> 3:00 AM

I groan again looking that cursed clock. Whatever I tried I always wake up at the same time knowing full well that I will not be able to get back to sleep. When I think whatever imply that my last attempt has been about some heavy sleeping pills.

No doctor got a real clue at what could be the reason. Medicine, Esoteric, any science and pseudo-science you can think of I tried of will certainly try. I even got the opportunity to do an exorcism ceremony once even.

I get out of my bed and begin to dress then go in the kitchen to grab a clear glass of water to start my day.

Looking through the window, I peacefully observe the exterior. I live in a small apartment complex in front of a small park. At this time of the night, you can rarely observe a lone runner or someone strolling with a dog but most of the time it is only the quiet broken a nocturnal animal noise.

Even with my sleeping problems I love that peaceful start for my days.

I ponder about today work and my next weekend. I work in a small workshop for escape room mechanism doing odd jobs. I am quite versatile doing woodwork, metal, electronics, and some basic digital programming, you get the idea. I am not an expert at all these stuffs but good enough to fill any needed jobs. Today I should finish an autonomous exterior game puzzle.

It is a chest with some embedded cell power to power it. It will create a light dizzying flash and some smoke when the player tries to open it with solving the right puzzle. I got all the first part working and just need to setup the puzzle part to disable the trap.

Hiding the solar cell panels on the chest lid was quite the hurdle but the result is quite satisfactory as it looks like an ancient donjon chest.

Thinking of my next weekend, I cannot help getting a smile. The main LARP group I am part of has finished building a new live attraction called the dungeon.

Most of the players come usually for big scale battle or some big gathering but that's not usually my case. I have some mild ochlophobia symptoms and am not in a great physical condition, so I usually avoid that kind of setting.

I do enjoy a lot the medieval tavern where I spend quite a lot of time hearing bard retelling stories and ballad while enjoying a nice pint of beer.

My other time at such gathering is split between managing a small stand at the market and trying a few of the small group gameplay sessions which usually involve puzzle solving and Magic.

Magic is a great word for faking being a sorcerer in a medieval fantasy larp game. With my maker job experience I usually provide quite a few interesting trinkets with embedded visual FX to help being in character. Hence, I became a welcome rogue sorcerer by all people eager for immersion.

That ability to create unusual magical artifacts brought me customer for original creations and thus I started my own stand at the marketplace where I usually sell FX devices built offsite but also spend some time wood working various objects using more medieval look like technique. I even recently started bringing a portable forge where I learn about blacksmithing. I am still a novice and as it is not allowed to build real weapon on site to avoid dangerous situation I am mainly focusing on rings and trinkets. Even if such creations are really crude in my mind, they attract quite a lot of people and sell quite easily.

Another attraction of my market stand is my raven who I called black. Yeah, I know I a m not really imaginative about names sometimes. Okay every-time. I found her half dead 2 year ago during a harsh winter. I nursed her back to health and now she rarely leaves my side either on the fair or at work which proved sometimes difficult for others. Try getting to a restaurant, other than some fast food, with a raven on your shoulder and you should understand. But I would prefer to eat in a fast food than be separated from her. Sometimes I dream we have a magic bond between the two of us. She seems so intelligent at times, and everything looks like she is understanding want I try to share with her and acts accordingly.

Speaking of black she just came in the kitchen which is quite unusual and begin doing some weird dance near the windows like I don't know. Is she trying to get my attention outside?

I peer intently through the windows, but nothing catches my eye. A lone guy walks his dog inside the small park which sit on the other side of the street. Nope nothing unusual there.

Then I catch a flash of light and freeze shocked by the sight

A damn swirling magical portal just appeared in the middle of the park. You know the kind of magical portal you see in games or in the Stargate series but that's impossible in real life, right? It looks like a vertical circle water of a sick green. It does not seem to create light or sound as the only person outside is still turning its back to it and seems obvious about its appearance.

Then something happens. A humanoid creature crosses it. As a regular Larper I am used to fantasy creatures and it really looks like what we usually call a goblin.

Looking like a malnourished kid with the addition of a green colored skin, it has no hairs and a crocked nose. Its only wears a loincloth and one of its slender hands handle a kind of old oil lantern.

For a time, it looks disoriented then lift some cache around the lantern which begin to emit an intense red color.

