0:05

The Harbinger always went for the freaks.

0:08

They were its favorite. It wanted ones

0:10

that would fight back, and ones that wouldn't

0:12

be afraid at first. Or even better,

0:15

ones that believed they could win. Those

0:17

rare humans with bravado and confidence

0:20

so great that they actually believed they could

0:22

defeat it somehow. Those were always

0:24

the most pleasurable to kill. It

0:26

loved watching the life fade from their defiant

0:29

eyes as it slowly ripped them to shreds,

0:32

watching as the realization that they were in fact

0:34

powerless dawned on them.

0:36

For centuries, this ancient creature

0:38

had hunted down humans, whether for

0:41

pleasure, sport, or because

0:43

it was compelled to by instinct.

0:45

It thrived on the death of the human race.

0:48

However, it had long since

0:50

grown tired of the predictable, frightened

0:53

screams and wails of agony that

0:55

often accompanied its various campaigns.

0:58

As such, it had opted to change

1:00

its prey demographic to the more interesting

1:03

humans one might find among the masses.

1:06

After all, Earth now had over seven

1:08

billion humans infesting its surface,

1:11

as surely some of them would offer a more

1:13

unique and exciting hunt than the thousands

1:16

the Harbinger had culled before.

1:18

That said, finding less predictable

1:21

humans among millions of their more boring

1:23

counterparts was like finding a needle

1:25

in a haystack. Ever

1:28

since the Harbinger had changed its modus

1:30

operandi, it had become frustrated

1:32

by the slower increase of its kill count.

1:35

It had no idea which was worse,

1:37

killing worthless, boring humans in

1:39

droves or spending weeks tracking

1:42

down potentially interesting ones, sometimes

1:44

only to find out that they'd just reacted

1:47

as disappointingly as the rest.

1:49

But then, the Harbinger

1:51

found Adrian Bishop. At

1:54

first, Adrian Bishop appeared to be yet

1:56

another ordinary human with an ordinary

1:58

life.

1:59

He was a younger man of average height and

2:02

build, with pitch-black hair and a

2:04

simple suit under a coat.

2:06

The only thing about him that attracted the

2:08

Harbinger's very selective attention was

2:10

the fact that the man actually saw it.

2:13

Normally, the Harbinger existed on

2:15

a plane of existence above that of humans,

2:18

only when it wanted to reveal itself would they

2:20

be able to witness its terrifying form.

2:23

Yet, one morning, as the Harbinger

2:25

was prowling the streets of downtown Ottawa,

2:28

a man stopped in his tracks and looked

2:30

directly at it.

2:32

The Harbinger, confused, looked

2:34

behind itself, certain that the man

2:36

had noticed something else and was looking

2:38

just in its direction, yet nothing

2:40

noteworthy lingered there, while the man's

2:43

eyes pointed upward to meet the eyes

2:45

of the nine-foot-tall monster.

2:47

And then, Adrian Bishop did

2:50

something completely unexpected. Not

2:52

panic, or flee, or even show

2:55

a hint of fear. He simply

2:57

smiled.

2:58

It was a knowing, mischievous kind of

3:00

smirk. If the hideously malformed

3:03

face of the Harbinger could have made a surprised

3:05

expression then, it most certainly would

3:07

have. As if that wasn't strange

3:09

enough, the man then simply looked away

3:12

and began walking again as if nothing

3:14

had happened. The Harbinger stood,

3:17

looking all around for anything that might have

3:19

caught the passerby's eye, but it

3:21

seemed almost undeniable that

3:23

the man had been looking directly at it.

3:26

Needless to say, this warranted

3:28

investigation.

3:29

So, the Harbinger followed Adrian

3:31

throughout his day. Unlike before,

3:34

the man no longer paid any attention,

3:37

going about his daily business as usual.

3:40

The Harbinger discovered that he worked at a local

3:42

convenience store as a manager. From

3:45

what it could tell, he was quite well-liked

3:47

by his employees and superiors, and

3:49

had an almost painfully cheerful demeanor.

3:52

The day passed by rather uneventfully,

3:55

and the Harbinger grew bored.

3:57

By the time Adrian started to head home,

3:59

it was

3:59

It was starting to suspect that the earlier incident

4:02

had all been some kind of unlikely coincidence,

4:05

and the Adrien hadn't seen him after all.

4:08

Still, the interdimensional monstrosity

4:10

didn't have anything better to do at the moment, so

4:13

it decided to at least follow the human back

4:16

to his house.

4:17

As they arrived at the rather small flat,

4:20

the harbinger followed Adrien through a short

4:22

hallway and into the living room.

4:24

Adrien began taking off his coat while

4:26

the harbinger lingered in the hallway, glaring

4:29

suspiciously at one particular locked

4:31

door on the far end of the room.

4:33

It felt something strange coming from that

4:35

room, something unnatural

4:38

yet familiar. Adrien's

4:42

voice rang out, almost catching the creature

4:45

off guard. I apologize for keeping

4:47

you waiting, but I'm afraid it was necessary

4:50

to keep up appearances. Don't

4:52

want people thinking before the human was

4:54

even able to finish his sentence. The harbinger

4:56

was upon him with a long, blade-like

4:58

claw pressed against his throat and

5:01

another huge hand clutching his head.

5:03

Adrien didn't so much as flinch. What

5:05

is your name? It seemed

5:07

impossible to it that this human could see

5:10

it.

5:10

In its lifetime, it had come across humans

5:13

who could sense it using somewhat of a sixth

5:15

sense before, but never could one

5:17

actually lay eyes upon it while in the higher

5:19

plane. Surely, this was another

5:22

dark being in disguise.

5:24

My name? Adrien queried,

5:27

the creature's firm grip not doing anything

5:29

to deter his vaguely smug attitude.

5:32

Adrien? Adrien Bishop, human

5:34

being extraordinaire. Growing

5:36

frustrated, the harbinger increased the

5:38

strength of its grip, causing Adam to wince.

5:41

Ah, ah, easy there. You

5:43

don't want to kill me, my friend.

5:45

And why would I not? The

5:48

harbinger rasped. No human should

5:50

be able to see the beings of the higher

5:53

plane. You will lie.

5:55

Sorry, but I beg to differ. I'm

5:58

aware that you and your kind... The mind possess

6:00

a keen sense for the supernatural, right?

6:03

So I ask, is there anything remotely

6:06

inhuman about my being?

6:08

As much as the Harbinger tried, the human

6:10

was right.

6:11

From what it could tell, the man currently

6:13

held firmly in its clutches was nothing

6:16

more than human.

6:17

Were it any other sort of ethereal demon,

6:20

the Harbinger should have been able to tell right

6:22

away.

6:22

How then? The Harbinger

6:25

insisted. Has your science

6:27

truly come this far? No,

6:30

of course not. I am as clueless

6:32

as you are when it comes to the origin of my

6:34

little gift, as it were.

6:36

I've been able to see boogeymen like you

6:38

since I was a child. In fact,

6:41

I'm not even the only one who can, though

6:43

I assure you, it comes as no surprise

6:46

to me that you aren't aware of our existence.

6:48

Perceptive humans like me are a quite

6:51

rare find, even today,

6:53

when there are many more than there used to be.

6:56

The Harbinger was still uncertain of this human.

6:58

However, it couldn't deny the evidence

7:01

before it. Even now, it was

7:03

still concealed in a different layer of reality,

7:05

yet it was conversing with Adrian as if

7:08

it were on his level. The hideous

7:10

features of its face contorted into

7:12

what might have been interpreted as a look of

7:14

disgust. The very idea

7:17

of being unintentionally seen by a mere

7:19

mortal was mortifying, yet, at the

7:21

same time,

7:23

it couldn't deny that Adrian Bishop

7:25

appeared to be one of the most interesting humans

7:27

it had come across in a very long time.

7:30

Not once during this entire encounter did

7:33

he even show a hint of fear, as

7:35

if he knew he wasn't going to die. While

7:38

the Harbinger was extremely tempted to prove

7:40

him wrong by skewering him now, it

7:42

instead opted to wait and see what he would do.

7:45

Part of the thrill was watching them squirm,

7:47

after all.

7:49

The Harbinger released its grip on Adrian,

7:51

prompting a brief sigh from the man, not

7:54

of relief but exasperation.

7:59

an easily excitable one, aren't you, Harbinger?"

8:03

He turned around, actually looking at

8:05

the monstrosity for the first time since

8:07

that morning. "...and a handsome one, if

8:09

I may say so."

8:10

"...Do not tempt me, human. Give

8:13

me one sufficient reason to keep

8:15

you alive for even a single second

8:17

longer." "...Oh, I'll give you more than just

8:20

one," Adrian

8:20

said, that knowing Smirk

8:23

returning to his face. "...See, I

8:25

know exactly why you're here.

8:27

I understand your way of thinking more

8:29

than most. You came here to kill

8:31

me, because you thought I was interesting, didn't

8:33

you?"

8:34

The Harbinger remained silent. "...You

8:37

thought I might put up a fight or try to

8:39

resist. Make the hunt a little more interesting,

8:41

right?" "...Yeah, I can see

8:43

it in your eyes. Er,

8:46

I... were kindred souls, you

8:48

and I."

8:49

The Harbinger scoffed, its bones

8:51

cracking as it held its head up high.

8:53

"...Do not be so impudent to think

8:56

that you are like me.

8:58

You are a mere insect compared

9:00

to-" "...Yes, yes, I know. That isn't how

9:02

I meant it," Adrian interrupted, prompting

9:05

an irritated growl from the monster before him.

9:07

"...I'm just saying, I'm tired of it too."

9:10

The man turned around and began to walk across

9:13

the room to the locked door.

