ushernet Chapter 206 The Race for Naomi
Chapter 206 The Race for Naomi
"Shadow Manipulation Bond!"
The words shot out like instinct, and in a blink, Parker disappeared. His body wasn't flesh anymore—it was shadow, pure and primal, liquid darkness stretching and bending as he melted into the floor.
He became the shadow itself, slipping through cracks and slicing across the ground like a living void, hunting the faint, dark streaks left in Naomi's wake. His form cut through the thick, musty air of that cursed old building like a bullet tearing through silence—faster, faster, like his own heartbeat was screaming at him to move.
The trail was sharp, clear—there. He chased it with everything he had until—
BAM! BAM!
What the hell—
It hit him like a goddamn freight train. One second, he was unstoppable—unstoppable—slicing through the dark like a living nightmare, and the next—slam.
Like running headfirst into a fucking mountain.
The shadow form shattered.
Parker was ripped out of the darkness and thrown like a ragdoll, his body slamming into the cold, cracked floor with brutal force. The impact ripped the air straight from his lungs, leaving him choking on nothing but pain and out of breath in lungs. It was like smashing into an invisible brick wall at full speed.
His back screamed as he skidded, the ground tearing into him like sandpaper, and—fuck—blood was already dripping from his nose, warm against his skin.
What the fuck was that?
His vision blurred—just for a second—his brain rattling from the hit like someone had shaken his skull from the inside out. And the air? Off. Wrong. It felt thick, heavy as hell, like the room itself was suffocating him.
But when his eyes darted around—nothing. Just shadows and silence, mocking him with their emptiness. A shimmering veil of shadowy energy tore itself apart the second he hit it, ripping into threads of dark smoke and fading into nothingness.
His breath ripped from his lungs. His whole body ached—like he'd just slammed into a goddamn freight train.
And then—
[Ding! Plundering... You have absorbed dormant shadows!]
[Your Shadow Manipulation Bond grows stronger!]
[New Plundering Ability Unlocked: Dormant Energy Plunder!]
Evelyn had definitely seen Naomi earlier today. No way she was the type to ditch class—Naomi skipping was like, illegal in her little world of perfection. And yesterday... she remembered seeing Naomi with Parker.
Shit.
Suddenly, the puzzle pieces started clicking together—and the picture wasn't pretty. Parker showing up in class, looking like he'd just seen a ghost or worse, lost control of something terrifying. Naomi wasn't here now.
No. Nope. Not good. This is not good.
Evelyn's hand shot down to her phone under the desk. Her heart raced like it was trying to break out of her chest.
Evelyn (text): Something's definitely wrong. Meet me ASAP after class ends. One of my classmates is missing and I know this for sure, something's wrong. This isn't just a 'girl skipped class' vibe. Shit's off. Like, seriously off. And Parker is definitely connected to it.
She shot the message to Annabelle and Maya, her hands shaking just a bit too much for comfort.
Annabelle responded fast—like, scary fast.
Annabelle: Wtf? This better be serious. I'm not in the mood for your ghost-hunting-like bullshit again and connected to our trespasser.
Evelyn's jaw tightened, her fingers already moving before she could overthink it.
Evelyn: No jokes. Just meet me I am sure it's him .
There was a pause—long enough to let that uneasy feeling crawl deeper into her chest.
Maya took her sweet time replying. Typical. But when her name popped up, the vibe shifted.
Maya: Where? If this is about Parker... just tell me straight.
Evelyn stared at the screen a little longer than necessary. Maya never played when it came to him.
Evelyn: Yeah. It's him. And Naomi.
That was all it took. No more stalling, no more hesitation. They'd meet. And Evelyn? She was already bracing herself for whatever came next.
The last few minutes of class dragged on like molasses. Every tick of the clock felt like the universe mocking her.
If anything's happened to Naomi most specifically Parker...
Yeah, she didn't even wanna finish that thought.