Crystal Shards: Malady

Prologue

 The full moon hangs in the sky above, the wind gently pushes everything in its way. The ocean is calm, almost soothing, a young man standing on the coastline looking out to it. He has shaggy white hair stopping just below his neckline as well as his bangs covering most of his forehead. He has a very short beard, matching his hair. He is dressed in a button up white shirt, the top few buttons undone with a long black coat over it as well as a pair of loose fitting blue jeans and black boots. Over his shoulder is a travel pack of some kind, seemingly filled with clothes. He lifts his head to look at the moon, revealing his light blue eyes. He puts his hands in his pockets but is met by item. He pulls out a small black pocketbook from his right pocket and opens it. In the front is a personal credit card tucked in a slot and across from that a small picture album. He looks at the picture at the front, a slightly younger looking picture of himself holding a shorter girl with jet black hair and green eyes around the waist. The image seems to pain him as he closes the book in haste, only for another picture to fall from the book. He picks it up and sees a photo of himself as a preteen sitting with a very young blonde neko girl.

"Emily," He mutters to himself under his breath. He opens the book and puts the small photograph back in and closes it, placing it back in his pocket. He looks back to the sea one more time before suddenly white angelic wings emerge from him and he lifts from the ground. "I told myself I wasn't going back, but I want to see Emily at least one more time," He thinks to himself before shooting forward, propelling himself with a powerful beat of his wings, moving through the air at high speed. He dips down towards the ocean once, the water dispersing in his wake. It'd been awhile since he'd flown, but somehow it still felt all the same. He picks back up into the air and halts his movement, taking a look around. Not far off is Aerodoth. The cloud of smog from Soalistan is already visible overhead. Stopping to get something to eat wouldn't be a terrible idea. He propels forward once again before landing down on the outskirts of the gloomy city. Soalistan has seen better days, crime is at an all-time high, and employment rate is low. Most businesses can't even turn a profit.

He advances into town, passing by a large vacant lot, stopping and looking at it. The Grayden Estate used to stand here before Shawn moved his family out of town, about a two hour walk. He turns his back to the lot and continues down the street, the streets are mostly baron at this time of night, only a few lights leaking out from the windows that aren't boarded up. The old casino is now closed down, with Shawn selling his shares and Joe retiring from the business to open a bar down the street. At the end of the dim street that very bar lights up the night with an open sign. The man enters and takes a glance around. A pool table is set up to the left with a jukebox in the right corner along with a few tables set up around the bar. At the back of course is the counter and bar itself. He walks over and takes a seat at the bar, the bartender having her back turned discussing something with someone in the backroom. She turns and glances at the drifter, who has since looked down to the counter. The bartender has long dirty blonde hair tied up for work and dark green eyes. Her ears are pierced, small emerald studs noticeable from her ear lobes. She is dressed in a black t-shirt with an apron tied over it and a pair of skinny jeans. She stands roughly five foot four and has a very curvy figure, keeping herself in great shape.

"Can I help you sir?" She asks with a kind tone in her voice, putting on a smile as she does. He looks up to her, noticing the name tag on her shirt which reads "Alecia". The man half smiles but only for a moment before he resumes his previous composure.

"I'll just take a burger and fries. Well-done and plain," He responds with, keeping his voice down much to Alecia's confusion.

"Sure, I'll get that started right away," She says, turning back. "Hey, order up!" She calls, having copied the order to a ticket and passing it back. She returns to the man at the counter. "You seem familiar," She brings up to him to which the man shakes his head.