The First Shadow

# Chapter Two: The First Shadow That afternoon, Aaron caught his first glimpse of it in the boys' bathroom mirror — a tall figure in a torn black gown, standing where no one stood. He spun around. Nothing. Just dripping faucets and flickering lights. But when he looked back at the glass, the figure was closer. On its cracked white mask, a single red '0' seemed to glow. In the hallway, a boy with pale skin and an old-fashioned uniform blocked his path. Thomas Hale. Aaron had seen his photo in the memorial case — a student who vanished decades ago. "It found you," Thomas whispered, his voice like wind through broken windows. "The Zero Keeper never forgets. It will follow you until sunrise. Whatever you do... do not answer when it calls your name."