SubTonic

Ok, I've made a new draft of Among the Stars, since I wasn't happy with the last one I made. I'm only posting the Prologue and I wish to know what others think of it.


Among the Stars: Rise of the Adapt
Prologue


The Adapt…A race of beings as old as time itself. Many look upon them as gods, mighty and powerful, rulers of all things. None know much of them past this except for the descendants themselves. Yes, they have lived on. There are those who carry the blood of the Adapt unknowingly. However, there are a select few who do know, and they try their best to keep their lineage a secret, all except one.


This unique Adapt is one of the most dangerous and horrible beings of all time. Traveling between worlds all around the infinite depths of space, he searches eternally for the one world where the gate to the point of Apocalypse lies. You see, this particular Adapt abandoned the ways of old and was cast out from his own kind and doomed to the mortal realm.


He is not wholly mortal, however. The powerful blood coursing through his veins gives him unheard of power and ability never before seen, even by his own kind. After countless ages, he found himself upon the surface of the earth, where he found mankind. He spread his influence in the form of plague, corruption, the steady decay of wisdom, and the rise of technology. Humans had become more and more inferior as a race and disgusted him greatly.


He soon found out that the gate lay somewhere on this planet, and so his journey began. Seen only by the occasional glance, he made his way to an island city far off in the east. He did not know what lured him, but the urgency that he felt drove him on. Something was very peculiar about this city. He felt it…He felt the presence of the blood, very similar to the blood within himself. Making his way up to the top of the tallest skyscraper, his gaze shifted slowly to the east.

A boy around nineteen years of age stood amidst the people and tall buildings, looking up at the sky thoughtfully. His name was Jay. His hair was short, blond, and spiked. His eyes shone a dull green as the sun peered out at him just before it descended down past a building and out of view. Night was approaching quickly, and people rushed back home to their families and calm, peaceful lives. Children would run up to their fathers and give them a hug, welcoming him home. Not a single soul in the city knew what was to come.


The sky darkened overhead, unveiling the stars that penetrated so deep into space, shining distantly and serenely. Lights began to turn on all throughout the streets. The sidewalks steadily cleared away until only a few pedestrians were left walking upon them. Jay was still standing in the same spot, gazing upwards.


He wondered of many things as he stood there. He wondered why he had been on of those born with the blood of the Adapt within them, why a race so long forgotten was so desperate to continue their existence, however little of it there was. He wondered what role he was to play down here on earth among so many people with so little worries in life.


Of course, there were more like him. After all, what good would it do for only one to continue this ancient heritage? He thought of his friend, Nico. It pained him greatly to think that one day he would have to reveal what he was and leave her forever. He never thought he’d grow so fond of a human. For a very short moment, he resented being an Adapt.


A few moments later, there came footsteps around the corner behind him. He turned and saw his companions, Page and Mecranth, coming slowly around and looking very grave. Page was very similar in build to Jay, the major differences being his hair, which was a dark shade of black and very messy, and his attitude, which was very laid back and often got them into more trouble than they would have wanted. Mecranth had recently been found within the city. He was an exceptional Adapt, very renowned for his skill with the long sword upon his back. He wore white robes with golden outlines, his hair was dark gray and swept back, and his eyes were a pale orange. From the eyes of humans, he appeared to be in his late forties. His facial expression was dull and battle-hardened, making him look like a figure of authority. He was quite a companion, and both Jay and Page highly respected him.


“Jay…” began Page slowly, but Mecranth cut across him.
“There is something in the city. It isn’t human, and I am receiving a signal of very ill intentions.”
“Is it one of us?” Jay asked him.
Mecranth looked straight into Jay’s eyes, and at once Jay knew what it was.
“No…It can’t be. How’d he make it all the way here?”
“One can only guess,” answered Mecranth.
“Shit…Nico’s still in the city somewhere. I can’t put her in danger.”
“Jay, everyone in the city’s in danger,” said Page. “And we can’t possibly get them to cooperate with an evacuation, and that wouldn’t work anyway. We can spare Nico, but as for everyone else…All we can do is try and minimize the damage.”
Jay stared down at the ground for a moment, thinking.
“You two, go get Nico and get her out of the city. I’ll try and stall him.”


Page looked into Jay’s eyes and knew that his mind would not be changed. He set off at a quick run with Mecranth down the street.


So the Adapt was somewhere within the city. Jay knew at once he’d be on the rooftops, but where? He made his way over to the west, leading to the center of the city. In about ten or so minutes, he stopped running and looked up at the tallest skyscraper. A massive, dark cloud caught his attention past the tower. A storm was approaching.


He could just make out a figure on the roof. It was black and very still. Jay decided not to reveal himself just yet, as the figure could very well be looking for him or any other of his kind. He ran to the side of the building and took a large metal staircase up to the roof and haulted just behind the figure, which he could now see quite plainly. Covered from head to toe in armor darker than the night, it stood as gracefully and still as a statue.


A distant flash of light to the west shot across the rooftop, followed by a crack of thunder that cut across the sky above Jay and the figure in an ominous revelation to what was to come. The figure turned to face him. Jay made no more effort to hide what was flowing in his blood. The white of his eyes glowed faintly, and his fists clenched. The figure merely stared at him with dark, empty eyes. They greatly disturbed Jay, causing him to involuntarily take a step back.


“W-what do you want?” Jay asked it.


Another flash of lightning reflected within the eyes of the being facing Jay, illuminating that pitch black void within them. Jay could see it in its eyes that he was not to leave this city alive.


“Where is the gate, boy?” it said in a heavy and commanding voice, easily heard over the rumble of thunder behind Jay. It seemed to come from everywhere around him, encasing him in the being’s wrath.


