THE SHADOWVERSE

Brothers

The next day, Sonovan, as per his own self-disciplined custom, went out to the cliff to simply look out. It was better to be outside than inside the refuge.

Jane followed close behind. Sonovan smiled when she found a spot next to him. Truthfully, she hated heights. The suit she and the others had worn this entire time made her light-headed, to a certain degree. She had never worn the same attire for such a long time before.

"Do not be afraid, Jane," Sonovan calmed. "You will not fall with me here. Don't be like Ryan."

Nervously glancing at him, she nodded. She was still a little unconvinced, despite being ten feet from the cliff edges on either side. "I don't know how you stay out here, this far out. Isn't it scary? It is for me."

"Yet, here you are," he replied, chuckling. "Life is funny. In fact, those who do not find humor in this reality are doomed to never fully appreciate it. Take yourself, for example." She hesitantly turned to him, feeling shaky and imbalanced, crossing her legs carefully. "You have fought the most powerful being in two universes, yet are petrified of a plain mountain cliff."

She giggled, feeling a little safer as he steadied her arm with his own. She felt herself flushing a bit pink and tried to stamp the feeling down, mentally scolding herself for such a ridiculous reaction.

"All jokes aside," Sonovan added, "What about you? What is your story? I haven't learned too much about you."

Taking in the glorious view and cool wind, she began, "Well, my parents were killed in an 'accident.'"

"You do not believe it was an accident?"

"No," she responded abruptly. "My parents were into things they were not meant to be. So, some people on Earth had them killed."

"Who committed this evil?"

"I don't know for sure," she replied, shaking her head. "Government agents? Terrorists? Criminals? All of the above? Some shroud of mystery has shrouded it. Nothing has ever been found."

"Does it make you angry?"

She nodded with vigor.

"You deserve to feel that way," he responded, turning to her. "I hate to praise him, but I am sure Titan would have rid the planet or the Tetra of someone—anyone—like that."

"Really?"

"Yes. He is not as evil as he might seem. In fact, there is some . . . justice to him. A purity—some innate goodness." Jane's eyes widened. "But this purity has only made him ruthless. He believes it is necessary for people to die in order to bring peace and justice."

"How can you see him that way?" Jane replied. "I only thought he was a psychopath."

Sonovan shook his head. "He is far from that. Just . . . misled. We both were. Chasing after things we could never attain . . ." he muttered, eyes gazing into the horizon, but seeing nothing.

Jane looked down at her hands, having a fight with her thumbs. "I understand. Maybe something terrible happened to him once. Like me."

"I do not know, but you could very well be correct in your assumption. But when I asked about your story, you mention this horrible occurrence. That does not define you, Jane Cooper. There is more—far more—to you than that." He paused for a few seconds. "Through the years of exile, I wanted to kill myself, but there was no way to do so. After I had lost everyone, only one would stay in my company for some time, occasionally. We would meet in the Shadowverse, which is where I could stay for many years, learning more about my place in existence."

"Who?"

"Titan. His primary reason was to mentally torture me over the fact he had risen, as punishment for my rebellion. Yet, sometimes, we would just converse."