Tuesday 10PM, August 8 2024, a park in Bourges (France)
The giant projection screen set up in the middle of the park displays the end credits amid a thunderous round of applause.
Wow! That cartoon was amazing!
Muden Tobias, a six-year-old boy, stands up joyfully with his father and mother.
The images from the movie still plays in his mind. "Azlo & Zolma vs. the Emerald Dune Tribe" ticks all the boxes to delight fans of action and adventure, both young and old! It's clear that the graphic novel adaptation has won the hearts of its audience.
As people begin to leave, Muden enthusiastically recounts all the memorable scenes to his delighted parents.
The pale skin of Raymond, his tall sturdy father, contrasts with the brown derm of Oriane, his shorter but remarkably beautiful mother, whose honey-colored eyes gently sparkle in the starless summer night.
Streetlights illuminate magnificent plants with exotic colors, while the moon's white reflections on the water light up the statues around the majestic fountain.
A gentle breeze ruffles Muden's dark, coarse hair, similar to Raymond's; in contrast of his skin and eye colors which resemble Oriane's.
Seeing their son so happy fills the young couple with joy. Nothing could spoil this magical moment.
Unfortunately, nature had other plans…
The event unfolds in just thirty seconds. The starless sky shifts from black to violet, then from violet to magenta, leaving witnesses both fascinated and terrified.
"Is the sky turning pink part of the show?" an innocent yet worried little girl asks. "It scares me! I want to go home..."
Most people share the same unease. While some pull out their phones to film, the ground suddenly begins to shake when the deep trumpet-like sound echoes from everywhere. The vibrations are so strong that many people lose their balance.
Panic overtakes reason. People pubs each other hoping to get out of here fast. Some cover their ears; others scream.
No one knows what's happening!
The final phenomenon instills deep terror in even the bravest hearts. All eyes fix on one spot.
"Look at the Moon!" a teenager shouts, pointing with a trembling hand.
"What on Earth…" an elderly man murmurs, his eyes locked on the strange sight unfolding on the white natural satellite.
It looks like it's being absorbed by a massive bloody slime! Within a minute, the Moon is completely engulfed. Soon after, the red liquid vanishes, revealing a terrifying sight.
The Moon is Now a gigantic eyeball! With its scarlet iris, the eye directs a particularly oppressive gaze toward Earth.
Anyone who looks up is met with the gaze of this giant retina. A retina devoid of light, devoid of life.
This horrific apparition has frozen the world in place, like a deity demanding absolute stillness under threat of severe punishment.
Then, symbols strangely arranged in a circle about the width of a basketball court form on the ground and suddenly light up. Inside the circle, a translucent veil distorts the ground, giving it the appearance of a solid in liquefaction.
A low rumble seems to come from the depths. Trees, once reassuring, now stand like silent sentinels, their twisted branches forming sinister shapes.
Without warning, sharp claws slowly emerge from the otherworldly veil, followed by grotesque silhouettes—monsters with distorted bodies covered in dirt and mucus. Their eyes, empty sockets, glow with a chilling animosity.
The first creature, a putrid-skinned abomination, lunges at a group of teenagers, its long, pointed teeth tearing through flesh effortlessly. Screams fill the air but are quickly drowned out by the monsters' rampage.
The park, once a place of peace and tranquility, has turned into a heartless slaughterhouse!
Bodies are flung into the air, limbs torn apart, and blood splattering, filling the vegetation with a putrid stench. The insatiable monsters continue their massacre, enjoying the panic of fleeing humans. Sadistic growls mix with cries of despair in a morbid symphony.
A few hundred meters away, the first emergency vehicles arrive, followed closely by military trucks. Helicopters patrol the area, while police officers direct civilians to safety.
Despite the surrounding chaos, rescue workers quickly reach the park's entrance. Faced with the macabre scene before them, some throw up. But time is of the essence; every second counts. They quickly enter the park, followed by soldiers who immediately open fire.
In a corner of the park, Oriane runs with all her might, Raymond holding Muden against him. But the horror is unavoidable. A massive creature with sharp claws approaches and swats at the mother!
Or maybe not? The bloodthirsty beast is confused when it looks at its arm. It expected the sweet sound of breaking bones but instead finds its forearm severed! Black goo spurts from its wound. The creature steps back. It can't feel pain, but its survival instinct tells it to stay cautious.
Facing the monster stands Raymond Tobias. The gleam in his eye reflects his determination to kill it. A glowing aura surrounds his body, especially his fist. Absorbed in the moment, he seems unaware of it.
"I don't care if you can understand me or not. You will die here and now! No one will harm my family while I'm alive!"
Raymond dive like a lion at its prey and delivers a devastating punch. The beast instantly explodes in a burst of organs!
With the danger gone, he runs to his wife and child, but at the same time, a group of monsters resembling red gorillas with horns on the top of their heads leap from the trees to grab them both.
"No, Mom!" Muden screams as his mother is taken away.
The other demon aiming for the child is quickly stopped in its tracks by Raymond's powerful kick. The blow is so strong that the monster is pulverized on impact!
The paramedic who witnessed the scene is utterly astonished. Since when do humans possess such power?! It can only happened in science fiction; and yet…
She quickly regains her composure.
"We don't have time to waste, follow me immediately!" she commands, pointing to the nearest emergency vehicle.
Raymond carries his crying son one last time. Between sobs, Muden calls for his mother repeatedly.
"Please take care of him."
The father hands the child to the still confused paramedic, and then offers a final reassuring smile to his son.
"Mom and Dad will come back for you. Be brave, okay, my boy?"
Despite trying, Muden can't stop the tears from flowing.
And so, Raymond sets off to pursue the creature that took his wife.
No, this is just a nightmare, it can't be real! It's just a dream… It's just a bad dream!!!
Shocked, Muden loses consciousness in the roaring ambulance while demons continue to appear and butcher humans in the park, the city, the region, and across the country! In fact, no continent was spared during the bloodiest massacre in history.
However, in the midst of this global carnage, many people like Muden's father discovered their supernatural abilities. Thanks to their courage, many tragedies were averted.
Unfortunately, the damage is still alarming.
The Scarlet Insurrection — that's the name humanity has given to that terrible event.
But as soon as the first ray of sunlight appears, the horrors of the night fade into the depths of the little boy's amber eyes, just like the demons turning into piles of grayish particles.
The only evidence of their presence are the unrecognizable corpses of their victims and the ravaged infrastructure of big cities.
An otherworldly threat had just been identified, forcing humanity to make unprecedented decisions for its survival!