Hello there! I'm Stormy (28M) and I am only here for genuine friendships and nothing more. My dms are open to anyone who is 18+, gender, race, and sexuality does not matter to me. Please be patient with me as I am autistic and have severe mental issues. I love to hear about people's passions and dreams. Come as you are! With that said here is a bit about me.
I absolutely LOVE music I don't care about genres as long as I like the song it's going into my library. One of my favorite projects is managing my MP3 Library, it's like my personal little collection. With my drive and passion for music I also do vocals for a few metal projects I have.
I like to dabble around with different things time to time. Sometimes I have fixations like currently it's building a library of shows/movies I love. Gaming is a huge thing for me, I recently been stuck on Fortnite, Fallout 76 & Brotato. Survival/Roguelike/Sandbox games tend to me my favorites. I love taking walks, looking at bugs and chilling at home.
My favorite types of shows and movies are animation, cartoons, horror and crude comedy. My current fixations are Kenny vs Spenny, Drawn Together, Ghost Adventures & Kriby Right Back At Ya. My favorite movies are Law Abiding Citizen & the Saw franchise.
I really hope to hear from you and I hope you are doing well! Much love!

Chapter 1: What Are the Olympics?

Keisha, JR and Julie are excited about the summer. They are excited about the Summer Olympics. They want to watch their favorite sports and athletes. Keisha, JR and Julie want to learn about the 2024 Summer Olympics. What is one way you could learn about the Olympics?
What are the Olympics? Keisha gets a book about the Olympics. Keisha, JR and Julie read about the Olympic Games. The Olympics are games that bring athletes together from all over the world. An athlete is a person who plays a sport. Over 10,000 athletes will play sports in the 2024 Summer Olympics. Use context clues to find the meaning of the word ‘athlete’.
The Olympics began in Greece in 776 BC. The only event was a short, fast run called a sprint. An event in the Olympics is a sports contest. Every four years, men from Greece would go to a field in Olympia. The men would compete to win the race. The winner of the race wore a wreath of olive branches on his head. Where was the first Olympics? Find Greece on a map.
The Olympics changed as time went on. The Olympics added more events. One event was a chariot race. Men rode in a cart called a chariot. Horses pulled the chariot in this race. More men came to compete in the Olympics. Women were allowed to compete in the Olympic Games starting in 1928. These ancient Games were played every four years for over 1,000 years. Why are these games called the ancient Olympics?
The first modern Summer Olympics were played in 1896 in Athens, Greece. The athletes came from countries around the world. There were 241 athletes at the first Olympics. Leaders from these countries thought the Olympic Games were a good idea. They decided to have Olympic Games every four years just like the ancient Games. Why are the Summer Olympic Games held every four years?
The Summer Olympics have been held almost every four years since 1896. They have only been canceled three times because of World War I and World War II. The 2020 Summer Olympic Games was delayed by one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Why have the Olympic Games been canceled before?
Julie sees a timeline in the book. The timeline shows when the modern Olympics began in 1896. The timeline shows that the Olympics have been held in many cities all around the world. Julie sees that the Summer Olympics was in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1996. She sees Olympic Games in Australia, Greece, China and London. “Look!” says Julie. “Did you know the 2024 Summer Olympics is in Paris, France? France is in Europe.” What is a U.S. city that has hosted the Summer Olympic Games? Use a device to look up what other U.S. cities have hosted the Olympic Games before.

Chapter 2: Where Is the 2024 Summer Olympics?

The 2024 Summer Olympic Games is in Paris. Paris is in France. JR says, “I want to go to the Olympics in Paris.” Keisha tells JR, “You cannot go to the Olympics in Paris.” She shows JR where Paris is from the United States. JR would have to take an airplane. “That is really far,” says JR. Keisha says, “Don’t worry, JR. You can watch the Olympics on TV. We can learn about the Olympics on the computer.” Find Paris on a map or a globe. Find your state on the map or globe.
Discuss how far Paris is from where you live. Keisha, JR and Julie look on the computer. They want to learn more about the 2024 Summer Olympics. They find a website about the Olympics in Paris. This will be the third time Paris has hosted the Summer Olympic Games. The last time Paris hosted the Olympic Games was 100 years ago! Paris has worked hard to get ready for the Olympics. They need to be ready for many people to come watch the athletes compete. This summer the Olympics will begin on July 26. The Olympics will last for 17 days. Find July 26 on the calendar. When does the Olympics end?
Keisha, JR and Julie read about the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony is the night before the sporting events begin. There is a parade with athletes from each nation. This year, Paris is doing something different. All the athletes will come into Paris on boats along the Seine River. The parade will end in front of an outdoor area called the Trocadéro. Paris is expecting at least 600,000 people to attend this event. It will be the largest opening ceremony in Olympics history! What is different about the opening ceremonies in 2024?
Part of the opening ceremony is the lighting of the Olympic torch. This will show that the games can begin. The torch will be first lit in Olympia, Greece. 10,000 people will then take turns carrying the torch across land and water as it makes its way to Paris. The torch will go through many different cities on its journey. What does the Olympic torch show?
Athletes from 206 countries from around the world will compete in the Olympic Games in Paris. There will be 329 different events across 32 sports. Skateboarding, breaking, surfboarding and sport climbing are all new sports added to the 2024 Olympics. Each country will send their best athletes to compete for medals. The athletes from each country make up a team. The best athlete or team in a sport wins a gold medal. Do an internet search to learn more about the newly added sports of skateboarding, breaking, surfboarding and sport climbing.
Every Summer Olympic Games has a mascot. The mascot tells the history and culture of the city hosting the Olympics. Keisha reads that this year’s mascots are named Phryges. A Phryge is a small cap, or a hat. These caps were worn by people from a long time ago. A Phrygian cap stands for liberty, inclusivity and the ability of people to support meaningful causes. Why do you think every Olympic Games has a mascot?
JR wonders what Paris is like. He types “Paris” into the computer. “It looks like Paris is warm in the summertime,” he says. He also learns that Paris is a major city in France. Keisha, JR and Julie click on a website about the 2024 Olympics. They learn a lot about the upcoming Olympic Games, including where each event will take place. They watch videos about the events and athletes. This is a fun way for Keisha, JR and Julie to learn about the Summer Olympics. Do an internet search on the 2024 Paris Olympics and the city itself.

Chapter 3: Learning About the Events

Keisha, JR and Julie are learning more about their favorite Summer Olympic events. Keisha loves water. She likes to swim in her pool. She wants to learn more about the water events. JR loves horses. He goes to horse therapy each week. He wants to know about Olympic events with horses. Julie likes to walk on a track. She wants to know about the track and field events. How can we learn more about the Olympics?
Keisha uses the computer to learn more about swimming at the Summer Olympics. The fastest swimmer wins in four different swimming styles: the freestyle, the backstroke, the butterfly and the breaststroke. She also likes to watch the divers on the diving boards. The divers do flips and turns before diving into the water. What are the four kinds of swimming styles?
Some events are for individual athletes. Some are team events. Keisha learns about other water events: water polo, sailing, rowing and canoeing. Water polo has two teams throwing a ball into a goal in a pool. Rowing has individuals or teams row a boat through a course. Keisha is looking forward to watching the water events on TV. What other water events take place besides swimming and diving?
JR looks up the horse events. Horse events are called equestrian events. JR sees three types of equestrian events. They are called equestrian dressage, equestrian eventing and equestrian jumping. In equestrian events, the horse and the rider show how they can jump, move and run. The horses jump over fences and move through different obstacle courses. The horse and rider that jump, run or move the best get a gold medal. JR can’t wait to watch the horses jump over fences on TV. What does equestrian mean?
Julie searches for athletics. This tells her about the track and field events. Athletes try to run faster, jump higher and throw farther than other athletes. Individuals and teams can run short and long races. Some athletes compete in long jump and high jump events. What types of events are in athletics?
Julie did not know the Olympics have throwing events. Some athletes throw a heavy metal ball. This event is called shot put. Julie sees a picture of someone jumping with a stick. This event is called pole vault. She thinks that looks interesting. Julie wants to watch these events on TV. Why would the shot put event take place on a field?
“Hey, what is gymnastics?” Keisha asks. Gymnastics is for individuals and teams. The athletes are strong and flexible. They balance and move their bodies gracefully. They flip on balance beams. They do somersaults. They do jumps in the air and land on their feet. JR sees a picture of an athlete doing flips around a bar in the air. What do athletes do when they compete in gymnastics?
Keisha, JR and Julie learned about some events at the Olympics. The Olympics have many more events, such as volleyball. Volleyball can be played indoors or on a beach. Badminton, tennis, wrestling and weightlifting are some of the other sports in the Olympics. All of the sports have their own set of rules the athletes must follow. Following the rules of their sport will help the athlete or team win. What event do you want to watch during the Olympics? Why is it important to follow the rules in a sport?

Chapter 4: U.S. Olympians

About 10,500 athletes will compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics. Each athlete has a sport they do best. Athletes will participate in 32 different sports at the Summer Olympics this year. Many athletes come to the Olympics hoping to set new records. A record means they got the highest score or fastest time of any athlete who’s ever competed in that event. How many sports will be at the Summer Olympics this year?
Olympic athletes work hard to do their best and set records. They practice every day. Many of them started practicing when they were very young. Athletes have coaches. A coach helps the athlete to know what they need to work on. A coach cheers and encourages the athlete. The coaches want their athletes to do their best and win a medal at the Olympics. What helps Olympic athletes do their best?
Keisha, JR and Julie want to learn about U.S. athletes who were winners in past Olympics. Julie learns about famous U.S. Olympic runners. Carl Lewis was a fast runner and jumper. He won ten Olympic medals. Florence Griffith Joyner was known at one time as the fastest woman in the world. She won five Olympic medals. Who was a famous Olympic runner?
Keisha learns about famous U.S. Olympic swimmers. Mark Spitz was a fast swimmer. In the 1972 Olympics, he won seven gold medals. In all, he won 11 medals. He set 33 world records. Who is Mark Spitz?
JR learns about famous U.S. Olympic gymnasts. Simone Biles is a great gymnast. She was the first U.S. female gymnast to win four gold medals at one Olympics. She won Olympic medals in the floor and vault events. Who is Simone Biles?
Keisha learns about athletes in new Olympic sports. Skateboarding and surfing are new Olympic sports. Skateboarding and surfing began at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. Carissa Moore is a great surfer. Carissa Moore was the first-ever winner of the Olympic gold medal in women’s short board surfing. Which sports were introduced in the Tokyo Olympics?
Famous Olympic athletes are all remembered for their achievements. They set records and won medals. Athletes in the 2024 Summer Olympics will look up to these athletes of the past. Why are Olympic athletes from the past important?

Chapter 5: Special Olympics

Keisha, JR and Julie enjoy learning about the Olympics, the events and famous athletes. Julie is looking at websites. She sees a website for the Special Olympics. She asks JR and Keisha if they have heard of the Special Olympics. JR says, “Yes! I have been an athlete in the Special Olympics!” Who has been in the Special Olympics?
The Special Olympics are for athletes with a disability. The first Special Olympics Summer Games was held in 1968. The Special Olympics allow athletes to compete and make friends with others. The Special Olympics help athletes gain confidence in themselves. What are the Special Olympics?
The Special Olympics was started by Eunice Kennedy Shriver. She had a sister named Rosemary. Rosemary had a disability. Eunice and Rosemary liked to play sports together. Eunice had an idea. In 1962 she had a summer day camp in her backyard. Children with disabilities learned to play sports at the camp. This is how the Special Olympics started. Who started the Special Olympics?
Now the Special Olympics are in over 193 countries. There are more than 5.6 million Special Olympics athletes across the world. They can compete in 37 different sports. The Special Olympics has small competitions that take place every year. The Special Olympics also has big competitions that take place around the world. They are called the Special Olympics World Games. The World Games take place every two years. The last World Games was in Berlin, Germany, in 2023. The next World Games will be in Italy in 2025. Italy is in Europe. How many different sports are a part of the Special Olympics?
Some Special Olympics sports include:

• Swimming.
• Running.
• Basketball.
• Bowling.
• Gymnastics.
• Softball.
• Tennis.
• Volleyball.

What sports are you interested in?
Keisha and Julie ask JR more about the Special Olympics. JR says, “I was in the Special Olympics. I was in a wheelchair race. Here is my scrapbook from the Special Olympics.” JR shows Keisha and Julie his scrapbook. JR has pictures of his friends running, jumping and riding bicycles. What is one sport JR plays?
Keisha, Julie and JR read more about the Special Olympics. The Special Olympics are held every year. They can be held in your school, in your city or in your state. Athletes must be at least 8 years old. Athletes can compete till any age they want. The Special Olympics are a great way to stay active as you get older. Athletes must also practice and do their best. Maybe Keisha and Julie will join JR’s team next year. How can the Special Olympics help athletes?

Chapter 6: Teamwork

JR shows Keisha a picture. It is a picture of JR winning a medal at the Special Olympics. Keisha asks, “How did you win your medal?” JR says, “I was in a relay race with my friends. We worked really hard. We had to practice racing around the track. Our teacher was our coach. We practiced handing each other the baton. This is a picture of my team. We won the medal together. We cheered for our team. It was our teamwork that helped us win.” How did JR win his medal at the Special Olympics?
JR knows how to be a part of a team also. He knows teamwork helps teams win. People on a team show teamwork by practicing together. They show teamwork by encouraging each other and listening to the coach. A coach helps the athletes. A coach tells the athletes what job they will do on the team. A coach helps the athletes work together as a team. Why is it important to listen to the coach?
Many events at the Olympics are team events. The U.S. women’s 3x3 basketball team won the gold medal in 2021. They worked as a team to win. Other team Olympic events include:

• Soccer.
• Water polo.
• Handball.
• Volleyball.

Talk about these sports and how the athletes work as a team.
Some athletes compete alone. But their score is added to their teammates' scores. The team with the best score wins a medal. Some of these Olympic team events are:

• Gymnastics.
• Archery.
• Cross-country running.
• Equestrian.
• Synchronized swimming.

Talk about these sports and how the athletes work as a team.
Being part of a team is hard work. Everyone must work together. Working together is better than working alone. Everyone encourages each other and cheers each other on. A soccer player knows their job on the soccer team. They cannot always kick the ball. They must pass the ball to their teammates before they can score. Soccer players know how to be part of a team. Talk about the importance of team members working together.
Keisha, JR and Julie want to be on a team together. They want to be on a team that races. They practice together. JR races with his wheelchair. He practices hard. Keisha and Julie are not fast, but they get faster when they practice as a team. They will work together and get faster. They will cheer for each other. It feels good to be a part of a team. Whether they win or lose, they can be proud of themselves for working together. What could happen if a team doesn’t practice?
This bold text is a questions, so comment these bold texts for the answers.

Tenth Moon, 25AC

Pentos
Twenty-three, Twenty-four, Twenty-five.
“You are certain?” Probed Dynohr, but Orys waved him off.
Twenty-six, Twenty-seven, twenty-eight.
“The lord Protector does not need to remind you of your commitments, master Dynohr,” Aeran mercifully answered before he needed to. He had come down to the docks with a splitting headache, and from the moment he saw them, he had to count. He was promised two-hundred and twenty, he would count them, he would be certain.
Thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six.
“Even so, surely you have more time, we need not depart so swiftly. The storms… they will be quite terrible this time of year, the sea is not merciful to the hasty,” said the sellsword legate. He was an excellent commander by all accounts, but Orys was earning a second pain in the back of his ear listening to him. He refused to lose his count too. For all he cared, all that mattered, the aged warrior did not need this right now.
Fifty-two, fifty-three, fifty-four.
“And as agreed, we had to depart in the coming days. The timeline does not allow for dalliance, nor does it allow for you to dither,” Raymont snapped, though Orys could hear the stress in his voice. Of all his family, of his sons, of his wife, Raymont was the one to caution him against coming here. He was the one to say that leaving at such a time would be a detriment, that departing just before the feast, the hunt, before the prince’s name day would only lead to a greater divide between who should wear the crown. He was a good lad for it, a smart one. Someone worth being his heir, someone who cared.
Eighty-five, eight-six, eighty-seven.
Their path led them on an incline up the docks, following towards the enormous walls that surrounded the grand old city. He needed a better view, sails were easier to count from so high. And he had already counted those that numbered among the closest to the wharfs.
“I understand your haste, and your needs, young lord, but the tides care little for what we wish to do. Righteousness means nothing to the waves,” protested another, but the Lord protector ignored him. He was a slight fellow, much less present than the rest of the entourage following him. In fact, a glance back barely revealed him from the overpowering shadow of Vyronno. The behemoth of a man gave only a grunt at being glanced at, though the grunt seemed more to be about the leg of chicken he was currently feasting upon.
Ninety-three.
“The haste is well-founded,” Aeran cut in again, his sharp Myrish accent cutting through the conversation like a knife. If there was anger or annoyance in it however, Orys did not register. His only focus were the ships. What a strange figure he must have cast with a band of Essosi at his back, from the free cities, from further East, he was trailed by a dozen figures, all bickering over the course and all the head of the group cared for, were boats.
“And yet if we act too fast, what happens then? If the waves claim half of the ships? What of the cargo then? Of the contents? We’ll be ruined because you simply wished to return while the Queens remained in king’s Landing!” The slight man said, and finally his name came to Orys. Horo Hartion, one of the ship captains from Braavos.
One hundred and thirty-three.
The man was an expert on the waves certainly, but Orys was not able to heed him. Not now. Perhaps a year ago he might have, but not now. Not when ideas came late and solutions later. He had gathered what he needed, he had visited the triarchs, the magisters, the princes and Sealords, and only now had he his ships, his supposed two-hundred and twenty.
“How long before we should leave then? Hm?” Pried his son, blessed Raymot with his well-directed displeasure.
“At least until the winter, the cool air will help keep the sea calm. And perhaps it would make it easier on your home,” said the captain, but Aeran hissed a condescending laugh.
“Winter? If we do that, then we will be arriving in winter, and then having to rebuild in winter and solve the kingdom’s woes in winter. You think it is bad normally? Try it when there’s no food growing,” the man snapped, and the captain audibly shrunk away, his voice growing smaller.
“But…”
One hundred and seventy-five.
He was coming so close to the remaining few sails. He had segmented them by their respective groups, moored together and kept locked side by side to fit the harbour better. It made it far easier to count them, that much was certain. Though he couldn’t help but wonder if there were other dangers to it.
So close, so much wood.
One hundred and ninety-six.
“If not later, perhaps at least a faster route?” Asked the captain, earning a scoff from Aeran and Raymont in unison. And within seconds they were back to bickering. Orys shook his head, the imposing lord rubbing at his temple as he walked to the edge of the wall, trying to rid himself of the headache, and failing terribly at it.
Their bickering picked up, moving from quick-spoken words to shouts and he closed his eyes.
Two hundred and five.
More of the band of followers were joining in, blessedly except for Vyronno. The man’s bellows were simply too heavy for his ears to handle amid the headache.
Orys shook his head, but the voices grew louder, and soon enough he was conscious of the markets below, the sounds of the tides. With a breath, hie attempted to focus on the counting, opening his eyes to the harbour, but finding the world below a blur.
Two hundred… two-hundred and what?
He sucked on his gums… he was close. So fucking close to the end of it. What was that number? He clenched his fists, digging his fingers into the hard stone of the wall, but the elusive numerals refused him. And as his headache grew and the shouting overpowered him. He grit his teeth and slammed a fist against the stone.
“Enough!” He bellowed, and the entourage fell silent immediately.
Anger flooded through him, annoyance in turn and finally, dismay. He was so fucking close to finishing his count, spoiled by his interminable headache and further agitated by the sounds surrounding.
“We sail on schedule, on the course plotted, with all…” he glanced to the captain and then to Dynohr, both men lightly bowing their heads, both averting their gazes slightly. The Lord Protector rubbed a thick hand across hie forehead and leaned into the wall. Gods what he would have given for all the strength of his youth, for the power of the man who bested Argillac. For the strength of the man who helped dragons conquer kingdoms.
“Fuck,” he said quietly, drawing the eyes of his son.
“I do this for it is better to do something than to let it be left a mystery. Better to try to do something right than to hope the alternatives simply work out,” he said and looked over the assembly. At Vyronno, his trusted friend whose enormous, folded arms might have warded off some, but not him. He looked to Raymont, his son as tall as him, a mirror of Aegon’s hand in his younger years. To Aeran, the golden haired Myrish warrior, to the captain Hartion with his wildly styled moustache and elegant hat and to Dynohr, the flamboyantly dressed sellsword.
“Bad weather will waylay us, if it comes, but that is all. We will not be subjects to the fear of the rain or the waves. Not now.”
With a hard look at each of the squabbling men, he finally sighed.
“Go. Leave me,” he finished and the men looked between themselves before silently dissipating. Only Raymont and Vyronno remaining. The behemoth never abandoning his side unless told to by name. And Raymont, for the young Baratheon’s brows remained furrowed. Down there, in the city was the boy’s wife, the Dayne. Orys pondered for a moment, what did she think of this endeavour? Certainly she was of the mind of his son at first, foolhardy and confused. Perhaps directly opposed. But she had yet to raise a word of it.
Subterfuge had gotten them this far, care and caution had kept their plans in place and free of the eyes of others. Syrella’s spies did not reach so far, and the Westerosi were not concerned with what lay beyond their own coasts. Essos was a wild and untamed land to them, just as Westeros was to the inhabitants of the Free cities and beyond. Perhaps it would work against them, perhaps he would be seen as something terrible and unknown. But he had kept the Kingdom running for years, he had conceded to the queens instead of battling them at each turn. He had killed his ego so that the land would heal from the conquest, so that it would recover from massacres in the woods, so that burnt bridges in the Reach and Dragons in the North would not be enough to break Aegon’s dream apart.
But now…
“You haven’t taken the medication they gave you, have you?” Asked Raymont.
“No,” his heavy voice rang plain, and his weary eyes lifted to meet his sons. So full of worry, so full of youth, wasted here, wasted contending with his father’s woes.
“And the headaches have gotten worse, have they not?” He asked.
Orys shook his head, “only here, only where it’s loud,” he sighed, his lean growing heavier against the wall. What he would have given now for his comfortable chair in his office in the tower of the hand. Where he was too high for the city to bother him, where none came to find him lest there was an emergency.
Here… here it was just too loud.
“Here,” Raymont said with a sigh, handing over a small tincture, and holding up his flask. Orys eyed the tincture suspiciously, but he knew its contents. He would not win this battle, however. Orys Baratheon knew when he was beaten, the Lord Protector took the vial from his son, uncorked it and downed the contents. He clicked his tongue and he washed down the awful taste with he offered flask, blessedly it was just water. He had grown sick of the amount of wine in this place.
“Vyronno, how fare the captains?” he asked, the headache already numbing, giving him blessed few moments of clarity.
The large man shifted, and even that motion seemed to be a great effort for the giant.
“They are tired, they are wary. They are afraid. I fear many do not wish to cast off come the day,” the thick-bellied and deep-voiced man grumbled. He had no love for the ship captains, many of which were sellswords themselves, a group in which the behemoth held little regard for.
“How many?” Orys probed.
“Perhaps a quarter,” mused the man, and Orys grimaced. Enough to hamper them.
“Then…” he looked to the harbour now, eyes narrowing on the locked together ships.
“Uncouple all but twenty of the ships,” he said quickly, and Raymont frowned.
“Why?” he asked.
“Because I will motivate them if they will not do it themselves.”
Raymont’s frown held, and Orys sighed, “take Aeren and his men, do it at night.”
His son finally nodded, and then he too finally left as Orys’ headache finally faded.
“I fear he should not come with us,” Vyronno said.
The Lord Protector huffed, but he eventually nodded. Raymont was not destined to be a victim of his father’s sins. At least he would not see it happen.
“Tell Shovi and Salaela what to do,” Orys said, leaving the comment unanswered. Vyronno gave a nod and reluctantly left Orys atop the battlements, watching the harbour, and finally, he was allowed to be alone and count again.
One, two, three…
From the blessed view of the extensive balcony of Orys' manse, he was given a grand perspective of the sea, and from there, he watched the brilliant roar of flames billowing upwards. Though as he watched, he tapped, counting the seconds by as the flames billowed. If they could not control it within the next five minutes, his plan would be a deathblow to his goals, but he had faith. Faith sometimes was enough o quell the burning in his chest, to overtake the distress at a failed idea.
But… he had faith.
And faith was rewarded at times. As his ears itched from the ringing of bells, finally, someone burst into the room. Orys did not look back, but found the voice of Isembard Stassanar addressing him.
“My lord… the fleet… sabotage,” he huffed breathily, but Orys held a hand to him.
“Calm, I know,” he said and he motioned to the window and his view of the docks, where he was given a perfectly adequate view of the slowly dimming flames. They were pretty against the night, but he could not deny how it reminded him of the conquest… though those flames would not have been doused by such attempts. Buckets would not carry enough water to fight dragonflame.
“Thank you for telling me, Isembard… you may go,” he mused and with what was probably the sound of a salute, the man slinked from the room, doors rocking closed quietly after him.
One, two, three.
The halls of his manse were filled today. Three or four hundred men, all as colourful as they were varied. From every free city, from as far as the great grass sea. They were plentiful, and they all looked to him as he entered, raised up on a balcony overlooking the assembled crowd. His headache was back and the tincture did little to help it. But he persevered.
“The fleet’s damage was minimal,” he said plainly, earning some grumbles from one portion of the crowd and sighs of relief from another.
“Our plans however have been put in place, there are those who clearly know of my intentions, which means we may not act with such sloth. Time has come for us to make our final preparations. It is time we set sail,” he spoke plainly, voice bellowing and the crowd’s silence was a surprise. But eventually, from within it came the voice of Aeran.
“Well out you fuckers go!” he shouted and with grumbling voices, the men began to filter out.
“So the die Is cast,” Orys sighed, earning a chuckle from Vyronno.
“So it is…” sighed the behemoth.
“So it is.”
"Oh, and one thing," Vyronno added, earning a raised brow from Orys.
"There was an error on the part of the clerk, there were more than two hundred and twenty," he reported and the raised brow lowered as Orys grinned.
"Thank the gods for small mercies it seems."
May we pray for more

There's a lot of discussion going around about our WR room. I look at the latest Waddle contract and just laugh. Stats are coming from OverTheCap.com and nfl.com.
Waddle just signed a contract with an average yearly value of $28.25mn.
Let's say the Bills decide on 6 WRs in the room. Seems to be likely the following:
Curtis Samuel - $8mn APY (2023: 613 yards, 4 TDs)
Mack Hollins - $2.6mn APY (2023: 251 yards, 0 TDs)
Keon Coleman - $2.6mn APY
MVS - $2.25mn APY (2023: 315 yards, 1 TD)
Chase Claypool - $1.225mn APY (2023: 77 yards, 1 TD)
Khalil Shakir - $1mn APY (2023: 611 yards, 3 TDs)
That's a total of $17.675mn per year against the cap, or six players for $10.575mn less than the Dolphins spent on one player. Add Hill to this, and the Dolphins have $58.25mn committed to TWO players. Good players, yes, but let's consider further.
KC, the real threat, has a WR room (assuming top 6 WRs) cost of $18.9mn. Very similar to the Bills. It would seem that we are following this direction.
Hill had 1,799 yards and 13 TDs in 2023. Waddle had 1,014 yards and 4 TDs. Total for the 2 is 2,813 yards and 17 TDs. Impressive especially when you consider our 6 had about half that, excluding Keon (1,867 yards, 9 TDs). But, only one of those players had JA passing to them.
KC's room is Marquise Brown (2023: 574 yards, 4 TD), Xavier Worthy, Kadarius Toney (2023: 169 yards, 1 TD), Justin Watson (2023: 460 yards, 3 TD), Rashee Rice (2023: 938 yards, 7 TD), and Skyy Moore (2023: 244 yards, 1 TD). Totals are 2,385 yards, 16 TDs. So, for a fraction of the price, they are getting similar numbers to two players on the Dolphins, at a fraction of the price. This is what Buffalo is hoping to achieve with a similar model (with reliance on a good TE room).
So, what can we expect? Likely no receiver topping 1k yards, but "everyone eats", and a lot of guys getting 300-800 yards. Is this good? Darn right.
1) Defenses can't just shut down one guy and get a win. Whoever is hot and open, gets the ball.
2) Signing future contracts is cheap - hard to argue that a 600 yard season deserves a massive contract.
3) Minimal cap hit leaves room for building other positions on the team, while still paying JA (currently 10th highest paid QB).
The theory is sound, now we just need to hope they have the "right" six guys in the WR room.

And the topic of the Cameo app came up and how most celebs are not enthusiastic about it etc.
Bob then went on to say if I did one of those, which I won't cause no one wants one and I'm just like..
I'd buy a Cameo from Bob. 1000 percent. Bob is so funny and a genuine guy. I hope he knows that he does have very dedicated and huge fans of him. (Totally not referring to myself here lol).
We all have our favorites and some of them come and go but I definitely see myself being a Bob fan for a very very long time. As someone on the spectrum I don't hardly ever go back to back with hyperfixations but Bob has been the only one to do that and to me that means something as in he is just that awesome of a guy.
I hope that you, Mandy and James are doing well, Bob💜

Introduction

Ms. Destiny Hope Cyrus was looking to reintroduce herself.
She had spent the last few years popping up in places like The Voice and various award shows, mostly only gaining attention when covering other artists' songs and when popping out with Liam Hemsworth, of course. As far as the public was concerned she was still Younger Now™ , but that was about to change. Miley was determined to let everyone know that she was back on her bullshit. She needed to let everyone know that SHE. WAS. COMING. So with that, she dropped the first EP in an alleged trilogy (we'll get to that) on May 31, 2019. And oh girly...

Track 1: Mother's Daughter

If the lyrics of this song sound more relevant today than in 2019, that's because they are. When this track was being pushed by Miley as the lead single, the anti-abortion "heartbeat bill" was making its way across the US. So, a song with the hook being the bold statement "Don't fuck with my freedom" felt very apt both then and now. The music video, directed by Alexandre Moors who had directed for artists like Kendrick Lamar prior, turned this blaring message up to eleven. It featured an ensemble of female and nonbinary activists and figures, as well as a cameo from mother Tish herself. The video was edited to include imagery pertaining to the female body and flashing messages like "VIRGINITY IS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT" and "L'HÉROÏSME DE LA CHAIR". The video also included callbacks to other female pop videos, with Miley's red latex catsuit notably invoking Britney Spears's "Oops I Did It Again". The song earned Miley her highest debut on the Billboard Hot 100 since 2013's "Adore You" at #54, but would fail to rise on the chart. The music video would go on to win two VMAs in 2020, and the song itself would go viral in Poland that same year amidst mass protests in the country against an anti-abortion ruling.

Track 2: Unholy

In Sam Smith and Kim Petras's now infamous song, "daddy's gettin hot at the body shop" is treated as some scandalous taboo secret that should be kept under wraps. Miley's song is essentially the antithesis to this. "I'm a little bit unholy," she sings, "So what? So is everyone else." So what she's twerked in front of millions on live television before. Just because she's doing this shit in public doesn't mean y'all aren't doing it in private. Quit trying to act all innocent, goddamnit! Miley's sick of the faking, the using, the taking, and the people calling her obscene, and she ought to be! Overall, this song's personal favorite off of the EP, even if it's a bit short for my liking.

Track 3: D.R.E.A.M. (Drugs Rule Everything Around Me) feat. Ghostface Killah

Miley channels Wu Tang Clang's "C.R.E.A.M." in this ode to her drug-heavy party lifestyle, even managing to bring on Ghostface Killah for it. Though, his contribution seems less like a feature and more like an isolated verse tacked on at the end of it. The track is a nice listen outside of that, though it's unfortunately him that kills the song for me personally.

Track 4: Cattitude feat. RuPaul

Something fun, something camp, something for PRIDE. Something for the girls to just let loose and have some pure dumb fun to. Is this a song where you have to totally shut your brain off for full enjoyment? Sure. But what's the fun in life if you don't let yourself do that. For all those who think they're somehow above shaking their ass to this: You're just mad 'cuz your hair is flat.

Track 5: Party Up The Street feat. Swae Lee & Mike WiLL Made-It

This track marked Miley's first and last collaboration with Mike WiLL Made-It in four years, as she wouldn't reunite with him again until 2023's Endless Summer Vacation. Swae Lee, hot off of his number one hit "Sunflower" with Post Malone, opens the track quite playfully. Him and Miley's surprisingly good chemistry on the song help to make it a highlight on the EP. I would say that this song carries the same wistful and nostalgic tone that Miley's "We Can't Stop" oozes, the overhanging regret of missing a moment while it's still happening. I especially love the strings that come in towards the end of the song. On New Years Eve 2022, about three and a half years after the EP's release, this track would become the only song off of it to get a television performance as Miley would perform it with Swae for her New Year's special that year.

Track 6: The Most

If you were already missing the Younger Now™ version of Miley, she made sure you knew she wasn't quite gone yet. The final track is a mid-tempo ode to her then husband Liam Hemsworth's undying devotion to her (oh how that would age well). It's a fine closing to the project, if not a rather abrupt one.

The Elusive Trilogy

Clocking in at a total of 22 minutes, this rather short project only satisfied the hunger of Miley's fans a little bit. However, to their delight, she would reveal to Rolling Stone on the day of release that SHE IS COMING was only the first "chapter to a trilogy". The second chapter, SHE IS HERE, was set for release later that summer, with the final chapter, SHE IS EVERYTHING set for that fall/winter. These would all come together into a singular album titled SHE IS MILEY CYRUS. The latter two EPs were said to have been "colder and a little darker" and "more ballad-driven".
When Miley dropped her post-divorce ballad "Slide Away" that August, fans assumed that it was a first taste of what they'd be hearing on these next two projects. Whatever plans Miley had, though, were put on hold when she had to undergo vocal surgery later in the fall. She teased the second EP once more at the end of the year, but neither EP would come.
When she eventually released the lead single to her next album in August of 2020, she confirmed with it the cancellation of the projects being that they "didn't make sense for her". Most of the tracks that were rumored for the two EPs had already leaked by this point. However some tracks, such as "Bad Karma" and "Golden G String" would end up being repurposed for her album Plastic Hearts.
(I guess you can say... she edged us but never finished. Alright, alright, I'm done now.)

Discussion

1. How would you say the tracks off of SHE IS COMING measure up against the rest of Miley's discography?
2. Would you like to see Miley return to the trap and R&B sounds that are prevalent on the EP?
3. Do you think she made the right call abandoning the rest of the project for Plastic Hearts, or do you wish that she saw it through?

[---Buffs---]
HANK!

1. Charging time : 3s-2.5s
   
2. Added tank trait
   
3. Its GONNA Blow (Sp ) : 10%-15% efficiency
   
4. Hp value 10800-11200
   

( Despite this SHRIMP got huge BUFFS yet still staying on the bottom of the tiers ,is really unideal For that being. This should make him put more pressure and be a little defensive on close range scenario's . Also his sp where he gets his speed buff should be increased as it is only a 10% increaseal )
BARLEY

1. HP value: 4800-5000
   
2. Reload speed increased by 5%
   

( I tried not to give everyone a DMG change since DMG inflation is continuously rising over time.... Soo tried some alternative options tbh. )
JACKY

1. Rebuild ( Gadget ) area coverage: 3x3 -4x4

TARA

1. Both of her spawnables hp from SP increased ---( 2400-3200)---( 3000-3800)---

( Nobody's Talkin about how she fell off in the last few months.
BTY tried a different buff for her. What I've seen is what her spawnables hp from both of her SP is still the same even aftrr the universal stat buff. No wondy why her spawnables are soo fragile RN. )
JANET

1. Attk range: 8.33-9 blocks/tiles

( Hot take but the only thing that i suffer when playing janet is how low her range is.... As a marksman, she just..... Doesn't seem too have enough range, AKA underwhelming ..... Havin that low of attk distance also makes her more fragile, TBH i think this single buff is enough to give her a substantial improvement. )
DARRL
1.Steel hoops SP : Effect duration 2s-3s

1. Projectile amount : 5-4 DMG Distribution ==> 480--600 per projectile
   
2. Super DMG : 800-1200
   

( Darrls viability is slowly descending due to better picks and HCS ( OFC ) but instead giving a basic Hp Buff, i thought what about buffing his steel hoops, as now he can be more aggro with his playstyle as he will be alot tankier . Also with the second change, he can do more consistent chip DMG even at max/mid range, which i think is the biggest flaw RN )
BULL

1. Projectiles amount 5-4 ( Main ATTK DMG distribution: 880-1100)
   
2. Super dash speed increased by 25%
   
3. Hp value : 10000-10400
   

( As i knew it, as more characters getting HCS including tanks, those ones whos viability is mostly bcuz of HC are getting heavily powercrept... Also dont forget the uni: HC nerf. I tried to make his super just a little less dodgable by making the dash speed higher , aand as same as darrl, reduced his projectile amount soo he can deal more consistent chip DMG at maximum range )
DOUG

1. Base healing: 1200-1600
   
2. Added tank trait.
   

ASH

1. FULL Rage gained from receiving DMG : ==>125%- 100% of his base hp
   
2. Rage bar now decays 15% slower
   

( He is also powercrept due to not having a HC as tanks get the most benefit from it and get the most sufferings without it...BUT, recently i am seeing that, as more characters are getting HCs, tanks HCs are also getting powercrept. Those HCS are still Strong tho ...... But i dont think a single HC will make him alot better. This change should let him be more AGGRO tbh )
[--MISCELLANEOUS BUFFS--]
HIEST SAFE: Base HP increased by 25% Upto ==>(80000-100000 hp)

 2. Now has a Damage cap of 5000 per second 

( Do i need to say somtin?.... HIEST recently has been INSANELY powercrept due to more high DMG dealing characters as well as balance changelogs, this sure is a necessary change RN, also keep in mind that the DMG cap is set to per SEC, not like single 5k burst DMG.... That means any higher DMG than 5k on that specific sec will be cancelled )
[---DeBuffs---]
ANGELO

1. movement speed reduced to fast when charging attks ( from very fast)
   
2. SCR : 2-2.5 shots
   
3. Main attk DMG : 4400-4000
   
4. Holding full attk more than 3 attks will slowly revert the attk ( AKA less DMG and SCR )
   

( Absolute insane marksman RN... The HIGH DMG combined with his insane speed is ridiculous )
MELODIE

1. Dash range reduced by 25%
   
2. SCR from notes cut in HALF.
   
3. Interlude ( gadget ) : will now consume all notes (like Ash's chill pill )
   
4. notes no longer charges form special targets including heist safe.
   

