Anyone who has followed along with the story, thank you for being there. The hallowed month is more than preparing for winter or stuffing your face with candy. Autumn feels like the end to some, and a beginning to others. In this, we wanted to show you something more. We had Followed Dr. Victor Ramirez and his examinations of the black book. His brother prof Octavio Ramirez had found the book during an exhibition of a Mesopotamian archaeological dig. Before he could report his findings, the professor had mysteriously disappeared.
Since his wife had died 2 years prior, his two sons Billy, and Howard, were left in his brother's care. Billy tried his best to integrate with his twin cousins, Zack and Cregg, though they did make him the butt of their jokes and pranks. Howard, on the other hand, chose to be by himself, only sparsely communicating with his brother and remaining estranged from his adopted uncle. He'd also developed a nasty bit of cleptomania as a response to his living situation.
Things were bound to get worse over time, however. A colleague of Octavio had opened a safe containing the book and a note stating "should anything happen to me, make sure this book is given to my sons." Choosing to respect the wishes of the late professor, it was delivered.
Billy was the only one around at the time it arrived, carried in a large paper bag. Billy never got the chance to look at the book however, the twins had gotten up to their old antics again. This time, however, they had brought another child with them, Skitter. Not much was known about the boy, other than he lived with his drunken stepfather and would always be found around the cemetery at night.
the first day of October was a day all of the boys would remember for the rest of their lives, all except Billy. Zack and Cregg had noticed the Black Book in Billy's room. They assumed it was a diary, and plotted to steal it, thinking it had funny secrets to tell everyone with. Knowing Howard liked to steal things, they bribed him to help out with the scheme, though it did take a bit of convincing he eventually got on board. When they did acquire the book, they soon discovered it wasn't what they thought.
the contents of its pages were written in an unknown language, but for some reason, they all could understand it. With each page they turned, the more animated the book had become, and soon even the words themselves began leaping off the pages, glowing eerily. Unbeknownst to the boys, Howard had been watching the entire thing unfold, and just when things started getting out of hand, he leaped from behind, snatched the book, and slammed it shut.
Billy had then arrived to find everyone crowding around his book. Annoyed, he attempted to get it back, but Zack decided to antagonize him turning it into a cheeky, game of monkey in the middle. The commotion and ruckus had soon alerted the uncle, who then stormed angrily. Ramirez, tired and irritated from work, had lost his patience, opting to confiscate the book they were fighting over, sending each child to their rooms, and grounding them for the rest of the night.
A few days later, things started happening. Starting with one incident that scared the whole town. Zack was biking home from school when a car being driven by the local jock and son of the mayor, had jumped the curb and struck him from behind. He rolled over the top and landed hard on the concrete. The paramedics arrived shortly after, assuming he was most likely dead, but as soon as they pulled out the stretcher, he got back up, got back on his bike, and started peddling back home.
Even though it was printed in the papers the day after, everyone had passed it off as a Halloween prank, especially since the mayor had paid most of the people involved to stay quiet, in a bid to avoid potential controversy. These were not the only things that started happening. During the first week of October, around 4 teenagers had disappeared and on top of that, reports of criminal mischief taking place around town had also coincided with rumors of cult recruitment. The only evidence that supported it was a single latter that was left behind after the courthouse was egged.
The rest of the boys had also undergone a drastic change. Their skin began turning a greyer color, almost giving them a dead complexion. Zack, having had a collision, seemed worse off than the rest of them. Billy, however, seemed perfectly fine, though not all was well with the poor boy. His uncle couldn't make time for him and neither did his brother. No one there to help him make a costume, no one there to help him carve pumpkins, he was alone.
Maybe it was a guilty conscience that led them, either way, even though Billy had the worst costume by far, Zack, Cregg, and Skitter, all of them brought him into their trick-or-treat gang. In order to initiate him into the group, they first needed to go to the woods. Truth be told, none of the kids had a plan going in, but one thing was for sure, they were not expecting to find what they did going in. Horrifying monsters were stalking the woods, all crowding around a strange red, pulsating structure. Needless to say, they did not hang around to see what was going to happen.
while this was happening, Dr.Ramirez was busy. His snubbed nose stuck to every page of that book. Turns out the acquisition of the book was not merely out of discipline it seems. various experiments had been carried out, all with numerous results. The involvement of his nurse, Marcella, would improve the studies.
Though as time went on, she would ultimately form her own goals involving the book. Victor had already exposed himself and had gone through the effort to print copies of a fair number of the pages. These notes would, in fact, prove more useful to Marcella, as her personal experiments had yielded something far more than what the doctor had achieved.
The creature she spawned called itself Yorgnith. It claimed to be a god, one of three to be exact, but it was only partially formed. It had explained that out of the three, his aspect was higher knowledge and unknowns, but he would only reveal that knowledge he had more power. Marcella agreed, but she would need to be careful with this pursuit. As much she respected her superior, she didn't want to risk being cut out of the discoveries. As for the doctors, his research did change him in the same way it changed the children, but this was not the only thing he found.
