Alexander woke up in the same mystical forest where he met Moder last night. Ancient trees rose around like silent guards, and the air was filled with the smell of wet earth and something primitive.
- Servant, Satan - a familiar voice sounded.
Alexander turned around. Moder stood between the trees, her massive figure seemed even more threatening in the moonlight. Yellow eyes burned in the deep eye sockets of the deer's skull.
- And you're stubby, - Alexander replied. - Aren't you used to refusals?
- Time is running out, boy," Moder said, taking a step closer. - Did you see what happened to your friends? Nightmares, fears, madness. This is just the beginning.
"Go fuck yourself," Alexander said calmly.
Moder tilted her head:
- Such rudeness. Don't you understand the hopelessness of your situation?
- I see, - Alexander replied. - But I have something that you don't take into account.
- And what is it? - Moder asked with curiosity.
Alexander decided to bluff. After all, he had nothing to lose:
- My master. If you touch me or my companions, he will come here. And believe me, ancient creature, you're just a worm in front of him.
"Complete bullshit," he thought. "But maybe it will work."
Moder carefully studied it, and then laughed - the sound was like the crackling of breaking branches:
- Do you think I don't feel a lie? Your master is far away, boy. Very far away. And he won't come here.
- How do you know? - Alexander asked, but realized that the bluff had failed.
- Because I've been here for thousands of years, - Moder replied. - And I know the laws of this world. Your Satan can't interfere in my affairs directly. Otherwise, he would have already done it.
Alexander cursed in his mind. The creature was right.
- But I'll offer you one last chance," Moder continued. - Agree to the deal, and I'll make your death quick and painless. If you refuse, I will torment you for centuries.
"My answer hasn't changed," Alexander said firmly.
- Then the time of negotiations is over, - Moder stated. - Now the hunt begins.
The world around him began to blur, and Alexander felt his consciousness return to reality.
AAAAAA!
Alexander woke up with a loud scream. Hught! The scream was coming from the forest, already quite far from their improvised camp.
- Hughtch! - Luke shouted, jumping up from his sleeping bag.
- Where is he? - Phil asked, looking around.
Alexander quickly inspected the camp. Hughtch's sleeping bag was empty, and the backpack disappeared.
"It's started," he realized. "The moder went on the attack."
- Hughtch! - Luke shouted again towards the forest.
"We need to follow him," Phil said.
- Wait, - Alexander stopped them. - It's a trap. The Moder wants us to split up.
- What the fuck is a trap? - Phil exploded. - Our friend is in trouble!
- That's why you need to act reasonably, - Alexander objected.
But Luke was already grabbing a flashlight:
- I'm following him. Hught! Hutch, where are you?
And rushed into the forest. The others followed him without thinking.
"Idiots," Alexander thought, but he also rushed after him.
They ran through the forest, lighting the way with flashlights, shouting the name of Hutch. Branches whipped on faces, roots tangled underfoot. The house was limping, but stubbornly continued to run.
Hughtch's screams became weaker and weaker, and then stopped altogether.
After half an hour of fruitless search, they stopped in a small clearing.
- Where is he? - Phil asked out of breath.
- I don't know, - Luke replied. - It seemed that the voice came from here.
Alexander looked around and realized that they were completely lost. The trees around looked the same, and in the light of flashlights everything seemed sinister.
- Where is our camp? - Phil asked.
There was silence. No one knew the answer.
- We got lost, - the House stated. - We ran like fools, not marking the way.
- Fuck, - Phil cursed. - All our things stayed there. Food, tents, first aid kit...
- Let's look for it, - Luke decided. - Both Hutch and the camp.
But the search didn't lead to anything. The forest seems to have swallowed both their friend and their supplies. Two hours later, they were forced to admit that they were left alone in the forest, without equipment, with only flashlights.
- Total bullshit, - Dom moaned, sitting on the stump. - We're fucked.
- We need to wait for the dawn, - said Alexander. - We will see more in the light.
They settled down by a big tree, linging into a heap for warmth. No one slept - everyone listened to the sounds of the night forest, expecting to hear Hughtch's voice.
The dawn came gray and foggy. They continued their search, but now they moved more carefully, not wanting to finally get lost.
- Hutch! - Luke shouted from time to time.
- Shut up, - said Phil. - If there is really some monster here, as Alex says, then you only attract his attention.
And then Phil stopped:
- Guys... look over there.
He pointed to a group of trees in front. There, between the branches, something brown was hanging.
Alexander felt his stomach tighten. He understood what they would find, but he relied on something else to the end.
They came closer. Hughtch hung between the branches of a large pine tree, strung on sharp knots like a doll. The stomach was up, the intestines were hanging down. The face froze in an expression of unseakable horror.
"My God," Phil whispered.
