In Elysium, the Eyes watched over the sacred ground and the mortal plane. They were watchers nothing more. Observers but never full-time interlopers. When they did they only appeared in dreams. Only offering drabbles of prophecy, knowledge, and warnings. The Elysium Eyes were in one way guardians of the world. Never seeking to change life in the world until one millennia ago.
One such Elysium Eye saw fit to change the world at first only having good intentions for the world. That line of thinking, of interference, forced the Elysium Eyes to banish their intentional Eye to a place of darkness. A complete opposite of both Elysium and the world. The once known as an Elysium Eye was now known as the Void. The Void stayed there as it wallowed in the darkness.
Slowly coming to terms with its new realm. Learning the secrets of the realm becoming a god in its world.
Time spent there caused the Void to turn hateful of its former brethren and the world it looked to improve. Now? It only wanted the world to burn, to descend into madness and chaos. It filled the minds of the world's inhabitants with nightmares. Doing so caused the world to turn to war until such a time when peace was found. The Void seethed in frustration until it found a man with a dark twisted mind. One I.D. Hatebreak.
The Void would start small making this man a psychopath. It filled the man's head with all manner of dark gods, creatures, and spirits. Then came a day where the Void asked for one thing in return, the blood of the innocent. Hatebreak entranced by his master snuck out into the night looking for a victim. Then Hatebreak found someone, a woman, who had just said goodbye to her boyfriend before walking home. Hatebreak stalked her until striking. Stabbing, slashing, breaking, and cutting the woman apart. She was not going to make it even as she showed up in the hospital. The Void saw fit to reward Hatebreak for what he did
but then noticed the boyfriend. Stricken with grief and wanting to do anything to bring her back.
Oh yes, the Void would be able to work with this.
The Void began haunting the man infecting his dreams with promises of breaking the barriers of life and death. The man driven mad with obsession as he got to work. Creating devices that would be capable of transportation between the normal world and the world of the dead. Devices are used to broadcast channels and supply entertainment to the masses. But the devices made by Mono's company were so much more. They supplied the Void another means to create chaos subtly because they were created to travel to its realm and back.
Then came the construction of the Tower a large metal framed tower with a massive TV at the top. The Signal being Broadcasted grabbing everyone's attention as Mono begins the experiment.
Mono enters the Void for the first time and the two meet face to face. Mono begs and commands the Void to grant him the promised power. The Void agrees to give the first Mono to control reality and flesh. Mono then uses his power to pull Veronica out from the afterlife. Not knowing that Veronica was in Elysium and pulling her through the Void was the biggest mistake of his life.
Mono leaves the Tower TV with a revived Veronica. He faces Veronica embracing when she says she's sorry. Not understanding why until Mono sees three massive claws come from out his chest. Veronica flees using an ability the Void granted her.
The ability to bend souls to her will. The Monster tears Mono apart and then flees.
Employees and medics go to try and keep the legless Mono alive and then chaos ensues. Mono with his new powers bending flesh to his will begins absorbing the crowd into him quickly losing the sense of who he was just that he didn't die. Using the left behind bones the Tower begins building the brickwork shielding itself from the world. The Void has no use for the lost soul after all it's a god in its realm. What more could it want other than entertainment from an idiotic world?
The Tower then begins using the Broadcast for itself drawing in the people of the Pale City. Most fall under the thrall of the TVs and the Void and Tower work in tandem. The Tower begins absorbing the flesh into their being while the Void uses the Broadcast to transform them into monsters as well. Even those who escaped the thrall turn into monsters thanks to the Void's interference.
Hunter, Teacher, Doctor, Viewers, Eavesdroppers, One Lady Band, Goon, Janitor, and so on. All monsters from the Void and Tower's work. Only children stay untransformed, untouched their dreams protected by the Elysium Eyes.
