《Mr Moon》 Prologue: "The Man From The Moon" 2025 November 11, 3:46 Cork, Ireland ¡°My world . . . is so stale, isn''t it. Wake up, school, home, sleep, wake up, school, home, sleep, wake up, school, home, sleep. The same conversation, the same walls, the same people, the same old, why isn¡¯t there more, more for me, more to see, to go, to feel?¡± ¡°Briar, can you answer the question on the board?¡± ¡°The same loop over and over and OVER again. I''m sick of it! this roundabout lifestyle that I''m forced to live, damn it to hell! Why I''m Briar stuck trapped like this. It''s miserable! Get me out of this nightmare¡± ¡°Briar?¡± ¡°What is life¡¯s meaning if we¡¯re just repeating the same cycle? This same existential dread. This classroom, the same dry walls, the same putrid scent, the same students, the same boring old teacher. The only difference being the problems Briar face.¡± ¡°Briar Hammon!¡± Briar¡¯s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by his name being called, he sprung up from his desk, coming back to his senses. Briar had gotten lost in his thoughts again. He realized he was in class; and everyone was looking at him. The classroom was filled to the brim with students, almost reaching 50. The floor and walls of the classroom with old, their colors fading as an effect of poor maintenance. Briar¡¯s eyes quickly looked towards the teacher, Mr. Brooks. He was standing up next to his desk, he was looking at Briar directly with his hand on his desk. There was an annoyed expression on his face. Several students murmured a whisper presumably about Briar. Mr. Brooks spoke in a painfully sarcastic tone in his voice, knocking on the desk with his fist. ¡°Are you sleeping in my class briar? Is what I''m teaching that unimportant? Or do you not need his teaching?¡± Mr. brooks had been on his ass for the last year, no reason at all. He must not like how Briar looks. Before long Briar responded, ¡°I don¡¯t know . . . does it matter?¡± Mr. Brooks sighed. His gaze softens. He quickly pointed towards the classroom door ¡°step outside, I''ll be there in a moment¡± Without thinking Briar yelled in response ¡°You can¡¯t do that! I didn¡¯t even do anything this time!¡± Mr. brooks slammed his fist on the table, the sound caused everyone in the room to jump. ¡°it''s here or detention! Or do you want me to repeat myself¡± Briar stood up immediately and stormed out of the classroom without even bothering to look at Mr. brook¡¯s face. Briar slammed the class door behind himself. Briar stood in the school hallway. Briar looked around; Briar was the only person there. He let out a sigh before sitting against the wall beside the classroom door. Briar spoke aloud ¡°I hate Mr. Brooks so much; I didn¡¯t even do anything.¡± The classroom door swung open; Briar quickly stood up in response. Aira stepped out. She flashed a cheeky smile before fully stepping out and closing the door behind herself. Aira was an old friend of Briar for 4, coming on 5 years. She had long smooth pink hair that fell halfway down her pocket. She had lighter skin, and her eyes were a light blue. She wore several stickers over her grey school jumper and black pants making the clothes stand out despite their bleak colors. Briar thought she was unique compared to everyone else, she spoke slow and with a sense of empath ¡°Bri-Bri!¡± An instant blush came to Briar¡¯s face, he covered his face with his hands. Briar mumbled ¡°don¡¯t call me that, why are you here!¡± ¡°I asked to teacher if Briar could talk to you,¡± Aira stepped closer, ¡°you owe me¡± Briar retracted his hands from his face and took a deep breath. "Thank you so much Aira, Briar can¡¯t believe that guy¡± Aira poked his head ¡°he¡¯s a cool teacher. You we¡¯re sleeping in class dude¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t sleeping,¡± Briar groaned, ¡°and he just likes you because you do good in his class¡± Aira shrugged ¡°everybody likes me, it''s just my natural charm¡± Briar rolled his eyes, he thought to himself ¡°Aira was a nice break from the cycle, she¡¯s a good friend. I don¡¯t get what she sees from me. How could someone as popular and beautiful as her be friends with me¡± ¡°Beg to differ¡± Briar joked, a smug smirk on his face. aria''s face turned red.¡± hey! What''s that supposed to mean!¡± Briar struggled to hold in his laughter, a small chuckle breaking through his lips ¡°I''m joking, in joking.¡± ¡°You better be,¡± Aira punched his shoulder, ¡°and stop getting in trouble before you get expelled!¡± Briar stepped back from Aira ¡°yeah, yeah, I get it. I''m going to go now¡± Briar turned around to walk away. Aira reached out her hand ¡°hey, where are you going, you still have class.¡± ¡°Bathroom, be right back¡± Briar said as a waved back. Aira tried to speak to me as Briar walked away from her, but Briar wasn¡¯t listening. Briar thought to himself ¡°I don¡¯t need to use the bathroom right, but the excuse is a great way to get privacy. Aira¡¯s fun but she¡¯s a bit clingy¡±. As Briar walked further away from Aira, Briar was further enveloped in the peaceful silence of the hallway. Briar walked down the hallway; each of his footsteps made an echo through the empty hallway. The bathroom was just at the end of the hall. The bathroom door opened, and the school janitor exited. He was wearing a green tracksuit and had a black cap on. The janitor moved slowly but abrasively. He rolled around a cleaning trolley. The janitor looked directly at him. His gaze was unnatural, and his stare was unblinking. It sent shivers down his spine, the only thought coming to his mind was ¡°why was he watching me.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. After a bit of hesitation Briar walked past the janitor Briar could feel his gaze upon himself. Briar entered the bathroom, quickly shutting the door behind himself; Briar could feel his gaze through the door. Briar tried to ignore him and kept pushing forward. Briar sat inside of the bathroom stall on top of the seat cover. Briar mumbled ¡°I''ll just stay here until school ends.no way I''m going out there with that creep¡± Theres only two classes left anyway.¡± 2025 November 11, 4:45 Cork, Ireland The bell rang and Briar could hear the footsteps of students passing by. Briar stood up and walked to the door of the bathroom, he peaked out of the door and looked around. The hall was filled with students and there was no sight of the janitor. Briar exited and followed the crowd and walked out of the school¡¯s front door .as Briar continued his walk home, he was walking with fewer and fewer people, eventually taking a turn entering a forest path. His family¡¯s home was far from others, so Briar usually walked alone apart from when Aira wanted to walk him home. The path was a dark one, night-pitch black. The trees blocked most of the light and the only noises were those of small critters and the crunching of leaves below Briar¡¯s feet. As Briar walked deeper it became harder to see the path that Briar had walked. His house wasn¡¯t far down the path. Briar suddenly heard the snap of a branch. The briar quickly turned around in reaction. Briar froze instantly once he realized what he was looking at. The same janitor from before stood far behind him, He was completely still and stared directly at him, his eyes were blank, far to blank. His face showed too little emotion for a human and his gaze stabbed dagger into Briar. Briar yelled back ¡°W . . . What are you doing! What''s the big idea!¡± The janitor took a step forwards. Briar backed up, his hand shaking ¡°I''ll call the police!¡± The janitor began to walk towards him, his gaze still fixed on Briar. Briar immediately turned around and ran as fast as he could, starting a mad dash towards his home. His heart was pounding out of his chest. Briar could hear the thudding of the janitors'' footsteps behind him. Each step felt louder and followed by and each closer one, a louder one. Briar didn¡¯t even turn around, his mind scared to see how much distance he had made. He was following him and fast, the footsteps banged through his head. Briar panickily scrambled through his thoughts ¡°I''m going to die; I''m going to die like this! I can¡¯t go home, he¡¯ll follow me. I have to lose him!¡± Briar suddenly takes an abrupt turn off the path. He brushes past trees and branches. He keeps pushing forward, moving through bush and plant alike. The pounding footsteps behind him stopped, as Briar got further and further aways. The sun shone less and less through the trees until complete darkness enveloped him. Briars kept running, his feet ached as if they were about to fall off, but he kept running, kept moving. His heart racing with each step until. Briar¡¯s foot didn¡¯t touch the ground. Briar fell forward. The ground stopped Brair fell down it a dark void. He descended and at a rapid pace. The pit''s void was completely blank, not even a hint of light shown. Brair found himself unable to scream; his body tensed, frozen as he fell. His mind screamed at him and his heart yelled as if demanding him to touch the ground. The briar hyperventilated, each breath quick, and disturbed. Briar''s panic rises rapidly until a thought comes to his mind. Briar breathing stops, he closes his eyes, a melancholy feeling drooped over him. ¡°don''t I deserve this?¡± Suddenly the deafening horn of a train hits Briar: Briar grunts covering his ears to block the noise. Blindingly bright lights shine into his face from below him. He looks down and sees the front of a white train. The train was covered with images of black flowers, its windows were a pure white, not being transparent at all. The train rises up towards him, as if defying gravity. Briar braces himself for impact. The train roars louder than the last before colliding. It one sudden moment Briar''s vision goes black. 2025 November ??, ??:?? ???, ??? Briar¡¯s eyes suddenly opened. He looked around, he was sitting in a seat of what looked to be the inside of a train. The interior was fancy, the walls made of a wooden material with carved designs of flowers. The briar reached out and touched the wall. The walls felt cold, frozen even but were smooth. Possibly sanded to perfection The train¡¯s windows were completely white. The train had several tables four arrayed across its left and right sides. The chairs were made of dark leather and the table a dark oak. Briar could hear the sound of feint classical music in the distance. The seat felt unusually comfortable, threatening him to stay stuck to it. Briar stood up from his seat, he smelt a small scent of ginger. Briar looked down at the train halls. It seemed endless, not even cutting off into multiple trains car; just being one long, never-ending cart. Brair quickly chose a direction and walked. The train seemed endless despite how much he walked. Briar called out ¡°hello! Is anyone there¡± Nothing but silence. Briar felt a sense of unease ¡°Where am I, what is this place?¡± Briar suddenly felt the train stop moving. The change in force makes him fall over. Brair¡¯s face slams against the floor. He winces in pain ¡°dammit¡± He quickly gets up to his feet and dusts himself off. He looked around. Suddenly he noticed a missing set of chairs and table. He walks over to the gap. ¡°This place just gets weirder¡± Briar reaches his hand out to touch the door. His hand phases through it. Briar quickly retracts his hand he steps back away from the wall. His breathing was heavy and his thought were racing ¡°impossible, am I dead? Is this the afterlife? Or some liminal space, a different dimension?