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"Hey, look, I'm trying my best, alright?" he said, in both exasperation and exhaustion. She simply ignored him, turning to the next page of her romantic paperback. It had been five months since their arranged cohabitation. It was her mother's idea, one that she protested against greatly. It just wasn't fair. She knew that she was grieving the breakup, she knew that she hadn't moved on yet. But regardless, she had no say in the matter, and was forced to pack up, and move in with a complete stranger. It didn't help that he knew as well. Her mother had told her all about him, about how sweet he was, about how much he cared. She could see it in

      A Ghost and participant of the last battle, my new mentor, Brian, was lucky enough to walk away with a limp. He had spent the months after the battle on the run, seeking refuge from city to city, never able to stay for too long. “Any squadmate of mine would’ve killed me if I just sat and watched someone get beaten to a bloody pulp,” he explained.        He took me to a safehouse, a small secluded hut, hidden in the middle of a frigid pine forest. It looked peaceful enough, and far away from the city, and thus any attention of the Phantoms. But don’t get me wrong. He didn’t bring me there to take a vacation

       It’s been three years since the Phantom takeover. All over the world, the heads of countries and political factions were visited by the Phantoms. A shadowy faction of agents and assassins, they made a single demand: For the world to allow them to do as they please. Those who protested were found dead in their homes the next morning, regardless of how severe their protest. Those who hired bodyguards only piled on more bodies to the list of those dead. And when pushed too far, the Phantoms revealed their trump card; overnight, the head of virtually every armed force and security agency on earth received a Phantom ins

     Crap. As I run through the empty streets, I can hear their footsteps echoing off of the buildings, pitter pattering into the night. I take cover behind a broken column, catching my breath and taking the opportunity to peek my head out. In the darkness, I can see two glowing red eyes, the shadow of a Phantom slowly approaching me. I press up against the pillar, holding my breath, and activate a button on my watch. A small wave of disorientation hits me as my body disappears from view. The Phantom walks past me, casting looks left and right, but doesn’t see me.       Please leave, I pray silently. I’m counting down the seconds