9:15

"...You know what I mean. The paranoia

9:17

that begins to set in when you stalk them.

9:20

The fear they feel when they realize there's

9:22

no escape.

9:23

The frightened wails and screams when you're

9:25

flaying them with your knife, or I

9:27

guess, claw in your case. It's

9:30

all so overdone." Adrian

9:33

brought out a keychain and unlocked the door, revealing

9:36

a staircase leading down into the darkness.

9:39

"...After a while, you actually want

9:41

some resistance. You want to stalk

9:43

people who will have different reactions. Ones

9:46

who aren't so afraid in the beginning. Why,

9:49

I'm sure you're itching to wipe this smug

9:51

smile off my face right now. And

9:53

that's exactly what I was counting on." The

9:56

harbinger narrowed its bulbous eye at Adrian

9:58

as he flipped the light switch. Which if you come

10:00

with me, I can give you exactly

10:03

what you want, Harbinger." He turned

10:05

around with a grin halfway deranged

10:07

and devious plastered on his face.

10:10

A good hunt.

10:12

And with that, he began descending

10:14

down into the stairway. The Harbinger

10:16

wasn't sure what to do. It felt

10:19

extraordinarily tempted to kill this human

10:21

and watched that overconfident demeanor melt

10:24

away in his final moments. Yet

10:26

it was intrigued. More intrigued

10:29

than it had been in a long, long time.

10:32

Though he was human in body, Adrian

10:34

Bishop appeared to be something entirely

10:36

different in mind. Something

10:38

far closer to the Harbinger itself than

10:41

any human it had met before.

10:43

Ultimately, the choice was obvious.

10:46

The monster followed after Adrian and

10:48

began its descent down the stairs.

10:56

I'm glad you decided to make the right choice,

10:58

my friend.

10:59

The room at the bottom of the stairs was surprisingly

11:02

spacious for a basement, with the floor

11:04

and walls made of stone-cold concrete.

11:07

It was what painted them that was of particular

11:10

interest.

11:11

Strange archaic symbols littered

11:13

the surface of the room, drawn almost

11:15

anywhere and everywhere possible in what

11:18

appeared to be dried blood. The

11:20

only place where they weren't drawn was in the very

11:23

center of the room, where

11:24

another, larger, circular

11:26

symbol of a similar nature had been carved

11:29

into the floor.

11:30

An assortment of cabinets was set throughout the

11:32

room, some of which contained books

11:34

and files while others were packed

11:36

full of glass containers, vials,

11:39

and bottles of substances, on

11:41

which were a variety of tools ranging

11:43

from saws and hammers to strange

11:46

little devices that seemed to be designed

11:48

for torture.

11:49

By far, the most intriguing part

11:51

of the room, however, was the two cages

11:54

at the far end.

11:55

Each contained a person, a male

11:57

and a female, sitting in the corners of their

11:59

respective

11:59

respective cages, cowering at the sight

12:02

of Adrian Bishop. "'Welcome

12:04

to my humble abode, Harbinger. Feel

12:06

free to make yourself at home.'

12:08

Taking a look around, the Harbinger recognized

12:11

many of the symbols painted on the walls, though

12:14

the one carved into the ground was completely

12:16

unknown even to him.

12:18

Regardless, he knew what this was."

12:22

"'So, you are one of those humans

12:24

foolish enough to dabble in the Black

12:26

Arts. I should have expected

12:28

no less,'

12:29

the Harbinger said. "'Well,

12:32

yes, but I think I do a little

12:34

more than dabble,'

12:35

Adrian replied. He moved over to

12:38

a swivel chair in the corner of the room and sat

12:40

down. "'I'm a bit of an aficionado

12:43

when it comes to what people might refer to as

12:45

sorcery.

12:46

I've spent most of my life studying up and

12:49

even developed a few little charms and rituals

12:51

of my own. It's not that hard

12:53

if you know what you're doing, really.'

12:55

Taking the swivel chair around, he kicked

12:58

the wall slightly, sending him rolling back.

13:00

"'I'm not really a wizard or anything. Rather,

13:03

I think I'm more akin to a psychic

13:05

than anything else. The Black Arts

13:08

is just a really grimdark term

13:10

to describe the various combinations of

13:12

actions, words, and symbols which

13:14

allow the human mind to tap into the

13:16

power of this place you like to call

13:18

the Higher Plane,'

13:20

he shrugged. I can't claim to

13:22

know how it all works. That plane

13:25

of existence is probably completely incomprehensible

13:28

to us lowly humans.

13:29

Frankly, I think a lot of the procedures

13:32

you need to go through to cast curses and

13:34

spells are ridiculously convoluted

13:36

and cliché, but hey, what

13:38

can you do?

13:40

The Harbinger was growing impatient. "'What

13:42

is your point?' "'Well,

13:45

you were wondering why I can see and hear you,

13:47

right?

13:48

It's just that some humans have much

13:50

greater latent psychic potential than others.'

13:54

Frankly explained, his chair coming to a stop

13:57

as it swirled around to face the Harbinger.

13:59

And I happen to be one of them.

14:02

We're called seers, a term I coined,

14:04

by the way. We have a strong connection

14:06

to the higher plane, which allows us to

14:08

be able to perceive its residents, among

14:11

other things. In fact, not

14:13

to brag, but out of all the seers

14:15

I've met, I'm probably the most gifted.

14:18

It allows me to perform incantations and

14:20

rituals that most could probably never

14:22

do.

14:23

The harbinger scoffed, turning its attention

14:25

to the two cowering humans in cages. They

14:28

were almost completely naked, wearing only

14:31

ragged underwear and the rest of their bodies

14:33

were covered in bloody bandages.

14:35

They both had their hands cupped over their faces,

14:38

as if doing so would hide them from their captor.

14:41

Are you sure you are not simply what humans

14:43

refer to as a psychopath?

14:45

The harbinger sneered.

14:47

Adrian chuckled in amusement, following

14:49

its line of sight to the two captives.

14:52

I don't know, probably. Still

14:54

I think I'm a tad bit more ambitious than

14:56

the average psychopath, to be honest. As

14:59

for these two, they aren't here to be killed.

15:02

They're more like, eh, my lab

15:04

rats. The harbinger observed

15:06

the so-called rats for a moment longer. From

15:10

what it could tell, they seemed utterly psychologically

15:13

destroyed, as they did little more

15:15

than rock back and forth or mutter while

15:17

sitting huddled in the corner of their prisons.

15:20

Hmm, I have not seen depravity

15:22

such as this from your kind in many

15:24

decades, the harbinger said, though

15:27

for once it was more of a compliment than

15:29

an insult.

15:31

Its long, bony fingers pointed

15:33

in the direction of a cabinet filled with narcotics.

15:36

I imagine that is what those are for,

15:38

then.

15:39

Ah, very perceptive of you, Adrian

15:42

chirped, growing more enthusiastic. At

15:45

first they were just another couple of toys

15:47

to be played with and discarded, but I

15:49

confess, I grew a little attached

15:51

to them.

15:52

The two of them were rather resistant

15:54

after all. The woman managed to hold

15:57

out for a whole week before pleading for it to

15:59

stop, you know?

16:00

That's quite rare, and when the man

16:02

noticed I had started following him, he actually

16:04

tried to stab me. Honestly, I admired

16:07

their willpower so much that I couldn't let

16:09

them go to waste. So I

16:12

decided to try some of my experiments regarding

16:14

true fear on them.

16:15

You would be amazed what a combination of

16:18

hallucinatory drugs, some simple

16:20

fear induction incantations and

16:22

just a smidgen of physical torture can

16:24

do.

16:25

Enough of your talk. I grow

16:27

bored. Where is this hunt you

16:29

promised me? Hmm? Oh,

16:31

right, right. My apologies. I

16:33

don't get a chance to talk about my hobbies very often.

16:36

Adrian said, scratching the back of his

16:38

head nonchalantly.

16:40

He pushed his feet against the ground, sending

16:43

the chair rolling back before colliding with the

16:45

cage of the woman. Her whole body froze

16:47

as she briefly glanced up at him,

16:49

before she curled up into a ball.

16:52

Adrian crossed his legs, staring

16:54

intently at the harbinger.

16:56

Now then, let's get down to business.

16:59

My proposition is simple enough. I'm

17:01

offering to become your supplier. I

17:03

take it you've been having trouble finding humans

17:06

worthy to hunt, right?

17:08

Well, worry no more. I know

17:10

where you can find them. Plenty of them.

17:13

Again, Adrian turned around and pushed

17:15

back against the bars of the cage, sending

17:17

the chair rolling towards one of the cabinets. Using

17:20

a hand to stop himself, he pried open

17:22

one of the drawers, revealing a laptop.

17:24

Marvelous invention, the internet. He

17:27

continued as he booted it up. It allows

17:29

you to get in touch with people from all around the globe.

17:32

Not only that, but I think you'll find

17:34

that people are much more interesting under the veil

17:36

of anonymity. Without judgmental

17:39

old society glaring over their shoulder, they're

17:41

free to say whatever they want.

17:43

It makes it an awful lot easier to identify

17:46

potential hunts. Adrian began tapping

17:48

away at the keyboard as he spoke. Over

17:50

the years, I've spent a long time trying to

17:53

find people who might be interesting. I

17:55

don't just mean resilient people, I mean

17:57

people like me. People who've seen me.

17:59

seen what I've seen. Sears. It

18:03

took quite some time considering how rare they

18:05

are, combined with the heaps of fakes

18:07

and charlatans out there.

18:09

But I developed a way for Sears

18:11

to reliably identify one another, and

18:14

I got us to band together.

