In the seemingly perfect Bakerman household, Bruce and his family lived a regular life, unaware of a massive secret his wife had been hiding all along. His wife, who he thought he knew so well, was a witch. And their daughter, his precious little girl, was promised to the dark Lord since birth. It was a revelation that shook his world to its core.
One fateful night, tragedy struck the Bakerman household. Bruce had just finished tucking his daughter into bed and was working late in his room when he heard footsteps downstairs. Instinctively, he went to investigate and was shocked to find the front door open. In a fleeting moment, he saw a strange creature, standing over 9 feet tall with red eyes, smiling menacingly at him. "Hello Bruce, or should I say soon to be father-in-law?" said the strange being. Before Bruce could respond the intruder lunged at him and knocked him down with force. Clearly, this was not a human.
Needing to protect his daughter, Bruce grabbed a baseball bat and rushed to secure her room. After locking the door and windows, he turned his attention back to the intruder who he sensed was roaming in the house but couldn't see it. He then began to search the house, from the basement to the kitchen and living room, but didn't see a trace of the intruder. He paused in the living room ans tried to catch his breath.
All of sudden, he heard it - footsteps leading to his 7-year-old daughter's room. His heart began to pound with fear.
Suddenly, a scream pierced the air, and he immediately recognized it as his wife's voice. How could that be his dead wife's voice?
Terrified, he hurried towards the source of the sound. What he laid his eyes on was beyond his wildest nightmares: a horrifying monster holding his unconscious daughter while his wife, or something resembling her was fighting back using powerful magical spells, or so it seemed.
He attempted to fight the monstrous being so he held the baseball bat tightly and lunged at it, but his efforts were futile. The creature barely noticed him and effortlessly sent him flying with a single flick of his wrist. Bruce was left injured and unconscious.
He woke up several hours later. As he carefully rose up from the floor, he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand, glanced around and took in the chaotic mess of his surroundings. A throbbing pain shot through his side, making him double down and hold his rib.
What happened here?
His once neat and cozy home now lay in ruins, filled with holes and debris. The grim scene before him reflected the magnitude of the previous night's events. With great effort, he tried to call out for his daughter, but there was no sign of her. Panic surged through his veins as he realized she was missing.
Struggling to get up due to his injuries, Bruce's mind was plagued with questions. What had kidnapped his daughter? Was it a man or a beast that he had encountered? The voice he heard in his daughter's room sounded like his deceased wife's, but that couldn't be possible, could it? And who or what was keeping the monstrous creature at bay? More importantly, how was he still alive after such an encounter?
Despite the overwhelming uncertainty and new realization of a dangerous world existing beyond his previous understanding, Bruce remained calm. The only thing that mattered now was finding his daughter and bringing her back to safety.
As he made his way downstairs from his daughter's room, a strange sensation enveloped him in the living area. Turning around, he was shocked to see another person. This time, it was a woman with a beauty that shimmered like the moon in the night sky. Bruce, however, was too exhausted, confused, and in pain to fully acknowledge her beauty.
Desperately and cautiously, Bruce asked the woman, "Who are you? What do you want, and where the hell is my daughter?" He sounded extremely fatigued.
The woman's demeanor exuded a sense of calmness as she responded, "Calm down, Bruce. I'm not here to hurt you." Bruce was taken aback as he wondered how she knew his name. He immediately got suspicious and was unsure if he could trust her.
Seeing the doubt in Bruce's eyes, the woman continued, "My name is Gloria, and I'm a friend. Your daughter is safe, for now, but she's in grave danger. I managed to hold off the creature, but it won't be subdued for long."
Bruce remembered the woman he saw who he thought was his wife. He eyed Gloria and then realized it was her and not his dead wife.
Relief washed over him. His daughter was at least alive, but fear gripped his heart at the mention of the ongoing danger. He needed answers and a plan. "What is that thing? What does it want with my daughter?" he demanded with the little strength he had left.
Gloria's eyes bore sorrow as she replied, "That creature is one of the dark Lord's minions. It wants your daughter as she is the key to fulfilling an ancient prophecy. With her powers the dark Lord seeks to harness that energy to become invincible."
Bruce's mind struggled to process the fantastical information.
"Dark Lord? What dark lord? Who's that and what does that have to do with my daughter and I?" The more he asked, the more his head ached. His teeth seethed.
"You have many questions, I know, they will all be answered soon, I promise." The way this woman talked annoyed but calmed Bruce at the same time.
He knew he had to act quickly to save his daughter. "How can I stop this? How can I get her back?" he asked, pleadingly.
"There is a way, but it won't be easy," Gloria warned. "To rescue your daughter, you must tap into your potential and remain brave. You have a connection to the magical world through your wife. I can help you unlock your potential, but time is of the essence."
As Gloria extended her hand to Bruce, offering her aid, he felt a bit hopeful despite the darkness that had come out of nowhere to take over his life. With an uncertain but resolute nod, he took her hand.
"Please, let's go right now. I need to see my daughter," Bruce said urgently. His voice was strained as blood gushed down his temple and he bouted coughs from the exertion.
