Xynetia

“It is said that seeing a single red eye from the depths of the darkness might be one of the most terrifying things that any mortal man could experience… for it signals the end of peaceful dreams and the beginning of an endless nightmare.” ~Unknown.

This creature chooses a target prey, often those vulnerable to negative thoughts. The presence of this creature itself influences the mind of those around it but especially its chosen prey, causing escalating feelings of discomfort, paranoia, and depression… gradually tipping the prey towards psychosis as it gets closer… and closer. However, it can only get closer when the prey is or feels alone.   The first thing that happens… most don’t think anything of it… because by the time the symptoms have set in… most would forget about a strange red eye they briefly encountered from the darkness.   At first prey will start to feel the presence of something… off… the weight of a stare leveled upon them, niggling at the back of their mind. That something is watching them… coldly judging their every action. They begin to feel tired… heavy… as if something is draining the energy from them.   Gradually they start to hear whispers… their own voice… their own words… their own… thoughts? mocking them… belittling them. Reminding them of their darkest secrets… their deepest regrets… Whispering horrible unspeakable things to them.   Soon, their dreams no longer become their own, but a manifestation of their worst fears in vivid detail. Haunting each and every last corner of their sleep… making it unbearable.   Eventually… they can not escape those flashes of darkness… even when they are awake… dysmorphia… hallucinations… delusions… their nightmares become reality until they are unable to tell reality from the nightmare.   When the prey is ripe. This being manifests itself. Emerging slowly from a solid object, it pulls a massive flaming sword from its rib cage, despite the fact there shouldn’t be enough space—scraping the cumbersome sword along the ground with one hand, while holding an open cage with another, it’s singular red eye locked firmly onto its prey as it takes shuffling steps, closer… and closer… the approach feeling inevitable. The psychological pressure emulating from this creature being so close had been known bring lesser men to their knees, knowing there is no hope and only doom awaits them.   Once the creature has fully manifested, it pursues its prey untiringly. Upon capturing the target, the creature grabs hold of its prey with its front arms, it raises the back two. Giving the victim a choice. Be run through with the blade and die here, or have your soul become a prisoner for all of eternity.   Those who are taken prisoner are ⬛️⬛️⬛️⬛️. Those who are run through with its blade become the new host, go through a gruesome transformation into one of these creatures, and the previous one dies, it’s form becoming what it once was. The new creature picks up the fallen tools and wanders in search of new prey.