You will see the Dawning of a New Age…
Be Mindful of the voices that whisper in your sleep…
Listen to the voices that whisper in your sleep…
Be mindful of the voices, they corrupt…
Be mindful of the voices that whisper, for they speak the truth…
"Sinar! Get out of bed! We're late!"
It took Sinar a little while to realize that last part wasn't part of his dream as he groggily got up. He had vivid dreams from time to time, but this one was just weird. So many bees…. Why were there bees? And those voices…
"Sinar!" Someone now roared from downstairs. Right… they had a mission to attend. Some town in the Netherlands had a White Wive problem and as Templar soldiers, it was their job to weed them out. With that in mind he shook his head to get rid of the dream and reached for his clothes.
Setting them on fire.
This scared him wide awake as he backed off. The flames instantly dissipated. Were they even there? Sinar was no stranger to seeing things that weren't there… But like the dream, this particular incident was new.
"SINAR!"
No time. He had to go. Hastily putting on his clothes, he prepared to leave for the mission.
The helicopter ride to the site of their mission was, as always, uncomfortable. It didn't help that most of the people that were sitting in it with him were strangers.
Most of them.
"You're so tense. You really shouldn't be." Came from next to him. Steve. His partner and boyfriend for a while now.
"Everyone is looking at me." Sinar whispered.
"No they're not."
"Yes they are. I don't exactly have a face you can ignore." Sinar pointed at the scar tissue that quite liberally covered his face.
"Maybe they're staring at you because you're famous. That ever came to mind?" Steve said, as Sinar just looked away. "The way you wasted almost an entire Phoenician Squad… Or how you handled that pack of werewolves back in Wales."
"Just shut it." Sinar said, crossing his arms. He did NOT want to be reminded of those things. He held his head. Great, he was going to that place in his mind again…. And as he did so, he noticed a flame coming up in his hand… this startled him as he shook it and the flame faded.
"Seriously, what's with you today?" Steve asked.
"I had a bad dream, that's all. You know how I get after bad dreams." Sinar said, only half lying.
"Whatever. Let's just focus on the task ahead." Steve said, as Sinar just nodded as they continued the rest of the trip in silence.
They soon were at their destination, a small, foggy forest in the southern part of the Netherlands. It was night, but Sinar wasn't really bothered. Out there in the field, hunting monsters… it was pretty much what he was raised for, so he felt at ease. Or close to it.
Too bad this didn't go for others.
I think I stepped in something…
For fuck's sake, Steve, that's not why we have this connection
Listen, I'm not used to dealing with woods, okay?
"Steve, knock it off." Sinar said, sighing. "Just focus on why we're here." With that, he kept going, checking his gun as he made his way to the foliage. "See anything useful?"
Not really. Don't see much through this damn fog… and these creatures are MADE of fog, so that doesn't help things… Do bullets even work?
"This is specialized ammo. The Marshall wouldn't send us without the proper equipment." Sinar said, letting some annoyance seep through. "Let's just get this over with and…" He trailed off. Something in the mist was moving.
Scratch that.
The mist was moving.
Sinar? What's going on? Sinar!
Came in his ear, he didn't react, too focussed on getting ready for battle. However, he was too slow to the draw as the creature, made almost entirely out of the fog surrounding him, knocked his gun away.
"Backup… I need backup!" He called, trying to reach for the gun, only to be swatted away by a massive arm.
Almost there, just hang on for a little while…
He could hear Steve say in his ear. A minor comfort as he looked at the creature looming over him. He looked around, falling short of what to do… he started to get afraid.
"Get away…. Fucking stay away from me you bloody monster…." He said, backing away. The flames appeared again… but he was too afraid to really notice them until the completely enveloped him. This didn't help his fears.
"Sinar!" He could hear, this time not in his earpiece, but rather close to him.
"GET AWAY!" He now roared at the creature, a huge mass of golden flames expelling from him. This knocked Sinar back, but apparently either evaporated the creature, or made it flee. He slowly got up on his knees.
"What is going on with me…?" He asked, before realizing another thing. "Ste-...!"
He was cut short by a gunshot wound. Aimed at his head.
There was an exploding pain, a strange beep in his ears and the feeling of just… floating away before he recovered.
At least he taught he recovered. Everything was…. Black and white. Sound was… muffled. It was so very strange. What was going on?
Steve… Steve shot him. His own goddamn boyfriend shot him. Why? That was on his mind as he started to find his way through the forest. It wasn't exactly hard to find Steve, as even through the strange haze that affected sound, Sinar could hear someone yell at him.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" It was one of the other squad members. "Why'd you shoot him?!"
"I… I panicked, okay?!" Steve answered as Sinar rushed towards them. This didn't seem to alert them, in fact, they didn't seem to notice him at all…. As if he was on an entirely different plane.
"He's your partner! Your fucking lover! And you shot him in the head and killed him!" Wait a minute, killed? But he was right…. There. His gaze slowly went to something laying on the mossy forest floor. Someone.
It was himself. His body. His dead body. Looking up at the sky, blood seeping from a bullet hole in his forehead. This… this caused panic. He couldn't be dead! He couldn't be! He was alive! He was alive! He was...!
A sharp breath intake was the first thing he did when he… revived? Returned? Woke up?
"Sinar!" Came from the people now swarming around him as he held his head. Nothing… Well, not an injury anyway. When he removed his hand there was blood.
