All-Nighter

*Today or tomorrow, I will be uploading this story to Wattpad due to its success on this website (My username, since BassGuru is taken, will be fortisimo. Yeah. Also, recommend this story to your buddies who also like RT, it'd be doing me (and them ;D) a favor.

Ryan slammed the table excitedly. It was near 2 AM, and Ryan was the only one up, sitting at a table, books spread across it. He had finally found a written account of what the survivors of a research team had seen in the Altar before dying in the hospital of sheer fear for what they claimed to be 'The Bane of the World'. The two scientists who had survived had completely different descriptions of the beast within the Altar. One claimed that it looked like a huge 10-foot spider with wings, while one claimed that it looked like his wife that had died just months before. The doctors wrote them down as insane, and their accounts were completely disregarded. Until now, of course, when Ryan came along, insanity overcoming him. He read over the story a million times. The men had not remembered any of the journey, only the creature and a flash of light, before they were found out cold outside the Altar.

'Obviously, a godly entity resides in the Altar…' Ryan thought to himself. 'They might just be insane, but what would make them go insane? Hmmm…'

Ryan shook his head, confused. 'How could the Pimponians create such an entity, which could shape-shift? I doubt from the research team's detailed account that they were hallucinating…'

Ryan bookmarked the page, and closed it. He yawned, and stretched, looking outside the hotel window. The city was below him. It certainly wasn't as flashy as Vale, what with dirt roads and houses built like huts. They must be very power hungry, if the government wants them to stay away from aura. Ryan wondered if a coup d'état had forced them into this strict system. It would be likely, power was always something one held tenaciously to. The president of the country had been in power for nearly 56 years, it would be no wonder if someone wanted to oust him. Ryan, lost in his thoughts, had not heard Gavin creep into the room. Gavin, rubbing his eyes, had also failed to see Ryan, at first.

"AHHH!" Gavin screamed as Ryan came into focus. Ryan suddenly bolted around.

"WH-WHAT IS IT?" He screamed paranoidly. Gavin exhaled, covering his chest dramatic.

"No, you just gave me a little jump, that's all."

Ryan shook his head and turned back to his books. Gavin frowned.

"I'll help you." He said as he pulled a chair besides Ryan. Ryan ignored him, and continued to read. Gavin shrugged, and pulled a pile of books toward him.

The unlikely duo remained at work for nearly an hour, reading up on the Altar. They were just about to wrap up when Gavin gasped dramatically, reading a book.

He covered his mouth, and his eyes widened in shock. Ryan eyed Gavin.

"What is it?" He slowly and carefully asked. Gavin pushed the book towards Ryan, looking real spooked. It was titled 'Myths and Legends of Weoeras.' The text and the pages were worn and old, but the story Gavin had just read was still intact. It went as follows:

In the year prior to Weoeras induction into the International United Nations, an experiment was conducted in the forbidden Altar of Pimps. No one was allowed to enter, due to a high fatality rate, but the rules were set aside for one summer day, when Pongo, a Weorian Puffigan dog, was selected to participate in an experiment in which an animal would enter the Altar. Puffigans are well known for entering complex cave systems and coming out alive, as well as going far enough to explore the caves, so this breed of dog was perfect for the job. The dog entered the Altar with a set of assistants, and once the dog made it far enough in (without it getting dangerous), the assistants would leave the Altar. The research team that set up the experiment waited a day. The dog was never seen, so they abandoned post and called the experiment quits. It was almost a week before Pongo was spotted in a nearby village, his eyes clouded with white smoke, his mouth foaming. His legs trembled uneasily. By the time authorities reached the town, Pongo was dead. The townspeople were terrified, but not because of the dog. According to them, the dog had spoken. It had only said one thing.

I want to die.

Ryan closed the book, a chill sent down his spine as he read the last words. Gavin shook his head in disgust.

"Ryan, why are we going in there?" He asked frantically. Ryan held his head in his hands.

"We must." He muttered. Gavin sighed.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Ryan." Gavin stuttered as he got up and walked out of the room, leaving Ryan alone.

Was it worth it putting his teammates in danger to save his life-long friend? Was it really worth the lives of the children who had foolishly tagged along?

These were the questions that raced through Ryan's mind as he sat in the middle of the room. He slammed the table in frustration. There was that voice, again. The voice nagging you. The Devil in your head, the temptation to do wrong, to go against the rules.

Ryan, it's for your lifelong friend, who do these fools mean to you? They've only ever insulted you…

But combating that evil little devil was the angel in your head.

Who are they? They've fought alongside you, saved your life a couple times. How can you not call them friends? What kind of monster are you?

Ryan sat, hesitating for a moment, thinking of the outcome of his choice here. He can continue to convince his friends that what they're doing is right, or he could tell them the truth. Ryan sat for nearly ten minutes contemplating the pros and cons of each choice. After those brutally long minutes of thought, Ryan came to a conclusion. He stood up, looked out the window, and smiled wickedly. Edgar would be in his hands soon, and although the bodies of his friends might surround him, Edgar would still be there.

Edgar.

*Whoa, super-duper serious chapter, eh? Man, I'm writing in complete darkness, so it was really unnerving to write this. Anyway, hope you enjoyed.