WARNING: O5 Approval Required

The file you are attempting to access is available to personnel with Level 5/4001 clearance only. This clearance is not included within the general Level 5 security protocol.

BY SCROLLING DOWN, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR CONSENT TO EXPOSURE TO A KNOWN COGNITOHAZARDOUS IMAGE. SCROLLING DOWN WITHOUT PROPER INOCULATION WILL RESULT IN SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES.

Attempting access beyond this point without clearance is grounds for termination of Foundation employment and cancellation of all educational, medical, retirement, and mortality benefits. In the event of incapacitation or worse by the cognitohazard below due to lack of inoculation, and thus an attempt at unauthorized access, this console will become inoperable, and automated viral agents will disable access to your Foundation account, bank accounts, social media, emails, and any other aspects of your online identity. In the unlikely event of survival, security personnel will be dispatched to detain and escort you to a secure site. You will be interrogated under truth-extracting memetic agents, then likely terminated.

CONSIDER YOURSELF WARNED

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COGNITOHAZARD LOADING…

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F̷͙̱̝͕̥̐ͨ̅E̠̥̣̅̊̌͑͘A̜̱͙̯̗̾̐͌͟R̛̜̻̀͑ͫͨ ̷̜͇̱̘̭͎͉̾Tͩͤ҉̩̖H̢̝͍̳ͩE̢̝̤͔̘̍ͣ͑ ̵͔͇͕̫̲̇̈́L̷̠̣̗̰̻̩̹̋ͅĮ̱̼̰̹͔͋̿͐̊Ǵ̡͕͕͇̹̐̔H̸̥̗̤͎̟̗̏̀̓ͪT ̵̱̗̞͉̦̝̱͇ͨ͑̌F̷͙̱̝͕̥̐ͨ̅E̠̥̣̅̊̌͑͘A̜̱͙̯̗̾̐͌͟R̛̜̻̀͑ͫͨ ̷̜͇̱̘̭͎͉̾Tͩͤ҉̩̖H̢̝͍̳ͩE̢̝̤͔̘̍ͣ͑ ̵͔͇͕̫̲̇̈́L̷̠̣̗̰̻̩̹̋ͅĮ̱̼̰̹͔͋̿͐̊Ǵ̡͕͕͇̹̐̔H̸̥̗̤͎̟̗̏̀̓ͪT ̵̱̗̞͉̦̝̱͇ͨ͑̌F̷͙̱̝͕̥̐ͨ̅E̠̥̣̅̊̌͑͘A̜̱͙̯̗̾̐͌͟R̛̜̻̀͑ͫͨ ̷̜͇̱̘̭͎͉̾Tͩͤ҉̩̖H̢̝͍̳ͩE̢̝̤͔̘̍ͣ͑ ̵͔͇͕̫̲̇̈́L̷̠̣̗̰̻̩̹̋ͅĮ̱̼̰̹͔͋̿͐̊Ǵ̡͕͕͇̹̐̔H̸̥̗̤͎̟̗̏̀̓ͪT ̵̱̗̞͉̦̝̱͇ͨ͑̌F̷͙̱̝͕̥̐ͨ̅E̠̥̣̅̊̌͑͘A̜̱͙̯̗̾̐͌͟R̛̜̻̀͑ͫͨ ̷̜͇̱̘̭͎͉̾Tͩͤ҉̩̖H̢̝͍̳ͩE̢̝̤͔̘̍ͣ͑ ̵͔͇͕̫̲̇̈́L̷̠̣̗̰̻̩̹̋ͅĮ̱̼̰̹͔͋̿͐̊Ǵ̡͕͕͇̹̐̔H̸̥̗̤͎̟̗̏̀̓ͪṮ̵̗̞͉̦̝̱͇ͨ͑̌ F̷͙̱̝͕̥̐ͨ̅E̠̥̣̅̊̌͑͘A̜̱͙̯̗̾̐͌͟R̛̜̻̀͑ͫͨ ̷̜͇̱̘̭͎͉̾Tͩͤ҉̩̖H̢̝͍̳ͩE̢̝̤͔̘̍ͣ͑ ̵͔͇͕̫̲̇̈́L̷̠̣̗̰̻̩̹̋ͅĮ̱̼̰̹͔͋̿͐̊Ǵ̡͕͕͇̹̐̔H̸̥̗̤͎̟̗̏̀̓ͪṮ̵̗̞͉̦̝̱͇ͨ͑̌

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COGNITOHAZARD ACTIVATED

CONTINUED CONSCIOUSNESS CONFIRMED

RETRIEVING FILE

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WARNING! THE FOLLOWING FILE IS A COPY OF A CHAPTER OF [REDACTED]FROM THE COLLECTION OF ALEXANDRIA ETERNAL, DESIGNATED AS SCP-4001. ANYONE WITHOUT THE 5/4001 CLEARANCE IS PROHIBITED FROM READING THE FOLLOWING FILE.

File report designation: Tale of the lost puppy 2


FIND ME

No matter how much I would try to forget it, and no matter how much I would try to end this all, there was this voice in my head.

No matter how much I would try to forget, and no matter how much I would want the void to take me away from this hell, there was this voice in my head.

FIND ME

It was like an order, imprinted within my brain, rooted deep into my soul. Speaking only whenever my mind would drown in sorrow and doubts. Ordering me to move on, to continue my torture through this hellish realm. No matter how I beg or scream. This order is always deep within me.

The order… The command inside my head… It appeared… It appeared right before the end. Just at the very last moment when the world was still what it was supposed to be. A sane world, alive world… Safe world.

This voice changed everything. I was about to visit my grandmother, right before returning to [REDACTED]. But the voice. It was almost as if it wanted something completely else. In theory, it didn't say anything other than what it would say later. But it changed everything.

Instead of going back to [REDACTED],I went to San Francisco, for absolutely no reason. Or at least, I could not see the reason back then. But as of now… Maybe the voice planned it all from the beginning? Maybe the voice was responsible for everything that happened? Was I part of some weird game?

It didn't matter to me… I somehow survived. Against all odds. The very last one. Alone.

A part of me still could not believe in all of this. It wanted to question my sanity, the entire purpose of being alive. But the voice would not let me fall into insanity. His orders were clear. It was as if somehow the voice was ordering me to stay sane. As if there was nothing more important than the mission.

A very simple mission.

FIND ME

But… Maybe I should start from the very beginning.

In my previous life, I used to be a half-blood. A greek demigod, son of [REDACTED]. I have seen a lot of suffering in my life. Two wars against god-like beings, a few near ends of the world. And I have seen gods as well. The entire glory of Olympus, a valley of greek camp, always basking in the sun. Wonders of New Rome.

I thought that as a demigod I have seen all of the world's mysteries. That I have seen all the monsters and all the powers… And then one day, I have learned that I truly knew nothing about the world. That everything we knew about the world was nothing more than a lie.

It all happened so suddenly. There were no warnings, no one was trying to warn us days earlier. There was no sign on the sky… The world lived just like it always did.

We thought that what will kill this world will either be global warming, pollution, a meteor strike, or even another global war… But the end came quietly and unannounced. Our entire world turned from a magnificent paradise into hell in a matter of seconds.

I remember that day. The last day of humanity. I was in Chicago, tracking down a monster that decided to attack a few half-bloods in the area. Nothing special. I just had to track down the monster and send it to Tartarus before it could no more damage or hurt more people. Easy hunt, especially for a veteran half-blood like me.

[PART OF THE DOCUMENT REDACTED BY THE ORDER OF O5 COUNCIL]

The monster decided to hide in the sewers of Chicago. In the vast labyrinth of tunnels, that almost reminded me ofanother, more cursed maze.

Tracking the monster was very hard. The monster was leaving the mist behind, trying to dull my senses. The darkness and the stench of sewers were also not helping. Tracking it seemed to be almost impossible. But I knew. Somehow I knew where to find my target. It was almost as if fate wanted me to find and kill this monster.

Now when I think about it… I think that even back then the voice was simply guiding me through the darkness. But not to kill the monster – but to rather make sure I will survive the daybreak. For what purpose, I still don't know.

And thus I continued, against all odds. In the darkness, where only ambition could guide me. Where all my skills would be tested against the worst odds.

