Shadow's Veil

Chapter 1: The Arrival

It felt as every other day did, busy and calm there wasn't even the slightest difference, even the constant clicking from the cogs turning seemed on beat. So I did what I did everyday I sat behind my desk in my office, looking through recent crime reports scratching my goatee. All of which needed some one like me an investigator. Unfortunately I'm the only one other than my friend Samuel. Who went with Garen and his group to the Harrowlands. A dark land where the sun never shines, given for anyone who enters those lands say they can feel something watching them, threatening. Even after they leave those lands. Their paranoia grows, and eventually they are put with the rest who claim "it's" after them. But it's a case that has yet to be solved...well technically not yet. Hopefully by the time Garen comes back from the ruins deep in there everything will be explained.

Three knocks are then heard at the door. Then I hear a familiar voice, it sounded feminine.
"SAMPSON! SAMPSON! SAMPSON! OPEN UP THE DOOR! THEY ARE BACK!"
Upon hearing so I sprang up from my chair and vaulted over my desk my blue vest flew off of me as if the force of the jump ripped it off and open the door all in what seemed to be just one second. When the door opens a young beautiful woman stands there, she wears a long sky blue dress, with coils running down her in a spiral. Her hair seemed to stick slightly up on one side and down on the other.
"Caitlin? Sis, did I hear you correctly? You said their back?"
Not even a second after she responded swiftly
"Yes yes! They are back! They are entering now! Sampson we must go see what they have learned!"

I nodded and walked out with her, the air felt different as if a curse had under taken this town. No music from the local bands, no birds chirping. It all felt so strange. The whole city was quiet. There was only mumbles as we pushed through the crowds of people cluttering the street. Some people were walking back towards us, they looked sickened, scared and hopeless. I couldn't help but feel something wasn't right, why were they like this?...Sure enough we were there at the front of the crowd. I saw them, pale, lifeless, and their eyes were empty, void of all life. I would have thought they were dead if it wasn't for the fact they were standing up, and walking.
"What happened to them?...." Caitlin softly said. Staring at them in disbelief.

I couldn't answer her, for yet I didn't even know. All I knew is that they weren't who they once we're before leaving.
"Why...why do we keep doing this!? It fails every time! Why do we keep doing this and expect different results each time!" Caitlin screamed, her face was flustered with anger. I wasn't so sure myself, what could possibly be there that would make us keep going back? I never understood all I knew is that we were drawn there. It was a mystery, one of which we have been trying to solve for ages. I look to Caitlin to see a tear streaming down her dark colored face.
"Go home and rest, watching this is exhausting mentally." I said in a sympathetic tone.
" Yeah....that sounds like a good idea....join me back?"
" No I'm going to follow up on them, get any information I can get and well see if Samuel is ok..."
" Oh ok...well as always feel free to come over..."
" I plan on it, it's a time in which we should hold family bonds close. Well have a safe walk home" I say that as I push to up to where the doctors grab them and begin leading them to the hospital. Leave Caitlin in the crowd of disappointment. Once at the hospital sit in the same room as my best friend, I felt the dread and horror coming from him yet he said nothing, his white foggy eyes never moved. It was truly like he was dead.
" Why did you volunteer to go? Why did you decide to repeat the past, we have never succeeded. So why try again...I mean look what happened to you....was it worth it? Was it?! For you to leave behind your friends and family to go into this ghostly state?! You know just repeating the past never brings anything good!" I get up in a fit of anger and walk towards the bed.
"Tell me! Why did you think this was going to work?! Damn it! What the hell am I doing?....screaming practically at a dead man..."
I then sit down at the chair beside the bed. And bury my head in my hands listening to the clicking of the several clockwork machines in the room. Then I hear it, it starts quietly and begins to grow, I slowly look up from my palms to see Samuel screaming. Though that screech was not anything I've ever heard any human make. I then see his face beginning to light up with dark glowing purple symbols that began giving off a mist. Then I hear the same sound coming from the other rooms, they all join in perfect harmony. The frequency grew, my ears began ringing with it. I covered them, and felt blood coming from them. My eyes grew heavy, I then i look to the door way to see a shadowy figure, something that wasn't human. I saw it's ghostly body, it's four arms and glowing eyes, but nothing more for my eyes shut and I collapsed.