¡± Briars eyes dart between his hand and the wall. An idea pops into his head. He steps back, getting as far as possible. ¡°No better choice then? Well . . . ¡° Briars ran forward. His body moves through the wall of the train. Briar lands on hard concrete. He takes a moment to breathe before looking around. The area around him resembled a subway but different. The same concrete floor, the same fluorescent lighting above but there was no exit in sight. Even weirder was several small windows lined across the wall. Briars looked back at the train. Even from the outside the train looked never ending, the endless train went down the endless path. Brair gasped ¡°I''m going to be sick¡± his eye dart both ways of the train, both equally endless. Briar yelled; He listened as his echo traveled further and further away. Briar walked to the window he looked out of it. He sees the vast void of space. Far in the distance he could see a vast collection of stars and colors shaped like a snake, its body made up of several spiral galaxies, it orbited a golden sun in the center. Briars eyes we¡¯re stuck to view, it was magnificent. Just looking at it he felt ethereal. Briar touches the window ¡°the . . . stars¡± ¡°Beautiful isn¡¯t it¡± voice said from behind him. Briar quickly turned around. Standing a couple of feet away from him was a man. Their hair was a pure white styled into a tousled top, not even a speck of dust resided in his hair. His skin was light sienna and his eyes white a blank white. The man was dressed in a black suit with white accent and white bowling shoes. His expression was welcoming, too good to be true. Briar backed up against the window. He eyes scanned the man Infront of him. he asked ¡°Who are you! Where am I!" The man bowed down, making a small chuckle before. His voice was honeyed, and he spoke in a feint British accent ¡°Greetings Wisp, I¡¯m Mr. Moon, welcome to the subspace highway.¡± Chapter 1 : The Infestation From The Stars 2025 November ??, ?? : ?? Subspace Highway , ??? Mr. Moon bowed slightly, a small chuckle escaping his lips before he spoke. His voice was honeyed, laced with a faint British accent. ¡°Greetings, Wisp. I¡¯m Mr. Moon. Welcome to the Subspace Highway.¡± Briar let out a nervous laugh. ¡°This is a joke, right? I¡¯m on some kind of television show or... or something like that!¡± Mr. Moon straightened, his face tinged with concern and confusion. He replied, ¡°I beg your pardon? I¡¯m not sure what you mean. Listen, I understand you must feel confused, even scared. Allow me to explain¡ª¡± ¡°Why do you talk like that?¡± Briar interrupted. ¡°Why are you British?¡± Mr. Moon sighed, shaking his head slightly. ¡°As I was saying, all your questions will be answered¡ªif you¡¯d let me.¡± Briar stayed silent, his mind racing. Finally, he spoke. ¡°Alright, fine. Please explain¡ªwhat¡¯s going on? Where am I? Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Mr. Moon,¡± he answered, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I thought I said that already. Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± Briar glanced around. ¡°You said this was the Subspace Highway. What does that even mean?¡± Mr. Moon walked past Briar, stopping in front of the large window. ¡°The Subspace Highway is my home, a place at the edge of space. You¡¯re safe here, I promise. . . Wait! How rude of me. Why don¡¯t I get you somewhere to sit?¡± Before Briar could react, he fell backward into an armchair made of shady oak. He immediately stood, inspecting the chair. He turned to Mr. Moon. ¡°Where did this come from? This place was empty when I arrived.¡± ¡°The Highway is quite helpful,¡± Mr. Moon said with a playful grin. ¡°Now, sit down, and I¡¯ll explain everything.¡± Briar hesitated but sat cautiously. Mr. Moon clapped his hands. Behind him, the ground cracked, and a second chair of the same design emerged. Mr. Moon cheerfully sat, giving Briar a small smile. ¡°Ask away¡ªone question at a time.¡± Briar struggled to think of a starting question. After a moment, one came to mind. ¡°How did I get here?¡± ¡°You stumbled into a pit,¡± Mr. Moon explained. ¡°I had to call Julia to collect you before you fell to your death.¡± ¡°Julia?¡± Briar repeated. Mr. Moon gestured to the train behind Briar. ¡°That¡¯s Julia, the train that brought you here.¡± ¡°How did you know I was there?¡± Briar asked. ¡°Well, I saw your fall,¡± Mr. Moon clarified. ¡°I was there.¡± ¡°You were there?¡± Briar pointed out. ¡°But it was just me and... wait. Did you kill my janitor?¡± ¡°Heavens, no!¡± Mr. Moon gasped, placing a hand on his chest. ¡°I would never harm someone who didn¡¯t deserve it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying! You¡¯re full of it!¡± Briar jumped to his feet. ¡°You killed him and stole his skin so you could chase me into that hole!¡± ¡°Please, calm down. You¡¯re mistaken,¡± Mr. Moon reassured. ¡°You are correct¡ªI attempted to meet you disguised as someone you trusted: your janitor. However, I assure you, I did not ¡®steal his skin.¡¯ I had the Subspace Highway create a disguise. I didn¡¯t expect you to run. I¡¯m sorry for the stress I caused.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t trust you,¡± Briar pressed. ¡°How could I?¡± Mr. Moon clapped his hands, and the floor in front of Briar cracked. From the ground emerged a pile of loose skin and the same green tracksuit and black cap the janitor had worn. Briar looked at the pile, then at Mr. Moon. Mr. Moon gestured for him to examine it. Hesitantly, Briar crouched and touched the loose skin. It felt rubbery, almost gel-like. When he picked it up, it stretched unnaturally and stuck to his fingers with a slimy sound. Briar gagged and quickly shook it off. ¡°See?¡± Mr. Moon said. ¡°Just a disguise.¡± Briar dropped the skin, watching as it sank back into the floor. He returned to his chair, glaring at Mr. Moon. ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you just talk to me? Why disguise yourself at all?¡± ¡°I thought humans trusted each other,¡± Mr. Moon explained. ¡°I was, unfortunately, wrong.¡± ¡°Human?¡± Briar repeated. ¡°So, you¡¯re not human?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Mr. Moon replied with a small chuckle. Briar stared into Mr. Moon¡¯s eyes, unable to fathom what lay behind them. Finally, he sighed. ¡°What do you want from me?¡± ¡°A proposition.¡± Mr. Moon extended his hand. ¡°I need your help. I want you to come with me.¡± ¡°Why me? Why not someone faster, stronger, smarter?¡± Briar asked, leaning forward. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you yet,¡± Mr. Moon replied, his tone calmly. ¡°Not until you give me your answer.¡± ¡°How convenient,¡± Briar muttered, narrowing his eyes. ¡°Why would I accept?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve seen you, Wisp,¡± Mr. Moon said, his voice softening. ¡°You despise the world you¡¯re trapped in. The finite sandbox, the limited paths. I can show you an endless gallery of experiences and infinite possibilities. Imagine a world where colors speak, where time moves slower. A galaxy of endless wonders. A life where you¡¯ll never repeat yourself again.¡± Briar hesitated. ¡°What if I refuse?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wipe your memory of me and this place,¡± Mr. Moon answered. ¡°You¡¯ll return to your regular life.¡± ¡°Can I ever come back?¡± Briar asked quietly, looking down. Mr. Moon stood. ¡°I apologize, but why would you ever want to return?¡± Briar stared at Mr. Moon¡¯s outstretched hand, his mind racing. Something about Mr. Moon seemed impossibly kind, yet undeniably manipulative. ¡°I refuse,¡± Briar said firmly, standing. ¡°Take me back. Wipe my memory, do whatever you need to. Just take me back.¡± Mr. Moon paused, his smile faltering. His eyes betrayed disappointment. Finally, he sighed and clapped his hands. The chairs sank into the floor. ¡°I cannot change your decision. Enjoy your life. Goodbye.¡± 2025 November 12, 7:40 AM Cork, Ireland ¡°My world... is so stale, isn''t it? Wake up, school, home, sleep. Wake up, school, home, sleep. The same conversations, the same walls, the same people, the same old routine. Why isn¡¯t there more¡ªmore for me, more to see, more places to go, more to feel?¡± Briar¡¯s eyes opened. He lay on the white mattress of his bed. Brushing the red duvet off himself, he sat up and looked around his room. His wooden walls were painted with green and lime stripes running vertically. The room was almost bare¡ªjust his desk with a computer on top, a white wardrobe, and the red carpet covering the floor. His window was open, revealing a view of the forest outside. His mahogany brown door stood out against the striped walls in the corner of the room. Briar stepped out of bed and walked to his wardrobe. He stared into the mirror on the door. His reflection stared back¡ªa boy with messy, black, curly hair. His pale ivory skin contrasted against his emerald, green eyes, though heavy bags sat beneath them, remnants of lost sleep. Wearing nothing but his underwear, his slender figure revealed the faint outlines of his bones. "It¡¯s you," Briar thought to himself. "You look terrible." He let his mind wander. "This cycle... how many times has it repeated? How many times have I looped this track? Where is my option to leave this world?" He grabbed his grey school jumper and black school pants, pulling them on. He glanced at himself once more in the mirror. "How many times have I looked in this mirror, put on these clothes?" Briar stepped out into the hallway. Family photos, paintings, and doors lined the walls. He walked through with his head down. "Dad should have left for work already. I should be alone." He opened one of the doors, entering the kitchen. The checkered black-and-white floor gleamed, freshly cleaned. Most of the space was taken up by a dark glass dining table. In the corner of the room stood granite countertops, a white fridge, and an oven. Across the room was a door leading outside. On the table sat a brown paper bag. Briar picked it up and peered inside. It held a wrapped sandwich and a pink cupcake. On top of the sandwich was a small note. He read it aloud, a faint smirk forming on his face: ¡°Enjoy the treat, little champ. Love, Dad.¡± A knock at the door startled him. He walked over and peeked through the peephole. Aira stood on the other side, her face bright with enthusiasm. Briar sighed before opening the door. Her eyes lit up even more. ¡°Bri-Bri! Are you ready for an amazing day at school?¡± ¡°You have a lot of energy this morning,¡± Briar noted. Aira grabbed his arm and started pulling him. ¡°Yes, exactly! So, let¡¯s hurry to school!¡± ¡°But I haven¡¯t eaten yet,¡± Briar groaned. Aira shook him back and forth, pouting. ¡°Please! I¡¯ll buy you a treat. White chocolate¡ªyour favorite!¡± ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s get going then.