18:15

Now, I run an entire online

18:17

community full of users who are Sears. It's

18:20

strictly invitation only, of course. Some

18:23

of them are more psychically gifted than others,

18:25

but they can all at least see monsters.

18:28

Because of that, I can guarantee

18:30

that none of them have lived a normal life, or

18:33

could be defined as normal people.

18:35

The Harbinger was speechless.

18:37

If what Adrian was saying was true, it

18:40

had just stumbled across the greatest opportunity

18:42

in centuries.

18:43

It was almost too good to be true, and

18:46

because of that, the Harbinger wasn't about

18:48

to believe him right away. Nonsense.

18:51

As if that little device could be used

18:53

to amass so many people. Adrian

18:55

sighed and shook his head.

18:57

Come on, Harbinger, don't be an old geezer.

19:00

You know as well as I do it's perfectly possible.

19:02

It was through this website and the people

19:04

in it that I first became aware of you after all.

19:07

The Harbinger perked up at this.

19:09

Is that so?

19:11

Adrian nodded. Yes, yes it is.

19:14

I was just logging on now so I can prove it to you.

19:17

If I remember right, I was first informed

19:19

about you by a user who actually observed

19:21

you for a time while you were in New York. They

19:24

watched you stalk a kid named, uh,

19:27

hang on.

19:28

Adrian moved his finger across the touch pad

19:30

and tapped it a few times. Here we

19:32

go. It was a girl named Lucy Wilder, 16

19:36

years old, lived in Brooklyn, had

19:38

a scar on one of her eyebrows. You

19:40

killed her back in 2010. Ring

19:42

any bells?

19:43

The Harbinger thought for a moment before realizing

19:46

it did remember killing a young girl with

19:48

a scar on her eyebrow a few years ago.

19:51

The hunt was substandard.

19:53

It commented.

19:55

It seriously doubted that Adrian could find

19:57

this out on his own. He must have been telling

19:59

the truth.

20:00

That's unfortunate. I do find

20:02

that teenagers are some of the most easily frightened

20:05

aside from small children."

20:07

He said, closing the laptop.

20:09

So then, am I right in assuming you

20:11

believe me now? The harbinger

20:13

was willing to believe that this claim of a seer

20:16

network was true, but something was

20:18

still off about the entire deal. "'You

20:20

plan to sell out the people that you

20:23

spent so long gathering.

20:25

Why? Are they not your

20:27

ilk?'"

20:28

He was silent for a moment, looking

20:30

at the harbinger numbly before he suddenly

20:32

burst out laughing. "'What? My

20:35

ilk? You must be joking!"

20:37

he boomed, prompting more frightened

20:39

shivers from the humans in the cages. Calming

20:42

down, he continued, "'Come along,

20:44

harbinger. Surely you must see by now

20:46

I'm nothing like these other humans. You

20:48

think I feel some sort of attachment to these people?

20:51

They're merely more playthings to be toyed

20:53

with. That's all. I've gathered them

20:55

for a very specific purpose, in fact, which

20:58

is why I need your help eliminating

21:00

them."

21:01

And what would that purpose be?

21:04

"'Well, experimentation, of course.

21:06

But not like what you've seen with these people.

21:09

I plan to conduct a whole new kind of experiment,

21:12

for which I specifically need seers.

21:15

The problem is, none of the seers actually

21:17

live nearby. They're dispersed

21:19

throughout the world, and I can't get to them

21:22

easily, even with the black arts on

21:24

my side. But you can.' Calming

21:27

down, "'I will not capture them for you

21:29

and bring them back. I will

21:31

not be your slave.' "'Come

21:33

now, don't take me for a fool. I

21:35

know that.

21:36

The experiment I want to perform actually

21:39

involves a ritual.

21:40

I don't necessarily need them to be here

21:42

to activate it. It's just that the

21:45

mechanism requires a particularly gifted

21:47

individual as the sacrifice. All

21:49

I need you to do is set the ritual up

21:52

as per my instructions each time and

21:54

kill your victim in the ritual setting.

21:56

After you've had your fun, of course.'"

21:59

The instructions will be different each time as I try

22:02

out different variations of this ritual since

22:04

it's custom made.

22:06

The Harbinger grew somewhat suspicious as

22:08

it listened to Adrian's explanation.

22:10

What is this ritual you speak of?

22:13

Well that's an interesting question. You

22:16

see, it involves the combination of a series

22:18

of ancient incantations passed down

22:20

throughout my family for generations, combined

22:23

with some basic trigger runes, a

22:25

type 5 spell certain- What is its purpose?

22:28

The Harbinger impatiently interrupted. Right,

22:31

sorry, rambling. Basically

22:34

I want to reanimate the dead.

22:36

The Harbinger let out a chuckle at this. You

22:39

humans never cease to amuse me.

22:41

Your televisions have lied to you. The

22:44

undead do not exist. It is

22:46

impossible to reanimate a corpse after

22:48

its soul is gone.

22:50

I know, but I don't intend to

22:52

let the soul leave its body. Adrian

22:54

excitedly proclaimed. Not going into

22:56

too much detail, the idea is to

22:59

trap the soul inside the dead body using

23:01

the brain's psychic energy. The high

23:03

psychic potential of seers should make it

23:05

possible to contain the soul even after

23:08

death, since the brain doesn't immediately

23:10

cease functioning.

23:12

Then the incantation you recite should

23:14

stir the trapped soul, causing it to reanimate

23:16

the body, in theory.

23:19

The Harbinger was sure that this foolish theory

23:21

was nonsense, but the man seemed

23:23

completely confident in his abilities, and

23:26

it was none of the creature's business whether the rituals

23:28

succeeded or failed.

23:30

All that mattered to it were the hunts which

23:32

were being promised.

23:33

It seems like a fair exchange, doesn't it?

23:36

Adrian said, looking up at the Harbinger.

23:38

All you have to do is a bit of handiwork

23:40

after your hunt is finished. You can spend

23:43

as much time psychologically decimating

23:45

the person as you like, but once the time

23:47

comes to finish them off, I simply

23:49

ask that you kill them according to my instructions.

23:52

And believe me,

23:54

the hunt will be well worth your time.

23:59

was too tempting to resist.

24:02

At this point, there was no way it could refuse.

24:04

As much as it still desired to kill Adrian,

24:07

it would be foolish not to take advantage of his

24:09

offer first.

24:10

Then, after Adrian ran out of victims

24:12

to supply, his number would go up, and

24:15

the Harbinger would claim its ultimate reward,

24:17

that smug grin of his.

24:19

The Harbinger made a quick jerky motion

24:22

with its head that resembled a nod.

24:24

We are in agreement, Adrian Bishop.

24:27

And so, the partnership between Monster

24:30

and Man began.

24:36

I made the deal. Oh god.

24:38

Video footage? I've emailed it

24:40

to all of you. Holy shit! I'm

24:43

so excited! Excited?

24:46

I'm terrified. Fear of death

24:49

will do that to you, my friend.

24:51

Hmm. It's all the footage. It

24:53

really is happening then, isn't it? Finally.

24:57

Finally, our lives will completely turn

25:00

around. I thought I'd be

25:02

excited when this happened, or terrified,

25:05

but I'm not really sure what to feel. It's

25:07

just... happening. I

25:10

understand, Roland. I feel the same way. But

25:14

if it all goes according to plan, it won't

25:16

be long.

25:17

As you know, it won't happen right away. I'm

25:19

having the Harbinger deal with some bottom feeders

25:22

before I send him on you. This

25:24

serves the dual purpose of gaining the Harbinger's

25:26

trust and performing some last-minute

25:29

tests with the ritual.

25:30

Those test subjects of yours...

25:33

they won't rise up for long, right? Of

25:35

course. I've mixed in limitation

25:37

runes with the symbolic formula to make

25:39

sure that the subject will die after a few seconds.

25:42

As long as they rise up at all, we'll know

25:45

it was a success. Then I simply

25:47

remove the limiters when our time comes, and

25:49

Viola.

25:59

It does not care what my goal is with these

26:02

rituals as long as it gets an entertaining

26:04

hunt.

26:05

You see, creatures such as the Harbinger

26:07

may seem devilish and cunning on the surface,

26:10

but really they are quite simple-minded. Most

26:13

of their prowess as hunters comes from their instinct

26:15

rather than strategic thinking. That

26:18

combined with its borderline god complex

26:20

makes it so that it would never even entertain the

26:23

possibility of being outsmarted by a lowly

26:25

human.

26:26

I could go on about the psychology of such

26:28

creatures if you wish. No. No

26:31

offense, Adrian, but please spare us another

26:34

one of your lectures. Sorry,

26:36

I thought it might make Roland feel better. I

26:39

suppose you're right.

26:40

Just make sure you have your axe ready.

26:43

If the Harbinger gets bored with hunting you, the

26:45

whole plan could come apart. You

26:47

are the most powerful seers I have come to know

26:49

these few years. I trust that won't

26:51

be too much of an issue, correct?

26:53

Of course, love. Yes, I suppose

26:56

so. Hell yeah. Excellent.

26:59

With your cooperation, it won't be long

27:01

before we all ascend.

27:08

The following months were filled with bloodshed.

27:10

Though it had initially been skeptical, the

27:13

Harbinger soon began to realize that Adrian's

27:15

claims were entirely true.

27:17

Its first victims were what its benefactor

27:19

described as monster hunters.

27:21

Those who used the Black Arts to target

27:24

monsters and either kill or seal

27:26

them away. Personally, I find

27:28

those people to be fools.

27:30

Adrian had complained.

27:32

They believed they're righteous warriors of justice,

27:34

saving the world from evil one monster

27:36

at a time or some nonsense. In

27:39

reality, they're little more than pest control.

