Phantom

Prologue

Phantom

Prologue

Long ago in a world unseen by man, there was a great and terrible battle. It was the world itself against the Shadow threatening to snuff out its light. No one could have foreseen the outcome in the self-titled final battle.

It was bloody, it was sad, and it was unforgettable. Looking back on that day brings nothing but pain to those who think about the events that ensued.

Under the bleeding sun a creature with golden wings stood and screeched into the sky, beckoning her followers to her side. The Shadow had laughed, a cloak of smoke surrounding him; to him she would not win this fight.

He launched himself toward her, hoping to take her off guard, but he did not prepare to be surprised himself. Another creature stood in his way. A man, eyes pitch black and a swirl of black smoke similar to his own, stood tall. Black hair fell in a mess about his face, with gold glittering on his skin, the Shadow gritted his teeth, it was gold from the Sphinx he protects. This was the Phantom.

The Phantom grinned, he was hoping the Shadow would get mad, it made fighting him more fun.

The Shadow's fist flew, but the Phantom's was faster, it connected with the Shadow's jaw as his own missed Phantom completely. Shadow's next fist caught Phantom by surprise, in the stomach. As Phantom pitched, he grabbed Shadow by the throat, pulling him down too. They grappled on the ground, a blur of limbs and black smoke.

Their powers were similar, the strength almost the same, but it was the Shadow who plunged a hidden blade into the Phantom's stomach. The black smoke rose in a haze as his eyes turned to the grey he was born with. The Shadow grinned and laughed to the sky as the golden creature turned and screamed his name, but it was lost in the screams of the dying surrounding them. This was the mighty Sphinx, and she was the one who protected this unseen land.

She launched herself at the Shadow and she would have had him if it weren't for her blind rage making her miss the grey shadow as it slipped by, slicing her side. She cried out, but continued toward the Shadow in anger.

She gripped his throat and slashed his face, but he jabbed her in the bleeding cut. Her heart's pain was her demise as the golden Sphinx fell, a knife in her throat.

The Shadow rose to his feet. In this battle his mind became clear as he vowed to wipe out this world and then take out the world of the seeing; the world of humans. And neither the Sphinx nor the Phantom would stop him now, for they lay not more than a foot a part, their blood mingling about them as their eyes stared unseeing into the sky. The final act of hope was gone as the gold was painted red and the sun turned dark.

The rest of the unseen world grew divided that day. Some rejoiced at the death of Casca - the great Sphinx - who joined the Shadow in his quest, while the others mourned the passing, and vowed they would not rest until this world saw the Shadow's demise too.

Little did they all know, it would not take long for this war to reach its timely crescendo and the real final battle would be reached.

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Posted on 02/12/2015