"As much as I know how bad I am for you, I can't help but fall even more."
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"A dark side doesn't mean a bad soul, and if it does, who's good then?"
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"You. You're everything good in this world and I am nothing at all in this world...
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{credit to star-plasma on Tumblr for her absolutely stunning pieces of art! I will be using a lot of her artwork in this story because it somehow captures my vision for the world of Ethereal! I've already gotten her permission to use her art so long as I give credit each time I do. If you guys ever catch me using her art and not crediting her, please tell me because I'm an old lady who probably just forgot!}
Chapter One — Today Was the Day
Today was the day.
It had been 11 years.
How could time have gone by so quickly, the Shade thought as he trudged his way to a place he knew far too well. The same place that was the cause of his sleepless nights and pernicious chest.
He was beginning to wonder if the pain would ever go away.
Most likely not. These weren't just feelings that would leave one day. They'd always be there, until the end of time. A dull ache right in the center of his chest.
The Shade stopped in his tracks, looking down at the floor. In his peripheral vision, he could see the usual black fog rolling off of him, though the amount had increased significantly. He hated how it was tied to his emotions. To the people smart enough to realize that, it gave away everything he was feeling.
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He exhaled quietly.
There was no real reason for him walking to his destination. He simply could have turned his body completely into mist and teleported instead. Or he could've transformed into anything and gotten there much quicker. A bird, a wolf, even a dragon. But then again, he liked the walk. It helped ease his mind of its destructive thoughts about what was coming; it always helped him.
But it never prepared him.
Nothing could ever prepare him for seeing his old home, destroyed and burnt to the ground, along with the people within.