27:42

They only have enough power to put down the most

27:44

inferior and feeble-minded of beings, and

27:47

barely enough to seal away some of those

27:49

on a higher level. None of them

27:52

could ever hope to defeat a monster such as yourself,

27:54

but believe me, they will try.

27:57

Many of them have died doing so.

28:00

Each of the hunters provided more entertainment

28:02

than the Harbinger had in years. Most

28:05

operated on their own,

28:06

but those who were in close proximity to one

28:08

another actually banded together to engage

28:11

in their little hobby. Some of them

28:13

were intimidated when faced with the challenge

28:15

that was the Harbinger, but having been

28:17

approached by creatures of the unknown many

28:20

times before, they did their best

28:22

to use weak incantations and rituals

28:24

to get rid of it. Some of the

28:26

less experienced ones, who couldn't have

28:28

known how much of a threat it really was, even

28:31

went as far as to taunt and threaten the beast.

28:33

It was all quite amusing, watching the

28:35

insects and their false sense of grandeur

28:38

fall apart as the Harbinger hunted them

28:40

day and night. To perform

28:42

the rituals, it would wait until night fell

28:44

to take its victim to a deserted building such

28:47

as an abandoned warehouse. Adrian

28:49

requested that a video camera be set up so

28:51

that he could observe, which was no easy

28:53

task for the Harbinger's long, clawed

28:56

hands.

28:56

All of the rituals were highly complex,

28:59

requiring overly specific procedures

29:01

to perform.

29:03

It needed to carve a particular series

29:05

of symbols and runes into the walls and

29:07

in particular order, facing a particular

29:09

direction and at a particular time

29:11

of night. What was even more convoluted

29:14

were the necessary actions. During

29:16

one ritual, the Harbinger was required to

29:19

move two steps back, stab the victim

29:21

in both of their legs, move two steps

29:23

forward and scratch their eyes out.

29:25

Then it would wait for five seconds before

29:28

biting the victim's nose off and leaving them

29:30

to bleed out.

29:31

Considering how much these procedures caused

29:33

the victim suffering, the Harbinger had

29:35

no issue with performing them and actually

29:38

enjoyed it to a degree.

29:39

Though one strange commonality

29:42

that all of the rituals had was the final

29:44

procedure.

29:45

The Harbinger would carve a symbol identical

29:47

to the unknown one in Adrian's basement and

29:50

simply stand in its center. Then

29:52

it would recite the same incantation thirteen

29:55

times before killing the victim and allowing

29:57

their blood to pool into the symbol.

30:00

After this, it would wait several minutes to

30:02

see if the dead human revived, but

30:04

never once did the ritual succeed.

30:07

The Harbinger brought this up with Adrian

30:09

one day after its tenth kill. Your

30:11

primitive little rituals do not appear

30:13

to be succeeding. Do you truly

30:16

believe that the dead can be brought back to

30:18

life?

30:19

Theoretically everything checks out,

30:21

Adrian said, frowning as he looked

30:23

over a diagram featuring a strange pentagram-like

30:26

symbol. Honestly, I don't

30:28

know why this is happening. Maybe the seer's

30:30

energy just isn't powerful enough?

30:33

The Harbinger was well aware that the problem

30:35

was probably more fundamental than that.

30:38

It did not know a great deal about the Black

30:40

Arts after all.

30:41

It was already a being with a powerful connection

30:44

to the higher plane and thus had no

30:46

need for them. But over the centuries,

30:48

it had managed to pick up a few of the basics

30:51

of sorcery, and after remembering

30:53

some of that trivial knowledge,

30:55

it realized there were a few faults in the procedures

30:58

Adrian had been performing.

30:59

The way he was arranging the symbols and runes,

31:02

they were geared to perform basic functions of

31:04

displacing energy, which was probably

31:07

just causing the victim's psychic power to

31:09

be sapped away before it could be used to

31:11

trap the soul.

31:12

Though it was somewhat confused by the contradictory

31:15

nature of Adrian's ritual, it did not

31:17

say anything.

31:18

The Harbinger realized that the reason Adrian

31:21

had made a deal with it was in order to test the

31:23

ritual, which meant that as long as

31:25

the ritual needed to be improved, the arrangement

31:27

would continue.

31:29

Thus, it resolved to allow Adrian to continue

31:31

his foolish escapade until either he figured

31:34

the problem out on his own or the Harbinger

31:36

grew tired of his hunts.

31:38

Ideally, he wouldn't figure it out until

31:40

it wanted him to, at which point

31:42

his ritual would be a success and his

31:44

ego would be at an all-time high. That

31:47

would be the perfect time to bring about his ultimate

31:49

downfall.

31:59

It should be possible to judge how strong someone's

32:02

psychic connection is based on the level

32:04

of the incantations they can perform.

32:06

But that doesn't mean I know everyone's

32:08

psychic potential. I can't force

32:10

everyone on my site to undergo a test.

32:13

That said, the ones I've been sending you

32:15

after are, to my knowledge, relatively

32:18

weak.

32:18

I've been saving the bigger fish for later, since

32:21

I'm sure neither of us wants to waste those

32:23

too early on.

32:24

The harbinger perked up at this. It

32:27

watched Adrian roll from one side of the room

32:29

to the other in his swivel chair, as he picked

32:31

up another diagram. And why would

32:33

you assume that of me? It makes

32:35

no difference to me what my victim's psychic

32:38

potential is. Oh, but it does, Harvey.

32:41

Adrian was quick to respond, putting down his diagram

32:44

and looking up at the being. Mind if I

32:46

call you Harvey?

32:47

The harbinger took a long step forward, growling

32:50

as it glared down at him.

32:51

Do not tempt me, human.

32:54

Adrian chuckled.

32:55

What is that? A phrase or something?

32:58

He teased. As much as the harbinger

33:00

wanted to skewer one of his legs on the spot, it

33:02

restrained itself.

33:04

The sense of safety the man was beginning to

33:06

feel around it would only serve to make his death

33:08

all the more delicious.

33:10

Anyway, do you remember the day we met when

33:12

you mentioned that I might be a psychopath? I

33:15

did a little research on this subject, and I

33:17

discovered that I actually fit the bill quite nicely.

33:21

But for that matter, so do a few of my friends.

33:24

He picked up a Rubik's Cube and began to fiddle

33:26

with it.

33:27

The more I thought about it, the more I realized

33:29

that the more powerful seers were all quite

33:31

similar in disposition to me. Those

33:34

I know to be higher on the spectrum are more selfish,

33:37

vain, and uncaring, while very

33:39

skilled, acting like they aren't.

33:41

A few of them even admitted to being psychopaths

33:44

or sociopaths when I told them I was the same.

33:46

To simplify, I can only surmise that

33:48

the more powerful one's connection to the higher

33:51

plane, the more of a monster they

33:53

are.

33:54

He chuckled again and haphazardly threw

33:56

the cube over his shoulder. Quite fitting, wouldn't

33:58

you say? Interesting, and

34:01

what would not make you the king of

34:03

human monsters then, Bishop?"

34:06

With that knowing grin, Adrian turned

34:08

his swivel chair to face it.

34:09

I suppose it must. A

34:12

few weeks later, the harbinger wiped out

34:14

most of the remaining monster hunters. By

34:17

the end of the five-month killing spree, however,

34:19

it had been feeling increasingly drained

34:21

of energy.

34:22

It wasn't sure if it was simply out of shape,

34:24

or if the incantations and curses

34:26

the hunters used had actually had some effect.

34:29

Either way, it did not inform Adrian

34:31

of this development.

34:33

It was not about to show weakness in front of a

34:35

lowly human.

34:36

That morning, as it entered the man's basement

34:39

to receive its next assignment, it found

34:41

no one.

34:42

Even the two caged humans were now gone,

34:44

leaving only bloodstains where they had once cowered.

34:47

As it prepared to wait for Adrian's arrival,

34:50

the harbinger was suddenly overcome with a strong

34:52

feeling of uneasiness.

34:54

It knew this was its instincts, alerting

34:56

it to something unusually supernaturally

34:59

powerful,

34:59

but it was more than just the arcane images

35:02

the room was plastered with.

35:04

It felt familiar, in fact.

35:07

It began to look around the dark room

35:09

for the source of this disturbance, and

35:11

its eyes came to rest upon the symbol carved

35:14

into the floor in the center.

35:15

It hadn't noticed it before,

35:17

but that large circular symbol appeared

35:20

to be faintly glowing.

35:22

What are you doing sulking in the dark down there, Harvey?

35:25

Adrian's voice rang out from the top of the

35:27

staircase as he flicked on the light switch.

35:29

The harbinger didn't reply as it watched him

35:31

come down the stairs.

35:33

I suppose you finished off Turner then, he

35:35

said, taking a sip from a cup of coffee.

35:38

Good. I believe this would be a good time

35:40

to start aiming a bit higher, wouldn't you say?

35:43

You speak of the more gifted seers,

35:46

the harbinger asked.

35:47

Adrian sat down his cup and moved over

35:50

to his swivel chair, plopping down into

35:52

it as always. Indeed, but this

35:54

time don't be surprised if they are actually

35:56

aware of your existence.

35:58

He replied, retrieving his lap.

35:59

taught from a table. The monster hunters

36:02

were very vocal about their experiences. I've

36:05

done my best to restrict information about

36:07

you, but word of mouth spread swiftly."

36:10

The creature scoffed.

36:11

Their struggles only make my hunt

36:13

sweeter. Let them come.

36:16

Ah, that's the spirit. Now your

36:18

next target is someone I'm quite familiar with.

