“You never told me, by the way, how you got your powers,” he started, looking at her.
The bangs flowed off her forehead as if she had arranged it that way. He caught himself though, internal y conjecturing like a court room or scientific laboratory why he had noticed such a minute feature.
Though she stil appeared a tad tentative, she explained. “The night after my parents were killed, I stayed at my grandparent’s house. When I woke up, it wasn’t long until I discovered them.”
“And so you’ve had telekinesis ever since?”
“Yes.”
“I won’t be surprised—”
“If he gave them to me? Sure. He injected you with it, so why not me? If he real y is a time traveler, he knows what’s going to happen. And if he’s human, does that mean we prevail?”
“Don’t be so sure, Jane. I don’t want to jinx anything. This is the pinnacle moment of human history. If we fail, no one survives. If we succeed, well, I don’t know what happens. The point is, we have to focus, especially me.”
Just then, a lovely blacked-out vehicle pul ed up onto the side of the street. “And I don’t think he’s human,” he finished.
In their casual clothing, Ryan, Rose, and the brothers stepped out as it drove away.
They walked up to them. “You know, I’m really beginning to like the treatment we’re getting,” Dustin chuckled. “It’s like I’m a superstar or something.”
“Yeah, I could get used to it,” Ryan replied.
“And it’s so nice and warm in there!” Rose exclaimed. “I hate the cold.”
“Unironically,” Ryan replied.
“You know, I am literally right here!” Sam objected. “Yeah, I’m the only cold guy in here, obviously.”
Johnny turned to Jane and rol ed his eyes. “Can I interrupt now?”
“Oh, yeah. Sorry. Go on.”
“Z isn’t who we think he is. He might help us every so often, and yeah he gave us powers, but each meeting is not a coincidence.”
“So, what are you saying? Of course it’s not a coincidence,” Ryan replied.
“No, you misunderstand. I think he has to help us.”
“What?” Sam replied.
“Remember when he said the guy we met when we got our powers ‘was not Z’? That must mean there are two—or something like that.”
“What are you getting at?” Rose replied.
“This is what I’m getting at. He’s a t—”
“Time traveler,” Rose interrupted, finishing his sentence.
“Uh, yeah.”
“What? A time traveler?” Ryan replied. “And how can you come to that conclusion?”
“Remember what Sonovan said? Titan has the technology to time travel. So, who is to say Z didn’t do the same?”
“Or maybe he stole it,” Jane added.
“I haven’t thought of that.” She grinned.
“That explains why he already had that wormhole machine in the cave,” Rose contemplated.
“Right.”
“OK, so we’ve hit at pretty much everything except a name. Who is this guy?”
“That part is the mystery. It’s why his name is Z. He doesn’t want anyone to know his true identity.”
“Of course. Typical. Always got to be mysterious or whatever,” Dustin moaned.
Johnny’s phone rang at that moment. “Hel o?”
“Hello. This is the President. I am personally calling you to come to the White House at once. If you can, please teleport or do whatever you say you can do. I do not desire to see media around wondering who the hell just entered the most protected house on the planet.”
“Who is it?” Ryan asked. Johnny shushed him.
“Yes, sir. What is the purpose of the meeting?”
“I want to know how we might prevent this onslaught.”
“No problem, sir. We’l be right there.” He hung up and faced the group. By then, Robert and Irene had come out to see. “That was the President. We have to go.”
“You are going to talk with the President?!” Robert exclaimed. “Holy crap!”
“Yeah, it’s pretty cool.”
~~~
During his ventures throughout his new surroundings, Sonovan met several guards.
Out of courtesy, he asked their names, and they replied such. In fact, Sonovan introduced himself to every one, to their amusement. The way he was raised—his traditions—were evident.
Despite the murky life he led as a young man, time had taught him patience, courtesy, and to cherish the little things—the things many would disregard.
He found the plumbing system to be quite primitive as well. Compared to the orbicular relief systems on Nexon and many others, these were mediocre.
