The Shadowverse

by Francesca Gallo

  “What’s that?” he responded.

  “Shared trauma.”

  “Oh, wow. We don’t have shared trauma.”

  “Z said you did.”

  “Whoa, slow down. How? What did he tel you?”

  “He said everyone I would meet had shared trauma.”

  “How would he know that?”

  “I don’t know. Didn’t you tel me you knew him?”

  “Well, not personally.”

  “He sure knows you wel .”

  “Yeah, and I do not even know how. He knows us so much, yet I know squat about him.”

  “He did not seem evil when I met him. And his suit was something I had not seen before.”

  “He wasn’t wearing a jacket? What’d it look like?” Just as Jane had envisioned.

  “I cannot even explain it. What I can say, though, is that it was fit for a god.”

  Those same words again. “Yeah, well, he is no god,” shaking his head at the remark.

  “Nothing in the physical universe we can see is a god. In fact, Titan despises the term.”

  “Huh.” Pushing himself up from his position, Johnny stood. “We were going to search for you because Jane had that dream. Z did the work for us. It’s so damn strange.”

  “It’s ironic. You wanted to find me, but instead I found you.”

  You would always save them, recollected Johnny. He sighed, nodding twice. “Wel , I’m getting some rest. I suggest you get some too.”

  “Excellent. When you awake, we will begin.”

  “Sounds cool. What should I call you for now on?”

  “Sonovan is fine.”

  ~~~

  The invasion vessel pierced through the blue skies of Hallux. Solis personally oversaw the graceful touchdown of Titan’s smal er invasion ship. After parking near its tallest skyscraper, the steps descended from the ship and Titan stepped out, viewing the scene before descending. Solis followed suit, and twenty soldiers followed the third-in-command. Titan stomped to the entrance, and the governor of the sector met him.

  “Titan, it is a pleasure to meet you face-to-face.”

  Even though the governor spoke with respect, Titan disregarded him beyond measure. He pushed past and entered the premises, where a dozen governors sat around a large table. They at once ceased their discussion and stayed motionless upon his entrance. He pul ed a chair out for himself but did not sit.

  Spreading his hands on the table, he studied each of their expressions, searching their minds for even a speck of interest, but he found nothing.

  Remorse was the main emotion he felt at the moment. Why should he waste his knowledge and expertise on such obtuse and prejudiced men? But he found one truth in it all: He must never let a civilization go unattended. Until he found the answer to his search, that is.

  “We received your message, Titan,” said one. “We do not need your help. Now please, do not interrupt.”

  Such disrespect. Titan brooded over the assembly in a pensive mood. The leaders, though in deep conversation, tensed as the aura in the room changed to a negative one. Titan clenched his jaw at the sound of their vacuous ramblings. In truth, he wanted to kill them, but that would be for a later time. Politics was undoubtedly something he despised. Politicians were among the worst kinds of leaders, in his opinion. I would rather criminals be in control than these brainless savages, he thought, irritated . Even criminals have honor—honor amongst thieves.

  One brave governor turned in his chair and faced Titan. “What is it you want? To take us over?”

  “No, I do not desire that,” he responded, glaring at the said governor. “I want to help you. To eliminate that which you hate to lose.”

  “Help is not a necessity, Titan.”

  At this, the Emperor of the Tetra narrowed his eyes in disbelief. “Are you saying the rampant disease, homelessness, starvation, injustice, and corruption in government is acceptable? And more so, you tolerate it?”

  “How much do you want?” one asked.

  Titan slowly turned and focused his stern gaze towards the single governor who spoke. He now wanted to give him a piece of his mind.

  “Tel me,” he said, “do you really believe that could work? On me?”

  “You must be new to the political arena,” he said. “Given enough credits and coin, it always works! Now, how much?”

  Irritated would be an understatement. Titan stomped back to the round table. Even Sonovan Lung would never say such a stupid and downright evil remark. In fact, he saw these people just like Titan saw them—two-faced scum. “All these years you live on the backs of others. You think materials and money will arise as your saviors when the time comes. In fact, you trust in money as if it was some god. I myself can be labeled a beggar, for do you see coin or credit on me? Why am I not, then? Because I am one of the few who knows where true power resides, and that my destiny is far above any of your closed minds.

  “Foolish of you to think your accumulation of things translates to real power—you could never taste an iota of it, never feel its touch if it slapped you in the face! But luckily, you wil soon have the rare opportunity to witness what real power looks like.”

  The governors dared not answer likewise. They had not expected Titan to have known so much about his own planet already. Defeated, each sat back on his chair and fixed his long, purple outfit, pride assaulted.

  At this, Titan growled in odium and disgust. “Your hypocrisy infuriates me—it vexes me! I will not permit your selfish, hypocritical minds to lead this potential y great

  civilization. Hallux wil become the blood and sweat of the Tetra! Lush, sophisticated, pioneering! My world.”

  “No, I wil not allow it!” another governor quipped in anger.

  “Neither will I!”

  “We will defend with our lives!”

  “Never!”

  “Leave us, Titan. Please, kill yourself!”

  The rest stood in resistance. Titan smirked. “For a gang of hypocrites, you sure know how to put up a fight. Would it be odd if I said I was hoping you would resist?”

  “What are you saying?”

  This is what I am saying, he thought. “You are far too deep in your corruption to be of any use. Allow me to make a spectacle and demonstrate my sovereignty—my superiority—over your weak minds.”

  They held up their arms in defense. “This wil drain plenty of Ooris from me, but I wil execute it this one time.” He then bent low. The assembly froze in fear. Placing his finger on the side of his head, a blue glow emerged from his frontal lobe and soon enlarged into a bright sphere.

  At once, the blue sphere shot out in every direction, col apsing the weak, unfit assembly. The room descended into darkness and a terrifying silence, prompting Titan to rise from his knees. “Arise!”

  The former governors stood and lined in pairs of four. Solis smiled at the sight. Titan looked at him. “Their minds are now mine.”

  Each governor said nothing, minds no longer a theirs. They were now his to manipulate. “Now, execute.”

  The men, now motiveless creatures, faced one another, eyes wild. In mere seconds, the fighting began. Solis threw in three basic swords and Titan stomped out in glory. He turned back to see them slicing each other to oblivion, blood pouring like rivers of freshwater. Titan smiled at the scene as the door closed and he left them to their own devices.

