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Chapter 4 - Entity 003: Shadow People

Height: Normal human height

Weight: 0

Danger Level: 1, 6, 10 (varies)

Type: Paranormal/Extraterrestrial

Locations: The Australian Outback and the Open Egyptian Deserts

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Description:

Entity 003, commonly referred to as the Shadow People, are human-like silhouettes that appear near dawn in isolated areas, particularly the Australian Outback and open regions of Egypt. They are intangible and appear as faint, shadowy figures that mirror human shapes. Their presence is almost always passive, with many witnesses reporting feelings of unease but no direct harm. However, the danger they present fluctuates depending on the individual they encounter.

While mostly benign, these entities have been observed to display hostility under specific circumstances. They are particularly dangerous to individuals with dark or criminal pasts. The criteria for triggering their aggression is still under investigation, but it is believed that the Shadow People are drawn to people who have committed serious crimes or immoral acts, such as murder, assault, or betrayal.

When triggered, the danger level of the entity escalates significantly, with multiple instances of fatal attacks reported. Victims claim to feel suffocated, drained of energy, or driven to madness by the entities' presence, though physical marks are rarely found on their bodies.

Containment Procedure for Entity 003: Shadow People

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Entity Designation: Shadow People

Containment Location: N/A (Widespread Paranormal Presence)

Danger Level: Varies (1, 6, 10)

Primary Locations:

Australian Outback

Open Deserts of Egypt

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Containment Overview:

Due to the non-physical nature and wide dispersal of Entity 003, physical containment within a controlled environment is deemed impossible. Instead, containment efforts focus on deterrence, early detection, and risk minimization. The PILGRIM PARABLES D.C.N. Unit has established an Observation Protocol to monitor areas where these entities are most frequently encountered and to track individuals at risk of activating the entities' hostile response.

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Containment Protocol:

1. Observation Zones:

Permanent monitoring stations must be established in known locations of high Entity 003 activity, particularly in the Australian Outback and open areas of Egypt.

Each station is equipped with high-resolution infrared cameras, motion detectors, and M.A.S. (Mera Absorption Sensors) to detect the presence of shadow anomalies.

Observation teams are rotated every 6 hours, with special attention paid to the hours just before dawn.

2. Deterrence and Encounter Prevention:

Criminal Background Screening: Any personnel, civilian, or visitor entering areas known for high Entity 003 activity must undergo a thorough background check. Individuals with a history of severe criminal acts are prohibited from accessing these regions to prevent triggering the entities' aggressive behavior.

EMF Field Generators: In areas with high Shadow People concentrations, low-frequency electromagnetic field (EMF) generators have been shown to slightly reduce entity activity. These generators must be operational at all times.

Light Barricade Protocol: It is advised that individuals operating in these areas remain in well-lit environments during pre-dawn hours. Entities seem to avoid areas of intense artificial light. High-powered floodlights should be deployed around camps and outposts.

3. Neutralization Protocol (Extreme Circumstances):

In the event that an individual triggers a hostile response from the Shadow People, personnel must evacuate the area immediately.

Specialized Mera Disruptors (devices capable of dispersing energy fields similar to the Mera effect) may provide temporary relief, though results are inconsistent.

Under no circumstances are personnel to engage the entity directly. If evacuation is not possible, personnel are instructed to remain motionless and avoid eye contact with the entities until they dissipate with the rising sun.

4. Post-Incident Procedure:

In cases where individuals are attacked by Entity 003, psychological evaluations and debriefings must be conducted immediately.

All survivors must undergo Level 4 Mera Cleansing to ensure no lingering psychological or spiritual effects remain.

Incident sites should be quarantined for a minimum of 48 hours following any attack, with full re-evaluation of the location's risk level by the D.C.N. Unit.

5. Investigation Team:

A specialized team of paranormal researchers and Mera experts is tasked with studying Entity 003's behavior patterns, attempting to identify any links between criminal actions and the entities' choice of targets.

Efforts are ongoing to uncover the origin of the Shadow People, with some theories suggesting an extraterrestrial or interdimensional nature. Field studies in Egypt and Australia are critical to expanding knowledge of their motives and vulnerabilities.

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Containment Breach History:

Incident 003-A:

Location: Australian Outback

A group of illegal poachers entered a restricted area near sunrise. Despite prior warnings, two members with violent criminal histories activated the entities' hostile response. Both individuals were found deceased, with no external wounds. Surveillance footage showed several Shadow People manifesting before dawn, circling the men, and then disappearing. Cause of death: Cardiac arrest, believed to be triggered by extreme psychological stress.

Incident 003-B:

Location: Egyptian Desert

A D.C.N. reconnaissance team investigating an unexplained drop in atmospheric pressure encountered Entity 003 at the Temple of Osiris. A team member with an undisclosed criminal past triggered an aggressive response, resulting in the complete disappearance of the individual. Despite extensive search efforts, no body was recovered. Entity 003 showed no further aggression toward the remaining team members.

