There were countless things to test, really. The ability I had chosen had so many variations and potential uses that simply identifying them would take more than a day. Mastering them? That was another matter entirely—one that only time could resolve. A great deal of time.
Still, I decided to start with what I already knew. I turned my head downward, searching for my shadow. Unfortunately, the house I was crashing in was pitch black, making it impossible to distinguish between my shadow and the surrounding darkness. No matter. There was always the direct approach.
"Hey, creepy fool, get out here," I called, not bothering to hide my irritation.
Silence.
Of course, a sentient entity wouldn't respond to a summons phrased like that. I sighed, rubbing the bridge of my nose before trying again.
"Alright, I'm sorry, buddy. Come here."
This time, the air shifted. The darkness in the room thickened, pressing against me in a way that felt almost… sinister. That was new. I hadn't felt this sensation the last time it appeared, but before I could dwell on it, I caught the vague outline of its form materializing in front of me.
Good enough.
I placed my box of luxury—a.k.a. my cereal—on the nearby table and stood up.
"Can you talk?" I asked.
It didn't answer. Just stood there, staring at me with the unsettling intensity of something calculating all the ways it could end me before I even had a chance to blink.
That, of course, gave me my first experiment.
"Alright. Punch me."
I barely had time to lift my hands before a fist—my own, technically—collided with my face, launching me backward into the dining room wall.
Pain flared. My vision blurred for a few seconds, but I could have sworn I saw it smirk. My smirk.
"Being abused by myself again, huh?" I muttered, rubbing my cheek as I got back up.
I should have been mad, but honestly? That hit had been solid. Too solid. Which meant that my shadow was not only faster but also stronger than me. Not by an impossible margin, but enough that I hadn't even had time to brace for impact. That was important. In battle, no one was going to politely wait for me to prepare myself. This was a lesson I apparently needed.
I exhaled sharply, stepping toward it.
"Don't get cocky," I warned. "You're an actual shadow, which means you're naturally stronger in darkness. But that also means…"—I grinned—"you'll be far weaker than me during the day, right?"
It didn't answer. Just turned its head away, as if sulking.
That only made my grin widen.
"Then remind me to pay you back later in broad daylight."
Moving on from physical capabilities, I decided to test something else.
"How good are you at stealth?"
Again, I wasn't expecting an answer, but before I could even blink—he was gone.
If not for the overwhelming sensation of his presence still lingering, I might have thought he had just fled. But no. I reached out to where he should have been… and felt nothing. No resistance. No form.
Interesting.
"Alright, come back," I said.
A hand landed on my shoulder from behind.
I made a noise I will not be documenting for future reference and—like a totally dignified individual—leapt straight into the table, nearly knocking over my cereal. Miraculously, I caught it in time.
"You bastard," I hissed, clutching the box like it was my firstborn.
Yes, I was mad. But at the same time… I was grinning.
Even though he was an absolute menace, the shadow was still mine. Meaning its strengths were also mine. Not only was it stronger and faster, but it could also turn incorporeal. The real question was: was this limited to darkness, or could it phase through things anytime, anywhere?
"Do it again," I said, walking up to him.
He vanished once more.
"Now punch me."
This time, he hesitated. I saw a swirling mass of darkness crash into my face… only for it to phase straight through, like mist dispersing around solid matter.
"Bummer," I muttered, though my smile remained.
So, he couldn't deal damage while incorporeal. But on the flip side, nothing could harm him in that state either. That had potential. A lot of potential. If my opponent didn't know that fact, I could use it to my advantage.
This was good.
For the first time since waking up in this ridiculous world, things were looking up.
Despite being nothing more than a specter conjured by my ability, my shadow was still a presence—a companion of sorts. There was something oddly comforting about that.
I was just about to settle back down and resume indulging in my beautiful box of Pops—that was the only word on the packaging I could read properly—when another thought struck me.
"Can you—"
I didn't even get to finish my sentence.
As if reading my mind—something I was beginning to suspect it could do—the shadow shifted.
And then, it was me.
My exact reflection, down to the last detail.
Well. Almost.
Its eyes. They weren't different in color—still that same beautiful green as mine—but there was something… abyssal about them. A depthless void staring back at me.
I had barely begun processing this when exhaustion hit.
Not a sudden crash, but a slow, creeping fatigue that slithered through my bones like a weighted chain.
A jump scare shouldn't have drained my energy. No, this was something else. And with a sigh, I realized what.
"Return," I commanded.
Darkness coiled around its form before peeling away, collapsing back into the formless shadow on the floor. The moment it did, the weight lifted.
Of course. Summoning it drained me. But being in the presence of darkness restored me. That was why I hadn't noticed the fatigue earlier—until it took on my shape, which likely cost more energy than usual.
Still. A worthwhile trade-off. If it could shift into me, then maybe—just maybe—it could shift into other things as well.
Monsters, perhaps?
I had my doubts, but if it could... well, that would be a game-changer. Though, something told me that turning into a monster would drain me faster than a university student's bank account in the first week of the semester.
For now, my mind had earned its rest.
I flopped onto the couch, thinking of ways to integrate my shadow into actual combat. Then, just as I was about to close my eyes, I decided to test one last thing.
Placing my hands on the couch, I focused.
And felt them.
Shadows. All of them, scattered throughout the building. It was like reaching out to a crowd, brushing against their presence. But when I tried calling to one—willing it to move—nothing happened.
Sigh number twenty-one.
Not a total loss. The fact that I could sense them meant I was on the right track. They just weren't responding yet. And honestly? I wasn't about to waste brain power figuring out why.
Sleep was calling, and this time, I didn't intend to fight it.
I surrendered to the pull, slipping into unconsciousness.
Intentionally, for once.