Shadowbound

The Feather of Freedom

The lights never went out.

That was the first rule of the Hero Commission: darkness was a risk, and risks had to be eliminated. Every corridor glowed with artificial brightness.

Your room was no different.

You sat on the floor with your back against the bed, knees drawn to your chest, eyes fixed on the faint outline of your shadow beneath you. Yami lay quiet, flattened by the constant glare of the lights, her presence reduced to something barely more than a silhouette. Still, you could feel her, coiled tight, alert, waiting.
She always waited.

The hum of the lights filled the silence. Somewhere far away, a door locked. Somewhere closer, footsteps passed and faded. You counted them without thinking. It helped keep your heart steady.
Then...

Tap.

You shifted.
Your spine went rigid, breath catching in your throat.

Another pause.
Tap. Tap.

You didn't look up. You didn't move.

"You're getting good at pretending I'm not here," a quiet voice murmured from the door vent.

Relief flooded your chest.
"Maybe I just don't appreciate your bad timing," you whispered.

A soft laugh followed, low and familiar. Metal scraped gently against metal, then a small click as Keigo picked the door lock before slipping into the room. He stood still for a moment, wings tucked tight, listening.

You waited.

His feathers listened for any movement close by. After a moment he nodded and you finally relaxed.

"Miss me?" he asked, folding his arms.

Yami crept toward him instinctively, her shadow stretching and curling at his feet. Keigo noticed immediately. He always did.

"Hey," he murmured, voice warm. "It's just me."

She settled.

You stared at him, taking in his messy blonde hair, his nightwear worn loose and careless. He didn't look like the Commission's prized trainee. He looked like a boy who refused to belong to anything that tried to cage him.

"You're later than usual." you said, breaking the silence.

"Got held up." he replied lightly. "They're being extra cautious tonight."
Your chest tightened. "Why?"
Keigo didn't answer. He leaned against the wall instead, eyes flicking briefly to the floor before returning to you.

"How were the tests today?" he asked.

You hugged your knees tighter. "They dimmed the lights this time."

That was all it took.
His expression hardened.
Yami stirred, responding to the faint spike of emotion, shadows darkening at the edges.

"They shouldn't do that." Keigo muttered. "They know what happens when they push you."

"They say they're conditioning me" you said quietly. "They say Shadowbound has to learn restraint."

Silence stretched between you, thick and heavy. You had grown up in it, white rooms, handlers who spoke about you like you weren't there. You didn't remember a life before the Commission. You didn't remember choosing this one.

But you remembered Keigo.

He had always been there. A distraction during evaluations. A presence just close enough to remind you that the world extended beyond observation glass.

"You ever wonder what it's like to be free?" you asked suddenly.

Keigo stilled.
"Every day," he said.
The words trembled, not with fear, but longing.

You lifted your gaze to meet his. "Then why don't we both leave?"

His smile didn't come easily this time.

"Because I'm willing to endure this if it means helping people" he said gently.

Your throat tightened. "But we could-"

"No." He stepped closer, lowering his voice. "But, listen to me."

Yami retreated across the floor back toward you.

"There's a gap." Keigo continued. "Shift change. Ten minutes. If you move fast and don't look back..."

Your heart began to race.

"You've planned this." you whispered.
"I've planned you getting out." he corrected.

"What about you?"

Keigo smiled but it was small. Sad. Resigned.
"I'll keep them busy."

The room felt like it was closing in.

"I don't want to go without you," you said, voice breaking.

Keigo hesitated, then crouched in front of you. He reached out slowly, giving you time to pull away. When you didn't, he rested his hand on your cheek, fingers light.

"You don't belong here," he said softly. "They cant keep taking advantage of you... Or her."
He glanced at the shadow on the floor.

"You deserve the freedom you've longed for" he continued.
He pressed a feather into your palm
"If anything goes wrong. You just call for me."

Tears burned behind your eyes.

That night, the window opened.
The air outside was colder than you expected. Louder. Fresh.

Keigo spread his wings, his feathers moving to block any cameras around you.
"Don't hesitate," he whispered.

You climbed onto the ledge, legs shaking.
Yami surged beneath you, no longer restrained by walls or light. Reaching outward, tasting freedom.

You looked back.
Keigo met your gaze, his yellow eyes bright and unreadable.
"Go," he said. "Before I change my mind."

You jumped.

The fall was fast and brutal as panic clawed up your spine.
You let out a small yelp before landing in a bush with a loud thud.
You quickly got up, not taking any notice of your now scraped up form.

You ran. Clutching the lone red feather in your hand, not daring to look back.

You couldn't hear the sound of the alarms or Keigo's shouting over your own spiralling thoughts.

You felt the night close around you, thick, endless, and finally yours.

For the first time, neither you nor your shadow were contained.