36:20

In fact, he's one of the greatest seers I've

36:23

ever met. He began typing away

36:25

at his computer once again. His name

36:27

is Roland Whitaker. Unlike your previous

36:29

targets, this guy doesn't actually have an address.

36:32

He's somewhat of a nomad.

36:34

He has a lot of money, so he travels around,

36:36

never staying in one place for too long. So,

36:40

you do not know his whereabouts? The

36:42

harbinger asked.

36:43

Presently, he's in Liverpool, England.

36:46

Seems like he's staying in a hotel called the Nadler.

36:49

But believe me, he's a slippery fox.

36:52

He's eluded many a hunter before, both

36:54

human and inhuman.

36:56

The harbinger eyed the man.

36:58

I thought you would be wise enough not

37:00

to question my skill by now, human.

37:03

Adrian shrugged. Fair enough.

37:06

I know your kind has their ways when it comes

37:08

to tracking people. Just rest assured,

37:11

this hunt will take longer than any of your others.

37:14

As it turned around to leave, the harbinger

37:16

took one last look at the symbol in the center of

37:18

the floor.

37:19

It had stopped glowing, but the monster

37:21

still felt uncomfortable just looking at it. Bishop.

37:25

It called. I have remarked that

37:27

you have me draw this symbol during each

37:29

ritual. What is the accursed thing's

37:32

purpose?

37:33

Hmm? Adrian hummed, looking

37:35

away from his computer screen and down at the symbol.

37:38

Oh, that? It's just a Type 7 spell

37:40

circle designed to enhance the incantation.

37:43

That's why you step into its center. That

37:45

one is from a failed experiment. Before

37:48

I contacted you, I tried to perform the ritual

37:50

on a regular person and failed. That's

37:52

all.

37:53

The harbinger made an approximation of a frown

37:56

with its vertical mouth,

37:57

although the explanation seems somewhat

37:59

dubious. It didn't care enough to inquire

38:02

any further, and soon went on its way.

38:05

Adrian let out a heavy sigh as soon as his partner

38:07

was gone.

38:09

I'm glad that's over for now. I

38:11

can't believe five months have already passed. Wow,

38:14

well at least the fake footage is finally

38:16

finished.

38:17

He trailed off as he looked over to the cages,

38:20

remembering that they were now empty.

38:22

Oh, right. And so

38:24

my monologues are reduced to mere soliloquies.

38:27

Oh, the shame. Be mused.

38:30

Still, no response. Perhaps

38:32

I'll get a new pet after all.

38:39

Gosh, Roland, you haven't a clue how stressful

38:41

it is keeping up a cool front with that monster around.

38:44

Now sometimes it looks like it's about ready to slice

38:47

me in half.

38:48

Isn't that the idea?

38:51

Well, I suppose so, but I come

38:53

last, remember? Anyway,

38:55

I've sent him after you. Not to worry,

38:58

the tests were a complete success. If

39:00

everything goes smoothly, you will officially

39:02

be the first one of us to ascend. Isn't

39:04

that exciting?

39:06

Somewhat. I'm a bit

39:08

nummer than I thought I would be. In

39:11

any case, footage?

39:13

Already sent. As you can see, the experiments

39:15

went swimmingly.

39:19

Hello? Hmm, so

39:21

that's what ascension looks like. Not

39:24

what I expected. Why does the

39:26

camera cut out to the end?

39:28

Well, it's a powerful process.

39:30

A measly video camera can only pick up so

39:32

much. In fact, I had to buy a new

39:35

camera each time because they kept getting fried.

39:37

A lot of the footage was destroyed too. What

39:40

a waste. I can't say I fully

39:42

understand it. We're dealing with a higher

39:44

plane here, after all. But it seems

39:46

the transformation emits some kind of energy

39:48

wave that fries all nearby electronics.

39:51

I see.

39:52

When should I expect to see the harbinger here?

39:55

A day or two, I suspect. But be prepared

39:57

at all times. Oh,

39:59

not so bad. No worry, I am."

40:02

Two months. For over two months

40:04

the Harbinger chased Roland Whittaker around

40:06

the globe. It remembered the first

40:08

trap that the Tricky Weasel had laid for it.

40:11

In room 206 of the Nadler, several

40:14

otherworldly beasts awaited. The

40:16

place was covered in spell circles, presumably

40:18

designed to attract the demons, which

40:21

immediately attacked. Enraged

40:23

by the audacious and cowardly tactic,

40:25

the Harbinger dispatched them all, going

40:27

so far as to use one of the wolf-like

40:29

things as a weapon to beat the other two to death.

40:32

The spell circles Whittaker left made it easier

40:34

to track him, since the trail of energy

40:37

left by their caster could be followed, much

40:39

like how a bloodhound follows a scent.

40:41

However, at each of the new locations,

40:44

the Harbinger thought he might find his victim,

40:46

another trap laid waiting.

40:48

Sometimes they were similar in nature to

40:50

the first, and other times they were even

40:52

more drastic.

40:53

At one point, Whittaker must have realized

40:55

that the spell circles made him easy to track, so

40:58

he set explosives to blow up an entire

41:00

motel while the Harbinger was inside. Of

41:03

course, all this did was kill a few humans,

41:06

but it was quite an amusing sight for the Harbinger

41:08

to behold. In fact, many

41:10

of Roland's traps involved sacrificing

41:12

the lives of his fellow humans, which

41:14

the Harbinger found to be one of the most entertaining

41:17

parts of the hunt. For once, it

41:19

felt as if it was chasing down a fellow monster,

41:22

albeit a greatly inferior one. By

41:25

far the most entertaining trap he laid out was

41:27

the final one, in which he revealed

41:29

himself and confronted the Harbinger head on.

41:32

It took place inside the gymnasium of a small

41:35

elementary school in some backwater Scottish

41:37

town.

41:38

Roland stood on one end of the gymnasium,

41:40

the Harbinger on the other, and the entire

41:43

school student body between them, crying

41:45

in fear and horror as their teachers

41:47

lay dead around them. You should be thankful,

41:50

monster.

41:51

I've done you the favor of guiding you to this wonderful

41:54

little buffet here. But

42:00

I'm not that nice of a person, as you can

42:02

probably tell. Here

42:07

in my hand I have a trigger that'll detonate

42:09

an explosive.

42:11

Of course, I'm not expecting that this will

42:13

kill you, and you've proven your endurance

42:15

more than enough. The point

42:17

is,

42:18

it will kill these children. So

42:21

I ask you, what would provide

42:23

you more pleasure? Tell

42:25

me little old me,

42:27

or these wonderfully terrified kids.

42:30

The Harbinger let out a light chuckle. Its

42:32

chuckle quickly erupted into a laugh, one

42:35

so loud that even the confused children

42:37

could hear it in the back of their minds. This

42:40

was perfect. Looking into his eyes,

42:42

it could tell that this man thought he knew

42:45

how to think like a monster. He thought

42:47

that he and the Harbinger were the same. It

42:49

was absolutely hysterical.

42:51

Dashed forward, reaching Roland in the

42:53

blink of an

42:54

eye. Before he could react, it sliced

42:56

its claw through his tender flesh, ripping

42:58

his arm right off. Roland screamed

43:00

almost as loudly as the children, who were apparently

43:03

smart enough to see their chance and begin running

43:05

for the exit, but it didn't care about them.

43:07

The Harbinger made a twisted attempt at a smile

43:10

as it dug its claws into the man's shoulder and

43:12

began dragging him away.

43:14

The following torture lasted another

43:16

two weeks.

43:17

The Harbinger wasn't sure if Whitaker was an

43:20

extremely resilient man or if he simply

43:22

lacked emotion. Either way, it

43:24

took a very long time and a variety

43:26

of different tactics to finally get him to crack.

43:29

Adrian, seeing that his partner was having some

43:31

trouble, even offered some advice. Try

43:34

something a bit slower. Trust me,

43:37

with people like him, the elegantly simple

43:39

methods are the most effective. You'll have

43:41

to be patient, but it will be more than worth

43:43

it.

43:44

While the way annoyed the Harbinger, Adrian

43:46

had been right. The satisfaction

43:48

of finally seeing Roland Whitaker burst

43:51

into tears after having to sit in a dark

43:53

room with only the sound of water dripping

43:55

was enough to make it worth it. And

43:57

so came the time for the ritual.

43:59

The harbinger dragged a shivering, near-dead

44:02

Roland into the center of the room in some abandoned

44:05

factory. This time, Adrian

44:07

had requested a very large room and

44:10

a much greater variety of symbols.

44:12

But as it was setting everything up, the malformed

44:15

beast noted that Adrian still hadn't corrected

44:17

that fundamental mistake in the ritual's symbolic

44:19

code. It would only result in another

44:22

failure.

44:23

It was just about to start setting up the camera

44:26

when Roland whimpered, He

44:28

stuttered, letting

44:30

out a few coughs as tears formed

44:34

in his eyes. He

44:40

kept trying to look around the room, struggling

44:42

to move himself with the two bandaged stumps

44:44

that were once his legs.

44:48

The harbinger

44:51

perked up at this. It

45:06

seemed that the man had caught on to the fault in

45:08

Adrian's ritual. It made sense.

45:10

He was also well-versed in the Black Arts,

45:12

after all. But the harbinger couldn't allow

45:15

its benefactor to hear of this. So

45:17

it stopped setting up the camera and moved towards

45:19

the now hysterical Roland.

45:26

He was cut off all too abruptly as the

45:28

harbinger suddenly reached two large fingers

45:30

into his mouth and proceeded to rip out his

45:32

tongue. Now with Roland screaming,

45:35

it went back to setting up the camera, placing

45:37

the tongue somewhere away from the ritual.

