Prologue – Prisoner #71:

"...and darkness is the one thing that can really control it all, I can see that now. I lay in my prison cell at night, just wishing I had that control again. The power it has...the power I had. I fought, I saved, I ruled, I controlled, and now...I'm wasting away. For everything it gave me, was also taken away..."

"You're not answering my question #71, why did you run?"

I opened my eyes; I had shut them as I spoke. I looked at the detective sitting across from me. He was 5'11, though he didn't show it while sitting down, he was wearing a gray hat that matched his gray clothes, he looked like a stereotypical detective. I looked down at myself, I was weak. My muscles all but gone, my belly sinking into me, and my hands...my hands hurt if I tried to bend even one finger.

"I ran because that's what I do, I can't believe you would expect any differently by now," I said, looking back at the detective, wishing he would just leave.

"#71, please, I'm trying to help you, I'm your friend remember?" the detective said, almost pleading.

"My friend, my friend, you actually think that will work, I'll turn all sappy on you and tell you my life's story or something!" my voice rose higher as my sentence continued, "Now tell me, what makes you think I'm even worth the time anymore?"

"Listen, I don't know most you're past, most the memories are gone to me, but I know what you have done recently. You basically gave your life to save us all..."

"Shut up," I said, trying to get him to just leave.

"I mean, you truly are a hero..."

"I said shut up!"

"Your wife was proud of you before..."

That was the straw that broke the back; I quickly stood up, finding that my anger fueled my strength as I slammed my hands into the table causing the metal to bend in half, as I yelled, "I SAID SHUT UP!"

The guards in the corners of the room behind me must have started walking towards me but the detective motioned for them to stay back as he stood up. He walked over to me as I sat back down panting in pain as my strength left me. He put his hand on my shoulder and looked down at me and said, "I'm sorry I brought up your wife, but I need you to open up."

"...than you need to tell me the truth, me running away isn't what you want, it's just the means."

"We live in dark times #71, people need the truth to be shown the light," the detective said, turning to the mirror in the room.

"You realize how cliché and corny your sounding right now?" I said, chuckling a bit while still catching my breath.

"Fine, just listen though, we need people who remember the past, no one else will talk to me unless you do first."

"..." I remained silent, unsure what to say after hearing that others still acted like I existed.

"You need to open up and..."

"I don't really care what other speeches, tactics, or questions you have for me to get me to talk. I'll talk if you just answer one question for me."

"What's the question?" He said as he turned from the mirror, finally going back to his seat as a guard came in and removed the destroyed table.

I smiled, "I don't think I'll let you know yet, you just have to listen to the story first, than I'll tell you what the question is, you answer it, and than you leave me alone, deal?" The detective sat there in his seat, thinking it over, looking at the mirror a few times. "Fine, if you don't want to know that badly I'll just..."

He interrupted me quickly, "Fine, fine, tell your story and I'll answer."

"Perfect, now than, our story starts with a boy, you may remember at least his name, his name was Tem Xephmor..." I said, thinking back.