¡± Briar stepped out the door. The morning sun shone in his eyes. Outside, the forest path was oddly serene. A gentle wind swayed the trees left and right. Aira ecstatically pulled Briar forward. ¡°Come on, come on! I¡¯ll race you there!¡± Briar sighed. ¡°You won¡¯t beat me this time.¡± The two dashed down the forest path, Aira laughing and chuckling like a madwoman. Briar chased after her, his mind lost in thought. Is she all that changes in this world? 2025 November 12, 3:40 PM Cork, Ireland Mr. Brooks walked across the classroom, bundles of papers in hand, and began distributing them to each desk. ¡°This test will be worth 60% of your grade. If I see any phone calls out during the test, you¡¯ll get a zero,¡± he announced. When he reached Briar¡¯s desk, he slammed the papers down. Leaning in close, he locked eyes with Briar. ¡°Glad to see you¡¯re awake today, Mr. Hammon. Let¡¯s keep it that way, alright?¡± Briar ignored him, looking down at his test. Mr. Brooks scratched his head before returning to his desk. ¡°Alright, you can start the test now. Remember, no¡ª¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. He stopped mid-sentence, his hand shooting to his head. Scratching furiously, guttural noises spilled from his mouth as his body violently twitched and shook. The classroom buzzed with murmurs. A few students stood up, concerned, and moved to help. Mr. Brooks froze. His mouth opened, and he whispered, ¡°Goodbye.¡± Suddenly, crimson spider-like tendrils burst out of his skull¡ªone after another, tearing flesh and splattering blood. The students screamed. The tendrils spread until his head exploded, scattering brain matter, blood, and bone fragments across the classroom. In place of his head sat a spider the size of a human skull. Its jagged, rock-like body gleamed crimson, its fangs dark gray, and its eyes blank white. The room erupted into chaos. Students scrambled for the door, pushing desks and each other out of the way. Briar stood frozen, his heart racing, his vision blurred by the gore. He stared at the mutilated remains of his teacher and classmate. To his left, he saw Aira standing still, her outfit stained red with blood. Briar¡¯s body moved instinctively. He sprinted to Aira and grabbed her hand, pulling her with him out of the classroom. Behind them, the spider-like monster¡¯s footsteps echoed. In the hallway, the once quiet and orderly space was now a scene of carnage. Blood and body parts covered the floor. The remnants of Briar¡¯s classmates were nothing more than piles of limbs scattered across the ground. More monsters stood in the hall, blocking their way. Briar turned to look back. The mutated Mr. Brooks stepped out of the classroom, his body staggering forward. The creatures all chanted, ¡°Goodbye.¡± The word echoed in his mind like a mantra. Briar¡¯s head pounded from the noise and the sight of the slaughter. He looked at Aira. She clung to him, her wide eyes fixated on the carnage. Tears streamed down her cheeks. ¡°Aira,¡± Briar said, grabbing her shoulders and shaking her lightly. ¡°I¡¯ll do what I can to help you, but you need to run!¡± Her voice was broken and trembling. ¡°I... I can¡¯t. Luke, Chloe, they¡¯re¡ª¡± ¡°You have to!¡± Briar pleaded. ¡°Please! Just run! Get out of here!¡± Tears welled in her eyes as she hugged him tightly. The monsters came closer. Briar¡¯s heart sank. Did I cause this? My wish... to break the cycle? A train whistle pierced the air. Briar looked around, searching for the source. Out of nowhere, a black-and-white train phased through the right wall, crashing into the creatures blocking the hallway. They exploded into pools of white liquid. A figure leapt from the open door of the train just as it phased through the opposite wall and disappeared. The figure raised a black revolver and quickly fired, hitting the spider on Mr. Brooks¡¯ body. The creature sprayed white liquid across the wall as it collapsed. The figure walked closer, slipping the revolver into their pocket. Briar stared, words failing him. The man spoke. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Briar released Aira and pointed at the stranger. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I''m an ally. Pleasure to assist you.¡± Mr. Moon waved. Aira ran to him, grabbing his hands. ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡± Mr. Moon smirks ¡°there, there. It''s alright.¡± Mr. Moon raises his hand and snaps. Aira suddenly falls to the ground, her body hit the ground making a heavy thud and she laid limp; like a discarded puppet. A rush of shock hits Briar. Mr. Moon raises the the guns from his pocket at aims them at Briar. Briar eyes shoot wide open. Briar raised his arms ¡°wait don¡¯t do this! I''m not a monster!¡± Briar¡¯s heart rate rose as Mr. Moon looked him in the eyes, his stare cold and emotionless. Briar''s eyes darted between the barrel to Aira to Mr. Moon back to Aira until, Mr. Moon pulled the trigger. The bullet hits Briars head. Just as the bullet collides the world around Briar slows done. Briar¡¯s head twirls and contorts. His eyes spun before rolling to the back of his head, Briar sees a gallery of images and hears several noises, changing landscape, mysterious layers. Instantly, Memory returns. Briar groans, gripping his eyes, his head felt as if it was pulsating out of his head. Eventually the pain stopped, he looked up towards Mr. Moon. He muttered ¡°Mr. Moon?¡± Mr. Moon nodded, a smile coming to his face. ¡°Good to see you survived wisp, I was betting on it¡± Briar looked down towards Aira. ¡°What did you do to her!¡± Mr. Moon Lifted Aira into her hands she ¡°she is merely resting, temporarily of course.¡± Briar nervously questions ¡°what is going on, why are you here?¡± ¡°Here it is¡± Mr. Moon placed Aira back on the Ground. He took out a blue cube from his pocket. Briar yelled ¡°Mr. Moon!¡± ¡°One moment wish your questions will have their answers¡± Mr. Moon drops the cube on Aira. It flashes white before expanding covering Aira in a white aura. Mr. Dusts off his hands ¡°now then, lets solve this issue¡± ¡°What is happening!¡± Briar yelled demanding the answer. Mr. moon walked around he poked one of the dismembered limbs with his leg ¡°Aranenna or the infestation, they use other creatures as host to gather nutrients for their growth.¡± ¡°Why are they here! Why are they killing people!¡± Briar questioned ¡°That may be my fault, the Aranenna usually don¡¯t attack planets like this. It is possible they noticed you when I tried to bring you back home. Did you notice any weird phrase from them¡± ¡°Goodbye,¡± Briar stated, ¡°they kept saying goodbye, every single one¡± ¡°Then I was right. The Aranenna larvae lay dormant inside a species brain but to be able to connect they latch onto an idea or concept that is common in the race. Do you remember the last words I said?¡± Briar thought back to the last words Moon said, echoing them in his head. ¡°I cannot change your decision. Enjoy your life. Goodbye.¡± Briar spoke ¡°you said goodbye, that was the last thing you said¡± ¡°Excellent memory wisp,¡± Mr. Moon said, he voice a cheerful tone, "the Aranenna attach to a thought and use that thought like a radar to find other similar organisms¡± ¡°so what they¡¯re attacking people who think of the word goodbye?¡± Briar questions. Mr. moon shakes his head ¡°not just that, they¡¯ll hunt anyone who has heard the word before.¡± Briar looks at the white liquid splattered against the wall ¡°why bother hunting based of a thought, wouldn¡¯t they just attack anything is sight?¡± Mr. Moon walks over to the white splatters on the hallways; he touches it white his finger. Mr. Moon chuckled ¡°These Are fully grown. Their newborns, they can¡¯t even see, only being able to detect others with that same thought. So, without that thought they¡¯re useless.¡± ¡°Newborns? What are the adults like?¡± Briar questioned. Mr. Moon responded sarcastically ¡°let''s hope you¡¯ll never know, is there a way to get up to the roof?¡± ¡°The fire escape outside the building¡± Briar answered. Mr. Moon takes a second revolver out of his pocket; he tosses it to Briar. Briar catches the revolver in his two hands. He looked at the revolver. A was a dark black revolver, patterns of white vines covered the revolver. Its shape matched one from the 19th century. The tip of the barrel emitted a faint white glow. Mr. Moon spoke ¡°Why don''t we hurry the pace, the longer we take the more people die. Guide the way wisp!¡± Briar takes a glance at Aira before quickly running down the, making sure to avoid stepping on the detached limbs. Mr. Moon quickly followed behind him. Yelling could be heard in the distance. Briar looked towards moon; a blank stoic expression covered his face ¡°Hey Mr. Moon¡± ¡°Go ahead¡± Mr. Moon responded. Briar continued ¡°can you put it back, revive everyone. Set everything back to normal¡± Mr. Moon sighed ¡°I''m no god wisp. . . but what we can do is prevent others from witnessing this.¡± The two reach the school''s front door. Briar opens the door. Seven Aranenna infected humans stood by the outside of the school. As Briar opened the door the aranenna heads turned the Briar. The aranenna ran frantically towards him, Briar froze watching them approach. Mr. Moon moved Briar out of the way. He gripped the revolver with both hands. He quickly shoots each one with robotic accuracy, the Aranenna exploding in contact with the exit. Mr. Moon took out a black handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the tip of his gun. He looks back to Briar. Briar¡¯s eyes were fixed on the aranenna remains. Mr. Moon taps Briar on the shoulder. ¡°Are you alright¡± ¡°I''m fine,¡± Briar responded ¡°it''s just . . . this is so surreal, like a nightmare. I can¡¯t even begin to process what happening¡± Mr. Moon responded ¡°focus, guide me to the roof and I''ll do what I can to restore your world. Can you do that for me¡± ¡°why do you even care?¡± Briar mumbled his voice slowly rising. Mr. Moon tiled his head in confusion, his voice shook and was soft ¡°pardon?¡± Briar pushed moon away ¡°Why do you care! Why help me!¡± ¡°it''s just what I do wisp¡± Mr. Moon fretted; he took a cautious step back. Briar pointed at Mr. Moon; he pressed his finger against his chest. ¡°Why should I even trust you! You''re an alien just like them!¡± ¡°Wisp, you are letting your emotions get the better of you¡± Mr. Moon reached out his hand. Brair slapped Mr. Moon hand away. He continues badgering Mr. Moon, his hands swaying violently as he spoke ¡°Of course my emotions are getting the better of me, these creatures are here because of you! You¡¯re here acting like people aren¡¯t dying! That stupid face, I''m sick of it!¡± Mr. Moon sputtered ¡°wisp-¡± ¡°And stop calling me that,¡± Briar interrupted ¡°I''m Briar, Briar! B-R-I-A-R!¡± Mr. Moon bowed. ¡°I apologize Briar . . . I promise I have no ill intentions for your world. Now if the issue has been solved. Can you show the way?