The Shadowverse

by Francesca Gallo

  ~~~

  The throne room was in ruins. Titan stood up and turned back to Justice, who woke from her unconscious state. “What happened?”

  “You lost. You failed. You failed to take them out.”

  “Where did they go?”

  “With the enemy.”

  “How is that possible?”

  “Someone hacked the ship’s wormhole machine. A bridge opened to Lung, and he came. He took them from me, seconds before I was about to crush them.”

  “Shall I search for them?”

  “No, it is too late for that.”

  “Then what must we do?”

  “Come, Justice.” She limped to him. “As for your fight, you did wel , at first. But then something happened. You got distracted. I could sense your concentration slipping—

  lagging. After everything I have taught you, how could you get distracted? What could possibly take the place of defeating your enemies?”

  “I do not know, my lord.”

  “Well, I do. When you arrived here, I thought I had cured you of your human disease.

  But it appears Rose Johnson is still alive in there. You know it to be true.”

  “Well then, what should I do?”

  “Destroy the past.” She clenched her teeth. “Starting with that pathetic excuse for a father figure.”

  “No! I wil not!” she retorted.

  “You must, my dear. There is no other way. It must be done. In doing so, you will fulfil your future and rid yourself of your human mind.”

  “Henry is an innocent man.”

  “Yes, he is. But he has now become an obstacle in your destiny—continual y inhibiting your full potential.”

  Justice raised her head from the floor, a new aura woven on it. “I will do what I must, my lord.”

  Titan smiled. “Excellent. Expect my order for us to create a bridge to the place you had come from. You will find your fake father and eliminate him. In the meantime, I must deal with Hallux myself.”

  ~~~

  “For nearly five centuries, there was peace,” said Sonovan, “Until half a millennium ago, when it all began.”

  “Wait a minute. How long ago did you live?” Ryan asked.

  “A millennium ago,” Sonovan clarified.

  “What?!”

  “Holy shit dude,” Dustin exclaimed.

  “You’re more than one thousand years old?” Sam asked, shocked.

  “You look great,” Johnny said sarcastically.

  Jane rol ed her eyes. “Don’t mind them. What happened then?”

  “An unknown man rose from out of nowhere. He sought to free Titan from his prison.

  As you may have heard, Ooris is the source of our power. I have been told you have powers as wel .”

  “And how you do you know this? In fact, how did you know we were in danger?”

  Johnny asked.

  “A bionicle came to me. I do not know who it was or how he found me, but the person told me about you, and that I must save you from him. I required much persuasion, but in the end, after spending hours here, he pushed me to do it. You owe yourselves to him.”

  “Wait, what?!” Ryan exclaimed. “Who?”

  The brothers leaned in.

  Oh boy. Johnny pondered the news for a second. It can’t be. “Was his name Z?”

  “Yes, in fact, it was. Do you know him?”

  Johnny glanced at the others like he had found something. “Let’s just say we’ve met him before. He was the guy who gave us these.” Johnny showcased his powers, running in circles throughout the room. Ryan revealed his as well, as did Dustin and Sam. Jane flaunted hers by raising Sonovan off the floor.

  “Impressive. I am intrigued. You were lucky enough to receive enough Ooris to obtain specific abilities and not become like me—a pure Ooran being.”

  “What did he wear?”

  “The person had been inside a metal ic suit. He spoke to me, that you were in danger and are the only hope of the universe. I listened and fol owed his instructions. And now we are here, together.”

  “Just like my vision,” Jane interrupted. “It happened like how I saw.” Sonovan turned to her inquisitively, beckoning more. “I had a vision. I saw you, Titan, Z…everyone. Who was Aiko? Who were Orslon and Zydok? That V guy?”

  Sonovan stepped back, caught off guard. Those names. He had done al that was necessary to leave them behind. But they would torture him forever. “How do you know them?”

  “Who were they? And when?”

  Sonovan wiped every ounce of expression from his face. His eyes had ventured far away. “From a time long passed.”

  “Anything else?” Ryan added.

  “That is not for you to know at this time.”

  “Will you tell us?”

  “When I see fit.”