  ~~~

  Justice left the house, innately saying goodbye for the last time. Once she fastened the robe, she made way to a wooded covering nearby. On the way there, her attention was diverted to a news program on a television in a store window. The headline read: Six Individuals Still Missing: FBI Opens Investigation. A few minutes later the news switched to Breaking News. This time, in bold letters, it read: “Scientists Frustrated After Another Portal Opens.” The newscaster came on the screen.

  “A few hours ago, what people have called a ‘portal’ opened for the second time in only a few days. Something exited, and both the FBI and the entire scienti
fic community have been looking into finding this person. This is a breakthrough in physics, because, as Dr. Clement Forston says, it is a proof of exotic matter and higher dimensions of space. People and government agencies have set up base at the location, and are waiting for the mystery man or woman to reappear.”

  By this time, a crowd had gathered. But then, another man appeared. She recognized him without difficulty from the description Johnny gave her. It was Z. His

  angelically white hair blew in the wind, yet she could not make out his face, though.

  From the neck up, it appeared distorted. Her head whipped to the screen, and back again, but he was gone.

  “Great, now I need to find a way to the other side.” Once she departed the area, she resumed her quest and ran into the brush, coat and all.

  After running continual y through it, she came to an open field. She leapt into the air, the fire seething from her hands propelling her higher. The force of it was enough to fly.

  After two hours of flying, her powers were spent. Even though a few of her species did have the ability to harness the power of fire through Ooris, an extended period of its employment could hinder the user’s strength. Thus, she resorted to walk the rest of the way.