¡± Brair put his hand to his chest, he breath in and out, he slowing counted under his breath ¡°one, two, three, four, five . . . I''m ready¡± Briar points back towards the school building. On its side was a fire escape, the stairs and the railway were made of a black metal, they spiraled up leading to the building''s roof. Mr. Moon ran ahead, Briar quickly following behind. The two rapidly ran up the stairs, each step making metallic clank. They made it to the top. The roof of the building was empty apart from a couple of vents and pieces of trash. Mr. Moon walked to the center of the roof. He turned back to Briar and gestured for him to come over. Mr. Moon took out an odd device, it was a dark black, with white accents. It had a bright red button on top of it. He placed it on the ground and a stand extended out to the bottom. Briar peeked over his shoulder at the device ¡°what are your going to do¡± ¡°They need that core thought for them to hunt, erase it and their entire system collapses," Mr. Moon explained, tampering with the device. The device pulsated with white lights making a sparking sound with each pulse. Briar responded, ¡°ease it? but it''s a thought, a thought that almost everyone has.¡± Mr. Moon smirked ¡°I''m going to remove memory of the word ¡°goodbye¡± from your world.¡± ¡°you''re going to do what?¡± Briar questioned. The two hear a banging coming from the fire escape. Mr. Moon called out ¡°they¡¯re not going to stand idle while I cut of their dinner, you''re going to need to use that revolver, I am afraid I can''t assist you while I''m doing this¡± Briar raises the revolver; he aims it at the fire escapes. His hand shivered and his finger grasped the trigger. A hand popped up from the fire escape followed by the head of an Aranenna. Briar presses the trigger. The gun fired and the bullet missed its head. The aranenna rises up from the fire escape and runs towards Briar. Briar presses the trigger again. The bullet hits the torso of the Aranenna¡¯s host. The Aranenna moved forward, unphased. Mr. Moon grumbled ¡°aim for the head not the body¡± Briar aims the revolver up, he presses the trigger again, the gun fires another bullet that blows up the Aranenna, the body falls over. Briar covers his mouth resisting the urge to puke. Several more aranenna climbed up the fire escape, they pushed each other desperately trying to get to them. Briar repeatedly fires over and over at the antennas. several fell over dead. The horde of aranenna moved forwards like a flow of water. Briar¡¯s gun suddenly stops firing. He looks back at Mr. Moon. The device was floating, it emanated a bright white glow. Mr. moon stood up and looked towards the moving Aranenna. Mr. Moon chuckles ¡°that¡¯s all she wrote¡± Briar looked at the device. It suddenly bursted into a blinding white light. Its shine enveloped as far as the eye could see. Briar¡¯s eyes rang, he fell to his knees. After a minute, the sound died down and white light dissipated. Briar looked up; the aranenna laid upside down, completely detached from their host. Briar looked to his left. Mr. Moon was looking down at him. He offered Briar a hand up. Briar brushes his hand away and stands up. ¡°Did it work?¡± ¡°Well can you remember the word they were hunting on?¡± Mr. Moon inquired. Briar opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself, he thinks and tries to remember what he was told mere moments ago. Briar shakes his head ¡°I can¡¯t remember, you did it!¡± ¡°Amazing!¡± Mr. Moon clapped. Briar looks around at the several dead bodies. ¡°What now?¡± Mr. Moon repeated ¡°what happens now? I clean up the aranenna, stage it as an accident then you and Aira return to your regular life.¡± ¡°I keep my memories?¡± briar asked. Mr. Moon hesitated for a moment, he waited before answering ¡°you can keep them, in case we have another emergency like this. either way, I''ll try and make everything back to normal.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Moon" Briar, smiled, ¡°thank you for doing what you did¡± ¡°this is goodbye for now,¡± Mr. Moon bowed, ¡°possibly forever, but that''s okay? You already made your decision to stay, so let me get out of your-¡± The sound of choir bells rang from the sky, each bang making the ground beneath them shiver. Sky cracked; A machine slowly broke through the sky. First forty black, long, and jagged spider legs tearing through the sky; each legs causing a crack through the clouds, then seven bright red eyes shining through the clouds; there shine sending a shiver down Briar¡¯s spine and finally the main structure, its form a massive spider that blocked out the sun, covering the area in complete darkness and its figure a slick pristine mechanism. The massive machine spider swung its abdomen back and forth slowly each turn making the same colossal choir bell. Briar stared aimlessly at the structure. The machine opened its mouth it spoke in an overwhelming voice, something you¡¯d except from, a god ¡°ssskchirr chirrksi Mr. Moon! chiskkssk¡± Mr. Moon shuddered; his gaze was shaking ¡°unexpected¡± ¡°What is that thing! Mr. Moon!¡± Briar yelled. Mr. Moon answered ¡°it''s called ¡°the Chordis¡± The machine¡¯s forty legs struck down, making ripples in the air as they descended. The legs collide with the ground. Briar hears the incoming sound of collapsing buildings and distant winds. After a moment, a shockwave hit them. Briar falls to the ground; he coughs up blood. He feels a sharp pain in his chest. The school building cracked and shook. The Chordis¡¯s eyes changed to a bright white. Mr. Moon quickly waved his hand in the air. Briar looked up. He saw the train to the subspace highway appear. It stopped right in front of them. Mr. Moon looked down at Briar ¡°can you stand?¡± Briar didn¡¯t respond, his body refused to move at all. Mr. Moon wrapped his arms around briar. He runs to the train. The ground all around them cracked and shook. Mr. Moon jumped onto the train. Mr. Moon placed Briar on one of the train seats by the window. He sat across from him. Mr. Moon touched the white windows. The clear becoming fully transparent. Briar watches as the train shot upwards into the sky. The train rapidly rises from the ground below, the ground below them becomes smaller as they rise. Briar watches as they crash through the atmosphere and rise into the black void of space making a shockwave in the air. Briar could see planet earth out the window. The chordis¡¯s legs were wrapped around a portion of the planet. Its legs dug into the earth. The Chordis¡¯s moves away from the earth. The planet''s crust cracks. The Chordis¡¯s legs tear off a portion of the planet, taking off a perfect sphere of mass off of the earth. The Chordis¡¯s entire structure glowed white. Suddenly both the Chordis and the chunk of the earth disappeared. Briar felt control over his body. He got closer to the window; he looked at the damaged earth Infront of him. Briar coughed blood onto the window. He fell back lying across two seats. Mr. Moon stood up ¡°briar, don¡¯t move. Its effects and still upon you¡± Briar looks up at the ceiling of the train. his eyes slowly close. ¡°My world is so stale, but is it? Wake up, school, Risk my life, panic. Changing conversations, changing walls, confusing people, the rapid lack of routine. Why is there so much! too much to see, too many places to go, too much to feel? It''s overwhelming, I''m drowning in this ocean of chaos, the numbness I felt seems so distant from me¡± Chapter 2 : The Waiter From The Planet Dis Pater 2025 November 12, 3: 45 Exosphere, Earth Briar lay frozen; he tried to scream; tried to yell about to wake himself out of the nightmare. Mr. Moon sat in his seat. The train floated in view of earth, the destruction from the chordis leaving in in the shape of a crescent moon, the earth¡¯s burning core exposed to the cold vacuum of space. Mr. Moon sat across from him, he stayed silent as if searching his head for the words to say. The two waited in silence; one unable, the other unwilling. Mr. Moon tapped on the window it returned to the solid color white hiding the view of earth. He spoke ¡°Julia, take us to the subspace highway¡± The trains horns scream, Briar feels the train pick up speed. He hears the sound of crackling and shattering from outside the train, the sounds repeated more frequently as they travelled. The train came to a sudden halt. Mr. Moon stood up. He walked down the train until he was out of view. Briar thought to himself ¡°Everyone died, because of him, the planet is destroyed, because of him. . . No . . . it''s me, it¡¯s my fault. If I just accepted that damn deal, if I had just hadn¡¯t been so scared. I was given my wish a chance to leave the hell I lived in, but I refused and because I found out; the hell I thought I lived in was a heaven, and I''ve slaughtered all the angels¡± Mr. Moon returned. In his right hand was a blue plastic cup filled with a pink liquid and in his right was a singular blue pill. Mr. Moon kneels down to Briar head; he pours the pink liquid in the cup into Briar¡¯s mouth. The tasted like salted water and had a disgusting aftertaste. Briar suddenly sits up, causing Mr. Moon to spill some liquid onto the ground. The horn on the train blast at max volume. Mr. Moon waves his hand ¡°I''m sorry Julia, I will clean it up¡± Mr. Moon quickly wipes it off with his black handkerchief. He sits across from Briar. He looked into his eyes, Briar¡¯s gaze was black, he stared at the table blindly. He didn¡¯t even sway or show any signs of life. He sat their life and frozen mannequin. Mr. Moon places the pill on the table ¡°Briar . . . I apologize¡± Briar slowly raised his head; he looked towards Mr. Moon. He looked faded, his stare distance as if he was looking straight through. Briar forced himself to slime, his mouth twitching and shaking, his voice was weak, fragile. ¡°don¡¯t worry, I''m the one at fault. You don¡¯t need to blame yourself . . .. at all¡± ¡°Your planet, it''s not too late for it, for those on it¡± Mr. Moon stated, looking away from Briar¡¯s gaze. Brair laughed, his laugh was fake, his despair leaked through his laughter. ¡°Why bother. This is what I wanted isn''t it! An escape from the cycle, the escape from that terrible, oh so terrible world! That stupid wish, that stupid fucking wish!¡± ¡°a choice, a choice you need to make¡± Mr. Moon continued ¡°but I need you to be focused for me, this will be an important decision.¡± Briar stopped his laughter. He looked at the blue pill on the table. Mr. Moon pushed it towards him with one finger. Mr. Moon sighed before speaking ¡°if you take this pill, you¡¯ll enter a hypnotic dream, you¡¯ll live a dream of your regular life, as if you never met me, you would spend the rest of your life in this dream, unaware of the invalidity of your existence. If you choose not to take this pill, I can help you. You''ll help me find the aranenna, restore your planet and save as many humans as possible. It is your choice¡± Briar looks at the pill, he stood frozen at the promise of a perfect reality. He looked up at Mr. Moon''s expression. His face was distressed, he had a fearful stare. Briar returned his gaze to the pill. He picked up the pill with two fingers. He held it Infront of his eyes, he opened his mouth. He moved the pill Infront of his tongue. Mr. Moon said ¡°I understand, enjoy your-¡± Briar slammed the pill on the table, turning it into a blue paste. Brair closed his eyes. MR. Moon look ed at his face. Briar''s expression was no longer filled with despair but rather a powerful determination. Mr. Moon couldn''t help but smile in response ¡°I see, good to have you back wisp¡± Briar smacks his hands on the table ¡°Enough talk! First explain everything you can about this situation, second come up with some magic plan to get my world back! Last, we do the plan, and we never see each other again!