The Shadowverse
John-Clement Gallo
Copyright © 2018 John-Clement Gallo
All rights reserved.
There are two great days in a person’s life—the day we are born and the day we discover why.
– Wiliam Barclay
PROLOGUE
500 YEARS AGO
There was only darkness. A darkness he could feel. This world bathed itself in an energy he had never sensed—an Energy never released for nearly half a millennium.
But no longer. Throughout his life, he could not follow the codes of his own species, but now the name and world he left behind would perish where he deserted it—the past.
And if it be his will, that place would rot. Now, he would abandon his name and the past he despised so much and become someone new, Solis.
His cloak flapped in the ferocious wind, only a mask covering half of his dark purple face up to the eyes. The machine he constructed ignited. It was made of hundreds of interconnected wires and plates, yet only a single energy as it roared like an engine.
“And now,” he said, “I shall resurrect the true hero.”
A rumble. Another. Soon the area, a desolate wasteland on a planet long forgotten, was subject to an outpouring of black, murky mist lightly coupled with a polychromatic, wispy energy. Its power focused on a single point, a horizontal vortex forming as the wind accelerated. The golden irises of Solis’s eyes searched frantical y for any sign.
Solis braced himself as the point…widened. The vortex bore a spherical hole into the very fabric of reality. Thunder resonated like alarms and a demonical y black lightning emanated in al directions. It was quickly becoming too much to bear. But yet, he had to withstand. For him. The hole grew more pronounced with each passing second.
Through the storm, he heard a voice. A deep, firm, reverberating voice. “Who cal s me?” it asked. “What is transpiring?”
Solis gulped, yet spoke through the fury. “I am Solis, and I am here to resurrect the one who brought so much to this reality I was unfortunately borne into!”
“Where is the nemesis?”
“He wil be of little consequence soon.”
“I feel… free.”
Solis prepared himself for the arrival of a being of old, a ruler of worlds who had been dethroned, murdered, and banished back to the alternate universe he had originated from—the Shadowverse—five-hundred years prior by an immortal warrior named Sonovan Lung and three of his compatriots, Orslon, Venarian, and Zydok, known by their codename ‘The Shadows.’
“Then free yourself, my lord!”
“So be it.”
The Energy swirled everywhere, threatening to knock seven-foot Solis off his feet.
Then, he saw them. Fingers, grasping the edges of the rotating sphere as the lightning flashed and thunder boomed. Subsequently, something else appeared in the hurricane
—menacing, crimson eyes. Solis could see his form now, all nine feet of him. He is so close. “Make it!” he shouted through his own mask.
The being elicited a growl. “I never thought I could make it back, but now, I am here!”
it roared. And, just like that, he shoved himself out. In a mere instant, the storm abated.
Solis could not believe his eyes. He had done it. The naked being, skin white as snow, a bald head, and eyes burning red, sank to his knees on the gravelly terrain. He breathed in a long, drawn out breath lasting seemingly forever.
“I’m…free!” he boomed in an exhale, voice echoing for miles. “I’m free!” The being stood and turned to Solis, eyes like daggers, as if boring into his very soul. “Who are you and how have you accomplished this feat?”
Instead of an explanation, the cloaked Solis ambled towards the giant and knelt on one knee. “My lord Titan, I have done this so you might again bring pure justice to the universe. I resurrected you. They took everything from you. But it shall never last. My only request is that I may be by your side throughout the journey. I am Solis, savior of the Titan, ruler of the Tetra.”
The being, formerly known as Titan, placed his hand on Solis’s shoulder. “Rise, my Solis.” As if on cue, he rose like a medieval knight to look Titan in the eyes. They were far more vibrant than legend had described. “You shall be my Voir. On this day, it commences.”
“My Lord Titan, thank you. That is all I ask.”
Titan stomped past in only two strides. He gazed out towards the desolate, desert-like wasteland before him, more open than ever. “We shal bring the Justification.”
