Northbook Court Mall,
Northbook, Illinois,
Terra, Tellus Solar system,
Neutral Free zone,
March 27th 2019
Nine years earlier
Sam sat in silence at the edge of the hospital bed, her gaze fixed beyond the window where the city of Nova York stretched in muted gray. The glass reflected her faintly—pale, distant, like a ghost trying to remember its shape—while behind her, Stella adjusted the pillow with careful, practiced hands.
Fabric rustled. Stella spoke—softly, steadily—but the words dissolved before they could reach Sam, fading into a distant hum.
Her thoughts refused to settle. They came in fragments—sharp, flickering, incomplete—like broken signals trying to reconnect. Each memory sparked, then vanished, leaving behind only the echo of something unresolved.
Four years.
Four years swallowed by silence.
And then she woke… only to learn her father was gone.
A car crash, they said.Upper State Nova York.
The explanation felt too clean. Too small for the hollow it left behind.
Her fingers tightened slightly against the bedsheet.
Because the truth—what little of it she could grasp—didn't feel like an accident.
It came in flashes.
White.
Figures draped in pale light, moving too fast—far too fast to be human. Their forms blurred against the road, closing distance in impossible strides, like predators unbound by physics. She remembered the car shaking beneath her, the sharp turns, the roar of the engine pushed beyond its limits.
Her father's hands on the wheel—steady. Focused.
He had been fighting.
Running.
Surviving.
For as long as he could.
Then—
Light.
Blinding. Absolute.
And nothing after.
Sam inhaled sharply, her body tensing as the memory threatened to take shape again. She forced it down, burying it before it could fully surface.
She didn't want to see it.
Didn't want to feel it.
Some truths hurt too much to hold.
"Sam… Sam, are you listening?"
Stella's voice cut through the static, grounding her.
Sam blinked, the world snapping back into focus as she turned toward her.
Stella stood close—small in frame, yet unwavering. Her presence filled the room in a way that made it feel less empty. When Sam had first opened her eyes days ago, Stella had been there—clutching her, trembling, tears falling freely as if she'd been holding them back for years.
Something about a promise.About her sister.About not losing her too.
Sam hadn't understood then.
She wasn't sure she fully understood now.
They looked alike in pieces—shared strands of brown hair, familiar angles—but everything else set them apart. Stella's pale complexion against Sam's warm light-brown skin. Stella's soft brown eyes beside Sam's hazel ones, touched with a faint, unnatural gold.
Different.
And yet… never treated that way.
Not once.
"The doctor said you can leave tomorrow," Stella said, easing herself onto the chair beside the bed. Her voice was gentler now, but there was something careful beneath it—like she was choosing each word with intention. "So… I was thinking… maybe you could come stay with me."
The offer hung in the air.
Simple.
But heavy.
Sam's chest tightened.
"I…" Her voice faltered, barely forming. "I don't have anywhere to go."
Saying it out loud made it real. There was no home waiting for her. No father. No place that still belonged to her. Stella's expression broke instantly. Tears welled in her eyes before she could stop them, spilling over despite her quick attempt to wipe them away. She reached out, taking Sam's hand in both of hers, holding it with quiet urgency.
"You do," she said, her voice firm despite the tremor. "You always do."
Her grip tightened—not painfully, but enough to anchor.
"With me."
There was no hesitation. No doubt.
"Sam… we're family. And family doesn't let each other fall apart alone."
Something inside Sam shifted. Not healed—no, the ache was still there, deep and unyielding—but it loosened, just enough to let something else in. Warmth. Fragile. Unfamiliar.
For a moment, the emptiness receded. She wasn't alone. Not completely. But even as Stella held her hand, even as that warmth tried to take root, something colder lingered beneath it all—quiet, persistent. A hollow space that refused to close. And somewhere within that emptiness…The light from that night still waited.
-
Back to the present,
The group materialized in the desolated remains of Northbook Mall, their surroundings a nightmarish reflection of the bustling shopping center it once was. The air was thick with the pungent stench of sulfur, the unmistakable taint of the Infernal realm. Sam recoiled at the smell, her stomach twisting in protest. The very atmosphere seemed to crawl under her skin, heavy with an otherworldly presence. Broken windows, cracked floors, and burnt remnants of what had been familiar storefronts twisted the once-pristine interior into a horrifying version of itself. Flickering lights cast long, flickering shadows, distorting the space into a place that felt both unfamiliar and eerily claustrophobic. They were in the upper entrance of Delta Court, entrance three, and each of their targets was in a different location. Sam's stomach churned, memories flooding her of how Cedar Lake had been, each step she took, a reminder of the horrors the Infernal realm could bring. Sam had never wanted to return to such a place, but her mind sharpened with determination. She had to focus—Stella was waiting for them.
