The one retrieved from The Void

Vas lay on the cold floor, unconscious but breathing. His face was pale, his body battered and bruised from the fight. The toll of the battle with the Forgotten was evident. Anya's heart clenched at the sight of him. She knelt beside him, her hand trembling as she gently brushed his hair away from his face.

"Vas..." she whispered, her voice soft and filled with concern.

She carefully lifted him into her arms, cradling him as she made her way back to the entrance. Her mind raced with thoughts of what had happened, of the danger they were all in. But for now, she was just relieved he was still alive.

As Anya stepped outside into the cold night air, the others rushed toward her, their faces filled with concern and fear.

"I've got him," Anya said softly, her voice weary but strong. "He's going to be okay."

Soon after Anya stepped outside, the air grew colder, which brought an awful feeling to all of them. 

"We need to leave. Now," Anya's voice was a sharp whisper, cutting through the stillness with an edge of dread. Her eyes scanned the darkened building behind them, every instinct screaming danger. "This place isn't safe for any of us."

With a silent nod, she signaled her men. In perfect synchronization, they moved—swift, disciplined, creating a protective circle around the group as they headed toward the vehicles. The night air felt heavier with every passing second, the distant rumble of thunder like a warning.

"Lily," Anya turned, her tone urgent but soft, "Get everyone into a car and head for the penthouse. It's the only place we can control right now."

"Wait!" Aleara's voice broke through, her hand clenched around her jacket as if holding herself together. "My house—it's safer. We need to go there."

Zola crossed her arms, narrowing her gaze. "And what if they don't let us all in? Are you sure you can get us through?"

Aleara's hesitation was brief but telling. She forced a nod, her voice cracking under the weight of her own uncertainty. "Once I explain… they'll allow it. They always do. But… we'll be punished, I know that."

The tension among the siblings grew. Beck and Victor exchanged uneasy glances, feeling the weight of the looming consequences. They knew what awaited them—punishment for their recklessness, for letting Vas come into danger, for not protecting him when it mattered most.

Anya's gaze flicked toward them, acknowledging the unspoken. "Alright. I'll take Vas to the hospital." Her voice grew more clipped. "Lily, I'll text you the details as soon as I can."

No one argued. The urgency was too palpable now, the shadows too long and cold. They scrambled into the cars, engines roaring to life as they sped into the night, tires screeching against the wet pavement. The world outside the windows seemed darker, every shadow brimming with unseen threats.

As the convoy of vehicles disappeared into the distance, the building behind them stood eerily still. For a moment, it seemed as though nothing remained in the wake of their departure.

Then, a dark silhouette materialized from the shadowed entrance of the building, its movements slow and deliberate. The figure moved with an unnatural grace, its body seeming to melt into the very darkness surrounding it. Wisps of black smoke coiled from its form, like tendrils of malevolence rising from the depths of the earth.

"He performed better than I anticipated…" The figure's voice was a rasping whisper, barely audible yet carrying a chill that seeped into the bones. Its faceless head tilted slightly, as if considering its prey from afar. "But he is still… unripe. Far from a true threat."

A faint, sickly light flickered in the figure's chest—a heartbeat, if it could even be called that—echoing with dark energy. The surrounding air seemed to warp around it, the ground trembling beneath its weightless presence.

It lingered at the edge of the building, the darkness thickening as it watched the fleeing cars, a twisted smile curling across its lips—though no mouth was visible.

Soon, the figure receded, sinking back into the blackened void, leaving behind only a lingering sense of dread in the now empty street. The night remained still, but something—something far worse—was waiting. Watching.

Not long after, Aleara, Beck, and the others arrived at the Hek mansion. The night had deepened, the hour late, but the house stood imposingly against the darkness, its lights casting an eerie glow on the manicured grounds.

As they pulled up, the heavy front doors creaked open, and Gerald and Abigail descended the grand staircase to meet them. Despite the late hour, both appeared unusually well-kept, their clothes immaculate, but their faces betrayed a hint of annoyance mingled with concern.

"Al, what's going on here?" Gerald's voice cut through the tense atmosphere, firm and unyielding. His eyes scanned the group, taking in their disheveled appearance and the worry etched on their faces.

Aleara sighed heavily, feeling the weight of the situation pressing down on her. She took a deep breath and began to recount the night's events, her voice faltering slightly as she spoke. Gerald and Abigail listened intently, their expressions shifting from mild irritation to shock as the story unfolded.

"So, to summarize," Gerald began, his tone laced with disbelief and a hint of anger, "you all had some drinks tonight, which dulled your senses. Your brother, Vas, was the only one sharp enough to notice something was wrong. He went to check it out, was taken by a mysterious entity, and now he's being rushed to a hospital after Miss Anya—Lily's aunt, of all people—rescued him and found him unconscious on the floor?"

"Yes," Beck replied, his voice subdued, feeling the full gravity of their mistake.

The room fell silent, the weight of Gerald's words hanging heavily in the air. Abigail's face was pale, her hand gripping the banister tightly. Gerald's eyes narrowed, his mind racing as he tried to process the information.

"This is serious," he finally said, his voice low but with an undercurrent of fury. "You've put yourselves—and Vas—in danger because you weren't thinking clearly. We'll deal with this later. For now, you need to rest. We'll be discussing the consequences of your actions in the morning."

Aleara and Beck exchanged uneasy glances, knowing the full extent of their grandfather's anger had yet to be unleashed. As they turned to head upstairs, the tension in the room was palpable, a storm brewing just beneath the surface.

"Oh, and by the way," Gerald added as they were leaving, his voice cold and measured. "I'll be sending a message to everyone's family. Tomorrow, with everyone present, we will address the consequences of your actions."

The weight of his words hung heavily in the air. Everyone knew they were in serious trouble, but the chilling sensation in the pit of their stomachs overshadowed any fear of impending punishment.

Meanwhile, Vas found himself awakening in The Void, a place of endless darkness and swirling mists. Sitting before him was The Archivist, but this time, she appeared as an ancient woman, her features worn by countless years, yet her eyes held an unsettling sharpness.

"So," The Archivist began, her voice raspy with age. "Can you describe to me the creature you fought?"

Vas nodded, his memories of the battle still vivid. He recounted the grotesque form of the creature and the events that transpired.

"That's… odd," The Archivist muttered, her brow furrowing. "No such creature exists within the archives, nor do I recall ever encountering it. And unlike others, I do not forget any of the forgotten knowledge in this place."

"But that thing felt just like a Forgotten," Vas insisted, his voice laced with uncertainty.

"Yes, I know," The Archivist replied, her tone contemplative. "I brought you here because I believed you had encountered one, but now it seems there is something more insidious at play."

"Shouldn't you know that?" Vas asked, a hint of frustration in his voice.

The Archivist's gaze sharpened as she looked at him. "I've told you before, gods are not omniscient nor omnipotent. We may exist beyond normal concepts and limitations, but we do not know all, nor can we do all."

She paused, her expression thoughtful. "For bringing this issue to my attention, I'll grant you a reward. But I'll also add another task to your original mission. I need you to dig deeper, to find out everything you can about this creature and how it came to be."

Vas nodded, feeling the weight of this new responsibility.

"As for your reward," The Archivist continued, "you can choose. Option one is knowledge about a topic of your choice. Option two is another spirit for you to bond with."

Vas didn't hesitate. After the grueling fight and the exhaustion he felt afterward, he knew what he needed. "I choose option one," he said.

The Archivist nodded. "Ask away."