Time seems to slow as a red opaque sphere coalesce around the lantern. It rapidly increases in size encompassing the goblin then the portal, the whole park and finally a few buildings including mine before stopping its expansion.

The only notable difference I see is that sphere looks translucent from the inside.

The goblin quickly deposits the lantern on the ground and begin running toward the stroller which just notices the creature. Running more or less on its four limbs it quickly reaches the human and jumps on him before he can react.

They both fall to the ground and a quick struggle ensures.

From my window I cannot see a lot of details be it is quickly finished, and the goblin arises while the stroller stays unmoving on the ground. The man did not even got time to cry to alert the neighborhood.

A strange blue light appears coming from the body and gather in a small flame hovering over the corpse. It splits in half, one going inside the goblin and the other one going directly toward the lantern which pulse its red-blooded light once. I notice the sphere expanding a little because a streetlamp just in front of me is now encompassed.

I stay stunned by all this nightmare or so I though because the portal is now pulsing, and new goblins cross its threshold.

The new ones are a little different. Most look like the first one only wearing their loincloth and begin walking around the portal half crouched looking no more than feral creatures. A few are standing up, looking fiercer and stronger, wearing bits of chain mails and leather forming a crude armor and holding a javelin or a sword. I will call them warriors.

Of course, things couldn't be more frightening without some kind of magic wielder and the last group just keep increasing my anxiety levels. They sport furs and feathers and hold a somewhat decorated staff that make me labels them as some kind of medicine man or shaman

Groups form around each shaman not including the feral ones which keeps prowling around like dogs guarding the portal. Each group departs targeting each a different building but not mine.

I am still frozen looking the scene in horror like a stalker as everything seems so surreal.

The nearest group reaches a building door and try to open it, but it is magnetically closed like most of the appartement complex, and I see there some kind of salvation for the incoming slaughter.

Stupid creature with weapons and whatever magic just stopped by our basic civilized door. That respite will save us. I cannot be the only one awake at this time and the alert will soon be raised right? Unfortunately, I am quickly proved wrong. The shaman quickly chants something, and the door opens. We are totally dead.

My mind quickly swirls. I need to give the alert without them noticing me. I need to protect myself and I retaliate. Wait I am not a soldier, a martial artist or anything like that. Retaliating is not even an option. I just need to arise people in my building and try to flee to the nearest police station.

Wait my neighbor is a policeman.

I quickly gather my keys and go to the policeman door to start pounding on it. “Johnson wake-up they is an emergency”, I shout over and over.

A sleepy slightly irritated guy opens the door: “What the fuck Damien, it is only 3 in the morning. And then the shouting starts. This has the effect of a cold shower on both of us. Johnson quickly turns back inside and shouts over his shoulder: “whatever is happening got back to you flat and lock yourself in”. A pause then “and thanks for the warning”.

Back to my flat, I lock the door then remembering the shaman I start dragging heavy furniture to barricade the entrance.

I move back to the window to observe. Everywhere my eyes set is an expression of pure chaos and horror.

Numerous blue flames float in the air going to the red lamp in middle of the park. I see a few people running outside chased by the feral goblins. Other are down with one of the goblins on top of them pounding scratching or biting them.

Johnson walks out of the complex full geared and seeing the creatures starts shouting at them. Unfortunately, each time a bullet looks like it hits a blue shimmering appear around the hit creature and nothing seems to happen apart getting the focus of the creature on him. A few strides from it, and Johnson is down struggling on the ground his body armor shielding him somewhat.

I grab my toaster open the window and launch it at the goblin, stunning it. Johnson disengages and run try to run inside the building, but another creature jumps on his back.

Meanwhile the first golbin recovers and join the second one on Johnson.

I grab a few other items around me and start smattering the goblin. Jars, plates, glasses then as a desperate attempt forks by fistful, knifes. After a lucky launch with a cutting table, I hear a crack and my target drops to the side.

I am too late unfortunately for Johnson as I see the small flame gathering other him.

What is unexpected is another one gathering on the dead goblin and flying towards me.

Then it hits me, and a blue screen appears.

Congratulations !

Congratulations on activating The System.

Please seat in a safe environment while we upload.

My only thought before everything goes black is “I am toasted”.