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Chapter 1

The dripping neon lights illuminated the Red-Light district of Morthaven. A

disgusting yet alluring artery of this bleeding heart of a city as people clogged the alleyways

seeking pleasure in sex, drugs, or both. I shuffled past a group of drunks to get to “The Hive”,

one of the many nightclubs in this godforsaken city. I approached the bouncer, he looked like

the typical musclehead; shaved head and all, “ID Please” he said without shifting his gaze to

even look at me. I give him my info, paying him as I go in. My senses are assaulted with

smells and sounds as I stumble towards the bar. “What can I get you, Sir?” the bartender

asked me in an apathetic tone.

“Rum and Cola” I replied. The glass is cracked but rum still tastes the same no matter

what glass it comes in, I stare up at the ceiling covered with various lights and think to

myself, “How the hell did I end up drinking alone on a Thursday night? What got me here to

begin with?”

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My best friend went missing a couple weeks ago, no one has heard from her, barely

anyone even remembers her name. I'm surprised the police even bother to keep looking. I’m

probably the one person in the world who actually gives a damn, so when I received keys for

her apartment in Morthaven I began frantically asking where these keys came from and who

sent them. Turns out that I was the only contact they had with some connection to her so they

gave me her keys so I could either move into the space or take all of her stuff out. I decided to

move out because the rent was cheaper than the place I currently resided in. I arrived at the

rundown apartment complex, walked up to the third floor and into room 302. The air stood

still as I opened the door, as I looked around the dusty apartment the true gravity of the
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situation became apparent. My eyes welled up with tears, “She’s really gone, just like that, no

clue, no nothing.” I sat on the couch and looked around, it looked like everything was frozen

in time. “It’s clear she wasn't kidnapped or whatever here, she was doing god knows what-”

Then I noticed it, a pack of cigarettes on the coffee table. “She wouldn’t leave home without

these unless she was going to work!” Maybe I’m looking too far into it, she could have

forgotten it. I’m exhausted, mentally and physically. Before I know it I fall asleep on the

couch with my head still full of the stress and anxieties of the day.

I’m bound by chains to a wall in a dimly lit room, the cold concrete burns my feet,

back, and thighs as my skin is exposed to the cold surface. The shackles keep my hands

above my head in an awkward position making them sore and ache, every fibre of my being

is in shock as my eyes burn to adjust to the singular hanging amber bulb in the middle of the

room barely illuminating my surroundings with its meagre light. I’ve been stripped naked

with my hair slightly damp obscuring my vision with black greasy curtains. I shake the chains

holding me and they echo across the room and down the hall ahead of me, at least I assume

it's a hall. The endless black void hiding god knows what stretches for a seemingly infinite

amount of space ahead of me, as my cold body shakes and shivers in fear for what may come

out of that void to attack me at my most vulnerable state. I look around now that my eyes

have adjusted to the darkness and I see nothing except the chains and the pathetic light bulb

that serves as my only comfort in this darkness, but it also works to fuel my anxieties as it

allows me to see my surroundings but also allows my surroundings to see me. I scream for

help instead of sitting in silence for who knows how long, and I hear a crack in front of me.

The sounds of slowly shuffling feet approach me from the darkness as a sense of regret fills

my mind. A small child appears from the darkness clutching some sort of blade. The child

looks up from the floor with the most apathetic facade I’ve ever seen from another human

being, it’s as if the child wasn't even alive! The child stepped closer and I noticed their pale
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skin and hollow eyes. Their eyes seemed to be just an accessory without any real function,

like the lifeless look of a porcelain doll. I asked the child for help once more, I asked to be

free from these shackles and the child’s face contorted into an awkward smile.

“Oh I’ll free you all right~”, said the child in a sarcastic tone.

The child began to open my chest cavity with the strength and precision of an adult,

while I sat there helpless and unmoving. I should be screaming or writhing in pain I thought,

but I was silent throughout the procedural mutilation, as the child cracked open my ribs like

peeling an orange before burrowing themselves inside my chest cavity.

I wake up once again, on the couch of “my apartment” in a cold sweat. That was far

too vivid to be a simple dream, but that’s what it was. Just a dream, a silly little dream. I pull

myself off the couch and rub my eyes, the blinds are open bathing the living room with the

artificial light of the city. I checked the time and it's 10:23 PM. It's about time I left this dusty

place and checked out the city. I throw on a heavy black jacket and step out into the dirty

street. A light rain covers the bright neon lights of the district while I search for a place to

drown my sorrows in drink.

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The blaring music deafens my ears to any sound around me, like a whining child

wanting attention. I inspect the cracked glass and nick my finger on the sharp edge causing a

drop of blood to drip into my drink. I finish my drink, tip the bartender, and stare out into the

sea of people in front of me. Rays of deep red light cut across their faces, illuminating them

for a moment before a shroud of darkness obscures them once again. I began to think to

myself again, why was I here? I leave that place behind and step into the cold muggy air

outside, the sounds inside become muffled as I walk away into the gentle silence of the night.

I feel a weight in my jacket pocket that wasn’t there before, I reach into the pocket and pull

out a pack of cigarettes along with a lighter

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“Kass’s cigarettes and lighter? I thought I left these back at the house.” My finger

slides across the lighter, “La Danse Macabre” it reads. It was the nightclub she was a hostess

at before whatever happened to her. If the police weren’t going to do their job then who else

will apart from me? I checked the time, 11:06 so I still had plenty of time before the club

closed. I input the club’s name into my phone and follow the path it shows me. The entrance

is a lot less crowded than the one before, and no bouncer in sight. I cautiously step in to see a

few people sitting around, the place seems dead. I walk up to the bartender and ask if I can

talk to a boss or manager.

