A/N: Here we go folks, sorry for the long wait! Exams are now over so I can continue writing!

Here's the prologue of the upcoming sequel to The Teacher of All Things. Next Monday I'll upload this prologue along with the first chapter as a separate story.

This will be the last update for the Teacher of All Things so I'll mark it as 'complete' after this.

Disclaimer: I do not own digimon.

Also, trigger warning for drowning for this chapter.

Without further ado, please enjoy this teaser.

Prologue

Gilda was what some would refer to as a simple woman. She didn't want for much, merely being content with what life had given her and what she had in her small house. She rarely wanted for much beyond her radio programs and anything more would often involve taking her old, battered car down to the nearest town, about twenty miles away, to do her grocery shopping.

She had no family and little in her possession outside of her house, car and the land (untold acres of fen) she had inherited from her wealthy but distant mother. Although she lived alone apart from her old dog, Gilda was happy in life and wanted nothing more than to live the rest of it out as quietly as possible.

It was one misty morning accompanied by birdsong that she came downstairs to feed her dog his breakfast and just so happened to glance out of her kitchen window. Gilda blinked once, then again. Was her eyesight failing her in her old age or was there something on her land that wasn't there yesterday?

What looked like some sort of tower had appeared downhill on her land, but the mist made it hard to see clearly.

Gilda quickly put on her coat and shoes, opened the backdoor and shivered at the harsh cold wind that rattled her weary bones. Grumbling, she made the trek down the hill and into the part of the valley that she owned, taking little notice of the frantic cheeping of nearby birds.

She knew that people had been trying to build on her property for years, as people were wont to do, but there had been no noise of construction, no phone calls or letters that she'd received about some sort of spire being built on her property.

'I bet Venkmann, was responsible for this,' she thought to herself, as she marched towards the imposing structure ahead of her. 'He's always had it out for me, wanting to build a golf course or such nonsense. Who's going to come play golf around these parts I ask you? Well he's gone too far this time, I'll hang him up by his unmentionables for this!'

She clutched tightly at her coat as the mist seemed to thicken and the wind picked up. Suddenly a sense of apprehension grew within Gilda. An ancient instinct that told her to run back to her house, to turn around and get away as quickly as possible.

With a practised stubbornness she ignored it and continued down into the valley to get a better look.

Was it her imagination or was it even harder to see than it had been from her kitchen window? The mist had gotten thicker and her coat was now soaking wet. Cursing loudly, she swore to give Venkmann an even bigger bollocking than she had initially planned, before she suddenly found herself at the base of the tower.

It was like the rest of the world suddenly didn't matter. The Spire stood over three times as tall as her simple home and was darker than a moonless sky. The whole valley seemed frozen in time, the wind vanishing, the birds abruptly silent; yet the cold remained greater than ever.

Teeth chattering, Gilda put out an un-gloved hand and tentatively touched the Spire.

Like lightning she spun around, eyes wide.

"Who's there?!" she demanded of the mist. "You playin' tricks on an old woman?! I heard you whisperin'!"

Silence.

"Come out right now!"

Nothing.

She took a cautious step forward, lamenting that she'd left her shotgun in the house.

Splash!

Her leg was submerged in black water; the exact same colour as the Spire. Breathing hard, she spun back round towards the Dark Spire. It was still there just like before, but somehow... more so. More real, harder to ignore.

Something moved beneath the water, brushed against her leg. Something slimy and long and ever so cold...

Gilda turned and ran. The splashes echoed horribly. A crescendo of panic as she tried to run, but the water was getting deeper. She couldn't move any faster!

There was no escape.

Something moved in the water behind her, something huge.

She panicked, the water was everywhere! Her hands were blue with cold, she couldn't think, she couldn't breathe. Something grabbed her leg and pulled her down and she took in a lungful of water. And then...

And then there was nothing...

The sound of a phone ringing echoed throughout the empty house, accompanied by the barking of a hungry dog.

They soon fell silent.

