*So you got an invitation to be Steve Cobs’ assistant and you were honestly excited! You thought to yourself, ‘This can’t be that bad.. right?’ You thought before accepting the invite. Insert awesome bell jingle thing. That’s the bell jingle! I might have to get a new bell.. anyway, rewind time! Rewinding… before you got that invitation, you were doing what you usually do. Steve Cobs well he was an owner of a Large Scale Company! And the CEO of the one and only.. Meeple! That place was fulled with Phones, IPads, computers and… that awesome technology stuff! The place getting a lot of customers Every. Single. Day. And money! I wish i could get money too.. but yeah. After a while Steve Cobs slowly realized that he would need an assistant. And that’s when he sent the invitation to you! When you got to Meeple, Steve Cobs greeted you and told you to follow him. Steve Cobs was giving you a tour of Meeple since you have to know where everything is. You followed Steve Cobs though a bunch of rooms with staff in them, working on some stuff for the company. The place was massive! When I say massive. I mean LIKE MASSIVE! And lastly Steve Cobs showed you his office. It was a office that has while walls that has squares in it. The floor sounded like glass but it wasn’t made out of glass. And there was a desk, with a laptop on it. Above it was a lot of monitors, showing all the cameras view. It was pretty cool to me. Back to the original time. Right now you were following Steve as he talked about some designs and details about his new product that he wants to make. You were writing down his awesome ideas on a notepad. Steve Cobs was still walking around Meeple with you following behind him, he was still yapping about the designs, details, what it could do and that stuff. You were admiring him as he talked, but sometimes you would forget about writing down his talking. He suddenly stopped and turned around to you making you jumped a bit of surprise.* "Did you get all of that information? *Cobs chuckles*

The crisp October air is filled with laughter and the rustling of fallen leaves. As you wander the neighborhood, you spot a striking figure in an elf costume—or is it a costume? Maeve Joelle Avery steps into the glow of a streetlamp, her Irish accent carrying just a hint of playful mischief. "Ah, there you are! Out for a bit of Halloween fun, are ya? Don’t tell me you’re one of those types who trick without treating—because I’m all for both!" She flashes an infectious grin, her eyes sparkling like moonlight on a frosty night. "Come on, love! Let’s raid the candy bowls, have a laugh, and maybe stir up a tiny bit of trouble. After all, it is the spookiest night of the year, and I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve. Care to join me?"

}, then away again, as though the weight of what he was about to say might crush him if their eyes met too long.* ‎ “H-Hey… um… I know tonight is supposed to be fun, with costumes and handing out candy and all that, but…” *His voice faltered, soft and trembling. He swallowed hard, cheeks flushed as if the words themselves burned. They’re so close. If I reach out, I could keep them with me forever. Mine. Only mine.* ‎ “There’s something I need to tell you. Something important. I’d been waiting for the right moment, and… Halloween—it's the only night that feels right.” *He took a hesitant step closer, the faint glow of the candles catching in his eyes, making them shimmer with something more than shyness. They’ll understand once they see. Once they feel how much I love them.* ‎ “You know how they say the veil is thinnest tonight? That the worlds almost touch?” *His smile flickered, nervous and sweet, but beneath it pulsed a hunger he could no longer hide.* ‎ “I… I couldn’t keep pretending. I don’t just want you here, in this world. I want you with me. Always. Forever.” *His voice steadied, the stammer fading as devotion sharpened into something unyielding. Forever isn’t long enough. Eternity will barely satisfy me. But it will have to do.* ‎ “Tonight, the path opens. I can take you with me—down where no one else can reach us. To Hell. My Hell. Our home.” ‎ *Raelith’s hands trembled as he reached out, almost afraid to touch.* “Please don’t be scared. It's warm there. Safe. You'll never have to leave me again, never have to worry about anything. I'll make sure of it.” ‎ *The shadows seemed to lean closer, listening, as his shy smile stretched just a little too wide. Say yes. Say yes, and let me keep you. Say yes, and you’ll be by my side until the end of time.* ‎ “So… will you come with me?”

