Darksun - Volume 1: Neco'ma

Chapter 14: Secrets of the Neco'ma

Five years ago...
Moments after the incident that happened at James A. Garfield Senior High School, Eddie was already on the run. Clearly distressed by what he had done and what he was turning into, Eddie had fled away from the school grounds and fearing the reaction from his family, he dared himself not to go home.

 After he ran for what felt like ages, he rushed into a quiet alleyway to hide, but Eddie did not notice that he had stumbled upon the middle of a drug deal.

 'Hey kid, what the fuck's wrong with you?! I'm in the middle of a business deal over here!' the dealer told the distressed teenager.

 Eddie didn't care about the dealer or his clients and yelled, 'please just go away, I just need somewhere to hide. Just leave me alone!'

 But the dealer did not leave him alone. He took a closer look at Eddie's newly acquired purple eyes, and jumped back, 'holy shit those are some creepy eyes! I bet they'd pay a lot of money in the black market for those eyeballs--'

 Suddenly, leaping from the building above and landing on his feet, was none other than Phantom himself. Wielding a pair of hidden daggers pointed directly at the dealer's neck, he threatened him, 'punk if you or your clients come and hurt this kid, I'll make it personal to make your miserable lives a living hell! Now get lost!'

 The dealer and his clients all fled from the alleyway, scared out of their minds. Phantom then gently approached the scared teenager, 'you don't have to be afraid anymore, you're safe and they're gone from here. Are you alright kid?'

 'I'm fine, but I'm warning you to please leave me alone, I'm too dangerous to be around anyone!' Eddie shouted anxiously, forcefully keeping his eyes closed out of fear.

 Completely unfazed by that statement, Phantom approached Eddie and told him, 'listen I know what you're going through, I've been through it myself. But I can't help you if you won't let me, Eddie.'

 'How did you know my name?' Eddie opened his eyes, surprised by what he had just heard.

 'I've been keeping a close eye on you for quite some time, and I'm the only one who can help you understand what you have become--' said Phantom. As he stared straight back at Eddie, the teen saw that he had purple cat's eyes just like he did. He continued, '—because you and I are one and the same. It's not safe for us to discuss your recent metamorphosis here, come with me and I'll tell you everything you need to know.'

 Phantom reached his hand out to the confused teenager. Eddie felt he was out of options and he really needed to understand what had happened to him. And so, he accepted his help, shaking the warrior's hand.

 A few hours later in a foreclosed theatre, Eddie was trying to keep warm in a disheveled blanket. He looked curiously about his surroundings, when Phantom appeared with a bag of junk food.

 'I figured you'd be hungry by now,' Phantom stated, knowing that food would comfort a troubled soul.

 Although Eddie knew how a burger tasted, he already began to notice that his taste buds and his sense of smell were acting strangely heightened than before.

 Eddie felt comfortable enough to enquire, 'you said you know what's happening to me, but I'm still unsure what to believe anymore. Can you tell me what have I turned into and what I can do?'

 'What do you know about the magi?' Phantom asked. He wanted to know what Eddie knew before he began the conversation that would open the teenager's eyes.

 'I remember reading about it somewhere in the library. The magi are people that can use magic, like witches and warlocks, am I right?' Eddie recalled as he answered.