¡± Mr. Moon nods ¡°perfect, ask away, Wisp¡± ¡°First where are we right now?¡± Briar asked, his words still pumped up with determination. Mr. Moon tapped on the windows revealing the subspace highway. ¡°we¡¯ve returned to the subspace highway¡± ¡°Perfect!¡± Briar stood up from his seat. ¡°I have another question about this place.¡± Briar and Mr. Moon exit the train. Briar ecstatically runs to the subspace highway¡¯s windows. He looks through the window, he sees the same snake from yesterday; he gets a closer look. The snake seemed massive, overwhelming. The snake was a mixture of purple and blue; its surface was covered in several stars, inside of it were five galactic spirals. The snake emanated a white aura. The snake orbited a massive golden sun in the center, the space around it was twisted and bent. The sun emanated a bright white light. Briar looked back towards Mr. Moon ¡°what is that!?¡± ¡°Everything,¡± Mr. Moon responded ¡°the ouroboros, the collection of everything in existence. Five universes in the shape of a snake. Everything you¡¯ve ever known is in there¡± Briar pressed his face against the window ¡°woah! Where''s earth? ¡° ¡°It is in the second closet universe to the tail. The universe is called ¡°The Wonders Edge,¡± the other universes are named ¡°The Sunken Dream,¡± ¡°The Fagged Fall¡± ¡°The Eclipse Shade¡± and lastly but not least ¡°The Crimson Vixen¡± the five that make up the ouroboros¡± ¡°Why are they in the form of a snake?¡± Briar inquired. Mr. Moon shrugged ¡°unfortunately I cannot answer that question, that is just the way it formed.¡± ¡°what''s that circle in the middle¡± Briar said looking back to Mr. Moon. Mr. Moon explained ¡°a star, one that is said to be the origin of all light in the ouroboros it has existed for millions upon millions of years.¡± Briar stepped away from the window. ¡°Is there other intelligent life other than humans . . . and you of course?¡± Mr. Moon chuckled ¡°of course, there is more than I could count. Many are even smarter than humans. It is very common for species to travel all across the ouroboros; engaging in trade and communication, some even making alliances or groups. However, it has come to an understanding all across the ouroboros that it is a crime to mess with species that haven¡¯t yet released their positions. . . like humans.¡± Briar interrupted Mr. Moon ¡°but the aranenna-¡± ¡°They are one of the exceptions,¡± Mr. Moon continued ¡°they attack wherever they please, they have hundreds of enemies across all of existence, many people put bounties of millions across the world¡± ¡°Do you guys use a shared currency? Or is it all different?¡± Briar queried. Moon reached into his pocket. He pulled out a handful of coins made of a blue, stone-like material they had a symbol of a snake eating its own tail. ¡°This is Angor, or ¨¢n singular, most places use it except certain places.¡± Briar looks at the coins in Mr. Moon''s hand. He quickly shook his head, coming back to focus ¡°that¡¯s enough exposition for now, what¡¯s our plan to beat those bugs?¡± ¡°we¡¯ll first we need to find them,¡± Mr. Moon explained, ¡°I know a guy that might be able to find them for us . . . for the right price¡± ¡°a space adventure!¡± Briar yelped ¡°I can¡¯t wait!¡± ¡°But first, you¡¯ll need this¡± Mr. Moon reached into his pocket. He hands Briar a bracelet. Brair took the bracelet, it was black covered with white diamonds. Briar put the bracelet around his wrist. Briar asked, ¡°What is it for?¡± ¡°It is a transcriber¡± Mr. Moon responded ¡°it turns foreign languages you hear and see into ones you should understand, human English. You should also be able to speak other languages back to them automatically while feeling like your speaking English¡± ¡°Wish I had this for French,¡± Briar said, inspecting the bracelet on his wrist ¡°is this type of thing common?¡± ¡°Very, most people rather have some kind of transcriber or already can speak the majority of languages fluently¡± ¡°I assume, you being the latter?¡± Briar joked. Mr. Moon nodded ¡°good guess now let¡¯s get back on Julia¡± ¡°two more questions please¡± Briar begged; his hands clasped together. Mr. Moon smiled ¡°go ahead, but make them quick alright?¡± Briar nodded ¡°first why do you keep calling me wisp and second why call the train Julia?¡± ¡°Wisp is a common nickname for those with shorter lifespan than you,¡± Mr. Moon clarified ¡°and your other question would take me a whole day to explain, I promise to tell you about it later.¡± Mr. Moon walked back towards the train. Briar quickly followed behind. The two stood in the train. Briar took a seat in one of the chair¡¯s ¡°where are we going?¡± ¡°Julia takes us to Dis Pater¡± Mr. Moon exclaimed. The train¡¯s horn blast and the train moved forward. The same cracking and shattering sound started again. Briar tapped the window ¡°I wanna see what''s happening out there!¡±Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! Mr. Moon touched the window, and the white covering faded. Briar saw the outside. The train flew through a tunnel of vibrant colors and shining lights. The lights and colors suddenly disappear showing the vacuum of space. Briar leans against the window, watching the stars, planet and lights pass by 2025 November 12, 4: 00 Exosphere, Dis Pater The train stops, Briar looks out the window, he sees a yellow planet, its surface covered in desert with not even a speck of water covering the planet; it was covered in a putrid brown atmosphere covered by black clouds. The planet had barely any distinguishable features except one massive city he could see from space. Briar could see several ships of varied sizes and shaped leave and enter the city. Mr. Moon taps the walls ¡°Julia, closer would be nicer¡± The train darts forward towards the planet. The train bursts through the atmosphere and penetrates the clouds. The train pulls up and lands onto the desert sand outside the city. Mr. Moon and Briar steps outside of the Train. Briar looked around. He feels the sand at his feet it felt hard, like some concrete rather than grains of sand. The sky was a deep brown, and the sky was filled with dark, black clouds. The air was filled with dust. Briar caught repeatedly. Mr. Moon handed Briar a Black scarf. ¡°Wrap this around your mouth.¡± Briar quickly wrapped the scarf around his neck; blocking his mouth from the dust in the air. The train to the subspace highway flew off into the sky. Brair waved as it left. He turned to the city. The two approached. Infront of the city¡¯s entrance was a sign that wrote ¡°Hell¡¯s haven: keep your business to yourself¡± The city had a main road made of dark wood. The buildings were made of sandstone and bricks, many buildings dawned red banners with the symbol of a red hand. Many figures walked the street. Some had extra limbs while some had none at all, some well massive while others were tiny, some had millions of eyes will some hand one but one thing they all shared was the shifty look in their eyes. Briar spotted many big buildings with massive chimneys producing a thick black smoke into the air. Briar noticed several people glancing at him directly. Mr. Moon points towards a building. The structure looked old, the sandstone breaking and cracking pieces, the building structure was gone. The building had a massive sign that read ¡°The Night of Sin¡± Briar whispered to moon. ¡°Mr. Moon, I have a bad feeling about this place¡± ¡°We have no choice¡± Mr. Moon insisted. The two press forward. Mr. Moon places his hand on the door. The dark oak was greatly damaged barely stopping him from just being able to enter. Mr. Moon opened the door. The two entered the building. The inside of the night of sin was much better than the outside. The floor and walls were made of a dark wood that looked as if it was clean every second. There were several round tables and stools scattered around the building. The building was filled with several aliens of different races. Some played cards with other drank and the end of the room was a bar. The countertop was made of travertine and behind it were several wooden shelves that displayed an assortment of several bottles and skulls of creatures. A person stood at the counter cleaning a bottle with a white napkin. Their heads were not there, instead there was a black and purple flame instead. One big white eye was present on the flame. The figure wore a blue suit vest with a white undershirt, he had a black tie with black gloves and wore a pair of navy suit pants. The figure moved smoothly, he moved his body as if he had no joints or bones restriction him. The figure glanced his one eye at Mr. Moon as they entered. It squinted its eyes before returning to their jobs. ¡°There he is, my great friend,¡± Mr. Moon gloated ¡°Kakorrha Theo¡± Briar looks at the the man. He emanated a threatening aura. Just from looking at him he could feel his overwhelming presence. Nriar looked to his right. Mr. Moon was gone, Briar frantically looked around the room. He saw Mr. Moon walking towards the bar. Briar quickly jogged up behind him. Mr. Moon tapped the table. The man eye glanced up at moon, he spoke his voice was deep, rough gravelly. His eye changed color to a bright yellow when he spoke ¡°Moon . . . what do you want now?¡± Mr. Moon leaned off the counter ¡°I don¡¯t always ask something of you. Can i not catch up with a friend Kakorraha?¡± A claw of purple flames materialized behind Mr. Moon. It grabbed the back out his neck and slammed it down. Holding him against the counter. People from across the bar looked towards the bar. Briar could hear the laughter of several people behind them. Black flames seeped out of the man¡¯s gloves. The flames expanded and formed the shape of a scythe. The man holds the scythe above his head and in line with Mr. Moon''s neck. He roared ¡°You know me well moon, well enough to know not to use that name. Can you manage to remember? Or will another death unclog your memory?¡± Mr. Moon grinned ¡°okay, okay i apologize. I''ll remember to call you Phobos. I still prefer your real name though¡±. Phobos squinted his eye, The hand over Mr. Moon''s neck and the black fire scythe disperses. Mr. Moon rises up; he sighs before cracking his neck. Phobos glanced at Briar, there was curiosity in his gaze. Phobos suddenly pointed towards Briar ¡°why¡¯d you bring a goddam human here? They''re underdeveloped, its against the law to mess with them¡± mr. Moon shrugged ¡°oh please Phobos, when have you ever cared about the law?¡± Phobos rolled his eye, he responded in a threatening tone ¡°I start to care when you start bringing the U.W.G to my door with your bullshit!¡± Phobos returned his gaze back to Briar, then to Mr. Moon. ¡°Well . . . are you not going to introduce him?¡± ¡°This is wisp¡ª I mean briar, a human that I''m travelling with¡± Mr. Moon. Said, ¡°he actually the reason I came here¡± Phobos reached forward, he waved his hand in front of his eyes. Briar felt his face heat up. Phobos retracted chuckling ¡°he doesn¡¯t speak?¡± ¡°Sorry I was just . . . confused¡± Briar apologized, pulling down his scarf. Phobos paused. He looked between Briar and Mr. moon ¡°did moon kidnap you?