The man had appeared in the room out of nowhere. As if his body had emerged from the shadow itself. As he walked across the floor, not a creak or a single sound was made, it was like he was walking on the air itself. Finally, the man stopped and stared down at Ray.

He stopped and stared at Ray for the minute until he started to mumble a few words. Slowly dark shadows started to creep and wrap around Ray's body from head to toe. To Ray, it would all feel like a dream while in real life he was slowly being suffocated.

Ray could feel something happening to his body but his mind wouldn't wake up. Something was suffocating him and it was overwhelming him. It reminded Ray of when he saw the divine being, a similar power but at the same time entirely different.

"Ray run.

" The man said.

The man's voice had managed to trigger something in Ray causing him to open his eyes. When Ray did, all he could see was a dark shadow in the shape of a human figure. Ray's dragon eyes didn't show much either apart from confirming that the man was part of the shadow plague.

The man lifted Ray with the invisible force and out of his bed so now the two stood opposite each over. Ray struggled and struggled using every bit of his power to move but nothing was working. Ray then tried to shout but he was even struggling to take in the air so no words would come out.

"I have finally found you, at last, you must die!

" The man said.

Suddenly the shadows around Ra's body started to tighten harder. With no way-out Ray turned to the system for help. He opened the system with his mind and checked to see if there was anything helpful but none of his skills were working. All that he could do was activate the contract.

Suddenly mana started to leave from the contracted bodies across the academy and enter Ray's own. Ray was careful and made sure the amount didn't topple over a 100. Although 200 mana points would ruin his body when using it, his body was able to heal from this. If he used any more mana then there was no telling what would happen.

When Ray finally had 200 mana points, he was able to barely move his leg. The force against him was incredibly powerful. Ray stomped on the ground as hard as he could causing the wooden floor panels to break but this isn't what Ray was aiming for.

"What is going on!

" Monk shouted as he was woken by the loud noise.

Everyone in the room started to slowly open their eyes and all they could see was Ray being held up by a being completely made of shadows.

"Get off him!

" Gary shouted as he charged in.

The shadow man moved one of his hands and flung it in the direction of Gary. At the same time, Gary suddenly went flying into the air and was knocked back into his own bed.

The doors to the room then swung wide open and Wilfred came rushing in with two guards behind him.

"Get off the boy!

" Wilfred shouted with his long sword held in his hand.

The edges of his longsword started to glow green. The shadow man flung another hand at Wilfred but Wilfred ducked avoiding the invisible force, the two behind him were less fortunate managing to be struck and thrown against the wall in the hallway. Wilfred then slashed the shadow across the shoulder.

The shadows around the man moved and waved as the sword made an impact. Now underneath his shoulder, human flesh could be seen but the attack wasn't strong enough to pierce the skin.

The shadows surrounding the man acted like an ever-moving shield.

Wilfred went to attack again only this time it was a slash across the stomach. The shadow man had no choice but to let go of the shadows holding Ray's body. The shadows left Ray and joined the man blocking Wilfred's sword attack.

The shadow man then quickly Jumped up to the window in the room.

"I'll come back for you!

" The shadow said before leaping out of the window.

Wilfred followed looking over the window edge but there was no trace of the man.

"It's impossible, I can't see him anywhere, as if he suddenly disappeared.

"

Wilfred then turned to the two guards to give his orders.

"Tell the guards to be on high alert, an assassin has tried to kill one of our students.

" He then rushed over to Ray to check on the condition of the boy.

Ray was currently knelt down on the floor gasping for air. It felt like if the shadows were around his body for any longer, he would have been a goner. The others had never seen Ray look like this before, so weak.

The others were suddenly frightened, Ray was the strongest out of all of them, he was stronger than many knights at the academy and so far, had managed to defeat every assassin that had come after his life but this time it was different.

If Ray could do nothing, then what could they have done?

Ray's body finally started to calm down and stop shaking as the oxygen returned to his body and blood cells.

"Take your time,

" Wilfred said,

"Ray I need to ask you, did you manage to see the man's face?

"

Ray shook his head. It was true the man's entire body had been covered in shadows and it was currently night time.

Wilfred then asked another question.

"Do you have any idea who the man was?

"

Ray responded again by shaking his head but this time it was a lie.

The truth was, Ray had an idea of who the man was. When the shadow man spoke most of the time his voice was deep and darkened, as if he was possessed but this was normal for people who were infected by the shadow.

But as Ray was being attacked, he had heard a different voice from the man, one that had warned him to run. A voice that Ray could never forget.

His father's voice.