…Booommn…
…Booommn…
My eyes snapped open.
…Booommn…
I was staring at the floorboards. Blue-gray in the dim moonlight.
…Booommn…
I stared up at the window, expecting to see the white moon. I only saw the dark empty air outside, lit with a muted light from no visible source. Something was wrong.
…Booommn…
The room thrummed, and I sat up. Then all was still.
I got to my feet, and took a hesitant step towards the window. Then two. Then I threw myself at it.
…Booommn…
I clutched the sill and leaned into the cold night air. The city was lit with the soft glow, the sky pitch black, except at the very edge of the horizon. I could somehow see way over on the edge of the world, the smallest lip of sky was tinged red with the coming dawn.
“…That is not the dawn.”
I stiffened. That voice…could it be?
“He is coming.”
…Booommn…
I slowly turned. And I gasped.
It was…no, it couldn’t be, he was dead…and yet there he was.
My old guardian.
He stood near the left wall, wearing the Cloak of Penumbra like he always used to, looking grim. His back was hunched from years of crouching, tufts of wild gray hair ringed his head like scraggly animal fur, and his eyes glinted like steel.
I couldn’t believe my eyes. My knees felt weak.
“Ph-Phantom? …Who is coming?”
He regarded me heavily. “Your father tried to do his part. Tried to prevent it. He never meant to drag you into this. Yet here we are.”
I stared at him, wondering if he had gone mad.
My father—? What in Moth’s name is he talking about?
Before I could react, he stepped forward, and rested his hand on my shoulder.
“This is going to take a lot, Storm. You may not have it in you. Are you ready to give it all?”
…Booommn…
My head swam.
“W-what do you mean? What do I even have left?”
He looked outside, and whispered, “You cannot destroy him. Cannot run from him…Cannot hide from him. The only thing you can do, is put him back in his place. He who rules the silence has overstepped his bounds.”
It felt so good to have him back, my eyes watered, and the dread in my heart dulled.
“How?” I asked.
Phantom lowered his head.
“Seek the one who hunts you, in his den, at the first light of dawn. He is speaking to him. Listen in, and you shall find an answer.”
“…Phantom, there’s something you should know.”
“Yes?”
“I forgive you.”
The old man smiled.
…Boooommnn…
As the distant thud ended, the strength fled from my bones, and I collapsed.

Then, I woke up.

While I admit I loved making this scene a bit overly dramatic, its original function as a means to tell Storm what to do next at the end of Chapter 1 felt way too contrived, and thus ended up being replaced by a flashback scene that introduces the character “Phantom” instead.

See the next deleted scene from Vol.1, ‘Ethellus Finds the Shadow’