5 hp value: 8200-7800
Misc:

1. Using super kick in BB will now consume all the supers.

( INSANELY high mobility and Very fast SCR... Considering how easy to hit shots TBH.... Also nobody's giving a Fuck about it... But for some reason, when applying her basic attk, the notes appear literally from her a-- inside..... , Dealing 2760 per attks... Even if all 3 of your notes are charged, u still do insane Dmg with that goffy ahh gimmick. [ 920 from basic attks+ 1840 from the notes ] this substantially increases her Burst DMG value... also once she gets her super... its pretty easy to cycle it with her notes as the notes charge rate is the same as the base SCR, aka 4 hits......Allowing her to do absurd teamwipes . Also the inability to charge notes from special targets will make her an insane Victim of spawners like Nita and Jessie )
SANDY

1. HCR : 60%-40% ( 1.66-2.5 supers )

( His HC is incredibly strong AF, As if it wasn't enough..... )
JESSIE

1. HCR : 60%-50% ( 1.66-2 Supers )

( got overtuned TBH, getting that much 10k hp turrets are just too overwhelming )
BELLE

1. Base attk projectile speed: 4000-3700

( Tried different aspect to tune her down. Although she is less viable due to current map rotation, but still she is such a versitile pick in soo many places. This will definitely reduce her consistent DMG value, as she can do really good pressure with the bounce gimmek)
BYRON

1. Base healing/DMG: 760-720

( Ok i am sorry, but IMO his Dmg/heal got way overtuned.... I already Kinda doubted that after this change he might need a small Nerf... But at the same time... I think he will still be really Good )
CHARLIE

1. Spiders hp decay increased ( 10%-20%) Upto 10-5s spiders endurance .
   
2. Super : victim can now breakthrough the super with its ammo ( each ammo cuts one of five decays from the super , thats means upto -60% super duration if the victim has all the ammo. 5s-2s upto )
   

Or:
• Victims can now reload with 30% less efficiency

1. Attk unload delay: 500ms-750ms

( IDK how to balance her super TBH. She has to be one of the most unserious character supers I've seen. A fast paced multiplayer game where u always have to be active, Havin a character who literally makes u being idle for a decent period of time.... Like even if the super were 3s, she still will be good... Bcuz of how her super works. her Allie's including herself, gets a huge advantage in many scenarios, because 5s is still enough to do the impossible in ongoin matches, atleast in competitive. Soo increasing the decay again will let her and her allies do less amount of crazy plays and other shit. But if u have any ideas, just let me know how to balance her super properly
but what can i see for now which needs a deserved change is that the spooders gadget Imo is still pretty braindead and strong at the same time.... 10s of endurance if doesn't get damaged helps her soo much for control , this especially helps with single non pierce attkers . This should do the damn job
MAX

1. reload speed reduction : 1300-1450 ms

( She was already pretty underrated without the HC , after the Hc addon for her ,she just easily became insane. But i dont think nerfing her HC will not be that healthy for the HC itself )
Buffs, Debuffs and other changes
MANDY
--CHANGES--

1. first star power is now baseline. it is replaced with THE new SP ( In my sight's)..... Which increases the upper and lower view point by 15% in focused mode...

( IMO her 1st SP is a must for her kit..... So i tried making her 1st sp baseline as I think, she is quiet unviable without it....)
CHESTER
--buffs--

1. Main Attk DMG: ==( 1280-1400)
   
2. SCR : 7-- 6 bells
   
3. Poprocks super now have a throwing range similar to other spawners like Nita.
   

--REWORKS--

1. 2 nd sp now reveals enemy's ammo bar and charge rate ( CHARGE RATE bar amplifies like lous freeze bar)
   
2. 1 st SP now removes one cap bell attack and cycles between 2-3 bells
   

(Although OUR Mighty JESTER dosent have any good competitive purposes, he still feels awfull in Ladder as well.... bumping the DMG will make his long range shots more rewarding and reworking his 1st SP will reduce his Burst DMG buuuut, this SP will indeed increase his Consistency over DMG even more...)
KIT ( SIZABLE REWORK )
--Buffs--

1. after leeching out from an allie, he will gain 33% of his super back
   
2. Super duration when leeched on allies 10s-12s
   

--DEBUFFS--

1. MAIN attk DMG : 2000-1600 ( revert)

--changes ( Reworks )--
1.Power hungry ( SP) : renamed to " Enter context ". When leeched to an allie, his allie will passively Charge its super similar to kit himself, but it will be 20% less effective.

1. Cardboard box ( gadget) : renamed to "Enter context" will increase leached allies movement speed by 25% for 5s
   
2. Overly attached ( SP) : renamed to " Enter context" . Will get 40% DMG when super is applied to opponents and targeted victim will receive 20% more DMG from all source's. The Dmg buff also Includes kits super DMG.
   
3. Cheeseburger ( Gadget) : will now heal kit even if he isn't leeched to any allies. But it will be 30% of his max HP. And now has a maximum healing cap of 4000 . ( small Nerf) so no more Kit + Big tank combo.
   
4. After leeching out of an Allie, he will gain 25% DMG reduction for 5s
   

( Tried to make him actually decently supportive rather assassin type. Hot take but kits whole system is just messed up. From gadgets being not supportive enough to SPs being very situational. One thing i also noticed that, supportive characters who has shorter range generally suffers more than the other supports. And not to mention, his super is not that consistent. After leeching out of an Allie, he literally losts his whole damn super and considering he has no other way to fastly charge his super except attacking others opponents, which he suffers again cuz he has short range , low burst and low Hp. So He has to passively charge it most of the time. Which takes a while where 20s to be exact. So i tried to make his super just a little more cyclable and tried making his whole gadget, SP reworked . To make him supportively better. Soo lastly, WDYT? Did i overdo it, or like overbuffed him? Let me know tho. For any improvements)
FRANK
--Buffs--

1. he can now attank while walking. ( very slow when Attacking , doesn't apply to super )
   
2. Main attk Range increased by 0.33 block/ tile . ( 6-6.33 blocks
   
3. Super attk range increased by 0.33 block/tile ( 7-7.33 blocks )
   

--MYTHIC gear--

1. Will gain 66% of the super back if the previous super gets interrupted

--Debuffs--

1. Hp value : 14000-12000

( I .... Genuinely don't know how to make uim viable, where almost EVERY SINGLE damn characters somehow counter him ... But what can i see about this change is that he can now have some sort of mobility when proceeding attks )
DRACO
--Buffs--

1. Main attk range: 4-4.66 blocks

--Debuffs--

1. Base SRR : reduced by 33%
   
2. Shredding SP will no longer work when cycling super
   

( Yup already, although he wont get any changes this month, i just wanted to show y'all about my change to our fav metal star . Soo far what I've experienced pushing draco to R30 is his first form is actually ok.... ish.... Its gud but..... Sometimes feels weak. But talk about his 2nd form and everything literally changes..... He cycle's super faster than mortis, both healing insane hp with 2nd sp and dealing ridiculous DMG. The easiest change that can tune him down is stopping him from cycling supers. Although I'd say, not that OP than melon and angelo, he both needs buffs and nerfs RN. )
PIPER
--buffs--

1. Hp value 4600-4800 ( revert)

--Debuffs--

1. DMG value: ==>3400-3200
   ( And talk about her DMG, the recent DMG proximity change also for some reason has also increased her maximum DMG area by 0.66 blocks, not sure the exact number, but still i am surely can feel that she is dealing alot more of her maximum DMG in maximum areas . Thats why i think the DMG IMO way overtuned, way too much rewarding when shot hits , needs a balance between like what happened to Nani. )
   

LILY
--Buffs--

1. Ammo amount increased to 2 ( Same delay as Fang )

--Debuffs--

1. Vanish ( gadget ) : now has a 1s delay uppn Activation

( Really gets Carried over this gadget, yet soo fragile without it. )
CHUCK
--Debuffs--

1. Cant place polls in a HIEST safe ( in a radious of 4 tiles )

--Buffs--

1. Reload speed 2000ms-1800ms
   
2. projectile speed 1750-1860
   

--CHANGES ( small reworks) --
1 .autoaiming outside the polls will no longer place one , instead all poles now need to be placed manually. ( To avoid misssuper )

1. Reroute gadget will pick up the nearest pole instead of last placed pole. The gadget Will Still pick up poles even if the super is Charged

( Outside heist and few hotzone maps.... He recently started to become outshined by other controllers. His kit is really weird as it only works decently on specific modes and maps. Soo kinda tried to rework some of his base stats .
And this change to his super will let him do more good pole placements soo he can do more controlling attribution for his team.. although WDYT?.
SAM ( SIZABLE REWORK)
--Changes--

1. 1st SP is now baseline. it is replaced with ( insert name ) which upon deploying his super, he will gain a 15% DMG reduction for 2s
   
2. 2nd SP is now reworked, after launching his super, after 10s, he will instantly charge his super. (Doesn't passively charge bty )
   
3. 2nd gadget is now reworked as well to ( insert name ) . It is like sprouts one, when knuckle Busters are on the ground , using this gadget will automatically home in to himself and will deal 1800 DMG
   

( He is completely dependent on his 1st SP ... IMO making it baseline is important, second of all... Both of his 2nd gadget and SP is Dogshit.... It really need some love... Soo tried this Rework to remove some of Sam's weaknesses. Also. Is the first SP rework good or just made it too strong ?, let me know)
OR, ( Quickfix)

1. knuckle Busters pickup timing reduced by half .
   
2. Hp Value: 10800-11200
   

MAISIE
--buffs--

1. Base SCR : 4-3

--Debuffs--

1. Disengage gadget will be disabled when proceeding super
   
2. Tremors ( SP ) duration : 2s-1s
   

( A SINGLE CHANGE, singular, not plural .... Just made her literally fall from a skyscraper to below average, and i kinda knew it, a character whos equally consistently dependent on its super and attk , having a same SCR ans SSR is a must have..... Which Maisie had.... Which also maded her consistent. But IMO reverting jt will be a stupid ass idea, soo i tried some other good ways to tone it down. Like the tremors SP, which Imo is one of the biggest reason she was able to cycle supers that much... Like the slow was soo much that she could even even Autoaim most of the time and EZLY get her super back.... And dont get me started when it is combined with that stupid disengage gadget combo, she literally gets like twice the range of her Normal super.... And people barely gets any time to react. )
FANG
--debuffs--

1. SRR : 45hits
   
2. Super DMG: 2400-2200
   

--buffs--

1. Main attk DMG : 2720-2800
   
2. Super dash speed: 4000-4500
   

HYPERCHARGE Tweaks

1. HCR : 20%-30% -- ( 5-3.33 supers)

(fresh kicks SP has been always a must pick for his kit, and now because of his buffed SCR , this SP just straight makes him to be able to destroy low-mid ladder player matchmakings . Although he is counterable in competitive matches. But knowing the fact that 70% of the whole player base are casuals, i think he actually needs a super Debuff, cuz NOBODY likes to get teamwiped in a matter of seconds. He was already pretty solid IF U PLAYED HIM well enough which most of the people weren't. After his SRR buff, he already became STUPIDITY braindead as it is pretty EZ TO cycle supers.
He's been mid since he got his HC nerfed and MOST importantly, professional players finally realizing how to counter him... And guess how they counter him?, By baiting his super gimmick. Such characters like spawnables easily bait Fangs super with thier spawners, and those who dont have any spawning abilities, but have any sorta CC ( most of them now has some sorta CC ) , EZLY escapes or destroys him with thier reaction speed... Soo in order to make fangs super less dodgable, i increased the speed.
Now i just wanna make him skill based as how he was before sep 2023. The main thing that i noticed was his SRR change is what made him less skill .
Tried to revert it. But also giving him some buffs to balance thing's out.
GUS ( Rework to supportive gimmicks )
--Buffs--

1. spirit heal: 1600-2000

--CHANGES--

1. Hitting a Spirit Charged attk on a wall will now spawn a Ghost as well
   
2. 2nd gadget: removed HP sacrificial ( 5%-0% ) And next attk upon Activation will spawn 2 spirits
   

( Really hoping this will make him shine again, tried to make him supportively viable by making the spirits actually useful for healing his Allie's. Keep in mind that the sprits healing buff is an indirect buff to his 1st SP as well. Allowing his allie to heal upto 4000 which is pretty substantial. And adding some kind of CC to him soo he can atleast retreat with THIS but added additional nerf to it for a compensation. )
LOU
BUFFS:

1. Projectile speed : 4000- 4200
   
2. SCR : 8-7 shots ( without SCR gear )
   

HYPERCHARGE tweaks (DEBUFF)

1. Hypercharged super insta freeze -70% of the freeze bar will be filled

( Same is COLGATE, not any big problems on his main kit, except his HYPERCHARGE.... Buuut supercell really likes to kill a character whos main issue isn't his base kit. You can still almost insta freeze any enemy with HCed super combined with Cyro Shyrup )

I hear Indigo Montoya's catchphrase in my head. For example:

If money is of no concern, why not have two codecs, one running teams, one zoom. and I do not recommend using iOS devices as your codec.

both sourced from https://www.reddit.com/msp/comments/1akd7zd/best_microsoft_365_backup_solution/
Do AV folks consider hardware to be a "codec"? As a 25+ year sysadmin who also gets conference room systems on his plate, a codec isn't hardware, it's the software layer within the hardware that can edCODE and DECode the audio/video to/from data bits to what humans hear and see. SATIN, MP3 and AIFF are audio only codecs, H.265 and VP8 are video examples. ffmpeg is software one can run on a number of platforms to convert between codecs.
Just trying to sync up with what things mean in this world... not hoping for any change, just clarification.

Hello there! I'm Stormy (28M) and I am only here for genuine friendships and nothing more. My dms are open to anyone who is 18+, gender, race, and sexuality does not matter to me. Please be patient with me as I am autistic and have severe mental issues. I love to hear about people's passions and dreams. Come as you are! With that said here is a bit about me.
I absolutely LOVE music I don't care about genres as long as I like the song it's going into my library. One of my favorite projects is managing my MP3 Library, it's like my personal little collection. With my drive and passion for music I also do vocals for a few metal projects I have.
I like to dabble around with different things time to time. Sometimes I have fixations like currently it's building a library of shows/movies I love. Gaming is a huge thing for me, I recently been stuck on Fortnite, Fallout 76 & Brotato. Survival/Roguelike/Sandbox games tend to me my favorites. I love taking walks, looking at bugs and chilling at home.
My favorite types of shows and movies are animation, cartoons, horror and crude comedy. My current fixations are Kenny vs Spenny, Drawn Together, Ghost Adventures & Kriby Right Back At Ya. My favorite movies are Law Abiding Citizen & the Saw franchise.
I really hope to hear from you and I hope you are doing well! Much love!

Blaze 3: Demonic Arc 3: Soul Snatchers²
Phil and Fasha have stopped trying to figure out Blade Sync. This is uncharacteristic of them. Fasha continues to train CJ. Off topic-the characters in Blaze do not wear the same attires all the time. Sid is with Keira Saja. Keira" You're doing a lot of thinking. Maybe you should relax a bit.(she gives him a massage)." Sid" That feels rather pleasant. I'm still thinking about that day with the incidents. It seems we have a new type of demons. I'm very excited but also nervous at the same time. I don't know what their capable of." Keira" Seeing you excited makes me excited." Keira's body freezes up. Sid" Keira come on! Get up. Move!" She snaps out of it. Keira" The dark feeling is back. It's around here somewhere." They are in a deli. They walk outside. Rischardo appears from the sky and is going to strike Sid but Keira yells at him to move. Sid guards his blade but barely. Rischardo's blade is large and heavy. A raven bird is shown flying around, during the scene.
Rischardo" I never got your name." Sid" My name is Sid Iucan." Rischardo "I'm Rischardo. Rischardo Inies(in-ees). It's a pleasure to meet you Sid. I'm surprised you blocked my Dark Demonic. I want you to know that I love worthy challengers. I hope you strong enough." Sid" Challenge you say. Well it just so happens that I'm ichin to for a fight as well." Rischardo laughs. Sid" What's so funny." When I first layed my eye on you, you were frozen still now you stand before me all without fear." Sid" Well that is because when I saw you, you had this intimidating look. But now I'm ready." Rischardo" Are you sure?" Sid" Certainly." Rischardo." You better. Well then let's go." He takes out his blade and so does Sid. How does Sid expect to battle a Demonic King? As Rischardo swings his sword, he catches Sid off guard that his big blade is actually swift and must watch out for. Keira is getting worried about Sid's fight. Rischardo is kicking Sid's ass. Rischardo" What's the matter, I thought you were worthy." Sid" Hey I am. I'll show you. I know that I can't beat you now. I just want to prove to you that I've become stronger. To me this fight is an exercise." Rischardo" That's what I wanted to hear. An opponent who isn't afraid to fight me. Let's keep this going." Rischardo launches a dark ball blast toward Sid. He is sent back with great force while still blocking. This was one of Rischardo's regular moves. Rischardo battles with only one hand. His fighting style. Sid uses the Solar Ball but wasn't fully powered. Small damage done. Rischardo does the attack again but this time it scatters into smaller pieces. Sid hasn't done enough to Rischardo. Sid is already tired from fighting.
Rischardo" Is this all you have to offer? I'm not even going hard on you. You can quit if you want to save your embarrassing ass." Sid" There's no way this is happening. I can't get him. I don't back down from anyone so that means YOU! Let's go!" Rischardo" I see the passion in your eyes." The downward spiral continues. Sid thinks about the Blade Sync technique. He summons the Soijett and forms a barrier around him. He merges the blades and is successful in one attempt. A shine occurs and a new blade is unveil. Sid's blade is now like Rischardo's, large and heavy. Sid is ready to fight but Rischardo" That's enough for now. When I show up again and I will, I want you even stronger. You got me." Sid" I will be." He leaves. Sid tries to carry his blade but it's pretty heavy. Sid brings the blade to Eyashi and the others. Keira" I'm glad you're OK. That was a pretty close battle." Sid" You're right. Let's get you home." Sid appears with his newly blade and shows everyone. Eyashi" Look who figured it out." Fasha" That's impressive Sid." Phil" I could do that if I cared." Sid" Yeah yeah. I fought that Demonic King Rischardo during my Blade Sync technique. He was pretty good. He told me he wanted to fight a worthy opponent and I excepted his challenge. I fought him because I wanted to better myself. After I finished the Blade Sync, he told me that he will see me again and wants me stronger next time. He walks away. The next time I see him I will be better. That's my word." Eyashi" That was a mouthful. So you want to fight the demonic king in a rematch. Now remember Sid, we're a team here." Sid" You're right. Now I do need help with this blade it's quite heavy."
Eyashi" So what are you going to call your blade?" Sid" That's a good question. I could call it Dragon Soijett or Dragon Sajettus. No wait the Reaper Sajettus sounds cool. Yes that's it, Reaper Sajettus. I like it." Next day at school. Mandi sees Sid by himself. Has a look on her face. She is on the 2nd floor balcony. Mandi" Oh who will save me." She jumps and screams. Sid saves her and is holding her in his arms. Mandi" Oh how romantic of you. Carrying me like a super hero. How touchy." Sid" What are you doing. Trying to expose me." Mandi" I was trying to see if it was true about your power. I won't tell Keira what you were doing." Sid " What I did. You're the one who jumped. Your sister should have never have told you(Fasha told Sid and Phil already)." Keira appears" Oh it's you(sarcastic). What are you doing with my man?" Mandi" Your man was holding me." Keira" You're just lying!" Mandi" Why don't you ask your man." Mandi has a large grin on her face. Her and Keira are head to head with each other. Sid" Come on girls. Stop fighting over me." Next moment. Phil is with Fasha and MJ is coming over. She is trying to talk to Phil. MJ" So Phil you want to go to a dinner tonight with me?" Phil" That's nice but I'm kinda seeing someone." MJ" Seeing someone like who?" Fasha rubs on Phil's arm and says" Isn't he fine?" Phil" She's so unbelievably beautiful. Just look at her." MJ" What the hell is going on here. You and Fasha." Phil" Isn't it blatantly obvious we're always together." Phil and Fasha have there arms around each other. Cumi" Am I seeing things. Never thought that was a thing."
Sid, Keira, and Mandi acknowledge Phil and Fasha. Sid" Wo look at this Phil and Fasha." Fasha" Aren't we a good couple." Sid" It doesn't matter who she is with. Everybody's knows I look better than Phil." Phil" You're just delusional. I'm better." Keira" my Sid takes the cake." Phil" Enough of this. It's about time for the kiss." MJ screams out Nooooooooooooooooo!" Phil" Sike just kidding. He laughs and says" You should've seen the look on your face. You thought I was going out with Fasha. It was just a joke. I got all of you." Fasha" That was funny." Phil " MJ. That dinner that you mention, it's on." MJ" Really. You made this whole thing into a joke and you want to now go on a dinner." Phil" Hey are you going to keep talking or are we going to get this started." While nobody is around, Phil kisses MJ. Phil and MJ are going out/girlfriend, boyfriend. During their relationship, Phil and MJ will have a casual one. They will argue and get back together. Next scene. New characters are shown. Geo Kazy(kah-zee)had his own series but the characters fit in Blaze perfectly. The other series I made had got updates/rewrites. Geo/Comic Book Geo was the only one not to. Geo was created before Blaze and back when Naruto was my favorite anime. The only time I wrote for Geo was the bio for him and the layout of the story. Geo and Blaze were supposed to crossover.
Geo's backstory is shown. Note. Most of my old characters were majority black. The main characters are all black and majority of the people are as well in Geo. Born: April 22, 1996(Earth Day). Born in Hong Kong. His father is Hong Kong and his mother is Japanese. Dad: Fēng (fang) Li. Preferred as Fēng Dullahan. Mother: Gaia Ryanoko(rie-ah-no-ko)Kazy. Or Rya. Her full name. Geo has yellow spiky hair. Fēng has a brown ponytail. Rya has yellow hair. Geo is an earth style user. Geo's family are all gifted in martial arts. The story takes place in Hong Kong. Geo is 12 and with his mom, Gaia. Fēng is not there at the time. He's in Japan. Meanwhile a group comes by and takes him away. Gaia tries to stop them but it is of no use. They know he's good in combat. They use him to fight for money. Geo's life wouldn't be the same. He then became more about violence. He was undefeated for a year and a half until he lost. Eventually, when he was 14, a man named Corroshi Setse(from Japan/ black as well) he helps him escape from prison. He takes him to Japan to live with him and train. While in Japan, he sees Eyon Yoshi, Yolmmo Usay(oo-say)(name used to be Yolmmi but Yomi is a female name), and Domay(doe-may)Usay(Yolmmo' younger sister). At first it is hard to get along Eyon and Yolmmo but eventually does. Like usual teams will argue and fight. He also had a hard time with Yolmmo being overprotective over his sister. He would earn his trust and go out with Domay. Girlfriend/boyfriend.
Geo and and his friends are entered in different tournaments all across the world. Geo was once undefeated again but lost. 15-1. The series is all about traveling to different tournaments. Team name is Team Earth. There will be a little differences added. Background story is over. Character breakdown. Geo moves: Flying Subruno Takedown(a quick flying rush dash through the person's body)(the move ends when you're in the air and deliver a kick, forcing the person's head to the ground. Both people might be the air. The move comes from Ninja Gaiden but without a sword. Might use two feet during the kick), E.F.S.(Electrical Flaming Sphere). Similar to Rasengan. Is combined with 3 styles. The sphere part is made of wind. He absorbs the elements around him into his hand. Works for other elements to. Red color. Fighting styles: Dragon Style and Jeet Kune Do(same as Bruce Lee)(black Bruce Lee). Forms: Red Power Form/Mode. Red aura comes from his body. Every attack is 50 percent plus. Red Power Attack. Is a rush move while in Red Power Mode. Earth Form/Morph. The Red PoweAttack comes from the Kaioken. The Geo characters can't fly but only people with that specialty. Geo will master every element. Eyon Yoshi. Hair color: orange/tied up. Styles: fire and lighting. Moves: Heroshi Gun/Heroshigun. Is formed with two hands. He puts his hands together and runs toward the person. He puts his hands on the person's stomach or chest in a Kamehameha like fashion. Hands will still be together when doing the whole thing. Looks like a person running with a blade. The person will be strucked with a lightning beam going through their body, followed by many smaller versions randomly. Powerful effect. Similar to the Galick Gun and Chidori. Lightning Cutter. A blade made with lightning. Can be two.
Forms: Fire Flames(powerful flames cover his body. Appearance changes). Dark Flames(stronger than regular Flames and covers body). Blue Flames. The most strongest yet difficult Flames/ form to master). The flames are used for defense. Lightning Morph. Hasn't mastered Purple Lightning. Learned fire from Corroshi. Yolmmo Usay. Hair color: Red. Hair looks like it's been chipped off. Tall and the muscles. Styles: water and ice but mainly water. Forms: Water Rage Form or Raging Water(hair becomes green). Masterd the Green Water Style. Water Morph. Ice Morph. Domay Usay. Hair color: pink. 1 year younger than Yolmmo. Style: wind. Form: Raging Wind. Hasn't mastered Blue Wind. Corroshi Setse. Hair color: white. Styles: wateice, earth, fire, wind, and lightning but fire and earth are his favorite. The only person to master every color change in the elements. Tairon(tie-run) Yoshi. Hair color: brown. Eyon's big brother. Style: lightning. The Yoshi's style is lightning. Eyon always looked up to his brother. During a mission, Tairon went off and never was seen again. Eyon vowed to find out what happened to his brother. Other characters: Korr Yoshi. Eyon and Tairon's cousin. Hair color: orange. Apart of Team Earth. A Goofy character. Uses lightning. Sodum Hydro. Hair color: white. Is a villain from a group called the Hydro Corps. Is the leader. Coracoona or real name: Charzie Anderson. Hair colopr: black. Hydro Corps member. Not black. Dornymious(door-nee-me-us) Ryeno or Rhyno. Hair color: light black. He was experimented on by the military. They used the genes of a rhino and something went wrong. Half of his body became deformed but sometimes will be fully deformed. Big and strong. Charges at people. Not black. Hydro Corps member.
Kunesuke Atara. Has glasses and has light blue hair. Likes to read. Black. Was appart of a tournament but lost. Became friends with Team Earth and joined them. A lady's man. Shune Tuche(too-she). Hair color: blue(outer layer)and yellow(inner). Hydro Corps member. Wears a special suit and mask including. An excellent hunter. Sez Unemori(oo-neh-more-e). Hair color: teal. Uses gadgets to fight. During Sez's fight with Eyon, he tried using gadgets to cheat but backfired. They battled after the tournament was over. He then became good. He's actually a crossover character. He actually debuted in Blaze IV. There was a character in the Geo Series that had the same name. So I chose to keep him in both series. He was in Geo first then made his way to Blaze. Su Lin was apart of the Hydro Corps but Eyon talked her out of it and then she joined Team Earth. Chinese and not black. Hair color: brown. Han shou. Steroid Man. Hydro Corps member. Kyune(kee-yoon) Jin. Hydro Corps member. Ishani Sharma. Indian first and last name. She has Indian skin tone. Not black. Wears a navy blue turban. Yolmmo's girlfriend. Hair color: black. Idea- Mind Controller. Dwells into the person's mind and uses their memories against them. Making the mind attack it's owner. The characters will appear one way or another. Backstory is over. Now we're in the current time. Corroshi is with Team Earth and says" I think we're done here. We've been all over Japan but there still one place we haven't been to yet." They all say what. "And that place is Togyu Manji" Team Earth are set and ready to travel to the area. They are currently in Osaka Japan. Western Japan. They're currently stationed at home. Everyone is excited. They have been apart of 18 tournaments but only won 8 of them. They aren't yearly tournaments but some are. Each member has won one.
Corroshi and Team Earth have made it to Togyu Manji. Corroshi gets a look around. Corroshi" Now I got to enroll you guys in a school." Sid is with Keira. Demons appear and they are sneaking around. They don't see them hiding. They jump out and have swords. Sid turns around. They are trying to cut Keira. It looks like it's too late but suddenly Geo uses the E.F.S. and is effective. Sid" Hey it seems that there's more people like me." Geo" Hey you. Tell me what those things were I killed." Sid" Those were demons." Geo" Wait you have demons here!" Keira" Demons are the norm around here. Do you know what demons are?" Geo" I've heard about demons in books and stories but never saw one in person before. There's a lot of stuff here." Sid" You can't be from here, so where are you from and what is your name?" Geo" I was born in Hong Kong but raised in Osaka Japan and I'm Geo Kazy. I think I'm going to like it here." Sid" I think you should join us. You'd add a great deal." Geo" That sounds awesome and all but I actually came with my whole team. So what kind of powers do you guys have? I have different styles." He launches a fireball. He also uses an earth style move where he appears behind Sid and looks like the ground(earth like). Geo" I can use lightning and wind too, well sort of. Hey you know that move I used on the demons?" Sid" Yeah. What about it?" Geo" It's actually a combining of three styles in one. It's call the E.F.S. Electrical Flaming Sphere. The sphere part is made of wind. I'm only absorbing the energy from in the area. So I technically can't use them separately. So what is your power?" Keira" I don't have powers." Sid" My main style is Fire then lightning but me and my friends mastered every element." Geo" Every. Where I'm from it is rare to do that. Can you demonstrate that for me?" Sid does.
Geo" That was awesome. I take it you haven't mastered black or blue Flames yet." Sid" I've never heard of it." There are more level element colors to learn. Blue is highest level of fire. One of my friends have mastered all of the color changes of fire." Sid" Wow. There is so much I haven't learned yet." Geo" The only person I've seen used all of the element colors is Master Corroshi." Sid just like our Eyashi. He's a very fast learner and has mastered every element." Geo talks about Corroshi and other things. Corroshi raised him and the team(not all just Eyon, Yolmmo and Domay). The others chose to live with Corroshi under his teachings. Sid exchanges some information like Eyashi and what he's learned. Souls, sword summons and other things. Geo ask Sid what school he attends. Geo and his team can see souls. He challenges Sid to hand to hand combat. Sid loses and understands that Geo is the real deal. He is even better than Fasha's combat skills. Sid tells the others about his encounter. He wants to see him again. The next day at school, there are new students at school. It is obviously Geo and his friiends enrolled into Togyu Manji. After school is over, they go to Eyashi's place and discuss a few things. Team Blaze and Team Earth are now working together. Next scene/area. Conithio Town is shown. The Justice Drivers are shown in action. Strider Is saving someone from a demon. They are all together. They hear a man tell them that he lost something and needs assistance. They follow. He's telling them it's around the corner. He has a sneaky smirk. He tries to attack. Julmbo blocks his punch. He isn't a human.
Smoke suddenly appears and there are more people this time. Smoke disappeared. A tube comes from the one Julmbo was fighting. The others are like mindless zombies. They are still hard to fight. They can't even put a scratch on them. The Justice Drivers can't win and retreat just like the others. Spike thinks that they are dealing with those new type of demons. They see people and try to warn them. The people stare in a creepy fashion and just like last time. One of them uses their tube on regular civilians and sucks their souls out. Their lifeless bodies fall to the ground. They can possess the people as well. The Justice Drivers fear for their life. They all leave the area and enter Togyu Manji. Strider sees Zushi and stops her. Strider" It happened again." Zushi" What happened again?" Julmbo" This is the second time our home has been infiltrated." Spike" There was this man who asked us for help and we did but was nothing but a trick." Tinn" We ended up seeing one with a tube. More showed up but were like zombies or mindless people." Strider" We couldn't win so we had no choice but to run." Julmbo" Those must have been the new demon breed. They did something unforgettable. The one with the tube was able to suck multiple of souls at once. It was a scary sight to witness first hand." Zushi" Wow that's something new. Noone was able to get close to fighting them. Well at least we have something. That's good. Let's get this information back to Eyashi."
Sid is with Geo and MaXx. MaXx" So this is the kid you were telling me about. He looks familiar." Geo" Familiar how? MaXx" Your last is Kazy right?" Geo" That's correct." MaXx" I got it. Fēng Lee or better yet Fēng Dullahan." Geo" Wait you know my dad." MaXx" He was apart of my group when we were Youngsters(teenagers) called the Red Calibur." He shows them pictures. MaXx" I never thought I meet the guy I was friends with son." Next scene. Eyashi has gotten the information. The next day. Eyashi and everyone is having a meeting. Eyashi" It seems we're dealing with something completely different here. They have the ability to take shape of people which will make it harder for us to see them. Very clever. And also have to watch for that tube. Yikes. I guess we are in a sticky situation. Here's the plan. We are going to be doing a little bit of experiment. We are going to be traveling and we're going to keep track of if we've encountered soul takers. We're also going to be keeping up with dates. Write down dates of the Soul takers. Like if there were a lot on Mondays and etc. Need to make sure there is a patern or not. Judging from the demons, they might be trying to throw us off. Remember they are much intelligent now. We are not going in groups. It seems too obvious so everyone is traveling in a unit. It'll be fun." Everybody is talking about Eyashi's plan. Some agree. Some disagree. First area is Conithio Town at night. Today is Monday. During their investigation, they found nothing unusual. Corroshi thinks they should think outside the box. He wants them to remember that the Soul Takers could be anyone here. They have to find a way to get through the people without hurting the real citizens.
The plan is to stick with an area for a few days. It is morning now and nothing happened the entire night. Very boring time. A voice screams out for help(male). Corroshi" Now we know that is a trap. Let's lure them in." Eyashi" One of us is going to be bait." They all argue but Zushi goes. A sexy female. "Help. Help!" Continues. He comes out of a building running. He sees Zushi and bumps into her and they fall. Hey says" Hey watch it.." He gets a closer look at Zushi and begins to inner monolog." Look at the size of those puppies. She's got it going on. Let me get a closer look." Out loud talking now. He says" I can't see. Woops." He falls on Zushi's boobs. She hits him very hard and says" You did that on purpose." He has a knot on his head. Eyashi comes out and says" He's got to be real. What were you running from?" Man says" It was these creatures who sucked the life out of people. These areas are getting emptier and emptier. Before you know it, it'll be deserted." Another person appears and is out of breath. Man2" There are still people left. That's good. I have to see if my wife is still alive." Eyashi" Wait!" He disappears. A few minutes later, a woman comes in and asks about her husband. Her voice changes in mid sentence. Zushi turns her around but is a different person. She became man2. Zushi is startled. Everyone appears and sees. A tube appears. They don't attempt to fight but Eyashi got some sample. The man is taken to safety/ different area with them. The others talk about the incident. The Soul Snatchers can take shape of the people they sucked souls from. This is going to be even harder. Kikia examines the sample. The tubes are considered the target. Would it be possible to get it? Would this effect them in any way.
A different day. They're going to Uketa Sada(near a graveyard). This time it didn't take long for them to show up. This time they look more demon like and a little different. Lots of Soul Takers in the area. Everyone is in the same area but have split up. There's a spot where they'll meet at or their headquarters. Team Earth is shown. Corroshi" We got to kill these bastards." Domay" If only we could find any. My feet are tired. Can't we take a break." Yolmmo is eating chips. Su Lin" You're always munching." Yolmmo" So I just got a little hungry(eats like Choji). Is there a problem with that?" Domay" Yeah there is! Can't you go one mission without eating? It's getting annoying." Yolmmo" What are you going to do about it?" Domay" Why I outta!" Corroshi" Now guys. Knock it off. I swear it's an everyday thing with you guys. Wait a minute. I hear somethings." A dog runs out of the bushes and startles everyone. He is barking very loudly. The bushes start to move again. Tubes(2)come from the bushes but only one Soul Snatcher is there. Ishani Sharma" It has more than one tube. What will we do?" The Soul Snatcher says" You're dead." The tube tries to get her but Corroshi grabs it and holds it but struggles. Corroshi" Go. I'll hold him. Just get out of here." They want to stay and fight. Eyashi and the others appears just in time and cuts off his tube. He doesn't stick around but retreats. This was appart of the plan. Hide, wait then strike when least expected.
Fasha" Great plan but how are we supposed to get them to reveal their tubes. We just discovered there are more tubes." Haden" Fasha is right and besides this is taking hell of long." We haven't done anything of importance yet." Sid" Not to sound like a doubter but in a realistic viewpoint. Even if we were able to somehow kill one, how would we do it again?" Spike" I'm ready to do something else. This is getting rather bored." Geo" I agree." Everyone argues.
Eyashi" Now. Now. Remember this is just an experiment. We're only testing ourselves." Zushi" I got an idea." Eyashi" What is it?" Zushi" We could be bait. The Soul Takers are going to want our souls, so we need to be around lots of people. Wait then strike." Eyashi" We have to figure out how to take out the tube or tubes first. On step at a time Zushi." The conversation continues. The tubes aren't visible and the Soul Snatchers make them come out. The tubes comes from the back of the head, neck(back), and on the back of the body. The back is the target now. How to get to it? It is hard to even see one. While going back, Eyashi notices that nothing has happened to Togyu Manji. He thought it would be targeted by now. It must not be there target but what is. Togyu Manji is a very large place. Wouldn't they want to target a spot with lots of souls? However, it would be too obvious for the Soul Snatchers to appear in Togyu Manji. Two weeks later. Hausada was the most targeted area and Tuesdays were the most frequent days. More info was talked about. Now it's time to find out where their headquarters is at. The areas are slowly becoming deserted and tainted.
Next scene. The Soul Snatchers Headquarters is shown. Sushun(soo-shoon)but was disguised very well. Big man's name is Shi(death)(the strogest). He looks demon likes. The woman will be named Suiko(sooo-e-co). The second male's name is Nintoku. They all look demon like. Other members: Jito(female), Jimmu(male), Daigo(male), Masako(female), Jenmei(jin-may(female), Meiji(may-g)(male) and Koken(female). These are the ten strongest Soul Snatchers. Rade and Kiroku are there. Rade" I told you working with us was going to benefit. Because of us, this area is secured." Rade knew how Eyashi thinks. He chosed not target Togyu Manji right away. The Soul Snatchers appeared in those areas on purpose. When they return to those areas, it would be completely different. This is a very genius plan. Shi" I'm starting to like you guys. You're starting to impress me and it takes a lot to impress me." Nintoku" I think it's time to show em to the boss. He knows about your deeds and is itching to meet you."
Kiroku" That makes me feel quite special." Masako" What are we supposed to do now." Rade" We'll stick to the plans. We don't want to give them what they want. There's some people we have to watch out for. In the Togyu Manji area, there's some people who would be able to bring us down. We're not going to let that happen. They even got this mastermind named Eyashi Mohoto. He's a very powerful man. I have to think outside the box to beat him. He did take out the Dark Phantom leader." Suiko" Wait he took out Kissiske Umidune." Kiroku" You see me and him are one in the same. He's far powerful than I am but all I have to do is outwit him. We'll see who gives in first." He begins to do a villain's laugh.
They're going to the boss. Underground area. The ground begins to shake. A large Soul Snatcher appears and is sitting on a chair of some sort. Looks lile Grand Elder Guru from DBZ but more uglier, fatter and bigger. Shi" Hey boss. These are the ones I've been telling you about. That's Rade Ahbar and Kiroku Jirumani. Our boss's name is Bosu(means boss)." Bosu" It's a pleasure to meet you. So you've been helping the demons. This is very unusual for outsiders to aid us. What are you two really up to? You better not turn on us or we'll hunt you down."
Kiroku" No. No. We're big fans of the demons." Bosu" That better be it. I'm getting hungry. How much souls did you guys get? Give it to me." He absorbs/eats the souls and uses them to make him stronger. He gets bigger as well. Without getting the souls, he grows weaker and will eventually die. This is the Soul Snatcher's task, to feed Bosu. Despite his size, he is still the strongest Soul Snatcher and has more skills than the others. Rade" I know this place where there's a lot of souls at. It's at Togyu Manji. A very large city that has lots of spirit energy and souls. You'll be able to feast like never before." Bosu licks his lips and says" That sounds good, no delicious. When do we start?" Kiroku" We can't go yet. There's this guy we have to watch out for. He's pretty powerful. This guy took out the Dark Phantom leader." Bosu" He was able to take out the Kissiske but I'm a completely different breed." Kiroku" We know how strong you are but it's all about laying low. We can't allow them to catch on to us. So we have to wait for now then strike when they least expect it." Bosu never leaves the spot. He stays at the headquarters at all cost.
A few weeks have passed. Things are starting to change. The Soul Snatchers are appearing more frequently. They are even appearing in least shown areas. Conithio Town is now deserted. The only people in the areas are the mindless kinds. Everybody trains. They are even able to kill a few Soul Snatchers. Everyone is resting up but at night the Soul Snatchers appear in Togyu Manji and throw everyone off. It seems the plans are intact. Earlier, Eyashi and the others were sneaking around and were able to kill a couple. They were even able to get the tubes. They weren't planning on protecting Togyu Manji because they thought it wasn't going to be targeted yet. Eyashi is not with everybody. He's only with Team Blaze, Zushi and Draum. They chosed to stay in separate spots(in Togyu Manji). Eyashi" Dammit! They got us! After all of this time." Meiji" Well well look what we have here. You must be Eyashi Mohoto." Eyashi" How does a demon know my name?" Meiji" I can't tell you that. It would ruin the fun. This area is pretty large and that means we'll be sucking the souls out of your people." Eyashi" Why don't you fight me?" Draum" He's mine." Eyashi" What's come over you?" Draum" I've been ichin to fight." Meiji" It doesn't matter who wants to fight. Let's go." Draum vs Meiji. Draum launches quick fireballs but he eats them. Draum punches but Meiji catches his fist and sends him to the ground forcefully. While still grabbing, he stumps his arm repeatedly and Draum screams in pain.
Meiji takes Draum's arm and twisted it, snapping it. He laughs. Draum stops screaming and starts smiling. Meiji" What the hell are you smiling at?" Draum's arm grows back. Meiji" What are you exactly? You're no human." Draum" I'm half man half machine or better yet I'm a cyborg. I was only playing around with you. My limbs are damn near indestructible. It's time for you to see what I am." Meiji" Near indestructible limbs. Oh what. Trying to scare me. Well it won't work." Draum spits quick rockets this time. Meiji summons his weapons and uses them to defend himself(dual blades). Meiji" He's able to use rockets!" Draum" I told you I'm a cyborg. Weren't you paying attention?" Meiji can't seem to catch a break. He uses an ability that makes a hole appear where the person is standing. The person appears elsewhere. He is able to avoid Draum's attacks. Draum is now on defense this time. Draum launches a large missile. It scatters and splits into smaller pieces. They lock on then charge combustion fire. "Lock On Barrage." New move. It destroys the move and hits Meiji/the other Soul Snatchers in the background. Meiji" This can't be. There's only one way." He uses a tube and tries to take his soul but he blocks it. Another tube was used. He launches an arm and uses it to hold the other tube. A total of 6 tubes were used. One of tubes comes from the ground while Draum is distracted. The scene isn't shown. What will happen to Draum? Did he survive? More characters are set toi0 appear. Find out next time on Part 3. "To Be Continued"

