Prologue

The Darkness

The Darkness reaches out in its misty black form. It pushes through the portal and slides over the warm barrier. Its shape shifts and churns as it looks for a weakness. It thinks of the barren wasteland on which it finds itself trapped. No plant life fills this world, only charred, blackened rocks. Centuries of neglect and destruction have destroyed all the structures that once stood here. A few damaged grimy stone columns and statues are all which remain. In front of the sunlit portal, a shadowy dark platform looms. In one of its many sinister forms, sitting in the center suppressing the beams of light, is a stone figure of the Darkness. The only other illumination is crackling fires and the constant flashes of lightning dancing in the unbalanced atmosphere.

The beings who once flourished here christened it the Darkness. Countless have adorned it with many names through its endless lifespan. The Mist, Evil, Devil, and God are merely a few. The entity is none of them and yet is similar to each in various ways. It does not remember the beginning of its never-ending life. Only that it has one drive to cleanse worlds of all parasites. Its one basic need is food, and like all living beings it does what it must, to ensure its survival.

The Darkness feels its pathetic Enchained behind it. When the creature first arrived, she had three willing to help it. They bound the ones who did not accept their fate with chains. After months of being tortured by their own, and the Darkness drinking the negative energy which collected around them. Their life energy and bodies became corrupted, leaving them transformed evermore. They removed the physical chains then, but freedom was never to be theirs again. Invisible shackles bond them permanently to the Darkness. They watch it intently with their lifeless black eyes, fearing the Darkness’ unwanted attention will turn on them. After cycles of being harvested, their dark leathery bodies are all they have left of whom they once were. An insufficient amount of its Enchained are capable of feeling anything. Their only purpose is to serve the Darkness in hopes of being spared.

The Darkness lets out a tortured scream. It can smell fresh food, but knows it will have to settle for the stale, unappetizing food behind it.

“There must be a way through,” it hisses pressing along the repulsive barrier. “I must get through. I must feed.”

In its fury, it slams itself against the golden wall and feels it give ever so slightly. It turns to its feeble servants and steps forward as a tall, dark-haired woman. She has a slight grin of satisfaction on her pale, narrow face. Her chance has come again.

“The barrier is weakening. The Grandel Queen is dying.” Her harsh voice cracks with glee. “They will need to depart to Earth and retrieve the new queen soon. Shortly after they find the new Protector, they will send the box. Then, we can find her. We need to make haste. You,” she says with a soft growl.

The Darkness points at two cowering slaves on her left, with one of her long black claws. “Get ready to move. I must have the delectable negative energy which flourishes on Earth. I am starving.”

A moment of weakness fills her voice. It fades before any can notice as her Enchained recoil under her menacing gaze. A thin stream of icy mist, as black as her eyes, comes from the end of her finger. It encircles the two slaves in front of the group. They shiver as the vapor washes over them.

“I need this new queen after she acknowledges who she truly is, and I need her alive.” Another louder growl issues from her.

They fall to their bony knees and grovel at her feet.

“Yes, my mistress,” they cry in the voices of ones who have endured vast suffering. “We will locate her, and we will not allow any damage to happen to this one.”

She walks to an altar made of the bones of her enemies. The Darkness pulls out one of her long black claws. No pain fills the finger, little gore flows, for this is not her form. It regenerates in a swirl of mist. She drops the old talon into a small black container. Etched within the bowl are red symbols. She adds a drop of melted flesh from the last Enchained she fed upon and a pinch of crushed bone from the latest body her bound slaves dragged home. Before sealing the container, she adds a mysterious burgundy liquid.

She shakes it vigorously, then throws it into a nearby fire. The flames brighten as the revolting contents burn. Thin black smoke rises from the fire. She reaches out with long fingers and seems to caress the smoke.

Her creation will transport the two Enchained to Earth. To the misfortune of the Darkness, the black smoke does not have the adequate strength to carry her to Earth.

“Find the Queen’s portal box, use it to locate her. Utilize the father to get to the girl,” she says to the black smoke, and it bows in agreement with its mission. The smoke moves toward the two bound slaves, engulfing them. As they dissolve into the smoke, they shriek in fear. The Darkness steps closer and shivers with delight, sensing an underline of pain.

“Quickly, leave,” she says, her voice thick with longing.

The Darkness watches her creation glide through the portal. She forces her attention back to the glowing barrier, and bursting back into her vaporous form, she probes it again. Uncertainty plagues her on how much longer she can endure without the new queen being brought to her before the Protector gets to the precious one. If the Darkness can consume the replacement queen, not only will the barrier be gone, but she will possess a direct doorway to Earth.

How magnificent it will be on Earth!

Humans are so deliciously thoughtless and cruel. Blocking out their brilliant sun will be easy. They have done half of her work themselves.

First, she must consume all the negative energy from the individuals in pain. Then, she will go after the tasty cruel ones. She will be strong enough then to commence hindering Earth’s life-giving sunlight. What plant life they have not killed themselves will perish, and she will drink in the withering plant’s pain.

Oh, the lovely fear and despair will flow then!

How delicious that will be!

The more she eats, the stronger she will become, and one day, the cleansing of the Earth will be complete. With her new strength and Enchained, she can have her revenge for all her years of torment. Grandel Isle’s hateful people will suffer. The Darkness will retrieve the three who escaped from this planet. The ones who left their bodies behind, the ones whose bones make her alter. A shiver of pleasure ripples through her.

She looks through the portal and sees a young man sitting at the border of the Outer-lands. The Darkness feels something deep inside her stir, something unfamiliar. She does not understand what the feeling is, but she dislikes it. The Darkness does not like this man. Pressing closer, she tries to figure it out.

He is tall and muscular with strong features. His golden hair is long and hides most of his face from the Darkness. She looks past him and sees two more young men coming. The one closest to the golden-haired boy is short and pale, with soft round features. She bypasses him with no concern. The final one resembles the first, tall and muscular but he is leaner than the blond. His features are sharp and darker. She can sense the anger and turmoil within him.

Now, he would be a tasty meal, she thinks.

She watches as the three come together. The Darkness thinks these three are going to be trouble. She must move with haste.