After finishing his shower, with half-dried hair and a black hoodie covering his school uniform, Al walked out to the front yard.
Empty.
No car. No driver.
His father must still be furious. The family car would no longer pick up or drop off Al.
"Hmm, walking again..." he muttered, shrugging.
Casually, he pulled out his phone, which he had just turned back on, and called someone from his contact list.
Contact Name: Indra
"Hello, Indra?"
"Yo! Al, what's up—"
"I'm heading to your place for a bit, like usual."
"Hah? Ugh. Looking for a free nap spot again, huh? You usually just show up without warning."
"Ok."
Al gave a small smile.
After ending the call, he strolled along the sidewalk. Then... his eyes narrowed. That familiar aura again.
The stalker.
Still the same as yesterday. Cool-looking, like a bodyguard from an action movie, with surveillance moves that were far too predictable.
Al smirked.
He kept walking calmly. No running. No glancing back. He knew the bodyguard thought he could spy better this time.
They reached a major intersection in the city center. People began flooding in from all directions—vendors, students, office workers, beggars, all blending together.
Just like yesterday.
And then...
TICK.
The light turned green.
People began to scatter.
The bodyguard, hyper-alert, scanned in every direction.
"Okay... black hoodie... 175 cm... heading... left? Or right? Wait, he was... in the center? Huh?!"
The next second.
"...Son of a—HE'S GONE AGAIN?!"
Al continued strolling down a narrow alley.
Elsewhere, the bodyguard quickened his pace, panicked, losing Al's trail for the second time. Al glanced slightly back.
"I thought he'd take a break... after last night."
---
FLASHBACK — THE NIGHT BEFORE
Al stood in his room, readying for his nightly activities. He gazed at the long shadow cast by the outdoor light creeping through his window.
He knew.
Someone was watching from afar.
A bodyguard in black stood at a distance, like a failed statue in a horror garden, eyes locked on Al's room.
Unfortunately... he didn't know Al had left five minutes ago.
Al had used Elemental Magic: Dark Type – Shadow Blend, a high-level darkness element skill that lets him blend into the floor shadows.
"He might stand there all night watching an empty room," Al mumbled, lounging in the shadow corridor.
Then a mischievous thought popped up.
"Hmm... what if I mess with him a bit?"
Using his skill, he dragged the bodyguard into the shadow.
WHAM!
The guard gasped. Total darkness. It felt like being wrapped in a living black blanket.
"Where am I?!"
He panicked, then sensed an unseen presence.
"Who are you?!"
"I'm... your nightmare," Al whispered from behind.
Then Al beat the living hell out of the bodyguard in the shadow space. A kick to the gut. An elbow to the jaw. Even a series of slaps.
The guard tried to fight back, but the level difference was massive. Every strike missed, cutting through only dark mist.
Finally...
BAM!
The guard flew out of the shadow, unconscious. Al then hung him behind the house, beaten and bruised, wearing only... plain red underwear.
The next morning, a maid taking out the trash screamed:
"GHOOSTTT!!"
Morning – David's Room
The bandaged, limping bodyguard reported:
"Sir David... last night... there was an intruder..."
"Huh? An intruder??"
"I couldn't see his face. He attacked from the darkness. I couldn't touch him."
Annoyed, David checked the CCTV footage.
Nothing.
Al's room? A blank spot.
David sneered.
"Don't tell me you had a dream and fought your own shadow in your sleep."
But the guard's face was a mess. One black eye, split lip, swollen cheek. David was irritated but let it go. Still unconvinced, but with no proof he was lying.
"If it were Al... I should be able to sense his energy. But he's just a filthy, empty shell. Like... a used mop bucket."
"No way it was him. What kind of intruder could beat a guard of your level to such a—ah, whatever. I have to get to school."
David stared at the sorry state of his bodyguard.
---
Back to the Present
The panicked guard, having lost Al again, began acting erratically, looking suspicious.
A nearby traffic officer approached.
"Sir, sorry, can you remove your mask?"
The guard stammered.
"Sorry, I—"
"Please cooperate."
Reluctantly, the guard pulled down his mask.
WHAM!
The officer recoiled, almost dropping his baton.
"Wh-what happened to your face, sir?!"
"Are you seriously injured? Do you need an ambulance? Were you assaulted by a gang?!"
"It's fine, sir. I... I just fell from grace, sir..."
Seeing the cop still stunned and the crowd beginning to gather, the bodyguard panicked and fled before getting detained.
Meanwhile...
Al finally arrived at Indra's house. Located on the city's outskirts, it was larger than an average home, yet still felt humble. Parked in the front yard: a family car and a large fish delivery truck reeking of the sea.