When a Shadow Learns to Shine

Shade never remembered his parents. He never remembered warmth, voices, or the feeling of someone waiting for him. All he ever knew was silence. At the academy, everyone found their place fire users who burned with talent, wind users praised for their speed, earth users admired for their strength. Shade, desperate to be noticed even once in his life, chose the Light Element, the brightest magic of all. But even then… No one saw him. He walked the halls invisible. He trained alone. He ate alone. Every victory went unwitnessed, every failure unnoticed. He lived like a shadow pretending to stand in the sun, unsure which one he truly belonged to light or darkness. Yet in the deepest parts of his loneliness, a quiet wish stayed alive. A wish he barely dared to believe in. “Maybe… someday… I won’t be alone.” And in that small, fragile hope… a light began to form.