My Own Shadow

[Kirien Melantha]

Once upon a time, in a faraway land...

A group of men discovered an ancient Artifact that granted them mysterious powers. They could suddenly fly, or burn objects at will, or heal wounds instantly. They called their new-found powers "Gifts," and were the first of the Gifted Ones.

The discovery of their superhuman abilities brought the Gifted Ones closer, and for some time they were happy to leave the world behind and learn from each other. But with their great power came much pressure, and they began to fight. Some insisted that they live in secrecy, hiding their powers from the ordinary world. Others insisted they speak out, using their powers for the benefit of mankind. A minority even believed they should reign over humanity as Gods.

As the Gifted Ones quarreled, the beings of the supernatural world began to emerge from hiding. Faeries, demons, lycans, vampires, dragons, and even the elusive djinn felt threatened by the Gifted Ones' foolish displays of power. Many demanded the men be executed. War seemed imminent.

Four of the Gifted Ones stepped forward with a solution: they would create a secret training facility where they would practice controlling their Gifts. No ordinary human was ever to know of its existence. The supernaturals agreed to this compromise and some even joined The Academy themselves, to learn from the Gifted Ones, to make sure they didn't cause any trouble, or to practice their own abilities.

The Academy flourished, and the supernaturals gradually came to accept the Gifted Ones. To this day, their descendants come from all over the world attend The Academy. The Artifact, however, has not been seen nor heard of since its original finding.

In modern times...

A Corporation of scientists discovered the secret world, analyzing the blood of Gifted Ones they kidnapped to unveil the mysteries behind their magnificent powers. With the help of one of their Gifted prisoners, they infiltrated The Academy, kidnapping students for experimentation.

For unknown reasons, The Academy seemed unwilling to come to the aid of their students. Students and tutors alike were outraged by their negligence, and began to riot. The Academy's attempts to restore order went awry, and many of the school's inhabitants were injured or killed. A group of rebels left to attack The Corporation and retrieve the kidnapped students. Their efforts were successful, though The Corporation's Director escaped. His current whereabouts are unknown.

For defying their orders, the Academy branded the rebels dangerous and hunted them in order to "bring them to justice," but soon after they had a mysterious change of heart. While the rebels were punished, The Academy fired those responsible for the casualties during the riot, and now seems to be under new management.

Meanwhile...

The ordinary humans may not be as unaware of the secret world as one might think. The American government formed a secret military branch called "The Shadow Police," who exist to investigate possible supernatural occurrences. Rumor has it that they have just made contact with a Gifted One.

And recently, young American vampires are being forced to hide from the many eyes of the Breseis Coven, a group of radical vampires that believe those newly turned are a threat that must be exterminated. Their presence in the United States is new, but their roots are ancient and their wrath fearsome indeed.

There is more to this world than it seems. Almost enough to make you fear your own shadow...