Blaze 3: Demonic Arc 3: Soul Snatchers¹
A scene shows a group of demons sucking the souls out of people. The Soul Snatchers have the ability to suck the souls. They have these tubes in the back of their heads. Each tube can suck multiple of souls at once. If there are more you are in trouble. Some differs from others. They can blend in with regular people as well. This makes them a deadly threat and nearly impossible to deal with. The entire area is sucked out. Next scene. Back at the Togyu Manji area. Draum appears and wants Sid, Phil, and Fasha to learn something from him. Draum" I wanted to know if you'd be willing learn something from me?" Fasha" What is it?" Phil" A new move. It should be fun. Sid" I bet I'll beat you to it." Phil" Oh yeah you loser." Fasha" Why do you have to argue all the time? We don't even know what it is." Draum" Thank you Fasha. Now Where were we. This move is called Blade Sync. It's the combination of two sword or blade fusion." Phil" That already sounds cool." Sid" You haven't heard the instructions yet. Calm down." Phil" Nobody asked for your smart remarks." Fasha" Guys can it." Draum" NOW WHERE WERE WE(changes voice). A saw this Bodyguard member do it during our fight. I already knew about the move and it's time for me to teach you something. Now is the time. In order to do this move you need two blades to use."
Eyashi appears and says" I'll be the demonstrator for this move since Draum isn't good with blades." Eyashi gets two blades. Draum" First your hands must be spirit energy powered.(hands are spirit powered) Both of the tips of the blades must touch if you do it correctly. Your tips are supposed to glow. This will allow your blades to blend in or sync into each other. Blades will be in the palm of your hands in a clapping position." Fasha" It looks like a reverse sword summoning." Draum" Correct Fasha. Now when you do it, bring your hands apart but make sure you're still in the same position. A new single weapon will emerge from your hands(the whole time Draum was doing it with his hands). There is also a way to undo the Blade Sync. Now Eyashi will demonstrate the entire thing." Eyashi" It'll be easy for me." It only took him two tries. Eyashi" It'll take you more than two attempts." Phil" I never seen Eyashi practice a new move and do it." Eyashi" Now it's time to learn how to unmerge the blade." Draum" Power your hands with spirit energy. Follow these hands signs(a slow type of motion). Put your your hands on the top and bottom of the blade. It will glow. The blade should be able to go through your hands. Take your hands and put them between the blade. That should allow your blade to be in halves again. The blades will shrink up until you can't see it. The blades will grow into it's full shape. Now you try it."
Eyashi took a few attempts to complete. Phil" See it took you a few attempts Eyashi. It seems that Eyashi is slacking. You got to keep working. Eyashi" What was that? Did I hear someone talking. Oh I don't hear anyone. That's what I thought. Well I did my part. Now it's your turn. I'm giving you guys prop weapons to practice with." Later at night, the mysterious man from ark 1 (MaXx's hairstyle/talked about the time of the demons) reappears but isn't alone. He brought company(one). In a restaurant. A man says" Oh it's them again. Excuse me who are you and why are you always here? I never seen you two eat here. What are you two doing, planning something. Cough it up." Man 2" Hey don't mind him. He's always like this. He's Ninto and I'm Tariobi." He says" My name is Rade Ahbar and..." Guy with him says" And Kiroku Jirumani. You see we're here sight seeing. We wanted to see how life was like here." Rade " We're both scientist too, trying to make a living." Kiroku" We'll be on our way then. Take care Ninto and Tariobi. Hope we meet again." Tariobi" You see they're quite nice." Ninto" I guess(stubborn tone)."
Rade talking to Kiroku says" Our plans are still intact. We just can't make a scene or do anything stupid." Kiroku" I got it, I got it. No scenes. Wait( whispering )somebody is watching us." They don't turn around for suspicions. Noise heard followed by birds coming from the sky. Next scene. Eyashi, Zushi and Haden are all together. They are talking to people. Wife " It's been the strangest few weeks as of late. Just yesterday our prize possession was stolen from the volt." Husband " We even saw people trapped in these special power cuffs. The same thing happened with another family. Lots of things have been going missing but there doesn't seem to be a pattern." Zushi " If you have any problems, let us know. We'll help out any way we can." They both say" Thank you for your time." Haden" Those special cuffs that they were talking about, we have to get our hands on them. There's no telling how strong they are." Eyashi" It's time for a meeting." Haden" We'll meet at my place."
At Haden's place.(inside) Eyashi" Look at your blade, it's all beat up. Let me spruce it up a bit." Haden" Do what must. Now it's time to come up with a plan." Zushi" We probably need ask more people." Next scene. Team Blaze continues practicing the Blade Sync. Next day. A laboratory is shown already open. The entire area has been infiltrate. Equipment is stolen. A few people go missing.(laboatory) Eyashi with Haden and Zushi walk very carefully. They hear somebody. A body falls to the ground. Haden" It's those cuffs they were talking about." Zushi" And they are spirit powered." Eyashi" Oh boy it's our lucky day. Now it's time to take it back and analyse it." The power goes off and returns. The Spirit Cuffs are gone but demons appear. Eyashi" Get read!" The demons don't fight reckless but make up a plan first. A large demon" We ain't letting you pass. Go ahead. One of you try to do something. You're just a bunch of weakling. That's what I thought." Haden" Why you little. I'll teach you a lesson." He summons Aqui. As he swings it, it becomes all flexible. Haden" My Aqui. What happened to.. It was you(points to Eyashi). You little nincompoop. Messing with my blade." Eyashi" I made some modifications to it." Haden" Modifications my ass." Zushi" Now Haden you know not to give your weapon to Eyashi. This is your own fault." Haden" Whatever you say woman."
As Haden fights, he tries to burst out a lightning attack with his blade but can't. Haden" Now you've done it. I can't use my lightning. Hey wise guy how long does this last?" Eyashi" Actually it's apart of the modification." Haden" You'll pay for that." Aqui is now a fire whip weapon and Haden has to deal with it. The demons attack while they are distracted. A another presence is detected. A shadow is seen but this individual doesn't step a foot in the room. He leaves and they do too. Zushi" That's odd. They were being very defensive about us getting pass them but as soon as that person's appearance was made things were changed. Who is this person and how much power do they have over the demons." Eyashi" Whose to say they aren't human either and are demons themselves." Haden" It's clear that these demons are far intelligence that the typical ones. They weren't trying to stop us from getting pass but provoke us. Probably trying to trap us or maybe even better, use those Spirit Cuffs." Eyashi" Lets keep venturing through this lab." Zushi steps on a trap but barely escaped.
Haden" Told you so. Let's be careful here." While pressing on, they run into cages but are already opened. From behind are demons with broken shackles. Were freed from cages. They don't want to fight but run away. They don't try to follow but instead run into a lab room. The room is block by ice. Haden sets it on fire. A sound goes off and an explosion occurs. Crater occurs in area. Zushi sees random flammable items(that Haden shot already) and says" It seems we've been setup. It seems they don't want us to see what's in this room. Very clever. They set the area with explosives." Haden" We've had to have seen this person before. They had to already known I was a fire style user. Now who are they? There's got to be a reason this person chose a lab to invade. Could they be a scientist?" While continuing, they see a person in Spirit Cuffs. He's still alive. Suddenly the demons appear. They set off more traps. They grab the human keep him safely. They've made it out safely. The demons are still alive. Eyashi tries to break it but won't. He summons the M-Hoto but still won't break. The man is taken to Kikia and she she examines it.
The cuffs are made with spirit energy and can't be broken. He is stuck with them. After a few hours the Spirit Cuffs come off and the guy is relieved. On a different day, Eyashi wants Team Blaze to join them on their mission. MaXx and others are there as well. The Justice Drivers are involved. Everybody is in Togyu Manji waiting on instructions. Eyashi" I gathered you all here because as of recently there have been people and items going missing." Haden" We've found an interesting theory. During our investigation in in the lab, there were these demons who were strategiesing rather than reckless fighting. It seems that they've gained a sense of intelligence." Zushi'" We even encountered these Spirit Cuffs. They were on this guy we found and the thing is it couldn't be broken not even Eyashi's blade. It seem to have a time limit of some sort. It took a few hours then it detached." While there, there seems to be another individual working with the demons but of course they didn't show themselves." Haden" This person had to have met us because they knew I was a fire style user. There was this door blocked with ice. As soon as I shot it, explosions occurs. That bastard knew I was a fire style user and seen us somewhere. Who could this person be? Somebody tried to infiltrate the lab and wanted something but what and are they a scientist?
Eyashi" If you guys see Spirit Cuffs or anything else suspicios let me know. Our objective is quite simple. We are going to try to bring them back and maybe try to retrieve their possessions as well. Me, Zushi and Haden can't do it with just the three of us. We need help from all of you." The meeting is over. Everybody has received different locations to go to and will be put together differently. This should be interesting for them and fun. Paired together: Sid, Draum, and Julmbo. Fasha, Tinn, and MaXx. Phil, Haden, and Zushi. Eyashi, Spike, and Strider. There going to see what team corporates the best as a unit. Plans have been set. Now it's time to see who does better. The younger members will lead like Sid, Phil, Fasha, and Spike to test their leadership. Sid's team is shown first. Area- Kibakoru. Near a bakery. Sid gets his team to ask questions and does there best to get answers. Eventually demons appear and just like what was said are more poised and focus. Sid directs his team. During the fight, the demons outmatched them. Sid gets them to retreat for now. He does some regrouping and plays the demons like aren't good fighters. This throws the demons off and they get a victory. Now it's time for them to find captured people or person.
This portion took some time because Sid's investigation skills aren't there. While trying to think, he walks toward an abandoned location. A noise is heard and the ground comes down. Sid accidentally finds the spot with people but all have Spirit Cuffs. He remembers having to wait for them to wear off. There are seven people.They continue but traps occurs. There are now five people and must be careful. At the end, there were only two hostages left. The people were ask who did this to them. One of them replies with: Demons but had someone they worked for. Afterwards, they report back. Next scene. Rade and Kiroku are at another lab. They are trying to be very quiet. A demon appears and talks with the both of them. It seems that it was them the demons were working for. People appear and Rade uses the Spirit Cuffs or the Freak Ring Circus on them. He gets the demon to dispose them. They continue. Next scene. Phil's team is up. Area- Ryusoka(ree-u-so-kah) Tofa. Small town. Highlights: It is hard for Phil's team to gather information but he asks them about seeing any Spirit Cuffs and any other items. Then things start picking up. He's giving some information about where they saw it. He's shown where to. He is away from others. Phil sees a woman all by herself/back turned. He walks closer.
He turns her around but has no pupils and has a dark feeling coming from her. She smirks. Tubes come from her body. Phil doesn't know what he's witnessing. He tries to attack but she's too strong and he flees. He bumps into the others. As he turns around the woman is gone and a man is there instead. Phil is confused and heart racing. Phil tries to explain but the man says he was just worked up. Next scene. Fasha's team is up. Area- Zuloko Ikiki. Large area. Fasha's team asks if they saw any demons with someone. They say they have been seeing some demons going back and forth to a spot constantly. Fasha's team travels separate to take away suspicious. Fasha arrives there first. She looks around. She sees peope on the ground dead. She continues but sees tubes coming from a wall. A beast creature destroys the wall and is about to eat Fasha but she runs. He is able to talk. He's pretty fast. She runs into the others. Fasha notices that the beast isn't there. A different person is there just like with Phil. Fasha explains. As she tries to explain to the citizens, they don't believe her. Fasha thinks something is up with the citizens. They're acting weird. The citizens all stop and turn their attention to Fasha's team. They all charge at them. Fasha was right. The people are crazy and tainted.
Next scene. Spike's team. Area- Uketa(oo-kee-tah) Sada. Near a graveyard area. Spike is having some trouble getting his team to listen. This is done intentionally to see where his leadership lies. Eyashi jokes and says come on leader. Where to. Spike isn't good at being a leader but tries. Spike doesn't want to ask questions but look for captured people under his accord. He thinks it'll take to long. A lot of time is waited. It starts to rain. The sky is all read. The ground rumbles and demons appear. He can't win and requires help. Now he's using his team. Nice team work used. They are dead. While their backs are turn, the bodies are gone. They all see. A lightning strike occurs. Spike takes a look around. He falls ina hole and ends up separate from the others. All in different spots. In a dark room. Somebody tugs on his legs. The demons that were moved appears in front of him. He tries to fight but can't use his powers. Must fight the old way. The fight continues without ending. Spike is getting very fatigue. Suddenly, a larger demon appears. How long does Spike has? Lightning strikes the demons and they go crazy and much stronger than before. Spike doesn't have a choice and runs. He hides underground.The demons come and are right above him. He sees them walking around. He breaths heavily. He walks around slowly. A demon is down where Spike is. He almost ran into her. She looks behind her. Spike slowly walks behind her. Trying to sneak her.
She catches him and screams. The others are alerted. They all appear down below. Spike is trapped. They charge. He wakes up and was just a dream. He sees Strider and Eyashi. The talk and then stop. And they all turn their attentions to Spike. They try to kill Spike and he's surprised. More spooky moments occur. Everything that happen was appart of an illusion. No people found but items were. Everybody reports back to Eyashi's house. They all discussed what happened. There may be more assignments like this on a different day. Sid's team was the only ones to bring people home. They are different types of demons now. Must be on the lookout. So far there hasn't been any found in Togyu Manji yet. Different day. Sid has mastered the Blade Sync. Now it's time for real sword. Eyashi wants Sid to choose a sword and he picks a blade called Soijett. He begins to practice. Next day at school. Phil is with MJ. Phil jokes at MJ but she doesn't take that to kindly and retaliates. Eventually, she ends up smiling and laughing. In a flirty manner. One of the girls say she's in love with Phil. Phil is cute. She starts blushing and runs off. She doesn't know why this started happening. Sid is shown sleeping in class. The teacher wakes him up and questioned Sid. He gets the question correct. Everyone is surprised. He goes back to sleep.
Mandy is shown flirting with someone. Goofy moments occur within the school. Sid, Phil, and Fasha together discuss what they saw the other day. The door opens slowly but it's only Keira. They were all startled. Fasha bumbs into CJ whose not in the mood. CJ" Hey FASHA!!! Bring it back. Why did you do that?" Fasha" What's her problem?" Mandi" She's not in a good mood today. She almost took my head off earlier. I wouldn't provoke her.'" CJ" I want you to apologize right now." Fasha" Or else(smiles)." People are oobserving/circling them. CJ" You and I. Now!" As CJ punches, Fasha counters and sends her to the ground. Crab style used and is over very quickly. CJ is embarrassed that she lost to Fasha like that. Everybody is amazed at Fasha's martial arts. School over. CJ stops Fasha and apologizes. CJ" Where did you learn that from. I've never been beaten in an utterly embarrassing fashion." Fasha" My training comes from this guy named Eyashi Mohoto. He's very strong. And not not to mention, he also trained Phil and Sid as well and was a great father figure to us." CJ" Wait Iucan and Jackmun have been trained too. I would have never had thought. I thought I was the best in combat but i guess I was proven wrong. You said Eyashi." Fasha" right." CJ'" Can we go visit his place?" Fasha" Sure but I have something to show you." Fasha launches ice.
CJ" You have powers?" Fasha" That's not all. Eyashi, Sid, and Phil also do. Try not to tell anyone." CJ" Okay but what about my sisthers?" Fasha" Just as long as they don't tell anyone else then it's okay. Oh and one more thing. The demons that came we've been fighting them. Getting stronger and stronger." CJ" Wait you guys were fighting demons? Wow." Fasha talks about souls and explains it. Other things as well. They make it to Eyashi's place. CJ" This is his place. It's pretty large." Fasha" Yes this is his place." They go inside. Eyashi is with Zushi, Haden, and MaXx. Maybe more. Fasha sees Eyashi. Eyashi" You brought company. Whose your friend?" CJ" My name is Ceepa Jonzi it's an honor to meet you(bows). I heard you were pretty a strong fighter and wanted to know if you would train me. Please. Oh and I heard about you guys having powers. That's so cool." Eyashi" You want to know what else is cool?" He forms wind on his hands. Eyashi" It'll be my pleasure but I'm busy right now. What about tom......" Haden cuts him off and says" I wouldn't recommend him as your master. I'm better suited than he is. I have a dojo that is twenty times bigger than his."
Cj" Twenty times. Wow that's a lot of space." Zushi" Don't mind them. I'm the one you need. Come join me and Fasha. One more member won't hurt." MaXx appears and says" Now wait just a minute. You have my son as your personal student. You have Fasha and Eyashi has Phil. I'm the only one who doesn't have a personal student. So if anybody's going to train her, it's gonna be me. So what is it going to be. And by the way my name is MaXx Iucan. Sid's father. That's my younger brother Haden. And right there is Zushi Uchimori." CJ" You're Sid's father. Wow. There is a bit resembles." MaXx" Well it does run in the family." Haden" Sure it does but Sid's charm comes from me." They both argue. Fasha suggest that she'll be her teacher. It'll strengthen her leadership. Other things mentioned. Next scene. Phil is walking home with MJ. He stops and the ground rumbles, causing cracks/holes to occur. MJ screams and is know where to be found. Phil proceeds to find her. As he tries to walk, his feet start gettin.g heavy/stick like feeling. Weird noises are heard. Sounds that you hear in a forest like frogs and insects. A drip of blood drops on Phil's head and he looks up to see a bugged eyed creature(looks like a bug with big eyes)(cross breed insect). Lots of slime in area.
Insects come from walls. The area was already old and corrupted. Warm and dry area. He battles the creature. As he fights, it spits slime in his face which causes the insects to take advantage. As time passes, Phil is breathing heavily and can't get a break. They keep coming and he hasn't beaten the first creature yet. He's getting pretty tired. Phil" I've got to figure this thing out. Wait. Each of the insects keep coming but from where. It's gotta be eggs somewhere. That's what I'm hoping for." He leaves for now. Eventually, Phil finds multiple of eggs and uses Wind Slice Attack(name of move). It destroys multiple of eggs. They come in a chopping like position. They stop coming. Phil sees the creature but it doesn't want to fight. Phil follows it but its a trap. He's stuck in a room of some sort. More enemies appear. He uses his powers but he starts sinking and can't fly. Phil has made it to the bottom of the room/floor. A few minutes have passed and Phil" What's going on here? I'm sweating and somehow it's become extremely hot in a short time. But how? There is no sun in sight." He tries using water or ice style but can't. Phil's in trouble. His body starts getting tired and has no control over it. Part of area. Phil is avoiding fighting but rather stalling. A female voice says" You'll never get out of here alive and you'll never figure it out." Phil" We'll see about that." There's a lot of sweat on his body and he uses it to form ice. He freezes the area(small room) and the lady voice begins to scream in pain. Phil's plan worked. The entire area is cold now.
No enemies in sight. It's now time to find MJ. Next area has lots of cocoons everywhere. Which is hers. As he peels one, he sees a person's face/body in the cocoon. He continues until he found her. However, another person comes from a cocoon but in a different location and it looks like MJ. Both MJs run into each other. Phil is confused and doesn't know what he's witnessing. MJ with Phil says" There's another me. Must be an imposter." MJ from a distance says" Who are you calling an imposter. Imposter." MJ with Phil says" I know you damn well know that isn't me." The back and forward bickering continues to annoy Phil. They get next to each other and Phil must choose. He sees one of them fawning over him and thinks that can't be the real MJ. He chooses the opposite. While trying to leave, it turns out to be the fake one and turns into her regular form. Phil is knocked out and she turns her attention to MJ. MJ can't move. She says" It seems you are all alone. I want you to know that you're nothing but bait and we needed you to be our next Queen." MJ" The Queen. Wh...what happen to your Queen?" She says" You see our Queen got really sick and is starting to deteriorate. Without a new host Queen, our colony will slowly die. So what do you say? Queen MJ will be your name." MJ is very nervous but still can't move. MJ" Queen MJ does sound nice." She says" Now it's time for the ritual. All I have to do is eat you then your body will be reincarnated.
Then I'll spit you out as a cocoon. Afterwards, you'll be waiting until you hatch. This is the method of humans becoming Pestsects(pest insects). Shall we begin." She gets closer and her tongue tries to eat her(she is screaming) but Phil appears just in time. He kills her. MJ is able to move again and hugs Phil for good life. MJ" Thank you." Phil" Now you didn't think I'd let anything happen to you? Now did you?" The area is tearing apart. They both made it out safely. Later at night. Soul Snatchers are at a meeting. Abandoned location. Still Togyu Manji. All the Soul Snatchers are in human form. Their first time shown in the area. One of them says" If we don't pick this up, the boss is gonna kill us. You know how he gets when we don't bring enough souls back." Female" I think you're just worked up and need to enjoy yourself. It's not everyday we get to visit the Surface World. And besides we're not suppose to be hear. Do you know what lord Rischardo would do if he knew we were hear." The big guy says" Wait! We have two members overs. We have impostors among us. Show yourselves!" Has a deep voice.
They reveal themselves. It is Rade Ahbar and Kiroku Jirumani. Rade" Hey we come in peace and like to make proposition with you. You see we are both are demon fanatics. We've helped many demons." Big guy says" You're lying." Kiroku" Would we lie to you?" Suddenly demons appear and tell them he was right. Kiroku" I told you so." Rade" I think we should join forces. Show the others what you are." Big guy" What makes you think we'd work with you low life's." Rade" Give us a test. Whatever you want us to do, we'll do it. How about it?" Big guy" We have to see your task first. You know what. I want you to slaughter a clans worth of humans. What do you say to that?" Kiroku" Deal. Now sit back and watch." Scene was skipped. Nothing but blood and bodies. Big man" They actually did it." Kiroku" Well of course we did. We're not even humans basically." The alliance is now formed. Now a new new alliance is formed and how will it last. What will happen with Team Blaze and the others. More people are set to debut. What will happen next time on Part 2. "To Be Continued"

Hi, everyone.
Just thought I could give a personal opinion on what minimum required brawlers you should have to play in ranked (mythic and above) I am masters second season in a row, have over 11700 3v3 wins and 27 fully maxed out brawlers (-hypercharge on some), so hopefully it gives me some credibility. All brawlers discussed are supposed to be maxed out power 11 with one or several gadgets, star powers and 2+ gears. Hypercharge is desirable, but is often non-essential.
Here we go:
You need at least 3 marksmen, being belle, piper and brock (brock for wall breaks, belle is extremely universal and piper for damage). Alternative to piper can be angelo mandy or nani and you can also choose byron (he is support but can carry easily)
Next, you need at least 1 tank. IMO best options are Bibi or Rosa. They are very universal and are relatively easy to play. Alternatives include Jacky (mostly only good for brawlball, or hot zone), Sam is an assasin but can double as a tank (requires quite a lot of skill to play but is an interesting option), Buster is also very good but requires teamplay. Bull, Doug, Hank, Frank, Ash and Primo are not that good in my opinion. Also there is Poco but he ideally pairs with other tank or damage dealer.
Also, you need at least 1 thrower. If you can pick only one I would advise sprout. If two sprout + (barley, L&L, or Dyna). After you have at least two from aforementioned four (sprout is 1 out of 2) you can go for Grom, Willow and Tick.
Next, you should have at least 1 wall break (in addition to Brock). In my opinion the best option here is Griff as his wall break is easiest to do and also he doubles as a wonderful anti-tank. Alternatives are Colt, Ruffs, or Stu.
Next, you need at least 1-2 anti-tanks (or brawlers that can output a lot of damage on close/medium range and have medium/high hp). Best anti-tank in game bar none is Shelly, but you can also use Griff, Colette and other brawlers (primarily tanks, controllers and damage dealers.
Next, you need at least 2 controllers. Best options are Sandy, Amber and Jessie (others are not so universal e.g Spike, Lou, Emz, Squeak, Tara)
Then you need at least 1 diver (high mobility, high dps). Primarily it is an assasin, or Bibi. Best options here are Mortis and Melody. Others are Fang, Buzz, Cord, Lily, Sam, Mico, and Edgar. If we are stretching it even further, it can be Leon or Carl + Ult + Flying Hook
Other brawlers that are really good to have/must have and maybe were not mentioned:
Colette as anti tank + for heist.
Chuck for heist.
Gray as anti-thrower + as a diver.
Gene for Gem grab and Knockout.
Rico on certain maps as a very good choice.
Lola as one of the best quickfire modifier brawlers + solid mid.
Meg as damage dealesponge + against marksmen.
Mr.P as a passive anti-thrower and a great option against marksmen.
Otis as a forgotten anti-tank and great damage dealer.
Surge as a very great do-it-all type + solid against tanks.
Others that are great (Max, Carl, Nita, Pam, Charlie, R-T, Kit, Eve for water maps, Pearl and Bea)
Soooooo, in total, to comfortably play ranked on a high level, in my opinion, you need at least: 10 brawlers (±1) Open to discussion)

Hello there! I'm Stormy (28M) and I am only here for genuine friendships and nothing more. My dms are open to anyone who is 18+, gender, race, and sexuality does not matter to me. Please be patient with me as I am autistic and have severe mental issues. I love to hear about people's passions and dreams. Come as you are! With that said here is a bit about me.
I absolutely LOVE music I don't care about genres as long as I like the song it's going into my library. One of my favorite projects is managing my MP3 Library, it's like my personal little collection. With my drive and passion for music I also do vocals for a few metal projects I have.
I like to dabble around with different things time to time. Sometimes I have fixations like currently it's building a library of shows/movies I love. Gaming is a huge thing for me, I recently been stuck on Fortnite, Fallout 76 & Brotato. Survival/Roguelike/Sandbox games tend to me my favorites. I love taking walks, looking at bugs and chilling at home.
My favorite types of shows and movies are animation, cartoons, horror and crude comedy. My current fixations are Kenny vs Spenny, Drawn Together, Ghost Adventures & Kriby Right Back At Ya. My favorite movies are Law Abiding Citizen & the Saw franchise.
I really hope to hear from you and I hope you are doing well! Much love!

