A tall slender creature that stood at over 7 feet.
Its limbs were somewhat exaggerated with each arm as long as an average male’s and its legs even taller than most.
Its face was pale and lines that looked more like scars crisscrossed it.
Its mouth was the only other noticeable feature on its face as it extended to where its ear was meant to be and was curved strangely, resembling some sort of sick, sadistic smile.
Dressed in a black suit and red tie, the creature was a strange blend of classy and downright horrifying.
Behind the creature was a scattered room with burn marks and some sort of crack in space with a purple glow.
Alex was left speechless, unable to tell what he was currently seeing.
A monster from the abyss?
But how did it get here?
Instinctively, he glanced at the lady in the witch’s garb.
"Arwen." Claudia suddenly called out in a worried tone. "Are you okay?"
"Uhhhh..." Arwen continued staring blankly into space, her expression resembling that of a fool.
"Huh." This time there was a reaction as Arwen shook before glancing to the side to find Claudia standing beside her. "Oh hey, Claudia, you are here."
She seemed excited to see Claudia but the current situation provided a great contrast, causing Alex to wonder if the monster had done something to the poor girl.
"Are you alright?" Claudia inquired.
Arwen snapped her fingers as she turned to face the room. "Ah, yes. Funny story there, you see, I was practicing dream walking when I found myself in the Abyss. I wanted to explore a little but got into contact with that guy over there. Anyway, I tried to fight it but turns out... a Slenderman clone is harder to kill than I initially thought.
"Tried to run but then it followed me back and from how things are looking... it seems pissed."
She spoke fast, so fast that Alex could barely understand a word she was saying.
Claudia on the other hand understood everything as she could only stare in disbelief at Arwen.
The latter felt Claudia’s gaze behind her but didn’t bother to look back.
Sometimes it was best to ignore... yes?
"You really can’t stay out of trouble, can you?" Claudia muttered before letting out a sigh. "This is troublesome."
"Well, I have a way to deal with it."
"And that is?" Claudia glared at her in faint annoyance.
"... Still thinking about it."
Coughing awkwardly, Arwen dusted off her clothes and sprang up to her feet, almost like she wasn’t thrown like a dirtbag a little while ago.
Alex watched this all play out, still unsure what to make of the entire situation.
Wasn’t there a monster currently staring them down?... How did these two get the courage to still speak so casually?
Except... the faint thought that this wasn’t the first time such an accident had occurred flashed through Alex’s mind causing him to thoroughly examine the ladies.
Maybe they were already corrupted and he hadn’t just noticed yet.
Meanwhile, the so-called Slenderman had begun to make its move.
As it set its sights on its target, its mouth came apart revealing several tentacles covered in slime and wiggling like worms.
Alex’s frown deepened at the sight.
Without warning, the Slenderman let out a screech before charging forward.
Claudia was the fastest to react to its blistering pace as she rushed forward and leaped to the side only to land a kick, sending it crashing toward the wall.
"..." Alex pursed his lips.
Indeed, this wasn’t the first time such an accident had occurred.
Claudia dropped to the ground and dusted her hands, a satisfied expression on her face.
"I’m getting better."
’At what!?’ Alex nearly facepalmed as he pondered on what he got himself into.
Meanwhile, the Slenderman wasn’t done for in the slightest as it pried itself out of the shattered wall, the tentacles in its open mouth wiggling aggressively.
Sensing something, Claudia quickly moved out of the way, her figure blurring just as the Slenderman raised its hand and struck her previous position.
A large hole was left in its wake.
Alex watched the quick exchange with a bothered expression.
’This is troublesome.’ Considering the exchange was happening indoors, it made it difficult for him to attack as he wished, after all, wantonly doing so could draw significant attention toward his location.
He wondered if it were best to leave while the situation was still manageable but then again his experience with the Abyss told him that doing so would lead to terrifying consequences.
Even if Krobridge meant nothing to him, the memory of what happened in Townsend caused him to stay.
"Uhmm." Claudia suddenly muttered as she retreated to stand beside Ada, her gaze squarely on the Otherworldly as she addressed Arwen who was just behind her. "I don’t think I can handle it alone."
"Unfortunately so," Arwen replied, a thoughtful expression on her visage as she added. "Its speed, regeneration, and invisibility are its biggest strengths."
If one heard her, they would think she wasn’t part of those in danger of getting devoured by the abominable creature.
"Invisibility?" Claudia went wide-eyed only to watch as the Slenderman disappeared from her view.
"Shit, run!" She turned and picked up Arwen before bolting down the hallway with Ada following behind.
Of course, hardly had they passed by Alex when they heard a loud snap after which the entire corridor was coated in pulsating black and white.
The next moment, a starry night sky came into view and with it, the Slenderman stuck in its tracks with black and white tendrils wrapped around its exaggerated limbs, keeping it in place.
Arwen and Claudia found themselves lost in the beauty of Eternal Night, unable to say a word as they marveled at the sight.
"Amazing..." they both muttered softly.
Ada on the other hand remained in place while her eyes seemed to flicker with some emotions before returning to their previously soulless state.
Alex stepped forward, one hand in his pocket while the other remained out, ready to snap at a moment’s notice as he scrutinized the Slenderman.
As he weighed down heavily on the Slenderman, keeping it in place, a satisfied smile slowly rose at the corner of his lips.
"It would seem there are ways to deal with its speed and invisibility." Pausing for a moment, he gently added. "Don’t you agree, Arwen?"