5AVE ME

RADRIN - (grasping at straws) There's a professor... in another city. He was among the few who believed me when I told him what we were working on. Maybe he can help. But it's dangerous.

SPECTRE - (smirking) Well, danger's kind of our thing.

TIVANA - (focused) We don't have much choice. Radrin, you need to take us to this professor. He might be the key to ending this.

RADRIN - (reluctant) If we go... there's no turning back. Once they know you're involved, you'll never be safe again.

SPECTRE - (grinning) Sounds like just another Tuesday.

TIVANA - (firmly) Let's move. We don't have time to waste.

(As they prepare to leave, the wind picks up again, signalling that the shadows are still close, but for now, they've bought themselves a little time.)

Elsewhere, in a distant city, a man is forcibly submerged in a giant tub of oil. He struggles violently, his limbs thrashing as thick, dark liquid fills his lungs. He fights with every ounce of strength he has left, his vision blurring as the world grows darker around him.

Suddenly, a burst of sheer willpower drives him to the surface. He gasps for air, coughing up oil, his body slick and covered in the thick substance. His heart pounds as he scrambles out of the tub, barely alive, his head spinning.

MAN - (wheezing) What... the hell...?

(Desperately, he glances around, searching for his attacker. His breath hitches as he sees something strange—what he thought was a man standing by the door is, in fact, a bizarre assembly of rocks perched atop a vacuum cleaner disguised in the shape of a human.)

MAN - (disoriented) What... what is that?

(The rocky figure doesn't respond. Instead, it moves closer, its "head" tilting unnervingly to the side as if observing the man's feeble attempt to survive.)

MAN - (crawling backwards) No... stay away... stay—!

(Before the man can escape, the strange figure extends a rocky limb, knocking him unconscious with a single blow. The last thing he sees before blacking out is the horrifying vacuum cleaner figure standing over him, emotionless and unyielding.)

Back with Tivana, Spectre, and Radrin, they make their way through the city streets, trying to stay inconspicuous. The weight of their situation presses heavily on all of them.

SPECTRE - (glancing around cautiously) You think those shadow things can follow us to this professor?

TIVANA - (focused) If they're as relentless as Radrin says, they'll keep coming. We need to get ahead of them.

RADRIN - (nervous) We might not be able to outrun them. But the professor… he knows things. Ancient things. If anyone can help, it's him.

SPECTRE - (jokingly) Great, just what I wanted—ancient things and creepy professors.

TIVANA - (sighing) Focus, Spectre. This is serious.

SPECTRE - (grinning) I know. But a little humour helps, you know? Keeps the fear at bay.

RADRIN - (mumbling) Fear… it'll eat you alive if you're not careful.

TIVANA - (determined) We won't let it.

(They press forward, unaware that their journey will take them deeper into the unknown, where shadows, ancient rituals, and strange, rocky figures test their resolve in ways they've never imagined.)

Meanwhile, the man who was knocked out awakens, his head pounding. He's in a small, dark room, the only light coming from a faint crack beneath a door. His body aches from the oil and the blow he received.

MAN - (groaning) What... happened...? Where am I?

(He tries to sit up, but his muscles are sore, and his skin is sticky from the oil. As he does, the door creaks open. The exact bizarre figure made of rocks and metal parts stands in the doorway, watching him. The man's heart races in fear.)

MAN - (panicking) No... no, please... don't...!

(The figure steps forward, its mechanical limbs clinking softly with each movement. The man shuts his eyes as it reaches out, bracing for whatever comes next. But instead of pain, he hears a voice. Cold, calculated, and devoid of emotion.)

FIGURE - (metallic voice) You were not supposed to survive.

MAN - (trembling) What... what are you?

FIGURE - (voice steady) Irrelevant.

(The man shudders as the figure approaches closer, its presence overwhelming and suffocating. He tries to scramble back, but his body is too weak.)

MAN - (pleading) Why... why are you doing this?

FIGURE - (unmoved) Your existence is flawed. Correction is necessary.

(Before the man can respond, the figure raises its hand, and the man is silenced, his world fading to black once again.)

Back with Tivana, Spectre, and Radrin, they've reached the edge of the city. The buildings give way to a dense forest that surrounds the outskirts. Radrin stops, looking at the woods with fear and hesitation.

RADRIN - (nervous) The professor's lab... it's deep in there. But it won't be easy to reach.

SPECTRE - (chuckling) it's in the creepy woods. Why wouldn't it be?

TIVANA - (determined) We've come this far. We're not turning back now.

RADRIN - (whispering) Once we cross into the woods, there's no going back. They'll know we're here.

SPECTRE - (grinning) Let them come. I'm ready for round two.

TIVANA - (glancing at Radrin) What should we expect in there?

RADRIN - (grim) The forest... it's not natural. The things we did... the things we summoned... they changed the land. The trees... the air... even time doesn't move right there.

TIVANA - (frowning) Sounds like we're walking into a nightmare.

RADRIN - (serious) You are. But the professor... he's the only one who might be able to help.

SPECTRE - (shrugging) Well, no time like the present. Let's get this nightmare started.

(With that, they step into the forest, the trees closing around them. The air grows colder, and the once-familiar sounds of the city fade into eerie silence. Shadows twist and shift in the corners of their vision, but nothing is there when they turn to look.)

TIVANA - (whispering) Stay close. I wouldn't say I like this.

SPECTRE - (keeping his voice light) Relax, Tivana. What's the worst that could happen?

(As soon as he says that, a low growl echoes through the trees. Spectre freezes, his grin fading.)

SPECTRE - (quietly) Okay... maybe I spoke too soon.