After high school, having no better ideas, I joined the Navy SEALs. I never really liked any of it, but it was a job, after all. I loved the guns and airplanes and grenades, but having to run all the time while some scumbag with a chip on his shoulder yells in my face isn’t my idea of fun.
Things got a lot more interesting after my term of service ended. I still had a high-security clearance, so I used it to take temporary jobs as a mercenary, a hired gun. I did some stints in Iraq with Blackwater, where they set me out in the middle of the desert. A watchtower and oil refinery loomed over the burning sands. Along with a few other guys, they told us, “Guard this area with your life.” While better than the SEALs, working for Blackwater was extremely boring. The other mercenaries and I would mostly just chainsmoke cigarettes and drink coffee all night, staring out across the dead, empty desert.
Over time, I worked my way up. Things started to get more interesting when a job offer arrived in my email one freezing cold winter’s morning. This is what it said.
“Mr. Chase,
“I am the head of security for a private group of entrepreneurs and investors. Through some mutual contacts, I have heard of your professionalism and experience. We are currently putting together a small crew to guard a private event on [REDACTED] Island out in the Pacific Ocean that will run from January 9th to January 26th. Would you be interested in this job? The pay rate is $900 a day.
“Once you are on the island, it will be impossible to leave until the period of employment has ended. If you are interested, please respond to this email as soon as possible.
“Sincerely,
“Mario Antonin, Head of Security.”
I was working piecemeal jobs like this one at the time, but none of them were paying that well. At most, I would usually get $350 to $500 a day, which was still good money when I was working seven days a week until the job finished. I instantly responded and said that yes, I was interested. In response, they sent me a non-disclosure agreement that was the size of a small novel that I had to sign.
That was how I found myself on a private jet, flying out to an island in the middle of the vast blue ocean. I was never told the coordinates of the island or saw it on a map. It was all kept very secret.
A few hours later, we landed on a private airstrip. I looked out the window of the jet, seeing the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean stretching off to the horizon in every direction. Below me stood an island with palm trees and sandy white beaches. An enormous Victorian mansion loomed directly in the center of it all. The mansion was painted black and looked like something straight out of a horror movie. It had no windows, and the turrets spiraled into blade-like points.
That was my first inkling that something might not be quite right about this trip.
***
As the stairs from the private jet descended, I looked out on this strange new world. Employees waited to greet us, looking like beaten dogs. Some had their heads down, their eyes blankly scanning the ground. Most of them were women wearing red dresses, reminding me of stewardesses on a plane. The jet strip was surrounded by palm trees and tropical brush. The chirping of insects sounded all around us, high and resonant.
I saw a strange patch engraved on all of the employees’ uniforms and jackets. It looked almost like a stick figure drawing of a man, the bottom of its body ending in a C. Its arms were long and jointed, almost spidery. Three symbols like repeated iron crosses connected to the left side of its body in a line. I wondered if it was the logo of some company. I put it out of my mind for now, but I would see that symbol again all over the island, painted on the sides of the mansion and even cut into the trees with a knife. It would only be later that night that I realized its connection to Moloch.
“Good day, sir, and welcome to the Island,” the server on my left said with glassy eyes and a fake smile plastered across her face. They all looked up at once, but it was like the workers all looked through me rather than at me. Their eyes looked flat and dead, like the painted-on eyes of a doll.
“The Island, huh?” I asked, curious. “They wouldn’t tell me where I was going. They said it was a secret. Is that what you call it?” The woman just nodded, the doll-like smile never leaving her lips.
“Officially, this island is unnamed and uninhabited,” the woman said. “In fact, all traces of it have been scrubbed from the internet. You won’t find it on Google Maps or in any publicly available satellite imagery.” She leaned forward towards me with heavily mascaraed eyes and ruby-red lipstick slashed across her lips. “This is a very special place. Only very special people are allowed here. You should be honored to work here under our Savior.”
“I hope you’re talking about Jesus or something,” I said jokingly. She just smiled blankly and motioned me forward.
“Just follow that trail for a few hundred feet-” she said, pointing at an opening in the palm trees where logs were laid down horizontally over the muggy jungle- “and you’ll find the mansion. Good luck!” I thought it was a somewhat strange thing to say, wishing a random stranger good luck.
But, by the end of that night, I realized that simply to make it off this island alive, I would need lots of it.
***
I followed the woman’s directions to the back of the brutalist mansion. A heavy metal door stood there with a small bullet-proof window built in the top. A tanned, Spanish face glowered out at me then rapidly drew back and disappeared. A few heartbeats later, the door slid to the side with a grinding of hidden gears.
The head of security at the Island was a heavily-tattooed ex-Marine named Mario. He wore a dark Kevlar vest over a black outfit, making him look like a walking shadow. I found the security had their own private complex in the mansion as he showed me around the site. Hundreds of hidden cameras covered every angle of the mansion and the surrounding parts of the island. Dozens of black-clad security agents swarmed over the screens, checking the monitors and computers constantly.
“Quite a set-up you have here,” I said to Mario, nodding at him. He smacked me on the shoulder, giving a confident grin.
“Money is no issue here, Richard,” he responded. “Security is paramount. There are things on this island that could rip apart the world if they ever escaped.” I raised an eyebrow.
“Like what?” I asked. “Nuclear weapons or something?” He laughed at that.
“You’ll see for yourself tonight,” he said, his dark eyes flashing with something cold and alien.
***
Mario led me and a couple other new hired guns around the Island. The place was certainly strange. It reminded me of some combination of a secret black-ops site and a playboy billionaire’s private heaven. All of the doors in the mansion looked like they were made of thick steel. They had wheels that would spin, like those on a submarine door. The mansion also had no windows at all that I could see, except for the small, shatter-proof glass openings on the steel doors. I didn’t want to ask too many questions, however. I couldn’t resist asking him about a couple small things, however- or at least, they seemed small to me at the time.
“What are those hatchways?” I asked Mario, pointing to rectangular covers built into the concrete walkway. They had heavy handles. “Are those manholes or something?”
“There are tunnels under the Island,” he responded vaguely. “Just for maintenance and security, you understand.”
“Wow, this place is certainly… well-developed,” I said. We came out through a grove of palm trees. A stone walkway led down to a white beach. Dozens of yachts were moored all across the shore, some of them looking like they must have cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
“There’s a lot of money and power here,” Mario said. “That’s why it’s important you never talk about what you see here. These are the people who control the world, the ones behind the government and the media. Not the elected officials who the people see, but the actual power.”
“Like who?” I asked. “You mean the Rothschilds and Soros?” He laughed again, a sarcastic, grinding laugh that grated my nerves.
“Trust me, the truly powerful ones don’t even have public personas. If you know their name, then they’re just one of the puppets.” I just shook my head at that, then asked the real question that had been bothering me since I first arrived here.
“Who is the Savior?” I asked. “Is that some codename or something?” Mario froze in place.
“He’s the one who runs everything here,” he whispered conspiratorially, looking around nervously. “But don’t be mentioning that kind of shit. You’ll probably see him tonight anyway. He’s the one who runs the show. He’ll be on the stage in his normal outfit.”
***
By the end of the day, I was suited up like the rest of the security staff, wearing the pure black pants and shirt with the symbol of Moloch engraved over the heart. Hundreds of the world’s most famous politicians, actors, businessmen and artists had gathered, streaming in the front doors with a soft, diffident susurration.
I stood by the open doorway of a side exit with an AR-15 and full body armor, next to one other soldier. They had also given me a sidearm. Every entrance or exit was manned by at least two armed men. The security at this place was some of the most intense I had ever seen. Beyond the door, there were rows and rows of the most comfortable seats, all gathered in a semi-circle around a massive stage made of pure mahogany. Blood-red curtains stood closed at the front of the room, concealing their secrets- for now, at least.
“Hail Satan!” I heard the elites cry inside in unison. I didn’t want to look in at the rows of high-ranking politicians, celebrities, influencers and artists, but my curiosity was high. I peeked around the corner of the stone archway, seeing the red curtains on the stage drawing apart. I saw one of my favorite actors standing in the front row, clapping excitedly and jumping up and down.
The crowd cheered as a naked female strapped to an obsidian altar lay there. She was beautiful and blonde, probably no older than twenty with the face of a supermodel. Her mouth was gagged, her arms outstretched like Jesus on the cross. Thin leather cords were tied around her wrists and ankles, biting deeply into the skin. Her eyes rolled wildly as she shook her head from side to side. She froze, and her eyes met mine for a brief moment. I saw the pleading expression there, the mortal terror and absolute horror.
A man in a goat mask wearing black robes slunk out from the side of the stage, carrying a wavy silver dagger engraved with strange symbols. The crowd erupted into a primal roar of pleasure and excitement that sounded like it came from one monstrous mouth.
“Worthy is the Lamb!” the man in the goat mask screamed with electronic amplification. He had a deep voice, as if he had rocks rolling around in his throat. The crowd roared and clapped. Scattered cries of “Hail Lucifer!” and “Ave Satanas!” echoed down the massive auditorium.
“Hey, pay attention,” the other security agent at my side said in a thick Finnish accent. He was a tall Scandinavian-looking guy named Kolmek. “You’re not getting paid to watch the show, new guy.” I tried to rip my gaze away from the stage, but it held my attention with an obsessive horror.
“The burnt bones of children and women have been offered to the ancient ones, to Moloch,” the man on the stage cried. “Under our feet, the burnt bodies of hundreds lay dreaming. This victim will be the 666th. Her blood will bring about the Gnosis that we seek, the direct experience of the divine held by the gods, by Lucifer and Moloch and Baal…” The roaring of the crowd temporarily drowned out his electronically-magnified voice. “Tonight, we will rip open the veil!”
I had stopped watching the show, instead staring blankly out at the beach and palm trees. At that moment, another black-clad security agent came up to my partner, whispered something in his ear, then immediately disappeared, heading off back in the direction of the main security office. Kolmek shook his head grimly.
“I’ll be right back,” he said. “Stay right here. Don’t move from this door no matter what. And pay attention.” I nodded and watched as he walked off in the same direction.
I immediately took the opportunity to continue watching the ceremony. I had missed something important, apparently. The woman now laid dead on the sacrificial table, a gaping hole in her chest. Blood spurted from the crater as the man in the goat mask held her beating heart grasped tightly in his hand, letting the blood stream down his naked fingers. The crowd cheered with a rising bloodlust and insanity. Most of them were standing, their eyes gleaming and wide with fanatical adoration. The entire spectacle reminded me of some kind of ancient Aztec ritual.
As the woman’s sightless eyes stared vacantly up in death, the man in a goat mask pulled out a can of gasoline. The clear liquid gurgled as he up-ended the canister over her pale, bloodless face, over her naked stomach and long legs. A moment later, he lit a match and dropped it. I heard the whooshing of the flames as they rose up.
The crowd went deathly silent as they watched the rippling flames. The man in the goat mask began chanting in some strange language I had never heard before. It sounded Semitic, but I knew it wasn’t Arabic or Hebrew. I felt something like electricity ripple through the air, almost like a feeling of falling pressure before a storm. I looked down at the hairs on my arms, seeing them rise up. I looked back up at the stage, and my eyes widened in horror.
The flaming body of the sacrificial victim had started to morph before my eyes and the eyes of the crowd. The dripping, blackening flesh jumped up and down, as if there were rats trapped in her body trying to escape the fire. There was a deafening hissing as if thousands of snakes were being burned alive.
The dead woman’s arms jerked up, the skin splitting open as if she had seams running along her skin. Something dark and muscular with curving, black talons ripped its way out of the dead, burning flesh. Behind it, a head appeared with long, curving horns and eyes that spun with whorls of fire. It looked like the offspring of a bull and a demon. Its imposing body rose up from the inferno, appearing like magic from the solid stone. It raised itself to its full height, looming over the crowd. The last of the woman’s blood hissed and boiled away, her flesh dissolving into ashes.
“Behold, Moloch rises!” the man in the goat mask screamed in a fanatical voice. The crowd’s cheering had stopped, though. Many of the faces in the crowd looked chalk-white with terror. The bull-god surveyed the crowd, its horns nearly scraping the ceiling twenty feet above the stage.
At that moment, I knew death was on its way with eyes of fire and a grin like a skull, ready to reap a field of human bodies.
***
I heard running behind me, but I didn’t dare turn away from the horrific sight in front of me. The last of the fire’s embers died, sending up thin wisps of gray smoke that spiraled around the bull-god’s monstrous face. Moloch stood as still as a statue, and if it weren’t for one thing, I might’ve thought it was some sort of sculpture or art project. He had two nostrils like a serpent’s. As his great lungs inhaled, the smoke billowed in and out of his mouth and nose.
Some of the people at the edges of the crowd had gotten up, hurrying towards the doors. Moloch’s head ratcheted to face them, his fiery eyes narrowing into slits.
“Do not leave!” the man in the goat mask pleaded. “Those who have fear are not worthy of life. Do not prove yourselves unworthy of life!” As the first of the fleeing men and women got to within a few steps of the door, Moloch gave a primal roar. In a blur of primal strength, he reached down and ripped the blackened sacrificial altar off the stage. It ripped from the wooden stage with a tremendous crack like a bullwhip. He hurled the heavy mass of stone at those heading towards the opposite exit from the one I guarded.
I watched it curve through the air. The people started screaming and clawing to escape as it smashed down on their heads with a grating crash. I could feel the floor shake from where I stood outside. Blood exploded from their smashed bodies. I saw arms and legs jerking and seizing under the heavy stone, but within a few moments, they slowed and then stopped.
Others were running towards the door I guarded, but Moloch leapt off the stage in a blur. In a few bounding steps, he reached the pale, terrified faces on the other side of the threshold. His massive clawed hand came down. I heard bones shatter as blood sprayed my face and the wall. Bone splinters and pieces of brain exploded from the screaming bodies. I backpedaled, wiping at my eyes, trying to get the blood off so I could see. No one had told me what to do in this situation. I didn’t know if I was supposed to shoot that massive abomination, or if this was all just part of the show.
“Richard!” a familiar voice cried from behind me. Panic oozed from every word. I spun, seeing Mario and Kolmek standing side by side, their pupils dilated and expressions grim.
“We have a major problem.” It was Mario. I recognized that voice, the one that sounded as if he had been gargling with rocks.
“I know,” I said, holding my rifle tightly. I pointed behind me at the scene of rampant death and destruction.
I had seen bloodshed and war before, but this was different. The Island itself seemed to feel it. The wind, which had been calm when I first landed, now whipped the Island in fast, circular currents. The breeze smelled of burnt matches and coppery blood. The static electricity which had caused the hairs on my arms to rise rippled over everything with tiny blue flashes, increasing in power by the second.
“No, no, not Moloch,” Kolmek said, looking much calmer than I felt. “The Savior lets Moloch thin the herd every year.”
“It’s Leviathan,” Mario continued grimly, “the beast from the waters. The smell of blood is drawing it from the depths of the ocean. We picked up the first blips on radar a few minutes ago. When it gets here, it won’t stop until everything is rubble. It will kill every single person on the Island.”
“All security personnel must report to the south beach immediately,” a cool robotic voice cried out over hidden loudspeakers all over the Island. The screaming from the auditorium had quieted behind me. I was afraid to look inside.
“There it is,” Kolmek said, his head jerking up as the emergency alert read. He motioned for me to follow. “It’s time to fight.”
***
We sprinted over curving trails of smooth logs between deathly quiet forests. All the insects and birds had gone silent. Ahead of us, the palm trees opened up onto the Pacific Ocean. But it was no longer a beautiful tropical blue. A black, swirling whirlpool like an ulcerous wound had opened up on its surface. It stretched hundreds of feet across, drawing closer to the shore by the second. Dead fish, sharks, dolphins, squids and even whales spun in the filthy, dark water.
Twenty black-clad security agents waited for the three of us on the beach, their eyes wide, their faces pale with terror. Like myself, they all had AR-15s and Glock 22s with extra magazines for both. I guess the Glock might be useful for blowing my brains out as a last resort if some beast from Hell rose out of the simmering waters, but I didn’t think it would stop anything from another dimension.
The clouds swirled overhead in a thick curtain as black as smoke. Flashes of blue lightning detonated every couple seconds. Mario raised his hands, screaming over the roaring of the wind. Kolmek stood by my side, his face grim and eyes narrowed.
“Your job is to fight off anything that tries to get on the Island,” he said, looking from one face to another with rapt attention. “Nothing can stand against high-caliber rifle fire. Shoot at the face and eyes when it comes up. We’ve dealt with creatures like this before, and they will retreat if you injure them badly enough.” I had the sense of being fed a line of bullshit as my mind processed this.
“What exactly is coming up?” one of the doe-eyed security men asked. He barely looked old enough to drink, a young, muscular hulk with a Marine Corps tattoo on his neck.
“They call it Leviathan,” Mario responded. “Sometimes the rituals here and the smell of blood can draw… strange things. Leviathan is one of those. We have encountered it before. The most important thing to remember is…” His voice was suddenly drowned out by a terrible cacophony that came from the center of the black whirlpool.
A screech like the detonation of a nuclear missile shook the ground. The ocean jumped and bubbled frantically. The beach heaved and cracked, the white sands disappearing in fissures that opened up like greedy mouths underneath my feet. I lost my balance, falling forwards. The screeching continued rising into a primal roar.
A green dragon head the color of an infected wound erupted from the surface of the thrashing water, rising up dozens of feet in the air. It had two enormous slitted eyes that dilated and constricted quickly as it glowered down at us. The screeching abruptly stopped, the pointed mouth of the dragon slamming shut with a sound like a gunshot.
Within moments, another cancerous green head shot up in a blur, its skin looking as hard as stone. Ridges that looked as sharp as swords ran the length of its reptilian skull, arcing over its eyes and pointed snout. More heads erupted from the ocean until all seven heads of Leviathan loomed over us.
Not one of us fired. No one even seemed to breathe as we surveyed the beast across the no-man’s land of the white sands. The slitted eyes and yellow irises of the seven heads had a demonic hunger, a reptilian coldness. Far behind us, I heard distant screams still echoing from the auditorium where Moloch held sway.
“Fire!” Mario cried. Instantly, a cacophony of gunshots exploded all around me. I jumped up on my feet, scrambling up as the seven-headed dragon leapt forward. Thousands of gallons of saltwater streamed down its massive body as it came up on the beach. Long, black paws with bone-white talons shot out of the surging ocean, followed by a tapering tail like that of a water snake.
I brought the rifle up and emptied my magazine as fast as I could, pulling the trigger over and over as I aimed at the many slitted eyes of Leviathan. But the bullets seemed to ping harmlessly off of its hard, obsidian-like scales.
It scrabbled onto the shore, the heads coming down in a blur. Rows and rows of vampiric fangs gleamed dully in each of the mouths. One security agent was bitten in half, the spurting stump of his lower body still standing for a long moment even as the rest of the body disappeared down the throat of the dragon.
Mario ran forwards, slamming another magazine in his rifle and opening fire point-blank. One of the heads came down in a blur towards him. Its great, staring eyes exploded in a shower of blue blood and thick vitreous fluid. The dragon head pulled back, its mouth opening in a primal scream of agony.
As I reloaded, I scanned the area around me, realizing that nearly half of the security agents were either dead or critically injured. I backpedaled away, keeping my eyes on the dragon. It continuously drew forward, killing more of its enemies with every step. I turned and ran into the forest, the sounds of shattering bones and dying men ringing through the air with a sickening clarity behind me.
Once I had reached the border of the trail, I heard Mario yell, “Retreat!” behind me. But by that point, it was far too late.
***
“Hey! Wait up!” a voice whispered from behind me. I turned my head, seeing Kolmek. Spatters of drying blood covered his face and uniform. As far as I could tell, none of it was his. “Mario’s dead. They’re all dead. We need to get out of here. We need to get off the Island.”
“How?” I asked.
“Find the Savior,” he answered, panting and out of breath. “We must find him. He can get us out of here.”
“I don’t even know what the guy looks like,” I muttered. “He was wearing a goat mask.”
“You’ll know him when you see him,” Kolmek said. “His body is covered in scars. Everything except his face. Stay close to me. We need to watch each other’s backs. It’s our only chance of survival.”
***
A trail of twisted, broken bodies led from the mansion to the surrounding trails and beaches. A decapitated woman with solid gold necklaces embedded with diamonds lay in front of me. It was strange on the Island, the way oblivion and ineffable wealth coexisted side by side. But everything was deathly silent, even in the mansion’s auditorium.
“Where’s the Savior?” I asked through gritted teeth. I peeked my head into the auditorium, but nothing moved. Hundreds of smashed and bloody bodies littered the floor.
“He’s around somewhere,” Kolmek answered. We started circling the mansion, looking for any signs of life. Kolmek went in the lead. As he turned the corner, an enormous black hand with sharp claws of fingers flitted forward in a blur, wrapping itself around his chest. Kolmek gave a strangled cry as it closed around him. I heard his bones crush as a spout of blood and gore flew from his mouth and nose, as if he were a toothpaste tube being squeezed.
I backpedaled away as Moloch threw the twitching corpse aside like a discarded toy. It smashed into the wall of the mansion, exploding wetly. A human-shaped, bloody stain languidly dripped down the wall above Kolmek’s mangled body.
Moloch slowly turned his head towards me, the fiery eyes flashing with hunger. He gnashed his fangs together, taking a step forward with a leg the size and shape of a tree trunk. With every step he took, I felt the ground tremble.
“Stop!” I cried, moving away from the monstrous creature. “Why are you doing this?”
“There is no why,” he gurgled, his voice monstrous and inhumanly slow. “There is only power. The weak deserve to die. Only the strong are worthy of life.” I raised my rifle in a last-ditch effort to save myself. Moloch saw it and started running towards me, every footstep crushing the paved walkway around the mansion into rubble and dust.
I aimed for his eyes and nose, emptying the entire magazine as quickly as I could. The bullets smashed into Moloch’s face. Dark red, clotted blood dripped out of the wounds, writhing with maggots. Drops of it fell around me, landing on my hair and face. I felt the small larvae twisting all over my skin. Moloch’s blood smelled nauseating, like some combination of stinkbugs and rotting bodies. He slowed, giving a roar of pain. I turned to run in the opposite direction, but as I looked out in the direction of the beach, my heart dropped.
Leviathan was moving in our direction, the giant dragon heads looming over the trees. Quickly, it swept towards me like a dark wind.
***
“You will suffer for that, worthless slave,” Moloch growled, wiping blood from his fiery eyes with his sharp talons of fingers. A sudden idea came to me. I ran in the direction of Leviathan. Moloch followed closely at my heels, only a few steps behind me.
Leviathan slithered forward over the sands and trees, its enormous body undulating like a water snake’s. I screamed at it, an incomprehensible wail of terror. Its seven heads snapped towards me. Its slitted eyes widened as it saw Moloch.
I heard the crashing of Moloch’s footsteps stop behind me, only feet away from crushing me into a paste. His massive lungs breathed quickly, exhaling the odor of sulfur and smoke.
“Leviathan,” Moloch growled in his demonic voice. “These are my tributes.” Leviathan’s dragon heads looked straight up at the Sun and screamed in response, their many voices rising and falling in a dissonant wail. As I sprinted into the trees, Leviathan and Moloch ran at each other, colliding with an ear-splitting crash. I glanced back, seeing Moloch ripping one of the dragon heads off its neck with his sharp fingers. The head screamed as blue blood exploded from the spurting stump. After a long moment, the neck fell limply forward.
The other dragon heads bit Moloch in a unified attack. They ripped deep holes in his shoulders and arms, snapping over and over like rabid dogs. As the two eldritch monstrosities attacked each other in fierce combat, I lost sight of them, but the sounds of fighting echoed over the entire island, crashing like lightning.
***
I felt like the survivor of an Apocalypse. I couldn’t find a single other living person on the Island. Hundreds of crushed, broken and decapitated bodies surrounded me. Over the cacophony of fighting, I heard a new noise: the whirring of helicopter blades nearby. It was coming from the other side of the mansion.
Frantically, I sprinted around the other side, seeing a Black Hawk helicopter getting ready to leave. A man in black robes sat at the pilot’s seat, his green eyes gleaming and a wide smile plastered across his face. I smashed my fist into the door over and over until he opened it.
“Holy shit, you’re still alive?” he asked. I hadn’t seen this man before. He had a face like a Calvin Klein model, all sharp angles and high cheekbones, perfectly proportioned in every way. But his scalp looked melted and scarred, as if someone had thrown gasoline on his hair and ignited it. His ears were stunted, twisted growths of scar tissue. His hands, too, were covered in deep, folding burn scars.
“Are you the Savior?” I responded quickly. “Please, get me out of here.”
“They do call me that,” he said wistfully. “The Savior. Yes, I guess I am. Get in.”
***
The Savior stared at me with his strange green eyes, the color of swamps where monstrous things swam under the surface.
“Some people just need to learn the hard way,” he said. The helicopter took off into a dark night covered with bright, twinkling stars. “There is no great power without great responsibility, after all. Those of us who seek the ancient ones know it comes with a cost.” I just stared out the window, gazing down at the countless mutilated, broken bodies that littered the beach.
Below us, the face of a bull stared up with eyes of fiery cyclones. The broken, still body of Leviathan lay at his feet. As we made it over the great waters of the Pacific Ocean, the bull-god raised a hand and waved. At that moment, I thought I could almost see a hurricane of translucent souls circling around him, spiraling up into the sky.

After high school, having no better ideas, I joined the Navy SEALs. I never really liked any of it, but it was a job, after all. I loved the guns and airplanes and grenades, but having to run all the time while some scumbag with a chip on his shoulder yells in my face isn’t my idea of fun.
Things got a lot more interesting after my term of service ended. I still had a high-security clearance, so I used it to take temporary jobs as a mercenary, a hired gun. I did some stints in Iraq with Blackwater, where they set me out in the middle of the desert. A watchtower and oil refinery loomed over the burning sands. Along with a few other guys, they told us, “Guard this area with your life.” While better than the SEALs, working for Blackwater was extremely boring. The other mercenaries and I would mostly just chainsmoke cigarettes and drink coffee all night, staring out across the dead, empty desert.
Over time, I worked my way up. Things started to get more interesting when a job offer arrived in my email one freezing cold winter’s morning. This is what it said.
“Mr. Chase,
“I am the head of security for a private group of entrepreneurs and investors. Through some mutual contacts, I have heard of your professionalism and experience. We are currently putting together a small crew to guard a private event on [REDACTED] Island out in the Pacific Ocean that will run from January 9th to January 26th. Would you be interested in this job? The pay rate is $900 a day.
“Once you are on the island, it will be impossible to leave until the period of employment has ended. If you are interested, please respond to this email as soon as possible.
“Sincerely,
“Mario Antonin, Head of Security.”
I was working piecemeal jobs like this one at the time, but none of them were paying that well. At most, I would usually get $350 to $500 a day, which was still good money when I was working seven days a week until the job finished. I instantly responded and said that yes, I was interested. In response, they sent me a non-disclosure agreement that was the size of a small novel that I had to sign.
That was how I found myself on a private jet, flying out to an island in the middle of the vast blue ocean. I was never told the coordinates of the island or saw it on a map. It was all kept very secret.
A few hours later, we landed on a private airstrip. I looked out the window of the jet, seeing the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean stretching off to the horizon in every direction. Below me stood an island with palm trees and sandy white beaches. An enormous Victorian mansion loomed directly in the center of it all. The mansion was painted black and looked like something straight out of a horror movie. It had no windows, and the turrets spiraled into blade-like points.
That was my first inkling that something might not be quite right about this trip.
***
As the stairs from the private jet descended, I looked out on this strange new world. Employees waited to greet us, looking like beaten dogs. Some had their heads down, their eyes blankly scanning the ground. Most of them were women wearing red dresses, reminding me of stewardesses on a plane. The jet strip was surrounded by palm trees and tropical brush. The chirping of insects sounded all around us, high and resonant.
I saw a strange patch engraved on all of the employees’ uniforms and jackets. It looked almost like a stick figure drawing of a man, the bottom of its body ending in a C. Its arms were long and jointed, almost spidery. Three symbols like repeated iron crosses connected to the left side of its body in a line. I wondered if it was the logo of some company. I put it out of my mind for now, but I would see that symbol again all over the island, painted on the sides of the mansion and even cut into the trees with a knife. It would only be later that night that I realized its connection to Moloch.
“Good day, sir, and welcome to the Island,” the server on my left said with glassy eyes and a fake smile plastered across her face. They all looked up at once, but it was like the workers all looked through me rather than at me. Their eyes looked flat and dead, like the painted-on eyes of a doll.
“The Island, huh?” I asked, curious. “They wouldn’t tell me where I was going. They said it was a secret. Is that what you call it?” The woman just nodded, the doll-like smile never leaving her lips.
“Officially, this island is unnamed and uninhabited,” the woman said. “In fact, all traces of it have been scrubbed from the internet. You won’t find it on Google Maps or in any publicly available satellite imagery.” She leaned forward towards me with heavily mascaraed eyes and ruby-red lipstick slashed across her lips. “This is a very special place. Only very special people are allowed here. You should be honored to work here under our Savior.”
“I hope you’re talking about Jesus or something,” I said jokingly. She just smiled blankly and motioned me forward.
“Just follow that trail for a few hundred feet-” she said, pointing at an opening in the palm trees where logs were laid down horizontally over the muggy jungle- “and you’ll find the mansion. Good luck!” I thought it was a somewhat strange thing to say, wishing a random stranger good luck.
But, by the end of that night, I realized that simply to make it off this island alive, I would need lots of it.
***
I followed the woman’s directions to the back of the brutalist mansion. A heavy metal door stood there with a small bullet-proof window built in the top. A tanned, Spanish face glowered out at me then rapidly drew back and disappeared. A few heartbeats later, the door slid to the side with a grinding of hidden gears.
The head of security at the Island was a heavily-tattooed ex-Marine named Mario. He wore a dark Kevlar vest over a black outfit, making him look like a walking shadow. I found the security had their own private complex in the mansion as he showed me around the site. Hundreds of hidden cameras covered every angle of the mansion and the surrounding parts of the island. Dozens of black-clad security agents swarmed over the screens, checking the monitors and computers constantly.
“Quite a set-up you have here,” I said to Mario, nodding at him. He smacked me on the shoulder, giving a confident grin.
“Money is no issue here, Richard,” he responded. “Security is paramount. There are things on this island that could rip apart the world if they ever escaped.” I raised an eyebrow.
“Like what?” I asked. “Nuclear weapons or something?” He laughed at that.
“You’ll see for yourself tonight,” he said, his dark eyes flashing with something cold and alien.
***
Mario led me and a couple other new hired guns around the Island. The place was certainly strange. It reminded me of some combination of a secret black-ops site and a playboy billionaire’s private heaven. All of the doors in the mansion looked like they were made of thick steel. They had wheels that would spin, like those on a submarine door. The mansion also had no windows at all that I could see, except for the small, shatter-proof glass openings on the steel doors. I didn’t want to ask too many questions, however. I couldn’t resist asking him about a couple small things, however- or at least, they seemed small to me at the time.
“What are those hatchways?” I asked Mario, pointing to rectangular covers built into the concrete walkway. They had heavy handles. “Are those manholes or something?”
“There are tunnels under the Island,” he responded vaguely. “Just for maintenance and security, you understand.”
“Wow, this place is certainly… well-developed,” I said. We came out through a grove of palm trees. A stone walkway led down to a white beach. Dozens of yachts were moored all across the shore, some of them looking like they must have cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
“There’s a lot of money and power here,” Mario said. “That’s why it’s important you never talk about what you see here. These are the people who control the world, the ones behind the government and the media. Not the elected officials who the people see, but the actual power.”
“Like who?” I asked. “You mean the Rothschilds and Soros?” He laughed again, a sarcastic, grinding laugh that grated my nerves.
“Trust me, the truly powerful ones don’t even have public personas. If you know their name, then they’re just one of the puppets.” I just shook my head at that, then asked the real question that had been bothering me since I first arrived here.
“Who is the Savior?” I asked. “Is that some codename or something?” Mario froze in place.
“He’s the one who runs everything here,” he whispered conspiratorially, looking around nervously. “But don’t be mentioning that kind of shit. You’ll probably see him tonight anyway. He’s the one who runs the show. He’ll be on the stage in his normal outfit.”
***
By the end of the day, I was suited up like the rest of the security staff, wearing the pure black pants and shirt with the symbol of Moloch engraved over the heart. Hundreds of the world’s most famous politicians, actors, businessmen and artists had gathered, streaming in the front doors with a soft, diffident susurration.
I stood by the open doorway of a side exit with an AR-15 and full body armor, next to one other soldier. They had also given me a sidearm. Every entrance or exit was manned by at least two armed men. The security at this place was some of the most intense I had ever seen. Beyond the door, there were rows and rows of the most comfortable seats, all gathered in a semi-circle around a massive stage made of pure mahogany. Blood-red curtains stood closed at the front of the room, concealing their secrets- for now, at least.
“Hail Satan!” I heard the elites cry inside in unison. I didn’t want to look in at the rows of high-ranking politicians, celebrities, influencers and artists, but my curiosity was high. I peeked around the corner of the stone archway, seeing the red curtains on the stage drawing apart. I saw one of my favorite actors standing in the front row, clapping excitedly and jumping up and down.
The crowd cheered as a naked female strapped to an obsidian altar lay there. She was beautiful and blonde, probably no older than twenty with the face of a supermodel. Her mouth was gagged, her arms outstretched like Jesus on the cross. Thin leather cords were tied around her wrists and ankles, biting deeply into the skin. Her eyes rolled wildly as she shook her head from side to side. She froze, and her eyes met mine for a brief moment. I saw the pleading expression there, the mortal terror and absolute horror.
A man in a goat mask wearing black robes slunk out from the side of the stage, carrying a wavy silver dagger engraved with strange symbols. The crowd erupted into a primal roar of pleasure and excitement that sounded like it came from one monstrous mouth.
“Worthy is the Lamb!” the man in the goat mask screamed with electronic amplification. He had a deep voice, as if he had rocks rolling around in his throat. The crowd roared and clapped. Scattered cries of “Hail Lucifer!” and “Ave Satanas!” echoed down the massive auditorium.
“Hey, pay attention,” the other security agent at my side said in a thick Finnish accent. He was a tall Scandinavian-looking guy named Kolmek. “You’re not getting paid to watch the show, new guy.” I tried to rip my gaze away from the stage, but it held my attention with an obsessive horror.
“The burnt bones of children and women have been offered to the ancient ones, to Moloch,” the man on the stage cried. “Under our feet, the burnt bodies of hundreds lay dreaming. This victim will be the 666th. Her blood will bring about the Gnosis that we seek, the direct experience of the divine held by the gods, by Lucifer and Moloch and Baal…” The roaring of the crowd temporarily drowned out his electronically-magnified voice. “Tonight, we will rip open the veil!”
I had stopped watching the show, instead staring blankly out at the beach and palm trees. At that moment, another black-clad security agent came up to my partner, whispered something in his ear, then immediately disappeared, heading off back in the direction of the main security office. Kolmek shook his head grimly.
“I’ll be right back,” he said. “Stay right here. Don’t move from this door no matter what. And pay attention.” I nodded and watched as he walked off in the same direction.
I immediately took the opportunity to continue watching the ceremony. I had missed something important, apparently. The woman now laid dead on the sacrificial table, a gaping hole in her chest. Blood spurted from the crater as the man in the goat mask held her beating heart grasped tightly in his hand, letting the blood stream down his naked fingers. The crowd cheered with a rising bloodlust and insanity. Most of them were standing, their eyes gleaming and wide with fanatical adoration. The entire spectacle reminded me of some kind of ancient Aztec ritual.
As the woman’s sightless eyes stared vacantly up in death, the man in a goat mask pulled out a can of gasoline. The clear liquid gurgled as he up-ended the canister over her pale, bloodless face, over her naked stomach and long legs. A moment later, he lit a match and dropped it. I heard the whooshing of the flames as they rose up.
The crowd went deathly silent as they watched the rippling flames. The man in the goat mask began chanting in some strange language I had never heard before. It sounded Semitic, but I knew it wasn’t Arabic or Hebrew. I felt something like electricity ripple through the air, almost like a feeling of falling pressure before a storm. I looked down at the hairs on my arms, seeing them rise up. I looked back up at the stage, and my eyes widened in horror.
The flaming body of the sacrificial victim had started to morph before my eyes and the eyes of the crowd. The dripping, blackening flesh jumped up and down, as if there were rats trapped in her body trying to escape the fire. There was a deafening hissing as if thousands of snakes were being burned alive.
The dead woman’s arms jerked up, the skin splitting open as if she had seams running along her skin. Something dark and muscular with curving, black talons ripped its way out of the dead, burning flesh. Behind it, a head appeared with long, curving horns and eyes that spun with whorls of fire. It looked like the offspring of a bull and a demon. Its imposing body rose up from the inferno, appearing like magic from the solid stone. It raised itself to its full height, looming over the crowd. The last of the woman’s blood hissed and boiled away, her flesh dissolving into ashes.
“Behold, Moloch rises!” the man in the goat mask screamed in a fanatical voice. The crowd’s cheering had stopped, though. Many of the faces in the crowd looked chalk-white with terror. The bull-god surveyed the crowd, its horns nearly scraping the ceiling twenty feet above the stage.
At that moment, I knew death was on its way with eyes of fire and a grin like a skull, ready to reap a field of human bodies.
***
I heard running behind me, but I didn’t dare turn away from the horrific sight in front of me. The last of the fire’s embers died, sending up thin wisps of gray smoke that spiraled around the bull-god’s monstrous face. Moloch stood as still as a statue, and if it weren’t for one thing, I might’ve thought it was some sort of sculpture or art project. He had two nostrils like a serpent’s. As his great lungs inhaled, the smoke billowed in and out of his mouth and nose.
Some of the people at the edges of the crowd had gotten up, hurrying towards the doors. Moloch’s head ratcheted to face them, his fiery eyes narrowing into slits.
“Do not leave!” the man in the goat mask pleaded. “Those who have fear are not worthy of life. Do not prove yourselves unworthy of life!” As the first of the fleeing men and women got to within a few steps of the door, Moloch gave a primal roar. In a blur of primal strength, he reached down and ripped the blackened sacrificial altar off the stage. It ripped from the wooden stage with a tremendous crack like a bullwhip. He hurled the heavy mass of stone at those heading towards the opposite exit from the one I guarded.
I watched it curve through the air. The people started screaming and clawing to escape as it smashed down on their heads with a grating crash. I could feel the floor shake from where I stood outside. Blood exploded from their smashed bodies. I saw arms and legs jerking and seizing under the heavy stone, but within a few moments, they slowed and then stopped.
Others were running towards the door I guarded, but Moloch leapt off the stage in a blur. In a few bounding steps, he reached the pale, terrified faces on the other side of the threshold. His massive clawed hand came down. I heard bones shatter as blood sprayed my face and the wall. Bone splinters and pieces of brain exploded from the screaming bodies. I backpedaled, wiping at my eyes, trying to get the blood off so I could see. No one had told me what to do in this situation. I didn’t know if I was supposed to shoot that massive abomination, or if this was all just part of the show.
“Richard!” a familiar voice cried from behind me. Panic oozed from every word. I spun, seeing Mario and Kolmek standing side by side, their pupils dilated and expressions grim.
“We have a major problem.” It was Mario. I recognized that voice, the one that sounded as if he had been gargling with rocks.
“I know,” I said, holding my rifle tightly. I pointed behind me at the scene of rampant death and destruction.
I had seen bloodshed and war before, but this was different. The Island itself seemed to feel it. The wind, which had been calm when I first landed, now whipped the Island in fast, circular currents. The breeze smelled of burnt matches and coppery blood. The static electricity which had caused the hairs on my arms to rise rippled over everything with tiny blue flashes, increasing in power by the second.
“No, no, not Moloch,” Kolmek said, looking much calmer than I felt. “The Savior lets Moloch thin the herd every year.”
“It’s Leviathan,” Mario continued grimly, “the beast from the waters. The smell of blood is drawing it from the depths of the ocean. We picked up the first blips on radar a few minutes ago. When it gets here, it won’t stop until everything is rubble. It will kill every single person on the Island.”
“All security personnel must report to the south beach immediately,” a cool robotic voice cried out over hidden loudspeakers all over the Island. The screaming from the auditorium had quieted behind me. I was afraid to look inside.
“There it is,” Kolmek said, his head jerking up as the emergency alert read. He motioned for me to follow. “It’s time to fight.”
***
We sprinted over curving trails of smooth logs between deathly quiet forests. All the insects and birds had gone silent. Ahead of us, the palm trees opened up onto the Pacific Ocean. But it was no longer a beautiful tropical blue. A black, swirling whirlpool like an ulcerous wound had opened up on its surface. It stretched hundreds of feet across, drawing closer to the shore by the second. Dead fish, sharks, dolphins, squids and even whales spun in the filthy, dark water.
Twenty black-clad security agents waited for the three of us on the beach, their eyes wide, their faces pale with terror. Like myself, they all had AR-15s and Glock 22s with extra magazines for both. I guess the Glock might be useful for blowing my brains out as a last resort if some beast from Hell rose out of the simmering waters, but I didn’t think it would stop anything from another dimension.
The clouds swirled overhead in a thick curtain as black as smoke. Flashes of blue lightning detonated every couple seconds. Mario raised his hands, screaming over the roaring of the wind. Kolmek stood by my side, his face grim and eyes narrowed.
“Your job is to fight off anything that tries to get on the Island,” he said, looking from one face to another with rapt attention. “Nothing can stand against high-caliber rifle fire. Shoot at the face and eyes when it comes up. We’ve dealt with creatures like this before, and they will retreat if you injure them badly enough.” I had the sense of being fed a line of bullshit as my mind processed this.
“What exactly is coming up?” one of the doe-eyed security men asked. He barely looked old enough to drink, a young, muscular hulk with a Marine Corps tattoo on his neck.
“They call it Leviathan,” Mario responded. “Sometimes the rituals here and the smell of blood can draw… strange things. Leviathan is one of those. We have encountered it before. The most important thing to remember is…” His voice was suddenly drowned out by a terrible cacophony that came from the center of the black whirlpool.
A screech like the detonation of a nuclear missile shook the ground. The ocean jumped and bubbled frantically. The beach heaved and cracked, the white sands disappearing in fissures that opened up like greedy mouths underneath my feet. I lost my balance, falling forwards. The screeching continued rising into a primal roar.
A green dragon head the color of an infected wound erupted from the surface of the thrashing water, rising up dozens of feet in the air. It had two enormous slitted eyes that dilated and constricted quickly as it glowered down at us. The screeching abruptly stopped, the pointed mouth of the dragon slamming shut with a sound like a gunshot.
Within moments, another cancerous green head shot up in a blur, its skin looking as hard as stone. Ridges that looked as sharp as swords ran the length of its reptilian skull, arcing over its eyes and pointed snout. More heads erupted from the ocean until all seven heads of Leviathan loomed over us.
Not one of us fired. No one even seemed to breathe as we surveyed the beast across the no-man’s land of the white sands. The slitted eyes and yellow irises of the seven heads had a demonic hunger, a reptilian coldness. Far behind us, I heard distant screams still echoing from the auditorium where Moloch held sway.
“Fire!” Mario cried. Instantly, a cacophony of gunshots exploded all around me. I jumped up on my feet, scrambling up as the seven-headed dragon leapt forward. Thousands of gallons of saltwater streamed down its massive body as it came up on the beach. Long, black paws with bone-white talons shot out of the surging ocean, followed by a tapering tail like that of a water snake.
I brought the rifle up and emptied my magazine as fast as I could, pulling the trigger over and over as I aimed at the many slitted eyes of Leviathan. But the bullets seemed to ping harmlessly off of its hard, obsidian-like scales.
It scrabbled onto the shore, the heads coming down in a blur. Rows and rows of vampiric fangs gleamed dully in each of the mouths. One security agent was bitten in half, the spurting stump of his lower body still standing for a long moment even as the rest of the body disappeared down the throat of the dragon.
Mario ran forwards, slamming another magazine in his rifle and opening fire point-blank. One of the heads came down in a blur towards him. Its great, staring eyes exploded in a shower of blue blood and thick vitreous fluid. The dragon head pulled back, its mouth opening in a primal scream of agony.
As I reloaded, I scanned the area around me, realizing that nearly half of the security agents were either dead or critically injured. I backpedaled away, keeping my eyes on the dragon. It continuously drew forward, killing more of its enemies with every step. I turned and ran into the forest, the sounds of shattering bones and dying men ringing through the air with a sickening clarity behind me.
Once I had reached the border of the trail, I heard Mario yell, “Retreat!” behind me. But by that point, it was far too late.
***
“Hey! Wait up!” a voice whispered from behind me. I turned my head, seeing Kolmek. Spatters of drying blood covered his face and uniform. As far as I could tell, none of it was his. “Mario’s dead. They’re all dead. We need to get out of here. We need to get off the Island.”
“How?” I asked.
“Find the Savior,” he answered, panting and out of breath. “We must find him. He can get us out of here.”
“I don’t even know what the guy looks like,” I muttered. “He was wearing a goat mask.”
“You’ll know him when you see him,” Kolmek said. “His body is covered in scars. Everything except his face. Stay close to me. We need to watch each other’s backs. It’s our only chance of survival.”
***
A trail of twisted, broken bodies led from the mansion to the surrounding trails and beaches. A decapitated woman with solid gold necklaces embedded with diamonds lay in front of me. It was strange on the Island, the way oblivion and ineffable wealth coexisted side by side. But everything was deathly silent, even in the mansion’s auditorium.
“Where’s the Savior?” I asked through gritted teeth. I peeked my head into the auditorium, but nothing moved. Hundreds of smashed and bloody bodies littered the floor.
“He’s around somewhere,” Kolmek answered. We started circling the mansion, looking for any signs of life. Kolmek went in the lead. As he turned the corner, an enormous black hand with sharp claws of fingers flitted forward in a blur, wrapping itself around his chest. Kolmek gave a strangled cry as it closed around him. I heard his bones crush as a spout of blood and gore flew from his mouth and nose, as if he were a toothpaste tube being squeezed.
I backpedaled away as Moloch threw the twitching corpse aside like a discarded toy. It smashed into the wall of the mansion, exploding wetly. A human-shaped, bloody stain languidly dripped down the wall above Kolmek’s mangled body.
Moloch slowly turned his head towards me, the fiery eyes flashing with hunger. He gnashed his fangs together, taking a step forward with a leg the size and shape of a tree trunk. With every step he took, I felt the ground tremble.
“Stop!” I cried, moving away from the monstrous creature. “Why are you doing this?”
“There is no why,” he gurgled, his voice monstrous and inhumanly slow. “There is only power. The weak deserve to die. Only the strong are worthy of life.” I raised my rifle in a last-ditch effort to save myself. Moloch saw it and started running towards me, every footstep crushing the paved walkway around the mansion into rubble and dust.
I aimed for his eyes and nose, emptying the entire magazine as quickly as I could. The bullets smashed into Moloch’s face. Dark red, clotted blood dripped out of the wounds, writhing with maggots. Drops of it fell around me, landing on my hair and face. I felt the small larvae twisting all over my skin. Moloch’s blood smelled nauseating, like some combination of stinkbugs and rotting bodies. He slowed, giving a roar of pain. I turned to run in the opposite direction, but as I looked out in the direction of the beach, my heart dropped.
Leviathan was moving in our direction, the giant dragon heads looming over the trees. Quickly, it swept towards me like a dark wind.
***
“You will suffer for that, worthless slave,” Moloch growled, wiping blood from his fiery eyes with his sharp talons of fingers. A sudden idea came to me. I ran in the direction of Leviathan. Moloch followed closely at my heels, only a few steps behind me.
Leviathan slithered forward over the sands and trees, its enormous body undulating like a water snake’s. I screamed at it, an incomprehensible wail of terror. Its seven heads snapped towards me. Its slitted eyes widened as it saw Moloch.
I heard the crashing of Moloch’s footsteps stop behind me, only feet away from crushing me into a paste. His massive lungs breathed quickly, exhaling the odor of sulfur and smoke.
“Leviathan,” Moloch growled in his demonic voice. “These are my tributes.” Leviathan’s dragon heads looked straight up at the Sun and screamed in response, their many voices rising and falling in a dissonant wail. As I sprinted into the trees, Leviathan and Moloch ran at each other, colliding with an ear-splitting crash. I glanced back, seeing Moloch ripping one of the dragon heads off its neck with his sharp fingers. The head screamed as blue blood exploded from the spurting stump. After a long moment, the neck fell limply forward.
The other dragon heads bit Moloch in a unified attack. They ripped deep holes in his shoulders and arms, snapping over and over like rabid dogs. As the two eldritch monstrosities attacked each other in fierce combat, I lost sight of them, but the sounds of fighting echoed over the entire island, crashing like lightning.
***
I felt like the survivor of an Apocalypse. I couldn’t find a single other living person on the Island. Hundreds of crushed, broken and decapitated bodies surrounded me. Over the cacophony of fighting, I heard a new noise: the whirring of helicopter blades nearby. It was coming from the other side of the mansion.
Frantically, I sprinted around the other side, seeing a Black Hawk helicopter getting ready to leave. A man in black robes sat at the pilot’s seat, his green eyes gleaming and a wide smile plastered across his face. I smashed my fist into the door over and over until he opened it.
“Holy shit, you’re still alive?” he asked. I hadn’t seen this man before. He had a face like a Calvin Klein model, all sharp angles and high cheekbones, perfectly proportioned in every way. But his scalp looked melted and scarred, as if someone had thrown gasoline on his hair and ignited it. His ears were stunted, twisted growths of scar tissue. His hands, too, were covered in deep, folding burn scars.
“Are you the Savior?” I responded quickly. “Please, get me out of here.”
“They do call me that,” he said wistfully. “The Savior. Yes, I guess I am. Get in.”
***
The Savior stared at me with his strange green eyes, the color of swamps where monstrous things swam under the surface.
“Some people just need to learn the hard way,” he said. The helicopter took off into a dark night covered with bright, twinkling stars. “There is no great power without great responsibility, after all. Those of us who seek the ancient ones know it comes with a cost.” I just stared out the window, gazing down at the countless mutilated, broken bodies that littered the beach.
Below us, the face of a bull stared up with eyes of fiery cyclones. The broken, still body of Leviathan lay at his feet. As we made it over the great waters of the Pacific Ocean, the bull-god raised a hand and waved. At that moment, I thought I could almost see a hurricane of translucent souls circling around him, spiraling up into the sky.