  Fueled by continuous adrenaline, Justice continued the walk. Trucks and cars passed her on the two-lane road before she ventured into the woods instead. The starry sky gazed down on her. It seemed every speck of the sky was home to a speckle of light. This night sky was the darkest she had ever seen. She almost yearned to stop and watch the stars, but the voice in her head resisted that precise thought, prompting her forward. Magnificent, is it not? the voice asked, clearly that of Titan. Among those stars is where you and I wil be. Among those very stars—among the universe you see before you, we shall bring the Justification.

  Out loud, alone on the two-lane road, she responded, “And that makes me feel infinite, my lord.”

  At 2:00 A.M. in the morning, she had arrived at Montauk Point. Dozens of trucks, tents, and stations had been set up, as people waited in expectation for another wormhole. Even NASA was among them. This event had clearly made world news.

  Many people were asleep, but also a considerable amount was not. Meandering through the boundary lines and tents, she tried hard to appear unsuspicious and invisible. Upon reaching her destination, her feet stepped in the required location for her departure.

  Since Titan demanded her arrival by 2:20, she was right on time. A hel ish rumble amplified beneath the ground, and within seconds the entire camp transformed into a raucous. Gravitational measuring systems went haywire, and the ground in front of her sank. Out of it floated the black sphere.

  People ran in any direction as pictures were being snapped like firecrackers in the night. Security, the FBI, and police ran to stop her, but it was too late. Gunshots resonated as their guns fired. In one motion, she had leaped into the sphere, the interstel ar transport and its passenger evaporating from their presence. Only dust remained.

  CHAPTER 20

  THE PAST

  The cooling breeze blew through the hideaway, startling Johnny out of his lumber on the unforgiving floor. He did not remember how or when he fell asleep, only that he had.

  Turning over, he spotted Sonovan, who was in a meditative position on the cliff outside the hideout, overlooking the mountains and valley below.

  Groaning, Johnny’s body ached as he got up. He ambled to the cliff and sat next to Sonovan. The sky popped a clear blue unlike anything he had seen on Earth. A crisp, chilly air surrounded the atmosphere around the residence as Sonovan smiled in greeting upon his entrance to the cliff he had cal ed home. “I first learned the art of meditation from my sensei. He taught me many things, this being one of the important ones. The key is to clear your head from distractions. At first, it was a struggle for me.”

  “Why?”

  “I was an energetic and excited fellow when I was younger. Most prominently, I was a daredevil. It is what led me to the Xun, a portal that connected Earth with another realm, the Shadowverse, the parallel universe of Ooris where our powers originate. In my own naïve mind, I pushed through it for the sole purpose of curiosity and abandonment of my people. I wanted to discover something new—to be a pioneer, leave a legacy—a legend. Not a day goes by when I wish I could go back and stop myself from ever committing such a horrible act. The time vortex. Everything that has happened—it is all because of me. The blood is on my hands. Because I had no place in my heart for selflessness.”

  Johnny pondered his words. “Yes, but you have to forget that now. Who knows?

  Maybe Titan could have found another way to us. Maybe some idiot could have done it if you had not. Sometimes, dreadful things happen for a reason.”

  “I am sure what I did does not even register on the ‘dreadful’ scale.”

  “Look, we won’t lose. We will stop Titan. How will we do it? I don’t know. All I know is we are a team. And when people are unified, it is said they are impossible to overcome.”

  Sonovan turned his head and gazed at Johnny with intent. Chills ran down his spine due to the look Sonovan gave him. No one had ever looked at him that way. It was indescribable. “Johnny Sparks, you continue to impress me.”

  Grinning, Johnny replied, “Thanks. I try to be the logical one.”

  “The rest are not intel igent?” he asked, raising his eyebrow.

  “Well yeah, they are. Ryan is pretty smart, he even surprises me sometimes. Dustin and Sam are, well, normal, you might say.”

  “It is normal to be unintelligent?”

  Johnny chuckled. “No. Yes. There is stil no definitive answer to that question, in all honesty.”

  “Things must be very different on Earth.”