Incident 003-C:

Location: PILGRIM PARABLES Secure Outpost 12, Australia

Entity 003 was sighted within a secure perimeter during a routine field operation. Containment personnel followed standard Light Barricade Protocol, but two shadows lingered near the outpost until sunrise. No attacks occurred, but several personnel reported intense feelings of dread and paranoia for days afterward. EMF generators were recalibrated, and no further sightings were reported.

Anthology Story for Entity 003: Shadow People

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"The Shadows Will Judge You"

The Outback is a place of vast emptiness. Nothing but dry red earth stretching to the horizon, punctuated by jagged rocks and sparse patches of stubborn shrubs. But to Callum Dawes, it was the perfect hiding place. He and his crew had fled from the cities months ago after that final bank job. Too many witnesses, too much blood. He didn't care about the people they'd killed, just that they had finally crossed a line that brought the heat of every lawman in the country down on them.

The Outback was safe, remote, and indifferent to the crimes of men. Or so Callum thought.

As dawn approached, Callum stirred from his bedroll. The fire had long since burned down to ash, and his breath misted in the cold air. He looked around the camp: his partner, Leary, was still snoring loudly, oblivious to the strange quiet that had fallen over their hideout. Even the insects seemed to have abandoned the area. Callum shrugged it off, rubbing his hands together as he gazed at the pale light creeping across the horizon.

He stretched, his joints stiff from sleeping on the hard ground. But something felt wrong. A twinge of discomfort crawled up his spine, settling into a weight of unease on his chest. He glanced around again and froze.

Just beyond the camp, standing motionless in the half-light, were figures. Dark, human-shaped figures.

"Leary," Callum hissed, shaking his partner awake. "Get up."

Leary groaned, his eyes squinting against the dim light. "What is it, mate?"

Callum didn't answer. His eyes were locked on the shadows. They didn't move, didn't sway in the breeze or shift with the light. They were just… there. Like they had always been there, waiting.

Leary followed his gaze and sat up, his face quickly draining of color. "What the hell are they?"

Callum didn't know. He had never seen anything like it. At first, he thought they were people, maybe some local tribe, but these figures were wrong. They had no detail, no features, just black silhouettes that stood out against the morning light like smudges on reality.

"Don't move," Callum muttered. He didn't know why he said it, but something deep inside him—some primal instinct—warned him that movement would be a mistake. They watched, eyes unblinking, breath held. The shadows didn't move closer, didn't seem to acknowledge their presence in any normal way.

But Callum could feel it—the judgment. The longer they stood there, the heavier it felt, like a great weight pressing down on him. The guilt he had buried for so long began to bubble up. Every wrong he had committed, every life he had ruined or taken—it all resurfaced, sharper than it had ever been before.

"Leary," Callum whispered, his voice shaking. "We need to go."

Leary, pale and trembling, nodded. But as they both began to rise, one of the shadows moved. Not toward them, but closer to Leary, its shape flickering slightly as though reality bent around it.

"Don't come near me!" Leary shouted, stumbling back. His voice echoed in the still air, but the shadow did not stop. With a sudden rush, it darted toward him, enveloping him in darkness. Leary's scream was cut short, and in an instant, he vanished—swallowed by the shadow.

Callum fell back in shock, heart pounding as terror gripped him. The shadow receded, as though Leary had never been there. Nothing remained but silence and the lingering feeling of judgment.

He scrambled to his feet, stumbling over the rocky ground as he ran. He didn't know where he was going, but he needed to be away from the shadows. Away from whatever they were.

He ran until his lungs burned, until his legs threatened to give out beneath him. When he finally collapsed against a boulder, the sun had risen fully, casting the desert in harsh, golden light. He looked back toward the camp, his chest heaving.

The shadows were gone.

But they weren't gone from his mind. He could still feel their presence—watching, waiting. He had escaped, but the judgment wasn't over. Not yet.

As the days passed, Callum wandered further into the desert, desperate to escape the memory of that morning. But every night, as the sun began to dip toward the horizon, he felt them. He saw them in the corners of his vision, shadows flickering just beyond the edge of the firelight.

They were always there, judging him. Waiting for the moment when they would come for him, too.

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File Note:

Following Incident 003-D, the body of Callum Dawes was recovered in a desolate region of the Australian Outback. His cause of death was determined to be dehydration, though his final written note mentioned seeing "shadow figures" near dawn. Psychological analysis suggests he experienced extreme paranoia and fear in his final days, likely triggered by prolonged exposure to Entity 003. No physical evidence of the Shadow People was found, but the site remains under close surveillance by the D.C.N. Unit.