¡± ¡°Excuse me¡ª Kidnap me? What do you mean¡± briar shuddered. ¡°Phobos!¡± Mr. Moon quickly butted in, ¡°you''re going to have him worrying¡± Brair laughed, his chuckle was ragged as he Briefly closed his eye ¡°I''m pulling your leg, kid. I''m Phobos, owner of The Night of Sin, people tend to come here for favors our shady deals. This bastard probably said I''m a friend of his, didn¡¯t he?¡± Briar nodded. Phobos¡¯s eye narrowed ¡°he lied. We''re just business partners. He comes here with some crap he got himself into every year, he pays me, I help him with it, and he fucks off¡± Mr. Moon scoffed. ¡°You make me seem like I''ve been a nuisance¡± ¡°What do you want moon.¡± phobas snarled, his eye fixed on Mr. Moon. Mr. Moon took out a glass vile of Aranenna blood. He placed it on the counter. Phobos picked the vial up, he juggled it in his fingers. Mr. Moon pointed at the vial ¡°that¡¯s Aranenna blood. the human planet earth; it lost a third of its mass and 20% of its population. Aranenna mothership, The Chordis. I have no idea where it went nor any leads. . . except you¡± Phobos looked up towards the ceiling, he opened the vial and poured the blood into his eyes. The blood evaporated into a thick black smoke, Phobos rapidly blinked before looking back down. ¡°Always the goddamn aranenna causing me problems. I think I heard about a recent expedition¡± ¡°What do you need?¡± Mr. Moon snatched the empty vial out of his hand. ¡°I need their location as soon as possible¡± Phobos leaned forward, looking Mr. Moon in the eye ¡°what about 12 million Angor. On the dot. Nothing more nothing-¡± ¡°I''ll pay it!¡± Mr. Moon slammed his hand on the table. Briar looked back. Everything inside of the night of sin was looking at Mr. Moon and Phobos. Phobos¡¯s eye turned pitch black ¡°you know not to raise your voice at me. Perhaps I''ve been too soft with you. You lack respect.¡± ¡°Your choice doesn¡¯t affect me, but it does effect Briar,¡± Mr. Moon replied ¡°if you want to be spiteful, I won¡¯t judge but know I doesn¡¯t do anything to me¡± Phobos''s black eye turns to Briar. Briar feels a sense of despair wash over him. Phobos sighs, his eye returns to its white shade and his gaze softens. He takes a step back, hesitating before he spoke ¡°you''re a goddamn idiot moon. . . do an errand for me and you¡¯ll get the information you want free of charge.¡± ¡°I appreciate your generosity¡± Mr. Moon bows. Phobos slams his fist at the table causing Briar to jump. A claw of purple flames pushes Briar towards the counter, he feels the flame singe his back. Phobos grabs Briar¡¯s chin and looks into Briar eyes, staring less than an inch from his face. Briar felt an overwhelming heat against him. His body shook threating to fall apart. Phobos looks at him up and down. He whispered into Briar¡¯s ear. ¡°Listen kid, I know moon. If you don¡¯t want to die because of his stupidity, you''re going to have to grow a spine. Understand?¡± ¡°y¡ª yes, yes phobos!¡± Briar stuttered, his hands shaking. Phobos drops Briar before backing away from him. ¡°Better speak up next time I see you¡± Mr. Moon turned to leave. He felt something tug at his suit. Mr. Moon looked down. A man sat at the table next to him, grabbing onto Mr. Moon''s suit. The man had lemon-yellow skin covered in black warts, his head was free of hair and covered in several spikes. He brandished a pair of charcoal-black teeth. The man had three green eyes, which searched over Mr. Moon¡¯s body. The man wore a black, full-body poncho with red triangles. On the man¡¯s waist was a red rifle, and he had a transcriber on his wrist. At his table, two other people sat with similar features and clothes. The man spoke, his voice grating and guttural. ¡°Oy, sit with us, play a game.¡± Mr. Moon brushed the man¡¯s hand away. ¡°I apologize, my good sir, but I haven¡¯t got the time.¡± One of the other figures at the table chimed in, ¡°Come on, the little guy can play too!¡± Mr. Moon glanced over to Briar. Briar''s gaze was fixated on their table. It was covered in several figurines and cards. Briar tugged at Mr. Moon''s shirt. ¡°Come on, Moon, I might never get another chance to play with aliens.¡± Mr. Moon looked back at the strangers. They were chuckling. Mr. Moon could feel their ill intentions. He shrugged. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll play a game or two.¡± The man cheered, ¡°Right on, ye! Take a seat.¡± Mr. Moon and Briar sat down at the table. The man tapped on the table. ¡°Why not place a bet? Just to raise the stakes.¡± Mr. Moon reached into his pocket; he placed two Angor on the table. The man grumbled, looking at the coins on the table. He leaned down under the table and searched for a moment. He rose back up with a shocked expression. ¡°Damn it, I left my bag outside.¡± ¡°That¡¯s alright, we can wait,¡± Briar responded. The man shook his head. ¡°Oh no, us Harenae have struggles walking, especially at our age. Please, could you fetch it for me? It''s on the side of the building; you can¡¯t miss it.¡± Briar quickly stood up and pulled back up his scarf. ¡°Alright, sir! I¡¯ll get it immediately.¡± Mr. Moon turned to Briar. He sighed. ¡°Hurry back, alright?¡± Briar nodded. ¡°Got it. I''ll be as fast as I can!¡± Briar quickly jogged out of the building, avoiding chairs and other people. The man laughed as he left. ¡°Bright old chap.¡± ¡°He truly is,¡± Mr. Moon agreed. ¡°You never told me your name?¡± The man smirked. ¡°Grill, Shanks Grill. That¡¯s Smurr, and that¡¯s Kars. Pleasure to be meetin¡¯ ya.¡± ¡°I''m Mr. Moon. I give my greetings,¡± Mr. Moon smiled back. ¡°Why don¡¯t we begin? I¡¯d like to be warmed up when Wisp gets back here.¡± Briar stepped outside of the Night of Sin. The Moment he left; the violent wind reminded him of the abundant dust in the air. Briar clung to the wall to avoid falling over. The winds outside roared, throwing and launching objects across the city. Briar moved along the perimeter of the building. He turned around the corner of the building. He saw a box tied to the wall of the bar. Briar made his way to the box, his hand covering his eyes. He leaned down to the box and opened it. The box was empty on the inside. Briar lifted up the box. Again, nothing. Briar suddenly heard pounding footsteps. He turned around. For a split second, he saw a figure before being hit by a metal object. Briar fell backward. He felt his consciousness drifting. The figure put a black bag over Briar¡¯s head. Briar blindly struck and flailed at the air. He suddenly felt an electric shock through his body before falling into a deep slumber. Chapter 3 : The Girl from The U.W.G 2025 November 12, 5:15 ???, Dis Pater Briar¡¯s eyes shot open. He panted; each breath heavier than the last. A black bag covered his face, leaving Briar in complete darkness. Briar attempted to move; he felt the pressure of ropes holding him in place. He swung his legs around and felt the area around him. He was sitting on an iron chair and seemingly tied to it. Briar opened his mouth to yell, but before he could, he heard the opening of a door. Briar immediately went limp, pretending to keep himself being awake a secret. He heard the footsteps of two people passing by him. He heard the two people conversing. ¡°He¡¯s still sleeping? You sure you didn¡¯t kill him?¡± the voice spoke. ¡°Come on! No way humans are that fragile,¡± the other voice responded. Briar heard footsteps coming towards him. He took slow and quiet breaths in an attempt to slow down his heart rate. The footsteps stopped in front of him. Briar felt a cold and rough hand touch his chest. He heard heavy breathing in front of him. The other voice spoke. ¡°See, he has a pulse. That means they¡¯re alive, right?¡± ¡°Thankfully, you didn¡¯t kill him,¡± the first voice let out a sigh. ¡°Boss said he came here with that long life.¡± ¡°How much can we get off this guy? A couple hundred? A thousand?¡± the other voice questioned. ¡°Let me see,¡± the other voice came closer. Briar felt a clawed hand grab his hair. It rotated and turned his head. The first voice spoke. ¡°No damage, no scars or impurities. He looks like a young one. I¡¯d say 750,000 Angor.¡± ¡°750,000 Angor!¡± the other voice yelled. ¡°That¡¯s more than we¡¯ve gotten this month! You must have done the math wrong or something!¡± ¡°It¡¯s more because we¡¯re not just selling random tourists. This is a human. They¡¯re underdeveloped. It¡¯s actually illegal for us to even interact with them. These things are so rare you only ever find them in one galaxy. Isn¡¯t that crazy! Even us harenae travel more than this sucker.¡± ¡°That fancy bastard got ahold of him. He must be pulling the same scheme!¡± the other voice roared. ¡°We should force him to show us his stocks!¡± Briar ran through his thoughts, careful to remain still. How¡¯d I get myself stuck like this? I¡¯m trapped by aliens in the middle of nowhere. How am I going to get out of this? Briar¡¯s thoughts were interrupted by a distant knock on the door. The first voice spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll get it, probably the boss. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± Footsteps walked away, and the sound of an open door followed. Briar heard the door shut behind them. The other voice laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t get how Hearse can know so much about humans. All I know is you¡¯re going to get me a brand-new gun!¡± A thought came to Briar. He started convulsing and coughing as violently as he could. The other voice gasped. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Briar slurred out words, making sure to speak slowly and in a lower tone. ¡°Allergic... to rope... can¡¯t breathe... bag on head...¡± Briar heard the man scatter. He heard the snapping of rope. He felt someone grab at his neck. The black bag fell off his head, and Briar got his first glimpse of the room. The interior of the room was a mess, with several objects and junk scattered on the floor. There was one metal door in the corner of the room, and several flags of a red hand adorned the walls. The air in the room smelled like burned rubber. Briar spotted a refrigerator in the corner of the room. He looked at the man in front of him. Briar recognized the yellow skin and three eyes. The man was a harenae, the horns on the top of his head we¡¯re slanted right and he had a scar over his mouth. He wore a similar poncho to the harenae on the Night of Sin; the only difference, the massive symbol of a red hand on its front. Briar purposely threw himself onto the ground. The harenae stepped back, his face covered in panic. He crouched down to Briar. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Tell me!¡± Briar pointed towards the refrigerator and mumbled, ¡°Water, I need water.