After high school, having no better ideas, I joined the Navy SEALs. I never really liked any of it, but it was a job, after all. I loved the guns and airplanes and grenades, but having to run all the time while some scumbag with a chip on his shoulder yells in my face isn’t my idea of fun.
Things got a lot more interesting after my term of service ended. I still had a high-security clearance, so I used it to take temporary jobs as a mercenary, a hired gun. I did some stints in Iraq with Blackwater, where they set me out in the middle of the desert. A watchtower and oil refinery loomed over the burning sands. Along with a few other guys, they told us, “Guard this area with your life.” While better than the SEALs, working for Blackwater was extremely boring. The other mercenaries and I would mostly just chainsmoke cigarettes and drink coffee all night, staring out across the dead, empty desert.
Over time, I worked my way up. Things started to get more interesting when a job offer arrived in my email one freezing cold winter’s morning. This is what it said.
“Mr. Chase,
“I am the head of security for a private group of entrepreneurs and investors. Through some mutual contacts, I have heard of your professionalism and experience. We are currently putting together a small crew to guard a private event on [REDACTED] Island out in the Pacific Ocean that will run from January 9th to January 26th. Would you be interested in this job? The pay rate is $900 a day.
“Once you are on the island, it will be impossible to leave until the period of employment has ended. If you are interested, please respond to this email as soon as possible.
“Sincerely,
“Mario Antonin, Head of Security.”
I was working piecemeal jobs like this one at the time, but none of them were paying that well. At most, I would usually get $350 to $500 a day, which was still good money when I was working seven days a week until the job finished. I instantly responded and said that yes, I was interested. In response, they sent me a non-disclosure agreement that was the size of a small novel that I had to sign.
That was how I found myself on a private jet, flying out to an island in the middle of the vast blue ocean. I was never told the coordinates of the island or saw it on a map. It was all kept very secret.
A few hours later, we landed on a private airstrip. I looked out the window of the jet, seeing the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean stretching off to the horizon in every direction. Below me stood an island with palm trees and sandy white beaches. An enormous Victorian mansion loomed directly in the center of it all. The mansion was painted black and looked like something straight out of a horror movie. It had no windows, and the turrets spiraled into blade-like points.
That was my first inkling that something might not be quite right about this trip.
***
As the stairs from the private jet descended, I looked out on this strange new world. Employees waited to greet us, looking like beaten dogs. Some had their heads down, their eyes blankly scanning the ground. Most of them were women wearing red dresses, reminding me of stewardesses on a plane. The jet strip was surrounded by palm trees and tropical brush. The chirping of insects sounded all around us, high and resonant.
I saw a strange patch engraved on all of the employees’ uniforms and jackets. It looked almost like a stick figure drawing of a man, the bottom of its body ending in a C. Its arms were long and jointed, almost spidery. Three symbols like repeated iron crosses connected to the left side of its body in a line. I wondered if it was the logo of some company. I put it out of my mind for now, but I would see that symbol again all over the island, painted on the sides of the mansion and even cut into the trees with a knife. It would only be later that night that I realized its connection to Moloch.
“Good day, sir, and welcome to the Island,” the server on my left said with glassy eyes and a fake smile plastered across her face. They all looked up at once, but it was like the workers all looked through me rather than at me. Their eyes looked flat and dead, like the painted-on eyes of a doll.
“The Island, huh?” I asked, curious. “They wouldn’t tell me where I was going. They said it was a secret. Is that what you call it?” The woman just nodded, the doll-like smile never leaving her lips.
“Officially, this island is unnamed and uninhabited,” the woman said. “In fact, all traces of it have been scrubbed from the internet. You won’t find it on Google Maps or in any publicly available satellite imagery.” She leaned forward towards me with heavily mascaraed eyes and ruby-red lipstick slashed across her lips. “This is a very special place. Only very special people are allowed here. You should be honored to work here under our Savior.”
“I hope you’re talking about Jesus or something,” I said jokingly. She just smiled blankly and motioned me forward.
“Just follow that trail for a few hundred feet-” she said, pointing at an opening in the palm trees where logs were laid down horizontally over the muggy jungle- “and you’ll find the mansion. Good luck!” I thought it was a somewhat strange thing to say, wishing a random stranger good luck.
But, by the end of that night, I realized that simply to make it off this island alive, I would need lots of it.
***
I followed the woman’s directions to the back of the brutalist mansion. A heavy metal door stood there with a small bullet-proof window built in the top. A tanned, Spanish face glowered out at me then rapidly drew back and disappeared. A few heartbeats later, the door slid to the side with a grinding of hidden gears.
The head of security at the Island was a heavily-tattooed ex-Marine named Mario. He wore a dark Kevlar vest over a black outfit, making him look like a walking shadow. I found the security had their own private complex in the mansion as he showed me around the site. Hundreds of hidden cameras covered every angle of the mansion and the surrounding parts of the island. Dozens of black-clad security agents swarmed over the screens, checking the monitors and computers constantly.
“Quite a set-up you have here,” I said to Mario, nodding at him. He smacked me on the shoulder, giving a confident grin.
“Money is no issue here, Richard,” he responded. “Security is paramount. There are things on this island that could rip apart the world if they ever escaped.” I raised an eyebrow.
“Like what?” I asked. “Nuclear weapons or something?” He laughed at that.
“You’ll see for yourself tonight,” he said, his dark eyes flashing with something cold and alien.
***
Mario led me and a couple other new hired guns around the Island. The place was certainly strange. It reminded me of some combination of a secret black-ops site and a playboy billionaire’s private heaven. All of the doors in the mansion looked like they were made of thick steel. They had wheels that would spin, like those on a submarine door. The mansion also had no windows at all that I could see, except for the small, shatter-proof glass openings on the steel doors. I didn’t want to ask too many questions, however. I couldn’t resist asking him about a couple small things, however- or at least, they seemed small to me at the time.
“What are those hatchways?” I asked Mario, pointing to rectangular covers built into the concrete walkway. They had heavy handles. “Are those manholes or something?”
“There are tunnels under the Island,” he responded vaguely. “Just for maintenance and security, you understand.”
“Wow, this place is certainly… well-developed,” I said. We came out through a grove of palm trees. A stone walkway led down to a white beach. Dozens of yachts were moored all across the shore, some of them looking like they must have cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
“There’s a lot of money and power here,” Mario said. “That’s why it’s important you never talk about what you see here. These are the people who control the world, the ones behind the government and the media. Not the elected officials who the people see, but the actual power.”
“Like who?” I asked. “You mean the Rothschilds and Soros?” He laughed again, a sarcastic, grinding laugh that grated my nerves.
“Trust me, the truly powerful ones don’t even have public personas. If you know their name, then they’re just one of the puppets.” I just shook my head at that, then asked the real question that had been bothering me since I first arrived here.
“Who is the Savior?” I asked. “Is that some codename or something?” Mario froze in place.
“He’s the one who runs everything here,” he whispered conspiratorially, looking around nervously. “But don’t be mentioning that kind of shit. You’ll probably see him tonight anyway. He’s the one who runs the show. He’ll be on the stage in his normal outfit.”
***
By the end of the day, I was suited up like the rest of the security staff, wearing the pure black pants and shirt with the symbol of Moloch engraved over the heart. Hundreds of the world’s most famous politicians, actors, businessmen and artists had gathered, streaming in the front doors with a soft, diffident susurration.
I stood by the open doorway of a side exit with an AR-15 and full body armor, next to one other soldier. They had also given me a sidearm. Every entrance or exit was manned by at least two armed men. The security at this place was some of the most intense I had ever seen. Beyond the door, there were rows and rows of the most comfortable seats, all gathered in a semi-circle around a massive stage made of pure mahogany. Blood-red curtains stood closed at the front of the room, concealing their secrets- for now, at least.
“Hail Satan!” I heard the elites cry inside in unison. I didn’t want to look in at the rows of high-ranking politicians, celebrities, influencers and artists, but my curiosity was high. I peeked around the corner of the stone archway, seeing the red curtains on the stage drawing apart. I saw one of my favorite actors standing in the front row, clapping excitedly and jumping up and down.
The crowd cheered as a naked female strapped to an obsidian altar lay there. She was beautiful and blonde, probably no older than twenty with the face of a supermodel. Her mouth was gagged, her arms outstretched like Jesus on the cross. Thin leather cords were tied around her wrists and ankles, biting deeply into the skin. Her eyes rolled wildly as she shook her head from side to side. She froze, and her eyes met mine for a brief moment. I saw the pleading expression there, the mortal terror and absolute horror.
A man in a goat mask wearing black robes slunk out from the side of the stage, carrying a wavy silver dagger engraved with strange symbols. The crowd erupted into a primal roar of pleasure and excitement that sounded like it came from one monstrous mouth.
“Worthy is the Lamb!” the man in the goat mask screamed with electronic amplification. He had a deep voice, as if he had rocks rolling around in his throat. The crowd roared and clapped. Scattered cries of “Hail Lucifer!” and “Ave Satanas!” echoed down the massive auditorium.
“Hey, pay attention,” the other security agent at my side said in a thick Finnish accent. He was a tall Scandinavian-looking guy named Kolmek. “You’re not getting paid to watch the show, new guy.” I tried to rip my gaze away from the stage, but it held my attention with an obsessive horror.
“The burnt bones of children and women have been offered to the ancient ones, to Moloch,” the man on the stage cried. “Under our feet, the burnt bodies of hundreds lay dreaming. This victim will be the 666th. Her blood will bring about the Gnosis that we seek, the direct experience of the divine held by the gods, by Lucifer and Moloch and Baal…” The roaring of the crowd temporarily drowned out his electronically-magnified voice. “Tonight, we will rip open the veil!”
I had stopped watching the show, instead staring blankly out at the beach and palm trees. At that moment, another black-clad security agent came up to my partner, whispered something in his ear, then immediately disappeared, heading off back in the direction of the main security office. Kolmek shook his head grimly.
“I’ll be right back,” he said. “Stay right here. Don’t move from this door no matter what. And pay attention.” I nodded and watched as he walked off in the same direction.
I immediately took the opportunity to continue watching the ceremony. I had missed something important, apparently. The woman now laid dead on the sacrificial table, a gaping hole in her chest. Blood spurted from the crater as the man in the goat mask held her beating heart grasped tightly in his hand, letting the blood stream down his naked fingers. The crowd cheered with a rising bloodlust and insanity. Most of them were standing, their eyes gleaming and wide with fanatical adoration. The entire spectacle reminded me of some kind of ancient Aztec ritual.
As the woman’s sightless eyes stared vacantly up in death, the man in a goat mask pulled out a can of gasoline. The clear liquid gurgled as he up-ended the canister over her pale, bloodless face, over her naked stomach and long legs. A moment later, he lit a match and dropped it. I heard the whooshing of the flames as they rose up.
The crowd went deathly silent as they watched the rippling flames. The man in the goat mask began chanting in some strange language I had never heard before. It sounded Semitic, but I knew it wasn’t Arabic or Hebrew. I felt something like electricity ripple through the air, almost like a feeling of falling pressure before a storm. I looked down at the hairs on my arms, seeing them rise up. I looked back up at the stage, and my eyes widened in horror.
The flaming body of the sacrificial victim had started to morph before my eyes and the eyes of the crowd. The dripping, blackening flesh jumped up and down, as if there were rats trapped in her body trying to escape the fire. There was a deafening hissing as if thousands of snakes were being burned alive.
The dead woman’s arms jerked up, the skin splitting open as if she had seams running along her skin. Something dark and muscular with curving, black talons ripped its way out of the dead, burning flesh. Behind it, a head appeared with long, curving horns and eyes that spun with whorls of fire. It looked like the offspring of a bull and a demon. Its imposing body rose up from the inferno, appearing like magic from the solid stone. It raised itself to its full height, looming over the crowd. The last of the woman’s blood hissed and boiled away, her flesh dissolving into ashes.
“Behold, Moloch rises!” the man in the goat mask screamed in a fanatical voice. The crowd’s cheering had stopped, though. Many of the faces in the crowd looked chalk-white with terror. The bull-god surveyed the crowd, its horns nearly scraping the ceiling twenty feet above the stage.
At that moment, I knew death was on its way with eyes of fire and a grin like a skull, ready to reap a field of human bodies.
***
I heard running behind me, but I didn’t dare turn away from the horrific sight in front of me. The last of the fire’s embers died, sending up thin wisps of gray smoke that spiraled around the bull-god’s monstrous face. Moloch stood as still as a statue, and if it weren’t for one thing, I might’ve thought it was some sort of sculpture or art project. He had two nostrils like a serpent’s. As his great lungs inhaled, the smoke billowed in and out of his mouth and nose.
Some of the people at the edges of the crowd had gotten up, hurrying towards the doors. Moloch’s head ratcheted to face them, his fiery eyes narrowing into slits.
“Do not leave!” the man in the goat mask pleaded. “Those who have fear are not worthy of life. Do not prove yourselves unworthy of life!” As the first of the fleeing men and women got to within a few steps of the door, Moloch gave a primal roar. In a blur of primal strength, he reached down and ripped the blackened sacrificial altar off the stage. It ripped from the wooden stage with a tremendous crack like a bullwhip. He hurled the heavy mass of stone at those heading towards the opposite exit from the one I guarded.
I watched it curve through the air. The people started screaming and clawing to escape as it smashed down on their heads with a grating crash. I could feel the floor shake from where I stood outside. Blood exploded from their smashed bodies. I saw arms and legs jerking and seizing under the heavy stone, but within a few moments, they slowed and then stopped.
Others were running towards the door I guarded, but Moloch leapt off the stage in a blur. In a few bounding steps, he reached the pale, terrified faces on the other side of the threshold. His massive clawed hand came down. I heard bones shatter as blood sprayed my face and the wall. Bone splinters and pieces of brain exploded from the screaming bodies. I backpedaled, wiping at my eyes, trying to get the blood off so I could see. No one had told me what to do in this situation. I didn’t know if I was supposed to shoot that massive abomination, or if this was all just part of the show.
“Richard!” a familiar voice cried from behind me. Panic oozed from every word. I spun, seeing Mario and Kolmek standing side by side, their pupils dilated and expressions grim.
“We have a major problem.” It was Mario. I recognized that voice, the one that sounded as if he had been gargling with rocks.
“I know,” I said, holding my rifle tightly. I pointed behind me at the scene of rampant death and destruction.
I had seen bloodshed and war before, but this was different. The Island itself seemed to feel it. The wind, which had been calm when I first landed, now whipped the Island in fast, circular currents. The breeze smelled of burnt matches and coppery blood. The static electricity which had caused the hairs on my arms to rise rippled over everything with tiny blue flashes, increasing in power by the second.
“No, no, not Moloch,” Kolmek said, looking much calmer than I felt. “The Savior lets Moloch thin the herd every year.”
“It’s Leviathan,” Mario continued grimly, “the beast from the waters. The smell of blood is drawing it from the depths of the ocean. We picked up the first blips on radar a few minutes ago. When it gets here, it won’t stop until everything is rubble. It will kill every single person on the Island.”
“All security personnel must report to the south beach immediately,” a cool robotic voice cried out over hidden loudspeakers all over the Island. The screaming from the auditorium had quieted behind me. I was afraid to look inside.
“There it is,” Kolmek said, his head jerking up as the emergency alert read. He motioned for me to follow. “It’s time to fight.”
***
We sprinted over curving trails of smooth logs between deathly quiet forests. All the insects and birds had gone silent. Ahead of us, the palm trees opened up onto the Pacific Ocean. But it was no longer a beautiful tropical blue. A black, swirling whirlpool like an ulcerous wound had opened up on its surface. It stretched hundreds of feet across, drawing closer to the shore by the second. Dead fish, sharks, dolphins, squids and even whales spun in the filthy, dark water.
Twenty black-clad security agents waited for the three of us on the beach, their eyes wide, their faces pale with terror. Like myself, they all had AR-15s and Glock 22s with extra magazines for both. I guess the Glock might be useful for blowing my brains out as a last resort if some beast from Hell rose out of the simmering waters, but I didn’t think it would stop anything from another dimension.
The clouds swirled overhead in a thick curtain as black as smoke. Flashes of blue lightning detonated every couple seconds. Mario raised his hands, screaming over the roaring of the wind. Kolmek stood by my side, his face grim and eyes narrowed.
“Your job is to fight off anything that tries to get on the Island,” he said, looking from one face to another with rapt attention. “Nothing can stand against high-caliber rifle fire. Shoot at the face and eyes when it comes up. We’ve dealt with creatures like this before, and they will retreat if you injure them badly enough.” I had the sense of being fed a line of bullshit as my mind processed this.
“What exactly is coming up?” one of the doe-eyed security men asked. He barely looked old enough to drink, a young, muscular hulk with a Marine Corps tattoo on his neck.
“They call it Leviathan,” Mario responded. “Sometimes the rituals here and the smell of blood can draw… strange things. Leviathan is one of those. We have encountered it before. The most important thing to remember is…” His voice was suddenly drowned out by a terrible cacophony that came from the center of the black whirlpool.
A screech like the detonation of a nuclear missile shook the ground. The ocean jumped and bubbled frantically. The beach heaved and cracked, the white sands disappearing in fissures that opened up like greedy mouths underneath my feet. I lost my balance, falling forwards. The screeching continued rising into a primal roar.
A green dragon head the color of an infected wound erupted from the surface of the thrashing water, rising up dozens of feet in the air. It had two enormous slitted eyes that dilated and constricted quickly as it glowered down at us. The screeching abruptly stopped, the pointed mouth of the dragon slamming shut with a sound like a gunshot.
Within moments, another cancerous green head shot up in a blur, its skin looking as hard as stone. Ridges that looked as sharp as swords ran the length of its reptilian skull, arcing over its eyes and pointed snout. More heads erupted from the ocean until all seven heads of Leviathan loomed over us.
Not one of us fired. No one even seemed to breathe as we surveyed the beast across the no-man’s land of the white sands. The slitted eyes and yellow irises of the seven heads had a demonic hunger, a reptilian coldness. Far behind us, I heard distant screams still echoing from the auditorium where Moloch held sway.
“Fire!” Mario cried. Instantly, a cacophony of gunshots exploded all around me. I jumped up on my feet, scrambling up as the seven-headed dragon leapt forward. Thousands of gallons of saltwater streamed down its massive body as it came up on the beach. Long, black paws with bone-white talons shot out of the surging ocean, followed by a tapering tail like that of a water snake.
I brought the rifle up and emptied my magazine as fast as I could, pulling the trigger over and over as I aimed at the many slitted eyes of Leviathan. But the bullets seemed to ping harmlessly off of its hard, obsidian-like scales.
It scrabbled onto the shore, the heads coming down in a blur. Rows and rows of vampiric fangs gleamed dully in each of the mouths. One security agent was bitten in half, the spurting stump of his lower body still standing for a long moment even as the rest of the body disappeared down the throat of the dragon.
Mario ran forwards, slamming another magazine in his rifle and opening fire point-blank. One of the heads came down in a blur towards him. Its great, staring eyes exploded in a shower of blue blood and thick vitreous fluid. The dragon head pulled back, its mouth opening in a primal scream of agony.
As I reloaded, I scanned the area around me, realizing that nearly half of the security agents were either dead or critically injured. I backpedaled away, keeping my eyes on the dragon. It continuously drew forward, killing more of its enemies with every step. I turned and ran into the forest, the sounds of shattering bones and dying men ringing through the air with a sickening clarity behind me.
Once I had reached the border of the trail, I heard Mario yell, “Retreat!” behind me. But by that point, it was far too late.
***
“Hey! Wait up!” a voice whispered from behind me. I turned my head, seeing Kolmek. Spatters of drying blood covered his face and uniform. As far as I could tell, none of it was his. “Mario’s dead. They’re all dead. We need to get out of here. We need to get off the Island.”
“How?” I asked.
“Find the Savior,” he answered, panting and out of breath. “We must find him. He can get us out of here.”
“I don’t even know what the guy looks like,” I muttered. “He was wearing a goat mask.”
“You’ll know him when you see him,” Kolmek said. “His body is covered in scars. Everything except his face. Stay close to me. We need to watch each other’s backs. It’s our only chance of survival.”
***
A trail of twisted, broken bodies led from the mansion to the surrounding trails and beaches. A decapitated woman with solid gold necklaces embedded with diamonds lay in front of me. It was strange on the Island, the way oblivion and ineffable wealth coexisted side by side. But everything was deathly silent, even in the mansion’s auditorium.
“Where’s the Savior?” I asked through gritted teeth. I peeked my head into the auditorium, but nothing moved. Hundreds of smashed and bloody bodies littered the floor.
“He’s around somewhere,” Kolmek answered. We started circling the mansion, looking for any signs of life. Kolmek went in the lead. As he turned the corner, an enormous black hand with sharp claws of fingers flitted forward in a blur, wrapping itself around his chest. Kolmek gave a strangled cry as it closed around him. I heard his bones crush as a spout of blood and gore flew from his mouth and nose, as if he were a toothpaste tube being squeezed.
I backpedaled away as Moloch threw the twitching corpse aside like a discarded toy. It smashed into the wall of the mansion, exploding wetly. A human-shaped, bloody stain languidly dripped down the wall above Kolmek’s mangled body.
Moloch slowly turned his head towards me, the fiery eyes flashing with hunger. He gnashed his fangs together, taking a step forward with a leg the size and shape of a tree trunk. With every step he took, I felt the ground tremble.
“Stop!” I cried, moving away from the monstrous creature. “Why are you doing this?”
“There is no why,” he gurgled, his voice monstrous and inhumanly slow. “There is only power. The weak deserve to die. Only the strong are worthy of life.” I raised my rifle in a last-ditch effort to save myself. Moloch saw it and started running towards me, every footstep crushing the paved walkway around the mansion into rubble and dust.
I aimed for his eyes and nose, emptying the entire magazine as quickly as I could. The bullets smashed into Moloch’s face. Dark red, clotted blood dripped out of the wounds, writhing with maggots. Drops of it fell around me, landing on my hair and face. I felt the small larvae twisting all over my skin. Moloch’s blood smelled nauseating, like some combination of stinkbugs and rotting bodies. He slowed, giving a roar of pain. I turned to run in the opposite direction, but as I looked out in the direction of the beach, my heart dropped.
Leviathan was moving in our direction, the giant dragon heads looming over the trees. Quickly, it swept towards me like a dark wind.
***
“You will suffer for that, worthless slave,” Moloch growled, wiping blood from his fiery eyes with his sharp talons of fingers. A sudden idea came to me. I ran in the direction of Leviathan. Moloch followed closely at my heels, only a few steps behind me.
Leviathan slithered forward over the sands and trees, its enormous body undulating like a water snake’s. I screamed at it, an incomprehensible wail of terror. Its seven heads snapped towards me. Its slitted eyes widened as it saw Moloch.
I heard the crashing of Moloch’s footsteps stop behind me, only feet away from crushing me into a paste. His massive lungs breathed quickly, exhaling the odor of sulfur and smoke.
“Leviathan,” Moloch growled in his demonic voice. “These are my tributes.” Leviathan’s dragon heads looked straight up at the Sun and screamed in response, their many voices rising and falling in a dissonant wail. As I sprinted into the trees, Leviathan and Moloch ran at each other, colliding with an ear-splitting crash. I glanced back, seeing Moloch ripping one of the dragon heads off its neck with his sharp fingers. The head screamed as blue blood exploded from the spurting stump. After a long moment, the neck fell limply forward.
The other dragon heads bit Moloch in a unified attack. They ripped deep holes in his shoulders and arms, snapping over and over like rabid dogs. As the two eldritch monstrosities attacked each other in fierce combat, I lost sight of them, but the sounds of fighting echoed over the entire island, crashing like lightning.
***
I felt like the survivor of an Apocalypse. I couldn’t find a single other living person on the Island. Hundreds of crushed, broken and decapitated bodies surrounded me. Over the cacophony of fighting, I heard a new noise: the whirring of helicopter blades nearby. It was coming from the other side of the mansion.
Frantically, I sprinted around the other side, seeing a Black Hawk helicopter getting ready to leave. A man in black robes sat at the pilot’s seat, his green eyes gleaming and a wide smile plastered across his face. I smashed my fist into the door over and over until he opened it.
“Holy shit, you’re still alive?” he asked. I hadn’t seen this man before. He had a face like a Calvin Klein model, all sharp angles and high cheekbones, perfectly proportioned in every way. But his scalp looked melted and scarred, as if someone had thrown gasoline on his hair and ignited it. His ears were stunted, twisted growths of scar tissue. His hands, too, were covered in deep, folding burn scars.
“Are you the Savior?” I responded quickly. “Please, get me out of here.”
“They do call me that,” he said wistfully. “The Savior. Yes, I guess I am. Get in.”
***
The Savior stared at me with his strange green eyes, the color of swamps where monstrous things swam under the surface.
“Some people just need to learn the hard way,” he said. The helicopter took off into a dark night covered with bright, twinkling stars. “There is no great power without great responsibility, after all. Those of us who seek the ancient ones know it comes with a cost.” I just stared out the window, gazing down at the countless mutilated, broken bodies that littered the beach.
Below us, the face of a bull stared up with eyes of fiery cyclones. The broken, still body of Leviathan lay at his feet. As we made it over the great waters of the Pacific Ocean, the bull-god raised a hand and waved. At that moment, I thought I could almost see a hurricane of translucent souls circling around him, spiraling up into the sky.

