The atmosphere in the conference room was thick with tension. The middle-aged man, Abner, stood at the front, his gaze sharp as he addressed the gathered congressmen. His tailored black suit and the white rose pinned to his chest spoke of authority, but it was his demeanor; calm, controlled, and unwavering, that truly commanded the room. His hair was neatly slicked back, every detail of his appearance reflecting his professional demeanor.
"Members of the House, Mr. Speaker," Abner began, his voice clear and unyielding, "please take a moment to review the findings from our investigation."
With a steady motion, he clapped his hands once. The sound echoed through the room, an audible signal for the next stage of the presentation. From the dark corridor to the left, two men in black coats, their faces hidden under matching bowler hats, wheeled in a large cage draped in a thick black cloth. The room fell silent as they carefully placed it at the center of the chamber.
"Now," Abner continued, "we have the object in question." With a sharp gesture, one of the men pulled the cloth off the cage.
A collective gasp echoed through the room as the congressmen recoiled. Inside the cage was a grotesque, writhing mass of black flesh. The creature—no, 'thing'—was covered in twisting tentacles, and scattered across its surface were several human faces, each contorted in agony, their eyes wide with terror. Some faces were barely recognizable, fused into the flesh, while others seemed to shift as if still alive, their expressions full of horror.
"This," Abner's voice cut through the shock, "is a C-level weird factor known as Ugutofu. It has the ability to restore a body after death."
He paused, letting the words sink in. The congressmen stared at the creature, their faces a mixture of disbelief and revulsion. Abner was right; most of them had seen the Monster Manual distributed by the Investigation Committee. They knew what this thing was. A product of a forbidden ritual. A vile, twisted creation of dark powers. But seeing it in person, in the flesh 'alive', was something else entirely.
Abner's cold eyes swept over the room, meeting the gaze of every congressman in turn. His tone grew harder, his voice steady but dripping with disdain. "A creature born from an unholy ritual. Tell me, has the parliament become so corrupted? Have we sunk so low that even our own elected representatives are so easily seduced by the dark powers?"
His words hung in the air like a weight, suffocating and undeniable. The silence that followed was oppressive. He took a step forward, slamming his gloved hand onto the table in front of him, making everyone jump.
"Are there any accomplices here? Anyone who aided West Ward in summoning this creature? Who aided him in sacrificing his humanity?"
The room was deadly still. The congressmen's faces turned pale, their hands tightening into fists, their minds racing. Some shifted uncomfortably, their eyes darting toward one another. Others looked down, avoiding Abner's piercing gaze.
"Enough of this," a voice called from the back of the room, breaking the tense silence. The dark-skinned man sitting at the highest point of the chamber, the Speaker of the House himself, spoke up, his voice calm yet laced with authority. He was the most powerful figure in Grant Province, and his words carried the weight of his position.
"Abner, now that we know the facts," he continued, "the rest is up to you. As Chairman of the Investigation Committee, you have the authority to exercise special powers. If you suspect that any member of this House is involved, you are free to investigate. You have the right to search their homes, interrogate them, and uncover any wrongdoings."
He let the words hang in the air, allowing them to settle like a stone in a pond. A few of the congressmen stiffened, their eyes widening with fear. The Speaker's eyes narrowed as he continued, his words taking on a sharper edge.
"And if you suspect me?" the Speaker added with a sly smile, "Well, by all means, come to my house. Investigate me as well. I have nothing to hide. We all serve the truth here, don't we?"
The room was dead silent now. Everyone in the chamber turned to look at the Speaker, their expressions a mixture of disbelief and shock. They knew the Speaker was powerful, but to suggest he would open himself to such scrutiny... It was a bold move. A 'dangerous' one.
Abner's lips curled into a thin smile. He had expected this. The Speaker's confidence was not just in his power, but in his ability to control the room. Abner nodded, his gaze unblinking. "I'm sure you're all 'innocent', of course. After all, none of you would stoop to the same depths as West Ward, right?"
He paused, his eyes scanning the room, as if daring any of them to object. The congressmen shifted nervously in their seats, exchanging uncertain glances. They were beginning to understand that this was no longer a simple investigation; it was a game of power, and the stakes were higher than any of them had anticipated.
The Speaker's smile widened as he continued, "But don't worry. Abner has already sent teams to your homes. I'm certain the results of the searches will be available soon. I trust you all have nothing to fear."
Another silence fell over the room, thick with tension. The congressmen exchanged looks that spoke volumes. They were caught in a web they had no idea how to untangle. They had underestimated both Abner and the Speaker. Now, they were trapped in their own political game.
The congressmen, for the first time, realized just how deep the corruption ran. How far-reaching the Speaker's influence was. There was no escaping this.
A forced, uneasy laugh rippled through the group. They looked at each other, trying to maintain a semblance of composure, but deep down, they knew that no matter how this investigation turned out, the Speaker and Abner were in control. They had already made their move. And now, the rest of the House was nothing more than pieces on their chessboard.
One congressman cleared his throat, breaking the uneasy silence. "Well, I suppose, if we're being thorough, we may as well investigate everyone."
The others, seeing no way out, muttered in agreement, though the words tasted like ash in their mouths.
They were trapped. There was no escaping the consequences now. No one could hide from the Speaker's reach.
