THE SHADOWVERSE

Destinies

Dustin, Sam, and Ryan's collective mouths gaped. "Wow, that . . . was the best speech I have ever heard," Jane added from behind them.

"She said what I thought," Ryan said.

"Just when I imagined a Yoda quote would be cool," said Sam.

"Wait, who are The Shadows?" asked Johnny. "Can you tell us now?"

Sonovan blinked twice, gazing at the ground in reminiscence. Then he looked up. "One day, I will tell you, but not now."

For the next twenty minutes, they all stretched their muscles in preparation. At the end of the allotted time, a loud voice sharply cried out, "Ready!" Sonovan's mood and expression had changed so drastically, it was as if he had morphed into someone wholly distinct from his usual personality.

* * *

Titan motioned for Solis to leave him and Justice alone. The third-in-command recognized his body language and left obediently.

Titan turned to face Justice. "I had faith you would come through, Justice. I saw it all, and you did well."

"Thank you, my lord," Justice replied. "It was difficult, but I succeeded in the mission."

Titan laid his arm around her shoulder, caressing her jaw with his fingertips. "I am very proud of you. Your father, though a decent man, held you back. While he advised for you to remain an ordinary person—a failure—I have a far larger, fulfilling destiny in store for you. Your destiny lies in the expanse of the cosmos, the expanding Tetra, not in the welfares of men!" he exclaimed vociferously, gesturing to the clear outlook of space, arms outstretched. "You are a creature of space, not of Earth."

She contemplated his words. "Your generosity and goodness are beyond the heavens, my lord."

Still facing the expanse of stars and galaxies, Titan continued his monologue. "Sonovan Lung and his Shadows defeated and killed me because I was too confident—in fact, even I was mired down in petty planetary issues rather than universal. You wonder why I use ships now? A millennium ago, in the days of the Old Empire, I rarely did.

"But when Solis resurrected me, I realized the Tetra is not based on any one planet. Instead, it is a living thing and constantly expands. And so, for the last five centuries, I have done exactly that. Like you now are, I am a creature of space."

"I understand, my lord. You are very wise."

"Soon, you will be even wiser." He turned again. "Tell me, how do you think your human friends would react to your new life? What would they call you? Evil? A monster? Too powerful?"

"What are you getting at?" Justice wondered aloud.

"They are too naïve and inferior to even comprehend you now. While they worry themselves with the purchase of their next item of clothing, or texting some other do-nothing, you are the Voir to the Titan!" he bellowed, truly invested in the monologue, his voice altered from deep to booming.

She flinched from the echo as it resonated throughout the clear-walled throne room. "I see. You are surely right."

"But please tell me one thing. Was that your little friend Z?" he questioned.

"I believe so."

Titan smiled. "Ah, I am beginning to highly esteem this fellow," he said. "So perplexing! So mysterious! He is keeping me on edge. I am constantly conjecturing about his true identity! Who must he be? His teasing has me entertained! Most entertained!"

"I, too, am puzzled," she said.

Titan chuckled, very into the conversation. "I know not an individual who isn't! Let us hope he is on our side. On the side of purity."