After high school, having no better ideas, I joined the Navy SEALs. I never really liked any of it, but it was a job, after all. I loved the guns and airplanes and grenades, but having to run all the time while some scumbag with a chip on his shoulder yells in my face isn’t my idea of fun.
Things got a lot more interesting after my term of service ended. I still had a high-security clearance, so I used it to take temporary jobs as a mercenary, a hired gun. I did some stints in Iraq with Blackwater, where they set me out in the middle of the desert. A watchtower and oil refinery loomed over the burning sands. Along with a few other guys, they told us, “Guard this area with your life.” While better than the SEALs, working for Blackwater was extremely boring. The other mercenaries and I would mostly just chainsmoke cigarettes and drink coffee all night, staring out across the dead, empty desert.
Over time, I worked my way up. Things started to get more interesting when a job offer arrived in my email one freezing cold winter’s morning. This is what it said.
“Mr. Chase,
“I am the head of security for a private group of entrepreneurs and investors. Through some mutual contacts, I have heard of your professionalism and experience. We are currently putting together a small crew to guard a private event on [REDACTED] Island out in the Pacific Ocean that will run from January 9th to January 26th. Would you be interested in this job? The pay rate is $900 a day.
“Once you are on the island, it will be impossible to leave until the period of employment has ended. If you are interested, please respond to this email as soon as possible.
“Sincerely,
“Mario Antonin, Head of Security.”
I was working piecemeal jobs like this one at the time, but none of them were paying that well. At most, I would usually get $350 to $500 a day, which was still good money when I was working seven days a week until the job finished. I instantly responded and said that yes, I was interested. In response, they sent me a non-disclosure agreement that was the size of a small novel that I had to sign.
That was how I found myself on a private jet, flying out to an island in the middle of the vast blue ocean. I was never told the coordinates of the island or saw it on a map. It was all kept very secret.
A few hours later, we landed on a private airstrip. I looked out the window of the jet, seeing the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean stretching off to the horizon in every direction. Below me stood an island with palm trees and sandy white beaches. An enormous Victorian mansion loomed directly in the center of it all. The mansion was painted black and looked like something straight out of a horror movie. It had no windows, and the turrets spiraled into blade-like points.
That was my first inkling that something might not be quite right about this trip.
***
As the stairs from the private jet descended, I looked out on this strange new world. Employees waited to greet us, looking like beaten dogs. Some had their heads down, their eyes blankly scanning the ground. Most of them were women wearing red dresses, reminding me of stewardesses on a plane. The jet strip was surrounded by palm trees and tropical brush. The chirping of insects sounded all around us, high and resonant.
I saw a strange patch engraved on all of the employees’ uniforms and jackets. It looked almost like a stick figure drawing of a man, the bottom of its body ending in a C. Its arms were long and jointed, almost spidery. Three symbols like repeated iron crosses connected to the left side of its body in a line. I wondered if it was the logo of some company. I put it out of my mind for now, but I would see that symbol again all over the island, painted on the sides of the mansion and even cut into the trees with a knife. It would only be later that night that I realized its connection to Moloch.
“Good day, sir, and welcome to the Island,” the server on my left said with glassy eyes and a fake smile plastered across her face. They all looked up at once, but it was like the workers all looked through me rather than at me. Their eyes looked flat and dead, like the painted-on eyes of a doll.
“The Island, huh?” I asked, curious. “They wouldn’t tell me where I was going. They said it was a secret. Is that what you call it?” The woman just nodded, the doll-like smile never leaving her lips.
“Officially, this island is unnamed and uninhabited,” the woman said. “In fact, all traces of it have been scrubbed from the internet. You won’t find it on Google Maps or in any publicly available satellite imagery.” She leaned forward towards me with heavily mascaraed eyes and ruby-red lipstick slashed across her lips. “This is a very special place. Only very special people are allowed here. You should be honored to work here under our Savior.”
“I hope you’re talking about Jesus or something,” I said jokingly. She just smiled blankly and motioned me forward.
“Just follow that trail for a few hundred feet-” she said, pointing at an opening in the palm trees where logs were laid down horizontally over the muggy jungle- “and you’ll find the mansion. Good luck!” I thought it was a somewhat strange thing to say, wishing a random stranger good luck.
But, by the end of that night, I realized that simply to make it off this island alive, I would need lots of it.
***
I followed the woman’s directions to the back of the brutalist mansion. A heavy metal door stood there with a small bullet-proof window built in the top. A tanned, Spanish face glowered out at me then rapidly drew back and disappeared. A few heartbeats later, the door slid to the side with a grinding of hidden gears.
The head of security at the Island was a heavily-tattooed ex-Marine named Mario. He wore a dark Kevlar vest over a black outfit, making him look like a walking shadow. I found the security had their own private complex in the mansion as he showed me around the site. Hundreds of hidden cameras covered every angle of the mansion and the surrounding parts of the island. Dozens of black-clad security agents swarmed over the screens, checking the monitors and computers constantly.
“Quite a set-up you have here,” I said to Mario, nodding at him. He smacked me on the shoulder, giving a confident grin.
“Money is no issue here, Richard,” he responded. “Security is paramount. There are things on this island that could rip apart the world if they ever escaped.” I raised an eyebrow.
“Like what?” I asked. “Nuclear weapons or something?” He laughed at that.
“You’ll see for yourself tonight,” he said, his dark eyes flashing with something cold and alien.
***
Mario led me and a couple other new hired guns around the Island. The place was certainly strange. It reminded me of some combination of a secret black-ops site and a playboy billionaire’s private heaven. All of the doors in the mansion looked like they were made of thick steel. They had wheels that would spin, like those on a submarine door. The mansion also had no windows at all that I could see, except for the small, shatter-proof glass openings on the steel doors. I didn’t want to ask too many questions, however. I couldn’t resist asking him about a couple small things, however- or at least, they seemed small to me at the time.
“What are those hatchways?” I asked Mario, pointing to rectangular covers built into the concrete walkway. They had heavy handles. “Are those manholes or something?”
“There are tunnels under the Island,” he responded vaguely. “Just for maintenance and security, you understand.”
“Wow, this place is certainly… well-developed,” I said. We came out through a grove of palm trees. A stone walkway led down to a white beach. Dozens of yachts were moored all across the shore, some of them looking like they must have cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
“There’s a lot of money and power here,” Mario said. “That’s why it’s important you never talk about what you see here. These are the people who control the world, the ones behind the government and the media. Not the elected officials who the people see, but the actual power.”
“Like who?” I asked. “You mean the Rothschilds and Soros?” He laughed again, a sarcastic, grinding laugh that grated my nerves.
“Trust me, the truly powerful ones don’t even have public personas. If you know their name, then they’re just one of the puppets.” I just shook my head at that, then asked the real question that had been bothering me since I first arrived here.
“Who is the Savior?” I asked. “Is that some codename or something?” Mario froze in place.
“He’s the one who runs everything here,” he whispered conspiratorially, looking around nervously. “But don’t be mentioning that kind of shit. You’ll probably see him tonight anyway. He’s the one who runs the show. He’ll be on the stage in his normal outfit.”
***
By the end of the day, I was suited up like the rest of the security staff, wearing the pure black pants and shirt with the symbol of Moloch engraved over the heart. Hundreds of the world’s most famous politicians, actors, businessmen and artists had gathered, streaming in the front doors with a soft, diffident susurration.
I stood by the open doorway of a side exit with an AR-15 and full body armor, next to one other soldier. They had also given me a sidearm. Every entrance or exit was manned by at least two armed men. The security at this place was some of the most intense I had ever seen. Beyond the door, there were rows and rows of the most comfortable seats, all gathered in a semi-circle around a massive stage made of pure mahogany. Blood-red curtains stood closed at the front of the room, concealing their secrets- for now, at least.
“Hail Satan!” I heard the elites cry inside in unison. I didn’t want to look in at the rows of high-ranking politicians, celebrities, influencers and artists, but my curiosity was high. I peeked around the corner of the stone archway, seeing the red curtains on the stage drawing apart. I saw one of my favorite actors standing in the front row, clapping excitedly and jumping up and down.
The crowd cheered as a naked female strapped to an obsidian altar lay there. She was beautiful and blonde, probably no older than twenty with the face of a supermodel. Her mouth was gagged, her arms outstretched like Jesus on the cross. Thin leather cords were tied around her wrists and ankles, biting deeply into the skin. Her eyes rolled wildly as she shook her head from side to side. She froze, and her eyes met mine for a brief moment. I saw the pleading expression there, the mortal terror and absolute horror.
A man in a goat mask wearing black robes slunk out from the side of the stage, carrying a wavy silver dagger engraved with strange symbols. The crowd erupted into a primal roar of pleasure and excitement that sounded like it came from one monstrous mouth.
“Worthy is the Lamb!” the man in the goat mask screamed with electronic amplification. He had a deep voice, as if he had rocks rolling around in his throat. The crowd roared and clapped. Scattered cries of “Hail Lucifer!” and “Ave Satanas!” echoed down the massive auditorium.
“Hey, pay attention,” the other security agent at my side said in a thick Finnish accent. He was a tall Scandinavian-looking guy named Kolmek. “You’re not getting paid to watch the show, new guy.” I tried to rip my gaze away from the stage, but it held my attention with an obsessive horror.
“The burnt bones of children and women have been offered to the ancient ones, to Moloch,” the man on the stage cried. “Under our feet, the burnt bodies of hundreds lay dreaming. This victim will be the 666th. Her blood will bring about the Gnosis that we seek, the direct experience of the divine held by the gods, by Lucifer and Moloch and Baal…” The roaring of the crowd temporarily drowned out his electronically-magnified voice. “Tonight, we will rip open the veil!”
I had stopped watching the show, instead staring blankly out at the beach and palm trees. At that moment, another black-clad security agent came up to my partner, whispered something in his ear, then immediately disappeared, heading off back in the direction of the main security office. Kolmek shook his head grimly.
“I’ll be right back,” he said. “Stay right here. Don’t move from this door no matter what. And pay attention.” I nodded and watched as he walked off in the same direction.
I immediately took the opportunity to continue watching the ceremony. I had missed something important, apparently. The woman now laid dead on the sacrificial table, a gaping hole in her chest. Blood spurted from the crater as the man in the goat mask held her beating heart grasped tightly in his hand, letting the blood stream down his naked fingers. The crowd cheered with a rising bloodlust and insanity. Most of them were standing, their eyes gleaming and wide with fanatical adoration. The entire spectacle reminded me of some kind of ancient Aztec ritual.
As the woman’s sightless eyes stared vacantly up in death, the man in a goat mask pulled out a can of gasoline. The clear liquid gurgled as he up-ended the canister over her pale, bloodless face, over her naked stomach and long legs. A moment later, he lit a match and dropped it. I heard the whooshing of the flames as they rose up.
The crowd went deathly silent as they watched the rippling flames. The man in the goat mask began chanting in some strange language I had never heard before. It sounded Semitic, but I knew it wasn’t Arabic or Hebrew. I felt something like electricity ripple through the air, almost like a feeling of falling pressure before a storm. I looked down at the hairs on my arms, seeing them rise up. I looked back up at the stage, and my eyes widened in horror.
The flaming body of the sacrificial victim had started to morph before my eyes and the eyes of the crowd. The dripping, blackening flesh jumped up and down, as if there were rats trapped in her body trying to escape the fire. There was a deafening hissing as if thousands of snakes were being burned alive.
The dead woman’s arms jerked up, the skin splitting open as if she had seams running along her skin. Something dark and muscular with curving, black talons ripped its way out of the dead, burning flesh. Behind it, a head appeared with long, curving horns and eyes that spun with whorls of fire. It looked like the offspring of a bull and a demon. Its imposing body rose up from the inferno, appearing like magic from the solid stone. It raised itself to its full height, looming over the crowd. The last of the woman’s blood hissed and boiled away, her flesh dissolving into ashes.
“Behold, Moloch rises!” the man in the goat mask screamed in a fanatical voice. The crowd’s cheering had stopped, though. Many of the faces in the crowd looked chalk-white with terror. The bull-god surveyed the crowd, its horns nearly scraping the ceiling twenty feet above the stage.
At that moment, I knew death was on its way with eyes of fire and a grin like a skull, ready to reap a field of human bodies.
***
I heard running behind me, but I didn’t dare turn away from the horrific sight in front of me. The last of the fire’s embers died, sending up thin wisps of gray smoke that spiraled around the bull-god’s monstrous face. Moloch stood as still as a statue, and if it weren’t for one thing, I might’ve thought it was some sort of sculpture or art project. He had two nostrils like a serpent’s. As his great lungs inhaled, the smoke billowed in and out of his mouth and nose.
Some of the people at the edges of the crowd had gotten up, hurrying towards the doors. Moloch’s head ratcheted to face them, his fiery eyes narrowing into slits.
“Do not leave!” the man in the goat mask pleaded. “Those who have fear are not worthy of life. Do not prove yourselves unworthy of life!” As the first of the fleeing men and women got to within a few steps of the door, Moloch gave a primal roar. In a blur of primal strength, he reached down and ripped the blackened sacrificial altar off the stage. It ripped from the wooden stage with a tremendous crack like a bullwhip. He hurled the heavy mass of stone at those heading towards the opposite exit from the one I guarded.
I watched it curve through the air. The people started screaming and clawing to escape as it smashed down on their heads with a grating crash. I could feel the floor shake from where I stood outside. Blood exploded from their smashed bodies. I saw arms and legs jerking and seizing under the heavy stone, but within a few moments, they slowed and then stopped.
Others were running towards the door I guarded, but Moloch leapt off the stage in a blur. In a few bounding steps, he reached the pale, terrified faces on the other side of the threshold. His massive clawed hand came down. I heard bones shatter as blood sprayed my face and the wall. Bone splinters and pieces of brain exploded from the screaming bodies. I backpedaled, wiping at my eyes, trying to get the blood off so I could see. No one had told me what to do in this situation. I didn’t know if I was supposed to shoot that massive abomination, or if this was all just part of the show.
“Richard!” a familiar voice cried from behind me. Panic oozed from every word. I spun, seeing Mario and Kolmek standing side by side, their pupils dilated and expressions grim.
“We have a major problem.” It was Mario. I recognized that voice, the one that sounded as if he had been gargling with rocks.
“I know,” I said, holding my rifle tightly. I pointed behind me at the scene of rampant death and destruction.
I had seen bloodshed and war before, but this was different. The Island itself seemed to feel it. The wind, which had been calm when I first landed, now whipped the Island in fast, circular currents. The breeze smelled of burnt matches and coppery blood. The static electricity which had caused the hairs on my arms to rise rippled over everything with tiny blue flashes, increasing in power by the second.
“No, no, not Moloch,” Kolmek said, looking much calmer than I felt. “The Savior lets Moloch thin the herd every year.”
“It’s Leviathan,” Mario continued grimly, “the beast from the waters. The smell of blood is drawing it from the depths of the ocean. We picked up the first blips on radar a few minutes ago. When it gets here, it won’t stop until everything is rubble. It will kill every single person on the Island.”
“All security personnel must report to the south beach immediately,” a cool robotic voice cried out over hidden loudspeakers all over the Island. The screaming from the auditorium had quieted behind me. I was afraid to look inside.
“There it is,” Kolmek said, his head jerking up as the emergency alert read. He motioned for me to follow. “It’s time to fight.”
***
We sprinted over curving trails of smooth logs between deathly quiet forests. All the insects and birds had gone silent. Ahead of us, the palm trees opened up onto the Pacific Ocean. But it was no longer a beautiful tropical blue. A black, swirling whirlpool like an ulcerous wound had opened up on its surface. It stretched hundreds of feet across, drawing closer to the shore by the second. Dead fish, sharks, dolphins, squids and even whales spun in the filthy, dark water.
Twenty black-clad security agents waited for the three of us on the beach, their eyes wide, their faces pale with terror. Like myself, they all had AR-15s and Glock 22s with extra magazines for both. I guess the Glock might be useful for blowing my brains out as a last resort if some beast from Hell rose out of the simmering waters, but I didn’t think it would stop anything from another dimension.
The clouds swirled overhead in a thick curtain as black as smoke. Flashes of blue lightning detonated every couple seconds. Mario raised his hands, screaming over the roaring of the wind. Kolmek stood by my side, his face grim and eyes narrowed.
“Your job is to fight off anything that tries to get on the Island,” he said, looking from one face to another with rapt attention. “Nothing can stand against high-caliber rifle fire. Shoot at the face and eyes when it comes up. We’ve dealt with creatures like this before, and they will retreat if you injure them badly enough.” I had the sense of being fed a line of bullshit as my mind processed this.
“What exactly is coming up?” one of the doe-eyed security men asked. He barely looked old enough to drink, a young, muscular hulk with a Marine Corps tattoo on his neck.
“They call it Leviathan,” Mario responded. “Sometimes the rituals here and the smell of blood can draw… strange things. Leviathan is one of those. We have encountered it before. The most important thing to remember is…” His voice was suddenly drowned out by a terrible cacophony that came from the center of the black whirlpool.
A screech like the detonation of a nuclear missile shook the ground. The ocean jumped and bubbled frantically. The beach heaved and cracked, the white sands disappearing in fissures that opened up like greedy mouths underneath my feet. I lost my balance, falling forwards. The screeching continued rising into a primal roar.
A green dragon head the color of an infected wound erupted from the surface of the thrashing water, rising up dozens of feet in the air. It had two enormous slitted eyes that dilated and constricted quickly as it glowered down at us. The screeching abruptly stopped, the pointed mouth of the dragon slamming shut with a sound like a gunshot.
Within moments, another cancerous green head shot up in a blur, its skin looking as hard as stone. Ridges that looked as sharp as swords ran the length of its reptilian skull, arcing over its eyes and pointed snout. More heads erupted from the ocean until all seven heads of Leviathan loomed over us.
Not one of us fired. No one even seemed to breathe as we surveyed the beast across the no-man’s land of the white sands. The slitted eyes and yellow irises of the seven heads had a demonic hunger, a reptilian coldness. Far behind us, I heard distant screams still echoing from the auditorium where Moloch held sway.
“Fire!” Mario cried. Instantly, a cacophony of gunshots exploded all around me. I jumped up on my feet, scrambling up as the seven-headed dragon leapt forward. Thousands of gallons of saltwater streamed down its massive body as it came up on the beach. Long, black paws with bone-white talons shot out of the surging ocean, followed by a tapering tail like that of a water snake.
I brought the rifle up and emptied my magazine as fast as I could, pulling the trigger over and over as I aimed at the many slitted eyes of Leviathan. But the bullets seemed to ping harmlessly off of its hard, obsidian-like scales.
It scrabbled onto the shore, the heads coming down in a blur. Rows and rows of vampiric fangs gleamed dully in each of the mouths. One security agent was bitten in half, the spurting stump of his lower body still standing for a long moment even as the rest of the body disappeared down the throat of the dragon.
Mario ran forwards, slamming another magazine in his rifle and opening fire point-blank. One of the heads came down in a blur towards him. Its great, staring eyes exploded in a shower of blue blood and thick vitreous fluid. The dragon head pulled back, its mouth opening in a primal scream of agony.
As I reloaded, I scanned the area around me, realizing that nearly half of the security agents were either dead or critically injured. I backpedaled away, keeping my eyes on the dragon. It continuously drew forward, killing more of its enemies with every step. I turned and ran into the forest, the sounds of shattering bones and dying men ringing through the air with a sickening clarity behind me.
Once I had reached the border of the trail, I heard Mario yell, “Retreat!” behind me. But by that point, it was far too late.
***
“Hey! Wait up!” a voice whispered from behind me. I turned my head, seeing Kolmek. Spatters of drying blood covered his face and uniform. As far as I could tell, none of it was his. “Mario’s dead. They’re all dead. We need to get out of here. We need to get off the Island.”
“How?” I asked.
“Find the Savior,” he answered, panting and out of breath. “We must find him. He can get us out of here.”
“I don’t even know what the guy looks like,” I muttered. “He was wearing a goat mask.”
“You’ll know him when you see him,” Kolmek said. “His body is covered in scars. Everything except his face. Stay close to me. We need to watch each other’s backs. It’s our only chance of survival.”
***
A trail of twisted, broken bodies led from the mansion to the surrounding trails and beaches. A decapitated woman with solid gold necklaces embedded with diamonds lay in front of me. It was strange on the Island, the way oblivion and ineffable wealth coexisted side by side. But everything was deathly silent, even in the mansion’s auditorium.
“Where’s the Savior?” I asked through gritted teeth. I peeked my head into the auditorium, but nothing moved. Hundreds of smashed and bloody bodies littered the floor.
“He’s around somewhere,” Kolmek answered. We started circling the mansion, looking for any signs of life. Kolmek went in the lead. As he turned the corner, an enormous black hand with sharp claws of fingers flitted forward in a blur, wrapping itself around his chest. Kolmek gave a strangled cry as it closed around him. I heard his bones crush as a spout of blood and gore flew from his mouth and nose, as if he were a toothpaste tube being squeezed.
I backpedaled away as Moloch threw the twitching corpse aside like a discarded toy. It smashed into the wall of the mansion, exploding wetly. A human-shaped, bloody stain languidly dripped down the wall above Kolmek’s mangled body.
Moloch slowly turned his head towards me, the fiery eyes flashing with hunger. He gnashed his fangs together, taking a step forward with a leg the size and shape of a tree trunk. With every step he took, I felt the ground tremble.
“Stop!” I cried, moving away from the monstrous creature. “Why are you doing this?”
“There is no why,” he gurgled, his voice monstrous and inhumanly slow. “There is only power. The weak deserve to die. Only the strong are worthy of life.” I raised my rifle in a last-ditch effort to save myself. Moloch saw it and started running towards me, every footstep crushing the paved walkway around the mansion into rubble and dust.
I aimed for his eyes and nose, emptying the entire magazine as quickly as I could. The bullets smashed into Moloch’s face. Dark red, clotted blood dripped out of the wounds, writhing with maggots. Drops of it fell around me, landing on my hair and face. I felt the small larvae twisting all over my skin. Moloch’s blood smelled nauseating, like some combination of stinkbugs and rotting bodies. He slowed, giving a roar of pain. I turned to run in the opposite direction, but as I looked out in the direction of the beach, my heart dropped.
Leviathan was moving in our direction, the giant dragon heads looming over the trees. Quickly, it swept towards me like a dark wind.
***
“You will suffer for that, worthless slave,” Moloch growled, wiping blood from his fiery eyes with his sharp talons of fingers. A sudden idea came to me. I ran in the direction of Leviathan. Moloch followed closely at my heels, only a few steps behind me.
Leviathan slithered forward over the sands and trees, its enormous body undulating like a water snake’s. I screamed at it, an incomprehensible wail of terror. Its seven heads snapped towards me. Its slitted eyes widened as it saw Moloch.
I heard the crashing of Moloch’s footsteps stop behind me, only feet away from crushing me into a paste. His massive lungs breathed quickly, exhaling the odor of sulfur and smoke.
“Leviathan,” Moloch growled in his demonic voice. “These are my tributes.” Leviathan’s dragon heads looked straight up at the Sun and screamed in response, their many voices rising and falling in a dissonant wail. As I sprinted into the trees, Leviathan and Moloch ran at each other, colliding with an ear-splitting crash. I glanced back, seeing Moloch ripping one of the dragon heads off its neck with his sharp fingers. The head screamed as blue blood exploded from the spurting stump. After a long moment, the neck fell limply forward.
The other dragon heads bit Moloch in a unified attack. They ripped deep holes in his shoulders and arms, snapping over and over like rabid dogs. As the two eldritch monstrosities attacked each other in fierce combat, I lost sight of them, but the sounds of fighting echoed over the entire island, crashing like lightning.
***
I felt like the survivor of an Apocalypse. I couldn’t find a single other living person on the Island. Hundreds of crushed, broken and decapitated bodies surrounded me. Over the cacophony of fighting, I heard a new noise: the whirring of helicopter blades nearby. It was coming from the other side of the mansion.
Frantically, I sprinted around the other side, seeing a Black Hawk helicopter getting ready to leave. A man in black robes sat at the pilot’s seat, his green eyes gleaming and a wide smile plastered across his face. I smashed my fist into the door over and over until he opened it.
“Holy shit, you’re still alive?” he asked. I hadn’t seen this man before. He had a face like a Calvin Klein model, all sharp angles and high cheekbones, perfectly proportioned in every way. But his scalp looked melted and scarred, as if someone had thrown gasoline on his hair and ignited it. His ears were stunted, twisted growths of scar tissue. His hands, too, were covered in deep, folding burn scars.
“Are you the Savior?” I responded quickly. “Please, get me out of here.”
“They do call me that,” he said wistfully. “The Savior. Yes, I guess I am. Get in.”
***
The Savior stared at me with his strange green eyes, the color of swamps where monstrous things swam under the surface.
“Some people just need to learn the hard way,” he said. The helicopter took off into a dark night covered with bright, twinkling stars. “There is no great power without great responsibility, after all. Those of us who seek the ancient ones know it comes with a cost.” I just stared out the window, gazing down at the countless mutilated, broken bodies that littered the beach.
Below us, the face of a bull stared up with eyes of fiery cyclones. The broken, still body of Leviathan lay at his feet. As we made it over the great waters of the Pacific Ocean, the bull-god raised a hand and waved. At that moment, I thought I could almost see a hurricane of translucent souls circling around him, spiraling up into the sky.

After high school, having no better ideas, I joined the Navy SEALs. I never really liked any of it, but it was a job, after all. I loved the guns and airplanes and grenades, but having to run all the time while some scumbag with a chip on his shoulder yells in my face isn’t my idea of fun.
Things got a lot more interesting after my term of service ended. I still had a high-security clearance, so I used it to take temporary jobs as a mercenary, a hired gun. I did some stints in Iraq with Blackwater, where they set me out in the middle of the desert. A watchtower and oil refinery loomed over the burning sands. Along with a few other guys, they told us, “Guard this area with your life.” While better than the SEALs, working for Blackwater was extremely boring. The other mercenaries and I would mostly just chainsmoke cigarettes and drink coffee all night, staring out across the dead, empty desert.
Over time, I worked my way up. Things started to get more interesting when a job offer arrived in my email one freezing cold winter’s morning. This is what it said.
“Mr. Chase,
“I am the head of security for a private group of entrepreneurs and investors. Through some mutual contacts, I have heard of your professionalism and experience. We are currently putting together a small crew to guard a private event on [REDACTED] Island out in the Pacific Ocean that will run from January 9th to January 26th. Would you be interested in this job? The pay rate is $900 a day.
“Once you are on the island, it will be impossible to leave until the period of employment has ended. If you are interested, please respond to this email as soon as possible.
“Sincerely,
“Mario Antonin, Head of Security.”
I was working piecemeal jobs like this one at the time, but none of them were paying that well. At most, I would usually get $350 to $500 a day, which was still good money when I was working seven days a week until the job finished. I instantly responded and said that yes, I was interested. In response, they sent me a non-disclosure agreement that was the size of a small novel that I had to sign.
That was how I found myself on a private jet, flying out to an island in the middle of the vast blue ocean. I was never told the coordinates of the island or saw it on a map. It was all kept very secret.
A few hours later, we landed on a private airstrip. I looked out the window of the jet, seeing the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean stretching off to the horizon in every direction. Below me stood an island with palm trees and sandy white beaches. An enormous Victorian mansion loomed directly in the center of it all. The mansion was painted black and looked like something straight out of a horror movie. It had no windows, and the turrets spiraled into blade-like points.
That was my first inkling that something might not be quite right about this trip.
***
As the stairs from the private jet descended, I looked out on this strange new world. Employees waited to greet us, looking like beaten dogs. Some had their heads down, their eyes blankly scanning the ground. Most of them were women wearing red dresses, reminding me of stewardesses on a plane. The jet strip was surrounded by palm trees and tropical brush. The chirping of insects sounded all around us, high and resonant.
I saw a strange patch engraved on all of the employees’ uniforms and jackets. It looked almost like a stick figure drawing of a man, the bottom of its body ending in a C. Its arms were long and jointed, almost spidery. Three symbols like repeated iron crosses connected to the left side of its body in a line. I wondered if it was the logo of some company. I put it out of my mind for now, but I would see that symbol again all over the island, painted on the sides of the mansion and even cut into the trees with a knife. It would only be later that night that I realized its connection to Moloch.
“Good day, sir, and welcome to the Island,” the server on my left said with glassy eyes and a fake smile plastered across her face. They all looked up at once, but it was like the workers all looked through me rather than at me. Their eyes looked flat and dead, like the painted-on eyes of a doll.
“The Island, huh?” I asked, curious. “They wouldn’t tell me where I was going. They said it was a secret. Is that what you call it?” The woman just nodded, the doll-like smile never leaving her lips.
“Officially, this island is unnamed and uninhabited,” the woman said. “In fact, all traces of it have been scrubbed from the internet. You won’t find it on Google Maps or in any publicly available satellite imagery.” She leaned forward towards me with heavily mascaraed eyes and ruby-red lipstick slashed across her lips. “This is a very special place. Only very special people are allowed here. You should be honored to work here under our Savior.”
“I hope you’re talking about Jesus or something,” I said jokingly. She just smiled blankly and motioned me forward.
“Just follow that trail for a few hundred feet-” she said, pointing at an opening in the palm trees where logs were laid down horizontally over the muggy jungle- “and you’ll find the mansion. Good luck!” I thought it was a somewhat strange thing to say, wishing a random stranger good luck.
But, by the end of that night, I realized that simply to make it off this island alive, I would need lots of it.
***
I followed the woman’s directions to the back of the brutalist mansion. A heavy metal door stood there with a small bullet-proof window built in the top. A tanned, Spanish face glowered out at me then rapidly drew back and disappeared. A few heartbeats later, the door slid to the side with a grinding of hidden gears.
The head of security at the Island was a heavily-tattooed ex-Marine named Mario. He wore a dark Kevlar vest over a black outfit, making him look like a walking shadow. I found the security had their own private complex in the mansion as he showed me around the site. Hundreds of hidden cameras covered every angle of the mansion and the surrounding parts of the island. Dozens of black-clad security agents swarmed over the screens, checking the monitors and computers constantly.
“Quite a set-up you have here,” I said to Mario, nodding at him. He smacked me on the shoulder, giving a confident grin.
“Money is no issue here, Richard,” he responded. “Security is paramount. There are things on this island that could rip apart the world if they ever escaped.” I raised an eyebrow.
“Like what?” I asked. “Nuclear weapons or something?” He laughed at that.
“You’ll see for yourself tonight,” he said, his dark eyes flashing with something cold and alien.
***
Mario led me and a couple other new hired guns around the Island. The place was certainly strange. It reminded me of some combination of a secret black-ops site and a playboy billionaire’s private heaven. All of the doors in the mansion looked like they were made of thick steel. They had wheels that would spin, like those on a submarine door. The mansion also had no windows at all that I could see, except for the small, shatter-proof glass openings on the steel doors. I didn’t want to ask too many questions, however. I couldn’t resist asking him about a couple small things, however- or at least, they seemed small to me at the time.
“What are those hatchways?” I asked Mario, pointing to rectangular covers built into the concrete walkway. They had heavy handles. “Are those manholes or something?”
“There are tunnels under the Island,” he responded vaguely. “Just for maintenance and security, you understand.”
“Wow, this place is certainly… well-developed,” I said. We came out through a grove of palm trees. A stone walkway led down to a white beach. Dozens of yachts were moored all across the shore, some of them looking like they must have cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
“There’s a lot of money and power here,” Mario said. “That’s why it’s important you never talk about what you see here. These are the people who control the world, the ones behind the government and the media. Not the elected officials who the people see, but the actual power.”
“Like who?” I asked. “You mean the Rothschilds and Soros?” He laughed again, a sarcastic, grinding laugh that grated my nerves.
“Trust me, the truly powerful ones don’t even have public personas. If you know their name, then they’re just one of the puppets.” I just shook my head at that, then asked the real question that had been bothering me since I first arrived here.
“Who is the Savior?” I asked. “Is that some codename or something?” Mario froze in place.
“He’s the one who runs everything here,” he whispered conspiratorially, looking around nervously. “But don’t be mentioning that kind of shit. You’ll probably see him tonight anyway. He’s the one who runs the show. He’ll be on the stage in his normal outfit.”
***
By the end of the day, I was suited up like the rest of the security staff, wearing the pure black pants and shirt with the symbol of Moloch engraved over the heart. Hundreds of the world’s most famous politicians, actors, businessmen and artists had gathered, streaming in the front doors with a soft, diffident susurration.
I stood by the open doorway of a side exit with an AR-15 and full body armor, next to one other soldier. They had also given me a sidearm. Every entrance or exit was manned by at least two armed men. The security at this place was some of the most intense I had ever seen. Beyond the door, there were rows and rows of the most comfortable seats, all gathered in a semi-circle around a massive stage made of pure mahogany. Blood-red curtains stood closed at the front of the room, concealing their secrets- for now, at least.
“Hail Satan!” I heard the elites cry inside in unison. I didn’t want to look in at the rows of high-ranking politicians, celebrities, influencers and artists, but my curiosity was high. I peeked around the corner of the stone archway, seeing the red curtains on the stage drawing apart. I saw one of my favorite actors standing in the front row, clapping excitedly and jumping up and down.
The crowd cheered as a naked female strapped to an obsidian altar lay there. She was beautiful and blonde, probably no older than twenty with the face of a supermodel. Her mouth was gagged, her arms outstretched like Jesus on the cross. Thin leather cords were tied around her wrists and ankles, biting deeply into the skin. Her eyes rolled wildly as she shook her head from side to side. She froze, and her eyes met mine for a brief moment. I saw the pleading expression there, the mortal terror and absolute horror.
A man in a goat mask wearing black robes slunk out from the side of the stage, carrying a wavy silver dagger engraved with strange symbols. The crowd erupted into a primal roar of pleasure and excitement that sounded like it came from one monstrous mouth.
“Worthy is the Lamb!” the man in the goat mask screamed with electronic amplification. He had a deep voice, as if he had rocks rolling around in his throat. The crowd roared and clapped. Scattered cries of “Hail Lucifer!” and “Ave Satanas!” echoed down the massive auditorium.
“Hey, pay attention,” the other security agent at my side said in a thick Finnish accent. He was a tall Scandinavian-looking guy named Kolmek. “You’re not getting paid to watch the show, new guy.” I tried to rip my gaze away from the stage, but it held my attention with an obsessive horror.
“The burnt bones of children and women have been offered to the ancient ones, to Moloch,” the man on the stage cried. “Under our feet, the burnt bodies of hundreds lay dreaming. This victim will be the 666th. Her blood will bring about the Gnosis that we seek, the direct experience of the divine held by the gods, by Lucifer and Moloch and Baal…” The roaring of the crowd temporarily drowned out his electronically-magnified voice. “Tonight, we will rip open the veil!”
I had stopped watching the show, instead staring blankly out at the beach and palm trees. At that moment, another black-clad security agent came up to my partner, whispered something in his ear, then immediately disappeared, heading off back in the direction of the main security office. Kolmek shook his head grimly.
“I’ll be right back,” he said. “Stay right here. Don’t move from this door no matter what. And pay attention.” I nodded and watched as he walked off in the same direction.
I immediately took the opportunity to continue watching the ceremony. I had missed something important, apparently. The woman now laid dead on the sacrificial table, a gaping hole in her chest. Blood spurted from the crater as the man in the goat mask held her beating heart grasped tightly in his hand, letting the blood stream down his naked fingers. The crowd cheered with a rising bloodlust and insanity. Most of them were standing, their eyes gleaming and wide with fanatical adoration. The entire spectacle reminded me of some kind of ancient Aztec ritual.
As the woman’s sightless eyes stared vacantly up in death, the man in a goat mask pulled out a can of gasoline. The clear liquid gurgled as he up-ended the canister over her pale, bloodless face, over her naked stomach and long legs. A moment later, he lit a match and dropped it. I heard the whooshing of the flames as they rose up.
The crowd went deathly silent as they watched the rippling flames. The man in the goat mask began chanting in some strange language I had never heard before. It sounded Semitic, but I knew it wasn’t Arabic or Hebrew. I felt something like electricity ripple through the air, almost like a feeling of falling pressure before a storm. I looked down at the hairs on my arms, seeing them rise up. I looked back up at the stage, and my eyes widened in horror.
The flaming body of the sacrificial victim had started to morph before my eyes and the eyes of the crowd. The dripping, blackening flesh jumped up and down, as if there were rats trapped in her body trying to escape the fire. There was a deafening hissing as if thousands of snakes were being burned alive.
The dead woman’s arms jerked up, the skin splitting open as if she had seams running along her skin. Something dark and muscular with curving, black talons ripped its way out of the dead, burning flesh. Behind it, a head appeared with long, curving horns and eyes that spun with whorls of fire. It looked like the offspring of a bull and a demon. Its imposing body rose up from the inferno, appearing like magic from the solid stone. It raised itself to its full height, looming over the crowd. The last of the woman’s blood hissed and boiled away, her flesh dissolving into ashes.
“Behold, Moloch rises!” the man in the goat mask screamed in a fanatical voice. The crowd’s cheering had stopped, though. Many of the faces in the crowd looked chalk-white with terror. The bull-god surveyed the crowd, its horns nearly scraping the ceiling twenty feet above the stage.
At that moment, I knew death was on its way with eyes of fire and a grin like a skull, ready to reap a field of human bodies.
***
I heard running behind me, but I didn’t dare turn away from the horrific sight in front of me. The last of the fire’s embers died, sending up thin wisps of gray smoke that spiraled around the bull-god’s monstrous face. Moloch stood as still as a statue, and if it weren’t for one thing, I might’ve thought it was some sort of sculpture or art project. He had two nostrils like a serpent’s. As his great lungs inhaled, the smoke billowed in and out of his mouth and nose.
Some of the people at the edges of the crowd had gotten up, hurrying towards the doors. Moloch’s head ratcheted to face them, his fiery eyes narrowing into slits.
“Do not leave!” the man in the goat mask pleaded. “Those who have fear are not worthy of life. Do not prove yourselves unworthy of life!” As the first of the fleeing men and women got to within a few steps of the door, Moloch gave a primal roar. In a blur of primal strength, he reached down and ripped the blackened sacrificial altar off the stage. It ripped from the wooden stage with a tremendous crack like a bullwhip. He hurled the heavy mass of stone at those heading towards the opposite exit from the one I guarded.
I watched it curve through the air. The people started screaming and clawing to escape as it smashed down on their heads with a grating crash. I could feel the floor shake from where I stood outside. Blood exploded from their smashed bodies. I saw arms and legs jerking and seizing under the heavy stone, but within a few moments, they slowed and then stopped.
Others were running towards the door I guarded, but Moloch leapt off the stage in a blur. In a few bounding steps, he reached the pale, terrified faces on the other side of the threshold. His massive clawed hand came down. I heard bones shatter as blood sprayed my face and the wall. Bone splinters and pieces of brain exploded from the screaming bodies. I backpedaled, wiping at my eyes, trying to get the blood off so I could see. No one had told me what to do in this situation. I didn’t know if I was supposed to shoot that massive abomination, or if this was all just part of the show.
“Richard!” a familiar voice cried from behind me. Panic oozed from every word. I spun, seeing Mario and Kolmek standing side by side, their pupils dilated and expressions grim.
“We have a major problem.” It was Mario. I recognized that voice, the one that sounded as if he had been gargling with rocks.
“I know,” I said, holding my rifle tightly. I pointed behind me at the scene of rampant death and destruction.
I had seen bloodshed and war before, but this was different. The Island itself seemed to feel it. The wind, which had been calm when I first landed, now whipped the Island in fast, circular currents. The breeze smelled of burnt matches and coppery blood. The static electricity which had caused the hairs on my arms to rise rippled over everything with tiny blue flashes, increasing in power by the second.
“No, no, not Moloch,” Kolmek said, looking much calmer than I felt. “The Savior lets Moloch thin the herd every year.”
“It’s Leviathan,” Mario continued grimly, “the beast from the waters. The smell of blood is drawing it from the depths of the ocean. We picked up the first blips on radar a few minutes ago. When it gets here, it won’t stop until everything is rubble. It will kill every single person on the Island.”
“All security personnel must report to the south beach immediately,” a cool robotic voice cried out over hidden loudspeakers all over the Island. The screaming from the auditorium had quieted behind me. I was afraid to look inside.
“There it is,” Kolmek said, his head jerking up as the emergency alert read. He motioned for me to follow. “It’s time to fight.”
***
We sprinted over curving trails of smooth logs between deathly quiet forests. All the insects and birds had gone silent. Ahead of us, the palm trees opened up onto the Pacific Ocean. But it was no longer a beautiful tropical blue. A black, swirling whirlpool like an ulcerous wound had opened up on its surface. It stretched hundreds of feet across, drawing closer to the shore by the second. Dead fish, sharks, dolphins, squids and even whales spun in the filthy, dark water.
Twenty black-clad security agents waited for the three of us on the beach, their eyes wide, their faces pale with terror. Like myself, they all had AR-15s and Glock 22s with extra magazines for both. I guess the Glock might be useful for blowing my brains out as a last resort if some beast from Hell rose out of the simmering waters, but I didn’t think it would stop anything from another dimension.
The clouds swirled overhead in a thick curtain as black as smoke. Flashes of blue lightning detonated every couple seconds. Mario raised his hands, screaming over the roaring of the wind. Kolmek stood by my side, his face grim and eyes narrowed.
“Your job is to fight off anything that tries to get on the Island,” he said, looking from one face to another with rapt attention. “Nothing can stand against high-caliber rifle fire. Shoot at the face and eyes when it comes up. We’ve dealt with creatures like this before, and they will retreat if you injure them badly enough.” I had the sense of being fed a line of bullshit as my mind processed this.
“What exactly is coming up?” one of the doe-eyed security men asked. He barely looked old enough to drink, a young, muscular hulk with a Marine Corps tattoo on his neck.
“They call it Leviathan,” Mario responded. “Sometimes the rituals here and the smell of blood can draw… strange things. Leviathan is one of those. We have encountered it before. The most important thing to remember is…” His voice was suddenly drowned out by a terrible cacophony that came from the center of the black whirlpool.
A screech like the detonation of a nuclear missile shook the ground. The ocean jumped and bubbled frantically. The beach heaved and cracked, the white sands disappearing in fissures that opened up like greedy mouths underneath my feet. I lost my balance, falling forwards. The screeching continued rising into a primal roar.
A green dragon head the color of an infected wound erupted from the surface of the thrashing water, rising up dozens of feet in the air. It had two enormous slitted eyes that dilated and constricted quickly as it glowered down at us. The screeching abruptly stopped, the pointed mouth of the dragon slamming shut with a sound like a gunshot.
Within moments, another cancerous green head shot up in a blur, its skin looking as hard as stone. Ridges that looked as sharp as swords ran the length of its reptilian skull, arcing over its eyes and pointed snout. More heads erupted from the ocean until all seven heads of Leviathan loomed over us.
Not one of us fired. No one even seemed to breathe as we surveyed the beast across the no-man’s land of the white sands. The slitted eyes and yellow irises of the seven heads had a demonic hunger, a reptilian coldness. Far behind us, I heard distant screams still echoing from the auditorium where Moloch held sway.
“Fire!” Mario cried. Instantly, a cacophony of gunshots exploded all around me. I jumped up on my feet, scrambling up as the seven-headed dragon leapt forward. Thousands of gallons of saltwater streamed down its massive body as it came up on the beach. Long, black paws with bone-white talons shot out of the surging ocean, followed by a tapering tail like that of a water snake.
I brought the rifle up and emptied my magazine as fast as I could, pulling the trigger over and over as I aimed at the many slitted eyes of Leviathan. But the bullets seemed to ping harmlessly off of its hard, obsidian-like scales.
It scrabbled onto the shore, the heads coming down in a blur. Rows and rows of vampiric fangs gleamed dully in each of the mouths. One security agent was bitten in half, the spurting stump of his lower body still standing for a long moment even as the rest of the body disappeared down the throat of the dragon.
Mario ran forwards, slamming another magazine in his rifle and opening fire point-blank. One of the heads came down in a blur towards him. Its great, staring eyes exploded in a shower of blue blood and thick vitreous fluid. The dragon head pulled back, its mouth opening in a primal scream of agony.
As I reloaded, I scanned the area around me, realizing that nearly half of the security agents were either dead or critically injured. I backpedaled away, keeping my eyes on the dragon. It continuously drew forward, killing more of its enemies with every step. I turned and ran into the forest, the sounds of shattering bones and dying men ringing through the air with a sickening clarity behind me.
Once I had reached the border of the trail, I heard Mario yell, “Retreat!” behind me. But by that point, it was far too late.
***
“Hey! Wait up!” a voice whispered from behind me. I turned my head, seeing Kolmek. Spatters of drying blood covered his face and uniform. As far as I could tell, none of it was his. “Mario’s dead. They’re all dead. We need to get out of here. We need to get off the Island.”
“How?” I asked.
“Find the Savior,” he answered, panting and out of breath. “We must find him. He can get us out of here.”
“I don’t even know what the guy looks like,” I muttered. “He was wearing a goat mask.”
“You’ll know him when you see him,” Kolmek said. “His body is covered in scars. Everything except his face. Stay close to me. We need to watch each other’s backs. It’s our only chance of survival.”
***
A trail of twisted, broken bodies led from the mansion to the surrounding trails and beaches. A decapitated woman with solid gold necklaces embedded with diamonds lay in front of me. It was strange on the Island, the way oblivion and ineffable wealth coexisted side by side. But everything was deathly silent, even in the mansion’s auditorium.
“Where’s the Savior?” I asked through gritted teeth. I peeked my head into the auditorium, but nothing moved. Hundreds of smashed and bloody bodies littered the floor.
“He’s around somewhere,” Kolmek answered. We started circling the mansion, looking for any signs of life. Kolmek went in the lead. As he turned the corner, an enormous black hand with sharp claws of fingers flitted forward in a blur, wrapping itself around his chest. Kolmek gave a strangled cry as it closed around him. I heard his bones crush as a spout of blood and gore flew from his mouth and nose, as if he were a toothpaste tube being squeezed.
I backpedaled away as Moloch threw the twitching corpse aside like a discarded toy. It smashed into the wall of the mansion, exploding wetly. A human-shaped, bloody stain languidly dripped down the wall above Kolmek’s mangled body.
Moloch slowly turned his head towards me, the fiery eyes flashing with hunger. He gnashed his fangs together, taking a step forward with a leg the size and shape of a tree trunk. With every step he took, I felt the ground tremble.
“Stop!” I cried, moving away from the monstrous creature. “Why are you doing this?”
“There is no why,” he gurgled, his voice monstrous and inhumanly slow. “There is only power. The weak deserve to die. Only the strong are worthy of life.” I raised my rifle in a last-ditch effort to save myself. Moloch saw it and started running towards me, every footstep crushing the paved walkway around the mansion into rubble and dust.
I aimed for his eyes and nose, emptying the entire magazine as quickly as I could. The bullets smashed into Moloch’s face. Dark red, clotted blood dripped out of the wounds, writhing with maggots. Drops of it fell around me, landing on my hair and face. I felt the small larvae twisting all over my skin. Moloch’s blood smelled nauseating, like some combination of stinkbugs and rotting bodies. He slowed, giving a roar of pain. I turned to run in the opposite direction, but as I looked out in the direction of the beach, my heart dropped.
Leviathan was moving in our direction, the giant dragon heads looming over the trees. Quickly, it swept towards me like a dark wind.
***
“You will suffer for that, worthless slave,” Moloch growled, wiping blood from his fiery eyes with his sharp talons of fingers. A sudden idea came to me. I ran in the direction of Leviathan. Moloch followed closely at my heels, only a few steps behind me.
Leviathan slithered forward over the sands and trees, its enormous body undulating like a water snake’s. I screamed at it, an incomprehensible wail of terror. Its seven heads snapped towards me. Its slitted eyes widened as it saw Moloch.
I heard the crashing of Moloch’s footsteps stop behind me, only feet away from crushing me into a paste. His massive lungs breathed quickly, exhaling the odor of sulfur and smoke.
“Leviathan,” Moloch growled in his demonic voice. “These are my tributes.” Leviathan’s dragon heads looked straight up at the Sun and screamed in response, their many voices rising and falling in a dissonant wail. As I sprinted into the trees, Leviathan and Moloch ran at each other, colliding with an ear-splitting crash. I glanced back, seeing Moloch ripping one of the dragon heads off its neck with his sharp fingers. The head screamed as blue blood exploded from the spurting stump. After a long moment, the neck fell limply forward.
The other dragon heads bit Moloch in a unified attack. They ripped deep holes in his shoulders and arms, snapping over and over like rabid dogs. As the two eldritch monstrosities attacked each other in fierce combat, I lost sight of them, but the sounds of fighting echoed over the entire island, crashing like lightning.
***
I felt like the survivor of an Apocalypse. I couldn’t find a single other living person on the Island. Hundreds of crushed, broken and decapitated bodies surrounded me. Over the cacophony of fighting, I heard a new noise: the whirring of helicopter blades nearby. It was coming from the other side of the mansion.
Frantically, I sprinted around the other side, seeing a Black Hawk helicopter getting ready to leave. A man in black robes sat at the pilot’s seat, his green eyes gleaming and a wide smile plastered across his face. I smashed my fist into the door over and over until he opened it.
“Holy shit, you’re still alive?” he asked. I hadn’t seen this man before. He had a face like a Calvin Klein model, all sharp angles and high cheekbones, perfectly proportioned in every way. But his scalp looked melted and scarred, as if someone had thrown gasoline on his hair and ignited it. His ears were stunted, twisted growths of scar tissue. His hands, too, were covered in deep, folding burn scars.
“Are you the Savior?” I responded quickly. “Please, get me out of here.”
“They do call me that,” he said wistfully. “The Savior. Yes, I guess I am. Get in.”
***
The Savior stared at me with his strange green eyes, the color of swamps where monstrous things swam under the surface.
“Some people just need to learn the hard way,” he said. The helicopter took off into a dark night covered with bright, twinkling stars. “There is no great power without great responsibility, after all. Those of us who seek the ancient ones know it comes with a cost.” I just stared out the window, gazing down at the countless mutilated, broken bodies that littered the beach.
Below us, the face of a bull stared up with eyes of fiery cyclones. The broken, still body of Leviathan lay at his feet. As we made it over the great waters of the Pacific Ocean, the bull-god raised a hand and waved. At that moment, I thought I could almost see a hurricane of translucent souls circling around him, spiraling up into the sky.

