THE VEIL OF GLOOM: THE PARADOX OF PURITY
He landed on the road, miles away from the mall, where they had already fled. The monster possessed an uncanny ability to sense them, no matter how far they had gone. It waved its tentacles in the air, picking up vibrations from everything in the atmosphere, allowing it to pinpoint their location. They were driving along a long road in Dana Point, a beach town to their right and steep cliffs to their left.
To demonstrate its power, the creature struck the ground beneath it with its massive right foot, creating a tremendous crack that snaked down the road toward Dana Point, causing nearby buildings to collapse and block Guion's path. With a single leap, it covered more than fifty kilometres, landing directly in their way, shaking the ground with its weight and preventing Guion from moving forward or backward, trapped between the fallen debris and the monster.
It approached them slowly, exuding an air of intimidation. Annika fired her weapon at it until the magazine was empty, desperately hoping it would retreat, but it continued to advance, unfazed. "You belong to me, Annika!" it declared ominously.
With no options left, they stood frozen. Annika watched helplessly as it drew closer, while Guion struggled to free himself from the debris. He reversed the car, but the vehicle was immobilized. As the monster closed the distance, Erick intervened, drifting his car to slam into one of its legs, forcing it to the ground.
As the car spun for a second time, Erick thrust a pistol through the window with his right hand, continuing to drift. When the car came to a stop, he aimed at the monster's right eye and pulled the trigger. The bullet struck true, eliciting a howl of pain as it clutched its face with its smaller hand.
Finally breaking free, Guion reversed sharply to position the beast in front of him and accelerated, sending the creature tumbling over the cliff. However, its tentacles latched onto the cliff face, preventing it from falling too far. Not convinced it was dead, Erick retrieved an RPG-7 from his boot, approached the cliff, and fired, blasting the monster into the water below before discarding the weapon.
Moments later, Guion and Annika joined him at the cliff's edge. "Was he not dead yet?" Annika asked, bewildered. "What are we dealing with, Erick?" Guion inquired, anxiety creeping into his voice. "I shot him in the eye, and the bullet bounced right back. Whatever weapons we have can't kill him," Erick replied urgently. "We need to get the hell out of here, or we won't make it."
They sped away, their lives depending on their escape. After reaching a safe distance without encountering the monster for some time, they relaxed and slowed down. As they approached a bridge tunnel in a sparsely populated area, the ground shook violently beneath them. The tunnel began to collapse.
They struggled to navigate the falling debris, dodging rocks as the structure crumbled. Erick managed to pass through, but Guion and Annika were not so fortunate. The tunnel fell on top of them, nearly burying the car and leaving only the front exposed, with the doors completely blocked.
Realizing the monster was behind them, Erick stopped his car and leaped out, sprinting toward Guion and Annika. "Guion! Get out of the car! Now!" he shouted, but they were trapped, unable to escape the wreckage. Erick ran closer, urging them to leave, but before he could reach them, he was caught off guard by a powerful slap from the creature's massive right arm.
The blow sent him hurtling past the car until he slammed into a tree, falling face-first to the ground. Even so, he struggled to call out, extending his hand toward them. "Run, Guion! Run!" he gasped, coughing up blood.
Seeing what John had done to Erick, Guion forced himself to push the heavy debris aside, managing to pull himself free. He quickly turned to help Annika escape as well, but before she could grasp his hand, Guion was snatched away. Annika raised her head through the window just in time to see him being crushed in the monster's massive grip, blood oozing from his wounds. She froze in terror, trembling as she heard the sickening sound of breaking bones.
"Guion!" Erick yelled, but Guion was already unconscious, the monster continuing to squeeze him mercilessly. "Let him go, you bastard!" Erick shouted. "Come with me, Annika. Only I am the right one for you," John said, his voice dripping with menace.
"Over my dead body," she retorted defiantly. "You are a lieutenant, sworn to protect this city, so you understand how this works. Do your duty and be my wife, or I will lay this city to waste," he threatened, extending his smaller right hand after dropping Guion to the ground.
Annika found herself torn between the fate of the city and her own life. She stepped forward hesitantly, but just as she was about to take his hand, Guion grasped her wrist, preventing her from moving further. Both were stunned to see that he was still alive. "Walk!" John commanded, but Annika ignored him, kneeling beside Guion and cradling his face in her hands. "You're alive," she whispered, smiling, which only fuelled John's jealousy.
Raising his pointed arm, John threatened Annika. "Alright then, if I can't have you, nobody will!" he roared, attempting to stab her in the back. The urge to protect her surged within Guion, overwhelming him to the point where he felt no pain. He pulled her away just in time, using her as leverage to stand. "No!" he yelled, summoning every ounce of strength to punch the monster in the gut.
Surprisingly, his blow sent the creature flying miles away, crashing through multiple buildings until it vanished from sight. Annika could hardly believe her eyes. "How did you do that?" she asked, astonished. "I don't know," Guion replied, breathless.