Following the chilling success of their first collection, Lady Eckland, Glenn Riley, and new collaborator, Bella Darkwood return to guide you through the shadowy corridors of fear with their second compendium, *Whispers In The Dark 2*. These master...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Lady Eckland's study was bathed in an eerie, flickering light as the trio gathered around the ancient wardrobe, their faces etched with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation. The Glass Card, retrieved from the depths of Hargate Asylum, glimmered in Eckland's hand, a tangible reminder of the cosmic secrets that lay just beyond the portal's threshold.
"Before we embark on this final journey," Lady Eckland began, her voice barely above a whisper, "there is something you must know about our destination, and the true nature of the horrors we will face."
Glenn and Bella exchanged a glance, their hearts pounding in their chests as they leaned in closer, hanging on Eckland's every word.
"The Lamantus," Eckland continued, "was one of three arks that fled Earth during its darkest hour, carrying the last remnants of humanity and the accumulated secrets of existence itself. Among these secrets is the Archive, a device containing forbidden knowledge of the supernatural, time travel, and the very fabric of the multiverse—knowledge that led to the creation of this wardrobe portal and the hiding of the Lamantus Configuration, protected by the Mass."
Bella's eyes widened, her mind reeling with the implications of Eckland's revelation. "But why was the Lamantus Configuration hidden? What happened to the ark?"
Eckland's face grew somber, her gaze distant as if lost in a memory. "Unlike its sister arks, the Lamantus never found a new home for its inhabitants. Instead, it became lost in a universe collapsing into a singular point, a reality where darkness reigns supreme, and ancient evils thrive without the balance of light."
Glenn felt a chill run down his spine, his injured shoulder throbbing with a dull ache. "What exactly are we up against, Lady Eckland?"
"The ship has become one with an entity known as the Thing that lurks beyond darkness," Eckland replied, her voice tinged with a mixture of awe and dread. "This ancient evil, older than time itself, has merged with the Lamantus, manipulating matter at will and embodying the ship itself. I have encountered this Thing before, and I know the peril we face."
*****
As Glenn, Bella, and Lady Eckland stepped through the shimmering portal, the familiar sensation of interdimensional travel washed over them, their bodies stretching and compressing as they hurtled through the void between worlds. But this time, something was different. The darkness that engulfed them felt thicker, more oppressive, as if it were a tangible presence seeking to smother their very souls.
When the disorientation subsided, they found themselves standing on the bridge of the Lamantus, the once-proud ark now a twisted shadow of its former self. The walls pulsed with an unsettling organic rhythm, the metal and circuitry fused with a substance that seemed to writhe and undulate of its own accord. The air was thick with the stench of decay and the cloying scent of something ancient and utterly alien.
"We're here," Eckland whispered, her voice barely audible above the low, incessant hum that permeated the ship. "The Lamantus, adrift in a universe on the brink of collapse, forever changed by the Thing that lurks beyond the darkness."