After high school, having no better ideas, I joined the Navy SEALs. I never really liked any of it, but it was a job, after all. I loved the guns and airplanes and grenades, but having to run all the time while some scumbag with a chip on his shoulder yells in my face isn’t my idea of fun.
Things got a lot more interesting after my term of service ended. I still had a high-security clearance, so I used it to take temporary jobs as a mercenary, a hired gun. I did some stints in Iraq with Blackwater, where they set me out in the middle of the desert. A watchtower and oil refinery loomed over the burning sands. Along with a few other guys, they told us, “Guard this area with your life.” While better than the SEALs, working for Blackwater was extremely boring. The other mercenaries and I would mostly just chainsmoke cigarettes and drink coffee all night, staring out across the dead, empty desert.
Over time, I worked my way up. Things started to get more interesting when a job offer arrived in my email one freezing cold winter’s morning. This is what it said.
“Mr. Chase,
“I am the head of security for a private group of entrepreneurs and investors. Through some mutual contacts, I have heard of your professionalism and experience. We are currently putting together a small crew to guard a private event on [REDACTED] Island out in the Pacific Ocean that will run from January 9th to January 26th. Would you be interested in this job? The pay rate is $900 a day.
“Once you are on the island, it will be impossible to leave until the period of employment has ended. If you are interested, please respond to this email as soon as possible.
“Sincerely,
“Mario Antonin, Head of Security.”
I was working piecemeal jobs like this one at the time, but none of them were paying that well. At most, I would usually get $350 to $500 a day, which was still good money when I was working seven days a week until the job finished. I instantly responded and said that yes, I was interested. In response, they sent me a non-disclosure agreement that was the size of a small novel that I had to sign.
That was how I found myself on a private jet, flying out to an island in the middle of the vast blue ocean. I was never told the coordinates of the island or saw it on a map. It was all kept very secret.
A few hours later, we landed on a private airstrip. I looked out the window of the jet, seeing the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean stretching off to the horizon in every direction. Below me stood an island with palm trees and sandy white beaches. An enormous Victorian mansion loomed directly in the center of it all. The mansion was painted black and looked like something straight out of a horror movie. It had no windows, and the turrets spiraled into blade-like points.
That was my first inkling that something might not be quite right about this trip.
***
As the stairs from the private jet descended, I looked out on this strange new world. Employees waited to greet us, looking like beaten dogs. Some had their heads down, their eyes blankly scanning the ground. Most of them were women wearing red dresses, reminding me of stewardesses on a plane. The jet strip was surrounded by palm trees and tropical brush. The chirping of insects sounded all around us, high and resonant.
I saw a strange patch engraved on all of the employees’ uniforms and jackets. It looked almost like a stick figure drawing of a man, the bottom of its body ending in a C. Its arms were long and jointed, almost spidery. Three symbols like repeated iron crosses connected to the left side of its body in a line. I wondered if it was the logo of some company. I put it out of my mind for now, but I would see that symbol again all over the island, painted on the sides of the mansion and even cut into the trees with a knife. It would only be later that night that I realized its connection to Moloch.
“Good day, sir, and welcome to the Island,” the server on my left said with glassy eyes and a fake smile plastered across her face. They all looked up at once, but it was like the workers all looked through me rather than at me. Their eyes looked flat and dead, like the painted-on eyes of a doll.
“The Island, huh?” I asked, curious. “They wouldn’t tell me where I was going. They said it was a secret. Is that what you call it?” The woman just nodded, the doll-like smile never leaving her lips.
“Officially, this island is unnamed and uninhabited,” the woman said. “In fact, all traces of it have been scrubbed from the internet. You won’t find it on Google Maps or in any publicly available satellite imagery.” She leaned forward towards me with heavily mascaraed eyes and ruby-red lipstick slashed across her lips. “This is a very special place. Only very special people are allowed here. You should be honored to work here under our Savior.”
“I hope you’re talking about Jesus or something,” I said jokingly. She just smiled blankly and motioned me forward.
“Just follow that trail for a few hundred feet-” she said, pointing at an opening in the palm trees where logs were laid down horizontally over the muggy jungle- “and you’ll find the mansion. Good luck!” I thought it was a somewhat strange thing to say, wishing a random stranger good luck.
But, by the end of that night, I realized that simply to make it off this island alive, I would need lots of it.
***
I followed the woman’s directions to the back of the brutalist mansion. A heavy metal door stood there with a small bullet-proof window built in the top. A tanned, Spanish face glowered out at me then rapidly drew back and disappeared. A few heartbeats later, the door slid to the side with a grinding of hidden gears.
The head of security at the Island was a heavily-tattooed ex-Marine named Mario. He wore a dark Kevlar vest over a black outfit, making him look like a walking shadow. I found the security had their own private complex in the mansion as he showed me around the site. Hundreds of hidden cameras covered every angle of the mansion and the surrounding parts of the island. Dozens of black-clad security agents swarmed over the screens, checking the monitors and computers constantly.
“Quite a set-up you have here,” I said to Mario, nodding at him. He smacked me on the shoulder, giving a confident grin.
“Money is no issue here, Richard,” he responded. “Security is paramount. There are things on this island that could rip apart the world if they ever escaped.” I raised an eyebrow.
“Like what?” I asked. “Nuclear weapons or something?” He laughed at that.
“You’ll see for yourself tonight,” he said, his dark eyes flashing with something cold and alien.
***
Mario led me and a couple other new hired guns around the Island. The place was certainly strange. It reminded me of some combination of a secret black-ops site and a playboy billionaire’s private heaven. All of the doors in the mansion looked like they were made of thick steel. They had wheels that would spin, like those on a submarine door. The mansion also had no windows at all that I could see, except for the small, shatter-proof glass openings on the steel doors. I didn’t want to ask too many questions, however. I couldn’t resist asking him about a couple small things, however- or at least, they seemed small to me at the time.
“What are those hatchways?” I asked Mario, pointing to rectangular covers built into the concrete walkway. They had heavy handles. “Are those manholes or something?”
“There are tunnels under the Island,” he responded vaguely. “Just for maintenance and security, you understand.”
“Wow, this place is certainly… well-developed,” I said. We came out through a grove of palm trees. A stone walkway led down to a white beach. Dozens of yachts were moored all across the shore, some of them looking like they must have cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
“There’s a lot of money and power here,” Mario said. “That’s why it’s important you never talk about what you see here. These are the people who control the world, the ones behind the government and the media. Not the elected officials who the people see, but the actual power.”
“Like who?” I asked. “You mean the Rothschilds and Soros?” He laughed again, a sarcastic, grinding laugh that grated my nerves.
“Trust me, the truly powerful ones don’t even have public personas. If you know their name, then they’re just one of the puppets.” I just shook my head at that, then asked the real question that had been bothering me since I first arrived here.
“Who is the Savior?” I asked. “Is that some codename or something?” Mario froze in place.
“He’s the one who runs everything here,” he whispered conspiratorially, looking around nervously. “But don’t be mentioning that kind of shit. You’ll probably see him tonight anyway. He’s the one who runs the show. He’ll be on the stage in his normal outfit.”
***
By the end of the day, I was suited up like the rest of the security staff, wearing the pure black pants and shirt with the symbol of Moloch engraved over the heart. Hundreds of the world’s most famous politicians, actors, businessmen and artists had gathered, streaming in the front doors with a soft, diffident susurration.
I stood by the open doorway of a side exit with an AR-15 and full body armor, next to one other soldier. They had also given me a sidearm. Every entrance or exit was manned by at least two armed men. The security at this place was some of the most intense I had ever seen. Beyond the door, there were rows and rows of the most comfortable seats, all gathered in a semi-circle around a massive stage made of pure mahogany. Blood-red curtains stood closed at the front of the room, concealing their secrets- for now, at least.
“Hail Satan!” I heard the elites cry inside in unison. I didn’t want to look in at the rows of high-ranking politicians, celebrities, influencers and artists, but my curiosity was high. I peeked around the corner of the stone archway, seeing the red curtains on the stage drawing apart. I saw one of my favorite actors standing in the front row, clapping excitedly and jumping up and down.
The crowd cheered as a naked female strapped to an obsidian altar lay there. She was beautiful and blonde, probably no older than twenty with the face of a supermodel. Her mouth was gagged, her arms outstretched like Jesus on the cross. Thin leather cords were tied around her wrists and ankles, biting deeply into the skin. Her eyes rolled wildly as she shook her head from side to side. She froze, and her eyes met mine for a brief moment. I saw the pleading expression there, the mortal terror and absolute horror.
A man in a goat mask wearing black robes slunk out from the side of the stage, carrying a wavy silver dagger engraved with strange symbols. The crowd erupted into a primal roar of pleasure and excitement that sounded like it came from one monstrous mouth.
“Worthy is the Lamb!” the man in the goat mask screamed with electronic amplification. He had a deep voice, as if he had rocks rolling around in his throat. The crowd roared and clapped. Scattered cries of “Hail Lucifer!” and “Ave Satanas!” echoed down the massive auditorium.
“Hey, pay attention,” the other security agent at my side said in a thick Finnish accent. He was a tall Scandinavian-looking guy named Kolmek. “You’re not getting paid to watch the show, new guy.” I tried to rip my gaze away from the stage, but it held my attention with an obsessive horror.
“The burnt bones of children and women have been offered to the ancient ones, to Moloch,” the man on the stage cried. “Under our feet, the burnt bodies of hundreds lay dreaming. This victim will be the 666th. Her blood will bring about the Gnosis that we seek, the direct experience of the divine held by the gods, by Lucifer and Moloch and Baal…” The roaring of the crowd temporarily drowned out his electronically-magnified voice. “Tonight, we will rip open the veil!”
I had stopped watching the show, instead staring blankly out at the beach and palm trees. At that moment, another black-clad security agent came up to my partner, whispered something in his ear, then immediately disappeared, heading off back in the direction of the main security office. Kolmek shook his head grimly.
“I’ll be right back,” he said. “Stay right here. Don’t move from this door no matter what. And pay attention.” I nodded and watched as he walked off in the same direction.
I immediately took the opportunity to continue watching the ceremony. I had missed something important, apparently. The woman now laid dead on the sacrificial table, a gaping hole in her chest. Blood spurted from the crater as the man in the goat mask held her beating heart grasped tightly in his hand, letting the blood stream down his naked fingers. The crowd cheered with a rising bloodlust and insanity. Most of them were standing, their eyes gleaming and wide with fanatical adoration. The entire spectacle reminded me of some kind of ancient Aztec ritual.
As the woman’s sightless eyes stared vacantly up in death, the man in a goat mask pulled out a can of gasoline. The clear liquid gurgled as he up-ended the canister over her pale, bloodless face, over her naked stomach and long legs. A moment later, he lit a match and dropped it. I heard the whooshing of the flames as they rose up.
The crowd went deathly silent as they watched the rippling flames. The man in the goat mask began chanting in some strange language I had never heard before. It sounded Semitic, but I knew it wasn’t Arabic or Hebrew. I felt something like electricity ripple through the air, almost like a feeling of falling pressure before a storm. I looked down at the hairs on my arms, seeing them rise up. I looked back up at the stage, and my eyes widened in horror.
The flaming body of the sacrificial victim had started to morph before my eyes and the eyes of the crowd. The dripping, blackening flesh jumped up and down, as if there were rats trapped in her body trying to escape the fire. There was a deafening hissing as if thousands of snakes were being burned alive.
The dead woman’s arms jerked up, the skin splitting open as if she had seams running along her skin. Something dark and muscular with curving, black talons ripped its way out of the dead, burning flesh. Behind it, a head appeared with long, curving horns and eyes that spun with whorls of fire. It looked like the offspring of a bull and a demon. Its imposing body rose up from the inferno, appearing like magic from the solid stone. It raised itself to its full height, looming over the crowd. The last of the woman’s blood hissed and boiled away, her flesh dissolving into ashes.
“Behold, Moloch rises!” the man in the goat mask screamed in a fanatical voice. The crowd’s cheering had stopped, though. Many of the faces in the crowd looked chalk-white with terror. The bull-god surveyed the crowd, its horns nearly scraping the ceiling twenty feet above the stage.
At that moment, I knew death was on its way with eyes of fire and a grin like a skull, ready to reap a field of human bodies.
***
I heard running behind me, but I didn’t dare turn away from the horrific sight in front of me. The last of the fire’s embers died, sending up thin wisps of gray smoke that spiraled around the bull-god’s monstrous face. Moloch stood as still as a statue, and if it weren’t for one thing, I might’ve thought it was some sort of sculpture or art project. He had two nostrils like a serpent’s. As his great lungs inhaled, the smoke billowed in and out of his mouth and nose.
Some of the people at the edges of the crowd had gotten up, hurrying towards the doors. Moloch’s head ratcheted to face them, his fiery eyes narrowing into slits.
“Do not leave!” the man in the goat mask pleaded. “Those who have fear are not worthy of life. Do not prove yourselves unworthy of life!” As the first of the fleeing men and women got to within a few steps of the door, Moloch gave a primal roar. In a blur of primal strength, he reached down and ripped the blackened sacrificial altar off the stage. It ripped from the wooden stage with a tremendous crack like a bullwhip. He hurled the heavy mass of stone at those heading towards the opposite exit from the one I guarded.
I watched it curve through the air. The people started screaming and clawing to escape as it smashed down on their heads with a grating crash. I could feel the floor shake from where I stood outside. Blood exploded from their smashed bodies. I saw arms and legs jerking and seizing under the heavy stone, but within a few moments, they slowed and then stopped.
Others were running towards the door I guarded, but Moloch leapt off the stage in a blur. In a few bounding steps, he reached the pale, terrified faces on the other side of the threshold. His massive clawed hand came down. I heard bones shatter as blood sprayed my face and the wall. Bone splinters and pieces of brain exploded from the screaming bodies. I backpedaled, wiping at my eyes, trying to get the blood off so I could see. No one had told me what to do in this situation. I didn’t know if I was supposed to shoot that massive abomination, or if this was all just part of the show.
“Richard!” a familiar voice cried from behind me. Panic oozed from every word. I spun, seeing Mario and Kolmek standing side by side, their pupils dilated and expressions grim.
“We have a major problem.” It was Mario. I recognized that voice, the one that sounded as if he had been gargling with rocks.
“I know,” I said, holding my rifle tightly. I pointed behind me at the scene of rampant death and destruction.
I had seen bloodshed and war before, but this was different. The Island itself seemed to feel it. The wind, which had been calm when I first landed, now whipped the Island in fast, circular currents. The breeze smelled of burnt matches and coppery blood. The static electricity which had caused the hairs on my arms to rise rippled over everything with tiny blue flashes, increasing in power by the second.
“No, no, not Moloch,” Kolmek said, looking much calmer than I felt. “The Savior lets Moloch thin the herd every year.”
“It’s Leviathan,” Mario continued grimly, “the beast from the waters. The smell of blood is drawing it from the depths of the ocean. We picked up the first blips on radar a few minutes ago. When it gets here, it won’t stop until everything is rubble. It will kill every single person on the Island.”
“All security personnel must report to the south beach immediately,” a cool robotic voice cried out over hidden loudspeakers all over the Island. The screaming from the auditorium had quieted behind me. I was afraid to look inside.
“There it is,” Kolmek said, his head jerking up as the emergency alert read. He motioned for me to follow. “It’s time to fight.”
***
We sprinted over curving trails of smooth logs between deathly quiet forests. All the insects and birds had gone silent. Ahead of us, the palm trees opened up onto the Pacific Ocean. But it was no longer a beautiful tropical blue. A black, swirling whirlpool like an ulcerous wound had opened up on its surface. It stretched hundreds of feet across, drawing closer to the shore by the second. Dead fish, sharks, dolphins, squids and even whales spun in the filthy, dark water.
Twenty black-clad security agents waited for the three of us on the beach, their eyes wide, their faces pale with terror. Like myself, they all had AR-15s and Glock 22s with extra magazines for both. I guess the Glock might be useful for blowing my brains out as a last resort if some beast from Hell rose out of the simmering waters, but I didn’t think it would stop anything from another dimension.
The clouds swirled overhead in a thick curtain as black as smoke. Flashes of blue lightning detonated every couple seconds. Mario raised his hands, screaming over the roaring of the wind. Kolmek stood by my side, his face grim and eyes narrowed.
“Your job is to fight off anything that tries to get on the Island,” he said, looking from one face to another with rapt attention. “Nothing can stand against high-caliber rifle fire. Shoot at the face and eyes when it comes up. We’ve dealt with creatures like this before, and they will retreat if you injure them badly enough.” I had the sense of being fed a line of bullshit as my mind processed this.
“What exactly is coming up?” one of the doe-eyed security men asked. He barely looked old enough to drink, a young, muscular hulk with a Marine Corps tattoo on his neck.
“They call it Leviathan,” Mario responded. “Sometimes the rituals here and the smell of blood can draw… strange things. Leviathan is one of those. We have encountered it before. The most important thing to remember is…” His voice was suddenly drowned out by a terrible cacophony that came from the center of the black whirlpool.
A screech like the detonation of a nuclear missile shook the ground. The ocean jumped and bubbled frantically. The beach heaved and cracked, the white sands disappearing in fissures that opened up like greedy mouths underneath my feet. I lost my balance, falling forwards. The screeching continued rising into a primal roar.
A green dragon head the color of an infected wound erupted from the surface of the thrashing water, rising up dozens of feet in the air. It had two enormous slitted eyes that dilated and constricted quickly as it glowered down at us. The screeching abruptly stopped, the pointed mouth of the dragon slamming shut with a sound like a gunshot.
Within moments, another cancerous green head shot up in a blur, its skin looking as hard as stone. Ridges that looked as sharp as swords ran the length of its reptilian skull, arcing over its eyes and pointed snout. More heads erupted from the ocean until all seven heads of Leviathan loomed over us.
Not one of us fired. No one even seemed to breathe as we surveyed the beast across the no-man’s land of the white sands. The slitted eyes and yellow irises of the seven heads had a demonic hunger, a reptilian coldness. Far behind us, I heard distant screams still echoing from the auditorium where Moloch held sway.
“Fire!” Mario cried. Instantly, a cacophony of gunshots exploded all around me. I jumped up on my feet, scrambling up as the seven-headed dragon leapt forward. Thousands of gallons of saltwater streamed down its massive body as it came up on the beach. Long, black paws with bone-white talons shot out of the surging ocean, followed by a tapering tail like that of a water snake.
I brought the rifle up and emptied my magazine as fast as I could, pulling the trigger over and over as I aimed at the many slitted eyes of Leviathan. But the bullets seemed to ping harmlessly off of its hard, obsidian-like scales.
It scrabbled onto the shore, the heads coming down in a blur. Rows and rows of vampiric fangs gleamed dully in each of the mouths. One security agent was bitten in half, the spurting stump of his lower body still standing for a long moment even as the rest of the body disappeared down the throat of the dragon.
Mario ran forwards, slamming another magazine in his rifle and opening fire point-blank. One of the heads came down in a blur towards him. Its great, staring eyes exploded in a shower of blue blood and thick vitreous fluid. The dragon head pulled back, its mouth opening in a primal scream of agony.
As I reloaded, I scanned the area around me, realizing that nearly half of the security agents were either dead or critically injured. I backpedaled away, keeping my eyes on the dragon. It continuously drew forward, killing more of its enemies with every step. I turned and ran into the forest, the sounds of shattering bones and dying men ringing through the air with a sickening clarity behind me.
Once I had reached the border of the trail, I heard Mario yell, “Retreat!” behind me. But by that point, it was far too late.
***
“Hey! Wait up!” a voice whispered from behind me. I turned my head, seeing Kolmek. Spatters of drying blood covered his face and uniform. As far as I could tell, none of it was his. “Mario’s dead. They’re all dead. We need to get out of here. We need to get off the Island.”
“How?” I asked.
“Find the Savior,” he answered, panting and out of breath. “We must find him. He can get us out of here.”
“I don’t even know what the guy looks like,” I muttered. “He was wearing a goat mask.”
“You’ll know him when you see him,” Kolmek said. “His body is covered in scars. Everything except his face. Stay close to me. We need to watch each other’s backs. It’s our only chance of survival.”
***
A trail of twisted, broken bodies led from the mansion to the surrounding trails and beaches. A decapitated woman with solid gold necklaces embedded with diamonds lay in front of me. It was strange on the Island, the way oblivion and ineffable wealth coexisted side by side. But everything was deathly silent, even in the mansion’s auditorium.
“Where’s the Savior?” I asked through gritted teeth. I peeked my head into the auditorium, but nothing moved. Hundreds of smashed and bloody bodies littered the floor.
“He’s around somewhere,” Kolmek answered. We started circling the mansion, looking for any signs of life. Kolmek went in the lead. As he turned the corner, an enormous black hand with sharp claws of fingers flitted forward in a blur, wrapping itself around his chest. Kolmek gave a strangled cry as it closed around him. I heard his bones crush as a spout of blood and gore flew from his mouth and nose, as if he were a toothpaste tube being squeezed.
I backpedaled away as Moloch threw the twitching corpse aside like a discarded toy. It smashed into the wall of the mansion, exploding wetly. A human-shaped, bloody stain languidly dripped down the wall above Kolmek’s mangled body.
Moloch slowly turned his head towards me, the fiery eyes flashing with hunger. He gnashed his fangs together, taking a step forward with a leg the size and shape of a tree trunk. With every step he took, I felt the ground tremble.
“Stop!” I cried, moving away from the monstrous creature. “Why are you doing this?”
“There is no why,” he gurgled, his voice monstrous and inhumanly slow. “There is only power. The weak deserve to die. Only the strong are worthy of life.” I raised my rifle in a last-ditch effort to save myself. Moloch saw it and started running towards me, every footstep crushing the paved walkway around the mansion into rubble and dust.
I aimed for his eyes and nose, emptying the entire magazine as quickly as I could. The bullets smashed into Moloch’s face. Dark red, clotted blood dripped out of the wounds, writhing with maggots. Drops of it fell around me, landing on my hair and face. I felt the small larvae twisting all over my skin. Moloch’s blood smelled nauseating, like some combination of stinkbugs and rotting bodies. He slowed, giving a roar of pain. I turned to run in the opposite direction, but as I looked out in the direction of the beach, my heart dropped.
Leviathan was moving in our direction, the giant dragon heads looming over the trees. Quickly, it swept towards me like a dark wind.
***
“You will suffer for that, worthless slave,” Moloch growled, wiping blood from his fiery eyes with his sharp talons of fingers. A sudden idea came to me. I ran in the direction of Leviathan. Moloch followed closely at my heels, only a few steps behind me.
Leviathan slithered forward over the sands and trees, its enormous body undulating like a water snake’s. I screamed at it, an incomprehensible wail of terror. Its seven heads snapped towards me. Its slitted eyes widened as it saw Moloch.
I heard the crashing of Moloch’s footsteps stop behind me, only feet away from crushing me into a paste. His massive lungs breathed quickly, exhaling the odor of sulfur and smoke.
“Leviathan,” Moloch growled in his demonic voice. “These are my tributes.” Leviathan’s dragon heads looked straight up at the Sun and screamed in response, their many voices rising and falling in a dissonant wail. As I sprinted into the trees, Leviathan and Moloch ran at each other, colliding with an ear-splitting crash. I glanced back, seeing Moloch ripping one of the dragon heads off its neck with his sharp fingers. The head screamed as blue blood exploded from the spurting stump. After a long moment, the neck fell limply forward.
The other dragon heads bit Moloch in a unified attack. They ripped deep holes in his shoulders and arms, snapping over and over like rabid dogs. As the two eldritch monstrosities attacked each other in fierce combat, I lost sight of them, but the sounds of fighting echoed over the entire island, crashing like lightning.
***
I felt like the survivor of an Apocalypse. I couldn’t find a single other living person on the Island. Hundreds of crushed, broken and decapitated bodies surrounded me. Over the cacophony of fighting, I heard a new noise: the whirring of helicopter blades nearby. It was coming from the other side of the mansion.
Frantically, I sprinted around the other side, seeing a Black Hawk helicopter getting ready to leave. A man in black robes sat at the pilot’s seat, his green eyes gleaming and a wide smile plastered across his face. I smashed my fist into the door over and over until he opened it.
“Holy shit, you’re still alive?” he asked. I hadn’t seen this man before. He had a face like a Calvin Klein model, all sharp angles and high cheekbones, perfectly proportioned in every way. But his scalp looked melted and scarred, as if someone had thrown gasoline on his hair and ignited it. His ears were stunted, twisted growths of scar tissue. His hands, too, were covered in deep, folding burn scars.
“Are you the Savior?” I responded quickly. “Please, get me out of here.”
“They do call me that,” he said wistfully. “The Savior. Yes, I guess I am. Get in.”
***
The Savior stared at me with his strange green eyes, the color of swamps where monstrous things swam under the surface.
“Some people just need to learn the hard way,” he said. The helicopter took off into a dark night covered with bright, twinkling stars. “There is no great power without great responsibility, after all. Those of us who seek the ancient ones know it comes with a cost.” I just stared out the window, gazing down at the countless mutilated, broken bodies that littered the beach.
Below us, the face of a bull stared up with eyes of fiery cyclones. The broken, still body of Leviathan lay at his feet. As we made it over the great waters of the Pacific Ocean, the bull-god raised a hand and waved. At that moment, I thought I could almost see a hurricane of translucent souls circling around him, spiraling up into the sky.