Jay knew what the gate was. It was the gateway leading into a world long forgotten, inhabited only by the remnants of worlds long dead and passed. It was the gateway that would be the road to the end of all things should this Adapt in front of him make it to the other side.


“Sorry to disappoint you, but you’ll just have to keep looking. That is, if you can make it past me,” Jay said with a steadfast determination, though he was very afraid.


At this, the Adapt, cast out from his own kind countless ages past, began to walk towards Jay. Jay was ready, however. With incredible speed, he shot forward, his fist extended towards the Adapt’s face, but it was too quick for him. With enough power to shatter a mortal man’s ribcage, it slammed the armored palm of its hand to his chest, sending him flying off the edge of the building.


Winded but still very much ready to fight, Jay summoned his sword in his right hand as he fell quickly towards the ground. The Adapt leaped off of the edge after him and seemed to fly instead of fall in pursuit of him. Jay reached out with his feet and caught the side of the building, then flipped backwards off of it. He landed upright onto the ground, alarming many late night pedestrians and sending off many car horns. The Adapt landed several yards in front of him, slamming so hard into the ground that the earth shook under his wake and sending large cracks out into the street. People screamed and ran off, some abandoned their vehicles, and others sped away with them. Within seconds, the block was empty.


Jay held his sword at the ready, hoping that Page and Mecranth had found Nico and were getting her out of the city. He knew it wouldn’t last. At whatever cost, he had to stop the corrupt Adapt. It stared at him with a menacing and somewhat amused look in its dark eyes.


In a flash, it was upon Jay. His block was broken by its fist and he was sent recoiling several steps backward. The power was incredible. Its leg came up off of the ground and Jay ducked under it and countered, but his sword was stopped by a swift block of the figure’s arm, sending a loud clang of metal upon metal throughout the entire city block.


Jay fought with all of his might, but he could not budge its arm. It laughed as he gave up the effort and swung to the other side, slamming the sharp blade into the side of its helmet. The Adapt, underestimating Jay, was caught off guard and sent reeling to the side in pain. It looked into Jay’s eyes and saw that the glow had now grown in intensity.


“Recess is over, kid,” it said, sending a kick up into Jay’s face and knocking him onto his back several yards away. It clenched its fists and pulled them to the sides. A dark blue glow surrounded them, shrinking down and covering them. It then slammed one of its fists into the ground, fracturing the ground beneath its feet and shooting the splitting rocks straight towards Jay. Jay leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding it, but the Adapt repeated the movement over and over, sending wave after wave after him. He could not find a way to get any closer without being crushed. The sound deafened Jay, tearing through his ears and into his skull. Any moment it could all stop. At any moment, any false movement, he’d find himself looking down onto the destructive being below.


Determined and refusing to lose, he leaped onto a nearby building above the splitting rocks below him, and with incredible force, jumped off and kicked a large rock at the Adapt. It held out a glowing fist and the rock shattered from the middle, the pieces falling heavily behind it.


It then lunged upwards towards the sky and landed on what looked like a glyph, suspending it high in the air above the center of the place Jay called home.


“No…” Jay said, a look of horror on his face. He sprang to his feet and hastily made his way up the nearby building, stopping at the edge of the roof, facing the enemy. Something caught his eye far below, a good distance away. Page, Mecranth, and Nico were staring at the spot where he stood. Jay couldn’t see them clearly, but he knew that what Nico saw scared and confused her. He summoned the sword back into his hand, a flash of light reflecting off of the blade and into his best friend’s worried eyes.


“Wh…What’s Jay doing up there? What’s going on?” She pleaded Page, but neither him nor Mecranth answered. They merely gazed up at their companion in wonder.


Jay jumped towards the glyph in front of the Adapt, hoping desperately it would catch him. To his relief, he landed on a seemingly solid surface high in the air. He turned to face the enemy. With its back to Jay, the Adapt spread its arms out wide, as if in greeting of something.


The world all around Jay darkened until only him and the being before him were visible. Streaks of pale white flew past them like a powerful wind, growing so strong that Jay feared he would be blown from where he stood. He could hear very distant cries, or echoes, of Page and Nico, but they soon faded as if lost in time, sent into a void of nothingness that threatened to engulf all that existed.


The being lowered its arms and turned to face Jay, a blood-red glow shining distantly in its dark, horrific eyes. A small light shone far behind it, growing rapidly. The sound of the wind increased beyond imagining, making Jay’s ears ring and beg for release. Then, without warning, the red glow faded from the Adapt’s eyes and the darkness and wind ceased, bringing the city back into view. What came next, Jay could not help, for his body would refuse to move. The Adapt stepped forward and slammed its fist into his stomach, sending him recoiling and gurgling in pain and blood shooting from his mouth.


“Should I kill you now or let you live and play your role in the events to come?” the Adapt whispered into Jay’s ear, ignoring his gasps of pain.


Somewhere, distantly, Jay could hear Nico screaming, unrelenting and desperate, hysterical and mad. He could no longer think straight. The sound of her voice seemed almost strange to him. What could possibly be wrong? Everything was fine. The glyph and the Adapt’s feet and the city below swirled around in his vision, blurred and unfamiliar. Another blow, stronger than the last, smashed into his chest, and he heard a loud crack as his ribcage burst open. The pain was beyond comprehension. His entire body went numb, and the sounds of the world faded away. His vision was darkening. A final blow to his face sent him flying off of something. He no longer knew what was going on. He felt light as a feather as the air soared past him, feeling something heavy fly out of his now limp hand. His eyes remained open just long enough to see up at a dark figure far above him. It had an arm pointed downwards, and before Jay could wonder what it was doing, everything went black.

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"For years, he blended in with the humans, and to this very day, walks among us all, secretly plotting the fall of this world."

Among the Stars currently in the works.