Gloria tried to reason with him as she was evidently concerned for him. "Bruce, you're not in any condition to face the dark Lord or any more danger. You need to rest and recover," she implored.
But Bruce's desperation overpowered his rationality. "I can't wait any longer," he insisted, his eyes blazing. "Every moment we waste is another moment my daughter is in danger. I won't sit here while she's suffering!"
Gloria persisted, "Bruce, I understand you're strong-willed, but you won't be of any use to April if you're too injured to continue. Please, let me help you."
Realizing that Gloria was right, he reluctantly, gave in. "Fine," he conceded, "but make it quick. We don't have time to waste."
Gloria gently guided Bruce to his room and helped him lie down on the bed. "Thank you," she said sincerely, "Now, where's the first aid box?"
"It's in the second room on your right," he replied. He did feel a little vulnerable but also grateful for the care Gloria was showing him but he had rather not think too much on it.
She was still not to be trusted fully - noone was.
As Gloria entered the room, she couldn't help but notice the state it was in. Its ambiance seemed torn between that of a single father and a pre-teen's den. Empty potato chip bags littered the floor, and a stash of outdated porn magazines raised an amused eyebrow from her. The disorganized bookshelf and the game room section made her wonder about how complex Bruce's life was as he tried to balance parenthood and his own interests.
While looking for the first aid box, her eyes caught a framed photograph of Bruce, his late wife, and a young April as a baby. The captured happiness on Bruce's face in the picture stirred a pang of sympathy in Gloria's heart.
As she returned to tend to Bruce's injuries, they shared a brief but intimate moment as their eyes met. However, their connection was interrupted by a sudden loud noise and a violent explosion that shook the house. Three menacing monsters had barged in and broken through any remaining aura of safety in that house.
Fear took hold of Bruce, but his instincts were quicker, compelling him to protect himself and Gloria, despite how injured and battered he was.
He grabbed a wooden leg from a broken chair then swung at one of the monsters but missed his target. The second monster tried to attack him but he swiftly evaded it. In a desperate motion, he managed to thrust the wooden leg into the third monster's eye, ending its life instantly.
The initial monster saw an opportunity to strike so he lunged at Bruce with full force, but before it could reach him, a powerful magical attack from Gloria sent the creature flying back and hard into the wall.
The second monster witnessed what had befallen its companions and lunged at Gloria, attempting to strike her down. But before it could reach her, Bruce swiftly grabbed an iron piece of the broken window frame and with a crazy burst of energy, he lunged forward and impaled the monster's head, putting an end to its menacing advance. Despite his exhaustion and injuries, he took them down.
Gloria turned to Bruce, both amazed and concerned by his audacious act. "Bruce, you're hurt," she said with a worried expression on, "You need to take care of yourself."
As the chaos subsided, Bruce stood there, completely exhausted and covered in blood, yet a fierce determination burned in his eyes. He had taken down two monsters without any magical powers and relied only on sheer grit and willpower.
Gloria approached him slowly. She was noticeably in awe of what he had just done too.
"Bruce, what you just did…was incredible," her voice was filled with admiration. "You fought bravely and with incredible strength."
Breathing heavily, Bruce managed a weak smile. "I had to protect us," he replied, "But there were three monsters, right? One of them got away?"
Gloria nodded solemnly. "Yes, one of them escaped. I blasted it away, but we can't waste time worrying about it now. You need to rest. You're bleeding, and your injuries need attention."
Bruce wanted to protest, again. He wanted to continue the search immediately, but the exhaustion finally caught up with him. "Alright," he conceded, "but please, tell me more about those creatures."
She stated, "They are Eve walkers."
He raised an eyebrow, "Evewalkers?"
Gloria helped Bruce to his room, where he lay down to rest. She insisted on staying by his side to keep a close watch on his condition.
"Those creatures, the Eve walkers, are foot soldiers of the dark Lord," Gloria explained quietly. "They serve as messengers and carry out his dirty work. We need to be cautious; there may be more of them lurking nearby."
Bruce listened intently. While absorbing every detail of what Gloria was telling him, his mind was filled with worry for his daughter. But he knew he had to regain his strength before continuing the search.
Slowly but surely, he gave into his fatigue and fell asleep.
Morning arrived rather quickly. Bruce slowly opened his eyes to find Gloria still sleeping beside him. He couldn't help but feel touched by her dedication and wondered how long she had been watching over him.
Softly, he called out her name, "Gloria?"
She stirred and blinked, her eyes meeting Bruce's. "You're awake," she said softly.
Bruce nodded. He was both grateful and still inquisitive, "Thank you for staying with me," he said, "but I need to know—"
Before he could finish, Gloria interrupted gently, "You need to rest and recover fully. We'll find April, I promise, but you won't be able to help her if you're not in good shape."
He understood where she was coming from but he couldn't help the gnawing worry for his daughter.
"Okay," he nodded and sat up slowly, "but please, tell me what you know. Everything I need to know. I need to understand what we're up against."
But suddenly, his eyes lost focus and his vision blurred. He blinked his eyes slowly and fell unconscious again.