Prologue: Forbidden paths

"This is not wise, Ream."

I lifted my eyes from the lifeless corpse of the one I had loved more than all the earth. The old man stood directly before me, while the Garden's Execution Squad surrounded me, the blue crystals on their staves producing an ominous light. A raven flew down from the surrounding foliage and perched on the old man's shoulder, cackling as it surveyed the scene of gore.

"Shadow slew the Shade, Shadow slew the Shade!" it cried with seeming glee.

I again looked down at the woman in my arms. How fragile she looked. Emotion began to push its way through the shock and the pain. As my feelings returned, I held them back with my will; the will of one who could wield the power of this garden. A tear leaked out from my eye as I clutched her lifeless body with one arm as if to shield her from harm, and with the other I raised my stave. Light seemed to dim, the world gathered darkness. As it always did.

"This is who you are, Shade Ream." The thought entered my mind, "You are the darkness... remove the light."

The crystal at the end of my stave began to pulse with a red glow and the light from the world seemed to be drained as darkness gathered at the end of the rod in my hand. I looked into the eyes of the one who had been the light of my life and finally my emotions crashed in on me. Rage. Betrayal. Hatred. Darkness. Letting her corpse fall to the ground, I whipped my stave behind me, the darkness gathering to form the blade of a scythe emitting from the crystal. The Gardeners cried out as one, sending blades of energy from their staves. The roots under my feet twined about them to slow my movements. Spinning, I swung the scythe, catching all the blasts and my blade grew stronger... more hungry. The old man had made his choice. Now he would die. Swinging with the blade, I charged at the old man. Three of the five jumped in my way to stop me from harming him. I cut them down, propelled by the very roots they had used in their attempts to ensnare me. None could best me as a master in Garden. Blood fell to the forest floor along with their bodies. Looking at the old man, I saw a hint of the man I had once trusted who had led me to such pain.

"This is the end, Cypher." I said as I gathered the darkness once more into my blade.

"Yes, Ream. Yes it is. I told you this was not wise." he responded with a hint of reproof.

I turned to see the body of the one I had cherished propelled toward me, wooden spikes protruding from her fingertips.

"Strike them down!" The voice came again, "Strike them both down!"

I turned and slashed Cypher with my scythe as he raised his stave to block. I sliced through it... and through his arm... and through his leg. I smiled as I felt the wooden spike pierce through my back up into my heart.

"Fool," the voice came for the final time, "Such a useless emotion to die for."

"Better a dead fool than a living dead man." I coughed out with a grin. At least now I could finally find rest.