Through the writings, there was talk of openings to an inner world, I hidden layer of reality that housed a conduit that could alter the foundation of the universe. However, he would have to follow a set of steps to achieve this. Most would be carried out for the boons that they would provide, but they would all be required for the ultimate prize. He had taken the time in sewing seeds of chaos with a few miscreants around the town, those of which he had baited with the promise of joining his "cult." These were fabrications, most who did his bidding did not survive the ordeal. His nephew, Howard, did survive the ordeal, cutting himself out from the plastic bag he'd been hung in. Still, the doctor didn't pay it any mind, he'd already killed enough of them for the next step.
So step one: sew chaos, step two: spill blood. These first steps had granted him immortality. The next few steps would be more difficult, as they would require the approval of three god-like entities. The three were called Clod'zeel, Yorgnith, and Malgoloth. Each of them had a charge that an individual must complete, before granting an audience. It was lucky for him, his nurse had already begun taking care of Yorgnith's challenge. The feat of Clod'zeel would require conquering one's fears, with that he found he could make use of his children. Summon the deity in their dreams and they will do the work of conquering them. The last charge would be far more difficult, as it would require Victor to travel to the inner world, but in order to enter that plan, he would need to open "the World's mouth.
The world's mouth would only if the world itself was coming to an end. This almost put a stop to his plans, if it weren't for the actions of Marcella. Yorgnith had let it slip that the world had been shifting toward doomsday for a while, and mouths were already beginning to open. A serendipitous turn of events, although Victor did have to threaten her for the information. He had already gone far enough to commit murder, the only reason he'd decided to let her live, was because the reformed god had taken a liking to the sultry nurse. Spare the beauty lest he angers the beast.
The pieces were now in place, now the only thing he would have to do is find a way of predicting the events in the short term, and luckily, the book provided a means to this, but at a very costly price. To a glimpse into the future, the recipient of the vision would need to willingly cut out their eyes. With one eye you will acquire a partial vision, but if you sacrifice both eyes, you will be granted indefinite visions. Victor, as ambitious as he was, would not go all the way, a partial vision was enough to see what was to come, in order to plan ahead.
While the doctor immersed in the madness of his work. Howard had found himself changed. The trauma of nearly suffocating in the woods and having no one there to comfort him left him embittered. He'd cried for his father's return, a sign of his mother watching over him from the grave, but alas. No one came and no one cared. He was alone, and this is where he would begin to take his anger out on everyone. The first time was an impulse, a mouthy stranger who picked on him at the wrong moment, the second time it was intentional, someone minding their own business.
Soon he was picking just about anyone as long as they were alone. He always went for the faces, and as it progressed he started cutting them off. It wasn't for any profound statement, in a way he was projecting his own self-hatred onto them. He thought his face ugly, covered in blemishes, his nose always being congested and making it difficult to breathe. Though despite becoming efficient, the killings themselves did little to ease the frustrations he felt.
The children had been undergoing their own troubles. Nightmares of giant killer clowns had been plaguing them all. all of them except Billy. Billy had fond memories of his father taking him to the circus, the clowns he saw in his dreams had only brought him joy, as well as the visions of a pale faced man in a dark outfit. he could not fear them, because to him, they had been the only friends he'd had. So when the other three boys had come upon a letter inviting them to the abandoned carnival out of town, he was not among them, at least not in the beginning.
Zack, Cregg and Skitter, all went by themselves, and when they arrived, they all encountered the horror that haunted their sleep. They would have all succumbed to their fears had Billy not come looking for them. The boy in the paper bag stood before the colorful eldrich, feeling no fear, but peace and joy. it dissolved into a million colorful bubbles that filled the area with warm, colorful lights, before disappearing entirely, leaving the boys stunned and amazed. The first charge had been completed.
Marcella had been learning a lot from her newfound companion, though she was not without her own problems. The Jock son of the Mayor had been making more than one flirtatious pass at her, giving her the bare minimum of romantic gestures in the form of a pitiful bouquet of pansies. The final straw was when he tried to persuade Howard, who was already working late at the flower shop, to give him a free rose. Howard gave it to him alright, right after he clipped the bud off, leaving a thorny stem in the middle of the bunch.