CHAPTER 1
THE BEGINNING
It was deep in the night in New York City. Hiding away in an offset room in an alley treated as abandoned, two men talked about destiny—about the events that were to take place. About the future of human civilization and thinking as a whole.
“I want you to stay here,” said one of the men, dressed in a thick jacket exquisitely paired with sweatpants. “You never know when some beggar or runaway teenager decides to explore every nook and cranny of this damned city. Make sure nobody comes near the alley.” His black attire absorbed the blue-tinted light shining from the bulb in the ceiling corner.
“Sure thing, master,” the other answered, hustling to the door to lead the way. “Just make sure you notify me when you will be returning.”
“I will. Remember—you do your job, and I do mine. You have the simple side of the coin. I’m the one who has to get things started.”
“Which is?”
“Destiny,” he replied. “Oh, and by the way, make certain you go for a headlock when she gets there, all right?”
The lackey’s eyebrows furrowed. “Who’s ‘she’?”
“Trust me, you’l know.” With that, he shuffled out like a man on a mission, for he was.
He had to be ready and thoroughly prepared. His mind had been rigorously focused as he stepped out into the cold, crisp November air. The time was at hand.
~~~
Johnny Sparks is anything but extraordinary. Growing up in a smal town outside the Big Apple, he was a school regular and always tried to not get behind the eight bal .
When his fel ow classmates were out at parties, he would study meticulously.
At the age of ten, Johnny met three boys at the karate school his parents forced him to attend. This is where Johnny met brothers Dustin and Sam Jones and their friend Ryan Slade, the playful duo having known Ryan since kindergarten. Together, the foursome formed their own little cocoon among the people of New York.
Ryan grew up to admire very short hair, and in time, he received a wonderfully short crew cut for a while. He appeared big and brawny before he received the haircut, and now he looked even more intimidating, except the truth was exactly the opposite.
Dustin and Sam, on the other hand, had light brown and dark brown hair respectively. They were both about 5’11”, so they were rather tall. In fact, Johnny had a large figure, six feet in height.
Through the years, their relationship bloomed. Dustin became a daredevil, with Sam right behind him. Ryan, despite his 6’5” height, was far from being fearless. In fact, he
had a variety of fears—heights, closed rooms, and, pardon any irony, females. He didn’t do a good job at either staying calm, cool, and col ected, or letting his emotions run free.
Because of this, his high school years and col ege years, so far, were characterized by ten crushes and zero girlfriends, despite his unintentional sense of humor.
On the other hand, Johnny was more of a study wiz, even though recently he had some time to let out a morsel of his wild side. Parties were stil overrated.
Ostentatiously reluctant to a split up, they together joined a community college in the area. They also kept up their martial arts attendance, now assis
tant teachers and on the payroll.
Johnny had spent a few hours at his parents’ home, a cute abode in a cozy neighborhood miles away from the bustling city. Though he liked the apartment he rented, its main attraction being closer to downtown Bronx, and not too far from Manhattan, he could never tire from a transient visit to his childhood residence.
He and his father, Timothy, sat on chairs arranged around their kitchen table, underneath a dim light. The conversation between the two, while his mother Irene watched television, was quite interesting. Today, Johnny felt the frustration of life creep up on him again. “I don’t know, Dad. It’s just…I feel like there should be more. It’s as if I’m stuck in limbo.”
His father kept a serious look, nodding faintly. “I understand, son.”
“I should be on to better things,” he sighed. “Sometimes, I marvel at people. They’re so satisfied with this,” he said, arms outstretched. “I want more.”
Timothy chuckled lightly, the proof in the eyes. “I remember when you wanted to be astronaut when you were six. Remember that?”
“Yeah.”
“You wanted to reach the stars. No, you wanted to go beyond them. I still hear that squeaky voice of yours saying it.”
Johnny sighed again. “That didn’t work out. Life hit.”