¡± The harenae quickly rushed to the refrigerator, swinging the fridge door open. He rummaged through it frantically. Briar spotted a metal pipe on the ground as he lay there. He quickly grabbed it and rose up as quietly as he could. Briar raised the pipe above his head and snuck up behind the harenae. The harenae turned back. Briar immediately swung down. The metal pipe hit his head, and the harenae fell limp to the ground, a pipe-sized dent in his forehead. Briar dropped the pipe onto the ground and looked around the room. His eyes darted back to his chair. He quickly picked up the chair, positioned the backboard underneath the doorknob, and placed the chair at a forty-five-degree angle. Briar looked around the room for anything useful. He glanced down at the unconscious harenae and searched his pockets. Briar took his gun and placed it at his side before continuing to search through the pockets. He found a navy device resembling an old phone from the 1990s. It had big buttons that displayed numbers, and below those numbers were letters of the alphabet. Briar pressed random numbers. The phone rang before a robotic voice spoke: ¡°Number not recognized or out of order. Please try again.¡± Briar walked around the room frantically, trying to think of any numbers he had heard of. Suddenly, he heard the door handle shake. The chair stopped the door from opening. Briar heard a voice from beyond the door. ¡°Ivok! Ivok! Why is the door locked!?¡± Briar panicked. He repeated to himself over and over, ¡°Think! Think! Numbers, numbers, numbers!¡± ¡°Ivok!¡± the voice yelled. Briar heard several bangs on the door. ¡°i should have stayed with Mr. Moon and Phobos! . . . wait Phobos! A memory suddenly came to Briar¡¯s mind. He remembered what Phobos said: ¡°I start to care when you start bringing the U.W.G to my door with your bullshit!¡± Briar spoke to himself. ¡°U.W.G! They must be some type of police force. If I could find the number for them, they could save me! What could it be?¡± 2025 November 12, 5:25 The Night of Sin, Dis Pater Mr. Moon slammed a card on the table. The three harenae groaned and complained. Grill reluctantly pushed a pile of Angor towards Mr. Moon. Mr. Moon checked his fingernail, showing off a smug smile. ¡°That makes six in a row. Told you I could do it, Phobos.¡± Phobos rolled his eyes and looked away in embarrassment. Mr. Moon stored the Angor in his pockets. ¡°I have a feeling my partner has gotten himself in trouble. I will be leaving now.¡± Grill stood up and placed his hand on Mr. Moon''s shoulder. ¡°Come on, give the kid some time.¡± ¡°I thought harenae could barely walk,¡± Mr. Moon pointed out. ¡°You stood awfully fast, didn¡¯t you?¡± Mr. Moon slapped away Grill¡¯s hand. Both Smurr and Kars stood up in response. Mr. Moon poked Grill in the head. ¡°I will be taking my leave now.¡± Grill quickly took the red rifle out from his waist and aimed it at Mr. Moon''s head. Both Smurr and Kars raised up similar guns in response. Grill snarled, ¡°I don¡¯t think you will, Mr. Moon.¡± The attention of everyone focused on Mr. Moon. Mr. Moon reached into his pocket. ¡°If it must be that way, then I''ll have to¡ª¡± ¡°Silence!¡± Phobos exclaimed. The entire bar went into deep silence. The room remained so quiet that even a pin drop could be heard, as if the world itself was waiting for Phobos. Phobos continued, ¡°I don¡¯t condone violence in my bar. So, you can leave or let me join. Am I clear?¡± Grill groaned before signaling his boys to lower their guns. Grill whispered in Mr. Moon''s ear, ¡°You¡¯re dead.¡± Grill and his gang left through the door, slamming it behind them. Mr. Moon watched as they left. He turned back to Phobos. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, old friend. I''ll make sure this fool won¡¯t do any damage to your establishment.¡± Mr. Moon winked before exiting the building. The wind had picked up, and the amount of dust in the air increased. The storm made visibility difficult, and the sound of wind hitting buildings was deafening. Mr. Moon stepped out into the dust storm; he saw the three harenae in the middle of the street. Their eyes darted at him the second he left the building. Mr. Moon walked out onto the street across from them. He looked Grill in the eyes. Grill¡¯s hand stayed clenched onto his rifle. Mr. Moon held out his open hand forward. ¡°Julia, hand me my umbrella.¡± Space above Mr. Moon''s hand warped, creating a spiral in space itself. Several black shards erupted from the ripped space, each shard glistening a bright white. The thousands of shards connected together, forming a long dark umbrella in Mr. Moon¡¯s hand. Mr. Moon opened the umbrella and held it above his head. In his other hand, he took out his revolver. Mr. Moon smirked. ¡°I''m ready, let us begin¡± 2025 November 12, 5:27 ???, Dis Pater Briar frantically pranced around the room, the banging and yelling getting louder, each one a reminder of his fleeting time. Briar looked at the numbers on the phone and then at the letters below them. An idea came to mind. He pressed 8 for U, then he pressed 9 for W, and finally, he pressed 4 for G. The phone started ringing. Briar waited in painful anticipation. He suddenly heard a voice from the phone. ¡°United World Guru. How can we help you?¡± Briar immediately yelled into the phone, ¡°I need help! I''m on the planet Dis Pater, and these people kidnapped me, and they¡¯re going to sell me off.¡± The U.W.G responder spoke, "I¡¯m going to need you to calm down. Operatives have already been sent to your location. Can you tell me the race of the perpetrators?¡± ¡°Harenae, they¡¯re harenae! There are two of them! I think I managed to knock one out, but the other is looking for me! Please hurry!¡± ¡°Harenae, of course, it''s them, no lives,¡± the U.W.G responder scoffed. ¡°Find a place to hide and try to stay safe as long as you can. We¡¯re tracking your location and sending field units.¡±Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Briar looks to the gun on the ground; he immediately picks it up. He clenched it in his right hand, aimed directly at the door. His other hand clenched the phone tightly. Suddenly, a yellow hand broke a hole through the door. The hand pushed the chair out of the way. The door burst open and the other harenae stepped in. Briar closed his eyes tightly, immediately pressed the trigger again and again. Briar continued to press the trigger until the gun stopped firing, each shot flashing the room in a white light, and with each press, Briar shivered and shook more and more. Briar opened his eyes slowly, and the harenae sat slouched against the door, several bullet holes in his torso and one in his head. Green blood seeped from each bullet hole. Briar threw the gun across the room. He looked at his hands, and he felt a painful nausea as if he was about to pass out. Briar panicked. ¡°I killed him, I killed someone, I really killed someone! He was going to kill me though, so I''m justified, right... yes! He¡¯s not even human!¡± Briar hears loud sirens outside. He hears distant footsteps approaching. His heart races as he looks around the room. Briar ran through the open door. The door opened in the hallway branching in two directions. Briar hears the heavy clanking of metal to his left. He quickly turns over to the source of the noise. In the middle of the hallway, he sees a figure slowly approaching. The figure had a slender figure. They were covered in a suit of armor. Plates of dark gray metal covered the majority of the figure¡¯s body, bent and shaped to fit them perfectly. A purple glow seeped from the space between the plates. The figure¡¯s boots were hefty, and at their back, there were what appeared to be thrusters. The figure wore a helmet, the design was sleek and smooth. It was made from the same material as the armor, and the helmet had a glowing purple eye on the left side. The figure emanated a menacing aura; they placed their fingers underneath the helmet on their neck. Their voice was robotic, monotone. ¡°Suspect located, engaging.¡± Suddenly, instantly, the figure entered a running stance. The purple across their entire armor set pulsed white. Briar immediately turned right. He ran as fast as he could, his heart pounding as he ran down the hallway. Fast metal footsteps followed him from behind, each footstep followed by another, not even a second later. Briar knew the figure was gaining on him. He saw an open door at the end of the hallway. Briar exerted himself, entering a full sprint. His legs felt as if they were going to fall off. The distance between Briar and the door shortened at a rapid pace. Briar burst through the door and found himself in what looked to be a bedroom. In his panic, Briar couldn¡¯t even process his surroundings. Briar looked back, and the figure had caught up to him. The figure leapt off the ground, and they wrapped their legs around Briar¡¯s neck, causing him to fall backward onto the ground. The figure was sitting on Briar¡¯s chest, their legs still tied around his neck. Briar tried to rise up, but the weight of the figure¡¯s armor rendered him immobile, and the figure¡¯s leg lock around his neck made it hard for Briar to breathe. The figure looked Briar in the eyes. ¡°Running away from a U.W.G field agent is a crime. Aren¡¯t you aware of that?¡± ¡°The U.W.G,¡± Briar thought, ¡°this is the universe''s police force, they are so much cooler looking than I thought... wait, I called them! Why am I getting arrested? Why are they on top of me?¡± Briar tried to speak but only gasps of air exited his mouth. The U.W.G officer held their hand above Briar¡¯s face. Black electricity sparked at their fingertips. ¡°Where¡¯s the hostage? Or do you want to get electrified?¡± A second U.W.G officer entered the room. He wore the same outfit but had a much more prominent figure. The U.W.G on top of Briar looked back. They playfully waved. ¡°Aithne! I got the suspect. Want to help me rough him up so we can find the hostage?¡± The other U.W.G officer sighed. ¡°Euri, I swear I''m going to kill you one day.¡± The officer on top of Briar shrugged. ¡°Wait, what? I caught him. I deserve praise.¡± Aithne slammed his face into his palm, making a clanking noise. ¡°Euri, that is the hostage. The suspects are Harenae, not human.¡± ¡°Then where are they, smart guy?¡± Euri responded. Aithne pointed back. ¡°You passed them, one dead, one knocked out. I had to do your job and apprehend the bastard!¡± Aithne pressed a button underneath his mask. The mask unravels and shifts into a collar, revealing his face. Aithne¡¯s head was a black skull covered in a lava-like substance. The skull surprisingly bent and twisted to show expression, and the slots for its eyes were occupied by two glowing pearls. The lava flowed upwards from his head like a flame. Aithne¡¯s eye sighed. His voice, without the filter, was hollow and resonant. ¡°You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m here.¡± Euri pressed the same button under her mask. Her mask dropped, revealing her face. Euri had bright pink skin, her eyes were captivating blue, and her hair, from top to bottom, was a gradient from purple to pink in a bob with bangs. Underneath her ear, there were small gills. Her teeth were sharp and triangular. Her voice was booming but also light. ¡°These masks are so suffocating.¡± ¡°You can get off him now, Euri,¡± Aithne suggested. Euri gasped. ¡°I forgot!¡± Euri jumped up, releasing her lock on Briar. Briar took a deep breath before rising to his feet. Briar pants, ¡°Why... did you... choke me?¡± ¡°Why did you run away?¡± Euri teased. ¡°I thought you were a suspect.¡± ¡°In his defense, the U.W.G outfit isn¡¯t exactly inviting,¡± Aithne butted in. Euri yelled, ¡°Whose side are you on?