After high school, having no better ideas, I joined the Navy SEALs. I never really liked any of it, but it was a job, after all. I loved the guns and airplanes and grenades, but having to run all the time while some scumbag with a chip on his shoulder yells in my face isn’t my idea of fun.
Things got a lot more interesting after my term of service ended. I still had a high-security clearance, so I used it to take temporary jobs as a mercenary, a hired gun. I did some stints in Iraq with Blackwater, where they set me out in the middle of the desert. A watchtower and oil refinery loomed over the burning sands. Along with a few other guys, they told us, “Guard this area with your life.” While better than the SEALs, working for Blackwater was extremely boring. The other mercenaries and I would mostly just chainsmoke cigarettes and drink coffee all night, staring out across the dead, empty desert.
Over time, I worked my way up. Things started to get more interesting when a job offer arrived in my email one freezing cold winter’s morning. This is what it said.
“Mr. Chase,
“I am the head of security for a private group of entrepreneurs and investors. Through some mutual contacts, I have heard of your professionalism and experience. We are currently putting together a small crew to guard a private event on [REDACTED] Island out in the Pacific Ocean that will run from January 9th to January 26th. Would you be interested in this job? The pay rate is $900 a day.
“Once you are on the island, it will be impossible to leave until the period of employment has ended. If you are interested, please respond to this email as soon as possible.
“Sincerely,
“Mario Antonin, Head of Security.”
I was working piecemeal jobs like this one at the time, but none of them were paying that well. At most, I would usually get $350 to $500 a day, which was still good money when I was working seven days a week until the job finished. I instantly responded and said that yes, I was interested. In response, they sent me a non-disclosure agreement that was the size of a small novel that I had to sign.
That was how I found myself on a private jet, flying out to an island in the middle of the vast blue ocean. I was never told the coordinates of the island or saw it on a map. It was all kept very secret.
A few hours later, we landed on a private airstrip. I looked out the window of the jet, seeing the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean stretching off to the horizon in every direction. Below me stood an island with palm trees and sandy white beaches. An enormous Victorian mansion loomed directly in the center of it all. The mansion was painted black and looked like something straight out of a horror movie. It had no windows, and the turrets spiraled into blade-like points.
That was my first inkling that something might not be quite right about this trip.
***
As the stairs from the private jet descended, I looked out on this strange new world. Employees waited to greet us, looking like beaten dogs. Some had their heads down, their eyes blankly scanning the ground. Most of them were women wearing red dresses, reminding me of stewardesses on a plane. The jet strip was surrounded by palm trees and tropical brush. The chirping of insects sounded all around us, high and resonant.
I saw a strange patch engraved on all of the employees’ uniforms and jackets. It looked almost like a stick figure drawing of a man, the bottom of its body ending in a C. Its arms were long and jointed, almost spidery. Three symbols like repeated iron crosses connected to the left side of its body in a line. I wondered if it was the logo of some company. I put it out of my mind for now, but I would see that symbol again all over the island, painted on the sides of the mansion and even cut into the trees with a knife. It would only be later that night that I realized its connection to Moloch.
“Good day, sir, and welcome to the Island,” the server on my left said with glassy eyes and a fake smile plastered across her face. They all looked up at once, but it was like the workers all looked through me rather than at me. Their eyes looked flat and dead, like the painted-on eyes of a doll.
“The Island, huh?” I asked, curious. “They wouldn’t tell me where I was going. They said it was a secret. Is that what you call it?” The woman just nodded, the doll-like smile never leaving her lips.
“Officially, this island is unnamed and uninhabited,” the woman said. “In fact, all traces of it have been scrubbed from the internet. You won’t find it on Google Maps or in any publicly available satellite imagery.” She leaned forward towards me with heavily mascaraed eyes and ruby-red lipstick slashed across her lips. “This is a very special place. Only very special people are allowed here. You should be honored to work here under our Savior.”
“I hope you’re talking about Jesus or something,” I said jokingly. She just smiled blankly and motioned me forward.
“Just follow that trail for a few hundred feet-” she said, pointing at an opening in the palm trees where logs were laid down horizontally over the muggy jungle- “and you’ll find the mansion. Good luck!” I thought it was a somewhat strange thing to say, wishing a random stranger good luck.
But, by the end of that night, I realized that simply to make it off this island alive, I would need lots of it.
***
I followed the woman’s directions to the back of the brutalist mansion. A heavy metal door stood there with a small bullet-proof window built in the top. A tanned, Spanish face glowered out at me then rapidly drew back and disappeared. A few heartbeats later, the door slid to the side with a grinding of hidden gears.
The head of security at the Island was a heavily-tattooed ex-Marine named Mario. He wore a dark Kevlar vest over a black outfit, making him look like a walking shadow. I found the security had their own private complex in the mansion as he showed me around the site. Hundreds of hidden cameras covered every angle of the mansion and the surrounding parts of the island. Dozens of black-clad security agents swarmed over the screens, checking the monitors and computers constantly.
“Quite a set-up you have here,” I said to Mario, nodding at him. He smacked me on the shoulder, giving a confident grin.
“Money is no issue here, Richard,” he responded. “Security is paramount. There are things on this island that could rip apart the world if they ever escaped.” I raised an eyebrow.
“Like what?” I asked. “Nuclear weapons or something?” He laughed at that.
“You’ll see for yourself tonight,” he said, his dark eyes flashing with something cold and alien.
***
Mario led me and a couple other new hired guns around the Island. The place was certainly strange. It reminded me of some combination of a secret black-ops site and a playboy billionaire’s private heaven. All of the doors in the mansion looked like they were made of thick steel. They had wheels that would spin, like those on a submarine door. The mansion also had no windows at all that I could see, except for the small, shatter-proof glass openings on the steel doors. I didn’t want to ask too many questions, however. I couldn’t resist asking him about a couple small things, however- or at least, they seemed small to me at the time.
“What are those hatchways?” I asked Mario, pointing to rectangular covers built into the concrete walkway. They had heavy handles. “Are those manholes or something?”
“There are tunnels under the Island,” he responded vaguely. “Just for maintenance and security, you understand.”
“Wow, this place is certainly… well-developed,” I said. We came out through a grove of palm trees. A stone walkway led down to a white beach. Dozens of yachts were moored all across the shore, some of them looking like they must have cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
“There’s a lot of money and power here,” Mario said. “That’s why it’s important you never talk about what you see here. These are the people who control the world, the ones behind the government and the media. Not the elected officials who the people see, but the actual power.”
“Like who?” I asked. “You mean the Rothschilds and Soros?” He laughed again, a sarcastic, grinding laugh that grated my nerves.
“Trust me, the truly powerful ones don’t even have public personas. If you know their name, then they’re just one of the puppets.” I just shook my head at that, then asked the real question that had been bothering me since I first arrived here.
“Who is the Savior?” I asked. “Is that some codename or something?” Mario froze in place.
“He’s the one who runs everything here,” he whispered conspiratorially, looking around nervously. “But don’t be mentioning that kind of shit. You’ll probably see him tonight anyway. He’s the one who runs the show. He’ll be on the stage in his normal outfit.”
***
By the end of the day, I was suited up like the rest of the security staff, wearing the pure black pants and shirt with the symbol of Moloch engraved over the heart. Hundreds of the world’s most famous politicians, actors, businessmen and artists had gathered, streaming in the front doors with a soft, diffident susurration.
I stood by the open doorway of a side exit with an AR-15 and full body armor, next to one other soldier. They had also given me a sidearm. Every entrance or exit was manned by at least two armed men. The security at this place was some of the most intense I had ever seen. Beyond the door, there were rows and rows of the most comfortable seats, all gathered in a semi-circle around a massive stage made of pure mahogany. Blood-red curtains stood closed at the front of the room, concealing their secrets- for now, at least.
“Hail Satan!” I heard the elites cry inside in unison. I didn’t want to look in at the rows of high-ranking politicians, celebrities, influencers and artists, but my curiosity was high. I peeked around the corner of the stone archway, seeing the red curtains on the stage drawing apart. I saw one of my favorite actors standing in the front row, clapping excitedly and jumping up and down.
The crowd cheered as a naked female strapped to an obsidian altar lay there. She was beautiful and blonde, probably no older than twenty with the face of a supermodel. Her mouth was gagged, her arms outstretched like Jesus on the cross. Thin leather cords were tied around her wrists and ankles, biting deeply into the skin. Her eyes rolled wildly as she shook her head from side to side. She froze, and her eyes met mine for a brief moment. I saw the pleading expression there, the mortal terror and absolute horror.
A man in a goat mask wearing black robes slunk out from the side of the stage, carrying a wavy silver dagger engraved with strange symbols. The crowd erupted into a primal roar of pleasure and excitement that sounded like it came from one monstrous mouth.
“Worthy is the Lamb!” the man in the goat mask screamed with electronic amplification. He had a deep voice, as if he had rocks rolling around in his throat. The crowd roared and clapped. Scattered cries of “Hail Lucifer!” and “Ave Satanas!” echoed down the massive auditorium.
“Hey, pay attention,” the other security agent at my side said in a thick Finnish accent. He was a tall Scandinavian-looking guy named Kolmek. “You’re not getting paid to watch the show, new guy.” I tried to rip my gaze away from the stage, but it held my attention with an obsessive horror.
“The burnt bones of children and women have been offered to the ancient ones, to Moloch,” the man on the stage cried. “Under our feet, the burnt bodies of hundreds lay dreaming. This victim will be the 666th. Her blood will bring about the Gnosis that we seek, the direct experience of the divine held by the gods, by Lucifer and Moloch and Baal…” The roaring of the crowd temporarily drowned out his electronically-magnified voice. “Tonight, we will rip open the veil!”
I had stopped watching the show, instead staring blankly out at the beach and palm trees. At that moment, another black-clad security agent came up to my partner, whispered something in his ear, then immediately disappeared, heading off back in the direction of the main security office. Kolmek shook his head grimly.
“I’ll be right back,” he said. “Stay right here. Don’t move from this door no matter what. And pay attention.” I nodded and watched as he walked off in the same direction.
I immediately took the opportunity to continue watching the ceremony. I had missed something important, apparently. The woman now laid dead on the sacrificial table, a gaping hole in her chest. Blood spurted from the crater as the man in the goat mask held her beating heart grasped tightly in his hand, letting the blood stream down his naked fingers. The crowd cheered with a rising bloodlust and insanity. Most of them were standing, their eyes gleaming and wide with fanatical adoration. The entire spectacle reminded me of some kind of ancient Aztec ritual.
As the woman’s sightless eyes stared vacantly up in death, the man in a goat mask pulled out a can of gasoline. The clear liquid gurgled as he up-ended the canister over her pale, bloodless face, over her naked stomach and long legs. A moment later, he lit a match and dropped it. I heard the whooshing of the flames as they rose up.
The crowd went deathly silent as they watched the rippling flames. The man in the goat mask began chanting in some strange language I had never heard before. It sounded Semitic, but I knew it wasn’t Arabic or Hebrew. I felt something like electricity ripple through the air, almost like a feeling of falling pressure before a storm. I looked down at the hairs on my arms, seeing them rise up. I looked back up at the stage, and my eyes widened in horror.
The flaming body of the sacrificial victim had started to morph before my eyes and the eyes of the crowd. The dripping, blackening flesh jumped up and down, as if there were rats trapped in her body trying to escape the fire. There was a deafening hissing as if thousands of snakes were being burned alive.
The dead woman’s arms jerked up, the skin splitting open as if she had seams running along her skin. Something dark and muscular with curving, black talons ripped its way out of the dead, burning flesh. Behind it, a head appeared with long, curving horns and eyes that spun with whorls of fire. It looked like the offspring of a bull and a demon. Its imposing body rose up from the inferno, appearing like magic from the solid stone. It raised itself to its full height, looming over the crowd. The last of the woman’s blood hissed and boiled away, her flesh dissolving into ashes.
“Behold, Moloch rises!” the man in the goat mask screamed in a fanatical voice. The crowd’s cheering had stopped, though. Many of the faces in the crowd looked chalk-white with terror. The bull-god surveyed the crowd, its horns nearly scraping the ceiling twenty feet above the stage.
At that moment, I knew death was on its way with eyes of fire and a grin like a skull, ready to reap a field of human bodies.
***
I heard running behind me, but I didn’t dare turn away from the horrific sight in front of me. The last of the fire’s embers died, sending up thin wisps of gray smoke that spiraled around the bull-god’s monstrous face. Moloch stood as still as a statue, and if it weren’t for one thing, I might’ve thought it was some sort of sculpture or art project. He had two nostrils like a serpent’s. As his great lungs inhaled, the smoke billowed in and out of his mouth and nose.
Some of the people at the edges of the crowd had gotten up, hurrying towards the doors. Moloch’s head ratcheted to face them, his fiery eyes narrowing into slits.
“Do not leave!” the man in the goat mask pleaded. “Those who have fear are not worthy of life. Do not prove yourselves unworthy of life!” As the first of the fleeing men and women got to within a few steps of the door, Moloch gave a primal roar. In a blur of primal strength, he reached down and ripped the blackened sacrificial altar off the stage. It ripped from the wooden stage with a tremendous crack like a bullwhip. He hurled the heavy mass of stone at those heading towards the opposite exit from the one I guarded.
I watched it curve through the air. The people started screaming and clawing to escape as it smashed down on their heads with a grating crash. I could feel the floor shake from where I stood outside. Blood exploded from their smashed bodies. I saw arms and legs jerking and seizing under the heavy stone, but within a few moments, they slowed and then stopped.
Others were running towards the door I guarded, but Moloch leapt off the stage in a blur. In a few bounding steps, he reached the pale, terrified faces on the other side of the threshold. His massive clawed hand came down. I heard bones shatter as blood sprayed my face and the wall. Bone splinters and pieces of brain exploded from the screaming bodies. I backpedaled, wiping at my eyes, trying to get the blood off so I could see. No one had told me what to do in this situation. I didn’t know if I was supposed to shoot that massive abomination, or if this was all just part of the show.
“Richard!” a familiar voice cried from behind me. Panic oozed from every word. I spun, seeing Mario and Kolmek standing side by side, their pupils dilated and expressions grim.
“We have a major problem.” It was Mario. I recognized that voice, the one that sounded as if he had been gargling with rocks.
“I know,” I said, holding my rifle tightly. I pointed behind me at the scene of rampant death and destruction.
I had seen bloodshed and war before, but this was different. The Island itself seemed to feel it. The wind, which had been calm when I first landed, now whipped the Island in fast, circular currents. The breeze smelled of burnt matches and coppery blood. The static electricity which had caused the hairs on my arms to rise rippled over everything with tiny blue flashes, increasing in power by the second.
“No, no, not Moloch,” Kolmek said, looking much calmer than I felt. “The Savior lets Moloch thin the herd every year.”
“It’s Leviathan,” Mario continued grimly, “the beast from the waters. The smell of blood is drawing it from the depths of the ocean. We picked up the first blips on radar a few minutes ago. When it gets here, it won’t stop until everything is rubble. It will kill every single person on the Island.”
“All security personnel must report to the south beach immediately,” a cool robotic voice cried out over hidden loudspeakers all over the Island. The screaming from the auditorium had quieted behind me. I was afraid to look inside.
“There it is,” Kolmek said, his head jerking up as the emergency alert read. He motioned for me to follow. “It’s time to fight.”
***
We sprinted over curving trails of smooth logs between deathly quiet forests. All the insects and birds had gone silent. Ahead of us, the palm trees opened up onto the Pacific Ocean. But it was no longer a beautiful tropical blue. A black, swirling whirlpool like an ulcerous wound had opened up on its surface. It stretched hundreds of feet across, drawing closer to the shore by the second. Dead fish, sharks, dolphins, squids and even whales spun in the filthy, dark water.
Twenty black-clad security agents waited for the three of us on the beach, their eyes wide, their faces pale with terror. Like myself, they all had AR-15s and Glock 22s with extra magazines for both. I guess the Glock might be useful for blowing my brains out as a last resort if some beast from Hell rose out of the simmering waters, but I didn’t think it would stop anything from another dimension.
The clouds swirled overhead in a thick curtain as black as smoke. Flashes of blue lightning detonated every couple seconds. Mario raised his hands, screaming over the roaring of the wind. Kolmek stood by my side, his face grim and eyes narrowed.
“Your job is to fight off anything that tries to get on the Island,” he said, looking from one face to another with rapt attention. “Nothing can stand against high-caliber rifle fire. Shoot at the face and eyes when it comes up. We’ve dealt with creatures like this before, and they will retreat if you injure them badly enough.” I had the sense of being fed a line of bullshit as my mind processed this.
“What exactly is coming up?” one of the doe-eyed security men asked. He barely looked old enough to drink, a young, muscular hulk with a Marine Corps tattoo on his neck.
“They call it Leviathan,” Mario responded. “Sometimes the rituals here and the smell of blood can draw… strange things. Leviathan is one of those. We have encountered it before. The most important thing to remember is…” His voice was suddenly drowned out by a terrible cacophony that came from the center of the black whirlpool.
A screech like the detonation of a nuclear missile shook the ground. The ocean jumped and bubbled frantically. The beach heaved and cracked, the white sands disappearing in fissures that opened up like greedy mouths underneath my feet. I lost my balance, falling forwards. The screeching continued rising into a primal roar.
A green dragon head the color of an infected wound erupted from the surface of the thrashing water, rising up dozens of feet in the air. It had two enormous slitted eyes that dilated and constricted quickly as it glowered down at us. The screeching abruptly stopped, the pointed mouth of the dragon slamming shut with a sound like a gunshot.
Within moments, another cancerous green head shot up in a blur, its skin looking as hard as stone. Ridges that looked as sharp as swords ran the length of its reptilian skull, arcing over its eyes and pointed snout. More heads erupted from the ocean until all seven heads of Leviathan loomed over us.
Not one of us fired. No one even seemed to breathe as we surveyed the beast across the no-man’s land of the white sands. The slitted eyes and yellow irises of the seven heads had a demonic hunger, a reptilian coldness. Far behind us, I heard distant screams still echoing from the auditorium where Moloch held sway.
“Fire!” Mario cried. Instantly, a cacophony of gunshots exploded all around me. I jumped up on my feet, scrambling up as the seven-headed dragon leapt forward. Thousands of gallons of saltwater streamed down its massive body as it came up on the beach. Long, black paws with bone-white talons shot out of the surging ocean, followed by a tapering tail like that of a water snake.
I brought the rifle up and emptied my magazine as fast as I could, pulling the trigger over and over as I aimed at the many slitted eyes of Leviathan. But the bullets seemed to ping harmlessly off of its hard, obsidian-like scales.
It scrabbled onto the shore, the heads coming down in a blur. Rows and rows of vampiric fangs gleamed dully in each of the mouths. One security agent was bitten in half, the spurting stump of his lower body still standing for a long moment even as the rest of the body disappeared down the throat of the dragon.
Mario ran forwards, slamming another magazine in his rifle and opening fire point-blank. One of the heads came down in a blur towards him. Its great, staring eyes exploded in a shower of blue blood and thick vitreous fluid. The dragon head pulled back, its mouth opening in a primal scream of agony.
As I reloaded, I scanned the area around me, realizing that nearly half of the security agents were either dead or critically injured. I backpedaled away, keeping my eyes on the dragon. It continuously drew forward, killing more of its enemies with every step. I turned and ran into the forest, the sounds of shattering bones and dying men ringing through the air with a sickening clarity behind me.
Once I had reached the border of the trail, I heard Mario yell, “Retreat!” behind me. But by that point, it was far too late.
***
“Hey! Wait up!” a voice whispered from behind me. I turned my head, seeing Kolmek. Spatters of drying blood covered his face and uniform. As far as I could tell, none of it was his. “Mario’s dead. They’re all dead. We need to get out of here. We need to get off the Island.”
“How?” I asked.
“Find the Savior,” he answered, panting and out of breath. “We must find him. He can get us out of here.”
“I don’t even know what the guy looks like,” I muttered. “He was wearing a goat mask.”
“You’ll know him when you see him,” Kolmek said. “His body is covered in scars. Everything except his face. Stay close to me. We need to watch each other’s backs. It’s our only chance of survival.”
***
A trail of twisted, broken bodies led from the mansion to the surrounding trails and beaches. A decapitated woman with solid gold necklaces embedded with diamonds lay in front of me. It was strange on the Island, the way oblivion and ineffable wealth coexisted side by side. But everything was deathly silent, even in the mansion’s auditorium.
“Where’s the Savior?” I asked through gritted teeth. I peeked my head into the auditorium, but nothing moved. Hundreds of smashed and bloody bodies littered the floor.
“He’s around somewhere,” Kolmek answered. We started circling the mansion, looking for any signs of life. Kolmek went in the lead. As he turned the corner, an enormous black hand with sharp claws of fingers flitted forward in a blur, wrapping itself around his chest. Kolmek gave a strangled cry as it closed around him. I heard his bones crush as a spout of blood and gore flew from his mouth and nose, as if he were a toothpaste tube being squeezed.
I backpedaled away as Moloch threw the twitching corpse aside like a discarded toy. It smashed into the wall of the mansion, exploding wetly. A human-shaped, bloody stain languidly dripped down the wall above Kolmek’s mangled body.
Moloch slowly turned his head towards me, the fiery eyes flashing with hunger. He gnashed his fangs together, taking a step forward with a leg the size and shape of a tree trunk. With every step he took, I felt the ground tremble.
“Stop!” I cried, moving away from the monstrous creature. “Why are you doing this?”
“There is no why,” he gurgled, his voice monstrous and inhumanly slow. “There is only power. The weak deserve to die. Only the strong are worthy of life.” I raised my rifle in a last-ditch effort to save myself. Moloch saw it and started running towards me, every footstep crushing the paved walkway around the mansion into rubble and dust.
I aimed for his eyes and nose, emptying the entire magazine as quickly as I could. The bullets smashed into Moloch’s face. Dark red, clotted blood dripped out of the wounds, writhing with maggots. Drops of it fell around me, landing on my hair and face. I felt the small larvae twisting all over my skin. Moloch’s blood smelled nauseating, like some combination of stinkbugs and rotting bodies. He slowed, giving a roar of pain. I turned to run in the opposite direction, but as I looked out in the direction of the beach, my heart dropped.
Leviathan was moving in our direction, the giant dragon heads looming over the trees. Quickly, it swept towards me like a dark wind.
***
“You will suffer for that, worthless slave,” Moloch growled, wiping blood from his fiery eyes with his sharp talons of fingers. A sudden idea came to me. I ran in the direction of Leviathan. Moloch followed closely at my heels, only a few steps behind me.
Leviathan slithered forward over the sands and trees, its enormous body undulating like a water snake’s. I screamed at it, an incomprehensible wail of terror. Its seven heads snapped towards me. Its slitted eyes widened as it saw Moloch.
I heard the crashing of Moloch’s footsteps stop behind me, only feet away from crushing me into a paste. His massive lungs breathed quickly, exhaling the odor of sulfur and smoke.
“Leviathan,” Moloch growled in his demonic voice. “These are my tributes.” Leviathan’s dragon heads looked straight up at the Sun and screamed in response, their many voices rising and falling in a dissonant wail. As I sprinted into the trees, Leviathan and Moloch ran at each other, colliding with an ear-splitting crash. I glanced back, seeing Moloch ripping one of the dragon heads off its neck with his sharp fingers. The head screamed as blue blood exploded from the spurting stump. After a long moment, the neck fell limply forward.
The other dragon heads bit Moloch in a unified attack. They ripped deep holes in his shoulders and arms, snapping over and over like rabid dogs. As the two eldritch monstrosities attacked each other in fierce combat, I lost sight of them, but the sounds of fighting echoed over the entire island, crashing like lightning.
***
I felt like the survivor of an Apocalypse. I couldn’t find a single other living person on the Island. Hundreds of crushed, broken and decapitated bodies surrounded me. Over the cacophony of fighting, I heard a new noise: the whirring of helicopter blades nearby. It was coming from the other side of the mansion.
Frantically, I sprinted around the other side, seeing a Black Hawk helicopter getting ready to leave. A man in black robes sat at the pilot’s seat, his green eyes gleaming and a wide smile plastered across his face. I smashed my fist into the door over and over until he opened it.
“Holy shit, you’re still alive?” he asked. I hadn’t seen this man before. He had a face like a Calvin Klein model, all sharp angles and high cheekbones, perfectly proportioned in every way. But his scalp looked melted and scarred, as if someone had thrown gasoline on his hair and ignited it. His ears were stunted, twisted growths of scar tissue. His hands, too, were covered in deep, folding burn scars.
“Are you the Savior?” I responded quickly. “Please, get me out of here.”
“They do call me that,” he said wistfully. “The Savior. Yes, I guess I am. Get in.”
***
The Savior stared at me with his strange green eyes, the color of swamps where monstrous things swam under the surface.
“Some people just need to learn the hard way,” he said. The helicopter took off into a dark night covered with bright, twinkling stars. “There is no great power without great responsibility, after all. Those of us who seek the ancient ones know it comes with a cost.” I just stared out the window, gazing down at the countless mutilated, broken bodies that littered the beach.
Below us, the face of a bull stared up with eyes of fiery cyclones. The broken, still body of Leviathan lay at his feet. As we made it over the great waters of the Pacific Ocean, the bull-god raised a hand and waved. At that moment, I thought I could almost see a hurricane of translucent souls circling around him, spiraling up into the sky.

After high school, having no better ideas, I joined the Navy SEALs. I never really liked any of it, but it was a job, after all. I loved the guns and airplanes and grenades, but having to run all the time while some scumbag with a chip on his shoulder yells in my face isn’t my idea of fun.
Things got a lot more interesting after my term of service ended. I still had a high-security clearance, so I used it to take temporary jobs as a mercenary, a hired gun. I did some stints in Iraq with Blackwater, where they set me out in the middle of the desert. A watchtower and oil refinery loomed over the burning sands. Along with a few other guys, they told us, “Guard this area with your life.” While better than the SEALs, working for Blackwater was extremely boring. The other mercenaries and I would mostly just chainsmoke cigarettes and drink coffee all night, staring out across the dead, empty desert.
Over time, I worked my way up. Things started to get more interesting when a job offer arrived in my email one freezing cold winter’s morning. This is what it said.
“Mr. Chase,
“I am the head of security for a private group of entrepreneurs and investors. Through some mutual contacts, I have heard of your professionalism and experience. We are currently putting together a small crew to guard a private event on [REDACTED] Island out in the Pacific Ocean that will run from January 9th to January 26th. Would you be interested in this job? The pay rate is $900 a day.
“Once you are on the island, it will be impossible to leave until the period of employment has ended. If you are interested, please respond to this email as soon as possible.
“Sincerely,
“Mario Antonin, Head of Security.”
I was working piecemeal jobs like this one at the time, but none of them were paying that well. At most, I would usually get $350 to $500 a day, which was still good money when I was working seven days a week until the job finished. I instantly responded and said that yes, I was interested. In response, they sent me a non-disclosure agreement that was the size of a small novel that I had to sign.
That was how I found myself on a private jet, flying out to an island in the middle of the vast blue ocean. I was never told the coordinates of the island or saw it on a map. It was all kept very secret.
A few hours later, we landed on a private airstrip. I looked out the window of the jet, seeing the tropical waters of the Pacific Ocean stretching off to the horizon in every direction. Below me stood an island with palm trees and sandy white beaches. An enormous Victorian mansion loomed directly in the center of it all. The mansion was painted black and looked like something straight out of a horror movie. It had no windows, and the turrets spiraled into blade-like points.
That was my first inkling that something might not be quite right about this trip.
***
As the stairs from the private jet descended, I looked out on this strange new world. Employees waited to greet us, looking like beaten dogs. Some had their heads down, their eyes blankly scanning the ground. Most of them were women wearing red dresses, reminding me of stewardesses on a plane. The jet strip was surrounded by palm trees and tropical brush. The chirping of insects sounded all around us, high and resonant.
I saw a strange patch engraved on all of the employees’ uniforms and jackets. It looked almost like a stick figure drawing of a man, the bottom of its body ending in a C. Its arms were long and jointed, almost spidery. Three symbols like repeated iron crosses connected to the left side of its body in a line. I wondered if it was the logo of some company. I put it out of my mind for now, but I would see that symbol again all over the island, painted on the sides of the mansion and even cut into the trees with a knife. It would only be later that night that I realized its connection to Moloch.
“Good day, sir, and welcome to the Island,” the server on my left said with glassy eyes and a fake smile plastered across her face. They all looked up at once, but it was like the workers all looked through me rather than at me. Their eyes looked flat and dead, like the painted-on eyes of a doll.
“The Island, huh?” I asked, curious. “They wouldn’t tell me where I was going. They said it was a secret. Is that what you call it?” The woman just nodded, the doll-like smile never leaving her lips.
“Officially, this island is unnamed and uninhabited,” the woman said. “In fact, all traces of it have been scrubbed from the internet. You won’t find it on Google Maps or in any publicly available satellite imagery.” She leaned forward towards me with heavily mascaraed eyes and ruby-red lipstick slashed across her lips. “This is a very special place. Only very special people are allowed here. You should be honored to work here under our Savior.”
“I hope you’re talking about Jesus or something,” I said jokingly. She just smiled blankly and motioned me forward.
“Just follow that trail for a few hundred feet-” she said, pointing at an opening in the palm trees where logs were laid down horizontally over the muggy jungle- “and you’ll find the mansion. Good luck!” I thought it was a somewhat strange thing to say, wishing a random stranger good luck.
But, by the end of that night, I realized that simply to make it off this island alive, I would need lots of it.
***
I followed the woman’s directions to the back of the brutalist mansion. A heavy metal door stood there with a small bullet-proof window built in the top. A tanned, Spanish face glowered out at me then rapidly drew back and disappeared. A few heartbeats later, the door slid to the side with a grinding of hidden gears.
The head of security at the Island was a heavily-tattooed ex-Marine named Mario. He wore a dark Kevlar vest over a black outfit, making him look like a walking shadow. I found the security had their own private complex in the mansion as he showed me around the site. Hundreds of hidden cameras covered every angle of the mansion and the surrounding parts of the island. Dozens of black-clad security agents swarmed over the screens, checking the monitors and computers constantly.
“Quite a set-up you have here,” I said to Mario, nodding at him. He smacked me on the shoulder, giving a confident grin.
“Money is no issue here, Richard,” he responded. “Security is paramount. There are things on this island that could rip apart the world if they ever escaped.” I raised an eyebrow.
“Like what?” I asked. “Nuclear weapons or something?” He laughed at that.
“You’ll see for yourself tonight,” he said, his dark eyes flashing with something cold and alien.
***
Mario led me and a couple other new hired guns around the Island. The place was certainly strange. It reminded me of some combination of a secret black-ops site and a playboy billionaire’s private heaven. All of the doors in the mansion looked like they were made of thick steel. They had wheels that would spin, like those on a submarine door. The mansion also had no windows at all that I could see, except for the small, shatter-proof glass openings on the steel doors. I didn’t want to ask too many questions, however. I couldn’t resist asking him about a couple small things, however- or at least, they seemed small to me at the time.
“What are those hatchways?” I asked Mario, pointing to rectangular covers built into the concrete walkway. They had heavy handles. “Are those manholes or something?”
“There are tunnels under the Island,” he responded vaguely. “Just for maintenance and security, you understand.”
“Wow, this place is certainly… well-developed,” I said. We came out through a grove of palm trees. A stone walkway led down to a white beach. Dozens of yachts were moored all across the shore, some of them looking like they must have cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
“There’s a lot of money and power here,” Mario said. “That’s why it’s important you never talk about what you see here. These are the people who control the world, the ones behind the government and the media. Not the elected officials who the people see, but the actual power.”
“Like who?” I asked. “You mean the Rothschilds and Soros?” He laughed again, a sarcastic, grinding laugh that grated my nerves.
“Trust me, the truly powerful ones don’t even have public personas. If you know their name, then they’re just one of the puppets.” I just shook my head at that, then asked the real question that had been bothering me since I first arrived here.
“Who is the Savior?” I asked. “Is that some codename or something?” Mario froze in place.
“He’s the one who runs everything here,” he whispered conspiratorially, looking around nervously. “But don’t be mentioning that kind of shit. You’ll probably see him tonight anyway. He’s the one who runs the show. He’ll be on the stage in his normal outfit.”
***
By the end of the day, I was suited up like the rest of the security staff, wearing the pure black pants and shirt with the symbol of Moloch engraved over the heart. Hundreds of the world’s most famous politicians, actors, businessmen and artists had gathered, streaming in the front doors with a soft, diffident susurration.
I stood by the open doorway of a side exit with an AR-15 and full body armor, next to one other soldier. They had also given me a sidearm. Every entrance or exit was manned by at least two armed men. The security at this place was some of the most intense I had ever seen. Beyond the door, there were rows and rows of the most comfortable seats, all gathered in a semi-circle around a massive stage made of pure mahogany. Blood-red curtains stood closed at the front of the room, concealing their secrets- for now, at least.
“Hail Satan!” I heard the elites cry inside in unison. I didn’t want to look in at the rows of high-ranking politicians, celebrities, influencers and artists, but my curiosity was high. I peeked around the corner of the stone archway, seeing the red curtains on the stage drawing apart. I saw one of my favorite actors standing in the front row, clapping excitedly and jumping up and down.
The crowd cheered as a naked female strapped to an obsidian altar lay there. She was beautiful and blonde, probably no older than twenty with the face of a supermodel. Her mouth was gagged, her arms outstretched like Jesus on the cross. Thin leather cords were tied around her wrists and ankles, biting deeply into the skin. Her eyes rolled wildly as she shook her head from side to side. She froze, and her eyes met mine for a brief moment. I saw the pleading expression there, the mortal terror and absolute horror.
A man in a goat mask wearing black robes slunk out from the side of the stage, carrying a wavy silver dagger engraved with strange symbols. The crowd erupted into a primal roar of pleasure and excitement that sounded like it came from one monstrous mouth.
“Worthy is the Lamb!” the man in the goat mask screamed with electronic amplification. He had a deep voice, as if he had rocks rolling around in his throat. The crowd roared and clapped. Scattered cries of “Hail Lucifer!” and “Ave Satanas!” echoed down the massive auditorium.
“Hey, pay attention,” the other security agent at my side said in a thick Finnish accent. He was a tall Scandinavian-looking guy named Kolmek. “You’re not getting paid to watch the show, new guy.” I tried to rip my gaze away from the stage, but it held my attention with an obsessive horror.
“The burnt bones of children and women have been offered to the ancient ones, to Moloch,” the man on the stage cried. “Under our feet, the burnt bodies of hundreds lay dreaming. This victim will be the 666th. Her blood will bring about the Gnosis that we seek, the direct experience of the divine held by the gods, by Lucifer and Moloch and Baal…” The roaring of the crowd temporarily drowned out his electronically-magnified voice. “Tonight, we will rip open the veil!”
I had stopped watching the show, instead staring blankly out at the beach and palm trees. At that moment, another black-clad security agent came up to my partner, whispered something in his ear, then immediately disappeared, heading off back in the direction of the main security office. Kolmek shook his head grimly.
“I’ll be right back,” he said. “Stay right here. Don’t move from this door no matter what. And pay attention.” I nodded and watched as he walked off in the same direction.
I immediately took the opportunity to continue watching the ceremony. I had missed something important, apparently. The woman now laid dead on the sacrificial table, a gaping hole in her chest. Blood spurted from the crater as the man in the goat mask held her beating heart grasped tightly in his hand, letting the blood stream down his naked fingers. The crowd cheered with a rising bloodlust and insanity. Most of them were standing, their eyes gleaming and wide with fanatical adoration. The entire spectacle reminded me of some kind of ancient Aztec ritual.
As the woman’s sightless eyes stared vacantly up in death, the man in a goat mask pulled out a can of gasoline. The clear liquid gurgled as he up-ended the canister over her pale, bloodless face, over her naked stomach and long legs. A moment later, he lit a match and dropped it. I heard the whooshing of the flames as they rose up.
The crowd went deathly silent as they watched the rippling flames. The man in the goat mask began chanting in some strange language I had never heard before. It sounded Semitic, but I knew it wasn’t Arabic or Hebrew. I felt something like electricity ripple through the air, almost like a feeling of falling pressure before a storm. I looked down at the hairs on my arms, seeing them rise up. I looked back up at the stage, and my eyes widened in horror.
The flaming body of the sacrificial victim had started to morph before my eyes and the eyes of the crowd. The dripping, blackening flesh jumped up and down, as if there were rats trapped in her body trying to escape the fire. There was a deafening hissing as if thousands of snakes were being burned alive.
The dead woman’s arms jerked up, the skin splitting open as if she had seams running along her skin. Something dark and muscular with curving, black talons ripped its way out of the dead, burning flesh. Behind it, a head appeared with long, curving horns and eyes that spun with whorls of fire. It looked like the offspring of a bull and a demon. Its imposing body rose up from the inferno, appearing like magic from the solid stone. It raised itself to its full height, looming over the crowd. The last of the woman’s blood hissed and boiled away, her flesh dissolving into ashes.
“Behold, Moloch rises!” the man in the goat mask screamed in a fanatical voice. The crowd’s cheering had stopped, though. Many of the faces in the crowd looked chalk-white with terror. The bull-god surveyed the crowd, its horns nearly scraping the ceiling twenty feet above the stage.
At that moment, I knew death was on its way with eyes of fire and a grin like a skull, ready to reap a field of human bodies.
***
I heard running behind me, but I didn’t dare turn away from the horrific sight in front of me. The last of the fire’s embers died, sending up thin wisps of gray smoke that spiraled around the bull-god’s monstrous face. Moloch stood as still as a statue, and if it weren’t for one thing, I might’ve thought it was some sort of sculpture or art project. He had two nostrils like a serpent’s. As his great lungs inhaled, the smoke billowed in and out of his mouth and nose.
Some of the people at the edges of the crowd had gotten up, hurrying towards the doors. Moloch’s head ratcheted to face them, his fiery eyes narrowing into slits.
“Do not leave!” the man in the goat mask pleaded. “Those who have fear are not worthy of life. Do not prove yourselves unworthy of life!” As the first of the fleeing men and women got to within a few steps of the door, Moloch gave a primal roar. In a blur of primal strength, he reached down and ripped the blackened sacrificial altar off the stage. It ripped from the wooden stage with a tremendous crack like a bullwhip. He hurled the heavy mass of stone at those heading towards the opposite exit from the one I guarded.
I watched it curve through the air. The people started screaming and clawing to escape as it smashed down on their heads with a grating crash. I could feel the floor shake from where I stood outside. Blood exploded from their smashed bodies. I saw arms and legs jerking and seizing under the heavy stone, but within a few moments, they slowed and then stopped.
Others were running towards the door I guarded, but Moloch leapt off the stage in a blur. In a few bounding steps, he reached the pale, terrified faces on the other side of the threshold. His massive clawed hand came down. I heard bones shatter as blood sprayed my face and the wall. Bone splinters and pieces of brain exploded from the screaming bodies. I backpedaled, wiping at my eyes, trying to get the blood off so I could see. No one had told me what to do in this situation. I didn’t know if I was supposed to shoot that massive abomination, or if this was all just part of the show.
“Richard!” a familiar voice cried from behind me. Panic oozed from every word. I spun, seeing Mario and Kolmek standing side by side, their pupils dilated and expressions grim.
“We have a major problem.” It was Mario. I recognized that voice, the one that sounded as if he had been gargling with rocks.
“I know,” I said, holding my rifle tightly. I pointed behind me at the scene of rampant death and destruction.
I had seen bloodshed and war before, but this was different. The Island itself seemed to feel it. The wind, which had been calm when I first landed, now whipped the Island in fast, circular currents. The breeze smelled of burnt matches and coppery blood. The static electricity which had caused the hairs on my arms to rise rippled over everything with tiny blue flashes, increasing in power by the second.
“No, no, not Moloch,” Kolmek said, looking much calmer than I felt. “The Savior lets Moloch thin the herd every year.”
“It’s Leviathan,” Mario continued grimly, “the beast from the waters. The smell of blood is drawing it from the depths of the ocean. We picked up the first blips on radar a few minutes ago. When it gets here, it won’t stop until everything is rubble. It will kill every single person on the Island.”
“All security personnel must report to the south beach immediately,” a cool robotic voice cried out over hidden loudspeakers all over the Island. The screaming from the auditorium had quieted behind me. I was afraid to look inside.
“There it is,” Kolmek said, his head jerking up as the emergency alert read. He motioned for me to follow. “It’s time to fight.”
***
We sprinted over curving trails of smooth logs between deathly quiet forests. All the insects and birds had gone silent. Ahead of us, the palm trees opened up onto the Pacific Ocean. But it was no longer a beautiful tropical blue. A black, swirling whirlpool like an ulcerous wound had opened up on its surface. It stretched hundreds of feet across, drawing closer to the shore by the second. Dead fish, sharks, dolphins, squids and even whales spun in the filthy, dark water.
Twenty black-clad security agents waited for the three of us on the beach, their eyes wide, their faces pale with terror. Like myself, they all had AR-15s and Glock 22s with extra magazines for both. I guess the Glock might be useful for blowing my brains out as a last resort if some beast from Hell rose out of the simmering waters, but I didn’t think it would stop anything from another dimension.
The clouds swirled overhead in a thick curtain as black as smoke. Flashes of blue lightning detonated every couple seconds. Mario raised his hands, screaming over the roaring of the wind. Kolmek stood by my side, his face grim and eyes narrowed.
“Your job is to fight off anything that tries to get on the Island,” he said, looking from one face to another with rapt attention. “Nothing can stand against high-caliber rifle fire. Shoot at the face and eyes when it comes up. We’ve dealt with creatures like this before, and they will retreat if you injure them badly enough.” I had the sense of being fed a line of bullshit as my mind processed this.
“What exactly is coming up?” one of the doe-eyed security men asked. He barely looked old enough to drink, a young, muscular hulk with a Marine Corps tattoo on his neck.
“They call it Leviathan,” Mario responded. “Sometimes the rituals here and the smell of blood can draw… strange things. Leviathan is one of those. We have encountered it before. The most important thing to remember is…” His voice was suddenly drowned out by a terrible cacophony that came from the center of the black whirlpool.
A screech like the detonation of a nuclear missile shook the ground. The ocean jumped and bubbled frantically. The beach heaved and cracked, the white sands disappearing in fissures that opened up like greedy mouths underneath my feet. I lost my balance, falling forwards. The screeching continued rising into a primal roar.
A green dragon head the color of an infected wound erupted from the surface of the thrashing water, rising up dozens of feet in the air. It had two enormous slitted eyes that dilated and constricted quickly as it glowered down at us. The screeching abruptly stopped, the pointed mouth of the dragon slamming shut with a sound like a gunshot.
Within moments, another cancerous green head shot up in a blur, its skin looking as hard as stone. Ridges that looked as sharp as swords ran the length of its reptilian skull, arcing over its eyes and pointed snout. More heads erupted from the ocean until all seven heads of Leviathan loomed over us.
Not one of us fired. No one even seemed to breathe as we surveyed the beast across the no-man’s land of the white sands. The slitted eyes and yellow irises of the seven heads had a demonic hunger, a reptilian coldness. Far behind us, I heard distant screams still echoing from the auditorium where Moloch held sway.
“Fire!” Mario cried. Instantly, a cacophony of gunshots exploded all around me. I jumped up on my feet, scrambling up as the seven-headed dragon leapt forward. Thousands of gallons of saltwater streamed down its massive body as it came up on the beach. Long, black paws with bone-white talons shot out of the surging ocean, followed by a tapering tail like that of a water snake.
I brought the rifle up and emptied my magazine as fast as I could, pulling the trigger over and over as I aimed at the many slitted eyes of Leviathan. But the bullets seemed to ping harmlessly off of its hard, obsidian-like scales.
It scrabbled onto the shore, the heads coming down in a blur. Rows and rows of vampiric fangs gleamed dully in each of the mouths. One security agent was bitten in half, the spurting stump of his lower body still standing for a long moment even as the rest of the body disappeared down the throat of the dragon.
Mario ran forwards, slamming another magazine in his rifle and opening fire point-blank. One of the heads came down in a blur towards him. Its great, staring eyes exploded in a shower of blue blood and thick vitreous fluid. The dragon head pulled back, its mouth opening in a primal scream of agony.
As I reloaded, I scanned the area around me, realizing that nearly half of the security agents were either dead or critically injured. I backpedaled away, keeping my eyes on the dragon. It continuously drew forward, killing more of its enemies with every step. I turned and ran into the forest, the sounds of shattering bones and dying men ringing through the air with a sickening clarity behind me.
Once I had reached the border of the trail, I heard Mario yell, “Retreat!” behind me. But by that point, it was far too late.
***
“Hey! Wait up!” a voice whispered from behind me. I turned my head, seeing Kolmek. Spatters of drying blood covered his face and uniform. As far as I could tell, none of it was his. “Mario’s dead. They’re all dead. We need to get out of here. We need to get off the Island.”
“How?” I asked.
“Find the Savior,” he answered, panting and out of breath. “We must find him. He can get us out of here.”
“I don’t even know what the guy looks like,” I muttered. “He was wearing a goat mask.”
“You’ll know him when you see him,” Kolmek said. “His body is covered in scars. Everything except his face. Stay close to me. We need to watch each other’s backs. It’s our only chance of survival.”
***
A trail of twisted, broken bodies led from the mansion to the surrounding trails and beaches. A decapitated woman with solid gold necklaces embedded with diamonds lay in front of me. It was strange on the Island, the way oblivion and ineffable wealth coexisted side by side. But everything was deathly silent, even in the mansion’s auditorium.
“Where’s the Savior?” I asked through gritted teeth. I peeked my head into the auditorium, but nothing moved. Hundreds of smashed and bloody bodies littered the floor.
“He’s around somewhere,” Kolmek answered. We started circling the mansion, looking for any signs of life. Kolmek went in the lead. As he turned the corner, an enormous black hand with sharp claws of fingers flitted forward in a blur, wrapping itself around his chest. Kolmek gave a strangled cry as it closed around him. I heard his bones crush as a spout of blood and gore flew from his mouth and nose, as if he were a toothpaste tube being squeezed.
I backpedaled away as Moloch threw the twitching corpse aside like a discarded toy. It smashed into the wall of the mansion, exploding wetly. A human-shaped, bloody stain languidly dripped down the wall above Kolmek’s mangled body.
Moloch slowly turned his head towards me, the fiery eyes flashing with hunger. He gnashed his fangs together, taking a step forward with a leg the size and shape of a tree trunk. With every step he took, I felt the ground tremble.
“Stop!” I cried, moving away from the monstrous creature. “Why are you doing this?”
“There is no why,” he gurgled, his voice monstrous and inhumanly slow. “There is only power. The weak deserve to die. Only the strong are worthy of life.” I raised my rifle in a last-ditch effort to save myself. Moloch saw it and started running towards me, every footstep crushing the paved walkway around the mansion into rubble and dust.
I aimed for his eyes and nose, emptying the entire magazine as quickly as I could. The bullets smashed into Moloch’s face. Dark red, clotted blood dripped out of the wounds, writhing with maggots. Drops of it fell around me, landing on my hair and face. I felt the small larvae twisting all over my skin. Moloch’s blood smelled nauseating, like some combination of stinkbugs and rotting bodies. He slowed, giving a roar of pain. I turned to run in the opposite direction, but as I looked out in the direction of the beach, my heart dropped.
Leviathan was moving in our direction, the giant dragon heads looming over the trees. Quickly, it swept towards me like a dark wind.
***
“You will suffer for that, worthless slave,” Moloch growled, wiping blood from his fiery eyes with his sharp talons of fingers. A sudden idea came to me. I ran in the direction of Leviathan. Moloch followed closely at my heels, only a few steps behind me.
Leviathan slithered forward over the sands and trees, its enormous body undulating like a water snake’s. I screamed at it, an incomprehensible wail of terror. Its seven heads snapped towards me. Its slitted eyes widened as it saw Moloch.
I heard the crashing of Moloch’s footsteps stop behind me, only feet away from crushing me into a paste. His massive lungs breathed quickly, exhaling the odor of sulfur and smoke.
“Leviathan,” Moloch growled in his demonic voice. “These are my tributes.” Leviathan’s dragon heads looked straight up at the Sun and screamed in response, their many voices rising and falling in a dissonant wail. As I sprinted into the trees, Leviathan and Moloch ran at each other, colliding with an ear-splitting crash. I glanced back, seeing Moloch ripping one of the dragon heads off its neck with his sharp fingers. The head screamed as blue blood exploded from the spurting stump. After a long moment, the neck fell limply forward.
The other dragon heads bit Moloch in a unified attack. They ripped deep holes in his shoulders and arms, snapping over and over like rabid dogs. As the two eldritch monstrosities attacked each other in fierce combat, I lost sight of them, but the sounds of fighting echoed over the entire island, crashing like lightning.
***
I felt like the survivor of an Apocalypse. I couldn’t find a single other living person on the Island. Hundreds of crushed, broken and decapitated bodies surrounded me. Over the cacophony of fighting, I heard a new noise: the whirring of helicopter blades nearby. It was coming from the other side of the mansion.
Frantically, I sprinted around the other side, seeing a Black Hawk helicopter getting ready to leave. A man in black robes sat at the pilot’s seat, his green eyes gleaming and a wide smile plastered across his face. I smashed my fist into the door over and over until he opened it.
“Holy shit, you’re still alive?” he asked. I hadn’t seen this man before. He had a face like a Calvin Klein model, all sharp angles and high cheekbones, perfectly proportioned in every way. But his scalp looked melted and scarred, as if someone had thrown gasoline on his hair and ignited it. His ears were stunted, twisted growths of scar tissue. His hands, too, were covered in deep, folding burn scars.
“Are you the Savior?” I responded quickly. “Please, get me out of here.”
“They do call me that,” he said wistfully. “The Savior. Yes, I guess I am. Get in.”
***
The Savior stared at me with his strange green eyes, the color of swamps where monstrous things swam under the surface.
“Some people just need to learn the hard way,” he said. The helicopter took off into a dark night covered with bright, twinkling stars. “There is no great power without great responsibility, after all. Those of us who seek the ancient ones know it comes with a cost.” I just stared out the window, gazing down at the countless mutilated, broken bodies that littered the beach.
Below us, the face of a bull stared up with eyes of fiery cyclones. The broken, still body of Leviathan lay at his feet. As we made it over the great waters of the Pacific Ocean, the bull-god raised a hand and waved. At that moment, I thought I could almost see a hurricane of translucent souls circling around him, spiraling up into the sky.