Realm of Darkness | Volume One

Sound of Goodbye

The year unfolds as 2006, as we find ourselves at Sydney Airport, thrumming with the rhythmic pulse of departures and arrivals as usual. The scent of kerosene mingling with coffee and the stale smell of disinfectant. Here two British-Russian brothers stand apart: Anthony and Felix Semyonov, bound by blood yet on the verge of their paths on the brink of diverging for the first time, but one thing was certain: their fate is destined to contain limitless potential.

Anthony, the eldest, was 26 years old, standing at an imposing 1.87 meters. His hair long, black, silky and extending to his neck, often dressed in black, contrasted by his light green eyes, although his personality was quite the opposite from what he seemed like: he was quiet, reserved, and introverted, often dismissive of his own emotions and feelings, nothing really mattered for him. After all, would there still be much pleasure and satisfaction in life if you had lost a loved one? Probably not.

Felix, on the other hand, was only 14, and stood at 1.79 meters tall, he radiated an aura of optimism and lightheartedness to those around him, akin to the sun in a warm spring day, it was difficult if not impossible not to smile or laugh once he's around. He effortlessly illuminated the darkest and most oppressive of places; he's the embodiment of a bastion of positivity, a beacon of hope amidst this seemingly indifferent and vast cosmos.

"Can't wait to crack on with a new chapter!" exclaimed Felix, his buzzing voice struggling to contain his excitement.

"Yeah, yeah, wish if I had things as straightforward and simple as you... but good for you I guess..." his older brother replied in a dismissive, indifferent tone.

"Why wouldn't you just get over it, Ant? I get it that she meant a lot to you but, it's been 11, whole, years, look at how much I've grown! I was just a toddler back then, besides, you've started to loosen up a bit haven't you?" replied Felix.

Anthony's voice hitched, each word a fractured echo of his pain. "Every night, I see her in my dreams, her voice still echoes in the halls of my mind." He closed his eyes, as a kaleidoscope of shared moments now filled his mind: sun-drenched beaches, whispered secrets, the warmth of her hand in his. A tear escaped, tracing a glistening path down his cheek.

"But maybe you're right, Felix," he continued, his voice low and raspy. "Maybe it's time I loosen the grip, let go of the past. A new dawn awaits us, a fresh chapter in this chaotic play we call life." He reached into his pocket, pulling out a worn card. "Moonshine Inc., Lima, Peru," the inscription held the promise of escape, a chance to take control of his own narrative. As he stared at the address, a flicker of hope danced in his eyes, fragile yet stubborn, refusing to be extinguished, rather, seemingly growing.

Felix, upon hearing these words, couldn't help but feel sorry for his older brother, as tears welled up his eyes, and eventually began running down his cheeks as well, he couldn't resist it, as Anthony looked back at him, they couldn't help but hug each other, as this is the last time they'll be together for a while; this was the sound of goodbye.

"Are you still sure Moonshi-" asked Felix before getting cut off.

"Yeah! It's just rumors after all" replied Anthony in an optimistic and emotional tone, something which he hasn't done in years.

"Pretty sure rumors about human experimentation, weapons of mass destruction, torture, and affiliation with terrorist groups are concerning..." replied Felix, his tone laced with concern and skepticism.

"Yup, what could possibly go wrong?" his older brother replied.

"Also take care of yourself. Family's the only thing I got left" Anthony added, as he started to pull away, his tone now more serious.

As they pulled apart, a fusion of hope and trepidation subtly lingered in the air, a silent promise hanging between them: no matter where life took them, their bond would remain, a constant reminder of their shared past and the boundless potential that lay ahead. Will they live up to this wordless covenant? Or would their resistance prove futile in face of this seemingly hostile universe, where shadows lurked in the corners of Moonshine Inc. and secrets whispered on the wind of the Peruvian biomes?

