ELDRITCH NIGHT (Rough Draft)

Chapter 23: Banter and Bombs

The Eye of Madness opened, engulfing everything before it. It revealed the truth, a truth I shared with my enemies. I saw them for what they were, tiny extension of something much greater. No more important than a few loose skin cells shed casually without care or notice. All their hunger and rage, meaningless before their true purpose.

I stood at the very center of this vortex of madness, seemingly important. But what was I?

I saw the birth of planets and great civilizations, only for those civilizations to gradually fade and die, slowly being replaced over time. I saw entire solar systems perish as stars expanded before collapsing into magnificent and violent supernovas that could be seen from half a universe away. It was awesome in its scale, and terrifying in the realization of how small even these events were.

I saw the great expanse of time and space, every possible action repeated over and over unendingly. Both the past and future were infinite, and yet more existed beyond these measurements. Other dimensions existed outside of our own, some far older and with native intelligences so alien, powerful, and malignant as to be unfathomable.

Then I saw the silent waiting forms for whom these events and creatures were but cosmic specs of dust, the lifespan of universes over in the blink of an eye compared to these eternal beings. Terrible and frightening, not because they held malice but for the complete lack of regard they held for anything as insignificant as human life. Even entire universes were little more than baubles to be squandered and bartered. Worse than their lack of regard was the chance that one might turn their attention towards you, a momentary amusement.

I saw a burning eye in sky as one of these great intelligences, gods that stood outside of time and space, took notice. Only for a moment, but events were set into motion that could not be avoided. I saw the true enemy, and I understood the utter insignificance of my own existence. To resist was unavoidable, and yet pointless.

***

I felt a strike across my face.

"Finn," said a familiar voice laced with sobs. "Snap out of it."

I held my hands in front of my face, fingernails dripping with blood. Deep gauges had been dug into my forehead and cheeks, tears and blood ran down my face. My eyes were dry, and my skin felt hot. My throat was hoarse, and every muscle in my face ached as if I had been screaming for hours.

I breathed deeply, hyperventilating while collapsing to my knees in despair. I took deep ragged breaths, as I tightly squeezed my eyes shut. The images would not leave, they seemed to be permanently burned into my memory – not only unforgettable but unable to be repressed or ignored.

"Finn," Rachel's voice called out to me. "We need to get out of here."

I looked up to see Rachel and Tiller standing over me. Someone had carried me down off the barricade and leaned me up against a group of stacked cars several meters behind the main barricade.

After a few moments I finally dragged myself up, one hand grasping a car for support while Rachel put her shoulder under my arm for support. My conjured cast was completely gone, and in a moment of clarity I realized the palisades I had constructed would be as well.

"Is everyone okay?" I asked. I could still hear the sounds of battle, somehow fiercer than before.

"I think so," it was Tiller who answered. "Whatever you did caused everything to go crazy. Those monsters went berserk, started tearing each other apart. Others charged the barrier, ignoring every injury like they'd gone mad."

"Your spiked wall is gone," added Rachel. "A bunch of those ... things, they just mindlessly impaled themselves, but it didn't take them long to smash through."