COBALT: The Red Phantom (Book One)

Chapter 1: Káel (Part 1/2)

(Present Day: EARTH)

          It was a day like any other, in the modestly small town of Iridis. The town had no notable achievements, other than being so obscure it didn't show up on maps and boasting it's own 'UFO landing rock' in a dandelion-infested field. But nonetheless, it was graced by a rather odd guest.

          The man - barely skirting the look of a teenager - let out a quick sneeze, rubbing his nose as he skimmed the vibrant field. "Calibrations are normal." He looked down at a cat brushing against his leg, rubbing her head with a smile. "We finally made it."

          The cat ceased her affection, staring up at the man with an unamused meow.

          "I know I forgot it," he replied distastefully, blowing his blonde locks away from his face and locking onto a quaint cluster of buildings, the signs of civilization bringing an excited bounce to his face. "So this is where he lived."

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          A binder full of papers rocketed towards the floor along with a couple of worn down textbooks, a grey blur fleeing the scene and pattering down the hall. Káel shot up out of his covers. Eyes alert for danger and a threateningly fluffy black sock in his right hand - ready for defending if need be. It took a while for him to process the scene before him, and by then it was too late to punish the culprit.

          "Jay," he growled, pushing off his mess of white covers and jumping to his feet. His ebony hair was a makeshift bird's nest, the few strands poking in his vision glistening in the sunlight reaching through his window. 

          With an instinctive glance he inspected the time, 7:23. 

          He groaned, seven minutes of sleep wasted. The day like any other day had begun.

          A uniform sat folded on his smooth metal desk, it was unique - to say the least - with its navy blue plaid overcoat and silky black dress pants that flapped madly with the slightest breeze. Káel threw it on, tiredly scooping his textbooks off the ground and into his schoolbag with a stifled yawn.

          As he made his repetitive breakfast of golden pancakes and syrup, he weighed the pros and cons of skipping school, a typical thought that crossed his mind as he stared vacantly at the chandelier above him. White marble tiles paved most of the floor, and six polished, white birch chairs sat evenly around a matching table. The house was like a mansion, not suited for such a small town. Stranger still to the people he grew up with, Káel lived alone. Spare Jeremiah and a caretaker named Brick, who only popped up at random moments to clean everything down to the smallest speck of lint.

          Káel's uncle technically owned the house, but he always seemed to be off 'researching'. He was a strange guy to begin with, rarely dropping by to see his nephew or even say hello. The only reason Káel knew he was still alive were those once in a blue moon days when he phoned, or came to the door to drop off an intimidatingly large wad of money. It was hardly parenting. Social Services would drool over a case like his. But in his mind, it was better than sitting in an orphanage waiting for a couple of parents crazy enough to swing by and adopt him. He didn't know his parents after all, sent to live with his uncle when he was too young to remember even a flicker of their existence. But it wasn't uncommon, and he had little motivation to look into strangers that left him.

          His uncle, who addressed himself as Staz, took care of him for the first six years, teaching him strange hobbies, from weaponising pencils to participating in Iridis' only musical group, four members strong. And then he started 'researching'.