A warm wave flowed over the shadow and something stirred within. Out of the depths of the darkness, a ugly mass ejected out of the shadow's depths. On this day, a creature like no other was born. 

It had the appearance of a solid mass of dark flesh, but it could meld into the surroundings with ease. Using this method, the mass started its lonely journey through the dark depths of the cave, going off on only its sense of touch.

The mass had a mind, but no coherently formed thoughts went through it. The most primal instincts dwelled within the creature and nothing more. Squirming near what felt like a plant, the creature instinctively recognized it and absorbed the half wilted flower. As it felt satiated, it returned back into the depths of the shadows to rest.

****************

It continued the cycle of absorbing and resting, until one fateful day, it came across something that felt warm. It recalled the day of its conception, the strange yet familiar warmness was, in many ways, similar. It felt happy and safe, so it tried to keep it. It absorbed the warm thing and rested in the shadows. When it awoke, a multitude of feelings flooded its simple mind, and coherent thoughts began to form within.

'It…. Hurtsss…'

It took days to get used to all the sensations. Not only did it's touch improve but it could see, it could smell, it could hear, it could taste. It could extend its small form to make 5 small appendages on one long one that hooked around the flowers it pulled out and absorbed.

********************

Soon enough, he encountered other beings wandering the depths of his home. This time, it was drawn by a brighter light and a greater feeling of warmth.

The creature slowly moved towards the strange beings with its two newly formed appendages that extended from its main body to the ground. As it got closer the strange beings started speaking and pointing to it.

"@#+_-$&#)_)$+?"

"@+$-$&$-()_((+3+!"

They spoke a strange tongue that was unfamiliar. In response, it tried to match the sounds made by the beings holding the great warmth.

"@+$)#-($-$&()!"

The strange beings looked at each other in surprise and slowly stepped back.

"#-()($-$&#-)#)$-!!"

It tried to imitate the beings again, trying to figure out why they were acting differently after seeing it. It kept trying to communicate with the beings until the group met a dead end. The two beings stared at each other and said something in a quiet whisper. Suddenly, both of them sprang forward, planting sharp tools into its form. Black liquid poured from it as it desperately tried to meld back into the floor. As it did, the two beings looked stunned and one started yelling incoherently.

The creature sensed something in the noise, something dangerous, and immediately sprang out of the floor and absorbed the one that felt like a danger. The second being was horrified and ran away, abandoning its comrade while the creature slowly went back into the shadows to rest.

***********************

While digesting the being, something different happened. It cut short it's rest to deal with the strange sensation.apperantly, the middle of its digestion, unlike the first warm object, the creature suddenly digested a sweet tasting part. As soon as it was completely gone, there was a jolt that ran throughout its body. It started to see the memories of the being, no, the man, that it digested.

‘Man….’

It started to comb through the memories and learned many things. It pulled itself out of the shadows and took the form of the man and immediately drew out his weapon, a short sword. It finally understood what they were saying during their first meeting….

“What is that?”

“It's that kid isn’t it? I thought you killed him!”

“Get back! Something’s off, he just repeats what we say!”

“We attack on three ok?”

“That's it, I’m using my path skill! Fire, bring forth mine and my enemy’s de–”

Peering through the man’s memories, it learned the terms kill, torture, mutilate, kidnap, lie, etc. It saw everything bad that happened to the man and by the man. It was now scared of what these strange beings, called humans, were capable of.

*********************************

Just days later, according to the man’s memories, men that were called soldiers came into the cavern. It deduced that the soldiers were here to investigate it, so shrinking back into the shadows, it decided to avoid the soldiers as much as it could.

With each encounter, the creature ran away, and whenever the creature ran into a dead end, it absorbed the men. And each time it absorbed men, it saw their memories and their sins. To the creature this was a front row stand to the ugliness of humanity, and it was done being terrified. It hated humans now, it hated plots, it hated assassinations, it hated people, it hated the potential of mankind.

*********************

Slowly but surely, the creature built up its army. After killing each man, it learned to split off a part of itself and embed the piece within the deceased's brains to control them. Thus, the creature became powerful enough to overwhelm the humans. Slowly, but surely, it won the war of attrition. As the dead and the dying joined its ranks.

Several months later, on a battlefield several miles away, hundreds of corpses lay scattered on the ground. The creature, now in the form of an armored man, claimed its last victim, a knight commander. The commander drew his last breath and choked out his last words:

“The shadow.....was...... real.”

It was the creature's nickname of sorts, since it melded into the shadows. The soldiers called it that and feared it. However, the creature was not interested in that, what piqued its interest was the sword the commander had. It had finally claimed the sword it lusted for, one that emanated hot flames with each swing. It was reveling in the warmth when a bright light shone and a multitude of voices echoed in the back of its head.

[Path, the "Prison of Salvation" acquired]

The creature suddenly knew its purpose. No, it was no longer a creature. It was The Shadow, it was headed towards salvation.