Timothy pulled his chair up to Johnny, hand on his son’s shoulder. “It still can. Maybe you won’t be an astronaut, but you are special.”
As he spoke, Johnny’s eyes darted about, desperate to look anywhere else. “It’s true. This world was never big enough for me.”
“Your words aren’t falling on deaf, callous ears, Johnny. You were always this way.
When I would watch you with other kids, you gave off a forty-year-old, adult vibe amongst everyone else.”
“Yeah, it’s good Ryan, Dusty, and Sam understand me.”
“They’re a Godsend.”
Johnny chuckled. He checked his watch. Shit. He jerked up. “Sorry Dad, I got to go.
Lecture is soon.”
Timothy stood up as well. “Have fun, Johnny. Learn something.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
He bolted out and into his car. Before he put the keys in, he sighed again. Life had better be keeping the best for last, he thought. Without another word, he started the car, engine choking to a steady breath.
~~~
She had gone through life alone. Besides her parents and grandparents, no one had ever taken a second glance at her. But they were al gone now. Loneliness had stuck closer than a brother. It never left.
Jane. Why had that name been such a curse? Since her early teenage years and the death of both her parents, Jane had morphed from a particularly outgoing person to a secretive, shy thing.
But for her own safety, things had better stay that way. These gifts, though incredible, could pose to be a bigger threat than any of the prior nightmares. This is my destiny, she thought. The lone person across the face of the Earth with power. I didn’t ask for them to be taken. I didn’t ask for it. I didn’t ask for any of it. But here I am.
Without warning, she was sucked out of the trance and back into reality. A reality of dozens of phones and needy customers. She brushed away the chestnut bangs to once again fall into her place in society. Back to work.
~~~
Despite a Friday, the night unfolded without any particularly trying events. After their cars were parked and each headed to the lecture, Johnny, Sam, Dustin, and Ryan began talking to each other about a plethora of different things that happened that day.
Johnny rarely explained the things he felt almost every single day. He did not want the others to know of his problems.
A few minutes later, they got in their seats as the lecture was about to start. The brothers were fixing their dark brown hair, which curled seemingly everywhere.
“Dude, you have to see this video,” started Dustin. “This is becoming a sensation.”
Ryan leaned in to look.
“Bro that’s so fu—” he responded before something ripped away his attention like a band-aid. His thick neck jerked another direction. “W-Wow I-I think this is the best view I’ve had yet.”
“Who are you staring at now Ryan?” asked Sam, without a doubt flustered as this could be the third crush Ryan has had in only two weeks. He stooped behind the big man to try to get a clearer view at what, or most likely who, he stared at. “Are you serious? I hate to tell you man, but that one is impossible.”
“Never say never! She hasn’t seen a guy like me yet,” he returned, convinced his strength and glamour could win her heart.
“Ryan you said that about the last one,” Dustin added, peeking up from his phone.
“And also, you are literally the definition of really good Italian bread. You’re super hard on the surface, but on the inside, you’re softer than a baby’s butt.”
“Hey! C’mon man. Just look at her,” he gestured. “You have to admit it. Looks like she literally dropped out of heaven.”
Johnny let out a chuckle while he flipped through pages in his notepad. “That’s a new one.”
“Dude, I’ll bet you a hundred dollars that you won’t ever even get into a conversation with her,” Sam replied. “Trust me. Rose Johnson is out of all our leagues,” he continued.
“It took a lot of self-pride slaughtering to say that, by the way.”
Rose Johnson grew up in Pennsylvania and had vibrant red hair with a fair complexion. She was also unusual y tall, standing a tad under six feet. Above all else, the air around her always seemed saturated in a “keep away” attitude.
The professor interrupted their bickering. “Lecture is starting! May I have your attention?”
Ryan leaned over, lowering his voice to a whisper. “Bud, I’ll take that bet. Your bank account is about to be starved of one hundred greenbacks.” Sam rolled his eyes at the comment. With that, the lecture began and they begrudgingly quieted down. This did not hinder Ryan from shooting well-nigh a dozen glances at Rose, though.