“What for, young man? Did you happen to lose something? Are you unsatisfied with

your service?” said the bartender in an anxious tone.

“I just need to ask them some questions I have, I won’t be long.” I say in a reassuring

tone to the bartender as he seems to be on edge, yet weirdly excited.

“I will get the owner in just a moment, young man.” said the bartender and as if on

cue, an old man who looked to be in his 60s to 70s walked around the corner.

“Welcome to the La Danse Macabre, what inquiries do you have for me, child?” said

the frail looking man who I presumed to be the owner.

“Hey, I was wondering if you remember a woman named Kassandra Silver who used

to work here? Around 5’ 10”, brown hair, blueish greenish eyes?” I asked in an almost

desperate voice.

“What is your name, child?” asked the owner.

“Cassian Amana, Sir” I answered

“What a nice name for a young man. Yes I do remember Kassandra, she was a good

follower until she lost her way, poor girl didn’t deserve it.” said the owner
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“What do you mean follower? Lost her way? What did you do to her?!” I knew this

guy was a creep, in fact this whole place is full of creeps who were staring at me. I was

outnumbered approximately 12 to 1, the odds were stacked heavily against me.

“Calm down child, I didn’t do anything to the young lady. You seem to be solely

driven by finding her and nothing else. Who was she to you? Do you even know if she is the

same person I got to know?” said the owner with a superior attitude, like he got to know her

better than I ever did.

“So what do you know about her?” I said after taking a deep breath to calm myself

down because the last thing I want to do is cause more of a scene than I already have.

“Follow me, we’ll talk in my office. Away from prying eyes and ears” said the owner

I follow him into a dark corridor lined with dark red lights along the top of the walls,

the carpet cushioning my every step towards the creep’s office. The smell of velvet coating

the air throughout the empty nightclub. As I follow the owner deeper into the labyrinth of

corridors, we finally reach his office and step inside. Smoke and the smell of lavender

scented candles fill the air as the old man sits at his desk facing me.

“Please sit down. We have much to discuss.” He said as he rolled up his right sleeve

revealing a small see-through tank containing some kind of insect floating in what I guess

from the smell to be formaldehyde. The tank replaced the entirety of his forearm up to his

wrist which is why I didn’t notice it earlier. I cautiously sat at the seat opposite to him.

“What is that? Is it alive?” I say as I point to his cybernetic forearm. The creature

inside confirms my suspicion by wiggling around in the tank.

“This parasite is more alive than you and I are, don’t worry you will understand why

soon enough.” The man tried to give me a reassuring smile but I was and still am uneasy.

“This is a rare breed of parasitic wasp, there are only a handful of them in the world. They are

special compared to the others of their species for the fact that they are completely
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independent, which is normal for the rest of its kind. These Inferno Apidos typically create

hives in their hosts, replaci-”

“What does any of this have to do with Kassandra? Just get to the fucking point

already!” I say as I cut him off from droning on and on about these “Inferno Apidos”.

“YOU WILL LISTEN WHEN I SPEAK OF THESE HOLY CREATURES! How dare

you cut me off so rudely after you asked me about them. Show some respect, if I’d not known

about you beforehand, I’d think you were with the heretic from that rip-off church. I digress,

your little girlfriend is in good hands I assure you. She is not in any danger at the moment but

that depends on your behaviour.” He says in a threatening tone.

“Please just tell me where she is? That’s all I want to know.” I plead to the man

“She’s in hell, that’s where nonbelievers go after all. ” says the owner

“Y-you just told me she was safe!?” I was shocked and confused. What is this

religious freak talking about? This question rings throughout my head.

“She is safe, her soul is still intact…somewhat. I’m afraid you won’t be able to see

her ever again though.” The owner says as he nonchalantly grabs a small glass and bottle of

whiskey from his desk.

“Just cut the religious spiritual shit, tell me where she is! If this is some kind of

fucked up initiation thing for whatever thing you believe in then I’m sorry but you can go

fuck yourself.” I say as I get up to leave, but as soon as I turn around two men step into the

office. One grabs my arm while the other one throws a punch which hits me in the throat. I

collapse onto the floor and get picked up off the ground and put into the chair I was

previously sitting in. I can’t breathe and my eyes water causing my surroundings to become a

blur. The owner approaches me and stands behind the chair as I feel his metallic hand clamp

against the back of my neck.

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“What are you doing? Please don’t..” I say in a weak squeaky voice before a thick

needle pierces the back of my neck. I feel something thick shoot through the needle and latch

onto my insides. It burns as I try to let out a scream but nothing but a little hiss escapes my

throat.

“You wanted to see her, you should be grateful for the gift I have given you..” Says

the owner as he injects the parasite into the back of neck. My flesh burns as its exposed to the

cold air and traces of formaldehyde that coat the parasite. It feels as if a thousand needles are

constantly stabbing into my neck every second. I try to kick and punch but nothing lands. I’m

helpless as I feel the parasite burrow into the back of my neck, becoming assimilated with my

body. I try to focus on staying conscious but the pain is too much, a switch is flipped in my

neural network and everything turns to black.

Chapter 2

My body feels cold and numb.

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