The Tower then finds a way for immortality. Using the ability to warp reality it bends time backward and forwards repeatedly. Using the tragedy of their earlier lives to fuel the Cycle. The Veronica gets "taken" at first it was an amalgamation monster of flesh. The next Mono rescues the next Veronica and the next Veronica betrays Mono. The Tower then sees what its powers do to the next Mono. Time spent near it and its powers alter and age the boy much faster. By doing so the Tower can feed of the Thin Man's power. At the same time, the Thin Man unknowingly helps the Tower by using its powers to broadcast his prison to the next Mono. And so, the Cycle begins. Messing with these forces of nature also causes elementals to awaken. The world is gifted monsters like the North Wind.
The first Lady flees to the MAW aka Men And Women. A resort for the wealthy, a home away from the rest of the world. She becomes the mistress there. The Tower wanting to get rid of the next Veronica uses their powers to create an unending hole in the next Veronica's stomach. Never hungry always wanting to eat. The MAW receives a cycle of its own Two, Tri, Four, and Cinca. Each sequent Veronica adds a new monster to the MAW. Two leads to the introduction of the Nomes using her powers. Tri nurtures the first two twins helping them grow into perfect monsters ready for killing and preparing meat, Four leads onto hiring the Janitor and the Ferryman, and Cinca promotes the use of children in the meat and the ferocity of the guests, free to give into their feral greedy nature.
The Void watches on as the world slowly delves deeper into chaos. Able to watch increasingly as the affected insane draw eyes on the walls and the Void can see through them.
And then came our Mono and Six.
The Void watches as Mono and Six destroy the Tower bringing it to its metaphorical knees. It watches as the two make their journey through the Revenant Town. As the Monster swallows Six whole and watches the most recent Mono uses his powers to utterly obliterate it. The Void then tries convincing Mono to build another Tower to protect Six when it's just to further ensure chaos.
However, when Mono questions himself on the scene being familiar with the Elysium Eyes finally interject showing Mono the events before. Mono in his fear and rage destroys all TVs in the world limiting the ways the Void can alter the world.
The Void now realizes it can't seduce Mono or Six to do its bidding so he turns his attention back to the static remnant of the Tower. It turns its attention to the Tower's destination, The MAW.
The Maw
All over the prison of the MAW, the Janitor wanders. Its face peeled down from the many itches in its skull. The addiction to the TV like a drug to the Janitor. Until about a few days ago when the TV exploded the Janitor clutching his bleeding hand when a few fingers came flying off from a flung shard of glass. He complained to the Lady about it but she couldn't care less. If not, she would've laughed harder now that the TV was destroyed. So, he continued his work holding one of the squirming children in his long arms. Getting ready to send it away into the kitchen. Special meat did not deserve to spoil like that.
In the sublevels of the uninhabitable, The Granny lies in wait. Waiting for a poor unfortunate soul to see her in her submerged world. One thing of interest happened a few days ago as well. On an old TV, the Granny didn't know where it came from nor how long it stood there but it exploded. The Granny didn't think too much more about it as she returned to her slumber. Eagerly awaiting the day, she could spend time with a child again.
In the kitchens of the MAW, a pair of chefs were busy at work. Both were monsters as they weren't human. The masks they wore on their faces only a means to disguise themselves amongst the Guests when the need arose.
They had just received the latest meat from the Janitor and were now handling the food. The meat screamed for only a second as the cleaver in the chef's hand quickly dropped down with a thunk. Ending the screams of the meat. Then the dessert bell rings and the two chefs look at each other. The Lady has finished early today consuming the Guests' souls now leaving them husks of meat. The twins didn't care much as they respected the Lady for their strength. If she were anything but, the twins would not listen to her.
The Guests lay on the floor unmoving. Any semblance of life within them disappeared in the calm retreating figure. Every one of them either clutching their chest or their throat before they made that last exhale before leaving the mortal plane.
The chefs come up and then gradually gather all the plump fat bodies of meat on the floor. They'll be taken to the grinder room for the meat to be prepared for the next Guests due in three months.
