Noah's face grimaced with clear disgust, as if looking at something completely foul. He pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh.
"I can't believe I have to lay eyes upon this wretched place again..."
His mind wandered to over one thousand years ago...
-
Raindrops fell upon the city of providence, bringing in a cool breeze to the highly advanced and rich city. Despite all its glory however, the city's gilded appearance does not mean the gold spreads to every corner.
In the deepest, darkest corners of New Providence, slums were scattered around at the lowest levels of the city. Collections of shabby houses, put together with rotting wood boards and rusted metal scraps were strewn about, barely providing shelter from the chilling rainwater.
All around these slums were all manner of folk of unnoteworthy backgrounds. Homeless drunkards, prostitutes, cripples, orphans, criminals, anyone the rich wanted to disassociate from was here.
A tiny boy huddled under a makeshift shelter, the rain splattering overhead. He inched backwards deeper into his corner, preventing his ragged clothes from getting wet from muddy water.
He looked to be around ten, his features clear and defined, with fair skin and round eyes as dark as the night. Despite the surroundings however, no despair showed in his eyes, a large contrast to those around him. Rather, the boy's eyes contained hints of childlike innocence and mischief.
A low rumble shook the ground, causing ripples in the puddles that had gathered. The boy looked up just in time to see a black vehicle drive past the narrow street, splashing a nearby puddle and drenching his ragged clothes.
Sputtering out water that had gotten into his mouth, the boy turned to the quickly departing vehicle, his eyes darting to the halo symbol on the car's rear.
"Bastards"
Noah shook himself back into present time, his expression once again returning to the blank canvas it had been before. No sign of that childlike innocence remained, and only a dark and empty void remained.
Not delaying any longer, Noah tore off his trench coat and shirt in one swift motion, the black fabric dissipating into black smoke.
What became revealed was a toned body that was well proportioned. A balance that was not too muscular but with clear definition that highlighted the contours of his body. Noah flexed his back muscles, highlighting a tattoo of a human skull possessing a pair of devilish horns.
Taking in a deep breath, Noah let his power flow through his words.
"Manifestation: Mirage"
A burst of purple flames enveloped his body, condensing and solidifying into tangible form. Midnight black robes clad Noah's body from head to toe, vaguely resembling an assassin's outfit while a pair of smooth black horns protruded from his head. On top of that, a skull mask covered his cold expression, leaving only faint lights where the eye sockets were.
"Enshroud"
In an instant, a translucent layer of energy covered his transformed body, giving him a glassy, see through appearance.
Descending in a flash, Noah appeared before the gothic entranceway, guarded by stone gargoyles on both sides. The ancient stone was clearly aged, though the intricate designs have not faded in the slightest.
Pausing in front of the shut doorway, Noah stood in silence for a few minutes until a bell tolled overhead.
DONG! DONG! DONG!
Twelve loud reverberations resounded across the city, signaling that it was midday. The large doors creaked open, pushed by a pair of devotees. Their features were completely covered from head to toe in a white garb, and even their heads and faces were covered by a piece of cloth.
Taking this opportunity, Noah slipped in without a sound, his feet gliding as if he were a phantom. The devotees continued their duties, completely unaware of the monstrous existence they had let in.
Inside, Noah's eyes scanned his surroundings, taking in the grand architecture of the Saint Garden Cathedral.
At first glance, the entire purpose of the cathedral was for worship, with tall pillars engraved with names that reached the ceiling. Portrait after portrait of saints and famous events, and countless glass murals lined the ceiling. Finally, at the end of the cathedral, a wooden podium stood, shrouded in the morning light stained by the colorful glass of the window.
Indeed, it was an engineering marvel, and with countless worshippers, priests, and nuns walking about, there seemed to be nothing out of the ordinary.
Of course, Noah knew better than that. He began to walk, slow and steadily, for there was no need to rush. The surrounding people paid him no attention, for not only could they not see and hear him, his body was simply not tangible in the slightest. Several people walked past, phasing through his ethereal body without noticing anything out of the norm.
Soon enough, he reached the podium, where several devotees were kneeling in prayer. Noah's gaze traveled to the stained glass window behind the podium, letting in multicolored light.
Rainbow glass surrounded the figure of a person clad in white robes, their face nonexistent and their features androgynous. A pair of pure white wings sprouted from their back, and a glowing golden halo adorned their head.
The symbol of light and hope, the hero of the world, the one who drives away darkness. This was the representation of the Harbinger of Positivity, the greatest asset of the Holy Sanctuary, and also his greatest enemy.
His fingers twitched, almost tempted to destroy the intricate glasswork. However, that was not his objective and would instantly attract attention. Instead, Noah turned his attention to the podium, his eyes tracing the thin, barely noticeable line that formed a square around it.
'Found you'
Walking over, Noah stepped within the perimeter of the square, his senses telling him that the ground under was hollow, and that several powerful energy signals could be detected. Eyes blank and his expression hidden behind the skull mask, Noah descended, his body phasing through the ground as if he were a phantom.