Realm of Darkness | Volume One

What's to Come [PREVIEW]

The year's now 2007. Two years of training, information gathering, and preparation had sculpted our heroes as they now stood at the entrance of Detroit Airport. Emily, once narcissistic and entitled, now exuded quiet chill. Isaac, who struggled to control his emotions, was now more calculated and thought more before he acted. Ryan, who used to be indifferent and stoic, became more empathetic and understanding.

"Savin' the world again aren't we?" Yosef's voice, deeper and steelier, cut through the pre-travel hum.

"Hell yeah!" Isaac slammed his fist into his palm, his right eye momentarily flashing yellow with determination.

"Hope those dudes in Peru are ready for us, 'cause we're comin' for them," Thomas chimed in, his blue eye mirroring Isaac's intensity.

But Ryan, ever the realist, interjected, "Hold on. What if they're waitin' for us? Got a nasty surprise up their sleeves?"

Isaac scoffed, "We've come a long way. Stronger, smarter. We'll be just fine."

"Yeah, yeah," Emily drawled, her usual sarcasm replaced by a reassuring lilt. "Let's just board before we miss our flight."

As they filed onto the plane, a familiar figure caught Yosef's eye. Dressed in black, shades obscuring their face, the figure stood tall and enigmatic. It was the same one who'd left the cryptic folder in the restricted archive section.

Their eyes met, and Yosef offered a knowing smirk. The world around him blurred, colors inverting, until he found himself suspended in a calm, vast, star-dusted void. Before him stood the figure, their purple-blue eyes gleaming in an otherworldly manner beneath the shades.

"Mr. Abdulhameed," their voice was calm, measured, "you've progressed admirably."

"You're right," Yosef replied, "at this pace, we might even checkmate this eternal chess game."

"Indeed..." the figure echoed, their voice laced with an uncanny rhythm, "but you know, the time approaches. The transfer, if necessary, will occur. I must prepare the Harbinger for its awakening"

Yosef's expression shifted, understanding flickering in his eyes. "The Harbinger of Salvation... in the shadow of the Emperor's rebirth..."

The figure nodded, their voice weaving a chilling prophecy: "Darkness looms, its tendrils tightening around the Realm of Existence. The Emperor's reign, an epoch of despair, his malice corrupting the very air. Yet, amidst this cosmic ballet, a Harbinger stirs. Metallic wings unfurl, a beacon of hope against the encroaching gloom. In celestial hues, a cryptic force awakens, ready to dance with fate. As the Emperor tightens his grasp, the Harbinger rises, wings outstretched, embracing infinity. Its story unfolds, a harbinger of salvation..."

"...In the meantime I'll be keeping an eye as usual" they added, before colors inverted once more, and Yosef now found himself at the end of the flight, to his right Thomas was sleeping, in front of him Ryan and Emily were cuddling and had fallen asleep as well, once he checked the time it was 11:58PM, he couldn't help but smile that his loved ones were safe and sound.

"They have no idea..." he whispered to himself, his tone sad and worried.

In conjunction to these events unfolding, we find ourselves in a different scene: a meeting room, which felt more like a vault than a place for discussion. Its stark walls bore no windows, instead adorned with cold, featureless metal plates. The only light trickled from a single bare bulb hanging low from the ceiling, casting long, distorted shadows that danced across the occupants like accusing fingers. The air held the tang of ozone and stale sweat, hinting at the heavy security measures employed.

Around a massive, circular table of reinforced concrete sat six figures cloaked in darkness. Their features were concealed beneath deep hoods, but the glint of cold metal beneath their gloves and the purposeful set of their shoulders spoke volumes of their training and dedication. Even whispers seemed hesitant in the oppressive silence, punctuated only by the rhythmic clicks of their boots on the cold floor.