'Sorry for being late! I overslept a little,' he said instead of greetings.

  Robert was an old man, but a good one. He was the closest thing Michael could call a friend.

  'Good morning to you too, youngster!' said the owner of the shop. 'You are just in time! Did you get enough sleep for this exciting day?'

  The shop was still empty beside the two of them and, of course, the products. Old vacuum cleaners were neatly stocked up beside the blenders and other kitchen machines. Smartphones were on display and in the window. Cases for them were ready to be used behind the counter. Laptops (all three of them) were waiting for someone to buy them out of pity. They were also old models, nowhere near the capability of their modern counterparts; no wonder why they were still here. Still, Robert would have them in stock to "lure some people in." So far it never worked to Michael's knowledge, but he admired the positive attitude of his boss. And it did not matter anyway, as the main appeal of the shop was that they would fix any machines, no matter how old. Most other places in town refused and would only try to shove the newer versions on people, but for many (mostly the older generation), they had an intimate connection to these items and would be far happier to have them fixed than to have them thrown out.

  'Exciting day? What, you're expecting a big crowd today?' the young engineer asked.

  'No, but you may never know!' said the old shop owner. 'I'm talking about the fact that you finally go out with people of your age!'

  'Oh, that? It's not that big of a deal. Just a little roleplaying with some guys from the university.'

  He said it with a big smile on his face. It was rare for him to find not just time but also people who shared his interests. So when such people invited him to join a roleplay night set in his favorite universe, he couldn't say yes fast enough.

  In truth, he hoped that this night could help him overcome his loneliness. Back in high school he did have good friends, but they all drifted away from him, living on the other side of the country. Leaving him with no one to talk to. He never was a social person; he spent most of his free time in his apartment, alone, always wishing that he could go to a bar, but by himself? He would be the weird guy at the back! That was the case on the few occasions when he did try that. Of course, when push came to shove, he could make a great discussion on certain topics, but those were rare instances. He hoped that maybe this night could help him get some true friends. Maybe he would not need to be alone anymore, like he was all in his life.

  'Don't be so shy. I think it is great that you finally do something with other people. It is important for young men like you to have parties on a Saturday night! Honestly, if I were as young as you, I would barely do anything else,' said Robert with a grin.

  'Yeah, yeah. I heard your stories from "your time" a thousand times. I still don't believe half of it!'

  'That's your loss, lad. I never lied. Maybe sweetened them a little bit, but never lied,' he went on to turn the sign on the door to "open."

  'You mean, your old brain can't recall your memories correctly?' said Michael while bringing forward the boxes containing the repaired items, waiting to be collected.

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  His boss laughed.

  'Where is the respect for your elders? But seriously. I am glad that you are finding your people, Mike.'

  'Thanks, Robert. I am happy too,' they heard the bell on the door ring.

  'Good morning, Miss Emmerich. Here for the vacuum cleaner, are you? Quick, lad, bring it here.'

  'Of course,' said Michael and went to grab it.

  'Good morning,' greeted them the old lady. 'Have you seen the news today?'

  'I'm usually not reading any news sites whatsoever. A bunch of politics and silly debates because some old men can't work together,' Mike replied.

  'Oh, it's not about that, my darling,' she said. 'It's about that pillar they found a year ago or so. Apparently, they finally got a reaction from that awful thing. In the news, they even said it glowed, for some reason!'

  Michael somehow froze at that sentence. While he never cared for the news and (frankly) usually thought that Ms. Emmerich was an unreliable source to get them from, this news filled him with dread. He knew that archaeologists found a pillar in Egypt. What was strange about it, was the fact that it appeared to be mechanical in nature. Like some ancient machine. Many theories and conspiracies were thrown around as to where it came from and what purpose it could serve, but so far they have made little progress. They could not get any response or reaction from this "device" so far. Yet, if this news were to be true, that has changed. And something told him that...

  'I tell you, tampering with that thing is a bad idea! It will be the doom of us all!' Said Ms. Emmerich, as if she read Michael's mind.

  Robert noticed the strange expression on his worker's face.

  'Is everything okay?' He asked.

  Michael shook his head, perishing the bad thoughts from his mind.

  'Yes, everything is fine,' he replied as he handed the repaired vacuum cleaner to the customer.

  Why would he care about some weird finding thousands of miles away from him? What if it glows? It's not going to bring the end of the world! Besides, he had something much more important to think about. Such as how to best utilize his character in this night's game!

  The shift was barely started, but he couldn't wait for the night. It will be unlike anything he has experienced.

  'Alright, this should be it,' said Michael to himself.

  Finding the house was not difficult; it was just a little further away from the center. A big house with a nice garden in the front. It was built up by dark bricks, and from its windows, some light got out. It was almost as if it were coming from candles.

  He was excited and scared at the same time. Will he fit in? Or will he be the odd one, standing out? Part of him wanted to go home. Part of him wanted to avoid the possible humility. Still, he walked up to the door. And with an exhale, he knocked. The door opened almost instantly.

  'Hey there,' greeted his host, the late visitor. 'I am Michael Zion. Adrien invited me to play some Uncharted Territories with you guys. Hope I am not too late; I stopped to grab some snacks from the store. Didn't want to show up empty-handed.'

  The man in the door looked in silence for a while. Measuring him up. In the meantime, the newcomer noticed the unconventional clothes he wore. Black robe, which was long enough to cover his entire body.

  Wow, they are really into roleplaying, Mike thought to himself.

  Finally, the man spoke.

  'Oh, don't worry, you are just in time. My name is Todd. Please, come in.'

  The first thing he noticed when he walked through the door was that no lights were on in the whole house. Only some candles—for there were indeed candles—in the living room, so naturally, he walked that way. Inside there stood seven other hooded figures, making their total number eight.

  'Man, you guys really know how to make an atmosphere! All the candles, the robes. It's so cool!' he noticed the item hanging from the ceiling. It was an X-shaped rune, with a bar at the bottom and a skull in the center. He instantly recognized it.

  'You have a symbol of Khorne?! How great is that!'

  'Thank you,' said one of the hooded figures.

  The atmosphere got cold in an instant. The indescribable dread came back to Mike, and a feeling of uneasiness caught him by the throat. Something shouted at him in from the back of his mind. Something strange, yet something familiar.

  DANGER!

  That was when a dagger struck at Michael.