The hatch bent in half and he vomited. Phil moved away to the tree and leaned against it, breathing heavily.
The house looked at the body with some kind of detached expression:
- Do you believe Alex now?
Alexander studied the corpse. The same runes that he had seen before were carved on Hutch's chest.
"What the fuck," he thought. "This creature seriously did it."
"We need to take it off," Luke said, wiring his mouth.
- Why? - Dom asked.
- You can't leave him like that, - Luke replied. - That's... it's wrong.
They carefully removed Hughtch's body from the branches. Alexander noticed that Hughtch was still alive when he was hanged - this was indicated by the traces of struggle on his wrists.
"The bitch was slowly killing him," he realized. "I was enjoying his suffering."
They wrapped the body in Gil's jacket and hid it under a pile of stones at the foot of the rock.
"Hughtch was a good guy," Luke said, looking at the improvised grave.
"There was," Phil agreed.
The house was silent, but there was still an unhealthy shine in his eyes.
"This one is going crazy," Alexander understood. "We need to do something with him too."
- We need to find a way out of the forest, - he said. - Immediately.
- And how? - Phil asked. - We don't even know where we are.
- Let's find a high point, we'll find our orientay, - Alexander replied.
***
It was impossible to get out of the forest.
- We're going in circles! - Phil shouted in despair. - It's the same damn ravine we've already passed!
- Calm down, - Luke tried to resonate him, but panic was also heard in his voice.
- CALM?! - Phil shouted. - We're locked in the forest with a monster who wants to eat us! What the fuck is calm?!
Phil threw his flashlight to the ground:
- I'm fed up with this shit! We've been going in the same direction for half a day, and we find ourselves in the same place where we started!
The house was sitting on a fallen tree, breathing heavily:
- Maybe we should go back to the hut? At least there is a shelter there...
- And wait until this creature comes for us? - Alexander asked. - Great plan.
He understood their despair. The forest really turned into a maze from which there was no way out. The moder controlled this place, distorted the space at will.
- Then what do you suggest? - Phil asked aggressively. - Do you have a better plan?
Alexander wanted to answer, but his attention was drawn to the smoke rising from behind the trees.
There," he said, pointing to the smoke. "Smoke means people. People means help.
- Or it means that we will all die - muttered Dom, but went after the others.
They continued on their way. Alexander looked around from time to time, checking for surveillance. His sharp feelings caught strange smells, unnatural sounds.
"The creature is somewhere nearby," he understood. - "He's watching. Waiting for the right moment for the next blow."
Around noon, they came across a barely noticeable path.
- Where does it lead? - Phil asked.
- I don't know, - Alexander replied. - But any trail is better than wandering at random.
They went along the trail. The house was lagging behind more and more, complaining of pain in the knee. He stopped several times and muttered something under his breath.
After an hour of walking, the trail brought them to the edge of the forest. Ahead, in a small valley, I saw a village - several wooden houses with smoking pipes.
- Finally! - Luke exclaimed. - People!
- Wait, - Alexander stopped them. - Something is wrong here.
- What exactly? - asked Phil.
Alexander couldn't explain, but something in this village made him anxious. Too quiet. Too... old.
- I don't know, - he said. - Just be careful.
- Alex, - said Luke, - let's go scout. Together. The rest will wait here.
Alexander nodded. It was reasonable.
- We'll be back soon, - he told Phil and Dom. - If something happens, run.
- Where to run? - Phil asked. - We're in the forest without supplies.
- Then just hide, - Alexander replied.
She and Luke carefully went down to the village. The houses were really old, built in some archaic style. The windows were small, and strange symbols could be seen on the walls.
He took a closer look, using his sharp feelings. The village looked... strange. Too old-fashioned, even for a remote place. The houses were built in the ancient style, without modern amenities.
And one more thing. There were wooden poles with animal skulls all over the village. Not decorative, but real, with traces of ritual incisions.
"The same runes as in the hut," Alexander whispered.
- What does it mean? - Luke asked.
"Nothing good," Alexander replied.
- Maybe it's a religious community, - Luke suggested. - Starovers or something like that.
- Maybe, - Alexander agreed uncertainly. - But be careful. If they live in this forest, they know about the monster.
They walked around the village on the edge, not approaching the houses. People were not visible, but smoke was coming from the pipes.
- Maybe everyone is sleeping? - Luke suggested.
- At noon? - Alexander doubted.
They returned to the others. The house was sitting by a tree, and Phil was nowhere to be seen.
- Where is Phil - Alexander asked.
- He went into the bushes, - Dom replied. - Ten minutes ago.
- And you still haven't come back? - Luke was alarmed.
- Phil! - Luke called. - Phil, where are you?
There was no answer.
"We need to find him," Luke said.
They split up and started searching the neighborhood. Alexander walked carefully, using his improved eyesight to find traces.
