It was a narrow, dark corridor, with mist on the floor, and its damp walls bore splatters of blood. Silence hung over the entire place, and Lucas could distinctly hear his labored and nervous breathing. Within him, a growing feeling urged him to flee, but for some reason, he was paralyzed. Suddenly, a clear scream of a man is heard from one of the doors that appeared on the previously empty walls.
Lucas was scared because the screams did not cease; they seemed like cries of pain. His steps were cautious and slow, as if fearing for his life. The corridor trembled, making Lucas stumble over something. With part of his face and clothes wet, Lucas noticed that the mist had disappeared, the floor was marble and impeccably clean, contrasting starkly with his surroundings.
Silence returned to hover over the dark place, and a possible drip could be heard in the background. That's when Lucas decided to enter the room where he had heard the scream. The door creaked, and the floor changed to a smooth white surface, resembling a doctor's office. In the background, Lucas saw a chair with a male figure seated in it.
Lucas realized that the person was not well because his arm was bleeding; the drops in the corridor were his, blood, not water. Squatting slowly, Lucas collected his thoughts and cautiously advanced step by step. Something startled him: the corpse in the chair was himself, with a mutilated body, broken fingers, and legs full of nails.
The young man was panicked by what he saw. His hands went to his face, and when something wet and cold touched his face, Lucas realized he was holding a piece of the corpse's facial skin in his right hand. He threw it away in fright, knocking over a noisy item in the process. Immediately, the corpse began to convulse until it emitted a horrifying sound. Lucas felt shivers, his heart rate increased, and his breath seemed to fade away.
- Youuuuu - sounded the now-zombified Lucas, whose face was partially exposed flesh.
- What the hell is this? - exclaimed Lucas.
The zombie fell from the chair, writhing towards Lucas, who was terrified.
- The guuuuilt is youuuuurs! You shouldn't exist! In the basket, you should have died.
Lucas was frightened and barely heard what his zombie version was saying. Suddenly, with an earthquake in place of nothing, Lucas lost his balance, and something hit his head, and everything became clear.
- Lucas, Lucas, LUCAAAAS! - dona Lourdes shook the young man, who gradually regained consciousness.
- Lourdes? - Lucas said, feeling strange as he sat on the floor.
- Boy, what happened?
Lourdes seemed worried, but Lucas hadn't noticed. It was already morning, and the young man seemed to be late.
- I overslept, Lourdes, sorry to cause you worry.
- My little grumpy. I've been taking care of you since you were a child; why would it be different now?
Lucas unconsciously smiled faintly, but subtle as it was, Lourdes noticed, but didn't say anything. She just continued to help Lucas prepare breakfast and pack his bag while the young man bathed.
This nightmare undoubtedly ranks as one of the strangest, but maybe I can talk about it with the psychologist? No, the sessions didn't help at all. Better focus on that later.
Now, showered and ready for college, Lucas ate his breakfast while Lourdes packed the young man's lunchbox in his backpack.
- Yesterday I was afraid, little one. You go out, and the world is so dangerous. Sometimes I feel like I felt with my son Tadeu. Overprotective and with an instinct that always longs to be there by your side to protect you. - the old lady confided to Lucas, who stared at her with an affectionate look, even though the young man wasn't good with such demonstrations.
Lucas stood up and, putting on his shoes, talked to Lourdes about the feeling that enveloped him the previous night.
- Do you think it could mean something? - the lady asked. - When I was younger, I always heard that dreams are parallel worlds or simulations of situations that our brains create to alert us to something, but well...I'm just an obsolete old woman in a questionable world with questionable thinking.
- I totally disagree with you! - Lucas replied, demonstrating seriousness in his opinion. - You are the best person I know!
- Thank you, my angel! You're a little late, don't you want to take your old bike to get to college faster?
Lucas made a face, showing some reluctance to follow the idea, as it had been two months since the last time he used the bike and fell, rolling almost 10 meters on the ground.
- I will, ma'am, and I hope not to fall this time.
- Good class, my dear.