  None of it made sense. Why would he save them? Why would Z help?

  “Z is our little guardian angel, honestly,” Dustin said.

  “Yeah, uh, I don’t think so.”

  “Dude, he has been helping us ever since we met him,” Sam retorted. “What is your problem? He only wants to help!”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Because! When has he not helped us?”

  “Whatever.”

  Sonovan continued, his back turned to the sunny yet cloudy sky behind him.

  “Anyway, the man who would free Titan somehow connected to the Ooran realm, which we call the Shadowverse. It is a parallel universe opposite our own, yet with its differences. It is ful of Ooris. The Energy can cross between the worlds. You see, these two universes are vibrating at different frequencies in a higher dimensional reality.”

  “Multiverse theory,” Johnny noted.

  “M theory too,” Ryan added.

  “English?” Jane requested.

  “Oh, multiverse theory is somewhat based on superstring theory,” Johnny replied.

  “What?”

  Sonovan sat back, observing the group in humor.

  Ryan face palmed himself. “What he means to say is this: M theory is a theory explaining multiple dimensions of space. It is scientists’ elucidation of the possibility of solving quantum gravity, and thus a unified theory of physics, also known as the ‘theory of everything.’ It says that eleven dimensions exist, and another variant states potentially twenty-six dimensions exist in the bulk.”

  “Hold the phone. What is ‘the bulk’?” Jane asked again, making quote gestures with her fingers.

  “It is a higher dimensional reality,” replied Johnny. “The universe consists of more dimensions of space than what we see. But these extra special dimensions are unable to be accessed by beings like us.”

  “And how does any of that correspond to the multiverse?” a baffled Dustin asked.

  “Because superstring theory al ows for extra dimensions, which perhaps lead to extra universes outside ours,” added Ryan.

  “All thanks, in part, to Michio Kaku!” Sam exclaimed in laughter.

  Jane looked embarrassed. “Gosh, you guys are so smart.”

  “Why thank you!” Ryan responded through a chuckle. They laughed, though Sonovan did not reciprocate. He brushed off the gaiety and continued.

  “Anyhow, the soon-to-be Solis brought Titan back. To this day, I am still not sure how he did it. My conclusion is that when I defeated Titan, I had never truly eliminated his spirit. The spirit of an Ooran being is impossible to destroy. He can only be sucked into the Shadowverse, becoming one with it. The only way to destroy people like you, with partial connection, is to sever the head from the body.”

  “Uh…OK,” Dustin responded, a bit uncomfortable.

  “Had to get that in-depth?” Ryan responded.

  “And how do you make sure he never, ever, gets out?” Johnny cut in.

  “I do not know.”

  “Great. So, he’s basically unkillable,” Ryan asserted.

  “Then what?”

  “It was years before I knew what had happened. Titan had already begun the re
creation of his empire. One by one, worlds fell by his blade. Like before, he enslaved some of their inhabitants, killed rebels, and brought the society under his rule. Once I began hearing the whispers, no words could describe how I felt. From the dead, he had risen again. My wife, Aiko, begged me to not go.”

  “You married Aiko?” asked Jane. “And how was she still alive after al those years?”

  “The Ooris. It originates in the Shadowverse. Titan infused it into her when he control ed her mind. A partially-connected Ooran being can live for a mil ennium, while fully-connected ones, such as myself and Titan, are immortal unless kil ed by another fully-connected Ooran being. And yes, because she was one-of-a-kind, and we understood each other. Sometimes I was convinced she knew me better than I knew myself. She told me to run. To hide. But if I had killed him once, I could kil him again.”

  The dreadful, tragic memory made itself known.

  CHAPTER 17

  ANCIENT EXILE

  A wormhole had opened in Sonovan’s village. He knew what was at hand. Solis appeared and he led him to Titan’s pristine ship, the aptly named Titan. Titan gazed out at the cosmos when Sonovan was led in. This was a moment that would go down in infamy—a risen lord and his archnemesis meeting again. Sonovan thought he saw death itself. The two stared at each other, not saying a word for two long minutes, which felt like an eternity.

