บท 235: Shaddow
Felix Grove maneuvered a metal trolley down the aisles of the supermarket, casually tossing a bag of sandwich cookies into the cart. He was halfway down the snacks aisle when the voice interrupted his quiet.
"Strawberry flavor is garbage," it sneered. "Only idiots like strawberries."
Felix rolled his eyes. "No, only idiots hate strawberries," he muttered under his breath.
"It's up to you. But I'm craving that spicy stuff you keep avoiding… what do you call it again?" the voice asked, feigning innocence.
"Spicy sticks," Felix said with a sigh.
"That's right! Absolutely delicious." There was a pause, then an unmistakable whine. "I want them."
"No," Felix replied with finality. "We're not getting them today."
"But you said we'd buy them next time!" The voice was filled with petulance.
"Sorry. I forgot." Felix shrugged, pushing the cart ahead.
"This is betrayal! Now I'm mad. I'll have to eat you instead," the voice threatened dramatically.
"No, you won't," Felix said, moving on without a hint of alarm. "We're having a vegetarian dinner tonight. It's healthy, and I need to watch my weight."
As he spoke, Felix noticed a woman standing nearby. She was eyeing him with a mixture of curiosity and caution, the wary gaze of someone witnessing a person arguing with themselves in public. The minute she sensed Felix's gaze, her eyes widened, and she quickly returned to browsing a nearby shelf, suddenly very interested in a box of cereal.
Felix's face flushed as he realized he had been talking out loud again.
"…Did I accidentally say all that out loud?" he asked the voice, focusing on keeping the words silent in his mind.
"I want spicy sticks," the voice replied, utterly ignoring his embarrassment.
Felix frowned, pushing the cart faster. "Staying focused and keeping quiet is exhausting. Just keeping this conversation mental takes constant concentration."
"I want spicy sticks," it repeated, more insistently.
"Alright, fine," Felix sighed, grabbing several large bags of spicy sticks from the shelf and tossing them into the cart. "Satisfied now?"
"There we go," the voice replied, smugly satisfied. "I knew you cared."
"I just can't stand your whining," Felix retorted. "Now that you've got what you want, can we have a moment of peace?"
"Yes, sir," it said with mock seriousness.
A welcome silence settled over his mind, but before long, he noticed a young woman across the aisle staring at him with raised eyebrows. Realizing he had been speaking out loud again, he gave her an awkward smile and pointed to his ear, where his hair conveniently covered his ear.
"Talking to my brother on the phone," he lied with a sheepish grin. "The kid's in a bit of a mood." The woman seemed to buy it, returning a sympathetic smile before pushing her cart away.
"Brother? You're the younger one!" the voice huffed indignantly.
Felix ignored it, pushing on.
Yes, this constant chatter was his "phantom," a presence he'd only recently discovered was actually a part of him. It even had a name—Shadow—a name it had chosen for itself. Apparently, Shadow thought it sounded stealthy and dangerous, like a ninja or some kind of assassin.
Felix had learned of Shadow's existence only recently, and accepting it hadn't been easy. Shadow claimed it had always been around, hidden in the recesses of his mind. As he thought back, Felix realized it had been responsible for some very strange events in his life—waking up in odd places, finding enemies mysteriously defeated around him. All of it was Shadow's work, operating behind the scenes.
The Ninth Special Service Division, where Felix worked, had some knowledge of phantoms, though understanding them fully was still a work in progress. Each phantom had its own characteristics. Felix's phantom was different from others, like Fana's, for example. Shadow, whenever it manifested, seemed to take control of Felix's body, almost like an alternate personality hidden deep within him.
When Felix had first learned of this hidden presence, it had shaken him to his core. It took days to come to terms with the fact that he shared his mind with another entity. But, thankfully, Shadow wasn't chaotic or hostile. In fact, its greatest obsession was spicy snacks, making it easy enough to coexist with.
As he left the supermarket, Felix checked his phone, scrolling through a few notifications before noticing an unread voicemail. Tapping the message, he heard the voice of his uncle, Galadin Grove.
"Hey, kid. I know it's been a while since… well, since things got complicated. I realize we haven't had much of a chance to sit down and really talk, but I wanted you to know that we care about you—family does. Every choice we've made has been with your best interests in mind. I hope you can see that, and I hope you'll come to us if you ever need anything…"
Before the message could finish, Felix deleted it, sending it directly to the trash.
"That was harsh," Shadow remarked. "The old guy's not so bad. Ever thought of giving him a chance?"
"Eat your spicy sticks," Felix replied, ripping open a bag and taking a crunchy bite.
Since they shared the same body, Felix's taste buds responded to what Shadow craved. So, when he said "eat," he was actually feeding both of them.
"Mmm, delicious," Shadow purred, clearly savoring the taste.
Felix shook his head, still perplexed at how Shadow could be entrusted with anything remotely serious. Shadow's personality, while entertaining, didn't exactly exude responsibility. It reminded him of a mischievous puppy more than anything else. How had anyone trusted such a carefree being with high-stakes missions?
But with each discovery, Felix uncovered more oddities. The most bizarre revelation was the hidden USB drive he'd recently found in his bathroom—a hidden stash of data, courtesy of Shadow. It turned out that Shadow was actually a covert operative planted by his family, making Felix himself an unknowing spy for their interests. Yet, for years, he'd been in the dark about this arrangement.
His phone buzzed, pulling him back to reality.
"This is Felix Grove… Yes, I'm in the area. Suspicious death, possible infection? Understood. I'll head over to assess."
Pocketing his phone, he sighed. "Alright, we're back on duty."
"Sure thing," Shadow replied with a sigh. Then, with a hopeful tone, it added, "Maybe… we can bring some spicy sticks along?"
"No," Felix said firmly.
"…Fine," Shadow muttered, clearly disappointed.
The reported location was only a few minutes away, at an apartment complex where the local sheriff's department had set up a perimeter. The initial report described it as an ordinary death, but due to recent incidents, there were hints of a potential infection case.
Felix hurried home first, dropping the shopping bags on his living room floor before grabbing his car keys and heading out. He drove to the scene in silence, ignoring Shadow's occasional whimpers for more snacks.
Arriving at the apartment complex, Felix parked along the side of the street and crossed over to the cordoned-off area. The sheriff's deputies, having been briefed, nodded when he showed his ID and waved him through the barrier.
A security officer met him at the entrance, his expression tense as he gestured toward the crime scene.
The victim was a man found in bed, his body twisted in an unnatural position. As Felix stepped closer, the horror of the scene became apparent.
The man's skin was ashen, pulled taut over his bones, giving his face and body the appearance of a mummified corpse. Every inch of his skin was wrinkled and dry, as though all moisture had been drained from him. His eyes, wide and unseeing, were fixed in a look of utter terror. His arm was extended toward the window, as if he'd been reaching for some final, impossible escape. Every limb looked brittle, skeletal, as though it might crumble to dust at the lightest touch.
Felix felt a chill creep up his spine. "Have you determined the cause of death?" he asked quietly.
The officer's face twisted slightly, and he leaned in to answer in a hushed tone. "In layman's terms… he was drained."
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