A guard approached him and said the President expected him at the White House.
At that moment, a portal opened between them, and the guard stepped back in fear.
Dustin jumped out.
“Hey, Sonovan. I’m here to pick you up. We got two more teleportations left on my suit for the next thirty hours, so after this, we won’t be going many places. Sam has a
few left, though.”
“Let us depart,” he replied. They both jumped into the portal together as the guards watched in incredulity.
“I think I had too much to drink yesterday,” one said.
~~~
At once landing in the Oval Office, the President stood as the group exited the portal.
“Here we are again, sir,” Johnny said. “At your service.”
“Yes, this is a delight. Now, I want to know how we can prevent this mass onslaught Titan has planned. You said the satellites are the key.”
“They are, but I don’t recommend destroying them all. Titan has for sure already planned ahead for such a thing.”
“You see, Mr. President, Titan has a vast amount of intellect gained from millennia he has spent invading worlds across the Local Group, as you call it,” Sonovan added.
“Wait, how old is he?”
“Not a soul knows. Not even I.”
“And, who are you?”
“I am Sonovan Lung.”
“Sonovan who? What are you? A samurai? A ninja?”
Sam facepalmed at the comment. “Yes, in fact, I was a samurai about a thousand years ago.”
The President’s eyes widened and he coughed. “So you are immortal?”
“That is correct, sir.”
“My day has been getting better and better. Anyway, go on.”
“I suggest this,” Rose started. “In my time aboard his vessel, I noticed something interesting. The ship has no shields—like, none. I guess al those science fiction books and movies are way ahead of reality. But, he can generate a huge amount of energy and block incoming fire. This can work to our advantage.
“If we fire a load of missiles at his ship, he will generate a gigantic shield around his vessel. This can weaken him somewhat, and it can be easier to defeat him.”
“Very intuitive, Rose,” Sonovan replied, “I had not imagined that, but it makes sense.”
“Thanks.”
“OK, so we haul ass on his ship and he’ll deflect it. Then what?” the President replied.
“He has already built satellites for his plan. In case we prevail, it would not be logical to simply destroy al the technology and equipment that orbits Earth. It would be a huge waste of money, and, like I said, technology that we have amassed over the past half-century.”
“Yes, you are right,” the President responded. “So we just let him release his satel ites, and what happens then?”
“Leave the rest to us,” Johnny replied.
CHAPTER 36
ENTER SHADOWVERSE
A few hours later, Sonovan was meditating in his bedroom. Legs crossed and eyes shut, his mind drained itself of thoughts. Almost into the mood, Sonovan jumped as the group walked in. “Oh, sorry!” Sam exclaimed.
“Didn’t know you were in your trance. We’ll be right out,” Rose add
ed.
“No, my friends, it is quite al right. Please, join me.”
“Oh, uh, OK.”
They sat next to him, forming a horizontal line in the dorm. Sonovan was in the middle, with Johnny to his right and Ryan to his left. Next to Ryan were Rose and Dustin; while next to Johnny were Sam and Jane, respectively.
“Wow, this is literally nothing like Herook,” Ryan mumbled, desperately striving to get in the mood. “I miss that place.”
“So do I,” Dustin added.
“Me too,” Jane said.
“Yeah, Herook was quite a place.”
“I miss the cliff most of all.”
Sonovan smiled. “Yes, quite a place indeed. But, for now, this will have to suffice.
Jane, will you close the lights?”
“Certainly,” she replied. She was about to stand but Johnny had beat her to it. The light in the room gave way to darkness. “Oh, thank you.”
“Chivalry, Jane, chivalry.”
“Do any of you want to venture from this place?” asked Sonovan. “To somewhere far behind this physical realm? To a world of darkness, excitement, and energy?” asked Sonovan.
“Uh, yeah! What the hel do you think we’d say?!” Ryan exclaimed.