Within the hour, the lecture ended and everyone piled out. Rose was still there sorting her books, but Ryan had no strength or wil to walk over and introduce himself.
“Hey look Ryan, she’s ripe for the taking!” whispered Dustin, pointing at her.
“Not. Helping.”
“All right, wel , if you won’t jump at this opportunity, we’re leaving,” Johnny stated.
“Well, I am, anyways.”
Ryan clenched his teeth, expectant a tsunami of confidence would flood his persona.
A minute whipped by, but he just couldn’t will himself into doing it.
Since Ryan would never acquire the said will, the boys walked out. They were sauntering over to their respective cars when a Hispanic man in a black jacket approached them.
“Hey, can I have a lighter? Mine got lost during the lecture,” he asked. “It would mean a lot to a brother from another mother.”
Johnny turned to the others. “Dude, I don’t smoke! Do you?”
“Man do I look like a walking cigarette to you?” responded Ryan.
Johnny knew Dustin and Sam did not so he ignored a play directed towards them.
“I’m real y sorry buddy, but I can’t hel—oh God.” Something stripped Johnny’s attention away.
“I have one!” yelled a female voice several feet behind Ryan.
He froze. “Oh shit oh shit oh shit.” He did not look behind him.
Sam peeked around Ryan and saw her. It was Rose. His eyes went wide. “Damnit!
The one time I make a bet—the one time!”
This turned into the man’s favor—precisely the distraction he needed. In a split-second, the conspicuous figure whipped out syringes like knives. Then, channeling his extraordinary ability, meandered through the pack of students as they stood still, frozen in time. To their eyes, though, everything passed far too quickly for their range of senses to catch, but for him, every breath, every movement—literally everything stopped. In half a second, it w
as as if nothing had happened.
“Ow!” they all jerked in unison, except for Rose. “What the—did I just get bitten by a mosquito?” complained Dustin.
“Whoa are y’al all right?” asked the man.
“Yeah, we’re fi—” Ryan responded before the presence of the flame-haired Rose cut him off.
Johnny chuckled. “Showtime.”
Dustin and Sam joined in. “Yeah Ryan, showtime!” Rose glowered at them, though slightly amused. She handed the man the lighter. He thanked her.
Johnny spoke up first. “Hey, uh, Rose…right?”
She grinned, though keeping her distance. “Yep, that’s me. I saw you guys in distress about the lighter, so I decided to lend a helping hand.”
“Ha!” chuckled Dustin, staring at his phone. The light lit up his face in a white glow.
Currently, he was about the business of swiping through his social media feed. Sam interrupted the brief silence.
Sam glanced over at Ryan, who was in shock. “Hey buddy don’t you have something to say?” he suggested with a sly tone. Ryan turned his head in Sam’s direction and scowled. Rol ing her eyes, Rose decided to take the step for him.
“Ryan, right?” she asked.
He looked down at her, mortified but not as much as he had imagined. This close, he had never noticed she had dyed her irises red to match the fiery hair. Cool. “Yeah, that’s me, good old Ryan Slade.”
“Yeah, I know,” she responded as his and the others’ eyes widened. She realized that came out wrong and worked to correct it. “You’re the tallest guy here. It would be impossible for me not to notice you.”
“You dye your eyes, I think it looks dope,” Ryan complimented.
In a strange way, her expression displayed al that goes with odd. Her reaction seemed different than most. “Huh?” she final y spoke. “Oh, yes, you like it? Matches my personality, I suppose.”
Sam facepalmed himself. He squinted to convince his mind these events were real and actually taking place.
On the other hand, Johnny glanced around and noticed the man had already disappeared. He quickly cut short the conversation. “Whoa where did that guy go? He was here—he was just here.” Everyone scanned the environs of the college and could not establish where he had ventured or when.
The Shadowverse Page 1