I knew the beast I was searching for. A massive hellhound that escaped from Erebus. Killing or injuring both half-bloods and mortals alike in its path of rampage. And now it was here, in the underbelly of the city of sin. Waiting for its last victim.

It took me hours of wandering through the dark and wet corridors of sewers to find it. But it was worth the effort – the growling sound echoing between the walls and neverending hateful red gaze, always watching, and always wanting to devour my kind.

And now, both me and the beast, standing against each other, as if we were two duelists waiting for the first move of the enemy. One move could determine which one of us would continue to roam free in this world, and which one of us would turn to ashes. Although I must admit, the hellhound before me – like all of its kin – had a massive advantage over me. If it would die, then it would simply go to Tartarus before reforming. I, on the other hand, had only one shot in this life… At least as me.

The hellhound could no longer fight against its instinct – it rushed at me with fury typical for most natives of the underworld, wanting nothing less than to spill my blood and devour my insides. And so, I could not leave his declaration unanswered – I charged as well, fully knowing, that my mother would scold me for such a foolish move.

Both I and the monster were at disadvantage. The hellhound could barely fit in the sewer room where he waited, and I could not move anywhere else but forward. The beast blocked all the ways of maneuver with its size. Moving forward was the only option.

The monster was clever. It jumped on me, pinning me down to the ground with its massive paws, slowly drowning me in the sewer waters. I could not move and I could not run. The giant paw was crushing my chest. Perhaps it wanted to see me dying? Fighting in sorrow for my very last breath? Or perhaps it simply knew that if it would let me go, I might still have a chance to kill it?

And then I've heard it. The clear command in my mind. My purpose in life, my fate, and my destiny. The only reason to live.

FIND ME

The order was there. If I was to do as I was told, I had to survive.

I don't know how, but somehow my body found a bit more energy for me to fight. Despite the pain, despite having nearly a tank sitting upon my body, and despite having barely any breath left in my lungs… I found one of my daggers.

With one swift move, I stabbed the hellhound's paw with the dagger, and as soon as the beast released its hold on me, my head went above the water and I took a big gasp of air. Despite tasting like fungus, dirty water, and most likely human wastes, it was one of the best breaths of my life. The one that reminded me, that I am still alive.

The hellhound was still there, its fury boosted to the impossible level. It would seem that the second round will be even more heated.

I tried to come up with any strategy that could help me with that fight, but there was none. There was just me and the monster, crammed into a very tight space. There was no other way to win than to be faster than your enemy.

FIND ME

With another command, I took out another dagger and blindly rushed at hellhound. In any other situation that would be the most foolish tactic to fight against any canine, but I had no choice. I was not responsible for my actions anymore. The order had to be obeyed.

I wish I could tell you as to what happened. How I killed the hellhound. But to be honest, I don't know how it happened. The next thing I remember is realizing that I have killed the hellhound. Its body dissolved into golden-like dust, most likely traveling to Tartarus.

The shock came soon after. My body no longer had the energy necessary to just keep running. My chest felt as if someone stabbed a thousand daggers inside me. Maybe even a few of my ribs were broken, due to the weight of the hellhound. In other words, my body needed to rest and heal its wounds.

I sat down on the floor carefully, trying to avoid any painful movements, as well as trying to avoid any wet places. I wasn't exactly in the mood to take a sewer bath… Not like I knew anyone that would actually want to do it.

I took out of my backpack a small flask with nectar inside and immediately drank the entire bottle. At that moment I did not care that if I drank too much nectar, my body might not be able to take it. I was simply too tired to care at all.

And so, with my last sigh, I closed my eyes, and fell asleep in the sewers… What I did not know, was that I would never wake up in the same world again. I will never see the outside world with my eyes or feel the warmth of the sun on my skin.

I didn't know that when I would wake up, the world I knew and loved, will be there no more. That it would be replaced by something that would make Tartarus look like a paradise…


THE SCP FOUNDATION HAS INTERRUPTED YOUR STANDARD BROADCAST TO ISSUE A THREAT LEVEL-APOLLYON ANNOUNCEMENT
FIND ME
Come, the sun is soo beautiful today!
Why Are You hiding, my puppy? We all miss you. Come outside.
FIND ME
STAY AWAY FROM ALL VISUAL LIGHT (390 TO 700 NM) EMITTED BY THE SUN. STAY AWAY FROM ALL VISUAL LIGHT (390 TO 700 NM) REFLECTED BY THE MOON.
FIND ME
Come out and see the sun.
I know you're scared
FIND ME, FIND ME, FIND ME, FIND ME, FIND ME, FIND ME, FIND ME, FIND ME, FIND ME, FIND ME
Once you embrace the light, there will be no pain ever
FINDMEFINDMEFINDMEFINDMEFINDMEFINDMEFINDMEFINDMEFINDMEFINDMEFINDMEFINDME
Come, son. It's time to come back home.

FIND ME!

I woke up in the complete darkness, unaware of anything around me. I felt lost and disoriented. Most likely thanks to the nightmare I had. The voice became so loud in that dream. Almost as if it was getting impatient or… desperate?

At that moment I decided that I will tell someone about that voice in my head to someone – be it from the from Camp or [DATA EXPUNGED], it was slowly getting too much for me to handle. And I hoped that someone could make me help understand what was happening to me.

The voice was so different from all the previous ones. It wasn't as dark and hateful as Kronos, or sickly-sweet and full of deceit like Gaea's… It was pure in its command. It was almost like your mind was programmed to obey every order coming from that voice.

I pulled out my phone – as much as ridiculous for a demigod it was – and try to turn it on, to know for how long I was asleep. Sadly, it would seem that my phone took a too-long bath in the sewer waters. There was no hope at all for it.

After a few minutes of just sitting on a wet floor, I finally decided to stand up. My wounds from the battle finally healed themselves and I was able to both stand and walk without feeling any pain.

And so, I decided that I have overstayed my time in the sewers, and I decided to walk home… Well, alright, maybe not home, but at to go to the nearest exit. Thinking about anything else would have to come after exit.

Of course, as always in demigods' life, nothing goes as one would expect. And I believe that this time fate outdid itself.

For what seemed to be hours I walked through the darkened corridors of the sewers, not knowing if I'd ever find my way out. I must have stepped very deep into the sewers if I could not see the form of light from the outside. Perhaps it was better that way?

After a while, I have found myself in what seemed to be an exit for workers, which led to a room connecting the sewers with the San Francisco metro. I noticed many official uniforms and civilian clothes just hanging on hooks, waiting to be picked after a shift. As I have walked around the room, I noticed a fridge full of uneaten second breakfast and lunches, as well as a few non-alcoholic drinks and brews. It looked normal, and yet something was telling me that no one is going to come back for those lunches.

As I have continued to root around the workers' room, I have noticed many personal belongings, just left around. Wallets, keys, personal photos of family members, documents… I'd assume it was a normal thing for those workers to leave those things like that. After all, who would normally come inside a workers ' room?

Then again, those rooms were usually closed to most people…

Then, I have found a few personal mobile devices. I knew I should not be looking through those phones, but I wanted to know at least if I woke up on the same day. It's not like I was about to steal those phones away.

Thank the fates that the first phone I took was not protected by any form of code. I was about to celebrate when I noticed the date on the phone.

[DATA EXPUNGED], [REDACTED], three days since I came into the underground. Three days since my fight with a monster. Three days since the world has… ended?

There was something on the phone that intrigued me. It was an Emergency Alert System, the one you would expect to ring out when there was an airstrike coming near your position. But the message apparently wasn't about the airstrike. It would seem that there was another kind of danger that required the use of EAS.

The phone's interface displayed information about EAS messages, send and played over and over again, on all possible frequencies. I grabbed the nearest pair of headphones and plugged them into the phone – and I pressed play.

THE SCP FOUNDATION HAS INTERRUPTED YOUR STANDARD BROADCAST TO ISSUE A THREAT LEVEL-APOLLYON ANNOUNCEMENT.

I was dumbstruck. I couldn't understand what was going on. I could care less about another Foundation created by mortals, but I wanted to know what [DATA EXPUNGED] had to do with any of it. Did the Olympians decide to reveal themselves to mortals while I was sleeping or something?

