Interlude: Shadows of the Future

Around the time Sakuta and his friends were preparing to discuss the Northwind Triathlon, a secret meeting was taking place in a remote location in the outer Aurelian forests, near the border with Zephyr.

Within the tower of a ruined stone keep, and like a shadow on the wall, a well-dressed man with platinum blonde hair listened in from the darkest corner of the room. He expected to catch something of interest for his trouble. A meddler by nature and long-lived by human standards, it was his own way of passing the time.

Of the meeting parties, he recognized one immediately as the manlet, Duke Marlon Cleishay of Aurelia. The other he could not yet identify, but the white-cloaked individual exuded an aura of self-importance and an exceedingly high aptitude for mana.

“Holy one, I received your summons. Is something the matter?” Duke Cleishay timidly approached the man who sat atop a rather gaudy piece of red furniture, a fool’s throne.

“‘Is something the matter?’, he asks…” The man in the cloak mocked in a deep voice. “Preparations that began eons ago are at risk of being disturbed by a mere teenager, and you would ask if something has gone wrong?”

“I apologize, my liege.” Duke Cleishay fell to one knee. “I only ask so that I can make certain I’m fulfilling my duty as your herald.”

Herald? Quite the pushover for a member of the nobility, aren’t we? I’m sensing a master-servant relationship here. Or perhaps something juicier? Let's find out, shall we!?

“Never mind the groveling, Marlon, how are your efforts progressing in Morningstar Castle?” The cloaked man asked. “Did you succeed in your task of dealing Veranda’s camp a blow to their credibility?”

“Yes, holy one.” Duke Cleishay flashed a grin. “The hearing was a wild success. The groundwork laid by my inside agents paid off with Veranda losing face in front of the council, and Yamada Sakuta being forced to compete in the Northwind Triathlon.”

“And what of the other rogue element within the castle, have you confirmed who gave the orders to the Golden Dragon to attack Aurelia’s Air Navy?”

I already know the answer to that one.

“We’ve narrowed it down to a list of potential candidates, but they’ve done extremely well to cover their tracks. We suspect they may try doing so again, however.” The Duke scoffed. “I haven’t the faintest idea what motivates them. I mean, hiring pirates to execute Princess Amber was quite a bold move…”

“I’m no doubt disappointed that your search turned up empty.” The man replied curtly. “But, no matter. Can I assume then that our own arrangements have been taken care of to ensure banishment is the result in the triathlon? Without arousing suspicion as to our true intentions?”

“Sakuta and the princess attempted to place a call using Cedrick’s crystalis, but the signal was jammed by a helpful bit of magic on our part.” The Duke smirked. “As a result, any alternative methods of getting a message to Senator Kawar will take significantly more time.”

“Meaning?”

“...Yamada Sakuta will be helpless in the dragon flight course, and I have no confidence in his fencing either. He will lose spectacularly to my son Charles as a result.” He continued. “We have contingencies in case of unexpected circumstances. Procurement of a dragon outside the northern provinces should prove to be an impossible task for Veranda’s camp. And we’ve accounted for visitors, in particular…”

“The Phantom…”

The well-dressed man’s ears perked up at the sudden mention of that name, because–as it turns out–it was him whom they had mentioned. The Phantom did so love being the center of everyone’s attention, and the Engagement Ball had done wonders for his public appeal. He wondered to himself when he should make another appearance for the fine people of Aurelia.

“Yes, my liege.” Duke Cleishay replied. “His origins and motivations are still unknown to us, and he seems to be wary of our plans. We would be wise to not make an unnecessary enemy of him at this current time...”

“NO!—Well, that is to say… If we are to make the church’s dream a reality, we will need to eliminate heretics like the Materializer and this Phantom both.” The cloaked man reasoned. “I will face the latter myself when the time comes, but I would prefer not to reveal my hand just yet.”

The church…?

“Do not forget, Marlon. You—and your inside agents—will only receive the agreed-upon compensation when the job is finished. With no loose ends. I trust you understand what that means?”

“I… understand.” The Duke muttered.

“Do what you must to set the stage for our invasion. If it comes to it, kill whomever in the castle you need to triumph. If our goals align, you may even seek the help of this rogue element.” The cloaked man’s voice echoed against the stone walls. “The promised day is drawing near, the day Morningstar Castle will fall into eternal sleep, and we cannot afford to waste this opportunity.”

It appeared to the Phantom that things were heating up in the race for power in the World of Casca, and a new player of some formidability was orchestrating things behind the scenes.

“Once Yamada Sakuta is out of the picture, the kingdom will finally be ours for the taking, and then the planet. By my hand, by my blade, we will restart this world again. But this time…” He stood up from his seat, and walked over to a window with moonlight pouring in.

“‘This time’, my liege?”

“This time we will not be denied our eternal reward. The age of our kindred will yet return, and on white wings we’ll take to the skies together again like old times. Of this I solemnly swear on the souls of my fallen brothers and sisters, and on the name of the Wakeless Order.”

…………………..

Phantom phased through the wall of the keep, walking solitarily through the forest. Deep in thought, he contemplated his available options.

Crushing the two schemers from before was one of them, but he would not dare to call himself a ‘showman’ without at least seeing how things would unfold first. Rash decisions ruin the fun, or so he often said.

The cloaked fellow seems to think he is a match for me. How quaint, perhaps there’s a thread to unravel there? But putting that aside for now…

Yamada Sakuta had been progressing at a rate that even exceeded his lofty expectations, but something else needed to give for him to reach his full potential as the Materializer. There was too much he didn’t know, and another domino needed to fall. He lacked the discipline to open the journal, the gift the Phantom himself had so graciously left in the castle library’s back catalog.

Since the Soirée, Phantom had always been there, watching the young man’s every move from the shadows. Like the two schemers in the keep, the Phantom also had a personal goal that involved Yamada Sakuta and the power he now possesses.

An important juncture approached for the young man in which success and tremendous failure were both very real possibilities, and the butterfly effect could have a tremendous bearing on future events. For what was about to occur far exceeded the stakes of a simple competition between him and Count Cleishay.

So which will it be, Sakuta-kun? Will you be able to overcome the challenge set before you, or will you flounder about in disgrace while your friends meet their doom?

The choices were both so decadent that Phantom felt a wicked smile tickle the corners of his lips. After all, both options—success or failure—would take Sakuta down a path that would eventually lead to the Phantom. The final hurdle in his journey to get home, the last enemy that shall be destroyed.

“I will continue to watch for as long as Sakuta-kun continues to grow.” He ran his fingers over the surface of his bone-white mask. “But maaaybe in the not-so-distant future, it will be time for the Phantom to re-enter stage left.”

I think I’ll start the show by sending a missive to an old adversary… 

[END VOL. 1]