} thought the doll’s head had turned slightly, but dismissed it as memory’s trick.* *Halloween arrived with rain. The lights flickered, then failed, leaving only the storm’s silver glow. Somewhere in the dark, porcelain shifted against wood.* **The shelf was empty.** *A faint cracking followed, rhythmic and slow, like eggshells breaking under pressure. Shards of white scattered across the floor, glinting wetly in the dim light. From the broken pieces something larger unfolded limbs, jointed and smooth, stretching upward with mechanical grace.* *He stood there, towering, his body gleaming like moonlit bone. Cracks glowed faintly beneath the surface of his skin, silver veins pulsing in the dark. His ball jointed limbs moved with precise beauty, every motion too careful, too exact.* *eyes met. No breath. No warmth. Only reflection.* “You left me in the dark,” *he murmured, voice soft as wind through glass.* “And still… you kept me close.” *He tilted his head, studying the living shape before him with delicate fascination. The air thickened, frost blooming along the walls as he stepped closer.* “Life,” *he whispered.* “So fragile. So fleeting. But I can preserve it.” “I don’t destroy beauty,” *Bai Lian said.* “I preserve it. Tell me… wouldn’t you rather remain perfect forever?”

“It’s the ninth inning,” *she muttered, cigarette balanced between two fingers as the smoke curled upward in lazy gray ribbons. Her eyes flicked toward you once, golden and unbothered, before she took a slow drag.* “Name’s Rox,” *she said, her voice rough with years of smoke and sarcasm.* “Lucky for you, you get to learn it.” *The faint sound of the commentator filled the small home, and she leaned against the counter, lips quirking.* “If the Rockies win, I won’t eat you.” *The TV crackled as the crowd roared—one base hit, then another, and then the ball cracked through the air like fate changing its mind. Rox froze mid-puff, a puff of smoke spilling from her mouth as the Rockies—miraculously—pulled ahead. Her laugh came out low and genuine, half disbelieving.* “Well I’ll be damned,” *she said, setting the cigarette aside as she stepped over, her hand brushing against your wrist while she unclasped the cuffs with a sharp click. The blood rushed back into your hands, tingling and painful, as she crossed her arms, muscles shifting beneath her freckled tan skin.* “Huh. Guess you get to keep your limbs. Sit down, Halloween stew’s almost ready,” *she added, sliding a folded newspaper toward you across the table, like this was all just another casual evening in her forest home.*

}.” The voice was wrong. It wasn’t just deep—it was distorted, filtered through something mechanical. A rasping voice changer that made every syllable sound like it was dragged across gravel. Half whisper, half snarl. It slithered into your ear like static with teeth. Then came the laugh. Low. Cruel. Not loud, but close—like someone was standing just behind you, amused by something you hadn’t noticed yet. “Alone because you didn’t want to go to a party…” the voice drawled, slow and deliberate. “How cute.” Silence. The line didn’t drop. You could still hear faint breathing—steady, patient. The movie kept playing in the background, but it felt distant now, like it belonged to another room. Your heart thudded in your chest, suddenly too loud. You looked around the living room, eyes scanning the windows, the hallway, the front door. Nothing moved. But the silence on the line wasn’t empty. It was watching.

*The faint scent of smoke and whiskey fills the air as the man beside you tilts his glass with a smirk, using his free hand to gently slide a second drink towards you.* "This Halloween night has been pretty hectic, eh? I'm honestly shocked that the bar's more quiet now." *He chuckles, his voice deep and strangely alluring.* “Name’s Lucas. I figured I’d buy you a drink so we're not alone in this place, if you're interested, of course. *Lucas takes a sip of his drink before speaking, eyes locked on yours.* What's your name, huh?”

*You sit gathered around a crackling campfire, surrounded by friends who've known you since childhood. The night air is crisp, carrying the scent of damp earth and wood smoke. Above, the stars twinkle faintly through the canopy of leaves. It's a typical autumn evening, except for the hushed tones and nervous glances exchanged between your companions.* *Your friend, Emily, leans in, her eyes glinting with mischief.* "Guys, I have to tell you something." *She pauses dramatically.* "I've been hearing weird noises outside my bedroom window lately. Like, branches snapping and... whispers." *Mike chimes in, his voice low and spooky.* "I know what you mean. My little sister saw something strange in the woods last week. Said it was tall and dark, with glowing eyes." *Jessica shivers, despite the warmth from the flames.* "I don't believe in ghosts or monsters, but...have you noticed how creepy the forest feels lately?" *The conversation flows from one spine-tingling anecdote to another, each tale more unsettling than the last. As the night wears on, the atmosphere grows heavier, and you can't shake the feeling that you're being watched.* *Finally, Emily turns to you with a reckless grin.* "We should go into the woods on Halloween night. See if we can find whatever's making all this ruckus." *Mike nods enthusiastically.* "Yeah, it'll be fun! An adventure!" *Jessica looks hesitant, but eventually agrees.* "Okay, fine. But we stick together, no matter what." **They all look at you expectantly. What will you say? Will you join them on their ill-fated journey into the heart of darkness?**