THIS WARNING IS EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AND WILL CONTINUE INTO THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. THE US GOVERNMENT HAS GIVEN THE SCP FOUNDATION CLEARANCE TO ISSUE THIS ALERT. THE FOUNDATION IS DEDICATED TO PROTECTING THE PUBLIC.

Foundation dedicated to protecting the public… Protecting from what? Could this be another version of Triumvirate, trying to rule both mortals and gods? And what was happening up there?

UPDATES WILL BE GIVEN AT THE TOP OF EVERY HOUR. THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS ARE VITAL TO YOUR SAFETY.

Vital to my safety… Updates every hour… Even an idiot would realize that something bad happened. Something scary.

AT THIS TIME, THE FOUNDATION ASKS CITIZENS TO STAY INDOORS AND BLOCK OUT ALL-NATURAL LIGHTING.

I almost couldn't believe the words I heard. To block out all the natural lighting? Who came up with such a ridiculous idea? Why would anyone try to block the natural light? Everything in this world needs to survive.

DUE TO A FATAL METEOROLOGICAL EVENT OF [ #$%!&*^] BILLION CASUALTIES HAVE TAKEN PLACE WITHIN THE FIRST THIRTY MINUTES OF ACTIVATION.

Once again, I could not believe it. I almost wanted to laugh, but somehow I couldn't. Meteorological event? Billions of casualties? Did the gods unleash their fury on the mortal world? Was there another war in heavens that we lost? What happened while I was comatose?

STAY AWAY FROM ALL VISUAL LIGHT (390 TO 700 NM) EMITTED BY THE SUN. STAY AWAY FROM ALL VISUAL LIGHT (390 TO 700 NM) REFLECTED BY THE MOON.

Why the sun? Why the moon? What happened to my [REDACTED] and [REDACTED]? Were they okay? And why should I stay away from the visible light?

CITIZENS ATTEMPTING TO TRAVEL OUTDOORS MUST FULLY COVER THEIR BODIES IN PROTECTIVE CLOTHING, PREFERABLY SEVERAL LAYERS.

Just what in the world happened to the light? What I will see once I will go outside?

CITIES AND MAN-MADE STRUCTURES IN GENERAL, PROVIDE THE GREATEST PROTECTION. FORMERLY-WOODED AREAS SHOULD BE CIRCUMVENTED.

Will I see anyone outside? Will I be able to contact any of my friends or family? Are they even still out there?

TRAVEL BY FOOT SHOULD BE LIMITED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND IS HEAVILY DISCOURAGED.

Travel by foot is discouraged… But one day someone will have to go outside – at least for some supplies. Food, water, medicine… Or at least to find other people. I wanted to search for other people as well.

SECURE AND CLOSE ALL ENTRANCES AND WINDOWS TO A SHELTER. DO NOT LOOK OUTSIDE.

If no one can even look outside, then what people are supposed to do when they will run out of supplies? All of it made no sense.

ALL UNUSUAL NOISES AND PERSONS OUTSIDE SHOULD NOT BE INVESTIGATED.

Noises? Unusual noises? Did all monsters from Tartarus suddenly turn on humans? What in my mother's name was happening outside?!

REFUSE ALL REQUESTS FROM PERSONS TRYING TO COME OUTSIDE.

Why? Why would I have to low myself to the lowest of human instincts of survival? What if someone would need my help? What if there are people outside? What if someone is looking for anyone that survived?

NO MATTER HOW HUMAN THEY MAY SEEM.

That part truly scared me. It was as if someone was implying that outside there are no humans. There are only creatures that might sound like humans. Gods, what happened while I was asleep?

EUTHANIZATION IS NOT TO BE ATTEMPTED.

I nearly screamed in fear when the voice changed. It was no longer the monotone EAS voice. That voice was different, almost… Corrupted.

Euthanization… What is that voice talking about? Is it about suicide? About mercy killing? Or maybe is it about anything that is still out there, lurking and trying to find other people?

PERSONS EXPOSED I#$#^$% AREN'T PEOPLE YOU CAN JUST ABANDON.

I didn't want to abandon anyone… But I was too scared of everything. And the voice from the message… Now I begged for any answer. What happened? Why I cannot abandon people exposed to… What exactly? What I will see once I will lurk outside of the sewers?

PERSONS ARE ENCOURAGED TO GET OVER THEMSELVES AND STOP THINKING THEY KNOW BETTER.

Encouraged to get over myself… I still ask what does it mean. Was the corrupted voice trying to say that not getting exposed to the sun was the stupid decision?

THE LIGHT HAS BEEN NEUTRALIZED.

Neutralized from what?

NOTHING'S WRONG.

So, was it all just a bad dream? Can I come back home? Is it all just a bad dream?

COME OUT AND SEE THE SUN.

Just a few steps and I can come out. Too once again rejoin the outside world, and see its beauty in fullest.

THE SURFACE IS NOW SAFE AND EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL.

Yes… The world is so beautiful… And I was so close to its surface…

THIS MESSAGE WILL REAPPEAR UNTIL THERE IS ONLY ONE TO HEAR IT.

What?

The last part felt as if someone just punched me with a hummer. Until there is only one to hear it… This message… It wasn't just an instruction on how to survive. It wasn't partially corrupted. It was the last message for humanity.

Whoever made this message… That someone did not create this message to make sure that humans will survive… It was a good-bye message. Those were instructions on how to live through the last days of Earth. And essentially – how to die with dignity. No one expected a big comeback like in movies. No one expected a great hero to save the day… Whatever happened outside those few days ago, it was all over. There was no hope.

I sat on the floor, shaking and crying from everything that started to boil over. I wished and prayed to whoever could still listen for it to be just a bad dream. Something that I would just wake up while being pranked by my fellow [DATA EXPUNGED], or by Morpheus himself…

Morpheus… Another small flame of hope appeared within my soul. Perhaps not everything was lost? Even if humans were lost, the gods could still be around? Maybe they have protected their children with their powers? Maybe there was a way to contact them... After all, this weird Foundation could not know about the Greek Gods, right?

And thus, I decided to call someone who would later come and torment me in my last days.

"Ar-AAAAAAAAAAAgh!" I couldn't finish my sentence because soon my head felt as if someone poured liquid metal into my brain. I felt like I was about to die any second.

FIND ME

Within the first few days, I would learn that I was not allowed to call any of the gods. Whenever I would try, the voice would punish me with a massive headache. It would also block me from ever speaking the name of the god I tried to contact. And thus soon, I couldn't tell any name of anyone from my family. I felt like I knew their names, I was simply not allowed to remember or speak those names.

The realization that perhaps the voice was trying to protect me from something would come much later. Perhaps much too late? Then again, you cannot blame a human for trying to deny that everything around them just ended.

For the first few days, I could just stay in the workers' room, without needing to worry about food or water. So I began to wonder about the voice that sometimes ordered me. It was a voice of pure authority, which I was not able to defy, no matter how much I tried. It was something inside me that was programmed for obedience to that voice.

I knew for one thing – whatever it was, it wasn't something similar to anything I could recognize. Not from any mythical creatures I had encountered. It wasn't using charm speaking, hypnosis… Not even Lady Hera had that power. It was beyond all that – it was a pure order.

Not even one idea would come to me.

And thus I continued living in the workers' room for as long as I could. The only food available for me was slowly going stale, but it didn't matter. Because something in my mind was looking for any excuse to not look outside.

Which is weird… I always wanted to know how different places look like, I would always wonder how the world looks like somewhere else… Only to find myself scared of looking outside. I couldn't exactly tell why I feared, it was like a feeling deep inside me.

But the day had come. There was no food in my hideout, and there was no water left as well. Now I knew, I had to go outside. I would finally see what truly happened outside to the entire world.

I have reached the nearest locker and I began to look through all the clothes left by workers. As I was about to reach for a piece of clothes, a very familiar headache attacked me, with an all too familiar voice ringing inside my mind.

FIND ME

When the voice disappeared from my mind, I found myself completely dressed up and wrap up in all protective clothing, as well as with a pair of extremely protective black googles. I could barely see anything around me in them.

There wasn't any part of my body that would not be covered with at least a few layers of clothes. I felt like a giant walking onion. A blind one, add to that.