In a brief hug, Lucas descended in long strides to where he had last left his bike and took it, even dusty. Lucas mounted it and set off as fast as he could. He carried deodorant with him, knowing he would need it when he arrived. The journey was much faster than it would be on foot, but Lucas had lost practice and almost ran over two people and almost got run over. As he approached the school, Lucas began to be alert because he did not know what to expect from the day after Natanael's confusion.
Entering through the garage, he saw the unwanted young man's car, but he identified himself, secured the old bike, and hurried as fast as he could to the classroom, a class that he had forgotten would be the presentation of the college goals for that year, and with that, he ended up finding a crowded auditorium, and Rafaela was there. He tried to avoid her, but the young woman saw him arriving and quickly approached, giving a slap on his shoulder, making a "V for victory" and smiling. Lucas remained serious, nodded, and turned to the speaker who presented the new project, the Freshman Sponsorship System.
It consists of a freshman choosing a senior from the third year to introduce them to the college, rules, projects, among other things described in the speech. Soon the turmoil began, students going back and forth, while Lucas remained immobile, hoping no one would choose him. But when he looked to the side, Rafaela was watching everything while laughing at the students and the confusion to choose.
- You have to choose soon before you run out of a godmother or godfather - Lucas said, turning to leave the auditorium, as he did not want and did not expect to be chosen by anyone.
- It's going to be you, annoying thing! - Rafaela said, holding Lucas by the collar of his shirt.
Lucas almost fell backward with the force of the young woman. Grimacing, he refused, and she insisted that he accept, but he didn't want to until he saw Natanael at a certain distance, staring maliciously at Rafaela and heading towards her. Even reluctantly, he said:
- All right, just don't bother me!
- Yaaaaaaaaay! - The girl celebrated. - Now, I'm sponsored by the smartest guy in college! Another step for my ascent as the world's top botanist!
Lucas stared at her while scratching his head, thinking:
"What mess did I get myself into... Better her with me than with Natanael, the idiot."
- So, Annoying Obi-Wan, what's the supreme teaching of the day? - Rafaela asked with excitement.
- You speak loudly, you know? - Lucas repeated the phrase to the girl, who made a face trying to imitate him. - Since I'm going to have to put up with this the rest of the year, let's do what the college expects...
Lucas led the young girl through each part of the college, explaining the laboratories, different libraries, and freshman Rafaela was attentive, taking notes, laughing, jumping. To Lucas, everything was so strange that he questioned the girl about her choice of him as her mentor.
- Simple! You are the smartest person on this campus, even though I'm pursuing a different course, I should always ally myself with those who have something to add to my journey.
- I wish I could see this Lucas that you see because I don't see myself that way. - Lucas replied, running his fingers over the books as if looking for a specific one.
- What are you looking for? - Rafaela asked, seeing Lucas looking with a face that said:
"We're in a library, what am I looking for..."
Lucas walked through some aisles until he reached the book called "The New Geography," threw it into Rafaela's arms, indicating that he wanted to recommend books that would help her during her course. But a thought hovered over Rafaela.
"How does he know the books I need if he's not even in this area?"
Meanwhile, somewhere in the Chameleon Prison, six individuals escaped from a prison vehicle, a gang of hired mercenaries. Running through the alleys of the suburb, the gang seemed familiar with the area, while the five soldiers ran after the group, their shadows emerging.
Roofs turned into a new ground for the mercenaries; on the right, a shadow in the shape of an owl, a tamer using the shadow to track him in real-time.
Looking at it, one of the mercenaries brought forth his shadow in the form of a small dagger and, throwing it quickly, made that bird dissipate.
- Let's head to the hideout, Lucio? - Asked the slim mercenary who was right behind their apparent leader.
- Your pets are chasing us, didn't you notice? - He replied, showing anger.
With some hand signals, the six faced a construction area full of workers.
- Focus on silence, precise mobility, disguise yourselves, mislead them using the disguise of workers, and we'll meet at the end of the shift or at lunchtime, but don't draw any damn attention to yourselves, you idiots. - Lucio exclaimed again with anger.
