Mahogany Wood waited for the men to open the vault doors as he, Crescent Wing, Timber, Quantum, Wysteria, Talon, and Wolfgang stood behind them, waiting to see the intruder inside. The soldiers carried a rifle each while the guards had their pistols and batons ready.
“How did he get through all… This?” Wolfgang pointed out. “There’s like… At least ten feet of steel between us and the artifact! I know. It must’ve been Mirror Match, that witch! She’s a traitor I tell you!”
“Quiet, killer!” Talon barked at the grey-skinned man. “Show the chairman some respect!”
“And enough with Mirror Match,” Mahogany faced him and frowned before turning back to the vault doors.
After using their keycards, the first gate opened, allowing Mahogany and the others to step through. The chairman inputted his passcode into the next door before proceeding to the third to place his thumbprint before looking down into a retina scanner. All these locks hadn't been opened by whoever was inside. Somehow, they'd managed to get in from another way. Whoever this was, they had some questions to answer.
Soon, the last doors swung open, revealing the artifact sitting in its glass case, glowing like a small star. The only difference this time was a dark shape, vaguely human standing before it, casting dark shadows all across the room. The Templars readied their weapons as they approached it. There was a clear contrast between the darkness and light in the room. It was almost as though the room had been split in half as the shadows seemed to stop against the light, though it didn't look like either one was trying to fight against the other. It was as though they were actually coexisting.
“Who dares to point their weapons at me?” the darkness boomed. What looked like a face turned to face them, displaying burning green eyes with red pupils and trailing purple smoke looking back at them.
“Who is it you are?” Mahogany stepped forward to question the shape. “What are you doing in our vault? How did you get in?”
The shadow lifted a finger and pointed at the artifact as its brightness continued to increase in intensity. “This belongs to me. I have come to reclaim it.”
“Belongs to you?” Talon stepped forward and raised a fist at the entity. “We’ve held this artifact for centuries! Who are you to say it is yours?”
The shadow seemed to sharpen and solidify into a coherent mass, towering over the major. “When you serve under me, you will address me as King. Is that clear?”
“And why are we to serve under you?” Wysteria challenged, drawing a dagger. “Who are you?”
“You will also bow in the presence of your king,” The shadow raised one hand, golden light spiralling out and every single Templar sank to one knee in front of it.
“I-Impossible!” Mahogany gasped as he was brought down. He recognized the light from the days when his father and previous Grand Master, Aspen Wood, had tried to use the artifact. Aspen had passed on after putting too much into the artifact, setting him on the crusade to finally be the one to research and understand just how the artifact functioned. And now, this shadowy figure was using the artifact like it was just a pencil. “W-who are you? What do you want?”
“I am King Sombra. Ruler of the Crystal Empire. As for what I want, I doubt you could comprehend my aims, much less prove worthy of hearing them.”
“You can control the artifact,” Mahogany continued. “We have searched high and low for someone like you. You can lead us! Lead us to world order! With your power, we can finally achieve our goals!”
The shadow seemed to pause at that. The golden net around Mahogany dimmed and allowed him to stand.
“Continue.”
“We Templars seek world peace,” Mahogany said as he dusted off his pants. “There is too much chaos about. Someone needs to be in charge of it all. That is our plan. To unite the whole world under one leader. You can control the artifact! You’re the person… uh, thing we’ve been searching for! Lead us forward as our Grand Master!”
“Brother,” Timber looked up through his peripheral vision. “I don’t know… We should think more about this first.”
The shadow, Sombra, drifted closer to Mahogany. The chairman could feel the warmth being sucked out of the surrounding air and he struggled not to flinch. “A curious and yet similar aim to my own. As king, I accept your offer of leadership and so long as you follow me, I will lead you to victory.”
The aura cast from the Apple faded and allowed the other Templars to stand.
“Really?” Wolfgang was the first to speak. “I mean even as a killer I think this is nuts! Why should we follow this… this shadow?”
“Do not question the king, Wolfgang,” Mahogany glared at the killer with his arms folded behind his back. “Simply accept your new leader and submit to him.”
“I submit to no one but my own feelings and wants!” Wolfgang snarled and turned around to move for the exit. “I didn’t sign up to be ruled by someone. I signed up to kill. So long, losers! I’m going to find someone to take up my evening with!”
Wolfgang didn’t even make it one step before a net of pure, golden light wrapped around his body, dancing over every inch of him before zeroing in on the killer’s head. Wolfgang went stock still and ever so slowly spun on his heel and knelt to the shadow.
“What is your will, my king?” he intoned formally, his eyes bleary and unfocused.
“Submit willfully, or I will obliterate your consciousness.”
The other Templars looked at each other and muttered a little before one by one they knelt down willingly before Sombra.
Mahogany Wood’s smile couldn’t get any wider. He liked the way this guy worked. Even Wolfgang couldn’t say anything about it.
“Long live the king,” Mahogany too bent his knee.
“Long live the king!” the rest of the group chanted.