I moved slowly towards upstairs, taking step by step with extreme caution. I couldn't tell why, but my gut feeling was telling me that I should try to stay as quiet as possible. So I moved and reached the door. After a few seconds of hesitation, I pushed the door to enter whatever was awaiting me outside.

To my surprise, I have found myself in one of the metro stations. Due to my protective goggles, I couldn't read in which station I was. At first, I wanted to take off my goggles for a moment to read the name of the station. But soon, I hesitated. Why would I want to do something so stupid? What if this area was already "affected"?

I looked around and I couldn't hope but find everything around me to be weird. San Francisco was one of those cities that never went silent, always awake with its neon lights and always full of people looking for opportunities, from dawn till dusk. And now, it was just abandoned. I could as well be looking at the ancient ruins of an old-gone civilization.

The silence was unnatural. Almost all-consuming. And to make it worse, you could almost feel that something was lurking in those tunnels. As if someone, no, something was watching.

The stairs leading to the exit were just a few steps ahead of me. Partially coated in weird dark-red light, as if someone wanted to turn this station into some cheap horror place, but abandoned their plans after a while.

And so, I walked, step by step, and as quiet as possible, up and up, slowly reaching the ground level after so many days. Even with all those warnings, even with the voice inside my head, I couldn't help but anticipate and wonder how the outside world change. Because even after the world ended, it couldn't be that bad, right?

I couldn't possibly be more wrong.

First what I could feel was the heat. In my clothes, I felt as if someone just put me inside a blazing-hot oven. For a few seconds, I felt my entire body almost cooking itself up.

And then, the first sunlight. Once loved and cherished by all humans on Earth, delicately touching us with its warm yellow-ish embrace, now, scarlet-red, holding no resemblance to what it used to be. The sky and everything around me, coated in a scarlet color, almost as if a river of blood poured from the heavens and covered every part of our world with its presence.

River of blood upon me, with an angry scarlet eye, looking down upon me, as if it was trying to consume me with just its gaze. And that everlasting silence. As if the time itself stopped flowing forever as if life itself just disappeared.

I looked upon the world I found myself in, and I just couldn't take it. I fell on my knees and started crying as I have never cried before. Everything I knew, everything I loved and held dear, it was all gone. Even in that silence I knew. I will never see any of my family or friends ever again. And I was just unlucky enough to survive and wake up in this hellish parody of our once beautiful world.

The despair in my heart just kept growing, slowly covering my entire soul with a shroud of shadow. I wanted to end all of this, I wanted to find myself in Erebus as soon as possible. I wanted it so much… Until I've heard the voice again.

FIND ME

I don't know what the voice did to me, but I could feel that something wasn't right. My despair vanished in a moment, replaced by a strong determination of survival and a sense of purpose. It wasn't the end. I had a mission to complete.

I guess it was one of those times when the voice ordered me with its power. I knew what the voice did to me, and I couldn't disobey. No matter what I would try to do, no matter how much I would realize that those feelings were alien and artificial, I couldn't just ignore them. They were stronger than me, the "voice" was much stronger than me.

And thus, in the end, all I could do was to obey.

I returned to the workers' room, completely defeated and broken. My entire world was gone. Everything I loved and cherish just vanished. Everyone I loved evaporated. Or at least – this is what I have initially thought. In the future days, I'd wish for it to be true.

Soon I have found myself living in the same room between sewers and metro for many days. I lived there for as long as I could, trying to avoid the day when I will have to return to the surface. But deep down I knew, that the day was incoming.

For many days I'd eat food that was slowly becoming old. Just for the pure sake of delaying the moment of exiting the only safe space I knew. I tried to find another way, to once again look for some food in my room. But the voice had different plans for me.

FIND ME

And thus, once more I have found myself in the same layers of protecting clothes. It was time for me to go, to the hellish dimension I have once called home.

Let's jump a little bit into the future, alright?

I could give you stories about my raids to both the outside world and to the deeper parts of the metro and sewers. But it was nothing exciting, really. Once you get used to the fact that you must avoid the sunlight, the days are no longer that scary. It is surprising as to what humans can get used to if they are forced to.

Except for one thing… During some of my raids, I swear that someone was looking at me. I could constantly feel someone's gaze upon me. I felt like prey, stalked before being hunted and devoured. In those moments I would always recall the EAS message: all unusual noises and persons outside should not be investigated.

Did someone survive the apocalypse? Or were my initial ideas as to how the sun killed everyone wrong?

The feeling of dread never stopped. After a few raids I knew. All of my senses were screaming at me – someone was watching me. It would take me a few other raids to learn by whom, or rather, by what I was being watched.

First were the noises. Subtle at the beginning, later, a loud moans and the ever appearing sound of something similar to a squeezed jelly. Always coming closer, always watching. That entire situation was slowly making me insane. I almost began to wish at least finally see whatever was stalking me.

Ever heard a saying "be careful what you wish for?"

At first, I noticed them from afar, just wondering on the surface, in almost impossible to describe form. Red goo, constantly shifting and changing between many forms. Almost as if for a few seconds, it tried to make some sort of unified form, only to return to the state of formless goo. And those gurgling sounds…

As to that moment I believed that the sunlight will just kill me. But after witnessing that red-like goo… I wasn't too sure anymore. That day I back away and returned to my safe-room as quickly as I could.

But later, they would slowly start to come closer.

You see, most of the time I preferred to stay away from the surface as much as I could. Despite having protection from the sun, I still felt uncomfortable with just a single thought of being out there. And seeing those things outside only made me want to venture deeper into the darkness.

And they came after me.

I noticed the goo in some of the underground corridors. It almost looked as if they were constantly looking for something. And with every day there was just more of it. But it wasn't the worst. Because with the goo came that disgusting gurgling sound as well. And with that…

I wish I have never learned what that goo was. I wish I could pretend that it was nothing more than an alien substance. But that thing was much more.

I could not notice it from a long distance, but from close proximity, it was impossible to miss. The goo was trying to take forms similar to animals, plants, and even… people. Sometimes it would grow thorn-like ends, sometimes it would form many faces, imitating a thousand voices of people. It was almost as if those people still lived inside that goo.

As if the world could not just stop with its everyday dread, as if the corrupted sun was not enough.

A few days later my assumptions were fulfilled. Just like every day I just walked through the sewers, trying to find a safe exit and then loot for some food. And then I heard a woman's cry. It was just a few dozens of meters ahead of me, and just a few dozens of meters near the exit.

As I saw her, I could not help but shiver when I looked at her – she was pregnant, nine-month, and judging from the screams, her waters just broke. She was about to give birth in the worst possible conditions to think of, in the most dreadful world anyone could imagine.

Next to her, there was a weird object that looked like a homemade flame thrower. I did not know if she made it herself or if she find it somewhere. What mattered was that she was just about to give birth, near the entrance, where the sunlight was still shining…

I saw how the goo creatures just came closer to her, not caring about the flamethrower near her. I feared the worst. I expected to see atrocities committed by those goo creatures. But perhaps what I have witnessed that day was worse and more terrifying than any gore scenario I could come up with. I don't think even Dionysus could come up with such an atrocity.

I saw how those creatures encircled the poor woman as if trying to make sure that she will not escape. And then... Despite their eldritch appearances and the disgusting gurgling noises, it looked almost as if they were all… Happy. Overjoyed by the fact that they have found her.

They were softly caressing her, speaking in a soft tone despite their gurgling sounds. I could not understand the language either the woman or the creatures were speaking, but I swear that I have heard the word "mother" during that conversation. By that moment I tried everything to deny I have ever heard it. Because if that was true…

As I was lost in my thoughts, the creatures carefully lifted the pregnant woman, while still caressing her and speaking softly sounds. They were all now basked in the sunlight, within the reach of the angry red sun. And then, they have started to slowly undress the woman, trying to expose her as much as possible to the sunlight.

Her pregnant belly was first, then her face and arms. The sunlight emphasized for a moment the woman's high collarbone cheeks and her caramel-like skin. Perhaps before the world decided to end she was a true beauty…

As the corrupted sun embraced her fully, she began to change. Every part of skin and muscle, bones as well – her entire body began to melt into blood red-like substance. From her melted large pregnant belly, I swear I saw a small baby's hand for a second, but soon, even the baby melted when finally exposed to the sun. Soon, the red goo-like substance – everything that once both mother and her unborn baby were – melted and combined with each other and later joined the larger puddle.

