Series of Dark Cry / Chronicles of the Darkest Seraph

Chapter I - New Genesis

The year 20XX

The night life of New Genesis had never been more alive. The teeming streets filled with the various vendors, merchants, and tellers, all with their differing products and merchandise scurried like ants among neon lights. Packed to uncomfortable levels, the streets buzzed with the even more astonishingly different species of humanoid from all over the vast sector. Fresh fish from all over the planet, to freshly rotting refuse - everything can be found under the alien shimmering of Haven's three moons. From makeshift tent, to grandiose holographic advertisement, the market district of New Genesis was truly a wondrous sight.

Overhead, the third moon of Haven had just peeked behind the crystalline second, causing the shadows of the tall skyscrapers of New Genesis to dance chaotically, giving them a certain life-like nature of their own above the orderly nightlife below. The lime and purple hue of the second moon mingled with the crystalline third making the night sky light up with a prismatic display of brilliance. An event only known as the Aur'rah, or the "celestial rise of petals" in the Linuq tongue.

In centuries past, the first days of Aur'rah had been a planet wide holiday. A time of joy when Haven's inhabitants would celebrate the magnetic forces at play with the elements found in the indigenous flora of the planet. The "celestial rise of petals" had once been as much a part of tradition of the planet Haven as the Zalvix Hunt, but tradition was but second nature within the cities of fundamental progress. New Genesis, the newest of this breed of cities, represents the last bastion of hope for an endangered species. New Genesis, founded by the leaders of the some one-hundred thousand surviving human beings.

They arrived in desperation, yet thrived under the relief of a hospitable world among understanding, seemingly hospitable alien species. Thus they named the area of their landing New Genesis. But this is a history lesson for another time. Tonight, I will concentrate on the telling of the events that would alter the course of stability in our universe. Tonight, I will retell the chronicles of the Darkest Seraph.

As the third moon of Haven slid behind the second - continuing its usual circuit - the prismatic lights, dimmed and the shadows began to still, but amidst the rooftop

shadows one continued its erratic movements. Swiftly it snaked and slithered, never ceasing when approaching obstacles. As if with consciousness and spirit of its own it moved with purpose, bounding from rooftop to rooftop in search of something only known by it. As this shadow slid silently along the cold steel and mortar of the city's heights, it began to slow as it came to the buildings edge.

As the shadow slithered toward the sloping ledge, it began to take shape, slowly coalescing into the form of a roughly solid individual, yet constantly shifting shadow. The form sat against the sloping ledge with what appeared to be its right leg extended, dangling off the edge, but its left foot placed flat against the surface. The figure, engrossed in an ever constantly shifting cloak of shade, allowed the shadow to form a hood over its face, and beneath that hood burned two swirling orbs. Like twin suns amidst the black of space.

The burning orbs gazed, fixated upon the bustling streets below. Scanning - searching for prey only known by it. The figure sat, unhindered, unmoved for several hours, its only motion that of the shadow that it seemed to be made of. While below, the masses continued their nightly rouses, unaware that one of them was being hunted.

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Jerom Grey pushed through the crowded district as if he was of some great importance. The short, chubby, pale-skinned human huffed and wheezed as he hurriedly made his way to the appointment of his life. Ghost was originally developed on a military satellite for covert operations, however, its psychedelic properties as well as differing effects on different species made the drug ineffective for military applications. But as always, drugs have a way of finding themselves in the hands of those that would mistreat them. Jerom Grey had a pair of these grubby hands.