- Yes! - They responded in a clear tone of obedience and quickly headed for the construction site.
The gang followed the orders to the letter, eliminating their targets in silence and assuming their positions in that construction site. Meanwhile, the sounds of the Nova Force soldiers running could be heard, heading straight north, where, logically, the gang would have gone if they hadn't infiltrated there.
"Useless government dogs, they declare themselves soldiers, but are fooled by the obvious, a simple disguise. How do these idiots earn good salaries if they can't even do the basics well?"
Lucio thought while pushing a wheelbarrow toward a pile of debris indicated by the site foreman.
In college...
Hours passed, and as the day was different, Rafaela stuck to Lucas, and he bombarded her with things to do, follow, check, learn, sign up, change, access, note down, register...
- Enough! - exclaimed the exhausted Rafaela. - I didn't know there was so much. Can you at least help me put things in my locker?
- Of course! - Lucas took some books and papers he had given to the young girl and accompanied her to the locker.
Rafaela began organizing the items while Lucas told her what helped him get good grades, and the girl thought as she listened to a few words.
"If he studies all this, how does he have time to rest? Does he eat properly? He said he also interns, how? This boy is an alien, I'm sure, or maybe one of those psychopaths? Does he have any friends? People seem not to like him. Must be the grumpy old man face or the rheumatic chimpanzee grimace he makes when he's annoyed with something..."
- Earth to Rafaela! - said Lucas, noticing the girl's daydreaming.
- Sorry! It's just that I started to understand a bit about you and ended up daydreaming with that, plus the tons of information you dropped on me. - said the young girl closing the locker on Lucas's hand, who was putting the last paper in the locker.
A short cry of pain was heard from Lucas, the clumsy girl rushed to help him, rubbing her hands on his while staring, wanting to apologize, but then she started laughing and then laughing out loud because she thought of a chimpanzee with Lucas's characteristic grimace.
Suddenly, Lucas's vision blurred, and an event shocked him; his hands tingled, cramped, and he fainted.
A few moments later, in Lucas's mind...
- The same place? - Lucas spoke back in the torture room he had been in earlier. - If I'm supposed to be here, there must be a reason; I just need to find out.
Lucas noticed that the chair was empty, but he remained alert because there was still a door there that he couldn't enter last time, as many things happened.
In firm steps, he walked toward the door, but it was closed. Lucas tried to force the door, but without success. He thought that if he found the key, which could be in the room, he would get an answer. But something was coming precisely from the closed door, a strong breath, not human. So, Lucas stepped back from the door.
The floor broke, and a voice could be heard in the background:
- Mr. Annoying Thing! - Rafaela shouted.
Lucas was surrounded by people; it wasn't the college infirmary or the college itself.
- Where am I? - Lucas asked, feeling dizzy as he got up.
Lucas looked around carefully; he was with Rafaela, who looked concerned, Lourdes, and the chopper from the other day, Lore.
- New Force West Treatment Center, Lucas. - said Miguel, appearing without his uniform.
He wore regular jeans, a black shirt, and was accompanied by a nurse holding a clipboard.
- You're the soldier from yesterday... – Lucas said, recognizing Miguel.
- Indeed! – replied the soldier.
Rafaela and Lourdes watched the scene in silence.
- Good evening, Mr. Lucas. I'm Vivian. – The nurse began to speak. – You presented symptoms of Cerebellum overload and ended up fainting. Your study partner called for help, and the college brought you to us.
Lucas still felt intense pain in his head, and there was a strong discomfort in his right hand, as if it were burning.
- The Shade Virus manifests in childhood or only in moments of stress. I'm 24 years old, just a regular civilian.
- I understand your reluctance to the facts, but we cannot rule out the possibility that you may manifest your shadow at some point. – said the nurse as she approached Lucas with her clipboard still in hand.
- Are you saying that I wasn't vaccinated when I was born and now I might die?