  “It has been an exceedingly long time—has it not? Not even death can defeat me, Sonovan! And now, not even you.”

  Sonovan scoffed at the remark. “You are wrong, Titan. I beat you once, and I will repeat that. The universe will never again witness your tyranny.”

  “Ah, Sonovan, have you learned nothing? You have not heeded my words! Lightning never strikes twice!”

  “Says the man who still has wires in his head.”

  “You don’t like them? They’re not necessary. It just makes me even stronger. Strong enough to final y destroy you.”

  Sonovan remained silent.

  “Fine. Let us get on with it.” Titan backed into a fighting stance. Reaching out with his arm, he grabbed a giant two-handed sword, the size freakishly nine feet high and two feet wide. In the modern day, he did not use it. Telekinesis and telepathy eradicated the need for one.

  On the opposing end, Sonovan unsheathed his composite swords, known as the Vorson Swords. Composed of multiple layers, the Vorson Swords were a dark gray.

  Each layer on the blade folded over the one before it, creating the il usion of many pieces.

  “How cute! The weapon Zydok donated to you! Did I mention he has been slaughtered?”

  This statement caught Sonovan off-guard, since he had known Zydok well. A good being, he was the last of his species, whom Titan had annihilated years prior. He had also been the founding member of The Shadows. “What did you do?!”

  “I kil ed him. Did you not hear me? Can you not hear?”

  “I will exterminate your essence from reality!”

  “We shall see.”

  “You wil not be ‘seeing’ anything.”

  “Now do not jinx it!”

  Sonovan whipped his weapon into motion, verifying it was functional. Titan picked his weapon up and stood in position, awaiting an attack. The combatants were set.

  Sonovan made the first move. He leapt into the air, his first combo a flying side-kick followed by two slices with his sword. Titan blocked the strikes scary effortlessness,

  countering with two massive swings with his own. It pushed Sonovan back, al owing Titan to take the initiative. He lifted his leg into the air and stomped with every ounce of his might. The vicious attack missed Sonovan’s knees by only inches. But, this opened a weak spot—Titan’s legs. Seizing the opportunity, Sonovan kicked his lower leg, eliciting a grunt. He then spun and hit Titan with another hard kick to his leg. With that move, Titan was shoved adjacent to Sonovan’s left side. Another opening. Sonovan spun the opposite direction, landing his sword on Titan’s side. He struck twice. The final move of the brutal and well-timed combo was a side-kick, which has the necessary power to thrust Titan thirty feet away.

  “I felt that,” Titan grunted as he grabbed his side, shocked to discover blood. “But my time in the Energy granted me a new and increasingly useful ability.”

  “What is this new ability you mention?”

  “Telekinesis.”

  Fear gripped Sonovan. “Yes, you may fear.” Titan reached out and telekinetically grasped Sonovan by the throat. He tried to escape the grasp, but it was no use. Now in control, Titan dragged Sonovan toward his arms. His throat landed on Titan’s hand. “If you can only know how long I have waited for this.”

  It was now his turn. Titan kneed Sonovan in the gut before throwing him in the air.

  On his way down, he fell straight into the butt end of his sword. Sonovan had prepared for this, since he shifted his own sword in a defensive position. It partially protected him from the ful power of Titan’s brute strength.

  A thunderous, bone-chilling bang resonated as the butt end landed on the Vorson Sword’s blade. The strike sent Sonovan flying, tearing through the air before smashing into the wall. But Titan had not finished. He raised his arm again and brought Sonovan back before flinging him into the wall once more, knocking the warrior unconscious.

  After fifteen minutes, Sonovan awoke from his unconscious state. He sat up with difficulty, the pain swelling. Something must have been broken. Yet, it healed due to his pure Ooris, and the pain subsided.

  “You could never fully understand my machinations, Sonovan. As I conveyed to you al those years ago, your world teeters on the edge, unaware its fate is already decided.

  It will pave the way for me to thousands of worlds with no heroes to guard them.”

  “Earth is your next target.”