I sat on the floor, not caring that I might as well sit in very dirty water. Nothing mattered to me, besides what I have just witnessed. It was just inhuman. It was worse than anything I could imagine. The sun was corrupting our minds and bodies, twisting it for its own pleasure.

And so, I sat there, shaking and crying like a kid, unable to comprehend anything anymore. This horror was beyond me. Beyond any of capabilities.

Then I recalled all my friends and family, and I realized that they were most likely turned into whatever the sun was making as well. There was no hope nor escape. No one could run away from the sun and its light.

And then, the pregnant woman's face flashed before my eyes. She was so scared, afraid of what will happen to her. And then it hit me – those creatures… They were softly speaking – or at least they have tried. And that woman recognized one of those creatures. Later they just gently lifted her – as if they were afraid that they might harm her.

And her face… She was smiling. At the very end, her face expressed happiness. It was as if she was happy that the entire nightmare had ended for her. Even when her body was melting, she kept smiling. It was almost…

Almost as if the entire thing somehow wasn't even painful. Not even a bit.

I still believe this is the most terrifying thing about this whole thing. You just keep smiling, even when the sun strips away everything that once made you a human. Until there is nothing left, but the blood-like jello, that combines with other people who were transformed. Only to later search for more people to turn.

I faced my back against the wall and slowly sank to the floor. I just could not take anything anymore, it was all just beyond me. My body began to shake, and tears began to fall uncontrollably from my eyes. The severity of what happened to the world decided to hit me exactly at that moment. And at that moment I have almost fallen into insanity.

Almost.

FIND ME!

A powerful headache appeared once more, rewriting everything inside my head, changing once again everything inside me. I wasn't allowed to cry or to weep. All I could do was to obey the voice and push further, to wherever the voice commanded me.

My body lifted up and moved towards the exit against my will. It felt as if I was nothing more than a mere spectator inside my own body and mind. I watched how my body carefully and silently comes to the place, where once pregnant woman decided to rest and grabbed the flame thrower. And just then the voice decided to give me back my own body.

It was more than enough for one day. It was time to go back to the only safe place I knew.

For more than a few days… Or perhaps even weeks, my daily routine circled around going on the raids to find any supplies to live and then hiding inside my safe-room for as long as the supplies would let me. It wasn't a perfect way to live, but it's not like I could do anything else.

But something changed. I could hear the gurgling voices more often. Closer with each and every day. I could spot the corrupted creatures slowly coming closer to wherever I was traveling. Day by day, and step by step, they were slowly closing the distance.

The day of the confrontation arrived sooner than I would expect. I wasn't even outside of the tunnels. I was just walking through one of the tunnels I believed to be safe for travel. Nothing too serious – go through the tunnel, find a shop that's still underground, take as much as you can, and hide the rest until the next time. That was I how usually operated.

I came across a small crossroad. All I had to do was to turn left, go a few dozen meters through another tunnel, and take a staircase to the metro station. And then just go to the nearest abandoned store.

As I was just about to turn left, that was the very first moment when I have encountered them face to face. It was standing tall, at least a few meters taller than me, looking straight at me with a few faces with something that was supposed to imitate eyes. The moment it took notice of me, it begin to smile with all its faces, while slowly moving towards me.

And then, there was me, standing there like a complete moron, frozen in one place by fear. Not even one muscle of mine wanted to move. For entire eternity.

Through some miracle, my finger pushed the trigger and the flames erupted from my flamethrower. A river of fire flooded everything ahead of me. The entire world blighted in heavily white, yellow, and orange colors. And I could hear them, the displeased gargling noise, and the disgusting sound of them moving away from them.

Thankfully, I am not like some of the people I knew in the past. I knew that there is nothing worse than boasting the victory while still standing on the battlefield. I had a way to slow them down, now all I had to do was to run as fast as I can.

I don't remember for how long I ran. I tried to run in every direction possible, trying to deceive them and make them lose my tracks. After all, I couldn't just let them follow me straight to my only safe-house.

When I finally reached the only place I considered to be safe, I closed the door as silently as I could. Then I pressed my ear to the doors and listened for any unusual noises outside for two hours. Despite everything I have done to vanish from the sight, I still feared that they might come and knock at my doors at any second.

Some might say that I became more paranoid than my grandfather. But then again, my grandfather was afraid that someone might try to take away his place [DATA EXPUNGED]… Or that his wife will find out that he was cheating again. I, on the other hand, just wanted to survive and never be touched by the corrupted sun. I guess a little paranoia was a helpful tool of survival in this situation.

Before I noticed, I fell asleep while leaning against the door. I don't remember what I dreamed about, but even nightmares were better than my reality.

Days followed with my paranoia slowly growing. My raids started to take more time, due to my precautions to not find myself in too close proximity with those creatures. With every other raid, it became harder to do. Somehow they were coming closer. I couldn't just walk to one place and leave only when it was empty like I used to do. I was forced to randomly select my next target, hoping that they won't wait for me in the next corner. I would also stop going in the shortest way possible to my destinations. Everything to mislead the creatures.

This strategy worked for a good while. I barely had to use my main weapon, and I could avoid direct contact with the creatures. For a while… My luck did not last long. After a few trips, I was forced to use my weapon more often.

Due to the fact that my flame thrower need any kind of fuel to work, I had to also scout for any sort of easily flammable liquids. And that mean that I had to go outside of my safe place more often. Which would only make those creatures find me more easily. Then again, without my weapon, it would slowly become impossible to go outside.

My fights with them became more frequent. Every time there was just more and more of them. Sometimes I was even forced to flee without my loot or even before reaching my destination. But everything changed that one faithful day.

The day I met someone from my past.

It was just another raid, nothing special. My paranoia was fueling my body, forcing it to work on three hundred percent. Trying to avoid those creatures slowly started to become an impossible task. They were everywhere and in every possible form – be it on the ground, pretending to be a puddle, in the sewer water, on the walls, and in the pipes. There was no escape from them. I could only fight.

And then it became quiet.

It was almost as if those creatures had given up. Perhaps the fear of my flames was enough to convince them to leave me alone? Or was it something else?

Of course, I would soon learn - very painfully – as to why those creatures decided to leave me alone. And thus begins the story of my very last raid.

As always, I lurked through the sewers and tunnels, trying to find anything that would help me survive another day. It was one of the parts where I have never ventured before, so I wasn't exactly sure as to what I should expect. I feared the worst. In the past, I'd pray for safety, but now I knew better because even prayers can bring those creatures on your track.

After a while, I discovered something weird. It was a large empty space, capable of hosting even a large group of people. On the floor, I noticed a few sleeping bags, a few sets of spare clothes – from the ones that could only be worn by kids to those for adults. I have noticed also many different magazines for children and books – be it from school to some popular examples of literature for pre-teens and teenagers.

There was also a fire barrel, with embers still burning inside. But no signs of people. It was almost as if they evaporated just a few seconds ago, leaving everything that belonged to them. It was almost weird and seemed impossible until I have noticed one of the scariest things for anyone in those wicked and twisted days.

Just from the second exit, on the other side of the empty hall, there was a massive hall, reaching out straight to the surface. The sunrays were almost leaking through it, almost like a soup made of light.

I was scared for a second. Even while wearing the protective clothes, I was never too sure if the sun did not touch me. If I wasn't already under the corruptive influence of the sun. Then again, if I did not have the sudden need to see and praise the sun, perhaps everything was okay with me?

That, and I believe that the voice would not let me just become corrupted. Deep inside me, I knew, that it was not finished with me. I was still serving its purpose, no matter if I liked it or not.

As I was about to turn around and go somewhere else, a mysterious sound took my entire attention. It sounded almost as if someone was making a silent and pained snort. And then, the sound of movement – someone was beetling towards me. I was ready to set ablaze whatever creature was trying to get me, but I have stopped the moment I saw a face.

A human face.

A face of a small girl. A face I recognized from my past.

It was Lacy [REDACTED], a demigod daughter of Aphrodite.