After this, she knew what she had to do. After a good amount of prep work, she invited the mayor's son over. It didn't take that much effort, though having an elder god assist you made it exceedingly simple but after that something unexpected happened. Yorgnith had gone and locked himself in the bathroom after the ordeal. Marcella was deeply concerned, worrying that her small and gelatinous friend had been injured in the issuing struggle. When the door finally open, she was shocked to find that the once small and amorphous creature had transformed. Although he still possessed his otherworldly characteristics, he was far more handsome then before. This had completed the second charge. Now there was only one charge left to complete.
meanwhile, Howard was still on the prowl, still feeling empty. None of the killings had satiated him. It was then he saw Marcella passing by, he ultimately decided to take his frustrations out on her. When he stalked her back to her house, things had taken an unexpected turn. Before he could make an attack, Yorgnith had apprehended him. It would have been easy to destroy the boy, but Yorgnith could sense something. He could tell, the boy just wanted to be loved, he'd come dangerously close to giving it up. He knew the only thing he could do was to change himself. So he was led to the bathroom and given his box cutter back. There he would cut off one last face... his own.
when the deed was done, it was suggested that Howard try to get in touch with his younger sibling to make sure they were okay. When he called home, he found that both his brother and his two cousins had barricaded themselves in the house. Apparently, various leather-clad monsters had begun rampaging throughout the town. Howard, Marcella, and Yorgnith, all made their way to the boy's house, fighting off many of the ghastly creatures on their way. When the boys were collected, they had all made their way out of the town together.
They had made it to a safe and secluded camping area, away from the chaos of the town. it was here they soon discovered something. It was the eve of Halloween, but tomorrow was the end of the world. The children were left feeling discouraged and disillusioned, but luckily, Howard with his change of demeanor, wouldn't let that happen easily. Though it took some effort, they all managed to have one final celebration. Not a big one, but a comfortable one. and whatever is to happen next, at least they would have this.
When dawn broke the next morning, the town was in near ruins. Buildings were burning, shops were looted and survivors were being hunted and slaughtered, but what came next was a little bit over the top. The university had in its possession an experimental utility vehicle that was planned for exploration into radioactive landfills. Well... the good doctor had somehow commandeered it in the ensuing chaos. When he came out guns blazing, everything was reduced to a fine red mist. It was certain now that nothing would stand in the way of his plans.
As the sun rose higher, the sky burned an angry red from the fires that burned around the town. Marcella was at a loss as to what to do next. Yorgniith, on the other hand, was keeping unusually calm about the whole situation. When Marcella inquired, he revealed that this wasn't the first time he'd seen the world end this way. The world had ended and begun millions of times and this was no different. It was then Marcella realized, even though Yorgnith was a god, he was not going to save her, he was only going to make the last moments as painless as possible.
The children were also gone. No adults left, they had to go alone. Howard had followed them for as long as he could, but he couldn't leave the town just yet. Making his way back, he broke back into Marcella's house. There, he found it, the black book. Apparently, she swiped it from Victor's before the entire town had been invaded, and he was surprised she didn't take it with her. It only took a matter of hours to read through, its contents enlightening and inspiring the boy with many thoughts. He knew what to do, and unlike his uncle, he would go a step beyond.
Ripping out his own eyes didn't just give him infinite visions. No, he saw the world for what it really was, the world was made of code. the world wasn't just a simulation, it was a dream, and not just any dream anymore. it was HIS dream now, and he could warp it any way he wanted to. Victor could have had this same power, but he was too scared and too weak to pursue it. In this shattered world, he would be its one ruler. If all of mankind was reduced to worms, then he shall be their king.
The final stage was set, The final maw had spread open its gnashing jaws, and the doctor storm in. Arriving on a large stone platform, set above a darkened labyrinth. He was captivated, he didn't notice the man that was there to greet him. Rather he wasn't a man at all. It looked like it stepped out of hell onto a bondage fashion show. Its outfit glistened as it stared with hollowed-out sockets, bits of red glinting within them. It wouldn't take too much effort to guess that this was Malgoloth, a forgotten god to a forgotten realm. It was time to face the final Charge.
It wasn't exactly hard, just time-consuming. Being immortal, he had all the time he would need. He didn't know exactly how long he'd been in that maze. Months, years, centuries, eventually time lost all meaning entirely. when he did make it to the end, he had to take a moment to see if what he was seeing was actually real. the large mechanism sitting on the podium seemed almost too good to be true... and as luck would have it, it was. He tried in vain to make the damn thing work. His reality could not be saved, could not be restored or backed up. He'd now lost everything.
There was only one option left. He was able to access one other world, the transfer wouldn't be too out of imagination. The only problem was, this world was just barely stable. If his theory was correct, and what was stated in the book was implied to be true, then there could be another Meta Configuration in this new world. He would have to take a chance and see... as the saying goes "the way to paradise is neither here nor there, but Elsewhere."
Watching this whole thing unfold was baffling, frightening, yet equally fascinating. Watching the artist struggle away, the pain of loss still fresh in her mind, but still pushing herself. Suppose you want an explanation for the series, and why she spent an entire month toiling away instead of celebrating. Simple, she hadn't let go yet. She was still grieving over the loss of her "Best Friend". So much so that in her drugged-out haze, she attempted to reconnect with them, to which he rightfully lambasted her, setting her off. I don't condone her losing her temper, but I also don't blame her. if you were forced to look at the art of someone who hates you every time you try to upload, I'm certain more than a few people would have been pushed over the edge. Either way, I think everyone should be proud of her for completing what she set out to do. She didn't even need to make a story, but she did anyway, and that is worth celebrating.