The flickering fluorescent light casts long shadows on the metal table. My opponent, a tall, slender being with skin the color of polished obsidian and eyes that glow faintly in the gloom, taps his clawed fingers impatiently on the table.
“Your move, human,” he rasps, his voice a low rumble that vibrates through my bones.
My hands clam together, the worn tiles cold in my grasp. We’ve been at this for hours, playing a strange game of Scrabble on a board far older than the stars themselves. Each tile isn’t just a letter, but a fragment of a lost language, a portal to a forgotten time.
My turn. I scan the board, the alien symbols swirling before my eyes. I need something powerful, something that can counter his last move, a word that speaks to the heart of creation itself.
My eyes fall on four tiles: a shimmering blue “A”, a fiery red “N”, an emerald green “C”, and a pulsating gold “I”. My heart thumps in my chest. If I play them, it could be enough to win. But it’s a risky move, one that could unleash forces beyond our control.
Taking a deep breath, I place the tiles on the board. They snap together with a satisfying click, and a wave of energy washes over the room. The air crackles with electricity, and the shadows on the wall dance and writhe.
Across the table, my opponent’s eyes widen. He stares at the word I’ve formed, his expression a mix of fear and fascination.
“ANCIENT,” I whisper, the word resonating with power.
Silence descends upon the room. The energy in the air intensifies, and the very fabric of space-time seems to tremble. The faint outline of a doorway begins to shimmer into existence on the wall, pulsing with an otherworldly light.
Suddenly, a piercing scream rips through the air. A monstrous figure emerges from the doorway, its form shrouded in darkness and its eyes filled with malevolent rage. It towers over us, its claws dripping with a viscous liquid that burns the air around it.
My opponent lunges to his feet, his voice a desperate yell. “You fool! You’ve opened the door to an unspeakable evil!”
But it’s too late. The monster lets out a deafening roar and lunges towards us, its claws outstretched. The room is engulfed in darkness, and I can only brace myself for the inevitable blow.
Last Updated on December 13, 2023
by DaF Books