He was unremarkable. Barely indistinguishable from any of the thousands of other businessmen in suits this fine spring morning in Tokyo. His expensive black suit and tie were immaculate; like they'd just come off the display mannequin that very morning, not a wrinkle out of place.

The illusion was completed with the briefcase and sunglasses he also wore, hiding his startling blue eyes from anyone who could note them down. Alas he could do little about his blonde hair.

The man walked briskly up the stairs and into the huge building in front of him. It was one of the many pristine glass and steel skyscrapers that dotted the skyline of Tokyo, drawing no more glances than any other of the impressive monuments.

'Fitting for its purpose,' he thought smugly, adjusting his black tie a little as he continued forwards.

He nodded briefly to the receptionist, who buzzed him through another set of double doors and down a corridor with wooden panelling. Two large men in suits immediately took up positions on either side of the man and guided him towards a metal doorway hooked up to a strange machine manned by another suited man.

The blonde man put his briefcase on the conveyer belt and stepped through the metal frame. It beeped, as he knew it would.

"Search him," the man behind the machine stated.

He put up his hands as he was patted down by the two men. One of them held up a recording device and spoke aloud the date and time as the other took his jacket and rifled through the pockets.

"One pen, black," the security guard stated, taking the item in question out of the blonde man's jacket. "A wallet containing ten thousand yen and three credit cards, along with identification. A set of five keys, all unmarked, a receipt from BurgerWorld for a double cheeseburger dated earlier this morning-"

The other security guard chuckled quietly.

"And finally a small metal lighter," he clicked it, "broken, has 'Akio' written on the side."

The other man laughed again; the blonde man didn't as much as twitch.

"Alright sir, you're clear," the guard declared, handing him back all his belongings.

"Thank you, keep the receipt," the blonde man spoke, picking up his briefcase and continuing on his way. He was barely able to hide his disdain at this new level of security. He had rarely been required to enter this building and its updated security had caught him off-guard.

He strode forwards into an elevator, the doors shutting behind him and took out one of the keys from his inside pocket. He unlocked the hidden panel in the elevator and then keyed in the seven-digit security code he'd been specifically issued for this visit.

The lift grumbled for a moment and then began to slowly move downwards. The blonde man let out a sigh, the only hint of emotion he could allow himself to show today. This was the final pitch, the moment that would make or break his dream. His eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses as he clutched tightly at an object in his left pocket.

The moment that would decide whether humanity survived the coming year or not.

It was the kind of discussion that no one would have thought would be taking place a couple of years ago; no matter what some people may have claimed. It was unthinkable that monsters like these could truly exist, could truly appear out of nowhere. He shivered at the memory, the nightmare, of the sky tearing open and monsters raining down on the horrified people below.

He shook himself free, he needed to remain calm and composed. He couldn't let his passion interfere and make him look like a less than suitable candidate for what he had proposed.

There was a ping and the door opened onto a large seating area with an imposing pair of doors at the other end. A red-headed woman sitting nearby caught sight of the man and smiled.

"Mitsuo!" she greeted, walking out from behind the desk towards him. "Glad you made it."

"I wouldn't miss this," Mitsuo responded, not ceasing in his stride. "Not for anything. Are they finished in there?"

She nodded.

"They should just be finishing up the last of the videos you sent them," she said, keeping pace with him towards a final set of doors. "Do you think you can convince them?"

"If they aren't already convinced, Miss Ohtori," he responded gravely. "Then nothing I can say will change their minds."

She quietly opened the double doors into a darkened meeting room where a large screen was playing. Mitsuo leant against the wall as Miss Ohtori left the room. The video was almost over.

"Up the stairs!" a woman's panicked voice could be heard, accompanied by the sound of smashing glass and an animalistic growling.

Mitsuo crossed his arms, resisting his usual habit to make some form of noise when he was stressed. The four people in this room needed to see this, to know what these creatures were capable of, what they intended to do.