- This way! - Luke shouted. - Quickly!
He began to approach Luke, who was standing by a small clearing, pointing to something in the grass.
Phil was lying there. The throat was cut, and a huge wound was yawning in my chest. Eyes looked at the sky with a blank look.
- Fuck, - Alexander whispered. - Phil was killed.
- Who? - Luke asked. - Who could have done it? Isn't that a monster?
And then the House came out from behind the trees. He had a bloody branch in his hands, pointed like a spear.
- Home? - Luke didn't understand. - What...
- Sacrifice, - said the House with a blissful smile. - I sacrificed to the deity. Now it will protect us.
- Did you kill Phil? - Luke couldn't believe his eyes.
- I saved us, - Dom replied. - The deity demanded blood, and I gave him blood.
Alexander felt the rage boiling inside him. Not just anger - primitive, animal rage.
- You're fucked up! Bastard! - he shouted and rushed at the House.
The house tried to defend itself with its homemade spear, but Alexander easily knocked it out of his hands. His improved physical abilities worked perfectly.
- Alex, wait! - Luke shouted.
But Alexander didn't hear anymore. He grabbed Doma by the head with both hands and jerked. There was a disgusting crunch, and the head broke away from the body along with part of the spine.
Blood splashed like a fountain on the trees. The decapitated body of the House collapsed to the ground, twitching convulsively.
Alexander stood with his head torn off in his hands, breathing heavily. Blood was running down his face.
- Alex... - Luke whispered. - What have you done?
And then Alexander realized what he had done. He killed a man. Yes, this man went crazy and killed a friend, but still...
"What have I done?" he thought, looking at Doma's head. - "I lost control. I..."
The panic he had not experienced since the very beginning of these adventures covered his head. My hands were shaking, my heart was pounding like a rabid one.
"Devil, bitch!" he shouted mentally. - "You drove me into a situation where I become an animal! Where I kill people! What the hell?! Why is this happening to me?!"
He threw Dom's head into the bushes and fell to his knees.
"I killed him," he thought. - "I just killed him. Like a beast. Without thinking, without trying to stop."
- Alex, - Luke called cautiously. - Are you... are you okay?
Alexander took a deep breath, then again. Gradually, the panic receded, giving way to the usual composure.
"Enough," he said to himself. - "You can't solve anything with a panic. The house was dangerous. He killed Phil and could have killed someone else. I did what I had to do."
But the sediment remained. For the first time ever, he felt that he was losing himself.
He got up and turned to Luke:
- I'm sorry. But I had no choice.
"You tore off his head," Luke whispered.
- He killed Phil, - Alexander replied. - And he was going to kill further.
"And I almost failed the mission," he added mentally. - "Out of four people, only Luke remained. And I still don't know how to stop Moder."
- We need to get out of here," he said out loud. - To the village. There are people there, let's try to come up with something there.
- Wait, Alex, explain yourself first. Who are you anyway?! - Luke shouted about it. - You tore off Dom's head with your hands, with your fucking hands! People are not capable of such a thing. You're not human. Maybe you're that monster.
- Calm down, I'm not an ordinary person, yes, but a person. - Alexander replied. - Understand, I'm the only one who can get you out of here, and who wants it. So don't ask questions and just do as I say.
Luke tried to say something, but without thinking of anything, he just nodded.
They went down to the village. They were first noticed by an elderly man with a long gray beard. He called the rest of the residents in an unfamiliar language - something similar to archaic Swedish.
People began to gather around them. Men, women, children - everyone looked at the aliens with curiosity mixed with strange respect.
- Do you speak English? - Luke asked the old man.
- I say, - he answered with a strong accent. - Are you lost in the woods?
- Yes, - Luke nodded. - We are tourists. We lost our way. Can you help us get out?
The old man exchanged glances with other residents, and something flashed in his eyes that Alexander did not like.
- Of course, - he said. - But it's late now. Stay for the night. We'll show you the way in the morning.
- That's very nice of you, - Luke thanked.
Alexander looked around, and his anxiety was growing. The skulls on the poles were not just animals - he saw human. And the carvings on the houses depicted familiar scenes: people making sacrifices to a huge creature with deer horns.
"They worship Moder," he understood. - "Fuck. We got out of the fire and into the flames."
- Come in, - the old man suggested, pointing to the central square with a gesture. - We'll cook food.
But Alexander noticed how some residents disappeared in their houses and did not return. We were preparing for something.
- Thank you, but we really need to go, - he said. - Maybe you can just indicate the direction?
- The forest is dangerous at night, - the old man insisted. - It's better to wait until morning.
- Dangerous with what? - Alexander asked, looking into his eyes.
The old man sheded for a moment:
- Wild animals. Bears, wolves...