Taking the elevator Cinca contemplates the latest news concerning the TVs in the MAW. She restrains herself from laughing too hard when Roger tells her that the TV exploded in his face. Speaking of which Cinca would need to replace his sagging face. She hadn't heard from the hospital in a while concerning the masks she needed for her employees but over the past two weeks, there wasn't a peep from them. The chefs seemed to be acting normal as usual. Same for the Guests, such wonderful entertainment as they tore children apart, but more useful to her were their souls. Such wonderful nourishment. As she rode up the elevator she was pulled out of her thoughts as she felt something. No, more like she sensed something, a presence she's not felt since….
She tensed up smoke curling from her fingertips as she entered her quarters. Going up the flight of stairs into her bedroom to see a curious sight that filled her with rage. Sitting in the chair next to her vanity was a static version of the Thin Man. Pretending that he was looking at himself in the mirror.
"gOttA lOvE thE vIEw cIncA! dEfInItElY hAs thE chArm Of A mOnstEr."
"YOU!"
Cinca flung out her hand, a dark cloud of smoke appeared around the Tower's body.
"nOw hOld On A sEc, I dIdn't cOmE hErE jUst sO YOU cOUld kIll mE. I cAmE hErE tO dElIvEr A mEssAgE."
Cinca didn't let go of the Tower only glaring at him in response.
"It tUrns Out YOU wErE tAkIng tOO lOng gEtting tO hEll sO I'vE dEcIdEd tO cOmE bAck And drAg YOU bAck mYsElf."
Cinca clenched her fist as the Tower finished that thought. The Tower felt its static form slowly beginning to disappear. It knew Cinca wasn't just going to let him walk free, not after the mental torture. He had to finish his warning fast.
"thIs tImE I'm nOt AlOnE, I'm brIngIng sOmEOnE wIth mE. sOmEOnE rEMARKABLY sIMILAR tO YOU."
The Tower wasn't able to finish his words anymore as Cinca made a tearing motion with her arms and the Tower finally dissipated into the air with a twisted grin on its face.
In the Void
The Tower looked around at its surroundings only to look up and see the Void Eye staring right down at him. The Void Eye only blinked at him before disappearing. The Tower slowly wandered around the Void as it walked for eternity. Then to their left, they heard a small, "Hey!" and a small, "Oi" to their right. Making a choice the Tower began chasing the small static versions of Mono and Six. Not realizing that he passed the threshold of life and death.
Not realizing that this was his life forever now.
Continuously chasing down static versions of Mono and Six the two children that ruined him.
Back on the MAW
Furniture tossed and wrecked as black smoke filled the entirety of the room. In the center stood the Lady who panicked at the mere thought of Mono returning. At the same time hatred filled her with the possibility of snapping his neck for the last time.
Another kid could be seen crawling out of a hole in the wall. Cinca turns her head in rage and flings out the glass shards surrounding her towards the child. The child doesn't even have time to register this as the shard chops the kid's head off.
Cinca slumps down in the chair that the Tower sat in just a few seconds ago. She plucked the mask off her face feeling her face. The folds of wrinkles lining her face, her eyes sunken from time, and her skin the color of chalk.
'He's back and now he's got an ally. If he's the reason the TV exploded then he must be much more powerful than before. So now I've got two problems to deal with.'
She was taken out of her thoughts when a small tune began to play around her quarters. Rising from her chair she walked over to her music box only to find that it was inactive. Listening closer she realized it wasn't the sound of her current music box but rather the sound of the one from her "childhood." Following she walked into the stairwell, slowly descending the stairwell placing the mask on her face. She followed the sound to a painting on the wall. One of a massive eyeball that appeared to be… shimmering. Looking closer she could have sworn she could a plethora of colors flashing in the normally black and white painting. Then she heard a voice,
"Remain calm, this is not the first time this has happened Cinca. You have followed this path to the MAW. Your Hunger allowing you to become stronger than before. Do you wish to kill Mono and the next you, Six? Merely listen to me and I shall grant you new abilities you didn't have access to."
Cinca listened intently as the painting spoke in her mind. Speaking of plans, filling her in on the Cycle, what abilities the Void could grant her.
