The Hunt

Chapter: 26

February 26, 2011, 8:30 pm

Adrian sat in his office, deep in thought. The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of the desk lamp casting long shadows. Anafabula, perched comfortably on his lap, could sense his unease.

"What's wrong, Adrian?" Anafabula asked, her voice laced with concern.

"You sense that, don't you?" Adrian replied, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Are you referring to the sudden appearances of multiple anomalies?" she inquired, her tone serious.

"Yeah," Adrian confirmed. "That's probably going to be a problem soon, especially since I sense some within the country."

Anafabula's eyes flickered with understanding. "Ah, I see. So, what are you planning to do?"

Adrian closed his eyes for a moment, his mind racing through potential strategies. When he reopened them, a steely resolve had settled in their depths.

"That's simple, really. I'm going hunting," he declared, his voice taking on a darker tone, his eyes glowing ominously.

"Oh? Then I wish you a successful hunt," Anafabula said as she gracefully stood up from his lap.

"That will not be necessary," Adrian replied, his form beginning to fade into the shadows. With a final nod from Anafabula, he disappeared completely.

Adrian materialized atop a building, now clad in a new outfit: a black turtleneck, a black overcoat, black pants, and a pair of black Air Force 1s. He stepped off the edge of the building, plummeting to the alleyway below. Landing gracefully, he began to walk silently through the narrow passage, humming a low tune.

Without warning, a figure materialized behind him, wielding a scythe. The being swung the weapon towards Adrian, but it never made contact. Multiple silver threads emerged, halting both the scythe and its wielder. Adrian turned to face the bound entity, his eyes glowing red.

"Did you really think it would be that simple?" Adrian asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

The anomaly was a humanoid, approximately 2.1 meters tall, with an extremely gaunt physique. Its skin was an ashen gray, appearing to be in a state of constant decay without any signs of physical decomposition. The most notable feature was its head, resembling a skeletal structure with deep-set, glowing crimson eyes and a perpetual, rictus grin.

The being struggled futilely against the silver threads that bound it. Adrian approached it calmly, inspecting his prey.

"Ah, I see that's who you were formed from. Oh well, that's not a concern at the moment."

The threads turned black while releasing a dark aura. The entity felt the energy and started struggling against the threads more.

"Stop struggling; it disgusts me," Adrian said coldly.

He clenched his hand, and the threads slashed the entity to pieces. Its body disintegrated as the threads vanished. Adrian then turned and walked away.

"Alright, three more to go," he muttered to himself.

---

As Adrian moved through the city, he kept his senses alert, searching for the remaining anomalies. The night was eerily quiet, the usual bustle of the city subdued. He could feel the faint pulses of the anomalies, their presence like dark blips on his mental radar.

The second anomaly was hiding in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Adrian stepped through the shattered doors, his eyes adjusting to the dim light inside. The air was thick with the smell of decay and neglect. He could hear the faint rustle of movement deeper within the building.

Adrian moved silently, his steps making no sound on the dusty floor. As he approached the source of the noise, he saw the second anomaly. This one was smaller, about 1.8 meters tall, with a hunched posture and elongated limbs. Its skin was a sickly green, covered in mottled patches of rot. Its eyes were milky white, devoid of pupils, and its mouth hung open in a grotesque grin, revealing rows of needle-like teeth.

The creature hissed as it saw Adrian, lunging towards him with surprising speed. Adrian was ready. With a flick of his wrist, more silver threads shot out, wrapping around the anomaly and halting its attack. The creature writhed and hissed, trying to break free.

"You're just as pathetic as the last one," Adrian said, his voice filled with disdain. He tightened his grip on the threads, and they began to constrict, cutting into the creature's flesh. Black blood oozed from the wounds, but the creature continued to struggle.

Adrian's eyes glowed brighter as he channeled more energy into the threads. They turned black, pulsating with a dark aura. The creature's movements grew more frantic, its hisses turning into high-pitched screeches.

"Enough," Adrian said, his voice cold and final. With a swift motion, the threads sliced through the anomaly, reducing it to a pile of blackened ash.