Lourdes, a bit agitated due to her concern for the young man.
- I'm sure you guys from the New Force can fix this so he can have a normal life. My boy is a good kid, and he has so many plans, please, Vivian.
- Lourdes, I will just vaccinate him, and he will undergo some standard tests and be released within 48 hours. – Vivian replied, looking seriously at Lourdes, who seemed to express sadness.
- Lourdes. – Lucas exclaimed, staring at his adoptive mother with a firm look. – I'll be fine; it was just a lack of... ow.
Lucas didn't notice, but Vivian pricked and vaccinated him with remarkable speed, but the jab made Lucas dizzy.
- Mr. Ícaro, sir? – The nurse exclaimed, letting go of everything to catch the young man who was falling unconscious from the bed, but Miguel was quicker and held him.
- This boy seems like my boss... tsk, probably something has repressed the virus cells in Lucas all this time, but now he's no longer inhibited, so it's starting to attack Lucas because the virus may have seen him as an antibody to be defeated, hence these two consecutive faints.
Miguel put him back on the bed and turned to the companions, escorting them out of the room, as he needed to make room for the medical team to work.
- Sir, will Lucas be okay? – Lourdes asked.
- Certainly! As I said, possibly, some kind of inhibitor prevented Lucas from manifesting, but some event triggered all of this.
- It must have been me! – Rafaela said sadly. – I'm annoying.
- Far from it, girl! – Miguel retorted. – Since the 10s after the War, humanity began to adapt to everything. We might be facing a more aggressive variant, but none of this is caused by any stress you've caused. I assure you, this is normal.
- Rafaela, your parents are asking about you; they are worried. Today was that Verus Society ball where you were supposed to give a speech. – Lore began to speak.
- Tell them I'm dealing with something more important; I'm taking care of a friend!
Again, in Lucas's mind...
Lucas was already dissatisfied with being there again but began to understand what all that place could be.
"This must be some kind of mental palace of the virus, where I leave either dead or with a shadow. I would rather just be a developer than the two previous options, but since we're here, let's see where it goes."
Lucas quickly advanced through the room and started looking for the key.
"Drawers?... No... Cabinets?... No... Where could this shit be if there's only this here?"
At that moment, Lucas felt something in his pockets, a keychain with only one key with a tag that read: "DOOR."
"Seriously? What a fucking nasty trick."
Lucas rushed, and when he inserted the key, the door began to shake; there was something on the other side. Lucas feared, but something told him to go on. Lucas gave the last turn with the key, and the door calmed down, so Lucas opened it and ran backward, but nothing came out of the dark place revealed to Lucas.
"A large space full of various nothings... What a damn waste of time; I want to see the psychologist explain this shit."
Lucas felt something in his chest; it burned, burned more until Lucas felt an impulse in his chest and was thrown backward, another impulse, and Lucas was thrown toward a wall there in the place, a flash, and Lucas was standing and conscious in the hospital room.
Miguel was staring at him with his scythe ready to attack if necessary; behind the soldier were Lourdes and Rafaela, apparently both frightened as they looked at Lucas, who then understood nothing of the situation.
- Young man, we can say that you are no longer an ordinary person. – Miguel said while pointing to Lucas's hands, which had some kind of abstract black thing in motion on his hand.
Terrified, Lucas shook his hand as if trying to remove something sticky, and the shadow dissipated.
- So it's true, huh?
Miguel nodded to Lucas, seeing that the boy was lucid, dissipated his shadow, and lowered his guard. At that moment, Lourdes ran towards Lucas to hug him, as being the mother of a deceased ex-New Force in action, she had terrible memories and did not want the boy to have the same fate in his life.
Lucas realized that one thing he knew: with the awakening of his shadow, he would need to go for enrollment in the New Force obligatorily, and for some reason, this seemed like a very big and dangerous turning point.
"I'm not a kind of hero from comic books or anything like that; just follow things, and there must be some programming area in the middle of all those uniforms."
- Lucas Ícaro! – Miguel began to speak.
3 weeks later...