Internally, the Void smiled to itself using this puppet would be all too easy.
Outskirts of the Port City
Mono and Six were still talking to each other as they rode Jabali. Both had completely forgiven each other of all past transgressions were now chatting happily. Still asking questions about each other, the two grow closer with each question asked.
"Okay so Six, did you ever hate any type of food while growing up?"
"Vegetables, but that may have been my Hunger always demanding meat all the time. So, when we get to the MAW I'd like to see if my tastes are different. Now I ask you the same question."
"Hmm, I gotta say I've never been a major fan of fish, but I'm always willing to try some on the MAW."
Jabali was happily trotting along the dirt road path. Enjoying the sun on his fur as the two chatted on and on. The forest they had been traveling through was massive. Mono and Six didn't think their whole trip aside from that one chase by the North Wind would've taken them through the forest.
"Okay, I've got another one Six, when is your birthday?"
"That's easy to answer I was born April 28th. That's when the stork dropped me off. What is your Mono?"
"I was simply born February 11th and…" Mono paused for a second, "Stork? What do you mean by that?"
"Oh, whenever I asked my parents where I came from before they told me a stork dropped me off and flew away. Did you never ask your mother where you came from?"
"I never gave it too much thought. I just figured I was asleep and then I woke up."
Jabali walked out into a forest opening and Mono and Six could see out in the distance. The ocean far out but right in front of the ocean was a city. This was it they were getting close to their destination.
"There it is! Let's go Jabali!" Six said patting him on the back. Jabali hurried up their pace to the ever-towering city. Its shadow looming over them as they got closer and closer to the city entrance.
"So, Six, you never told me what the other city was like. Is it about as empty as the Pale City or is packed?"
"Right so, the Port City is quite full of people. From what I understand the MAW and sequentially the Ferryman show up in Port cities all over the world. Each city, save for the Pale City, is full of the same type of citizens. Those who indulged in their desires mainly hunger. They're a fat bunch who especially love to eat children."
"Would they eat anything they see on sight that wasn't another citizen or guest?"
"Yeah basically, they eat citizens or guests if they're dead too."
Mono kinda zoned out after Six's confirmation ignoring the dead citizen bit. He looked down at Jabali who was still dashing ahead getting closer and closer to the city. Mono fingered the symbol around his neck before looking back up when Six asked him something.
"Are you okay?"
To which Mono answered by hopping off Jabali, having to take a few steps from momentum.
"What are you doing Mono? We're so close to the city."
"I'm not sacrificing Jabali just so we can get there faster. He's done so much for us I'm not letting him die like that."
Six sat there contemplating his words before nodding as well. She too hopped off Jabali and the boar turned around kneeling for them to hop back on.
Mono looked into the Boar's six eyes beaming friendliness. Mono shed a small tear as he took off the Ferryman's symbol. Six took a few steps back as Mono's powers flared up around his hand. He walked calmly toward Jabali his hand still covered in static on the Boar's head. Concentrating he began broadcasting his command to the boar. The Boar's eyes also turned to static as the connection was made.
'Thank you for being a wonderful traveling companion, but now the time has come for us to go our separate ways. I hereby command you to go home, find a new singularity, and live a long life.'
Mono slowly withdrew his hand watching the static fade away from Jabali's eyes. Jabali looked sad as it walked up to both Six and Mono. The two of them giving Jabali one last pet on his head. Jabali grunting out one last time before turning around and walking back to the forest.
"Do you think he'll be alright Mono?" Six said while crying.
Mono looked down at her while he put the necklace back around his neck, "I do Six, Jabali's a survivor any group of boars would be lucky to have him."
Mono offered his hand to Six who grasped it warmly. Then they both heard a horn in the distance. Both looking at each other.
"That was fast, guess the boat to the MAW's already here. Let's go!"
Six began running toward the city before Mono held her back.
"Hold on a second Six, you just said these monsters will eat anything on sight. Let's go but be careful about it, okay?"