Rex gave a quick, sharp signal, and the group immediately split into smaller teams. Each had their assigned area to cover, each with one objective in mind. Sam, heart heavy with resolve, found herself heading toward Charlie Court on the lower floor. The stores near Court Delta were behind her and her team, and according to the intel Freya had given them from the memory orb, Stella was being held somewhere in this twisted part of the mall, within the lower floors of Charlie Court. The infernal stench grew stronger as Sam walked, the nauseating sulfur seeping into her pores. The air felt stifling, heavy with an unnatural energy. Her breath quickened as they descended into the chaos of Charlie Court, its once-bright, open layout now nothing but a maze of jagged debris and collapsed structures. The faint sound of distant snarls echoed in the corridors, sending shivers down her spine. They were close. The mall's original architecture had been warped by the Infernal presence, columns twisted like grotesque serpents, cracked tiles underfoot that shifted like they had a mind of their own. The shadows clung to the corners, stretching unnaturally long and deep, and every step Sam took was met with a sense that something was watching, waiting for a misstep.
Despite the overwhelming sense of dread, Sam's thoughts stayed fixed on the mission. Stella had been captured, and they needed to reach her before the Beast King's minions could do any more damage. Sam's heart tightened as she thought of her. Stella had always been a rock for Sam, a constant amid the chaos that was her life. Now, she was somewhere in this twisted place, vulnerable. Sam couldn't—wouldn't—let anything happen to her. Her mind went through all the things Stella had done for her. This was her chance to repay it all. As Sam pressed forward through the maze of distorted walls and flickering lights, with Rosa leading their group, she couldn't help but think of the intel Freya had provided: the Beast King was on the upper floor in Alpha Court, the location where Leon and his group was heading to, but it was clear that the Beast King's reach was far beyond that. His power was tainting the very air they breathed. Every corner seemed more menacing than the last. Just like how they had destroyed the Infernal engine to get rid of the encroachment, they would have to destroy the Infernal engine responsible for this one.
Sam's group rounded the corner sharply, finding themselves face-to-face with the remnants of Charlie Court. The once familiar stretch of the mall had been reduced to a desolate wasteland, almost unrecognizable. Broken escalators led to nothingness, their steps fractured and jagged. Shattered glass crunched ominously beneath their feet, and the remnants of storefronts that had once teemed with life now stood hollow and abandoned, suffocated under the weight of infernal corruption. The air felt thick with decay, the atmosphere heavy and suffocating. The mall's haunting silence only added to the urgency of their mission. Rosa, leading the group, quickened her pace toward the heart of the court. The sense of danger was palpable, her every instinct telling her to move faster. She couldn't afford to dwell on the horrors ahead—not with Stella so close. She had failed both Sam and Stella before, and the weight of that failure pressed heavily on her chest. But this time, she would make it right. This time, she would redeem herself. As they moved forward, Callum adjusted his grip on the weapon at his side, his senses alert and heightened. Every nerve in his body was on edge, screaming that danger was imminent. His eyes darted into the shadows, every dark corner seeming to hide an unseen threat. He couldn't shake the feeling of unease, nor could he ignore the reason he was here in the first place. Phoebe Yesh's proposal still lingered in his mind, a puzzle he couldn't quite piece together. But the chance to Awaken into Ascendanthood, to elevate his family's standing, was something he couldn't pass up. The world was on the brink of transformation, and his ascension could secure his family's place in the new order.
Trini gripped her staff tightly, her knuckles white with determination. She was ready, her body coiled with anticipation. Her Magic crest had grown exponentially since receiving it from her father, and with the opportunity to Awaken within reach, she couldn't let this chance slip away.
She had trained relentlessly since becoming a Guardian, honing her skills in Luna, pushing herself beyond her limits. But her commitment to this mission wasn't just for personal gain—she was here to help Sam. Even if it was hard to admit, there was something more beneath her determination, something she didn't want to confront yet. The mission was about more than just her own growth. It was for Sam.
