Morning Cup of Darkness
A man walks within shadows. There is a rhythm to his stride, a swagger in the way in which he carries himself as he slowly enters into the center of a bright light. Within him lies a boundless insight, allowing him to delve into the depths of the shadows and yet remain untouched. The man lights a cigarette, takes a slow drag as an object slowly appears before him. He adjusts his tie; loosening and then retightening, until the fabric of it lays perfectly surrounded by both the collar of his shirt and jacket. Eventually satisfied, the man begins to speak toward the surrounding, dark void.
“What you are currently looking at is known as the Great Vessel, an artifact from a time long extinguished. To the untrained eye, it is but a simple, though perhaps macabre… cup.”
The man raises the cigarette in his right hand and gestures toward the cup, directing the focus of the void.
“A cup, yes… and yet within its clutches lies a remarkable power,” the man purred, speaking in silky smooth tones. “The ability to alter the minds of those surrounding through the power of suggestion. A mere whisper of a wish could cause a cascade of change throughout time resulting in a future altered beyond recognition. But as with anything involving great power, there comes a cost. And what you might wonder is the cost for this power?”
He paused, not so much waiting for a response, but simply to allow the void a chance to contemplate the possibilities. “A single sip becomes a binding contract signed with the most wickedly condemned former residents of this realm. In exchange for this power, you agree to become a host for them. A sort of vessel in return, forever haunted by their own spiteful suggestions. A curse not easily dismissed; one that can chip away at even the purest soul.”
“In a moment, a down on his luck man is about to find this forgotten artifact while lying drunk in the gutter. A chance meeting which will change the current course of history and is only possible within the dark shadows of the Neverending Realms.”
