The moment Charlie laid eyes on the small, strange statue, he felt a sudden chill run down his spine. He had a bad feeling that whatever curse had been creeping through the spaceship was about to reach its peak. There was something wrong about this statue, as if it was charged with a dark energy. It reminded him of the "source of infection" he had encountered back on Earth, objects that spread madness and chaos. He hadn't expected to find similar things scattered throughout the universe, but this one felt different. It was stronger, more powerful, and more dangerous than anything he'd encountered before.
Charlie thought that if he compared the infected items he'd seen on Earth with this statue, only the strongest one—the Descending Core—would even come close. But even then, the Descending Core might not match the intensity radiating from this eerie figure.
As soon as Deadpool took a step toward the statue, the screen view shifted suddenly. It felt like everything was spinning, as if Deadpool had turned in a full circle on his own, with no input from Charlie. The camera view settled, showing Deadpool facing the door, and there, to Charlie's shock, was Bruen—the crew member who was supposed to be dead.
Bruen's face looked strange and twisted. His eyes were bulging out unnaturally, and his whole body was stiff, giving him an eerie, lifeless look. But somehow, he was moving. He wasn't walking exactly; it was more like he was sliding along the floor, with his feet dragging behind him. The wounds Deadpool had inflicted on him were still there, his feet cut clean off, leaving bloody marks on the floor as he moved.
Anyone else might have been terrified at the sight, but Charlie was prepared for this kind of horror. He was safe, thousands of light-years away, and watching through a screen. And as for Deadpool, fear was not something he understood. Deadpool looked at the creepy, half-dead figure in front of him and burst out laughing.
"Haha! Wow, buddy, you're way funnier dead than alive! I mean, just look at those eyes—and those feet! Oh, wait, you don't have any feet! Hahaha, I'm dying here!"
Bruen—as Deadpool called him—didn't seem to care much for Deadpool's laughter. Instead, he opened his mouth wide, much wider than should have been possible, until his mouth filled the entire screen. With one enormous bite, he swallowed Deadpool into the darkness, where Deadpool tumbled, rolling and bouncing through the void before he finally stopped.
"Ouch," Deadpool groaned, rubbing his back like he'd taken a hard fall. "You know, that's really bad for the spine."
He looked around, trying to see through the darkness. "Bruen?" he called out, tilting his head. "Are you still there?"
There was no reply, but Charlie could feel a presence lurking in the dark. First, a giant eye appeared, staring through the shadows, watching Deadpool. It was massive, like it was gazing in from another world. The shape of the creature was hard to make out in the darkness, but Charlie could tell that it was twisted and strange. Its form seemed to be made of hundreds of different shapes, pieced together in a way that looked both horrifying and beautiful at the same time.
This was no ordinary monster. It was a demon god, the real source of the madness that had taken over the ship and its crew. Now, it was trying to overwhelm Deadpool with its powerful presence. The sheer force of its gaze was like an ocean of fear, crashing over Deadpool, trying to crush him. Any other creature would have been paralyzed with terror.
But this terrifying power had no effect on Charlie, who was sitting safely on the other side of the screen, eating snacks and drinking soda without a care in the world. And as for Deadpool, fear was a feeling he simply didn't have. Deadpool stared at the massive eye and laughed again.
"Hey, pal! With that one eye, you kind of remind me of Nick Fury. Ever heard of him? Total buddy of mine—only difference is, he's got an eye patch. And get this—he tells everyone he lost it in some big, mysterious mission. But between you and me, he actually lost it because of a cat! Can you believe it? A cat scratched him! Hahaha!"
Deadpool's laughter echoed through the darkness, filling the silent space as he shook with amusement. The demon god stayed silent, but Charlie could almost sense it growing more irritated.
Charlie started piecing things together. The moment Deadpool had touched the strange statue, it must have acted like a gateway, pulling him into this dark, twisted illusion. This whole experience seemed like a mental trap.
Realizing this, Charlie quickly tapped on the keyboard, summoning Green Lantern to join Deadpool in the darkness.
In an instant, a bright green light flooded the space. Green Lantern appeared, floating in mid-air, with a fierce glow surrounding him that pushed back the darkness. The ring on his right hand shone brilliantly, casting light through the void.
The giant eye of the demon god widened, clearly surprised by the appearance of this powerful green light and the strength it radiated.
What Charlie didn't know was that this dark place was called "No Light," a realm where all light and hope were supposed to be impossible. The darkness and despair here were supposed to break anyone who entered, leaving them trapped in madness forever. But somehow, a bright, fierce light was blazing through the darkness now, shattering its grip.
The demon god grew uneasy, and the giant eye looked on in shock. Darkness pressed down on Green Lantern from all directions, trying to snuff out his light. The green glow dimmed a little, and Green Lantern staggered, bending slightly under the heavy pressure.
Deadpool watched with his arms crossed, looking as relaxed as ever. "Oh buddy, if you're trying to intimidate him, you picked the wrong target. This guy doesn't know the meaning of 'give up.'"
Green Lantern was only at an early stage in his career, but even so, he was one of the greatest Green Lanterns in history. His willpower was legendary, stronger than almost any creature's. When pushed to his limit, his determination was even said to surpass the central power of the Green Lantern Corps itself.
Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern, closed his eyes and steadied himself, beginning to recite the Green Lantern's Oath. With each line he spoke, his power grew, filling the darkness with an even stronger green light.
The demon god seemed to sense this growing strength, and its single eye widened in disbelief. Hal Jordan's willpower was like nothing it had ever faced.
Hal stood tall, green energy blazing around him. As he finished his oath, his eyes snapped open, and thousands of green beams shot from them, slicing through the darkness like blazing arrows.
"The green light is always bright, eternal light!!" he shouted.
The green light surged outward, cutting through the darkness, tearing it apart. The demon god's form began to break down, the darkness crumbling around him. Even as the creature dissolved, its giant eye stayed focused on Green Lantern, wide with shock and disbelief.
In that moment, Charlie felt as though he could almost hear the demon god's thoughts, as if it were wondering, "What have I gotten myself into?"