Mirrors and Shadows

Prologue

He darted through the dark alleys, the silent streets, quiet as a mouse. He peeked around a corner and quickly jogged down the pavement toward the towering building not far away. He looked around nervously for any people even though he knew there wouldn't be any now. He quickly made his way towards the building in sight, creeping closer and closer.

He reached it finally, after turning around the corner of a small brick house. He winced in pain as the transformation occurred. It was agony searing through his every nerve and fiber, but it only lasted for a second. He slipped through into the building, through the dark corridors and doors, guards patrolling everywhere. They didn't notice him; it was very dark. He quietly laughed to himself. They wouldn't see him even in daylight if he wanted to. But this was more convenient.

He finally rounded a corner and found what he was looking for. The vault. The place where all the treasures were kept. Specifically, one treasure he had been after for many years. Those people, they didn't know its value. They thought it was an ordinary jewel.

He slipped inside the vault. He almost screamed in agony and the transformation occurred once again. He looked around, seeing mound after mound of rings, jewels, gold, precious metals and all kinds of treasures. Each one's worth was enough to make one a king. But he wasn't interested in those. He quickly scanned the room, searching for the one thing he needed. He found it, sitting on the side of a small mound of rubies. He picked it up, admiring it and feeling its power. He breathed in deeply, feeling it rejuvenating him, healing the wounds and unlocking tiny doors inside him. He breathed deeply, absorbing the jewel's power. It strengthened him to an extent that was double, maybe even triple, of his previous power peak.

He looked around at all the treasures around him. To him, they had no value at all. He used his mind to feel around the room, looking for anything that hid any power. He was disappointed to have found none. These 'treasures' that piled in abundance around him were nothing to him, only so-called 'wealth'. He picked up a large shining emerald ring. He would need some 'wealth' for his project, and this would suffice. He didn't dare take any more for fear of being discovered.

He took out a peculiar little mirror from his waist pocket. It was rimmed with gold and had the letters 'C.C.' engraved on it with gold. He looked inside and smiled. His partner was there, waiting for him. He grabbed the two rings and vanished into thin air, along with the rings. The mirror fell to the ground and disappeared moments later too. All that was left was the clang echoing around the room when the mirror had hit the ground.