  “No, it is not. I am sure it wil be centuries before I claim Earth for myself. My primary mission is to rebuild the Tetra. Then, and only then, I wil bring Earth under my command. Unless it is the key that I have searched for since the beginning of my quest, I will add it to my empire, the Tetra.”

  “What key?”

  “Given who I am talking to, I wil keep that one to myself.”

  “I will fight you, no matter the cost.”

  “Actually, you will not. I have a backup plan for that. Solis!”

  The armored Voir strode in. In his arms was an unconscious Aiko. Sonovan’s eyes went wide with fear and hatred. He could not let him commit this horrific act. “No! She is innocent! Take me instead! Do it! Snap me in half! Subject me to torture! But do not hurt her!”

  “No, Sonovan. I will not. This is your penance. I want so badly to kill you, but I won’t.

  Your ironic plead for torture will be rejected. You see, bodily torment and execution

  would end the fun. But torment of the mind—of the soul—that is the greatest and most effective mode of anguish. I know you feel hatred. I felt that al those years, but not anymore. Revenge is mine, and mine alone. And today, I wil receive my entitlement.”

  “Please! Please, I wil do whatever you ask,” he begged.

  His voice switched back to a deep tone. “How quickly you changed! One moment you will fight me no matter what, the next moment you beg for mercy. I am afraid there will be no debate.” With that, Titan pushed Sonovan into the wall. He then did the unthinkable. “And now your hell begins.”

  In one swift motion, the soft and fragile neck of Aiko was snapped 180 degrees. “No!

  No! No!” screamed Sonovan in agony. He wailed as he ran to her. “Aiko, please! No!

  What have you done?!”

  “I am truly sorry, Sonovan. But it had to be. Your hell begins. Now here is the plan. I will transport you to a planet and spare your life. You will live there for the rest of your days. I will have various kinds of technology brought with you to ensure your survival, but it wil also serve a far greater purpose. It wil be possible for you to observe as I destroy everything you created, and rebuild everything you took from me. As I mention
ed, this is torture of the soul.”

  Sonovan did not reply. Titan signaled for Solis to open a breach. Solis threw many kinds of technology into the portal, including computers. Then, using his mind, Titan hurled Sonovan into the spherical wormhole.

  After many years, at long last, he had defeated his nemesis. His revenge had come.

  Solis walked to Titan, who gazed at the spot Sonovan had been. “Do you expect the loneliness to kill him?”

  Titan shook his head. “No, for he welcomes it. The absence of something to fight for will drive him mad.”

  ~~~

  They had never expected the story to be so gruesome and tragic. “I am so sorry,”

  Jane consoled. “You must be the loneliest person in history.”

  “How have you lasted al this time?” Johnny asked. “Why did you not end it all?”

  “Because I had a feeling my destiny still awaited me. The universe, the Oora, was not finished with me yet.”

  “What else must you do for the universe, Sonovan? You did what you could!” Ryan said.

  “I am usually a tough cookie, but that story hit me in the feels,” Dustin solaced. “I’m sorry for your loss.” He placed his hand on Sonovan’s shoulder.

  “I am too,” Sam added.

  “Thank you, heroes. It has been so long since I have had a conversation with someone. I used to communicate with Zydok, but as I said, he was executed. But as with everything Titan touches, it is never wasted. There have been whispers Titan has acquired the ability to time travel.”

  “Whoa, slow down. Now you’re saying he can possibly time travel?” Ryan replied.

  “You can’t be serious.”

  “Like I said, only a rumor. And he would also need a significant amount of energy to ever accomplish such a feat.”

  “Didn’t scientists say time travel is impossible?” Sam asked, turning his head to Johnny. “I remember the professor saying something about that.”

  “Yeah, but what do we know? People think they can comprehend everything that happens, but I don’t think humans ever will, you know?”

  “Exquisite response,” Dustin chuckled.

  “Thank you.”

  ~~~

  “My lord, Commander Ace has prepared your ship,” Solis notified as he stood in the empty, quiet throne room. He wore thick, black armor and an opaque helmet. His voice sounded almost static, yet steady and rigid. Titan stood like the emperor he boasted as, a foot behind the transparent enclosure which permitted a staggering view of the universe.