And so, the game continued; one of secrets, betrayal, and dark rituals, until the final move was made.
The atmosphere in the conference room was tense, with the congressmen exchanging wary glances, but not everyone was as composed as they appeared. In the left corner of the tiered seats, a bloated congressman sat hunched over, his eyes glazed and unseeing. His large body trembled uncontrollably, and his breathing came in shallow, uneven gasps. Slowly, he glanced around the room, his panic mounting as his gaze flitted from one face to another. Desperately, he pulled the hood of his cloak over his head, trying to hide the panic in his eyes, and crouched low, attempting to disappear into the shadows.
But Abner, the chairman of the Investigation Committee, had already noticed him. His expression softened with a touch of exasperation, almost as though he had expected this moment. "Enrique," he said with a sigh, shaking his head, "you're still the same as ever, aren't you?"
The voice was calm, but it carried a sharpness that made the congressman freeze.
Enrique, the Speaker of the House, gave a loud, exaggerated chuckle as he stood up from his seat. His warm, hearty smile was almost too practiced, as though he were trying to appear unaffected by the situation. "It's only because of your constant pressure, Abner," he said with a wink, clearly aware of the tension in the air. He picked up a silver dagger from the guard standing nearby, its gleaming blade catching the light.
As he moved toward the left, his eyes stayed on the trembling figure of the congressman, Enrique's demeanor shifting to something more calculating. The room's gaze followed the Speaker's movement, curiosity rising like a wave.
In the corner, the man in the gray robe, his face now panicked and pale, suddenly bolted from his seat, stumbling awkwardly as his plump body hindered his flight. He ran as fast as his girth would allow, but the effort was clearly in vain. As he stumbled, he tripped and crashed into the ground, sprawling out in an awkward heap.
Before he could scramble to his feet, Enrique was already closing the distance. With a swift and almost casual motion, the Speaker delivered a side kick that sent the man tumbling over the guardrail. The congressman yelped, his fat body flailing as he fell, and he scrambled to regain his balance.
But that wasn't the end.
With a panicked look, the man reached into his pocket and pulled out a small porcelain bottle. His hands were shaking, and without a second thought, he unscrewed the cap and poured a handful of small red pills into his palm. He shoved them into his mouth and swallowed them down in one frantic gulp.
The transformation was almost immediate. His body began to twitch violently as though some unnatural force had gripped him. His limbs contorted, and his flesh rippled and stretched as if trying to break free from its own limits.
Enrique frowned, his sharp eyes narrowing in distaste. He moved quickly, stepping forward with purpose. "What do you think you're doing?" he muttered under his breath.
Before the man could complete whatever dark transformation was underway, Enrique acted. With a swift, calculated motion, he delivered another powerful kick, this time sending the man over the edge of the platform.
Abner, waiting below, was ready. He reached out with his hand, but it wasn't physical. The air around him seemed to shimmer, and a massive invisible force gripped the congressman's body. Without a sound, Abner clenched his fist, and the man's body, now grotesquely contorting, froze in midair as if held by an invisible giant hand.
The ripples in the air behind Abner seemed to tear open a rift, and without a word, the struggling congressman was sucked into the space behind him, vanishing from sight.
Abner exhaled slowly, then turned to face the other congressmen who were watching with wide eyes. He smiled, but it was a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "It just so happens that I've been looking for some... 'material' for my research into alien species," he said, his voice smooth, almost playful, as though he were discussing a minor inconvenience. "And now, thanks to Mr. Enrique's little outburst, I have what I need."
A chill swept through the room. The congressmen felt their blood run cold, and an uneasy murmur rippled through the crowd. Abner's reputation preceded him; he was known as the "Mad Scientist" for a reason. His obsession with the unknown and his willingness to conduct experiments on living beings, often without consent, had earned him a fearsome notoriety.
Luther, who had been reading the Grunt Morning Post in a nearby cafe, put down his coffee cup and glanced over the recent headlines. The story of Congressman West Ward's sudden disappearance had created a stir, with wild rumors flying left and right. Some claimed he had fled with a lover, others suggested he had been kidnapped, or even gone on vacation to a remote island. The sensational speculation amused Luther, but he didn't care about the details. What interested him was how quickly the authorities had scrambled to explain it away.
He already knew the truth about Ward's fate, but it was fascinating to watch the city's officials respond with such frantic urgency.
Luther chuckled softly to himself as he turned the page. 'Nothing ever changes, does it?'
His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Harley's voice calling from the stairs above. "Little Tentacle's at it again, huh? Cleaning up at this hour?"
Luther looked out the window, his amusement growing as he spotted Naiwensel's latest victim, Plague-Touched, being forced to clean by the grotesque creature. The sight of the scrawny, reluctant worker stumbling around, looking half-dead, made Luther almost laugh out loud.
Naiwensel had returned the previous night, only to discover that Plague-Touched had stolen all of his precious stewed meat while he was away. In retaliation, Naiwensel had dragged the unfortunate creature into the spittoon, leaving Luther to wonder what unspeakable things might have happened between them during the night.
"Seems like Little Tentacle is working hard, all right," Luther muttered to himself with a grin. "Harder than some of the 'real' workers around here."
With a shake of his head, he stood up to go wake Harley, but he couldn't shake the sense that something bigger was brewing in the city, something far darker than he had anticipated.