¡± ¡°Justice, that¡¯s my side,¡± Aithne answered, his gaze hardening. ¡°Justice, that¡¯s my side,¡± Euri mimicked Aithne, lowering her voice as low as possible. ¡°That¡¯s what you sound like.¡± ¡°Uh, excuse me,¡± Briar interrupted, ¡°Can I leave now?¡± ¡°No, you can¡¯t. You¡¯re human, correct?¡± Aithne questioned. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be here. We¡¯re going to have to bring you with us to The Glade so we can find out what happened here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a human!¡± Euri circled Briar ecstatically, looking at him from all sides. ¡°This is my first time seeing an underdeveloped species before! This is so cool!¡± Briar awkwardly pushed Euri to the side. ¡°I can¡¯t go to The Glade or whatever it¡¯s called. I need to get back to Mr. Moon.¡± Euri suddenly stopped. Briar saw a bright passion in her eyes. ¡°You said Mr. Moon. Like THE Mr. Moon?!¡± ¡°Who are we talking about?¡± Aithne inquired. ¡°Are they the one that brought you here?¡± Euri rolled her eyes. ¡°Of course, you wouldn¡¯t know Mr. Moon. He¡¯s like the coolest person in the entire world!¡± ¡°You¡¯re really a fan,¡± Aithne pointed out. Euri chirped, ¡°Am I?! Of course, I am! Come on, can we see him, please?¡± Aithne sighed, reaching into his suit''s collar. ¡°We have to anyway; we need to get answers from him.¡± Euri quickly turned around, standing face-to-face with Briar. ¡°You heard him! Now tell us where he is.¡± ¡°Last I saw him was in that big town... Hell¡¯s Haven,¡± Briar recalled. ¡°That¡¯s what it was called. He was at the Night of Sin!¡± ¡°We have our location,¡± Aithne said, taking a swig from the flask. He coughed. ¡°Let¡¯s get going.¡± Euri suddenly grabbed Briar, lifting him over her shoulders. Aithne and Euri¡¯s masks suddenly sprang back up. Briar flailed in Euri¡¯s arms, attempting to break free. ¡°I can walk on my own!¡± 2025 November 12, 5:35 Hell¡¯s Paradise, Dis Pater Grill and Moon stood across from each other, idle, waiting for the other to make their move. Grill grunted, quickly raising his rifle. He pulled the trigger, rapidly firing bolts of electricity. Mr. Moon lowered his umbrella in front of him. The electricity bounced off and dispersed across its surface. Grill continued holding down the trigger, his rifle maintaining the same rate of fire. Suddenly, Grill¡¯s rifle stopped. He quickly went to reload it. Mr. Moon raised his revolver and fired. The bullet struck Grill¡¯s rifle, causing it to burst in his grasp. The rifle exploded into a small blast of fire, burning Grill¡¯s hands and charring them. Grill yelled in pain, rapidly shaking his hands. He looked at Kars and Smurr, shouting while gripping his hands together, ¡°Why are you idiots just standing there?! Kill him!¡± Kars and Smurr quickly took out their rifles. The cap of Mr. Moon¡¯s umbrella rotated and spun, pulsating white like a heartbeat. Kars and Smurr¡¯s guns suddenly pulsated, slamming into the ground and breaking out of their grasp. The guns clipped into the ground upon impact, leaving only the handles sticking out. Kars ran forward. Mr. Moon closed his umbrella, and the tip extended to reveal a thin blade. Kars swung at Mr. Moon, but Mr. Moon quickly sidestepped the strike. Kars followed up, attempting to grab Mr. Moon, but Moon stepped back, raised his revolver, and fired. The bullet pierced Kars¡¯ head, and he fell to the ground. Mr. Moon quickly ducked to avoid an incoming punch from Smurr. Smurr swung again, but Mr. Moon swung his umbrella, cleanly severing Smurr¡¯s hand. Smurr backed away, staring at his dismembered hand in horror. He screamed as he gripped his wrist with his remaining hand, his eyes twitching. Smurr looked up at Mr. Moon, who walked toward him with his umbrella blade dragging against the sand, leaving a green trail behind. Mr. Moon¡¯s expression was joyless, sending shivers down Smurr¡¯s spine. Grill watched as Mr. Moon took a quick step forward. In an instant, Mr. Moon decapitated Smurr. Smurr¡¯s head hit the ground with a green splatter of Harenae blood, rolling across the sand. Grill turned and ran, ignoring the pain in his hands. He looked back, the dust storm only allowing him to see Mr. Moon''s silhouette. Mr. Moon followed, raising his revolver and firing. The bullet struck Grill¡¯s leg, causing him to fall. Grill clawed at the ground, trying to pull himself forward. Mr. Moon stood over him, raising his umbrella. Grill turned onto his back and yelled, ¡°Don¡¯t! I¡¯ll leave! I¡¯ll give you whatever you want¡ªmoney, women, fame. Don¡¯t you hear me?!¡± Mr. Moon looked into his eyes, his face filled with disgust. ¡°I hear you. Now, never speak again.¡± He thrust his umbrella down, piercing Grill¡¯s chest. Grill yelled and twitched before his eyes closed, and he became limp. Mr. Moon stood above Grill as a feeling of melancholy washed over him. He crouched down and touched Grill¡¯s forehead. A white fire ignited, quickly spreading over Grill¡¯s body. The fire burned away skin and bone until nothing remained. When the fire disappeared, only a white orchid was left in its place. Mr. Moon stood up, staring at the orchid. ¡°I¡¯m done, Julia.¡± His umbrella shattered into several pieces, the fragments orbiting each other in a sphere before disappearing in a white glow. He stood blankly, gazing at the white orchid, until he heard footsteps. Turning, he saw Aithne and Euri. Briar was flailing in Euri¡¯s arms. A smile returned to Mr. Moon¡¯s face. ¡°Wisp! You¡¯re okay. What happened?¡± Euri dropped Briar, who hit the ground face-first with a groan. He stood up slowly, brushing himself off. Mr. Moon looked at the two U.W.G. officers and extended his hand. ¡°Who do I have the pleasure of meeting?¡± Euri ecstatically shook his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Euri! I can¡¯t even explain how happy I am to meet you!¡± ¡°A fan? That¡¯s quite rare for me,¡± Mr. Moon chuckled. ¡°Would you like a souvenir? Or maybe an autograph?¡± ¡°How about both!¡± Euri clasped his hand with both of hers. Aithne stepped between them, forcing Euri to let go. He took off his mask and addressed Mr. Moon. ¡°As you probably already know, we¡¯re with the U.W.G. Your friend here was recently kidnapped by a Harenae species trafficking group. As you can see, we managed to save him.¡± ¡°It was what I feared was happening. I appreciate your help,¡± Mr. Moon replied. Aithne pointed to Briar. ¡°That is a human, an underdeveloped species. It¡¯s a crime across the entire Ouroboros to interact with one unless the species evolves enough to leave their galaxy. Explain yourself.¡± Briar tried to interject, ¡°Wait, I tried to tell you¡ª¡± Aithne quickly moved his hand to cover Briar¡¯s mouth, staring into Mr. Moon¡¯s eyes. ¡°You¡­ I want your story.¡± ¡°You want the full story? Why I have him traveling with me?¡± Mr. Moon clarified. ¡°Very well. His race, humanity, was attacked by the Arenenna. They took a chunk of his planet along with a portion of his population. I took him with me to help restore his planet. Afterward, I plan to remove the memories of the invasion so that everything returns to normal.¡± ¡°See?¡± Euri punched Aithne¡¯s shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s a good guy. I told you. The Arenenna are at fault!¡± Aithne squinted. ¡°How can I trust you? How do I know you won¡¯t sell him off or use him for some sick purpose?¡± ¡°You could check his planet. Earth, Milky Way, Wonder¡¯s Edge,¡± Mr. Moon explained. ¡°And trust me, if I had bad intentions for this Wisp here¡­ you wouldn¡¯t have found him.¡± The four stood in silence before Mr. Moon laughed. ¡°I¡¯m joking. I¡¯m no monster.¡± Aithne¡¯s mask rose back up. He turned to Euri. ¡°We¡¯re leaving. Now.¡± ¡°Wait, why so soon?¡± Euri moped. ¡°We¡¯ve been here for like five minutes!¡± ¡°We¡¯re checking Earth.¡± Aithne began walking toward the city¡¯s exit. ¡°Come on! Don¡¯t keep me waiting.¡± ¡°Bye, Moon! Bye, dude!¡± Euri waved before jogging to catch up with Aithne. Briar sighed. ¡°I never want to come back to this planet again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re okay, Wisp,¡± Mr. Moon grinned. Briar looked up at Mr. Moon, his mouth twitching. ¡°Thank you. It means a lot.¡± Mr. Moon waved his hand toward the sky. ¡°Julia, come pick us up.¡± Briar heard the train horn. It phased through some of the buildings on the right, stopping in front of them. Both Briar and Mr. Moon entered the train, sitting across from each other. The train¡¯s horn blared again as Briar felt it start to move. He looked out the window, seeing the same tunnel of vibrant colors and shining lights he had seen before. ¡°Are we going to the subspace highway?¡± Mr. Moon¡¯s eyes lit up in surprise. ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°These colors¡ªI saw them whenever we left or entered the highway,¡± Briar explained. Mr. Moon smirked, chuckling to himself. ¡°Good catch. Julia travels outside of space itself. These highways are called the ¡®Streamlines.¡¯ I¡¯m surprised you noticed.¡± ¡°Why not go straight to the errand?¡± Briar asked. ¡°Actually, now that I think of it, he didn¡¯t give us an option.¡± ¡°I need to get something from the highway first. And Phobos always asks the same thing of me. He always asks for a special mineral that makes his flames burn brighter.¡± ¡°A special mineral? Where?¡± Briar inquired. ¡°Avaritia. The planet has a mountain with a boatload of it,¡± Mr. Moon responded. The train suddenly stopped, revealing the subspace highway outside. Mr. Moon stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in an instant.¡± Mr. Moon exited the train. Briar waited in his seat, playing with his fingers. He suddenly heard a thud, followed by a wince of pain. He stood up and looked around, walking down the endless train hall. He heard another thud behind him and quickly turned around. Briar saw Euri stood in the hall, her face filled with surprise and panic. She waved her hands. ¡°I can explain.¡± 2025 November 12, 6:59 The Night of Sin,Dis Pater. Phobos cleaned cups at the counter. Over time, people slowly left until the bar was empty. Phobos muttered to himself, ¡°Should probably close down shop.¡± He floated over the counter and walked toward the door, reaching his hand for the handle. Suddenly, the door swung open. A creature stood at the door. It had a slim humanoid figure, several times taller than Phobos, forcing it to crouch to meet his eye level. The creature¡¯s dark, smooth skin hung loosely on its frame. It had large, bulging eyes with red irises and elongated black pupils. Its massive, unnatural yellow smile stretched from ear to ear. The creature was draped in a black rag made of white fur hanging over its back. Its voice was sinister and quiet, barely passing a whisper. ¡°My good sir, have you seen a man who goes by Mr. Moon?¡± Phobos squinted, he looked at the creature up and it chuckled, blinking slowly, its eyes out of sync. ¡°Sorry to bother you¡­I¡¯ll be taking my leave now¡± Chapter 4 : The Arrogance from The Heart This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Chapter 5 : The Mechanism from The Mines The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. Chapter 6 : The Quest from The Stoic Waiter Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.