Sentient Darkness

Service to a Higher Call

"Come, Cal... I need you... Come to me..." Anger swells within him. Jordan peers deep within himself and sees his guardian standing; his eyes transfixed on a focal point between the worlds. "Now, Cal..."

Cal lifts his head to the shadows that shroud the realm above him. He breathes deeply and focuses his will through the barriers that lay between this world and his. He pierces through until one remains unbroken. Cal runs his hand across the thin veil that holds him down. "So fragile yet unrelenting." Stepping through the veil, he feels the anger consume him.

"Excuse me, please cease your persistent badgering. I have more urgent tasks that require my time than to stand and exchange words over such a trivial topic." Cal says with a smile. He turns to walk away and the man charges him. Cal darts to the side and slams his elbow into the temple of the man's head. Without glancing down, Cal threatens, "I highly recommend you put your thoughts before your actions next time. Should this incident occur once more, your life will be forfeit. Good day, sir." 

Cal walks to his car and gets in. Bucking in after starting the car, he begins to drive away as the man runs behind the car and smashes his back windshield with a bat. Cal sighs and unbuckles then steps out of the car. "Sir, did we not discuss this?" 

"You're dead, you little prick!" Brandishing his bat, the man points at Cal. Cal takes off his overcoat and lays it on the hood of the car. "So be it." Cal rushes the man before he could swing, and goes in hard with a knee to the stomach. With his knee still raised, he kicks outs; spinning to keep out of the man's reach, he thrusts his forearm into the man's throat. Cal smiles and jabs the palm of his hand under the man's chin, forcing him back. "Still care to continue?" Cal laughs.

The man growls and shakes away the pain. "We're just starting." He lifts the bat and swings wide. Cal jumps back to dodge, but the man grabs out and catches him by the collar. Dragging Cal to the ground, the man punches furiously; Cal accepts the blows to the face stoically. The man continues to pumble away until Cal trades his own attack, fist to his temples. Cal clasps his hands together and winds back as the man is dazed. He slams his clamped hands into the man's face and rolls him off.

"Your endurance is admirable." Cal says as he stands and levels his feet in his primary stance. The man staggers to his feet; his breathing labored, he charges again. Cal digs in and catches the man's wild charge. He slams down on the man's back, dropping him to the ground. He kicks the man in the side of the head and the man stops moving. 

Cal dusts off his clothes and picks up his overcoat, draping it over his arm. He retrieves a phone from a container in the back seat and contacts the EO-Bot. "I would like to report an incident. There is a male in his mid 30's collasped on the pavement." Cal drops the phone on the man's back before the operator responds. "Why do they never choose the easy route?"

Cal drives home. He stumbles through the door and slumps onto the chair. Cal breathes deeply and relaxes his body. His connection to the world fades and he finds himself at the thin veil. He glides his hand over it. The seemingly fragile veil hardens. Cal is forced back through the barriers, each becoming impenetrable. He returns to his customary position within the realm that he titles his home. 

Looking around, Cal sighs, "Home at last..."