45:40

The rest of the procedure went smoothly. The

45:42

harbinger had grown quite accustomed to the rituals

45:44

by now, so it had no trouble performing

45:47

the designated actions, which weren't

45:49

too different from the usual.

45:51

As expected, Roland didn't come back

45:53

to life either.

45:54

It was only after the ritual ended that things

45:56

became problematic,

45:58

as it was about to chop up

45:59

Perolin's body to dispose of it, the Harbinger

46:02

was suddenly hit with a dizzy spell. What

46:06

is this?

46:08

It muttered wearily to itself.

46:10

Its vision blurred and its senses began

46:12

to numb as it struggled to stay standing.

46:15

It was unsuccessful.

46:17

The Harbinger groaned as its knees buckled

46:19

and it fell to the ground.

46:21

There it stayed for several minutes, grasping

46:23

its head as it tried to get its mind in order. It

46:26

had never experienced anything like this before.

46:29

The Harbinger's thoughts were jumbled and unfocused.

46:32

It wasn't sure what to make of anything.

46:34

What was it doing? Where was it? Why

46:36

was it here?

46:37

All of this normally obvious information

46:40

seemed to have slipped its mind somehow. All

46:42

it knew was that it had just killed someone.

46:45

Answers began to come to the Harbinger as

46:47

the fog in its mind cleared, allowing

46:49

it to think normally again.

46:51

Its eyesight refocused and it regained

46:53

its bearings. However, it was more confused

46:56

than ever.

46:57

What in the world had just happened? In

46:59

all its centuries of living, it had never experienced

47:02

such a lapse in concentration, such

47:04

weakness. Though it still wondered

47:06

about the cause, it absentmindedly continued

47:09

going about its duty, slicing through

47:11

the dead flesh before it with reckless abandon,

47:14

allowing blood to splatter all over.

47:17

Later that evening, after it had dropped the

47:19

remains in some nearby lake, the Harbinger

47:21

decided to take a walk.

47:23

The sun had set, leaving only the streetlights

47:25

to illuminate the dark sidewalk. As

47:28

it walked, it pondered, or at

47:30

least it tried to,

47:32

but it was tired. It couldn't think properly.

47:35

Creatures as powerful as it didn't need to rest, so

47:38

it didn't understand why its mind was so blank

47:40

all of a sudden. Perhaps it reasoned

47:43

this would simply stop after a time.

47:46

The Harbinger's thoughts were interrupted as a deafening

47:48

scream pierced the air. Oh

47:51

my god,

47:52

what is that thing? Run! Looking

47:55

ahead, it noticed several teenagers running

47:57

in the opposite direction, screaming in terror.

48:00

They had seen the Harbinger. Impossible,

48:03

it muttered, looking down at its hands in

48:05

astonishment. It had not consciously chosen

48:08

to show itself. Normally, it should

48:10

be concealed under the veil of the higher plane.

48:12

Why then had those kids been able to see

48:15

it without it allowing them to?

48:17

It highly doubted they were seers. There

48:19

was simply no way, it thought. The

48:22

Harbinger lunged forward, its long strides

48:24

allowing it to catch up to the group of three in

48:26

mere seconds. A boy looked behind

48:28

him and screamed out in the floor as the Harbinger's

48:31

claws came down, piercing his skull

48:33

and putting an end to his wailing. A

48:35

girl shouted before tripping and falling.

48:38

The Harbinger didn't even look at her as it crushed

48:40

her skull underfoot and jumped onto the

48:42

third boy. Instead of immediately

48:45

killing him, it simply observed him for a moment.

48:47

He was absolutely hysterical,

48:49

of course, and was struggling to get free

48:51

from underneath the beast, but he didn't

48:53

appear to be looking directly at it. It

48:56

seemed that it was finally concealed again, like

48:58

it ought to be. Feeling at least

49:00

somewhat relieved, the Harbinger simply sliced

49:03

his neck and rose up. The

49:05

Harbinger tried to think of what to do with the bodies,

49:07

but it found that it couldn't. It

49:09

didn't really feel like thinking about such trivial

49:12

things now.

49:13

All that mattered was returning to Adrian and

49:15

receiving his next assignment.

49:20

Jesus Christ, Roland's little game

49:22

with the Harbinger is all over the news. I

49:24

really hope the Harbinger takes care of him soon. Yeah,

49:27

the sooner he ascends, the better. Then

49:30

again, what if it only gets worse when

49:32

he does? We have no idea

49:34

what exactly happens after the ritual succeeds,

49:37

right? What if he gets some weird

49:39

explosion powers or something? That

49:41

would be a real pain in the ass. Hey,

49:44

Adrian, you there? I am. I

49:47

can see that. Oh dear, I did not

49:49

expect him to be so brazen. What

49:51

a pyromaniac. Well,

49:54

at least it's not like it affects us, right? Indeed.

49:57

The death toll of this hunt was high, but it

49:59

isn't like- were implicated in any way. Which

50:02

reminds me, he's dead. What

50:05

the fuck? What?

50:06

I thought you said the ritual was a success? It

50:09

was, or it should have been. It

50:11

seems that idiotic monster got carried away

50:14

and killed him during torture.

50:16

In part, it was also Roland's fault for

50:18

doing such a good job at provoking it by

50:20

resisting. Oh Jesus. Oh

50:23

boy. Calm down, Gale. Shit!

50:26

What if it does the same with us? This

50:29

isn't how you said it would go down, Adrienne.

50:32

Relax. The plan is still proceeding

50:34

smoothly. It's only a minor hiccup.

50:36

Minor hiccup? As

50:38

long as neither of you repeat the mistake, it

50:40

should be fine.

50:42

You're both different from him anyway.

50:44

Yeah. Yeah, you're right.

50:47

I still don't know about this. I'm

50:50

pulling back my claim to second place. Oh, real

50:53

smooth, Trey. Fine

50:55

then. Since you're too afraid, I'll

50:57

go next. It seems the Harbinger

51:00

has returned. I'll be right back. Piss

51:03

up. Yes, dear? The

51:06

Harbinger descended the stairs to the basement, its

51:09

arms hanging limply at its sides. Give

51:12

me my next victim.

51:13

Adrienne looked up from his laptop monitor. What?

51:17

Already? I thought we could have a little

51:19

chat. Enough of your chatting, human. My

51:21

next meal. Now! Alright,

51:23

alright.

51:25

Adrienne said. He rolled over to a

51:27

table and picked up a piece of paper.

51:29

Gale Palmer lives in San Antonio,

51:31

Texas. Here's her address and the

51:33

instructions for the ritual. The Harbinger

51:36

snatched the paper up, but as it was

51:38

about to leave, it heard a loud clang from

51:40

one of the cages. It turned to see

51:42

a young girl, about ten years old, trapped

51:45

in one of the cages.

51:46

She didn't make a sound, but her mouth was

51:48

open as if she was trying to scream and

51:51

her eyes were locked on the Harbinger.

51:54

Adrienne looked from the girl to the monster

51:56

and then back to the girl.

51:57

You like her? She's my new pet.

51:59

I already damaged her vocal cords so she can't

52:02

scream. But why is

52:04

it she can see you? Last I checked,

52:06

she was no seer. The harbinger

52:08

growled, both at the girl and the man,

52:11

causing the former to curl up into a ball.

52:13

It then looked at Adrian. Mind your

52:15

own business. With that, it

52:18

stormed out of the room. Adrian

52:20

watched it go, with a sly smile on his

52:22

face.

52:23

Well, looks like the plan is coming along

52:25

better than I expected.

52:27

He said, spinning around in his swivel chair,

52:29

we won't be long now before the harbinger is

52:32

just a big scary old fish out of interdimensional

52:34

water. I can't

52:36

wait to see how people react. He

52:39

stopped himself, facing the little girl. Don't

52:42

you think so, Adriana?

52:44

When the girl didn't reply, he looked back

52:46

down to his laptop.

52:47

Looks like I won't have

52:49

any need for Trey anymore, though. After

52:52

Gail's finished, that ought to do it.

52:55

Here I am.

52:56

How'd it go? Quite well. The

52:59

harbinger will be coming after you shortly.

53:01

Phew. Great.

53:03

Time to get ready. Remind me again where

53:05

your strategy is? Well,

53:07

I'm not going to blow up buildings if that's what you

53:09

mean. My strategy is short

53:11

and sweet. Should take a few days,

53:14

Max. If harbinger reacts

53:16

the way I want it to. If it doesn't,

53:18

it'll probably take even less than that. A

53:21

day, maybe? That's a relief

53:23

to hear. It took so long I

53:25

thought I would die of boredom. Same.

53:28

Anyway, guys, I gotta head out. Need

53:31

to clean up around here before my guest arrives.

53:34

See ya on the other side. Bye. Until

53:37

next time.

53:40

So, you're sure it'll

53:42

work this time? I forgave the harbinger

53:44

for its previous transgression, and it's

53:47

still none the wiser to our plan. So

53:49

everything should go smoothly.

53:51

That's what you always say.

53:53

Don't be such a worry, Wart. Anyway,

53:55

I have to go. Need to tend to Adriana.

53:58

Who? Bye.

54:02

The Harbinger let out a sigh. It

54:04

began to feel a bit more at ease. For

54:06

some reason, being in Adrian's basement

54:08

had set it more on edge than usual.

54:11

Although it still felt weary, the monster

54:13

at least had a new hunt to focus on.

54:15

In the end, that was all that mattered.

54:18

Soon enough, it located the apartment number

54:20

of Gail Palmer.

54:21

The Harbinger was about to phase through the door

54:24

when, all of a sudden, it opened.

