Alive. Never has he felt so alive. Each day is filled with purpose again. Every passing moment allows for new opportunities to arise, which then in turn allows for more opportunities to reveal themselves. It has been decades since he has felt this much enthusiasm for a goal, for a new day, or for anything at all. Tens of years have gone by, yet only now does he feel this involved with the passing of time again. Each second spent being miserable all over is a wasted opportunity, a second contributing nothing to the advancement of his goal. Feeling under pressure again, feeling this dedicated to something again, feeling so alive again. Alive. Never has Shadow felt so alive.
Sitting on a grassy hill in which one can see the endless horizon, Shadow rests his mind. Having just undergone his thorough, meticulous morning routine, he lets the forenoon sun shine on his stern face. It has become increasingly rare to spot a lone spot to rest undisturbed, with one big megacity stretching throughout the planet. Fortunately, his lengthy geographical knowledge continues to be a useful aid, as he will always pinpoint a location in which he can be alone with his thoughts. This serene time of peace and tranquility is particularly pivotal to this moment, as Shadow prepares for his new, absolute goal.
Following the loss of his final companion those many years ago, the Ultimate Lifeform has cut himself off from the mystic world of Chaos. Chaos Energy, Chaos Control, Chaos Emeralds, Chaos Blast; all terms that have faded into obscurity ever since, only being referenced by a few historical enthusiasts in this new age. That former sense of spirituality, belief in dreams, and longing to attain a higher form is a way of thinking that has become irrelevant to a world in which endless stimuli and restless consumption are the norms. Chaos, buried beneath artificial ground, yet not lost forever. Not as long as Shadow remains.
To tap into Chaos once more requires a heightened sense of awareness only the few can attain. While everyone has the potential to, only a few are truly capable of utilizing their spiritual minds to such an intense extent. And even though those few may attain that power for a brief moment, even fewer can maintain it and return to it on command. Even though Shadow has done so numerous times in the past with ease, it's an incredibly demanding task to perform the same after such a lengthy absence. But he must try. If he is to be truly reborn again, he requires power beyond the imaginable; to become more than the Ultimate Lifeform, he needs the tools to do so. Thus, with his knees planted firmly on the grassy ground and his hands on his lap, Shadow shuts his eyes and takes a long, deep breath.
Silence. There must be silence. Flickies chirping harmonious melodies to each other vanish, as if the sky has sucked them in. Silence. Waves of the ocean crash against the shore before something like a catastrophic drought dries out all the water. Silence. Soft howling from a warm breeze brushes against his quills before all air is sucked away by a celestial vacuum. Silence. Slow, steady rhythmic beating from the heart pumping energy into the body, before hypoxia shuts it all down. Silence. No air, no thought, no brain activity, just death. Silence. There is silence.
With reality fading away, the darkness is soon illuminated by a beaming green light as Shadow is elevated to a higher dimension. Shining from the far end of the cosmos, the ultralight beam shines upon the hedgehog's face. The world of Chaos is in reach, with the power itself calling out to him. Pushing his mind even further, Shadow transcends himself to infinity in this superlunary path. Each time he moves closer, Shadow can see faint images of all his hopes and dreams transfiguring before his eyes. What the green-lit scenes depict precisely he cannot properly recognize just yet, but there is a certain serenity that comes from merely thinking about what they might be. The beauty of it all is incomprehensible, for no living being could even attempt to grasp it. Hence, only a death-like state is capable of traversing within this elevated state.
However, just as all those faint images become clearer, as the beginning of the infinite light is close, as this journey is just about to conclude, an overlooked yet pivotal noise interrupts it all. As two blades of grass make brief contact with each other, the faintest sound is made. And just like that, despite all of Shadow's efforts, the celestial dimension vanishes within an instant, sending him immediately back to his reality. Breathing heavily from the harsh shock, he collapses to the ground, struggling to regain his composure. After a brief yet ruthless struggle to breathe again, Shadow remains there, defeated. All his enthusiasm, vigor, and energy from before dissipates, as he feels nothing but pain over this tremendous loss. So close, yet so far away.
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Shadow: Never Turn Back
同人小说Several decades have passed, and Shadow remains alone in a changed, unfamiliar world. However, as the now dying soldier responsible for Maria's death reaches out to speak to him one last time, Shadow is forced to confront his past once more. The Ult...
