Not yet

Perspective : Conrad Garnier

My vision suddenly became blurry, a throbbing pain began to throb in my head, and I could sense the warm trickle of blood running down my nose. Elkdrack, caught in the same agony as I, exclaimed in disbelief,

"What the hell is this?".

It wasn't just him, though; everyone else was experiencing the same thing.

Patrick wasted no time and swiftly thrust his sword into the ground, as he said

, "Cleanse the air."

Instantly, a radiant and soothing light began to emanate from his blade, forming a massive bubble of luminosity that expanded rapidly. The light enveloped our bodies, filling the room with its comforting glow, banishing the nauseating sensation we were experiencing.

After casting that spell, Patrick took a moment to breathe and said,

"Well that should do the trick?".

I reckoned he knew, what that nauseating sensation was, so I asked him.

"What was that?".

Patrick replied,

"I don't know?".

But Kyle with a gaze filled with confusion and curiosity, with a little bit of anger in his face, he asked me,

"What the hell is wrong with you?".

"Like seriously".

Listening his complaint, me without any clue what he was talking about inquired,

"What ... what have I done?".

Kyle replied,

"Why would you turn back ... after you ordered us to disperse?".

"I mean.... like ... like why?".

"Why would you do that?".

I replied,

"I don't know... as I sprinted, my instincts told me it was the perfect moment to strike. I felt I could catch them off guard. And that's exactly what happened."

"What's wrong with that?".

Then with a face filled with confusion, he said,

Yeah! ... what's wrong with that ... right? If you had missed that strike even for a little bit, that insect would have taken your head off...."

Taking a deep breath, Kyle continued, his tone laced with annoyance,

"Fucking ... Instincts you say".

"You know that Instincts ... don't work like that, right".

"Instincts are meant to help you survive...".

"Human say it, animal say it, ... Instincts are meant to protect oneself... In that moment, your instincts should have signaled to you to 'run' and 'save yourself' ".

"That's just how it works".

I responded as, I didn't knew what to say,

"I don't know ... what to say to that".

Kyle added,

"There is something fundamentally wrong with you, Conrad...".

While Kyle and I engaged in our conversation, I couldn't help but notice Regina's pitiful gaze directed towards me.

In that brief moment, it seemed as though everyone was fixated on me with a strange look, making me feel like some sort of crazy person.

As, I turned my attention towards Regina, she met my gaze with a distant look in her eyes.

In the midst of my disarrayed thoughts, Kyle, with a noticeable shift in his expression from annoyance to gratitude, placed his hand on my shoulder. He spoke, acknowledging the situation, saying,

"But still... you turned the tides."

As he appeared genuinely grateful, he continued,

"Thanks... but I would still advise you against such recklessness."

[ (Background)

Kyle said to Regina,

"Hey !, what's with that look you are giving me".

Regina replied,

"It's nothing".]

Elkdrack called us,

"That's enough of that... let's get move'in".

As soon as Elkdrack said that, a gigantic blob of that yellow substance oozed out from the distended belly of that lifeless giant ant, suspended in the center of the room. The splatter as it hit the ground immediately captured everyone's attention. I shifted my gaze towards it, noticing how the ant's stomach had become even more swollen and distended than before. Its exoskeleton appeared on the verge of rupturing under the pressure.

The sight that both disturbed and captivated us was the realization that - that dark shadow within the ant's bloated belly seemed to be in motion. Four black limbs emerged from within, indicating that whatever was contained inside had awakened.

Amidst mounting frustration, Patrick let out a candid exclamation, his voice laced with irritation,

"Ahh fuck ...".

Elkdrack added,

"Motherfuck'in shit".

With our unblinking gaze, we saw, as those black limbs emerging from the abdomen of that bloated ant, gradually sliced it open. And, that yellow substance trickled down the openings, while the unsettling legs of the insect spread out. Eventually, the swollen abdomen burst open, and the strange liquid sprayed all around the room. Acting quickly, Patrick displayed decisive thinking by driving his blade into the ground and conjuring a protective barrier, preventing the liquid from entering its confines.

The thing that was inside it's bellie, was now standing in front of us.

The darkest sculpture of nature's work, a intriguing sight, a terrifying monstrosity and a nightmarish fiend.