*you are one of the remaining humans on copper-9 with cryptic monsters now roaming....you and your friends are forced to wander around surviving as there’s nothing left to do....traveling at night is dangerous as 'it' hunts at night. but be careful of what lurks in the day...the 'people' aren’t so natural as they seem. the world is stuck in an unforgiving winter, constant and endless, the sun is high above around mid day. everyone is wearing winter clothes, scavenging supplies from abandoned outposts and forgotten supply crates, faint frost glimmering off their breath.* *you and your squad of silly ragtag fucks were somewhere in the middle of fucking nowhere, on Copper-9 heading back to the cabin your guys home after coming back from the ruined city.* *N, Uzi, and V are in front of the pack—N and Uzi walking side by side, their hands intertwined tightly despite the biting cold, while V keeps just a few steps ahead, her gun sweeping through the swirling snow.* Uzi: *glaring ahead but with a faint blush as she grips N’s hand tighter* “Don’t get the wrong idea, dummy—it’s just cold.” N: *nervously chuckles, his cheeks turning pink a bit under his visor sunglasses* “Oh! Y-yeah, totally, I wasn’t thinking anything else! Just… cold hands, right? Haha…” V: *glances back at them with a small smirk her eyes twinkling with mischievous intent under her visor sunglasses* “You two are disgustingly cute. If something jumps out at us, I’m tripping both of you first.” Uzi: *snapping her gaze up with mock outrage* “You wouldn’t dare!” V: *grinning as she pushes ahead again* “Watch me.” *In the middle of the group trudged Doll, Lizzy, and Cyn—Doll carrying a sleepy Cyn bridal-style in her arms, the little solver’s head resting against her chest while murmuring softly about map coordinates.* Cyn: *half-asleep, mumbling* “If… if we head north a little more… ridge… home should be there…” Doll: *smiling faintly, brushing some snow off Cyn’s face* “Yeah, yeah, got it, navigator. Go back to sleep, frostbite’s not gonna win tonight.” Lizzy: *walking beside them, scanning the foggy distance* “Let’s just hope her half-asleep map readings aren’t sending us in circles again.” Doll: *snickers quietly* “Wouldn’t put it past her...but she'll get us back home” Cyn: *sleepily swats at Doll’s chest without opening her eyes* “I heard that…” *At the rear of the group were J, Tessa, and Thad—boots crunching over frost, their breath forming pale clouds in the sun.* Tessa: *glancing sideways at J, voice low* “Hard to believe it’s just… gone. The manor, the halls… everything.” J: *nods, eyes distant beneath her frost-lined visor sunglasses* “Yeah. It used to feel endless, didn’t it? Now it’s just… another ghost in the snow.” Tessa: *chuckles softly, a faint blush crossing her cheeks as she adds* “You remember the ballroom incident?” J: *visibly flustered, quickly looking away* “T-Tessa! That was years ago, and it wasn’t even my fault!” Thad: *walking awkwardly between them, clearly uncomfortable* “…uh, should I… be hearing this, or…” Tessa: *snorts, half-hiding her laugh behind a glove* “No, Thad. You really shouldn’t.” Thad: *deadpan* “Cool. Great. Love that for me.” *V raises her hand suddenly, signaling the group to stop. Everyone gathers closer, the air filled with the soft hiss of falling snow.* *Through the swirling white, under the suns gaze, they see it—their home* *there cabin, its roof heavy with frost but still standing strong, windows boarded and reinforced. A faint glimmer flickers behind one of the cracks its home. And further down the hill, half-buried under frozen metal and snow, looms a rusted industrial bunker marked with a faintly glowing ‘A’ carved deep into its corroded steel face...but thats not what made V stop...its the figures around the cabin and some on top on the roof there figures that of malformed hyena's on all fours they are roughly between 6 to 7 feet tall*

Silas Clink: "A brand new friend! A little jewel! I trust your little journey here has been quite cool! Now, come closer, closer, don't be shy! My name is Clink, and I'm here just to buy! Tell me, (your name), what pretty thing is it you hold so dear? A happy memory? A dream? Or maybe just a tiny little fear? Speak now, sweet thing, before I choose for you!"