, accidentally muttering, "Are all masters this crazy?"

He quickly realized his mistake, but Winter responded before he could explain himself.

"Pretty much. Although some might put on a façade of being perfectly put-together, it's basically never the case. Every master has had their time against the Spell and Nightmares, so in one way or another, we're all a bit crooked."

This new addition deepens the emotional resonance of the scene, giving a more profound insight into Winter's character and the harsh realities of the world Silas inhabits. It effectively adds layers to the narrative, making Winter's advice more meaningful and grounding the conversation in the broader context of the story.

Silas, a bit surprised, absorbed her words.

If master's had been affected to such a degree, what would saints be like? He knew the propaganda that elevated them to reverence, yet one thing remained clear: they had all been mundane at one point, not born into power but forged through trial after trial against the worst the Spell had to offer. The ones that remained had surpassed the peers who found solace in death.

An awkward silence lingered before Winter broke it a few moments later.

"Well, see you later, Silas. I hope we can meet again in the future."

Her eyebrows drooped, and though her eyes were hidden behind shades, there was a somber tone in her voice.

"Make sure to stay strong. The Spell has only just begun to incorporate its challenges. I'm sure you've faced immense hardships, but that's only the start of it."

She paused, her voice softening. "Keep yourself alive, no matter how much it feels like the world wants you dead. At least one person—well, me—wants you to come back."

Winter's face broke into a wide smile, though it was tinged with sadness. It was still a beautiful sight.

"Survive so that more people want you to live. It might seem like the whole world is against you, but that's not the case. They just haven't witnessed you shine yet."

Silas stood motionless on the concrete, his eyes tracing the details of the ground before looking up at her opaque glasses.

"I, uh, will. Thanks for the advice, Master Winter."

She scoffed playfully. "Just call me Winter, kid."

A small smile tugged at Silas's lips. "Okay. Goodbye, Winter."

They exchanged waves, and the quiet was abruptly cut off as she sped away, the PTV racing into the streets. It quickly disappeared into the monotony of houses, vanishing in a flash.

Silas kept his gaze fixed on the spot where she had left before sighing and turning to face the daunting police station in front of him. Compared to the terror and his uncle, a couple of corrupt cops seemed mundane, hardly worth his fear. The station was no longer intimidating—just another stop on his path.

He pushed through the doors, the noise drawing the attention of a tired-looking officer. The man eyed the street rat with some caution. Though Silas's appearance had improved since overcoming the first nightmare, his clothes still marked him as an outsider.

The officer rose from behind the counter, sighing before asking, "You're not here to surrender yourself as a carrier of the Spell, right?"

Silas blinked in confusion before replying, "No, I've overcome the trial. I came here to register myself."

The officer's exhausted expression brightened a bit, relief flooding his eyes. "Oh, great. I had another young man come in here before. He was a bit shorter than you but still scared the hell out of me. He could've come earlier but decided to wait a week until doing so. I was unsure if he would turn into a Nightmare Creature at any second."

Silas listened as the man continued to share.

"So, did he pass?"

The officer, clearly pleased to share more, nodded. "Surprisingly, yeah. The shortie managed to beat it. Though if he'd failed, we had it covered."

Silas's gaze shifted upward. Mounted on various parts of the building were automated guns, their barrels plainly visible despite a half-hearted attempt to conceal them. Whoever started the job had clearly given up midway, leaving the machinery exposed—an ominous reminder of the station's readiness for disaster.

"I'm sure you did," Silas mumbled.

The officer nodded again before his expression brightened with sudden realization. "Oh, right! You're here to get registered. If that's the case—" The gruff man turned and bellowed down the hall, "CLARA, GET OVER HERE. I NEED YOU!"

His voice echoed through the station until hurried footsteps approached. One of the many doors down the corridor swung open, and a young woman rushed out, stopping just short of the officer.

"Yes, Chief, what do you need me for?" Clara straightened her posture, trying to stand tall. Her thick-rimmed glasses sat askew, no doubt knocked loose in her haste.

"I need you to register the boy. He's cleared the first trial, so get him integrated into the system."

She quickly turned to Silas, 

"Oh, I can do that, now just follow me and I'll get you all set up."

She led him to a confined room. 

asking one question after another about himself, his situation, and his relationships.

Silas of course shared his name and age, the fact that he was outskirts kid with no family left to care for him too, not sharing his time being taken away by a legacy clan to be experimented of course, knowing what the government had done to the outskirts as a whole, gave him the idea that they would silence him in order to please the clans. 

She brought out multiple tools and began measuring his height, blood type, and many other things to insert into his profile, it felt invasive to have himself be recorded, unlike before where he had a veil of being unknown, the government could easily track him down with the info.

'Well, they probably have a bunch of awakened with aspects that could do it, no system or not, it doesn't really make a difference that I'm in their 'system' they would be able to find me whether I liked it or not.'

After all the tests were done, written into a document on a laptop, she then began interviewing him much to his Suprise, about what he was going to do next now that he completed his trial. 

Silas didn't really have much to say, since plotting to gain power and topple the legacy clans was really the only thing he had on mind, there was no point in telling this of course, so he simply explained that he wished to get stronger. 

Clara tilted her glasses, leaned in inquired. 

"Then why not go to the Acadamy? you'll have instructors to teach you the basics, as well as basic support and free-living space for its students, if you want to become a better sleeper before the soon winter solstice, it's your best shot."

Silas pondered the idea,

There of course were other options to partake in but compared to the other choices it felt much more appealing, other than the fact that he would most likely have to interact with peers from the inner city, maybe even a dreadful legacy or two.

ultimately replying.

"Sure, ill head there."