Driven by it's primal instincts, It's stood before us as if it was just born.

Its countless eyes, filled with hunger were driving nails through my chest.

How can I express this?

The sight was both beautiful and hauntingly terrifying.

A dark aura was oozing out of it, which enveloped the entire room, its weight crushing our will to live, it's intensity freezing our legs in place.

"Truly... how small are we in front of nature's true wonders".

"We are nothing... and yet we stood there".

As I stood there, frozen in fear and captivated by the sheer horror of the creature before me, my mind struggled to comprehend its nightmarish form. It towered above, a monstrous being with a body that seemed to fuse aspects of arachnids and insects in its twisted structure.

Its elongated legs, more numerous than I could count, were like sinewy tendrils of darkness. Each limb ended in sharp, hook-like appendages, their presence evoking an instinctual dread that sent shivers down my spine. The way those appendages moved, flexing and contorting in unnatural ways, defied the laws of nature, amplifying the terror that gripped me.

"Truly a work of art".

Upon its monstrous frame, grotesque wings unfurled, stretching out like a macabre tableau. Translucent and ethereal, they bore an unsettling resemblance to insect wings, yet their size and the eerie patterns they formed seemed to defy any logical explanation. As the creature shifted, those wings fluttered with a haunting grace, casting dancing shadows that accentuated the nightmarish aura enveloping the room.

Its head, an abomination of organic fusion, held an array of multifaceted eyes. Each facet reflected a malevolent gleam, a penetrating gaze that spoke of something dark that created it. Its elongated mandibles, sharp and serrated, glistened with a vile substance that seemed to corrode everything it touched, as the ground itself was covered in a greyish hue.

From its body stretched appendages, slender and pulsating with a dark energy that sent waves of unease through me. These appendages moved with an eerie rhythm, their undulating motions creating an unsettling hum that reverberated through the room, amplifying the palpable sense of dread.

In that moment, terror and morbid fascination waged a battle within me. My senses were overwhelmed by the abhorrent sight before me, an amalgamation of nightmares that defied common sense. It stood there, an embodiment of the darkest recesses of imagination, etching itself deeply into my consciousness.

The air was heavy with dread and terror.

No one spoke a single word, the creature was taking on its surroundings.

Elkdrack breaking the tension spoke,

"You know ... nowadays it's becoming harder and harder believing one's eyes... ever since I entered this god forsaken forest ... Now, this shit's standing before us".

As he extended his hand towards the ceiling, probably addressing god.

"You fucking nut sack ... if you want us gone ... why not do it yourself".

"You persist in dispatching these nightmarish creatures upon us... we may commence to question your heavenly essence... perchance a devil in disguise.".

Patrick sighed, placing his palm against his forehead, and retorted,

"Seriously... how much more of an idiot this man can be!".

The abomination itself, stared curiously at Elkdrack.

Astounding, his idiocy even baffled that thing.

However, soon the time for silly remarks was over.

As we all found ourselves growing increasingly uneasy as that monstrous creature gradually approached us. Its twisted limbs moved with an unsettling grace, each motion of its limbs were strangely coordinated.

Its elongated arms, like sinewy tendrils, swayed with an eerie fluidity. The joints seemed to bend in unnatural angles, giving the creature an uncanny flexibility. As it advanced, the limbs undulated, as if propelled by some lurking sinister force.

The creature's fingers were elongated and adorned with razor-sharp, curved claws that gleamed ominously in that dim light. They flexed and stretched, almost like elongated appendages seeking to grasp onto anything in their path. I couldn't help but imagine the horrors if they would grab my body.

In sync with its haunting gait, the creature's legs moved in an unsettling manner. They appeared disjointed, disjointed and disjointed, as if each limb had a mind of its own. The joints twisted and contorted, allowing it to navigate even the most treacherous terrain effortlessly. It was a disconcerting sight.

The creature's movements were otherworldly, defying any logical explanation. Each step it took seemed to be an intentional act of terror, designed to unnerve and intimidate us.

As it drew closer, I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread wash over me. The mesmerizing yet horrifying dance of its limbs painted a vivid image of the impending danger that awaited us.

Even though we were inside Patrick's barrier.