Henry moved silently on Sam's side, his presence steady and reassuring. The Spellblade that Emily had enchanted for him hummed lightly at his side, its automatic spells ready to be unleashed. His gratitude toward Emily fueled his resolve, and the weight of the blade felt both like a gift and a responsibility.
He was ready for the trial ahead, for whatever challenges they might face in the heart of the infernal encroachment. His thoughts were focused, not just on the weapon or the mission, but on the path that had brought him here. This was their moment to stand together. They couldn't afford to falter. Not now. The group pressed forward, every step heavier than the last as they ventured deeper into the corrupted Charlie Court. The darkness seemed to close in around them, but there was no turning back now. They were committed. And no matter the trials they faced, they would face them as one.
As they moved deeper into the mall, the distant sound of battle echoed from the upper court, where Rex and the others had gone to confront the Accursed King. The clash of steel and the roar of unnatural forces reverberated through the air, a grim reminder of the perilous task ahead.
****
Sirius, the Beast King, lounged atop a grotesque throne crafted from the shattered bones of his victims. The remains of the humans—Agents of Golden Dawn who had dared to come searching for Stella McCoy—had been twisted and arranged into a nightmarish display of his cruelty.
Rib cages interlocked to form the backrest, while fractured skulls adorned the armrests, their hollow eye sockets staring blankly into the void. Femurs and spines twisted unnaturally to complete the structure, their jagged ends protruding like the fangs of some unholy beast. Dried blood clung to the yellowed remains, the metallic stench mingling with the suffocating sulfuric air of the infernal realm.
The throne itself exuded an aura of menace, a macabre monument to Sirius's insatiable hunger and the horror he left in his wake. Each bone seemed meticulously placed, not out of respect for the dead but as a deliberate message of dominance and terror. It wasn't just a throne—it was a declaration of power, a twisted masterpiece of death and despair.
Sirius's form was massive, his grotesque features shrouded in a haze of shadow that seemed to cling to him like a second skin. His fur, a deep, matted orange, shimmered faintly with an unnatural light as if infused with the energy of the Infernal realm itself. His claws, long and razor-sharp, idly tapped against the armrest, the sound echoing in the oppressive silence like the ticking of some monstrous clock.
His eyes burned like molten gold, twin orbs of malice that pierced through the darkness with an unsettling intensity. A sharp, guttural smile spread across his twisted maw, revealing rows of jagged teeth stained with the blood of those who had tried to oppose him. Sirius shifted slightly, his enormous frame sinking deeper into the throne of bones. His movements were deliberate, almost lazy, as though he had no reason to fear anything—or anyone—that dared to enter his domain. He radiated an aura of primal savagery, a predator at the pinnacle of the food chain.
Around him, the court was a scene of pure, unrelenting horror. The floor was littered with the remnants of his feast—shredded clothing, splintered weapons, and pools of congealed blood. The walls of the ruined mall bore deep claw marks, and in the faint, flickering light, it almost seemed as if the shadows themselves recoiled from his presence. The air was thick with the stench of decay, sulfur, and raw terror, making it nearly impossible to breathe. Sirius's smile widened as he tilted his head back slightly, the guttural rumble of a chuckle escaping his throat.
It was a sound that resonated with cruel amusement and an almost childlike glee at the suffering he had wrought. His gaze swept over the court as if savoring the desolation and death that surrounded him. He was the undisputed ruler of this corrupted domain, and his throne of bones was a testament to his brutality. As he leaned back against the throne, Sirius's guttural voice rumbled through the air, low and dripping with malice.
"They are coming," he mused, almost to himself, his voice a mixture of a growl and a sneer. The scene was a living nightmare, the sheer weight of Sirius's presence enough to unnerve even the bravest of souls. The Beast King was not just a monster—he was a force of nature, an apex predator in a realm where his enemies were nothing more than prey.
Before Sirius stood an obsidian shard, jagged and unnervingly smooth, a dark monolith that pulsed faintly with an eerie inner light. The shard served as the Beast King's eye, a tool of control that allowed him to survey every corner of his corrupted domain. Shadows rippled and danced across its surface, forming shifting images of the mall's desolation and the intruders who had dared to trespass.
Each flicker revealed a new angle: Sam's group creeping through the ruins of Charlie Court, Rex, and his team battling their way through the upper levels, and the spread of infernal corruption tightening its grip on the mall. Before the throne of bones knelt Sirius's trusted Generals, the twisted few who had earned his confidence through cruelty, cunning, and unflinching loyalty.
