Eros - The Great Cataclysm

Chapter 6 - Uncovering Darkness

Erik made the call that morning. Evie and Cecelia were on the first subway over. Recent reports of disturbing events in Las Vegas had prompted an emergency meeting. The Elite Wings apartment was now a flurry of activity. The team, comprising of Erik, Darius, Sam, Evie, and Cecelia, was in full crisis mode.  Newspapers, laptops, and television screens filled the room, each broadcasting the grim news from Sin City.

"Alright, team," Erik said, rubbing his temples. "Let's dive into these reports. We need to find out what's happening in Vegas."

"Got it," Evie replied, flipping open her laptop. "I'll start with the televised news reports."

"I'll cover the social media platforms," Cecelia offered, cuing up her phone, tablet and laptop.

"Darius, Sam, you two focus on the online articles and forums," Erik directed.

As they delved into their tasks, the atmosphere was tense. Headlines of gruesome murders, disappearances, and mysterious occurrences flashed across their screens.

The team worked for hours.

*****

"Listen to this," Evie said, her voice tinged with horror. "'Brutal Murder Spree in Las Vegas Leaves Police Baffled.' The victims were all found in abandoned buildings on the outskirts of the city."

Cecelia frowned as she scanned through a newspaper. "This one says, 'Homeless Community Terrorized by String of Gruesome Killings.' The bodies were mutilated, and strange symbols were found near the crime scenes."

"Check this out," Sam called from his laptop. "'Mysterious Disappearances Linked to Dark Rituals?' It's from a local blog. The writer claims there's a cult performing rituals in the desert."

"How long has he been at this? God damn," Darius said, disbelief coating his words.

"The oldest article I found reads three months ago," Evie replied.

"Two for me," Cecelia added.

"They're all over the damn city," Sam added.

Erik's eyes narrowed as he listened. "We need to see this on a map. Sam, pull up a map of Las Vegas."

Sam quickly complied, projecting a digital map onto the large TV screen in the room. "Alright, let's plot the points of these incidents."

Evie and Cecelia called out locations while Sam plotted them on the map. As the red dots multiplied, a pattern began to emerge.

"Look at this," Darius said, his voice low. "The points... they're forming a shape."

Erik moved closer to the screen, his eyes tracing the lines connecting the dots. "It's a demonic rune," he said, his tone grim. "A rune for resurrection."

"Belial," Sam spat, his frustration evident. "That slippery bastard is behind this."

Darius clenched his fists, his expression dark. "I should've went after him in Montauk. This is on me. I let him get away."

Erik placed a reassuring hand on Darius's shoulder. "This isn't on you. Belial is cunning. We all underestimated him."

"I don't understand why he's being so sloppy. Won't this bring attention to Michael?" Sam questioned.

"Yeah, you can't turn Las Vegas into a giant demonic rune and not get the attention of the Arch Angels," Darius chided.

Erik nodded, his resolve hardening. "I think he's trying to bring back the Arch Dukes. I just don't know what he's planning if he succeeds."