As Anthony settled into his seat, the plane's hum vibrating beneath him, a wave of disorientation washed over him. Images flickered behind his closed eyelids, not dreams, but unsettling flashes of reality that felt more like forgotten memories, memories of a past lost to time, burning memories. First, Felix's voice echoed, yet deeper, older than the carefree teenager he'd left behind. It spoke words he couldn't make out, leaving a chilling echo in his mind. Then, a symbol burned into his vision: a stark white triangle, inverted and pierced by a vertical line, on a black canvas. Finally, a figure materialized, shrouded in darkness, its only features two vacant white eyes, devoid of any humanity, the left one pulsating an ominous blood red, atop its head a twisted crown of some sorts, or rather a mockery of it. Each image pulsed with an intensity that defied explanation, leaving Anthony shaken and breathless, it wasn't the first time, but their increasing frequency and mysteriousness unsettled him.

As the visions retreated into his subconscious, Anthony's breath hitched in his throat. He clung to the label of "schizophrenia," a convenient yet dismissive explanation his fractured mind could grasp. After all, wasn't it easier to blame a broken mind than confront the chilling possibility that these flashes were fragments of a hidden reality? But the more he tried to dismiss them, the harder they returned, leaving him breathless and trembling. Was he teetering on the edge of madness, or was this the first tremor of a destiny far more unsettling than he could imagine? As the plane soared through the clouds, carrying him towards not just a new city, but a new chapter. But would he be the author of this story, or merely a pawn in a game he could never comprehend?

As Anthony disembarked the plane, the humid air clinging to him akin to a second skin. The cacophony of Spanish chatter was a stark contrast to the familiar drone of the Sydney airport. He clutched the worn card in his sweaty palm, the inscription "Moonshine Inc., Lima, Peru" engraved into his memory.

Navigating Jorge Chavez International Airport was a chaotic ballet of flashing lights, hurried footsteps, and incomprehensible announcements. With his limited Spanish, Anthony barely managed to piece together directions from a kind baggage handler, emerging into the blinding sunlight. A sea of taxi drivers swarmed him, their voices a loud, unintelligible chorus.

Finally, a weathered man with sun-baked skin and a smile etched by countless laughter lines understood Anthony's destination. The taxi ride felt like a sensory assault - a blur of dusty palm trees and crumbling Spanish colonial buildings coupled with the pungent aroma of street food mingling with exhaust fumes.

Anticipation coiled tight in Anthony's gut as the taxi pulled up in front of the building. Sleek glass walls strongly reflected the afternoon sun, creating an illusion of transparency that sent shivers down his spine. This sterile facade felt out of place amidst the city's vibrant chaos and spectacle of scents and colors, reflecting what awaited him within. Taking a deep breath, Anthony straightened his clothes and paid the driver, a silent prayer escaping his lips, "Hope God's with me, if there's one." He stood before the silent glass doors, the worn card clutched tightly in his hand. This was it. The threshold to a new chapter, or perhaps, a descent into the unknown.

With trembling hands, he pushed open the doors, stepping into the sterile, and seemingly... mundane? embrace of Moonshine Inc. Or was it? A sudden wave of dizziness washed over him, and the world shimmered. In a split second, the sleek lobby dissolved, replaced by a scene from a fever dream. A massive hydraulic arm, its chrome surface gleaming under harsh industrial lights, loomed into view. A buzzsaw whirred menacingly at its end, and then, a monitor displayed lines of indecipherable binary code in green, on a black background, then displaying the symbol aleph null – which he recognized as the mathematical representation of infinity, or perhaps something beyond it (for you math nerds out there don't clown on me for a slight inaccuracy okay? The plot depends on this). The vision was fleeting, but the feeling of dread lingered, sending a fresh wave of shivers down his spine. Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, Anthony found himself back in the lobby, the sterile reality a stark contrast to the disturbing imagery. What was that? Was it a hallucination, a glitch in the matrix, or a glimpse into something more sinister at play? 

"Alright demons I get there's some sort of side effects to this." Anthony told himself, dismissing these more frequent and vivid visions, as he pocketed his card, his hand still trembling slightly, and approached the receptionist, as he traversed his corridors for the interview, his mind was still racing with questions and a newfound sense of unease. What really awaited him inside these seemingly innocuous walls?

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