THE SHADOWVERSE

Cliff Notes

Once the lesson for the day had finished, Ryan met up with Sonovan alone, while the others went off to practice using their powers. Sonovan had returned to the cliff and relaxed into another meditative posture—this time a virasana, also known as the hero pose.

Dammit, I hate heights, Ryan thought, frowning. "Always got to pick the weird places to meditate," Ryan mumbled, doing everything in his power to not look down. He begrudgingly sat next to him in his own position, legs crossed.

"What is it, Ryan?" Sonovan asked him, eyes still closed.

"How'd you know it was me?" Ryan replied.

"You make substantially more noise than your friends."

"Oh, right. Yep, that's me," he chuckled.

"Do you have a question?" Sonovan offered.

"Uh huh. Titan can control minds, right?"

"Yes."

"So how can we prohibit him from controlling ours? And why did Rose get taken and not any of the rest of us?"

"There are many possible answers to that question. Rose, I have concluded, may have had an easier mind to control, and she could have been insecure about herself. This could have been due to her otherworldly origins, never considering herself a human. She could never fully fit in."

"But internally, she was the same," Ryan answered. "That's why doctors were never suspicious of her."

"It does not matter. It still has an effect. The powers of the Titan overwhelmed her, because she was prime prey. Weak minds are an ancient city without walls. Nothing but a playground for him. To stop him, then, we must have extraordinary will."

Ryan sighed. "That is easier said than done."

Sonovan smirked, knowing he once responded with those same words. "Long ago—before I met Titan—he encountered a species with wills so strong not even he could penetrate them. That is, he could not control them." Ryan nodded, recalling when he had mentioned this. "They eventually disappeared; their whereabouts unknown. Only a few would ever be seen in public places, and I was fortunate to commune with one. His name was Zydok. Titan murdered him. Zydok's will was incredible, to say the least. In all my days I have never seen anyone with such willpower."

"Then how can we be like him?"

"Well, you can't. But you can get close enough. How? You must will yourself into what you believe. Your mission and stance on life must be so strong and firm that nothing can veer you from that belief. Only then might your will be strong enough—strong like The Shadows. Then, and only then, does your mind have a chance. It has been done before. It is not an impossible or unattainable task. Even I did it."

"How?"

"Let me ask you a question. As many have stated: before you start a war, you should know what are you fighting for. What are you fighting for, Ryan Slade? Is it a person? A belief? A place? All of the above?" Ryan glanced at Sonovan, befuddled. "It is a six-letter word," Sonovan continued. "D-E-S-I-R-E. Desire. That is the key. I desired Aiko to such an extent that nothing could stop me from what I had to do. To that end, it is good you like Rose."

"I d-don't like her!" Ryan defended. "What are you talking about?"

Sonovan turned his head slowly toward Ryan. "Ryan, you do not need to hide it. I can see into your eyes when you mention her. I have lived long and seen every kind of people. Trust me, I know you do." Ryan did not respond but remained in mortified silence. Sonovan continued. "But do not fret! This is an excellent thing! She can be to you as Aiko was to me. If you desire her more than anything—to drag her from Titan's relentless grip—then you can save her."