Into The Realm

Chapter 1

Monday, September 28, 2052 @ 10:33 p.m.

This is my personal account of an assignment I was given to serve on. As a field biologist, I found this to be the opportunity of a lifetime. It's name was Project X125. A laboratory had uncovered something phenomenal, extraterrestrial, as I will write more about. Earth has never heard this story- our story- and I believe it is time, whether or not I am sworn to secrecy. The world needs to know.

A team and I entered a new realm to explore it...

We were met by a beautiful woman in a long, flowy gown. She had perfect brown curls cascading down her back. I found it strange that her dress almost seemed fused onto her body. It certainly looked like it was one with her skin. She didn't seem excited to see us, or angry, or afraid. She seemed almost emotionless and uninterested in our appearance. I wasn't sure why.

"Oh, hello. I'm Princess Ardell." She greeted stoically. As we began to talk, she told us of a creature that lived in the realm, and had made itself the overlord over the people here. "He's made me the Princess, and gives me everything, even access to go where I please. I just can never leave."

Something made me wonder if she had a choice. "Can you leave this realm?"

"No. The way in is easy, but the way out is impossible."

As much as I wanted to explore I knew we needed to get out. I didn't think we were prepared for this overlord she spoke of.

I stopped in my tracks and turned to her. "What do you mean?"

"There is an exit to this realm, but it is hidden. No one can find it."

Shasta, our experienced soldier, gave me a knowing glance. I had no words. We were both thinking the same thing, though: oh crap.

"Listen, we came as visitors, just to explore. But, we have to leave." Shasta insisted as he approached the Princess.

"...I did at one time, too. I'm not saying it is enjoyable, here. He knows how I feel about it, yet, he provides me with everything I need. He favors me."

Though she spoke those words, her expression was unchanged. She was clearly miserable, but seemed past the point of hoping. She had learned to deal with it.

"Do you know where this exit might be?"

"It's probably in the maze."

"T-the maze...?"

"Yes, the maze. There is an ice tunnel that might lead to it. No one knows. No one gets that far."

I smacked my lips. My throat seemed to be getting dry. Unannounced, the Princess suddenly turned to leave. Were formalities not necessary, here?

"Wait! Do you think we'll meet this overlord?"

"...He probably already knows you're here." And she walked away.

"This is bad." I spoke. My breath caught in my chest.

"Now hold on. We can figure this out." Viggo was always calm, and logical. I was slightly impressed he held his cool, even now.

"Really...? And, where do we start?" Loren was already frazzled. Oh great.

"...Well," Shasta held his gun closer. "If the Princess is telling the truth, I guess we better find that maze."

I pulled on the straps on my backpack. I knew one thing...here, I was sticking close to Shasta. We were in this now. Our team had to pull through.

The realm was more on the dark side. It seemed to be dimly lit, and shadowy wherever we went. There were awesome rock formations, stalagmites, and from what I could tell, some sort of bio-luminescence. It glowed an aqua blue color, and helped bring light to the cave...The entire realm stretched on as a cave. I looked to the ceiling, which was hidden by some dense fog. It was unlike anything I had ever seen. I looked over, and from the corner of my eye, saw something move.

And then, the unthinkable happened.

We ran into him.

Everyone immediately panicked, and were screaming. We all scrambled over the rocks. I could not really process what I was seeing. I stopped and stared blankly at it, at everyone, my brain somehow trying to make sense...my brain trying to tell me that was what I was seeing was not real...but it was. It was very real. He was twelve feet tall, towering above us. His skin seemed to be a smooth, solid jet-black. He had giant arms with noticeable talon-like fingernails. The beast had quills coming from the back of his head, dispersing down his back. He had a wide mouth full of sharp teeth, but his most noticeable feature were the two big orbs for eyes, sunken into his skull. He had no pupils that could be seen.

We were near, I guess, what was the maze, and he went into full attack. Enraged, he climbed the cave walls after us shouting, "I'll kill you!" and threatening to slice us with one swipe of his claws. Shasta fired immediately on the beast, which only enraged him more. There were punctures in the beasts chest, but did not slow him down, surprisingly. The hide on this monster must have been incredibly thick.

I ducked into a crevice, which became a small tunnel of ice. He couldn't reach me there, as his body was too massive. Only for a moment. I left my team for only a moment. I loaded my glock, cold air escaping from my mouth. When I emerged, they were all gone. Disappeared. I assumed he left with the rest of my crew captive. I didn't know where he might have taken them, but I had to find them.

I slid over a rock, landing on my feet. I pulled an emergency torch from my backpack, but as I was about to light it, considered what kind of gases might be in this cave, and if they could have the same combustible reaction as back on Earth. No good.

"Ahh..." I sighed as I pulled out a flashlight. Thank God I had one. It wasn't too dark as I couldn't see, but a flashlight brought a sense of comfort. I ventured forward in the musty cave. It smelled damp, faintly as if there were a stream, nearby. I looked around, suddenly perplexed. I had no idea which direction they might have gone. I couldn't abandon them, or leave them. I had to find the team. I looked up, and saw light scratches along the cave wall. I shivered. The monster must have taken them that way. Gulping, I gathered my courage and continued forward.

As I continued walking the cave illuminating where I stepped, I rose my light to something that reflected brightly, almost blinding me. As I got closer, I felt the blood drain from my face. I broke into a legitimate cold sweat. I had stumbled upon what looked like a human skeleton, being overtaken by some pearlescent phenomena. It had a strange, sickly kind of beauty to it, being pearlescent skull and bones. I scowled at it, and pulled out my camera to document it. I didn't know what we discovered, or what we had gotten ourselves into, but I told myself right then and there, we were not going to die in here.

I put on gloves, scraping the surface of the bones. I stored it away in a capsule for testing back at the lab. I sighed. Maybe we would make it back to Earth. More importantly, I prayed my team members were still alive...

I furrowed my brow and shut my eyes. What was most important right now was not this mission, it was the people I was serving with. I left the poor soul behind whose bones would tell us a story. I continued marching forward through the rocky cave terrain, for what seem like an hour. Then, I couldn't believe it. I saw a crack of light ahead. And people's voices! And one voice in particular, echoing above all of them. It stopped me in my tracks. The voice was deep, and grizzly. It was in no way, human. I had found them.