Shadows in the Making

Tai Nightshade wasn’t born like other children. He was created—engineered in a laboratory hidden deep within a government facility, the product of an experiment designed to forge the ultimate weapon. From the moment of conception, his life was a calculated blend of science and ambition. His DNA was manipulated, enhanced, and designed to grow into something more than human—a living tool for war.

Dr. Elara Kane had once believed in the potential of science to push the boundaries of human capability, but as she delved deeper into the secretive project, her faith in its purpose began to crumble. She hadn’t just been a scientist working on the project; she had been the vessel, the womb used to create Tai. They needed her body to host this experiment—a choice she hadn’t truly been given.

Despite the artificial nature of his creation, the bond between Elara and Tai grew. She had carried him, felt him move within her. When Tai was born, he wasn’t placed in her arms, but in a cold, sterile chamber, destined for conditioning and experimentation. Elara watched helplessly as the boy, her son in every way that mattered, was molded into something cold and unfeeling.

In the sterile halls of the lab, Tai’s life was devoid of warmth. The scientists saw him as an asset, an experiment. But Elara couldn’t help but feel something deeper. Every time she saw him, a maternal instinct tugged at her heart. The boy was growing, not into the killing machine they wanted, but into something more, something fragile and human that the government was intent on snuffing out.

Years passed, and Tai grew into the perfect weapon, but his eyes were hollow. He never cried, never smiled—just did what was expected of him, devoid of emotion. It was during one of his training sessions that Elara made her decision.

“They’re going to send him into the field,” she overheard one of the higher-ups say. “He’s ready.”

Elara’s heart froze. She had known this moment was coming, but she couldn’t allow it. They had created Tai for war, but in doing so, they had denied him his humanity. She wouldn’t let them take away the last sliver of hope she had for him.

---

The Escape

Late one night, Elara stood in front of Tai’s containment chamber, her breath heavy with anticipation. She had seen him countless times before, but tonight felt different—tonight she wasn’t here as a scientist, but as his mother. The cold hum of the facility echoed around her, but she pushed through, overriding the security system with shaking hands.

The door slid open with a soft hiss. Inside, Tai sat in silence, his back straight, his eyes forward, awaiting his next command. His dark hair fell over his eyes, casting shadows on his pale face. He didn’t react to her presence at first.

“Tai,” Elara whispered, her voice breaking. “We’re leaving. Now.”

He blinked once, then turned his head slowly toward her. His expression was unreadable, his eyes a void of emotion. “Leaving? To where?”

“Somewhere safe,” she said, stepping forward. “Somewhere far away from this place, where they can’t hurt you anymore.”

“Why?” Tai’s voice was flat, almost mechanical, a reflection of the life he had known. “This is where I belong. This is my purpose.”

Elara knelt before him, her hands trembling as she reached for his face. “No, Tai. This isn’t where you belong. You were never meant to be just a weapon. You’re more than what they made you.” She hesitated, her voice softer now. “You’re my son.”

For a moment, something flickered in Tai’s eyes—confusion, perhaps, or a sliver of recognition. “You’re... my mother?”

Elara nodded, tears pooling in her eyes. “Yes, Tai. I carried you. They needed my body to create you, but I was the one who gave you life. You have more than just their programming in you. You have a soul.”

For a moment, the silence stretched between them, and then Tai spoke, his voice still monotone but softer now. “I... don’t feel anything.”

“You will,” Elara promised, taking his hand in hers. “You’ve been numb for so long, but we’ll change that. You’ll learn what it means to be free, to live.”

---

Five Years Later

The years passed in relative peace, but Elara always knew the threat lingered. She and Tai had found a small home on the outskirts of the city, far from the government’s reach, or so they thought. Tai adapted to life beyond the walls of the facility, though he remained largely detached, a soldier still struggling with the remnants of his programming.

Elara never stopped trying to reach him. She’d teach him to read, cook, and live like a normal person, though Tai’s emotional range was still limited. His movements were always precise, his responses logical and calculated, but there were moments—fleeting, fragile moments—where he seemed almost human.

One evening, after a quiet dinner, Elara looked across the table at Tai. He was eating mechanically, as always, his gaze distant. “Tai,” she said softly, “I’m proud of how far you’ve come.”

He looked up at her, his expression neutral. “I haven’t done anything.”

“Yes, you have,” she insisted, a smile tugging at her lips. “You’ve started living.”

---

The Attack

That same night, the peace they had built was shattered. Elara had always known they would come for him, and when they did, it was swift and merciless.

The operatives stormed the house, breaking down the door with military precision. Tai, ever the weapon, moved to intercept them, taking down two before Elara screamed for him to run. "Tai! Get out! They want you! Please, just go!"

Tai hesitated, torn between his instinct to fight and the voice of the woman who had saved him. In that moment of indecision, Elara threw herself between him and the agents. She was shot, collapsing to the ground with a strangled gasp.

Tai froze, staring down at her crumpled form, the world narrowing to that single, horrific moment. He didn’t know how to process what he was seeing—he had never felt true pain, never understood the depth of loss. He knelt beside her, his voice eerily calm. “Mother?”

Elara’s breathing was labored, her hand reaching up to cup his face one last time. “Tai... live... for me,” she whispered, her words fading as the life drained from her.

For the first time in his life, something stirred deep within Tai—an emotion so raw and overwhelming that he couldn’t define it. But it drove him, propelled him into action. He rose, his mind cold, calculating, but his heart—fractured as it was—burned with purpose.

---

The Obsidian Phantom is Born

That night, as he fled into the darkness, Tai left behind the boy he had been. The government had created him to be a weapon, but now, in the absence of his mother, he chose to become something more.

He would become a shadow. A ghost. A force of vengeance that no one could control.

He would become the Obsidian Phantom.