"Goddamnit Steve…" He said, getting up and glaring at the one that shot him.
"Listen, Sinar, you know I had to…" He tried. "There's something wrong with you and…"
"Shut up. Just… Just shut up, okay?!" Sinar roared, as the others backed away. The flames had returned again. Doing so scared him enough so that they apparently disappeared.
"Yeah, I'm calling the Marshall…" One of the other squad members said. Sinar just looked down. This was going to suck…
The next few days were… tense. He was placed in a small room at the base they were stationed for the mission. Luckily, the Marshall knew what was going on. Apparently Gaia started giving people special powers at a rather staggering rate. Sinar was one of the lucky ones to have been chosen.
Luck being a rather relative term. For all he knew, they shoved him into a small room to make sure his now almost regular outbursts of random magical energy would do the least damage and generally just avoiding him.
Steve most of all…
That said, after a while he finally managed to get a hold of it, being able to contain this… anima as they called it and channel it at will.
It was only then that Steve decided to pay him a visit.
"Uhm… hi." The other man started. Sinar just looked at him, arms crossed. "So… You got a letter from high up. Like, really high up." He said, handing over a letter with the Templar seal. "All the way from Temple Hall." Sinar took the envelope before opening and reading it. "What is it?"
"I'm being reassigned." Sinar said, sounding somewhat incredulous. "To Ealdwic. Someone named 'Richard Sonnac' will be my new superior."
"Huh, I think I heard about that guy. For his age he managed to make quite the name for himself." Steven said. "Can't wait to meet him." He said, as Sinar took a deep breath. He took the days spent in solitude on making a decision… and now he had to do so.
"You're gonna have to wait longer" He said.
"What do you mean? We're going to Ealdwic."
"No. I am."
"And I'm coming with you. I mean, I'm not being reassigned, but I'm sure you can put in a good word."
"I'm not going to." Sinar said, hoping that Steve would get the hint. His partner's falling face was an indicator that yes, he was. "You're not coming with me." He decided to make it extra clear. "It's over, Steve."
"B-but why not? What happened?" Steve asked.
"You know exactly what happened, stop acting like you don't." Sinar replied, pointing at his forehead.
"That… I was scared! The man I loved started… started changing into some kind of monster in front of me."
"You shot me! Through the head!" Sinar shouted, as he felt tears welling up. "You fully intended to kill me, and I should just shrug that off and forgive you?!"
"You would've done the same!" Steve said. "In fact, I'm willing to bet you already did." This was the exact wrong thing to say, as Sinar backed away. He was going to a bad place…
"I wouldn't…" Sinar muttered, looking at his hands. There was blood there now. "I-I didn't…."
I'm sorry…
"I-I'm not.." He muttered. He had to get out of this.
I'm so sorry….
"Sinar?" Steve tried.
"Leave." Sinar managed.
"But I…"
"LEAVE!" He roared, tears streaming by now. "And never come back! I never want to see your damn face again!" There was a silence after that.
"Fine." Steve said, voice filling with venom. "If that's how you want it. Just remember that no one else will want to be with someone as broken as you." With that he left, Sinar simply slid back against the wall in a sitting position, holding his head trying hard not to lose himself in bad memories. It only somewhat succeeded.
"I'm sorry…"
Things were going fast after that and before he knew it, he was in Ealdwic, in front of Temple Hall, wearing his uniform. It was odd, despite being a Templar for his entire life, he never came here. He felt out of place, despite looking like he should be here. It was strange.
Breathing deeply, he walked through the gate, before taking a left turn, towards this 'Sonnac''s office. There, he tentatively walked through the open doors.
"Come in. Come in!" A man said from behind his desk, getting up and approaching him. And despite everything, the first thing that came to Sinar's mind was how handsome he was. "I'm very pleased you can follow directions on the back of a card." He said.
"I… didn't follow…" Sinar said, not entirely sure what that meant.
"My apologies. Things have been hectic with many new recruits so I didn't immediately realize you were already a Templar, despite clear evidence." He looked Sinar over, looking somewhat sheepish, before holding out his hand. "Richard Sonnac, pleased to meet you." It took Sinar a second to react and shake the hand.
"S-sinar Uwais, pleased to meet you, Sir."
"No need to be so formal." Richard said, as Sinar just kept quiet. "In any case, the fact that you are a Templar means that I don't have to explain what we do or why you are here. That saves both of us precious time." He took a few steps back, his friendly smile fading into a more serious expression. "I take it you are aware that Dark Days are upon us."
"Very much, Sir." Sinar answered. "Last few months have been…. Busy."
"They have been here, too. But that's politics. I can only imagine how things are for field operatives such as yourself."
"Speaking of which…" Sinar tried. "What is the duty you re-assigned me for?"
"To be fair, it wasn't my call to make. But now that you are here… let's first make sure you'll harness your powers to the best extent." Richard said, returning to his desk. "There's a training area down the hall. You are to meet up there with Brigadier Lethe. Just like me, he has been courting newer players to the stage, so please take that into account and go easy on him."
"I'll try, Sir. I'm not known for going easy on people." Sinar couldn't help himself, but was already mentally kicking himself for it as he made the joke. Fortunately, it seemed to hit home as Richard Sonnac let out a hearty laugh. Now he just tried to hide the fact that he was blushing.
"I get the feeling we will be getting along famously." Richard Sonnac said as Sinar nodded.
That he was sure of.