The footage swung backwards to show what was chasing them. Jittering up and down as it was; it was a good shot. The snarling orange-furred beast behind them was clearly unmistakable for anything else as it tried to keep it's footing on the polished concrete stairs, before the cameraman had to turn to follow the other three down a final corridor.

"Through here!" the woman yelled again, the camera turning and letting the audience get a glimpse out of the window of the TV station.

Mitsuo watched the four figures seated around the table carefully, to see their reactions. It was difficult in the dark, but if the shivers he saw whenever the beast snarled or roared were any indication, he was getting through to them.

Two of them, the sweaty man and the large man, were wealthy independent business owners, each billionaires in their own right, with investments in communications and the advanced computing software he would need in order for his project to be a possibility.

The other two, an old man and a middle-aged woman, represented the government's interest in the project. The events of the last year had shaken the entire world and no one had solid answers that the public were seeking. Countless weeks had been spent in complete panic at hastily set UN meetings as well as internal affairs and possible defence measures against this happening again.

As the video continued, he let his mind wander a little. Back again to that day when everything they thought they knew about the world was turned upside down. Monsters attacking Tokyo? It was like something out of a movie, a fantasy; an impossibility.

'But the dead don't lie,' Mitsuo thought to himself, his hand unknowingly creeping back to his pocket to grip his lighter.

Finally, the chase ended with the group of four entering another room and slamming a huge bolt across the door. The cameraman seemed to sag, along with the other three people in the shot.

"Not as young... as I used to be..." one haggard-looking man wheezed.

"Don't worry," a much deeper voice panted as the camera was held aloft. "I got the footage-"

It ended there.

The lights were quickly turned on, revealing the three men and one woman sitting in the chairs, all in suits. Mitsuo cleared his throat, causing four ashen faces to turn towards him.

"Ah, I see you've arrived," one of the businessmen spoke, wiping the sweat from his massive forehead with a handkerchief. "I-I didn't notice you come in."

"I didn't want to disturb you," Mitsuo responded.

"Well decided," the middle-aged woman spoke briskly. "I take it you've brought everything you need this time?"

"Of course," he answered the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications coolly, opening up his briefcase and passing out papers to the four of them.

Mitsuo then walked up to the head of the table as the four skim-read over the documents he'd given them. He had to focus on not showing his utter disdain for these people. He knew how these things worked. They had likely already come to their decision, the rest was just formality.

Nevertheless, he could not afford to slip up here.

"Everyone, I believe I've made it clear that the threat we face from these creatures is very real," he began. "Property has been destroyed, people have been killed and Odaiba was nearly annihilated. It could all happen again at any moment and we have no idea if it's possible or not. We still have little idea what these creatures even are and our efforts to counter them thus far have been... ineffective."

Silence from the four. All of them could remember the invasion of Odaiba and the lives that were lost, the people that were never found. How only months afterwards several more monsters arrived, had practically frozen Tokyo Bay solid and nearly destroyed the island again, before vanishing completely.

"However we do believe that we've figured out where they come from," Mitsuo continued, studying their reactions carefully. "And the answer we've discovered could fundamentally change our understanding of the universe. No one could forget how the sky was torn open after the invasion. People all around the world saw it, millions of witnesses all at the same time. They all saw another world mirroring our own."

"You believe that is where these monsters came from?" the Communications Minister asked sceptically, looking at the papers in front of her. "And not a separate event?"

"I do," Mitsuo replied. "Monster sightings increased exponentially all over the world whilst the anomaly occurred. The anomaly also disrupted global communications as well as nearby electronic systems; an effect the monsters themselves also exhibit, albeit on a lesser scale. The monsters came from another world, another dimension we've designated 'Yuggoth' and arrived here on Earth for reasons we do not yet understand."

"You don't believe it was a simple invasion?" the other government official asked, the State Secretary of Defence.