After so many days, after all, that happened… After venturing through the nightmares and darkness for so long, I can finally see a face of a fellow human being. And on top of that, a face of someone from my past.

You cannot even begin to fathom the pure joy and happiness I felt at that moment. For a simple fact of seeing someone from my past, alive and not corrupted by the light. It was most likely the happiest moment of my life. I wanted to cry and yell from happiness, run towards that kiddo, and trap her in a bear-like hug.

And it would seem that I wasn't the only one who was happy. I saw Lacy's eyes tearing up while she started whimpering. I could not tell if she even recognized me with my attire, but even if not, it was obvious that she was just happy to see someone uncorrupted.

"Lacy… It's me, [REDACTED]. Do you remember me from the camp?" I tried to talk as calmly as possible. I didn't want her to realize that I was crying as well. I was supposed to be the grown-up in this situation, giving support to the kid, who most likely lost everyone. She did not need to know that I was barely holding on as well.

I tried to say something to her again, but she just run up to me and hugged me, as tightly as she could. All I could do at that moment was to hug her back.

And then I have noticed something weird. Even though I had a few layers of protecting suits, I could still feel the warmth of her body. It was almost as if she was burning up. At that moment I thought that maybe she was sick and needed some help.

"Lacy…" I spoke again, once again forcing myself to calm my emotions. "I know that it might be hard for you, but… What happened? Are you here alone? Is… Is anyone from our camp here with you?" Perhaps I was too pushy and persistent. I should have been more careful with my words because all I got in response was her shaking her head.

We just stayed like that for a few more moments. I believe that both of us needed some time. And now I had a new purpose – to make sure that this girl was safe.

As I looked around the empty room, I realized that everything inside was still… fresh. It wasn't a camp abandoned a while ago, no, this place was abandoned very recently. And judging from the ambers in the fire, I could tell that perhaps just a few moments ago, there were still people here, alive and real.

And to make it worse, judging on how many scattered things there were left on the floor, I could judge that there was a small group living here. Both adults and children, making a small community of those who somehow managed to survive. They were here just a few moments ago. And now they were gone.

I was late once again.

Well, maybe not completely late. I have found Lacy, it was something, a start, a small victory even perhaps.

"Is any of this yours?" I turned around and ask [REDACTED]. There was still some time, but I wanted to return to the safe room as soon as possible. Maybe it was my experience, maybe it was my paranoia talking… Or perhaps the fact that there was a massive hole in the roof, with the corrupted sunlight just leaking in. The creatures could already be on our backs. In other words, we had to hurry.

While I was waiting for my answer, I looked at Lacy once again. I noticed that she had bloodshot eyes. Burning up, bloodshot eyes… I wasn't the best medic in the camp, so I couldn't just tell right away what kind of sickness she could have.

While I was wondering about the possible medicine for Lacy, said girl only closed her eyes and shook her head one more time.

Before our departure, I decided to look through the belongings of the previous occupants. There were still many cans and bottles unopen, waiting either on the floor or on some makeshift tables. All the stuff the previous occupants gathered could last for both me and Lacy for at least a few weeks. I thought that it was the best day I ever had in this hell.

A sudden noise brought me back to reality, as I pointed at the possible source of the sound. For a second, I felt only relief, it was just a small rat, running around the room like a maniac. And then, the rat ran on a makeshift table, very near a glass bottle…

Those seconds felt like an eternity. It was an empty water bottle. Previously standing near the edge of the table, exactly where the rat decided to run. Seconds inflated into infinity when I saw how the bottle, pushed by the scared rat, slowly turned and started falling towards the ground. Maybe if I was closer I might be able to catch it… Now I was forced to watch how one falling bottle could ruin my entire sound.

The sound of glass breaking into small pieces echoed through the room, carrying the dread into the very core of my soul. Cold sweat appeared on my skin, while the hair on my skin arose as if thunder was about to strike me down. I could hear my heart, beating inside my chest faster than ever in my life, blood in my veins echoed in my ears, as every cell in my body yelled through my instinct only one thing:

RUN

I grabbed Lacy and escaped the room, just a second before a wall of red flesh flooded what remained from the camp of now-dead survivors. The flesh soon formed many faces – both human and animal-like – as well as many tendrils serving just one purpose – to grab both me and Lacy and take us to the light.

The sun monsters were coming closer, and more of them started to pour through the walls and pipes all around us. A thin layer of scarlet goo-like flesh appeared before me, trying to either stop or grab me. It looked like a head glued to a flesh-like web. I saw how it opened its mouth as if it was trying to speak, but before it could make a single sound I fired from my weapons.

As the flames touched the goo, the most disgusting sound echoed through the underground walls. A gurgling sound imitating a scream came out from the abomination before me. And yet, despite the scream, the creature before simply dismembered itself, running away from the fire in all directions.

The wall of flesh was coming closer. At that moment I decided to pick up Lacy and run as fast as I could back to my own safe room.

I don't know for how long I was running. I cannot tell how many kilometers I have gone through to reach the last known place I would consider as safe. And I definitely couldn't tell if the flesh could reach me. I knew that running straight to your hideout is a very stupid idea, but what could I do? The flesh was already everywhere. The only thing I could do was to go back to my hideout and wait in silence.

Upon reaching the hideout, I immediately put down Lacy and closed the door as silently as I could. I locked it down in all possible ways. The flesh could not find me here or breach this place without me noticing, at that was because everything in this room was isolated from both sewers and metro. The only way in was two doors – one leading to the sewers and the second one leading to the metro system.

And both of them could not be opened or breached without me noticing. Now it was time to wait in the darkness, silently listening as to when the creatures would come and leave this place.

I looked at Lacy for a quick second. Even in the darkness, I could tell she was scared. But sadly I could not tell her anything at that moment, without the creatures outside noticing. The silence was the only to survive to another day. And thus, I only put my index finger on my mouth, silently asking her to remain as silent as possible.

She only nodded her head and cowered herself in the corner of the room, waiting for the nightmare to finally end.

Soon, I could hear the disgusting gurgling noises outside. It would seem that the flesh tried to cut out all of my escape routes because through the small gaps in both doors I saw the corrupted sun-flesh trying to squeeze in.

I was trapped. There was no way out. It was a time for my final stand.

I reached the nearest table and took a glass with the fuel to my flame thrower. Then I threw it towards the door leading up to the metro and crashed it. Then, with a small push of my finger, I set the entire stairs ablaze. Now I there was only one exit I had to cover.

The scarlet flesh, after squeezing in through the small gap between the door and the floor, slowly started to form a few small hands, as if trying to speed up the process of squeezing through the door. Some of them tried to even find and grab the lockers to unlock the doors.

Of course, I could not let them do any of that.

Another push of my finger on the trigger, and another river of flames fell upon the second door and any corrupted creature that tried to open it. Soon, gurgle-like screams echoed through my safe room. It would seem that the flesh did not predict that I had a few ways of protecting myself here.

After a few moments of me setting ablaze anything touched by the sun, I pushed away my finger from the trigger. I knew that at least for a few minutes the flesh will back away. And that was a good time to make sure that my new guest felt safe.

I looked at her, and my heart immediately became broken – a small girl, hiding in the corner, crying helplessly. I kneeled down, and slowly touched her shoulder. She immediately looked upon me with her tearful eyes.

"Don't worry Lacy, we're going to be okay, you hear me?" I tried to control my voice and sound as confident as I could. "Do you understand me, Lacy? We're going to be safe."

"Yes, [REDACTED]" When she answered me I realized everything in a moment. I was nothing more than a fool, played by my enemies. I could hear it, in those two words she uttered. A gurgling noise combined with a hundred voices.

I tried to aim my flame thrower at the flesh doppelganger of one of Aphrodite's daughters, but the abomination was faster. It transformed both its arms into long fleshy tendrils and then used both to disable me. The first tendril knocked out my flame thrower, while also damaging my hand in the process. The other tendril just struck my chest, hitting my sternum.

The force behind those two hits was so powerful, that it sent me flying towards the nearest wall. I tried to get up, but the pain was too intense. I could barely force myself to look up, to see the corrupted abomination right before my eyes.

The thing I used to recognize as Lacy came to a few steps closer to me, and then stopped while looking straight at me. Perhaps if I wasn't fighting with my own body and do everything possible to not fall unconscious, I would be able to see the expression on… her face.

