Time passed, and they finally arrived back at the school.

Bella was asleep, with her head resting on Ethan's shoulder, who had been staring out the window the entire trip.

"Hey Bella! We're home!". Ethan moved his shoulder, trying to wake her up.

Bella opened her eyes and stretched her body.

"Oh sorry!". She said, embarrassed, as she got up from her seat.

Ethan walked over to his friends, who were gathered on the side of the bus, ready to leave.

"Hey Ethan. What are you doing today?" Tyler asked, watching the boy approach.

"Oh, I'm just going home. My mom set up some stuff for us to do, so I'm kind of busy this weekend.". Ethan lied, wanting to stay quietly at home.

"Oh, I get it! I was calling the guys to come over today!". Tyler replied.

"I've also scheduled some things with my parents this weekend. Speaking of which, I'd better go!". Angela said, packing her backpack on her back. "Are you coming, Jessica?" Angela asked, turning to her friend.

"... Yes, let's go!". Jessica replied, trying to ignore Ethan's presence.

- I need to know Umb is okay... - Ethan thought, remembering the little black ball of smoke he had created.

"I need to go too! Bye, guys!" Ethan replied, hurrying up and leaving in front of the two girls, causing Jessica to follow him with her gaze.

Arriving home, Ethan finds his mother sitting on the couch.

"Mom?" Ethan says, surprised to see her presence.

"Hi Ethan!". She replies, sipping a cup of coffee while still in her pajamas.

"Don't you work Saturday?". Ethan asked, looking in the fridge for something to eat.

"Not that Saturday. I've only been assigned to work Sunday this weekend." She said, changing the channel on the television until it came on a Mexican soap opera.

"Oh, I got it!" Ethan replied, finding a packet of crackers at the bottom of the cupboard. "I think I'll take a shower and rest for the rest of the day. Then you don't have to call me for dinner, okay?". Ethan completed, walking up the stairs.

"Okay!" Enid said, without taking her eyes off the television.

Ethan rushed upstairs to his room and realized that the door and window were open, letting all the light into his room, making him a little desperate, since Umb couldn't come in contact with light.

Ethan entered the room and ran to close the door and window. He bent down to look under the bed.

"Umb? Are you there?" He asked, looking at the corners of the bed.

It was then that an even smaller ball of shadow came out from under the commode, shyly.

"Hi, Umb! You're there!" Ethan said, smiling. "But why are you so small?". Ethan asked that, taking Umb on his lap.

Umb looked at him and then looked at the light in the window. Enid probably opened the windows in the morning, and caused it to light up the room, making Umb weaker. Umb looked back at Ethan, but he was barely moving. It looked like the little ball was sick.

He plugged all the gaps in the room, preventing any kind of light from getting in, and opened the closet door, picking Umb up on his lap again.

"Calm down, Umb. It's going to be okay!". He said to the little ball, who was much clearer and barely moving.

Ethan sat down on the bed and placed the little shadow ball in his lap, curling it up with his fingers. Then he closed his eyes and began to concentrate all his energy on Umb.

He began to feel his own body heat up and get stronger, while Umb remained cold and still, almost motionless in Ethan's hands.

After a few hours, Ethan had begun to feel his hands, which had previously been clasped with Umb in the middle, slowly being pulled apart.

Umb began to move in his hand, trying to get Ethan's attention, who was focused on his energy. When Ethan opened his eyes, Umb looked bigger and more cheerful. As if he had been regenerated by Ethan.

Ethan's eyes sparkled. Umb was much bigger than even before when Ethan made him and now, he was dark as shadow. He wanted to make Umb even stronger, tough enough to go out in the light with him.

"You've improved, Umb!" He said, watching the little ball bounce across Ethan's bed, as if it had taken too much energy.

Ethan giggled at the happy little ball, until he feels his cell phone vibrate. Ethan puts the blanket over Umb, to hide him from the brightness of the screen.

He had received a message from Mike:

"Hey Ethan, I went out with Jessica today. It was amazing!!! I'm so happy :D We went to watch a horror movie and kissed!!!".

As Ethan read that, he could see the perfect scene in his head, Jessica kissing Mike. Anger began to overwhelm Ethan's body, who felt him getting hotter and hotter.

Umb got out from under the covers but soon returned, hiding in fear, realizing that Ethan was starting to get angry.

When he finished reading the message, Ethan grabbed his phone and threw it across the room with force, causing it to fly straight into the wall, but before the phone could even hit the wall and be completely destroyed, Ethan reached out quickly, causing his arm shadow to run fast enough and hold the phone.

Ethan pulled his arm shadow back, bringing the cell phone up to Ethan's hand.

Ethan looked down at his own hands. They were with the shadow flames that looked like fire, which he had managed to make before creating Umb. It was then that he had a plan.

Ethan pulled back the blanket, leaving Umb exposed, and took the little ball in his hands. Umb cringed, afraid of his owner, but Ethan ignored it and held him tightly, almost as if he was going to blow him up.

Ethan's eyes began to glow red as he stared into Umb's soul. Umb tried to cringe further into his hand, very afraid.

He began to think of Jessica kissing Mike, getting angrier and angrier, and began to squeeze Umb harder and harder, concentrating all the energy into Umb.

He could feel his body getting hotter and hotter, as if he was on fire. Umb began to shake in his hands, as if he was going to explode, while Ethan felt small shocks coming from his hands.

Umb began to move desperately in Ethan's hands, trying to get loose, but Ethan didn't seem like he would let go anytime soon. Until suddenly, Umb released a small where of shock into Ethan's hands, which caused Ethan to drop him on top of the bed.

Ethan stared at the little ball, which was filled with smoke all around. As Umb moved around, trying to understand what was happening, Ethan began to smile, watching the little ball of smoke finally take shape.

"You see? I knew it wouldn't kill you! You need to trust me more, Umb!".  Ethan said, smiling at the little ball, as he took a deep breath because he was exhausted.

Umb began to look at his own body. Now he really looked like a furry little hamster, made of shadow. He was no longer just a strange little ball. He now had paws, ears, and a tiny tail.

Ethan looked at him, pleased. This meant that Ethan could evolve Umb into animal forms. Maybe he would be able to turn him into a dragon someday....

Umb began to stare at Ethan, who was sweating from exhaustion. The hamster seemed happy to get a real body.

"How about we test your endurance?". Ethan said to Umb, opening the window.

Umb freaked out and ran under the covers, but Ethan held him by the butt and pulled him close to himself.

"Trust me, Umb!" Ethan said, gently, to the shadow hamster.

Umb covered his eyes with his little paws, scared to death of dying in the light.

Ethan opened the window, and it was nighttime, with only the illumination of the moon and the streetlights, and then, nothing happened. Umb was whole, with no part of his body falling apart or getting lighter.

Umb began to jump with happiness in Ethan's hand, who gave a small laugh, happy with his pet.

In front of Ethan's window was part of the roof, which gave Ethan access to the top of the house.

He put his legs out the window and climbed out the window, standing on top of the roof.

"Come on, let's go up there and make sure the moonlight doesn't hurt you anymore!". He said, climbing up to the top of the roof.

Ethan lay on the roof, trying to recharge his energy a bit with the darkness of the night, while Umb ran around, very excited about his new paws.

---

 

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