  “You can say that, but there are also very, very smart people there too. Humanity has advanced more in the last century than in its entire history prior. And in my opinion, any ‘stupid’ person can be made a genius with time. You only need effort.”

  “I would be glad to see it again. What you say is erudite, Mr. Sparks. That is the precise thing you will use against Titan. Your effort and desire.”

  “You wil see it again, and yeah, thanks again, Sonovan. You’ve flattered me.”

  “What about Jane or your other friend? Are they intelligent?” The breeze picked up.

  However, the chil ed zephyr was a wholesome one, the soothing air bringing paradise with its graceful touch.

  “Yeah, to be honest, sometimes I think she’s smarter than any of us.”

  Sonovan chuckled. “And your friend?”

  “Her name is Rose. Yeah, she is a good mix of all of us. A bit of a daredevil, smart, funny, and also a real chum. Problem is, she tends to leap without looking. Got a hell of a temper too.”

  “I am sorry that happened to her.”

  “We’ll get her back. She’s a fighter.”

  “I hope so.”

  “Yeah, it’ll be as simple as a hop, skip, and a snap of Titan’s big ol’ wire!”

  Sonovan’s deadpan expression erased the smile from Johnny’s face. “Oh, I thought you knew the phrase. You know, a ‘hop, skip, and a jump’?”

  “I did not. I am sorry.”

  “No, it’s OK,” he chuckled. Out of nowhere, his legs descended into weakness.

  Probably should inquire of the master, he thought. “By the way, I have been feeling a bit weak lately. What’s going on?”

  “The Ooris inside you cannot be used to an extent beyond its function. This is perhaps why Titan has not destroyed you yet, because it strains his body too much and depletes the constant supply of Ooris. To use an extensive amount of power would result in a deterioration of Ooris inside you. Never wil you completely lose it, but it will drain energy and leave you with no power.”

  “Got it. So it’s like a rechargeable battery.”

  “Correct,” Sonovan replied.

  Because he had worn no upper-body attire, Sonovan’s chiseled back was exposed for Johnny to admire. Instead of
naked skin, his spine and shoulders were covered in black tattoos. The image created portrayed two white, gleaming eyes above an unrecognizable symbol. Adjacent to it were five letters: SL, V, ORS, ZY. Furrowing his brow, Johnny leaned back to get a better view and was about to open his mouth when, despite his curiosity, closed it just as quickly. When Sonovan deemed it necessary, he would uncover this mystery on his vertebrae.

  Johnny stood up and went into the room where the others slept. The computer showed ‘30 minutes left’ on its screen. All right, they need it anyway.

  He left the room and returned to Sonovan. Fol owing his lead, Johnny sat into his own meditative position. The two sat there, a word not spoken, the only sound the pleasant whistle of wind at the high elevation above the val ey. But Sonovan interrupted it all with a question. One Johnny would have begged to never answer.

  “Tel me,” Sonovan started. “How are the samurai? How have they been? They were finally organized almost two centuries after Titan’s death. I became one of the first

  official ones, training many.”

  Johnny gulped, never prepared to drop a bomb such as this. He froze, unable to answer. Knowing Sonovan was once a samurai made this all the worse.

  Because of the inactivity on Johnny’s part, Sonovan rotated to look at him closely.

  “Well?”

  Gulping again, Johnny gazed off into the horizon dotted with clouds. He could not muster the courage to look Sonovan in the eyes. “They are no more. More than a century has gone by since their extinction.”

  Sonovan closed his mouth, his lip quivering. It can’t be, he thought. “Tell me it’s not true.”

  “It is.”

  So far, this would be the closest to crying Johnny had seen yet from Sonovan Lung.

  “Thank you for speaking with me, Johnny Sparks.”

  With that, he stood up like a soldier, turned, and nobly walked into the hideout and then into his room. Johnny was left there, staring.

  The ancient warrior laid his body prostrate on the hard ground. His eyes watered—

  the memories flooded back as if someone destroyed a dam. Only then did he come to the realization that he was the last of his kind, the living embodiment of a time long passed. I am the last of The Shadows…and of the samurai.