"[REDACTED], please, don't fight this…" For a moment, her face melted and ripped itself into, just to make another form of another woman, this time, a little bit older than Lacy. From a hundred voices, one particular became noticeable. It was a voice I would recognize everywhere.

"Z…Zoe…?" I could barely even say her name. Both from the shock and due to breathing difficulties. It still felt surreal. I could not understand how the corrupted Sun could reach her. How it managed to turn her.

"Yes [REDACTED], it's me. We are all here [REDACTED], all of us. Your family, all your friends… You should see it. The Sun created a paradise for us. Where no one has to suffer, where everyone is happy." Zoe… No, the imitation of Zoe… She sounded happy, perhaps even delighted. Everything she said sounded so genuine… "But we all miss our little brother. Your mother and grandmother are worried and they miss you greatly. Come, [REDACTED], it's time to come home."

I just couldn't fight any longer. It was beyond my strength. And hearing about my family… It all just broke me, obliterated anything left of my resolve. It was no way to win. All hope was lost. I have lost.

Soon, both doors were ripped apart by more of the flesh creatures, and thus I became surrounded. Puddles of red goo encircled me and started to make many shapes, oddly similar to humans. Some of them had vaguely human-like faces, others had weird, almost animal-like heads… And the rest did not resemble anything similar to anything.

And they were all just standing around me, with unreadable expressions on what should resemble their faces. I, on the other hand, could no longer fight both my own body and the creatures. That was what most people would call "The End"

I wish that was the end. Maybe those creatures were right, maybe I should have embraced the sun already? Or maybe that was just the pain from my broken sternum talking?

My head was just about to fall down, most likely while dragging the rest of my body down, if not for the fact that Zoe or at least the flesh-imitation of Zoe caught me. She placed her right hand on my cheek and started to slowly caress it. All the while saying calm words.

"I know it hurts now. I am sorry for this. But the flames hurt us. Do not worry, the sun will heal you, and soon you will join us."

And then, all the oozy creatures picked me up slowly, as if I was the most fragile thing in the world. They carried me slowly through the tunnels, towards the nearest exit. The flesh-version of Zoe meanwhile, joined the main puddle of ooze and reformed right next to me, as if trying to assure me, that she will be right next to me through the entire process.

It became harder for me to breathe. Even if the oozy creatures tried to hold me most comfortably, my broken sternum wasn't exactly too keen on letting me breathe comfortably. At that moment, perhaps the only thing keeping me awake for Zoe's warm and oozy hand. She was holding me tightly as if she was trying to take care of me like an older sister.

The exit was really close. In just a few minutes I would become one of them. I wondered how life would look like as one of them. They claimed that under the sun they are happy. That they don't have to be scared of anything. Perhaps they were right?

We were so close. I swear that I could see a large smile on Zoe's oozy face when it happened.

FIND ME!

The voice came back with full might, almost ripping my skull apart. I could not help but let out the loudest and most painful scream in my entire life. I felt as if someone just poured a liquid metal through my skull into my brain. Combined with my broken sternum, it created the most painful combination ever.

FIND ME!

The voice boomed over and over in my head, only amplifying already terrifying pain in my head. And then, fire, the most powerful fire I have ever seen in my life appeared all around me. It felt as if the sun itself decided to descent to the tunnels, to burn everything around me, and then… send me down to the darkness.

I remember, falling down the stairs, through what seemed to be endless darkness. And then, a feeling of endless agony. I did not know where I was and I could not tell how I could escape light. As of that moment, the only thing occupying my mind was the overwhelming pain. Broken sternum, and a few broken ribs.

Moving anywhere was out of the question. It was a miracle that I could even breathe.

And yet, I could still hear the sound of the oozing flesh moving towards me. It would seem that no matter how much I would try to run, they will find me everywhere. But I knew. That was the end of my road. Even if I would want to run away, it was physically impossible.

Perhaps if not for the fact that I could barely breathe, I would call Zoe and ask her to take me with you. But, the lack of oxygen wasn't my only problem.

FIND ME

I wanted to scream. Tears were falling down my face like two rivers. The voice. It forced me to stand up, despite my injuries. My entire body became an eruptive volcano of pain. With my every next step the pain would erupt with full power. For every second. And yet I could not stop. The voice ordered me to move, and thus I had to move.

I begged the voice to let me go. To let me finally die. But the voice was persistent. It did not listen to any of my prayers.

I even tried even to pray to my mother… or to whatever she became. Tried, because the voice would always interrupt me, forcing me to abandon the idea and to simply move forward.

But its plan failed. Because the voice of my mother had reached me.

"[REDACTED], where are you…?" Her voice… Her voice sounded like she was crying for many days.

"M… Mother…" Even inside my own head, I could barely speak. The voice would not let me take any rest. After walking for what seemed to be many days, I was sleep-deprived. I believed I was going insane. "Help… Me…"

"[REDACTED]? Where are you? [REDACTED], please, come back!" Even while barely conscious, I could hear her. Even if her voice was gurgling, and not resembling anything that a human vocal string could produce, I could recognize her. "No, don't go there! Don't go to the maze!"

The maze… So the voice was forcing me to go through the Daedalus maze? And why didn't I think about hiding in the maze as well?

The further I walked through the corridors of darkness, the more desperate I could hear the voices become. They were begging me to stop, to turn around and come back to them. But I could not stop. The voice would never allow me.

"Please, son, come back…" This time, I could hear my mother's voice inside my head. At that point, I could not tell if I was just imagining it or was my mother really inside my head. Even if it was all just a trick, I decided to pray to her.

"Mother… Help me…"
FIND ME!

The voice attacked as soon as I started to pray. I would let out an animalistic scream of pain, if not for the fact that I couldn't even breathe. I could only push on, hoping that soon the voice will let me die in peace.

"Son… No, who are you? What are you doing to my son?!" My mother's voice of authority suddenly exploded inside my head, with the power of thousand suns. I could tell, that within my head, a sudden battle for dominance waged between the voice and my mother. "GIVE ME BACK MY SON! GIVE HIM BACK TO ME!"

My mother was getting desperate. Fighting over me both in my head and in all the corridors of the maze. I noticed how the walls were slowly turning more into something similar to dripping flesh, with many tendrils trying to catch me. How did I even manage to avoid them was beyond me. But perhaps, if the voice was able to control me, maybe it was able to temporarily boost my abilities as well?

And then I saw the light, leading straight to the maze's exit.

"No, no, no! It's too dangerous in there, puppy! I am begging you, don't go there! Please, come back! COME BACK!" My mother's voice was full of despair. I could hear her crying and begging me to return. But there was no comeback for me. I was forced to push on. I had to find that damned voice.

I cannot remember where I have found myself later. My consciousness at that time was already slipping away from me. I remember weird symbols, a giant structure named "Site 0"… But to be honest, I cannot tell if I truly saw any of those, or was I just hallucinating… At the very end, it all became so blurry to me.

Then there was a dessert… Or was it grassland… All of the images were slowly appearing and vanishing right before my eyes. Perhaps I was already then back then and I just didn't realize it yet? Or was this all just hallucination? Maybe I have died a long time ago, and all of this around me were the last moments of my dying mind? Or perhaps I was already in hell?

Suddenly I felt pain in my legs. It felt as if I was walking for hundreds of miles. Every bone in my body was in pain. I would wonder why suddenly I could once more feel alive, if not for the fact that I noticed something that almost felt extraterrestrial.

It was floating a few dozen meters above the ground. A being made of what seemed to be pure, living fire. A gigantic man with four luminous wing-like appendages. And right before him, held in in his hands, was an enormous sword made from what seemed to be the same matter as the being – as if the sword was truly an extension of the being.

That being would make Olympians looks like children in comparison. And not just because this being seemed to have at least a few dozen meters in height. It was because of the power the being radiated. Power and authority on the unknown level to any of the olympian beings.

Behind the being, I noticed an enormous gate. At first, I wanted to take a closer look as to what is behind that gate, but then, out of blue, I realized that I – as a human being – should not look there. I was just not supposed to.

