The Extinction Events

The hum of Surreal's black magic swirled around them as the vault's cold, sterile interior gave way to a new location. In an instant, the two found themselves standing on a desolate shore.

The salty tang of the ocean air filled their nostrils, mingling with the acrid smell of charred debris and decay.

The sea before them was calm, almost unnaturally so, as its dark waters lapped at the jagged rocks and rusted remnants of a long-forgotten port.

Behind them, the ruins of a city stretched into the horizon, skeletal buildings half-swallowed by nature's slow reclamation.

Forreal kicked at a piece of twisted metal, her brows furrowing as she surveyed the wreckage. "Nice spot you've picked. Real cozy, and not ruined at the slightest."

Surreal didn't respond immediately. Instead, he moved to the largest piece of debris—a massive steel beam half-buried in the sand—and ran his hand along its pitted surface. His extra arms unfolded from his waist, moving with eerie precision as they began to gather more fragments from the surrounding area.

"What are you doing?" Forreal asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

"Making something," Surreal replied simply, his usual smile in place as his hands—four of them now—worked in perfect harmony. Metal screeched against stone as he pulled pieces together, shaping them into the beginnings of a towering structure.

Forreal crossed her arms, watching as the skeleton of what she could only describe as a totem pole took form. "Is this another one of your cryptic rituals, or are you just getting into abstract art?"

"A little of both," Surreal said lightly, not pausing in his work. "It's a marker, or a disruptor, in a way. But its purpose... well, you'll see."

She huffed, kicking another piece of debris into the surf. "You always do this. Everything's a mystery until it's not."

Surreal chuckled, the sound warm despite the grim surroundings. "Patience, Forreal. We have time. Speaking of which…" He paused, glancing up at the half-completed totem. "This is as good a moment as any to explain why we don't."

"Ah, finally, the lore of why we all will get killed in the future."

"You should be grateful that I didn't charge you for all of this precious knowledge." The rhythm of his movements didn't falter as he continued speaking, his voice taking on a measured tone. "The concept and existence of Earth, you see, is something of an anomaly, even in the grand scheme of things. But our Earth? Even more so. 

"In a universe devoid of extraterrestrial life, the sheer density of humanity's existence is like a beacon. A giant target painted on this little planet."

Forreal raised an eyebrow. "Because we're special? You know, anthropocentrism."

"Because you're loud," Surreal corrected. "Seven billion souls were loud. Twelve billion souls were deafening, especially when all of them were coming from a single location amidst endless silent void—except for the stars, they were screaming nonstop. 

"But to put in a perspective, imagine a forest in perfect silence, and then one tree starts screaming its existence to the void. What do you think will happen next?"

She tilted her head, considering. "Something shows up to investigate?"

"Exactly." Surreal's tone darkened, and his hands stilled for a moment before resuming their work. "There are three extinction events tied directly to humanity's... vibrancy, all because we're the only notable living and breathing, huddling species amidst the sea of nothing. The first of which I like to call the Red King."

The name hung in the air like a shadow, heavy and foreboding. Forreal shivered involuntarily. "Sounds cheery and happy. What is it?"

"An inevitability," Surreal said, his voice quiet but resolute. "At some point in the future—far from now but not far enough—this universe becomes contaminated. 

"An Outlier Universe sends fragments of its exotic matter here, accidentally or otherwise. That matter resonates with humanity on a level beyond comprehension. It coalesces, forming something that should never exist."

"The Red King," Forreal guessed the obvious.

He nodded. "A being born from the collective subconscious of humanity. Every fear, every desire, every hidden sin—woven together into an eldritch god. It is not a god in the sense of divinity, but one in the sense of power. Once the Red King emerges, it's unstoppable."

Forreal didn't speak, but her fingers tightened on the strap of her improvised bag.

Surreal's hands moved faster now, pulling debris into place with precision that bordered on obsessiveness.

"It begins as a subtle thing," he continued. "A whisper in the minds of a few. But the whispers grow louder, spreading like a disease. 

"Humanity begins to worship it, not out of love, but compulsion. It takes over their thoughts, their actions, until there is nothing left but devotion and corruption."

"And that led to the extinction of humanity, not physically, but also in its concept." Forreal said softly, her voice carrying a hint of unease.

Surreal glanced at her, his smile faint but still present. "Exactly. Imagine a world where every interaction is a lie, every word a manipulation. It becomes a place of torment—endless suffering masquerading as salvation.

"You're quite smart enough to guess that there is another form of extinction other than being completely offed without a single leftover. As expected of the former me."

Forreal swallowed hard, her usually sharp demeanor faltering. "And you've... seen this? Lived it?"

"I've lived through it countless times," Surreal admitted, his tone unnervingly calm. "Every attempt to prevent it failed. Thousands of years under its reign, trying to understand its nature, its purpose. It's a nightmare that leaves no waking.

"It is a torture beyond comprehendsion, and I've only found out the cause of its appearance around four resets before this," Surreal sighed, "You should have know the implication of why I mention this as the result of too many humans existing in this world."

She looked away, her gaze fixed on the horizon where the sea met the sky. "That's... horrifying."

"It is," Surreal agreed. "But it's also the most distant of the extinction events. The Red King doesn't arrive until a century from now. We have time to prepare."

Forreal snorted, her bravado returning in the face of his reassurance. "So, the second extinction event must be the second-latest one, right?"

Surreal laughed, a genuine sound that momentarily lightened the oppressive atmosphere. "That's one way to look at it, yes."

The totem was nearly complete now, standing twenty meters tall and bristling with jagged edges and intricate carvings. Surreal stepped back to admire his work, his extra arms folding neatly behind him.

"And what's the second extinction event?" Forreal asked, her tone light but her eyes serious.

Surreal's smile took on a sharper edge, his gaze lingering on the totem as if it held the answer. "The second extinction event... is much closer. And it's something far more familiar."

Forreal frowned, her curiosity piqued despite herself. "Familiar how?"

Surreal turned to her, his expression unreadable. "Let's just say it's not an outsider. It's not something that invades this world…

"It is mother nature itself."