Arcus 83
I had been probing into the Auris' vast contents last night, as per usual, when I stumbled into an unexpected collection of memories. I, a man who has contemplated scenes of unspeakable mayhem, orchestrated by some of the cruellest and most vitriolic minds known to the universe, was genuinely taken by surprise when the Auris showed me the maw of a giant hound seen through the eyes of a cat.
At first, I thought it was the whiskey. Either that or my decaying sanity had finally slipped into a state of delirium. Perhaps it was both. Most likely both. But further observation gradually edged me to put my glass down and focus on understanding the unusual collection of memories on display. The scenery consisted mostly of forests, mountain ranges and interconnected burrows, all of them as bleak as any realm produced by The Entity. Those realms also lacked any of the man-made architecture that is present at the other trials I've witnessed. The generators and the exit gates had been replaced by a completely different system, but I was unable to decipher it in my drunken stupor.
I also observed the cats being hunted down by all sorts of predators. Foxes, wolves, giant hawks and badgers. I vividly remember spotting a cougar hiding in the shadows, although the cat that granted me that memory failed to take notice of its stalker until it was too late.
I stayed up, entranced by the strangeness of these beastly trials- as I now call them, with their feline survivors and animalistic killers, until I could no longer keep my eyes open. I fell asleep in my chair and woke up only an hour or two ago.
Now that I've taken the time to process the discovery, it's certainly an interesting new perspective on the nature of The Entity's appetite. That being has sunk its claws into so many terra worlds, claiming countless men, women and children for its trials, and yet I had never considered that it could have easily done the same with animals. After all, one of the emotions that The Entity feeds off of the most is one that all living beings share: The fear of death.
Perhaps we are The Entity's main course while the animals are more of a light meal, or morsels, as their minds are incapable of the same range of emotions as we are. However, something tells me there is more to that theory. The memories from those cats seemed to be packed with as many complex thoughts and concepts as any human survivor. There were societal systems present within those feline minds. Ranks, rules, a sense of comradery- even their names had a special meaning to them if I remember correctly.
It's all a blur now, but I will continue investigating the matter tonight without the involvement of whiskey. If the exploration doesn't bring me anything of particular value, at least it will be a much-needed diversion from the incessant research that I still need to go through in order to uncover the mysteries of The Entity.