*Pop* goes the weasel
It was pitch black, an engulfing darkness that pressed against my senses like a heavy shroud. The ground beneath me felt cold and unyielding, reminiscent of smooth stone with faint, barely perceptible etchings under my fingertips.
"Hello?" A voice shattered the silence, tinged with desperation. "Is anyone there?"
My heart raced as I debated responding to this unknown presence. Before I could gather my courage, the lights flickered to life.
Blinding brightness flooded the space, forcing me to squint against the harsh illumination. Slowly, as my vision adjusted, I realized I was not alone. Around me, scattered throughout a colossal stone cube, stood at least eighty, no, closer to ninety individuals. The walls stretched high above us, enclosing us in a confined and ominous space. Overhead, cube-shaped lanterns hung in the air, emitting a stark and unrelenting glow that bathed everything in a stark, unwavering light.
The air carried a subtle scent of damp moss, oddly calming in contrast to the eerie surroundings. I struggled to rise, my knees pressing into the ground almost reflexively, more out of a need for stability than prayer.
And then, amidst the bewildering scene, I saw it—a shadowy figure hovering in the air, defying gravity and reason. My initial thought was "demon," but this entity exuded a malevolence and ancient presence that transcended any mortal understanding.
"Hello, world..." The figure's voice cut through the air, startlingly average and incongruous with its ominous appearance. It resonated like the voice of a prepubescent teenager—one you might encounter and swiftly mute in an online gaming lobby.
Suppressing an incredulous laugh with a choked cough, I couldn't help but find the situation absurd. The shadowy figure waited, expectant, for a response.
Unable to contain my amusement any longer, I burst out in a mischievous laugh. "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH," I chuckled, struggling to compose myself. "So... let me get this straight."
The shadowy figure regarded me with a puzzled air.
"You, some ancient, demon-like being, have abducted us—God knows why—and you can't even disguise your voice? Seriously? You've gone through all this effort to look all spooky, yet you sound like a little kid." My words tumbled out, mingled with the remnants of laughter that threatened to erupt again.
Before the figure could react, another voice cut through the tension. "What the fuck is going on? Where am I?" The interruption was sharp, filled with confusion and fear.
The shadowy figure's expression twisted slowly from a frown into a Joker-style grin, stretching across its dark visage over an unsettling ten seconds. The smile grew wider and wider, until it was a chilling, predatory smirk.
With a snap of its fingers, a sharp pop echoed through the chamber. The person who had spoken—the one demanding answers—suddenly erupted in a grotesque explosion of blood and gore, leaving a grim reminder of the figure's immense power and deadly intent.