54:25

Hey there! The woman

54:27

on the other side cheerfully chirped. She

54:30

was tall and quite beautiful, with short

54:32

black hair and red highlights. She

54:34

wore a black dress and some makeup, as

54:36

if she were ready to go out for a special occasion.

54:39

Come in, I've been expecting you, she

54:41

said as she motioned for the beast to enter.

54:44

Needless to say, this was quite the surprise,

54:47

though the Harbinger had come to expect no less

54:50

from the people Adrian supplied it with.

54:52

She was probably setting some sort of trap, so

54:55

the Harbinger decided it would be best to go

54:57

along with her little game and see what

54:59

she had planned.

55:00

Gail closed the door behind it.

55:02

Make yourself at home, Harbinger, she

55:04

said, motioning towards one of the two couches

55:07

stationed on either side of a small table

55:09

in the center of the room.

55:11

Her apartment was surprisingly decorative

55:13

and homely for one so small.

55:15

Had the Harbinger been a human, he most certainly

55:17

would have taken her up on her offer.

55:20

What games are you playing, human?

55:23

The Harbinger asked, growling in an attempt

55:25

to intimidate her.

55:26

Of course, she was completely unfazed.

55:29

Why I'm just being nice to a guest.

55:32

Now what's your poison? Tea?

55:35

Or coffee? Sorry, but

55:37

I don't do alcohol. The Harbinger

55:40

was silent for a moment.

55:41

It decided perhaps it would play along for

55:43

now and wait for the moment to strike fear

55:46

into her, so begrudgingly, it

55:48

answered.

55:49

Coffee, it is, chimed

55:52

the woman as she moved into the kitchen nearby.

55:55

Good choice, I'm more of a coffee gal myself.

55:58

It felt strange for the Harbinger to sit down on the floor.

55:59

a couch.

56:01

It had never sat down on a couch before. In

56:03

fact, it rarely ever sat down to begin

56:05

with.

56:06

But for the sake of playing along with the charade,

56:09

it did so. A minute later, Gail

56:11

returned with two cups of steaming hot coffee.

56:14

Careful, it's hot, she said,

56:16

sitting down on the couch opposite to the creature.

56:18

She looked him directly in the eye.

56:21

So then, tell me something about yourself,

56:23

Harbinger. I'd love to know. The

56:26

Harbinger paused, glaring back at her. I'm

56:29

here to kill you. Gail

56:31

stifled a laugh. Oh, Harbinger.

56:35

I know that already. What

56:37

I'm asking is to tell me something about yourself,

56:40

your personality. Do you have

56:42

any hobbies, interests? The

56:44

Harbinger, still confused at the strange

56:46

nature of this conversation, did not respond.

56:49

Instead, it asked, How do

56:51

you know of my existence? Did your

56:54

computer compatriots inform you?

56:56

Hey now, I understand you're not human,

56:59

but it's a bit rude to leave a question unanswered.

57:02

Gail chided, waving her finger as if scolding

57:05

a child.

57:06

Both the human and the monster sat in

57:08

silence for a few moments longer.

57:10

It seemed neither were intent on answering

57:13

the other's questions. In the end, the

57:15

Harbinger was the one to give in.

57:17

I enjoy killing,

57:20

it said. It felt disgusted

57:22

that it was playing human,

57:24

as well as being bossed around by one.

57:27

But, as degrading as this was, it

57:29

reminded itself that this would be well worth

57:31

it in the end. Wow, what

57:33

a coincidence. So do I. Gail

57:36

proclaimed, taking a sip from her coffee. I

57:39

don't like killing myself, though. That's

57:42

a bit messy, I find. I

57:44

just get my friends to do it for me. You

57:46

speak of your computer compatriots,

57:49

the Harbinger inquired. Oh heavens

57:52

no. I'm talking about my

57:55

other friends. In fact,

57:57

they're here right now. Come out and

57:59

say hi. At

58:01

that moment, the door to the bedroom opened

58:04

up, and several small creatures came running

58:06

out. The little monsters came in different

58:08

shapes and sizes, though they were clearly

58:11

animalistic. Some looked like deformed

58:13

canines, while others looked like strange

58:15

humanoid squids. There must have

58:18

been at least a dozen of them.

58:19

As soon as they began running out, the Harbinger

58:22

sprang into action, preparing to attack them. No,

58:25

stop. They don't mean you any harm,

58:27

Harbinger. Gail exclaimed as one

58:29

of the strange canines jumped onto her lap.

58:32

They were behaving more like simple household

58:34

pets than monsters, running around

58:36

and sniffing things, never even damaging

58:38

anything. The Harbinger noted

58:41

that Gail's bedroom was filled to the brim

58:43

with black art symbols, and the pieces

58:45

clicked in its mind.

58:46

So, you have tamed these beasts.

58:50

I must admit, for a human

58:52

that is impressive.

58:54

Gail seemed to beam with pride.

58:56

Why thank you. The Harbinger

58:58

scoffed, brushing a small, troll-like

59:00

creature away from its leg. So then,

59:03

you wish to tame me as well. Is that

59:05

your goal?

59:06

Gail frowned.

59:07

What? Well, of course not.

59:10

You're my guest. The Harbinger sighed,

59:12

sitting down.

59:14

It knew it would not be able to endure this ludicrous

59:16

act much longer.

59:18

In all honesty, I just wanted to have a talk

59:20

with you. I thought perhaps, if

59:22

we got to know each other, we could avoid

59:24

this whole, well, killing

59:27

me thing. Does

59:29

that sound fair to you? The Harbinger

59:31

simply nodded,

59:32

glad that a chance to create dread finally

59:35

presented itself.

59:36

It would use this conversation to lead Gail

59:39

into thinking it would let her be free, and

59:41

then, when it was about to leave, it would dash

59:43

all her hopes.

59:45

And so, the two continued to talk until

59:47

the sun set.

59:48

The Harbinger did its best to act somewhat

59:51

friendly and human, despite the sick

59:53

feeling that resulted from doing so.

59:55

Gail was quite the talker, however. She

59:57

just wouldn't stop.

59:59

In a way,

59:59

Unfortunately that was best for the Harbinger, as

1:00:02

listening was far easier than talking. It

1:00:04

pretended to be as sympathetic as it could

1:00:07

and take everything in, only responding

1:00:09

when he was asked a question.

1:00:11

Ultimately, it was a pathetic excuse

1:00:13

for a hunt.

1:00:14

However, the Harbinger still enjoyed itself.

1:00:17

In a way, the whole ordeal was relaxing

1:00:20

because not much effort was required on

1:00:22

its part. And it was hardly

1:00:24

a waste of time. When the time came

1:00:26

to leave, the Harbinger allowed Gail to say

1:00:29

her goodbyes before haphazardly knocking

1:00:31

her out with a whack to the head. Now

1:00:33

it would have its fun.

1:00:35

It took her away, transporting the

1:00:37

two of them to a deserted, barren stretch

1:00:39

of land to begin the torture.

1:00:42

Listening to the voice that had babbled incessantly

1:00:44

for hours, scream at the top of its lungs was

1:00:46

almost euphoric for the Harbinger. As

1:00:48

unorthodox as the whole thing was, it was

1:00:50

still amusing.

1:00:52

By the time the woman was ready for the ritual,

1:00:54

the Harbinger was getting tired again.

1:00:56

It wasn't in the mood to think of a place to perform

1:00:59

the ritual anymore, so it opted to just

1:01:01

use the woman's apartment. But as

1:01:03

it had almost finished drawing the necessary symbols

1:01:05

on every available surface, it noticed

1:01:08

Gail stir.

1:01:09

Harbinger, are you

1:01:11

there? The Harbinger turned around,

1:01:14

surprised she was still conscious. Unlike

1:01:16

the previous victim, it had decided to

1:01:19

only burn her rather than pierce and cut.

1:01:21

Since this was a shorter hunt anyway, most

1:01:24

of her hair was gone and her eyes were struggling

1:01:26

to stay open as she groaned from her second

1:01:28

and third degree burns. Harbinger,

1:01:32

could you switch those symbols

1:01:34

around?

1:01:36

They're wrong. The

1:01:38

Harbinger followed her line of sight to a

1:01:40

few of the symbols.

1:01:42

They were not the ones that the Harbinger knew were

1:01:44

wrong.

1:01:45

Oh, and those ones…

1:01:49

there. Her head slowly turned

1:01:51

and she looked at some more of the symbols.

1:01:53

She kept doing this for almost all of the symbols

1:01:55

that had been drawn as the Harbinger continued

1:01:58

to follow the instructions he'd been given.

1:02:00

Soon,

1:02:00

the ritual was ready, leaving only

1:02:03

the procedure. The Harbinger did

1:02:05

what it had been told, dragging her by what

1:02:07

little hair she had left around the room five

1:02:09

times. During that time, she

1:02:11

wouldn't stop mumbling something.

1:02:19

The Harbinger put her back down in front of Adrien's

1:02:22

strange symbol and stood in it.

1:02:24

Her crusty eyelids lifted, and

1:02:26

she noticed the symbol for the first time. Her

1:02:29

eyes widened.

1:02:36

This immediately caught the Harbinger's attention,

1:02:38

but it couldn't stop to ask now, unless

1:02:41

the ritual be ruined. It simply

1:02:43

began repeating the incantation that it always

1:02:45

did.

1:02:46

Meanwhile, Gail let out a horse chuckle.

1:02:53

Her

1:03:04

sentence was cut short as the Harbinger sliced

1:03:06

her throat, letting her body fall to the

1:03:09

floor.

1:03:10

After the blood began to pool into the carved

1:03:12

symbol, it waited.

1:03:14

As usual, nothing happened.

