The Sweetest Dream of the Spectral Boy

Chapter 1

The war had only been going on for approximately one year when a smaller planet inhabited with too many people was attacked by the ever-consuming darkness. Planets had been attacked before, of course, but none had been so heavily populated as this particular one, and the increased amount of people meant increased danger.

A grand city of almost entirely hidden buildings due to the encouraged growth of once beautiful vine-like plants over them was now painted with ugly shades of black and red and those who were still alive saw nothing but a dark gray, even the sun itself refusing to shine upon the massacre taking place below. Soldiers fought their way through Nightmare Men, Fearlings, and even the shadows themselves just for their chance to get to, and hopefully save the living citizens who remained themselves despite the pain that surrounded them.

One particular foot soldier had felt sick enough to vomit the moment they landed and saw the bodies, and now battled more bravely than any of his comrades for the sake of the intensified hope some people will make it out of this and still have lives to lead and happinesses to experience. His sword was not grand, his armor nothing special, but the flame he had in his heart lay waste to the dark enemies until he made it to an inner part of the green city, having found not a single living person outside his comrades and needing to try harder and harder by the moment to hold himself up.

Like a miracle, the soldier did finally manage to find a group of people, most of them children and teens, hiding in fear behind one boy. This boy was a teen, not greatly younger than the soldier himself, and had skin that seemed conflicted between glowing like a star and fading like some otherworldly phantom, and his white hair only added to that effect. He was nothing like the soldier had ever seen, his light and courage scaring the darkness away just enough to keep the group safe for now, though the shadows seemed to be gradually creeping closer.

Leaping into action, the soldier swung his unimpressive blade out at the shadows, ridding of them and approaching the group as he quickly tapped his earpiece, informing the ship above them that he'd found survivors and that some of them may require medical attention once they'd been transported up. The boy seemed to calm down, relief clear on his face. "You saved us."

The soldier nodded, stepping closer to the group, who didn't seem sure everything was okay quite yet. "Perhaps. Have any of you been tainted?"

A shake of the head and a quick check of everyone's eyes indicated that no, they were safe. Despite thanks being given and questions being asked, the soldier tapped his earpiece once more, this time to indicate their safety, then telling the ship to send them up. With only a quick glance shared between the soldier and the spectral boy, the group was beamed up to the ship and the soldier kept fighting and searching, finding very few survivors after that, none in a group like the first.

It was odd to the soldier, and it was special to the spectral boy, so this was an occurrence they both remembered clearly, thinking back on it many times over.

Some memories glowed brighter than others, but no amount of brightness would ever be able to outshine the intense darkness of the day they met.