The three remaining Abominations bowed low, their grotesque forms illuminated by the dim glow of the shard. They were monstrous amalgamations of beasts and nightmares, each exuding a distinct aura of dread that filled the room.
Kiara, the Bat Abomination, was a towering figure draped in leathery wings that seemed too vast for her skeletal frame. Her elongated limbs ended in talons that twitched with impatience, and her hollow, sunken eyes gleamed with a hunger that could never be sated. Her shriveled, bat-like face twisted into a grin as she stole glances at the shard, the thought of new prey making her shudder with delight. Gone was the eerie, strange, frightening beauty she had when she fought Rosa. Only horror and savagery were left.
Rhyka, the Wolf Abomination, stood rigid and poised, a hulking mass of fur and muscle. His elongated snout, lined with jagged teeth, dripped with saliva as he snarled softly, the sound vibrating through the room. His glowing, ember-like eyes remained fixed on Sirius, waiting for his master's command. The deep scars etched into his hide told the story of countless battles, each one a badge of his savagery and dominance.
Patau, the Ape Abomination, knelt with his massive hands pressed into the cracked floor. His grotesquely muscular body quivered with barely contained rage, his blackened fur matted with dried blood. His bulbous, fiery red eyes darted between his master and the shard, his massive jaw clenched in anticipation. Patau's presence radiated brute force, a primal power that threatened to crush anything in his path.
The absence of Geb, the fourth General, hung heavy in the air—a silent reminder of Leonard Haravok's handiwork in Cedar Lake. Sirius's lips curled into a sneer at the thought, a flicker of irritation passing through his golden eyes before he dismissed it. Geb had been weak, and weakness had no place in his court. As the shard projected images of the intruders sneaking through his territory, Sirius leaned forward slightly, his enormous frame casting a shadow over the kneeling Abominations. His guttural voice rumbled through the court like distant thunder.
"They come," he said, his tone dripping with disdain, "like insects scurrying into the maw of a predator. They think they can take what is mine." Kiara's wings twitched, her raspy voice dripping with malice.
"They are fools, my King. Shall we teach them the meaning of despair?" She whispered.
Rhyka growled in agreement, his claws scraping the ground. "They will not leave this place alive."
Patau's fists tightened, cracking the stone beneath him. "Let me crush them, Majesty. Their screams will echo through your domain." Sirius's sharp-toothed grin widened, revealing rows of jagged teeth. His molten eyes burned with cruel satisfaction as he gestured toward the shard, watching as the images shifted to show each group's progress.
"Patience," he growled, his voice a low rumble that reverberated through the chamber. "Let the Asha'yee and her friends come closer. Let her believe they have hope." He leaned back against his grotesque throne, his claws tapping rhythmically against the armrest. "And when the time is right, I will show her the futility of her existence." The Abominations bowed their heads lower, their monstrous forms trembling with anticipation. The Beast King's domain was alive with malice, and the intruders had no idea of the horrors awaiting them. Sirius's laughter echoed through the court, a sound that promised suffering and death to all who dared defy him.
****
As soon as Rex and his group separated from the others, they encountered a throng of Mid-Rank Abominations blocking their path. These grotesque humanoid creatures were horrifying amalgamations of beast and man, their disjointed forms armed with jagged swords and spiked shields caked in dark ichor. Their glowing, empty eyes fixated on the intruders with unnerving malice, while guttural growls and raspy breaths echoed through the ruined corridor. The Abominations moved with a twisted semblance of discipline, forming a crude line that stretched across the hall. Each step they took toward Rex's group sent shivers through the air, their warped bodies brimming with unnatural energy. It was clear they had been stationed here deliberately, their sole purpose to delay and weaken anyone who dared to trespass. Rex's gaze swept over the creatures, his jaw tightening.
"Mid-Ranks," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "Enough to slow us down if we're not careful." Emily, standing at his side, clenched her twin daggers, her expression grim. "They're buying time for the Beast King. We can't let them keep us here."
"We won't," Rex replied firmly, his eyes narrowing. "Stay focused. We push through."
The Abominations hissed and snarled in response, their weapons raised as they prepared to charge. The corridor filled with tension as the two groups faced off, the sense of impending violence thick in the air.