Aria's mind reeled as she connected the dots. Min-Soo, the brooding ally, had been watching over her. But what about the Shadowborn?
"Moonwhisper, what's the Shadowborn's true form?" Aria asked.
Moonwhisper's eyes gleamed.
"Meet me at your mother's restaurant tonight. The truth will reveal itself."
That evening, Aria arrived at Seoulful, her heart racing. Moonwhisper waited, her presence ethereal.
"Remember, child, the Shadowborn feeds on your family's magic," Moonwhisper warned.
As the restaurant's lights flickered, a figure emerged from the shadows.
"Aria Ordinary," the figure said, its voice low and familiar.
Aria's eyes widened.
"You're...the stranger from my mother's restaurant!"
The stranger's smile revealed razor-sharp teeth.
"I am Kael, the Shadowborn. And I've been waiting for you."
Aria's instincts screamed warning, but she stood firm.
"Why do you haunt my family?" she demanded.
Kael's eyes burned with an otherworldly energy.
"I was once human, bound to your family's service. But darkness corrupted me, and I became the Shadowborn."
Aria's heart sank.
"What do you want from me?"
Kael's voice dropped to a whisper.
"I want your magic, Aria. Your family's power is the key to breaking my curse."
Moonwhisper intervened.
"Aria, don't trust him. He's manipulative."
Aria hesitated.
"But what if he's telling the truth? What if I can help him?"
Kael's smile widened.
"Ah, Aria. You're as compassionate as your mother."
Aria's eyes narrowed.
"What do you know about my mother?"
Kael's gaze seemed to bore into her soul.
"I know she's hiding secrets, Aria. Secrets that could change everything."
As Kael vanished into the shadows, Aria felt her world crumbling.
"Moonwhisper, what secrets is my mother keeping?"
Moonwhisper's expression turned grave.
"That, child, is for you to discover."