"Two down," he muttered, turning to leave the warehouse.

---

The third anomaly was slightly trickier to locate. It was constantly on the move, its presence flickering in and out of Adrian's senses. He finally tracked it to an old train station. The air was damp and cold, the sound of crickets echoing from the outside.

Adrian walked cautiously, his senses on high alert. The anomaly was close, but it was doing a good job of staying hidden. He could feel its presence, a dark stain on the fabric of reality.

As he rounded a corner, he saw it. The third anomaly was different from the others. It was a mass of writhing shadows, constantly shifting and changing shape. Tendrils of darkness extended from its form, reaching out and probing the air around it.

Adrian stepped forward, his eyes locked on the creature. The shadows recoiled slightly, sensing his approach. He could feel the malevolence radiating from it, a palpable force that pressed against his mind.

"You're a nasty piece of work, aren't you?" Adrian said, his voice steady. The shadows seemed to ripple in response, the tendrils twitching and curling.

Adrian summoned his threads once more, but this time they were infused with a bright, radiant energy. The shadows hissed and recoiled further as the threads approached, the light burning away the darkness.

"Let's see how you like this," Adrian said, a grim smile on his face. He directed the threads towards the center of the mass, watching as they pierced the shadows. The creature writhed and twisted, its form flickering and destabilizing.

Adrian pressed on, channeling more energy into the threads. The shadows began to disintegrate, the tendrils falling away and dissolving into nothingness. The creature's screeches filled the building, a cacophony of pain and rage.

With one final surge of energy, Adrian destroyed the anomaly completely. The shadows vanished, leaving only a faint echo of their presence in the air.

"One more," Adrian said, his voice echoing through the empty building. He turned and made his way back outside, ready to track down the final anomaly.

---

The fourth and final anomaly was the most elusive. It took Adrian several hours to pinpoint its location. He finally tracked it to a remote part of the countryside, far from the city. The anomaly had taken refuge in an old, dilapidated farmhouse, the building long abandoned and overgrown with weeds.

Adrian approached his hands in his pockets, his senses on high alert. The air was thick with the scent of decay and rot. He could feel the anomaly's presence, a dark and oppressive force that seemed to weigh down the very air around him.

He stepped inside the farmhouse, the floorboards creaking under his weight. The interior was dark, the only light coming from the gaps in the boarded-up windows. Adrian could hear the faint rustle of movement deeper inside.

The fourth anomaly was waiting for him. It was a grotesque creature, its form a twisted amalgamation of flesh and bone. It stood hunched over, its limbs elongated and misshapen. Its skin was a mottled gray, covered in patches of oozing sores. Its eyes were a deep, malevolent black, and its mouth was filled with sharp, jagged teeth.

The creature let out a low growl as it saw Adrian, its eyes narrowing in anger. It lunged towards him with surprising speed, its claws outstretched.

Adrian was ready. He summoned his threads, wrapping them around the creature and halting its attack. The anomaly thrashed and snarled, trying to break free.

"You're the last one," Adrian said, his voice calm and controlled. The threads tightened around the entity, feeling the dark energy pulsating through them. The creature let out a pained howl as the threads cut into its flesh.

Adrian's eyes glowed brighter as he channeled more energy into the threads. They turned black, radiating a dark and foreboding aura. The creature's movements grew more frantic, its howls turning into desperate screams.

"Silence," Adrian said, his voice cold and final. With a swift motion, the threads sliced through the anomaly, reducing it to a pile of blackened ash.

Adrian stood over the remains of the creature, his gaze neutral. The anomalies were dealt with, and the annoyances were eliminated. But he knew this was just the beginning. There would always be more threats, more challenges to face.

Adrian sighed, preparing to leave when a male voice called out behind him. Turning around he saw a man. The man had pure white hair that seemed to be made of pure light, he had gold eyes, he had pale skin, and was wearing a suit. Adrian recognized the man then smirked.

"Well if it isn't my second favorite Other God (the right term for the Outer Gods) hello Yog-Sothoth how has it been."

"Hello father."

Chapter 26: End