Heyyyy, remember when I said I would post the sequel to MSGO on Halloween 2016? Ha haha hahahahahhaha yeah me neither. Anyhoo, I'm doing a double update (prologue + chapter 1) just like I did with the first MSGO.

Also I'm going to be putting a soundtrack to each chapter. Just to try it. If you really like em, I'll do it every chapter, but if it seems like nobody really cares, I'll stop.

[Soundtrack: What Came Before - Lorne Balfe (Assassin's Creed III)]

Shadow?

Huh?

Shadow?

It's louder now, but the world is still black around him. He feels like something heavy is sitting on his chest, impairing his breathing.

Are you awake, boss?

It's clearer now, but he can't see the speaker. His limbs are like stone blocks attached to his torso. Where is he? Why does this voice sound so familiar to him?

A pause and then a sigh. He still doesn't know what's happening around him. He should be dead. He wants to be dead. His fallacy of a life has been going on for too long.

Before another thought can cross his mind, a mind-shattering chill washes over him and he feels as though a bucket of icy water (and perhaps some ice as well) had just been dumped onto his body. Without taking a moment to think about it, his torso rises and his eyes snap open, a sensation of rage overtaking him.

Finally, light fills his world, leaving him too speechless to act on the fiery emotions that awoke him. He surveys his surroundings, finding himself in a simple, primitive room.

"S-Sorry, boss… You weren't waking up… So I had to…"

His gaze slowly settles on the only other person in the room, a woman, whose ebony skin is covered with dirt and scars. She's still holding the jar she used to douse him with water, sheepishly grinning at him.

He senses his chest tightening abruptly, causing him to wince in pain, gripping his chest and bending over. He tries to breathe in a full breath, but he can't. Eventually, he manages to take short, shallow breaths, which wouldn't at all satisfy him, but would keep him from passing out for the moment.

"You alright, boss?" the woman asks, her raspy voice fading into the background. She drops the jar to the ground with a subtle thud as she walks over to him. "Was the water too much? You're not looking too good…"

Finally, the man finds his voice, after trying and failing to understand how any of the current events could be real. "Evren? What… Why… How are you here?"

"I came through the front door, boss? The rebels are meeting in an hour, and you're still in bed." She shrugs and grins. "Just what kinda fearless leader are you? I bet Ironheart didn't steal the throne from our ancestors by sleeping in."

"What?" Shadow says, sending Evren an irritated glare. "I wasn't -"

"Sun's been up for ages, Shadow…"

"Wait… What time is it?"

Now it's Evren's turn to glare. "What are you? Stupid? Put your dick away and let's go inspire that merry band of bandits we call an army."

Shadow glances down and turns red immediately. Letting out a groan, he lets muscle memory lead him to a chest at the far end of the room. He ends up covering his modesty with an unremarkable tunic and pants before throwing on a robe.

Evren smirks at him. "Oh, look at you! Who says only land-stealing nobles get to look nice."

He's not sure if this is muscle memory, too, or if he just really wants to say it, but it comes out of his mouth anyway. "Shut up, Evren."

She bursts out laughing. "Aren't you in a good mood!" She saunters over to him and slaps his shoulder. "Let's get your pretty-boy ass to Neptune's Plaza before any women show up at your door to throw themselves at you, eh?"

He throws open the door, watching the sun flood into his small home, and puts a hand over his eyes to shield them from the brightness. It's the same slum he remembers from all those years ago. The floors are paved with copper, azure, and white stones. The houses are small but beautifully built, even for the lowest members of society. It is just as beautiful as he remembers.

There are people making their way to the shops and children laughing as they threw cotton balls at each other. A woman he vaguely recognizes passes by his door, giving him a flirtatious look and tightening the shawl around her body. "Good day, Captain," she purrs.

"To you as well, R-Rayan," he greets, struggling to push the name to the front of his mind. It has been so long since he's said it.

"You look as though you've seen a ghost," she tells him, giggling and adjusting the veil over her lips. "Is Evren here?"

He nods weakly and tries to calm himself. He doesn't want to tell her how wrong her assumption is. He hasn't just seen one ghost; he's looking at an entire continent of them. This can't be real. This isn't real. He's dreaming. This is some cruel trick his mind is playing on him, making him believe he's gotten a second chance. He doesn't deserve to be home again.