The Man in Black: Prologue
Under the cover of darkness and shade of the tree, a figure sat atop a large branch, longingly staring up into the starry night sky above. The full moon shone brightly, faintly illuminating the environment around him. He sighed in relief and satisfaction. Another long day of work had ended and he could now enjoy the view.
“Having fun?” came the voice in his head.
The figure smiled. “Yeah.”
He could feel the voice sharing his enjoyment.
“They are certainly a sight to behold. Once we finish this job, maybe we’ll get to see them up close.”
“That would be nice.”
Suddenly, the figure’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out to check it. The alarm he had set all those months ago to remind him about today finally appeared. He looked back up on the screen to confirm the date and time. Midnight; Tuesday, February 23, 2021. It was no trick. Today was now the figure’s birthday. At last, he was another year older. Hell, it hadn’t even sunk in yet that it had now also been a full decade since-
“Even though this human concept is meaningless to me; happy birthday my friend!”
The figure slightly jumped at the unexpected interruption to his thoughts.
“Th-thank you.”
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to come out so abruptly there.”
The figure shrugged. “It’s fine. I was just caught up thinking about-”
“How it’s been a full decade since you were last human? Yes. I’m fully aware, being inside your head and all.”
The figure snorted slightly as he nodded. Having a voice that shared your thoughts was definitely a fun experience to be sure.
“But even I have to admit,” the voice continued, “it’s weird how a lot of major events in your life seem to revolve around your birthday particularly. Fate sure has a funny sense of humor now, doesn’t it?”
The figure grunted in agreement. It certainly was interesting how much fate played a part in his life on this specific date. Especially considering how significant it was to him. After all, that was the day that everything changed. Without it, he wouldn’t have become the man he is now. And as he gazed back up towards the stars, he couldn’t help but think back to it. How so much could’ve changed if he had died all those years ago, and how much things would’ve changed if his parents had left him to rot.