1:03:17

The Harbinger was about to call it a day when

1:03:19

suddenly, a jolt of pain ran throughout

1:03:21

its body. It roared out in agony

1:03:23

as it fell to the floor, clutching its head. It

1:03:26

felt weak, weaker than it had ever felt

1:03:28

before. It struggled to get up,

1:03:30

but quickly lost its balance and fell again,

1:03:33

this time actually impacting the floor and

1:03:35

making a loud thud. This just

1:03:37

made it more confused.

1:03:39

Normally, those on the higher plane should

1:03:41

not be able to impact the physical world

1:03:43

without revealing themselves. The more

1:03:45

it tried to figure out what was going on, the

1:03:47

more exhausted it felt and the more its head

1:03:50

hurt. Then there was a knock

1:03:52

on the door.

1:03:53

Came a

1:03:55

voice. Instinctively, the Harbinger

1:03:57

crawled across the floor and over to the door.

1:04:00

It was a human, though its first thought

1:04:02

should have been to flee, it found that it didn't

1:04:04

care to. Its instincts screamed

1:04:06

at it. The humans need to be killed. That

1:04:09

was all it could think about.

1:04:11

Realizing it could no longer phase through

1:04:13

the door for some reason, the harbinger clumsily

1:04:15

clutched the door knob and flung it open. The

1:04:18

man on the other side was about to scream, but he

1:04:20

never got a chance as a claw reached out

1:04:22

and went into his open mouth, then through

1:04:24

the back of his head.

1:04:26

The harbinger retracted its claws and

1:04:28

set about ripping the human apart.

1:04:30

For some reason, it no longer cared

1:04:32

about hunts or amusement. It

1:04:35

was as if all of that had been stolen away,

1:04:37

leaving only its bare and monstrous

1:04:39

instincts.

1:04:40

It just wanted to kill.

1:04:42

That's when it remembered Adrian, Adrian

1:04:45

Bishop, the one who had begun all

1:04:47

of this, who better to kill than

1:04:49

him.

1:04:54

I can't believe it. I

1:04:56

can't believe we all fell for your little trap. We

1:04:59

should have known. I should have

1:05:01

known. Gale is dead, and

1:05:04

the harbinger is on a rampage for Christ's

1:05:06

sake. Its killed 15

1:05:08

people, and its on the news. I'm

1:05:11

dead. Oh god I'm so

1:05:14

dead.

1:05:15

And it was all a waste too. What

1:05:17

a life.

1:05:18

And it was all a lie too, wasn't it? I

1:05:21

bet it was. Should

1:05:23

have known not to trust a fellow goddamn

1:05:26

psycho. Ascension was a

1:05:28

load of bullshit, wasn't it? Getting

1:05:30

into the higher plane was impossible all

1:05:33

along.

1:05:34

You just wanted to kill us for your own sick

1:05:36

amusement.

1:05:38

Or maybe you just wanted to be the only one

1:05:40

to ascend. Is that it?

1:05:44

Got nothing to say for yourself?

1:05:47

Figured.

1:05:48

You're wrong.

1:05:50

Oh don't give me that. You

1:05:52

think it's not obvious now?

1:05:55

We spent months working

1:05:57

on that ritual. It was theoretically

1:06:00

Perfect. It shouldn't have failed.

1:06:02

The only reason it did was because

1:06:04

you messed it up on purpose. Theoretically,

1:06:07

listen to me. It never would have worked, not

1:06:10

without a great amount of energy, an amount

1:06:12

far greater than anything we could extract from

1:06:14

any of ourselves.

1:06:16

Why did you think I needed the harbinger to be

1:06:18

the one to do it instead of one of you or someone

1:06:20

else? I was never performing the ascension

1:06:23

ritual in the first place. The ritual

1:06:25

that I did perform on Gale and Roland,

1:06:27

however, did indeed require a monster

1:06:30

to be the caster, because the target

1:06:32

was never Gale or Roland to begin with.

1:06:35

Their psychic energy was only to be used as

1:06:37

a conduit.

1:06:38

I see. So then,

1:06:40

I suppose I'm next.

1:06:43

Whatever. There isn't anything I can

1:06:45

do to stop him.

1:06:47

Actually, I'm next. I

1:06:49

was a little too cautious in my calculations.

1:06:52

I only needed two powerful seers to complete

1:06:54

the process, alongside those bottom

1:06:56

feeders I used. The Type 7 glowing

1:06:59

behind me is proof enough of that.

1:07:01

You piece of shit.

1:07:03

Though it sounds like the final sacrifice

1:07:06

has arrived. Don't worry though, after

1:07:08

I'm finished, I'll be sure to pay you a visit.

1:07:11

The door to the basement was

1:07:13

ripped right off its hinges as Adrian's

1:07:15

guest of honor made its way down the steps.

1:07:18

The light switch didn't need to be flicked, for

1:07:20

the room was filled with the bright light of the spell

1:07:23

circle.

1:07:23

In the middle, sitting comfortably on a swivel

1:07:26

chair, sat the man himself.

1:07:28

Welcome back, Harbinger. Had

1:07:30

a nice night out? The Harbinger

1:07:32

charged, teeth and claws bared like a

1:07:34

wild animal as it ran to claim its prize,

1:07:37

but it never made it past the circle.

1:07:39

The bright light blinded the beast and a feeling

1:07:42

many times stronger than the uneasiness it

1:07:44

had felt here before overcame it.

1:07:46

It was a feeling that it was unfamiliar with, yet

1:07:49

it recognized the feeling of the power radiating

1:07:51

from the circle all too well.

1:07:53

I'm glad to see you're excited, as am

1:07:56

I. I've been waiting for this day for so

1:07:58

many years, you know. Growl.

1:07:59

The Harbinger tried to overcome the feeling,

1:08:02

but to no avail. It could not bring

1:08:04

itself to enter the circle, no matter how strong

1:08:06

its bloodlust.

1:08:08

Anyway, I suppose it's time for my

1:08:10

monologue now. I suppose

1:08:12

you, in all your simple-minded rage,

1:08:14

couldn't understand, but I feel obligated

1:08:17

to explain, even if it's just

1:08:19

to the empty shell of your former self. Adrian

1:08:22

cleared his throat and smiled as he continued. All

1:08:25

of that you that has suddenly disappeared

1:08:28

is actually here, if you didn't know. He

1:08:31

extended his arms, motioning to the circle

1:08:33

around him. The rituals I was having

1:08:35

you perform were sapping away your power,

1:08:37

the very essence of your being, rather, and

1:08:40

sealing it away, using the residual

1:08:42

psychic energy of your victims as a way to channel

1:08:45

it. The stronger a seer the victim

1:08:47

was, the bigger of a chunk would be sucked

1:08:49

away. And as if to make the irony

1:08:51

sweeter, the incantations you spoke

1:08:54

were literally just you giving the ritual

1:08:56

the instructions to take your energy, then redirect

1:08:58

it back here.

1:08:59

But I didn't seal all of you away, not

1:09:02

only because that was impossible, but because

1:09:04

I didn't need all of you.

1:09:06

You see, you monsters are hilariously

1:09:08

simple creatures. No matter how

1:09:11

advanced your intellect, you are only driven

1:09:13

by the instinct and desire to kill and

1:09:15

induce fear in people. It's all

1:09:17

rather trite. Yes,

1:09:20

since I was small, I've watched your kind

1:09:22

kill and break people's minds. I

1:09:25

even followed in your footsteps, mostly

1:09:27

out of pure boredom, mind you, but it was

1:09:29

fun for a while. It was fun for a

1:09:32

while, but I think I'm ready to move on

1:09:34

to bigger things now.

1:09:35

Evolve a little, you know?

1:09:37

The harbinger knew now. It had never

1:09:40

felt it before, but it knew now what

1:09:42

this feeling must have been. It was

1:09:44

not rage, or amusement, or bloodlust.

1:09:47

It was fear. Fear of

1:09:49

Adrienne Bishop. I find

1:09:52

that power such as this is quite wasted

1:09:54

on the likes of you. For centuries,

1:09:57

centuries, mind you, you've been using

1:09:59

it to simply

1:09:59

go about killing people in the most dreadful

1:10:02

ways possible. Your psychology

1:10:04

won't permit you to have higher ambitions, but

1:10:07

mine does." Adrian

1:10:09

stepped out of his chair, moving to the edge of the

1:10:11

circle. From his pocket, he pulled

1:10:13

out a pistol, aiming it at the harbinger

1:10:15

with that smug, knowing grin on his face.

1:10:18

"'Believe me, your power is in better

1:10:20

hands now. Superior hands.

1:10:23

When I ascend to the higher plane, no

1:10:25

one will be safe.' He cocked

1:10:28

the pistol. I don't care about

1:10:30

who's interesting or unique. I don't

1:10:32

just look at things on an individualistic

1:10:34

level like you do. No, my

1:10:37

goal is the entire world. I

1:10:39

don't just want one person begging for mercy.

1:10:42

I want the entire human race to be wishing

1:10:44

it had never existed." His

1:10:47

smile grew from ear to ear, bordering

1:10:49

under-ranged. And so, thanks

1:10:51

to you, I can take the first step

1:10:53

towards that goal. Nevertheless, as

1:10:56

much as I may brag, I do see

1:10:58

the value in sticking to one's roots.

1:10:59

By now, the harbinger

1:11:02

was sitting in a ball on the ground, as if

1:11:04

it would make the monster go away. Adrian

1:11:06

extended his leg and put his foot on the creature's

1:11:09

head triumphantly. I think

1:11:11

I will always have a particular fondness

1:11:14

for the freaks. Like you,

1:11:17

harbinger.

1:12:00

Thanks.