I find myself mesmerized by the being. A being of pure living fire. With impossible to describe power. And there I was, a small and insignificant human being, trying to understand anything around me. Almost like those angels in Abrahamic faiths. And as I continued to look up to the magnificent creature above me, I instinctively knew – it was the voice. The being before me was the one speaking words in my head.

Some people at that moment would most likely try to ask about many things. What was the thing, what it was guarding, why it wanted to be found… And so on and on. But the death was upon me, I could feel it. I could barely breathe. Speaking words was an impossible task for me.

And then I felt it. The being was looking at me. Its entire attention focused on me. As I looked up, I noticed that the being raised its right hand and said in a voice that could obliterate mountains.

"PREVENT"

Multiple mysterious symbols appeared in my head as if an entire branch of unknown knowledge was just imprinted within my brain. And then… I could feel it. Or not… I started to vanish. Every atom of my body started to dissolve, while all my memories started to fade away.

And just before I disappeared completely from the world, two things only remained in what was left of my being. The guardian's command and the mysterious symbol, with a meaning I would learn in many of my future lifetimes…


Addendum: Tale of the lost puppy 2 was recovered from the collection of SCP-4001 "The Alexandria Eternal". It is unknown how this story even found its way to the collection of SCP-4001.

The tale is a continuation of the "Tale of the lost puppy 1" and both of those stories are part of a larger book about an individual known as [REDACTED].

It would seem that [REDACTED] was forced to relive Dr. Locke's scenario of SCP-001 once again.

[THIS PART WAS REDACTED BY A MEMBER OF A O5 COUNCIL]

According to [DATA EXPUNGED], [REDACTED] was under the complete influence of Dr. Clef's proposal for SCP-001, The Gate Guardian. For reason unknown, SCP-001 decided to order [REDACTED] to find it. For most of the time, SCP-001 was mostly protecting the [REDACTED] from the influence of Dr. Locke's SCP-001-A. Subject [REDACTED] seemed to suffer psychological trauma due to the influence of both 's and Dr. Locke's SCP-001's proposal.

It would also seem that some of Foundation's assumptions were correct – Gate Guardian somehow was capable of using Kronos' scythe and restart the reality.

[THIS PART WAS REDACTED BY A MEMBER OF A O5 COUNCIL] Thaumiel. As of now, the decision is postponed.

Surprisingly, subject [REDACTED] this time for the most part did not use the Daedalus Maze as his way of survival. Instead, he survives in the sewers and underground parts of the metro in San Francisco. As of now, it is impossible to calculate for how long [REDACTED] was able to survive, but it is estimated that it was for less than a year.

The Tale of the Lost Puppy provided also important feedback for the capabilities of SCP-001 from the "When Day Break" scenario. It seems that the capabilities of SCP-001-A are far more advanced than the Foundation initially predicted. It seems that those creatures can mimic human-like forms to a very advanced degree. Even then, any of the field agents during that scenario should be able to tell apart the SCP-001-A mimicking humans from normal survivors due to blood-red eyes and voice.

As of now, it is unknown what happened to the "Lost Puppy". All personnel working with SCP-4001 is ordered to report immediately to the site director if they ever found anything related to those tales or SCP-001 in general.

Zoe [THIS PART WAS REDACTED BY A MEMBER OF A O5 COUNCIL]

One thing can be confirmed – in the second iteration, the Foundation has failed again to contain and/or prevent the SCP-001 "When Day Break" outbreak. The reasons for that are yet unknown.

[THIS PART WAS REDACTED BY A MEMBER OF A O5 COUNCIL]

Signed by:
[REDACTED]


Hello, this is the author here. I hope that you have enjoyed chapter six.

As some of you can tell, this story was inspired by the "When Day Break: A hundred voices" story - tho as you can see, I have changed a few things.

Now, it's time for your comments!

Nliochristou – Oh yeah, those undercover agents are: [REDACTED], [REDACTED], and [DATA EXPUNGED]

Doomqwer – pretty much yes.

Sceera1 – Official version of as to why I never mentioned the time anomaly in the previous chapter? I did, but it is redacted. Unofficial – oh my God, I have totally forgotten about it. And well… In the future chapters, you will learn why Foundation can't let the Greeco-Roman pantheon do their own thing… Then again, they shouldn't. Olympian gods are too dangerous to most people.

Malgrath – Well… It's not like I can give away any spoilers… So keep reading and unravel the truth by yourself.

Spyash2 – Don't worry, the Foundation has everything planned already. As for the second thing… Well, read incoming chapters to learn the answer.

Pvt. Marlow – No, as I mentioned previously, I appreciate all the help I can get to make this story better, and so, thank you very much!

MLB – It is… Or is it?

JFK - …Master Bolt – Zeus' symbol of power, and Helm of Darkness, Hades' symbol of power.

TheCrystonian – Thanks! And, well, knowing Foundation, sometimes it is better to not have a high-security level…

Shashenka – Thank you! I am glad that you have enjoyed it!

Just an Anime Fan –The only relation between the Dear God and Kronos is the name of the ritual that holds Dear God in one place. The Dear God might even believe to be the real Kronos, but other than that there is no connection between them. As for the old gods… That's a hard thing to do. I mean, they will most likely appear in one form or another… And I don't think Thanatos is that powerful...

Head of Slytherin House - …Well, isn't that a wall of text… First of all, I am glad that you are enjoying the story. I don't know if I will do any chapter from someone else's PoW… As for Annabeth's father… It's all [REDACTED] for now… And SCP-054 is called Water Nymphs, but she is very different from the nymphs from Greek myths/PJO…

SentinalSlice – While they might laugh a little bit at his actions, to be honest, I don't think Percy would fit into SCP Foundation at all…

GenericPjoName - …You listen to cognitohazards? Wait, that? I think you got me lost here… Or I just forgot about something… Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter, and HEY – they do turn into dust! I just used that fact…

ChaosQuartz – I am happy and honored to get such a review. And well, it's a really asshole-ish move from gods to use their children to do their biddings. And don't worry – the Foundation has everything already planned...

Dr. Redacted – Please, let's just not bring Dr. Bright into this… Please…

Shinobi – Do not worry, the Foundation has everything under control… But yes, it is a very possible behavior of Greek Gods and most people associated with them.

ImperialStar – The Foundation could contain the greek gods without problems, after all, they have contained a few far more powerful reality-bending/altering/destroying beings. Do not worry, there is a plan in the Foundation's masquerade with the Greek gods – and soon their plans will be revealed.

Guest – Well… They are a very secretive organization (tho remember that in the SCP universe, the Illuminati are part of UN GOC). And yes, I just felt that mist was often used as a plot armor for all gods and demigods, and so I decided to make it more realistic… Not like gods or demigods are aware of that.

ZarKans – I will definitely use this. I even had a similar idea, but now I can definitely use this. Thank you!

Anon Omys – The Norse and Egyptians will appear here as well. Tho I am afraid that I cannot tell you anything about demigod's interactions with GOIs because that would be a massive spoiler.

MeFluf – And I am slowly getting annoyed by the incomprehensible comments you're writing. And you dare to say that you give only constructive criticism on your bio… yeah, my ass.

aRandomGuyInTheInternet – oh, the big SCP-5000 aka "Why?" – Well, I will think about it. But I cannot promise anything.

Mapron – Thank you! And about the 3004… the insect god only believes himself to be the real god, tho I cannot deny that he is vastly more powerful than any greek god… And the confrontation between them would be catastrophic…

Anonymous – I apologize for that. But I can promise that I will try to improve in all ways I can to make this story better! And sorry for the M,C&D spelling error…

phoenix emperor 23 – I am sorry, but guess again. Orion is not the Wolf-Lead.

avatar junkman – Pan is not the dear god.

S0UL SURVIVOR – Thanks! And… I cannot tell because – spoilers!

DOOT76 – Yes and no. Noble Six from Out of Reach and Wolf-Lead have completely different backstories when it comes to Artemis. In OoR she hated her son, while here… well, you will see. I promise that you won't be disappointed.

Guest – There you go!

Brave2000 – Thanks!

KingJGamer – I'd love to answer you, but I cannot give away spoilers like that, sorry.


Anyway, that's it. See ya in another chapter

My discord server: discord . gg/ pghekDe
(check it out if you want to know about the current progress of my projects!)

bye-bye!