"Fucking," Alexander thought. - "You know what's going on there. And you know who we are meant for."
- We'll take a chance, - he said firmly. - Show me the way.
- Alex, - Luke objected, - maybe we're really going to spend the sup? I'm tired to hell.
- NO, - Alexander answered sharply. - We're leaving. Right now.
The old man gave a sign with a gesture, and the situation changed instantly. Men came out of the houses with axes, knives and homemade spears. Children and women stepped aside, freeing up space.
- I'm afraid not, - said the old man, and his friendly mask flew off. - The owner demands sacrifices. And we haven't seen such... high-quality guests for a long time.
- I knew it, - Alexander cursed. - Fucking cultists.
- What's going on? - Luke asked, looking back at the armed men around them.
- They serve the monster, - Alexander explained. - We are sacrifices for them.
- The master is ancient and powerful, - the old man solemnly said. - He protects us, and we feed him. You will become a part of the sacred ritual.
- Fuck you," Alexander replied and fired lightning at the nearest cultist.
The discharge hit the man in the chest, throwing him back several meters. He fell motionless, a haze rose from his body.
- RUN! - Alexander shouted to Luke.
But where to run? They were surrounded. The cultists rushed to attack with a hoar.
Alexander met the first one with a blow of electricity. Lightning pierced the attacker through, turning him into a charred corpse. The second one swung an ax, but Alexander dodged and grabbed him by the throat.
His increased strength made it possible to do what was impossible before. Alexander clenched his fingers and heard the crunch of his cervical vertebrae. The cultist's head turned unnaturally, and he collapsed dead.
The third tried to attack from behind with a knife. Alexander turned around and caught his hand. A sharp jerk - and the hand broke in the elbow with the sound of a breaking branch. The cultist yawed in pain, but Alexander didn't stop. He grabbed the screamer by the head with both hands and jerked sharply.
The head broke away from the body with the nasty sound of tearing muscles and cartilage. Blood flowed like a fountain, splashing Alexander from head to toe. He threw his head to the ground and turned to the next opponent.
Alexander turned to Luke. He fought off two attackers, using a piece of wood as a baton. One of the villagers brought an axe over him.
Alexander rushed to help. He crashed into a group attacking Luke like a hurricane. He broke the skull of the first cultist with a punch. The bones of the skull cracked like an eggshell, the brains splashed on the ground.
The second one tried to strike with a spear. Alexander caught the shaft, broke it out of the opponent's hands and put the sharp end in his stomach. The cultist bent over, stinging with blood. Alexander pulled out a spear and stuck it again, this time in the throat. Blood flowed through the wound, and the cultist fell, gurgling and choking.
The third one tried to escape. Alexander caught up with him in three jumps, grabbed his hair and hit his face on a stone pole. One, two, three. The cultist's face turned into bloody porridge, and the skull turned into bone fragments.
- ALEX! - Luke shouted. - BEHIND YOU!
Alexander turned around and saw an old man with a large ritual knife. He was already swinging for a blow. Alexander intercepted his hand, broke his wrist with a simple squeeze and tore the knife out of his weakened fingers.
- For his master, then? - he growled, looking into the frightened eyes of the old man. - Then go to his hell.
He put a knife in the cultist's stomach and ran it up, steaming it from the groin to the sternum. The entrances fell out, the old man fell to his knees, trying to collect his own intestines back in his stomach.
- You... don't... understand... - he wheezed. - The owner... will come... punish...
- Let him come, - Alexander replied and finished him off with a kick in the head.
Looking up at the rest of the cultists, he said:
- Run, - said Alexander, covered in blood. - Run before I change my mind to leave you alive.
The rest of the cultists retreated, frightened by the cruelty with which Alexander dealt with their comrades. But there was nowhere to retreat - a familiar huge figure appeared behind their backs.
Moder came out of the forest slowly, solemnly. His yellow eyes burned in the dark, and massive horns scraped on tree branches. The cultists fell to their knees, muttering something in their own language.
- The owner has come, - whispered one of them. - The owner will punish the desecrators.
The monster looked around the battlefield, strewn with corpses of his fans, and roated a roar of rage, which made everyone's ears.
- Luke, come to me! - Alexander shouted to his comrades. - Hold on behind me!
Moder moved on them, and the ground trembled under his footsteps. Alexander fired the most powerful lightning discharge right into the monster's chest. Electricity enveloped the creature with blue light, but only slowed it down for a moment.
- Your magic is weaker than mine, servant of Satan, - said Moder, her voice was like the grinding of glaciers. - I'm older than your world.
He waved his massive paw. Alexander dodged, but the air wave threw Luke back a few meters. Luke fell and hit his head on the stone.
- DAMN! - Alexander shouted and rushed at the monster.
Moder took a step forward, and the earth trembled under her weight.
The final battle began