“Then close your eyes. Stand and place your hands on my head. Your bodies wil connect with mine, and we shall depart into the Shadowverse. Rose, even you can join us. Your time with Titan has enabled you to absorb some amount of Ooris.”
“Oh, wel that’s nice to know.”
In the dark room, they stood up and placed a finger onto Sonovan’s head. A blackness descended upon them—a darkness they could feel.
“It’s tingly,” Sam flinched.
“Ooris is with us now. Close your eyes and focus.”
Seconds later, the Energy absorbed them and they vanished.
Johnny opened his eyes, and his surroundings were no longer the dull walls of the bunker. His face was to the ground, except ground it was not, but a soft bottom considerably denser than a waterbed but nowhere close to as dense as typical soil.
Colors of all kinds streamed through the firmament above them, resembling auroras.
“Wow,” Johnny awed. Even the very ether gave the impression of a dream setting, though this is farther from imagination than east from west.
“This is spectacular,” Ryan said. “And I thought Herook was awesome.”
The views left the Shadowforce thunderstruck, yet Sonovan stood as a black mist continual y rose from the ground beneath them.
“My friends, this is the Shadowverse. The source of our power and of Titan’s power.
Impressive, is it not?”
“Understatement of the century,” Johnny replied. “Definitely understatement of the century,” he repeated, gaping.
“Why have you taken us here?” Jane asked Sonovan, who was girded in darkness.
“To teach you. To teach you the ways of The Shadows. To teach you that which you can see is not everything that exists. You are now where no man has gone before—in the beyond.”
The auroras lowered in the sky, as if alive. “The lights are coming awfully close,”
Sam remarked, backing up.
“Do not fret,” replied Sonovan, his eyes locked onto the aurora. “Oora wil envelop you in its embrace.”
“Oora?” Ryan replied.
“What’s that?” added Johnny.
“It is the power. In my time in the Shadowverse, I have learnt much. But chief among the discoveries is the Oora. You cannot know it fully, for it is a living thing. Oora is the Shadowverse incarnate, a noncorporal being. Here, it knows all, is al .”
Ryan’s eyes were glued to it. “Whoa, that’s just—”
“Incredible,” Johnny finished.
“Is that why you call the Energy Ooris?” asked Jane, staring.
“Yes,” he answered quietly. “Oora has not met you before, so let it surround you and touch your very being. It is benevolent and wil not hurt you.”
“How old is it?” Rose asked.
“Its origin is unknown, thought to have been precisely the beginning of time.”
Johnny glanced at him and then back to Oora, which by now had enveloped them.
“Whoa,” he exclaimed, touching the streaks of light. Colors infiltrated the area, whistling in every direction, the black mist demarcating itself and Oora.
Without warning, Oora encompassed the squad, passing through them as if they posed no boundary. “Whoa, that feels weird!” Dustin exclaimed.
An accumulation of Oora encircled Sonovan. The Energy seeped beneath his feet, and, to his astonishment and incredulity, began to prod him upward. This moment brought to mind the first time this very thing had unfolded years prior.
“Fear not, my friends. It sees a decent soul within me, for it knows me.” His arms rose as the Oora nudged his body higher. Soaking in the untainted force of the Shadowverse, his eyes and body were blanketed by the hundreds of shades of colors Oora emanated.
“Hold on tight,” Johnny advised. The dark mist ascended through the ground and fused with Oora. Sonovan was at least twenty feet off the surface, Oora keeping him stil and the Ooris Energy attached to him.
“Look at that!” Ryan pointed. Oora enveloped him in its embrace, and subsequently Sonovan’s body disappeared. On the other hand, its power had generated a wind—an
intense wind—which shoved the team as they tried to resist.
A voice reverberated from inside the cocoon. Despite it being that of Sonovan, his voice corresponded to something otherworldly, almost indecipherable, as if possessed.
“I…AM…THE…CHOSEN…ONE…AND…I…WILL…FREE…US…”
Immediately afterward, another voice was heard, this time clearly not Sonovan. “AND
FROM WHAT SHALL YOU FREE US?”
