Chronicles of the Dark Cloud: Guardians Beyond the Veil (1998)
The shadow of the Limitless Fortress loomed over the decaying cityscape like a colossal, iron monument to chaos. Down in the narrow, moisture-slicked alleyways, the air hung heavy and stifling—so thick with volatile energy that every breath felt like inhaling static electricity.
Kyogi Kagimi leaned against a rusted, graffiti-covered pillar, tossing a small silver coin idly into the air. His eyes, sharp and unreadable, tracked the flickering movement of dark shapes swarming the skies above the citadel.
"What are we doing here?" Kyogi mused, his voice laced with a lazy, deliberate apathy. "I'm not even sure what I am looking for. I think we're lost."
A few paces ahead, standing at the edge of the overlook with his hands tucked behind his back, Prince Phobos didn't immediately reply. His pale cloak fluttered slightly, caught in a stray draft that smelled faintly of ozone and burning copper.
"So tell me," Kyogi continued, catching the coin mid-air and slapping it against the back of his hand, "which side do you intend to take in this little brawl?"
Phobos slowly turned his head, his cold glare cutting through the gloom. "You haven't made your position clear either," the Prince remarked, his voice a smooth, dangerous purr.
Kyogi grinned, a flash of white teeth in the dim light. "I'll take whatever side I like best... as always."
"Perhaps I should say that sounds just like you," Phobos said, turning back toward the Fortress. "Even now, there's a dark cloud hanging over this Limitless Fortress. No one can say which path the future will take."
Above them, the sky darkened further. A low, droning hum echoed through the air—a sound that vibrated deep in the chest. Crawling over the spires and darting through the storm-laden clouds were swarms of jagged, black-shelled creature: demon insects. They twitched and darted erratically, drawn by the surging power radiating from the heart of the Fortress.
"The air in this town is thick with energy," Phobos observed, watching the swarm writhe against the black sky. "Demon insects flock to it like sharks to an open wound. A sign of things to come... or is the danger already here?"
Kyogi pushed off the pillar, shoving his hands into his pockets as he stepped beside the Prince. He cast a brief, indifferent glance at the skittering horde above, then shrugged.
"Then again," Kyogi muttered softly, his grin returning with a cynical edge, "what do I care?"
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