//------------------------------// // Prologue // Story: Over There // by Boltstrike58 //------------------------------// A young man found himself walking through the pouring rain in the darkness of the night, a black hoodie pulled over his head, providing some small protection from the elements as he went. Looking at him, most wouldn't draw too many conclusions. He wore simple blue jeans and flat grey shoes. A large, green backpack was hung over his back. What was visible of his face was fairly unremarkable, only revealing pale blue eyes. A few loose black hairs poked out from the bottom of his hood. Why he was even out in such unpleasant weather was anyone's guess, but he didn't care. He was on a mission. The man made his way down the sidewalk, coming up to a fairly normal building, formed out of grey brick. Standing against the wall of the building, the man reached into his pocket, pulling out a small note, on which was written an address. He compared it to the street number written on the front of the building, making sure that the two matched perfectly. A small smile graced his face. A faint buzzing emanated from the man's other pocket. He reached in, pulling out the cellphone that sat alone inside, taking note of the caller ID. For the briefest of moments, his thumb hovered over the answer button, but eventually, the man simply replaced the phone without any change in expression. Walking around the corner of the building, the man discovered a figure waiting in the shadows. This figure was quite a bit more visually interesting than the man. This one wore a thick black cloak with a gold trim, his hood obscuring almost all of his face. The only thing that could be seen were two deep blue eyes, almost black. Beneath the cloak, he was wearing a dark blue suit, with black gloves that went past his wrists. "Hm..." said the cloaked figure, adjusting his gloves. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't come. No great loss to me, I assure you, but I didn't think you'd be the one to take me up on my offer." "What do you care? I'm here, aren't I? Let's just get this over with," the man replied. The cloaked figure chuckled to himself. "Such haste. I see it so often among the young of the world. Always in such a hurry to get wherever you think you're going. Never stopping to think about what you're doing right now." The man glared at him. "Did you invite me out here just to mock me? Or are we actually going to do this?" "Sheesh, calm down. I'm a man of my word. I can send you exactly where you want to go," replied the figure. The man smiled again, his heart beginning to soar. After years of searching, he'd finally found a way. Freedom was within his grasp. "But I've got to warn you. This is a one-way trip, and a one-time deal. I don't know if their magic will be able to send you back here if you change your mind, but if they do, don't bother looking for me again. I won't send you a second time." "I'm not changing my mind. I've thought about nothing but this for years. I'm going, and I'm never coming back," assured the man. The cloaked figure blinked a few times in surprise. "Huh. Usually, that's when they get cold feet. Haven't had someone accept in a long time. There really is nothing for you here, is there?" "No." "Very well." Reaching into the recesses of his cloak, the figure withdrew a sharp knife. "It will require a blood sacrifice." The man didn't hesitate for a second, merely holding out one hand. The cloaked one took the hand in his own, drawing the blade of the knife across the surface of the palm. The man squeezed his eyes shut and hissed in pain, but made no complaint. The cloaked figure then pulled out a small flask, collecting the drops of blood inside until the flask was half full, using his body to prevent rainwater from filling it. He plugged the flask shut, and stepped back a few feet. A bright golden glow began to form around his hands, causing the flask to levitate into the air. He held his hands on both sides of the flask, before slamming his hands over the small glass container, shattering it. The blood contained within levitated as well, surrounded by the same gold light, eclipsing the red color. The cloaked figure snapped his fingers, and the shining blood formed a massive circle around the man. A cylinder of the gold light formed around the man, and soon, he was hidden from view by the light. The cloaked being finally raised both hands, and clapped them together. Suddenly, there was a blinding flash of light around the man, completely blocking him from view. Despite the burst of blinding photons, the cloaked figure didn't look away, or even blink. Within seconds, the light show died out, and it revealed the man was gone. "Good luck, kid. I hope you find what you're looking for."