Regona City: Phantom

Prologue

Gasping for air, the boarder waited all of five seconds before repeating the motion. The bell rung again but there was no response.

Lifting a fist, the boy resorted to pounding it against the door that separated him from his goal.

"Mum?" the words sprung desperately from his mouth.

No reply.

He continued to bang.

"Can you hear me?"

His bracelet vibrated again, more urgently than the first time. Still, he continued to ignore it.

A small buzzing sounded as a small ball floated over. The hologram lady from the first floor shimmered into existence next to him.

"I'm sorry, sir. It seems that the resident is currently not available."

"Go away," the boy growled as the banging continued.

"Sir, if a resident doesn't willingly open the door then..."

The teenager ignored the hologram as he turned to take in the empty hallway.

"It is requested that those visiting return at a more appropriate time," the hologram finished.

She was ignored.

"Shoot." The boy shook his head. Turning, he swiped his hand once again over the flat surface. The bell rang again to no avail.

This time, instead of resorting to banging once again, he tapped the vibrating bracelet twice. The vibrating ceased but instead a screen shot up. The boarder's eyes rapidly ran over it before he began to swipe away once again.

"Sir, I must advise against whatever–"

A hand shot out. It snagged a small flying ball. Without looking up from the screen he was working on, the teen's fingers tightened. There was a crunch and the hologram flickered before disappearing. His palm opened and the cracked ball toppled to the ground.

A few more seconds and the boarder held up his bracelet next to the smooth surface by the door. One last thing was punched. There was a click, a green light, and the door opened.

Before it could fully swing on its own, the door was mercilessly shoved the rest of the way. He was through and in the interior of a spacious apartment. A holo-aquarium floated to one side while the wall was speckled with holo-pictures. The images within moved with a scenario for five seconds before repeating themselves. However, the boy noticed none of this as he tore through the room.

"Mum?" The living room was left behind as he shoved his head into the kitchen. Lights went on automatically wherever he went, turning off as soon as he left.

Finding the rooms empty he paused.

The unmistakable sound of a cough echoed.

The teenager was off. He sprinted into the bedroom, right through it, and on to the bathroom. The door was thrown open and he froze at the scene that greeted him.

In the middle of the floor, next to a bathtub, a woman was curled up. Blood covered the floor around her, some of it caking her black hair. She was shivering uncontrollably.

"Mum!" The boy fell to his knees, reaching for her.

She cringed, scooting away, yet the teen wasn't put off.

He grabbed her shoulders and lifted her chin.

Glazed blood-shot brown eyes stared at him – eyes that were filled with pain. A red rash, scratched until it bled, stretched from the neck till down under the yellow blood stained shirt.