“I…WILL…FREE…US…FROM…THE…ENEMY…”
“ERSETA. ERSETA OOA W’IOR XENY.”
“YES…ERSETA…”
Oora vanished, and Sonovan dropped from his place. Despite the height, he landed without a scratch, exhaling a deep breath. Only the black mist Oora left behind remained. All was quiet and at peace, but in the distance, the Oora appeared in the sky, watching over them.
“What just happened?” Sam exclaimed.
“That was Oora. It…has a destiny for me.”
“Was that your voice?” Dustin asked.
“Yes, but Oora also spoke.”
“What’s ‘Erseta’?” Johnny asked.
“It means ‘redemption.’ The Oora has burdened me with the momentous task of destroying our common enemy, the Titan.”
“And how will you be redeemed?”
Sonovan glanced at the ground, head low. “I wished so hard it would never come to this, but it has. The only way to keep my nemesis from ever returning is to go with him.”
“What do you mean?” each questioned further, furrowing their brows.
Sighing, he continued. “If we succeed, you cannot kill him. I wil release all my Energy onto him, which will be more than enough to do the job. Therefore, he and I will depart into the Shadowverse, except not here. We would be in the Yeonlo Zone. Apart from this place, the Yeonlo Zone is a place for the ones who have passed on. Titan’s corrupt Ooris would repress him there, locked away for eternity. What you see before you is only a mere inkling of the Shadowverse.”
“Are you actually tel ing us you might be gone soon?” Ryan concluded. He was in no mood to lose someone like this.
“I am afraid so, my friends. But do not worry. All will work out in the end.”
“Why?” Jane asked. “Why must you do this?”
“That which is necessary, Jane. I must do what is necessary—for the greater good of the Shadowverse.”
“We can’t lose you,” Johnny replied. “There is no Shadowforce without you.”
“Then don’t be the Shadowforce. Be whatever you make it to be. Thus, what Z told you was correct. Just do what you do best. Be the hero.”
; Johnny sighed, looking to the rainbow sky. Without warning, though, an alarming growl vibrated from beneath the ground. “What the hel was that?” Sam exclaimed.
“Yeah, what the hell was that?” added Dustin.
“That would be my enemy.”
“Titan is here?” responded Ryan.
“We’ll see.”
“What are we going to do?” Rose asked, jittery. “H-He can’t see me. Not like this!”
She was frantic to leave, for her former master is rearing his head.
Sticking his arm out, Sonovan approached. “Hold on to me, just like you had done.
You need to leave and return to your world. I will stay behind for a bit, but I will be right behind you.”
They grasped his shoulder, and in an instant, were back in the room from which they departed. Johnny’s arm was still outstretched as a tear dropped from his eye, deep in melancholy.
“Guys? Y-You’re a-alive!” stuttered someone from the door.
They turned to see the one they would least expect. “Kevin?” Rose exclaimed.
~~~
Titan stood by the transparent enclosure in the Titan. Solis, per the usual, strode in and bowed. “My lord, seventy hours remain on the trip.”
“Good. Now, I want y—” Titan responded before cutting himself off.
“My lord?”
“Please leave.”
“Certainly.”
Etched into his very being, a small voice sounded. He could feel the voice. Titan scowled, focused and vanished, reemerging in the Shadowverse. The mist rose from the ground in a smooth ascent, but Titan could not possibly care about his surroundings at this point.
“Titan, I have been waiting for you,” Sonovan greeted.
Titan turned villainously and faced him. Both were now completely black, and no trace of armor or cables were found on Titan. They were like spirits. In contrast to the white eyes of Sonovan, Titan possessed deep red, like a devil. “Well, well, wel , if it isn’t for the man who started it all. How may I be of assistance this time?”
“I want to be straight to the point. I beg you, please, stop this madness. End it. You can never find true justice in this side of heaven! Never! In fact, you wil go crazy in the search.”
The Shadowverse Page 30