Johan had always been patient. He had spent years learning the nuances of human nature, refining his understanding of fear, influence, and control. His experiments had started small whispers in the ears of schoolchildren. There were subtle shifts in friendships. Families were breaking apart with nothing but well-placed words. But now, at the age of nine, something had begun to shift within him. His early games had been nothing more than practice. And practice was no longer enough. He wanted more. More people. More influence. More power. The town that had once been his playground now felt small. The people in it? Predictable. He had already unraveled them, already tested their limits. And so, for the first time in his life, Johan grew restless. Because now, he was ready for something bigger. There was something almost tragic about Johan’s hunger for control. Had he been older, had his mind been tempered by adulthood, perhaps he would have learned patience. Perhaps he would have understood the need for caution, the dangers of his own ambition. But Johan was still a child. A brilliant, monstrous child. And children lacked restraint. He did not fear consequences, because he had never faced them. He did not believe in limits, because he had never found them. And so, he did not stop to wonder how far his reach could extend. He only wondered how much farther he could push it. Johan had never felt guilt. He had watched people break under the weight of his influence. He had seen friendships dissolve, families collapse, children become unrecognizable versions of themselves. But he had never felt anything about it. Because to Johan, people were not people. They were variables. They were pieces on a board. They existed only to react to him. And their suffering? It was nothing more than a fascinating consequence of his games. Pain was not something he inflicted out of cruelty. Pain was simply a result. And results were what mattered. It was around this time that Johan began experimenting differently. Before, he had been subtle. He had only planted doubts and let them grow. But now, he wanted to test something new. What happened when fear was not just a whisper, but a storm? What happened when control was not just influence, but absolute? He found his first opportunity in a boy named Michael. Michael was strong-willed, a natural leader among the children in town. Johan had never had use for him before. But now, he wanted to see if even the strongest can be broken? Could even the most resistant be turned into something else? Could a boy who had never known fear learn to be afraid? Johan decided to find out. It started with something small. A glance. A whisper. A simple phrase spoken just loudly enough for Michael to hear: "I wonder if anyone really likes you." Michael had laughed at first. Johan had expected that. But it was never about the first reaction. It was about what happened after. It was about the thought that lingered and grew. The thing that truly changed the person. Within a week, Michael had started to notice things he had never noticed before. The way his friends hesitated before speaking. The way his name was not the first one called when games were played. The way people looked at him, or rather, the way they didn’t. And then, one day, Johan simply asked him: "Why do you think they don’t tell you the truth?" And that was all it took. By the end of the month, Michael was unrecognizable. He had grown paranoid, convinced that his friends were lying to him, that they were hiding something. He had pushed them away before they could push him first. He had become afraid.  Johan had simply watched. Because this had not been about Michael. This had been about understanding his own power. And now, Johan understood. He could break anyone. Even those who once believed themselves unbreakable. It was around this time that Johan came to a terrifying realization. He had always known he was different. Always known he was special. But now, he saw the truth clearly. He was not just different. He was powerful. People listened when he spoke. People followed when he led. People obeyed even when they did not understand why. And that power, that ability to shape the world around him, would be his legacy. He was no longer just a child. He was an idea. A force. A presence that would stretch far beyond the walls of his childhood. And one day, the world would feel his influence. One evening, Johan sat at his window, staring into the darkness beyond. The town was asleep. But Johan was awake. Awake in ways others could never be. Because he saw the world for what it truly was. A stage. A game. And he was the one who decided the rules. His heart did not race. His breath did not quicken. There was no excitement, no fear, no hesitation. Only understanding. He had spent years learning. Now, he was ready to act. Because the child of shadows had begun to awaken fully. And the world? The world would soon feel his presence.