The two began walking into the city sticking to the shadows as they watched the huge crowd of people slowly disappear from view. Once they crossed the threshold of the city it was like all happiness had disappeared from the world. The shadows filled the concrete roads, only electric lights illuminated the sky above. The black brickwork of the buildings painting an even more miserable mood around them. The one thing they at least considered nice was that no one was around the two of them so at least they weren't being chased by anyone.
That is until a large meaty hand grabbed Mono by the waist, pinning his arms to the sides and lifted him to their mouth. Mono began struggling as he was being brought closer to the Citizen's plump face. The cheeks dragged down by gravity, their mouth puckered in a weird smile, and their small eyes glittered in greed. Six turned quickly using her powers to begin killing the Citizen. Mono bit the Citizen's hand hard drawing blood. The Citizen didn't have much time to register the pain as their soul left them falling in a heap.
The two then dive into a sewer grate with Mono catching his breath after being crushed like that.
"Are you alright Mono?" Six pulled him into a hug using her powers to heal his bruised ribs.
"Blargh!" Mono heaved over bile erupting from his mouth. "GAH! Remind never to bite into someone's hand like that. THAT… was disgusting!"
Six looks at her hand still emitting smoke, "You know… what if I just continuously killed every Citizen on the way to the docks? That way we wouldn't have to worry about them."
"If we do that Six there may be a chance that the ship will just leave immediately along with the Ferryman. I don't think the MAW would come to an empty rotting city."
Six sighed, "Very well, Mono but at least now that we're down here we should be able to rush to the docks."
Both taking a jog as they walked down the sewers. Taking caution to breathe through their mouths as the rancid smell once again nauseated them. Grime lining the canal of waste, this time however there were no Eels so at least there was that. It felt like an hour to them as they didn't stop running ever onward. The light off in the distance only getting closer showing they were getting closer.
Light blinding their eyes as they finally got out of the grate. Standing on the edge of the pipe they saw a miserable sight. The cruise liner responsible for the collection of Guests to the MAW was already out in the distance. While the remaining Citizens started walking back towards the city disappointed they didn't get to go to the MAW this time. Mono got Six's attention as he pointed out in the distance.
While not as far as the cruise liner was a small rowboat. A massive figure was seen rowing the boat with a large face that reached down to their waist. They could also see another passenger in the boat. A small child couldn't see many details but they did know this. The Ferryman already left with a child. Frantically Mono and Six began calling out to get the Ferryman's attention. Unfortunately, either their voices were too soft or he was too far away.
"So… we missed our chance," Mono said as a small amount of hope left him.
"Not yet Mono," Six said before gesturing to a toll booth that sat in between the city and the docks. Slowly vacated by another citizen as they walked back to town.
"Maybe that booth has a schedule so we can see when the next ship is due."
Nodding to that they carefully clambered out of the pipe jutting out of the cliff. Carefully shuffling over the rocky cliffside and making back onto stable ground. Both snuck into the toll booth. The box was stinking of cigarette smoke and broken wind. As bad as the sewers but not quite. Offering Mono a boost up to the desk Six waited patiently for Mono to find something. Only for a clipboard to come clattering down in front of her with Mono following suit. A frustrated expression on his face as he glowered down at it. Six not understanding why until she looked down.
The next ship due for the MAW would not be due for another three years. Six weighed the options in her head. Should they just stay here waiting for the next ship or just chance it and leave the city in hopes of catching another city?
"Well, this was a bust. We're going to have to leave because I don't want to stay in a city where everything's trying to kill us." Mono already made the decision.
"Wait Mono, perhaps it would be best for us to stay here and wait. Here, at least we know what to expect as compared to what may be out there as well."
Mono contemplated the options understanding her reasoning when another thought crossed his mind.
"Well, then where are we going to stay? Even though the sewers were empty I refuse to stay there."
"Definitely not Mono, if this is the same city I arrived in after leaving the Tower and…" trailing off looking at Mono.
"It's fine Six I've been over that for a while now."
"Right so anyway the building I arrived at was completely abandoned. A little run-down but it can work for a nice shelter."
"Alright let's go."