The sharp sound of a phone ringing pierced the stillness of the dim room.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
A gruff, tired voice answered on the third ring.
"Hello?"
The voice on the other end was hushed, trembling with fear.
"H-Help... please..."
The man on the line sat up straighter, concern creeping into his voice.
"Sir, what do you need help with?"
"I-I don't have much time b-before they find me... j-just go to the location I'm about to give you."
The man quickly grabbed a pen and paper.
"Go ahead."
"597-836... lab number 7398."
"Got it. Is there anything else we should know?"
A pause. Then a whisper—barely audible.
"T-There's a monster here… it pretends to be human. It's controlling the others."
The man's brow furrowed. "Sir, stay calm. Stay hidden. We'll be on our wa—"
"No."
The voice shifted—still the same speaker, but filled with raw terror now.
"Please... help... me..."
"Sir?"
Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream cut through the line—then silence.
"Sir?"
The same voice returned, but this time it was calm. Too calm.
"No need to send help, officer."
The man didn't speak.
"Everything over here... is fine."
Click.
The line went dead.
The man stared at the receiver, frozen for a second. Then his eyes fell to the nameplate on his chest: MJ Darian Evans.
Without another word, he slammed the phone down and stood up, storming out of his office.
As he passed through the hallway, coworkers saluted him. He ignored them, his mind locked on the call. He moved with urgency until he reached the central communications room.
Inside, a large red button stood behind a glass case. Without hesitation, Darian smashed the glass and slammed his fist down on the button. Alarms instantly roared to life throughout the building.
Grabbing the microphone, he spoke with steady authority:
"This is a Code Red. I repeat, this is a Code Red."
One of the communications officers, a woman named Christal Tamera, turned from her station.
"Code Red? Why? What happened?"
Darian glanced at her, his face stone-cold.
"I just got a call from Lab 7398."
Her expression dropped.
"That's one of Dr. Octavis's facilities. But... even if there was a monster outbreak, they're more than equipped to handle it."
"There's something else," Darian said. "A monster that can pretend to be human. One that's controlling the rest."
Christal blinked, stunned.
"That's... impossible. We've never seen any kind of unified behavior from the subjects. Not unless you count the Shepherds, and even then—it's just a theory. Those creatures are myths."
Darian stepped closer, placing a firm hand on her shoulder and locking eyes with her.
"Why do you think this is a Code Red?"
She fell silent.
Without another word, Darian turned and walked out, returning to his office. He stepped behind his desk and pressed a hidden switch underneath.
A section of the wall slid open with a soft hiss, revealing a large, curved greatsword glowing with radiant light.
He reached for the blade, lifting it onto his back. His expression hardened.
No more hesitation.
He stepped into the hallway once more, silent and determined.
War was coming.
Hours later.
A troop of officers—among them Darian Evans and Christal Tamera—finally arrived at the lab.
"Christal, you didn't have to come with us. You know how dangerous this could be."
"I'm only here to understand why they requested outside help. Besides, I'm
perfectly capable of defending myself, thank you."
Darian sighed, his expression unreadable.
"Suit yourself."
The two were the first to step into the elevator, descending deep into the silent facility. As the doors slid open, they were met with pitch-black darkness. Darian switched on a flashlight, casting a sharp beam down the corridor.
Barely a few steps in, the light fell upon something hanging from above by intestines—a guards head suspended like a warning. Christal jumped back, startled.
Darian spared her a glance, then shook his head and moved forward.
"H-Hey, this is my first time joining one of these field missions, you know."
A sudden clang echoed through the corridor—the sound of something metallic falling over. Both froze.
The elevator behind them opened again, letting more soldiers descend in small squads, spreading out in twos and threes.
Darian and Christal approached the source of the sound and found a man slumped against the wall. His lab coat was torn, and his posture was frail.
Christal stepped forward, hand outstretched—but Darian caught her wrist gently, shaking his head.
"What are you—?"
He nodded toward the man. His face was hidden, hands clutching his head. His lips were moving, whispering something again and again.
The two crouched closer to listen.
"Don't stare into it... or it'll stare back..."
His voice was strained and shallow, like someone lost in a waking nightmare.
Christal straightened, eyes narrowing in thought.
"What do you think he means by that?"
"I don't know, but whatever it is, it must be something powerful. Powerful enough to break a person's mind."
She pressed a finger to her chin, deep in thought.
(Don't stare into it or it'll stare back...)
Her eyes widened slightly.
"The Abyss."
"What?"
"He might be talking about the Abyss."
"But why? That's just a saying."
"Exactly. 'If you stare into the Abyss too long, it stares back at you.' What if he means it literally?"
They turned toward the scientist again—only to find him slowly lifting his head, revealing his face seemingly having no eyes. Almost as if they were gouged out of their sockets.
Without warning, he lunged toward Christal.
Darian prevents this and cuts him down immediately before he could do anything else.
Before they could speak, a soldier jogged toward them.
"Major, you'll want to hear this."
He handed Darian a small device and pressed play.
[Recording begins]
Heavy breathing. Shouting and muffled cries echo in the background.
"I-Is anyone there?"
A distant voice replied—almost indistinct.
"H-Hey, I hear you!"
There were a few rushed footsteps, and then sudden silence.
The sound of a person gurgling and then a thud followed, and the recording abruptly cut off.
[End recording]
Both Darian and Christal took a second to figure out what happened before Darian spoke.
"This is unlike anything we've encountered before."
Christal's voice was low, calm—but edged with concern.
"If something can control other monsters... then we won't be enough."
"We'll need to contact the others. Especially the Twelve Abyssal Lords."
Darian nodded.
"Whatever's down here... it might not stop at this lab. If we don't act now, we could be facing another war for all of humanity."