THE Son of the SHADOW

In a world where the sun was a forgotten myth, the sky was a ceiling of bruised purple and the air tasted of cold iron. In the city of Oakhaven, people didn't fear the dark—they feared what grew within it. Every citizen dragged a shadow that felt like a leaden weight, a silent, oily monster tethered to their heels. To have a shadow was a burden; to hear one speak was a death sentence. Then there was Elian. While the city shivered in silence, Elian whispered to the pavement. And for the first time in a thousand years, the darkness whispered back. They called him the Son of Shadow, and they cast him out into the wastes to die. But Elian wasn’t dying. He was waking up.