0 Do not set your gaze upon your betters.

An elated voice bearing the marks of time resounded in the dimly lit room.

"Finally! At long last it is done."

The man stared at the glass bottle he held within his hands. Holding it up under the lamp, illuminating both the bottle and his face.

His face was withered and wrinkled with a complexion similar to that of rusted metal. A stark contrast to the smooth white hands he was using to hold his creation.

He examined the bottle's contents, his four red eyes rolling in joy.

Inside the bottle was a dark green sludge that bubbled and swirled.

The man stiffened, froze in place for an instant then resumed his actions.

The 'Man' unable to wait any longer opened the bottle and held it up to his lips as the swirling within it intensified.

*THUMP, THUMP, THUMP*

A set of knocks struck the door, halting the 'Man' in his tracks. He slowly placed the opened bottle onto the desk and turned to face the door.

Having received no response the knocking repeated a few seconds later, bringing with it a sense of urgency.

'Wrong, wrong, wrong!' The 'Man' thought to Himself. 'That isn't the pattern we agreed on!'

He backed away from the door, careful not to turn His back to it, approaching the grey wall on the other side of the room. He grabbed a red glove and quickly slipped it on. The power held within it calming His heart.

In this time the knocking had repeated thrice more, each time more urgent than the last.

Having retrieved his weapon the 'Man' spoke out to the one behind door with newfound confidence.

"Who are you!"

The knocking, that resounded for the sixth time, paused. The person behind the door seemingly surprised by the aggression in the reply.

After a few seconds of silence the knocker's voice responded.

And what a response it was.

First came the sensation of regret. After the first twisted syllable entered his ears he knew he had made a mistake.

Second came the impact, the force of the man no, the monster's voice destroyed the door, blew past his gauntlet's comparatively feeble defense and blew him into the wall, shattering the stone surface and spreading dust throughout the room.

And third came the being itself, the 'Man' Had made the mistake of opening his eyes in an attempt to catch a glimpse of his attacker.

Leaving his true sight activated had allowed the 'Man' to see the being's true form, a noteworthy achievement for a creature of his strength but one the 'Man' should have gone without.

He remembered the rule and shut his eyes, sadly it was too little too late. The phrase "Do not set your gaze upon your betters" was not said without reason.

And now the 'Man' had discovered the consequences. His eyes burst in a rain of gore, pulsating pustules formed on his arms and legs, his chest warped as multiple growths in the form of screeching heads pulled themselves out.

The 'Man' screamed in pain as his very existence was corrupted from the inside out.

After a few moments what was left of the 'man' exploded, covering the walls in blood and organs while shattering the bottle he had left on his desk.

The being held out its hand, collecting a strange blue light from the corpse.

Then it turned around and left, seemingly satisfied with its bounty, ignoring the green sludge that spilled onto the floor.