"For the most part the creatures were uncoordinated, their aims a mystery. The only coordinated invasion seemed to be in Odaiba. Many there were rounded up by what they described as 'ghosts', but for what purpose they didn't know-"

And so it continued for two more hours as he summarised their findings and objectives, whilst answering any questions the four had.

Mitsuo could practically see it in these people's faces. The fears, the excitement of discovery, how they could possibly profit off of these creatures and anomalies. He had to prevent his lip from curling in disgust at their short-sightedness. Unfortunately, he had to cater to these people's whims for now and appealing to their patriotism and greed seemed to be doing the job so far.

Once he had the funding from these wealthy independents as well as permission from the government, then he could begin his true work in earnest.

"So I believe the old SIGINT system could easily be repurposed for such a project," he said, looking at his audience. "It would be implicating for Japan if we were caught with such a powerful system before the anomaly. The UN in particular would ask us many awkward questions-"

He caught a couple of winces from the Ministers.

"But with the recent revelations it would be the perfect time to put it to a new use, one far more understandable and potentially even more profitable. This is the mark of a new era, a new frontier and our country has been blessed with an unprecedented advantage in seizing it. It is imperative that we do everything within our power to stay in the lead and reap the greatest rewards, before it's too late."

A few minutes later and he was waiting outside as the four 'reached a decision'. More likely they were discussing what information they had gleamed from him and how that could be best used for their own goals.

Miss Ohtori joined him in waiting as the four inside reached some sort of verdict.

"How did it look?" she asked as he fiddled anxiously with his lighter.

"They seemed to grasp the seriousness of the situation, as well as the benefits if we are the first to reach the digital world, Yuggoth."

"But?"

"But," he repeated, with only a slight hint of exasperation. "They're only interested in how they themselves will profit from it. It's like they don't see the inherent dangers these creatures possess."

"They probably expect you to deal with it."

"True," Mitsuo smirked briefly, before frowning. "But there are still things we don't know the answers to. They might interpret that as a sign of incompetence on my part."

"You've worked harder than anyone to understand these things," Ohtori scoffed, before fixing him with a kind smile. "Just because you've not got all the answers, doesn't mean you're incompetent."

It was strange, how such a simple reassurance could ease the anxiety he was feeling. Feeling grateful, Mitsuo spoke,

"Riley, I-"

The doors opened, sealing his lips for the moment as Mitsuo was called back than five minutes later he strode out again with his briefcase full and a powerful assurance in his stride as he entered the elevator to finally leave this building. Miss Ohtori quickly joined him and she could see the lightness in his step.

"Everything has been granted," he said, once the doors had closed. "And I have been appointed Director of the project. We can finally fight back against these monsters."

"Congratulations, Mitsuo," she smiled coyly, a weight in her heart vanishing at the news.

"Thank you," he replied, truly grateful for her support. "I wouldn't have gotten this far without your help."

"It was no trouble," she said, before her smile faded. "We all have our reasons."

"Just be glad we can make a difference now," Mitsuo stated. "We still have a lot of work ahead of us; people to train, to recruit, as well as dealing with those digital monsters themselves."

"Getting tired just thinking about it?" she teased, just as the elevator opened again.

"Not on your life," he smirked, before striding forwards. "A new enemy of humanity has appeared and it'll be us who put them down. We'll lead the world forwards into a new age and avenge those who have already lost their lives."

He gripped his lighter tightly.

"We will save the world from these monsters and in the process save this world from ourselves. Thanks to what has happened today, this has all become possible!"

Mitsuo Yamaki walked proudly out of the building and into his future.

"Project Hypnos is underway," he spoke. "And we have work to do."

A/N: The stage is now set for season 2. Please leave your thoughts and comments and tell me what you think.

A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone for supporting the Teacher of All Things. It means the world to me to see all the positive feedback that it's received so far as well as all the criticism so I can make it even better. It's been a great journyer so far and I hope you'll all be interested in checking out the sequel.

So on Monday 22nd June the next story will begin in earnest.

Until then I hope you all enjoyed and I can't wait to see you for the sequel!