Zalgo watched at the hands on the clock ticked along, only a quarter the way to midnight.

Everyone slowly rose from their seats, their earlier tensions seemingly forgotten. With the exception of Alice, who reluctantly dragged herself out of bed, yawning and rubbing her sleepy eyes.

Noelle, standing by the window, looked out to see the moon brighten the tropical night sky. "It's almost time. Are you all prepared?" she asked, shifting her gaze over to the others.

Camilla hopped up from the couch, her energy seemingly never-ending. "I'm ready!" she said, bouncing from one foot to the other.

Rachel, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, stood with a resolved expression. "Ready," she said simply.

Alice, who still had a groggy demeanor from her nap attempt, nodded with a small yawn. "As ready as I'll ever be," she mumbled.

Zalgo, also on her feet, gave a confident nod. "Let's not keep Shelly waiting."

Noelle turned away from the window, her mind already focused on the task at hand. "Alright then, let's go."

The group headed towards the door, the atmosphere in the room transforming from relaxed to tense. They knew the night to come wouldn't be easy.

The group walked briskly through the streets, which were now illuminated by the pale glow of the street lamps. The hustle and bustle of the busy market had all but disappeared, replaced by a deafening silence. Even the distant sound of waves lapping against the shore seemed eerily muted.

Noelle led the way, her eyes scanning the surroundings carefully. The others followed closely behind, not a word spoken between them. Everyone was keenly aware of the gravity of the situation. The city's safety and their own well-being were at stake.

After a few more minutes of walking, they reached the Dam Control building. The tall structure stood at the edge of the bay, the steady hum of machinery coming from within. The building itself was a stark contrast to the vibrant town surrounding it, its grey exterior almost ominous in the night.

Noelle pushed open the door and the group stepped into a rather small foyer. In front of them was another door with the words "Office" on it. To the side, was a set of stairs leading to the basement.

Noelle approached the office door and knocked once. A female voice answered from within.

"Come in."

Opening the door, the group stepped into a dimly lit room. The air was stuffy and thick with humidity. Shelly stood up from behind her desk.

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"You're right on time. Come, take a seat."

Everyone took a seat around the table, glancing at each other as they waited for Shelly to continue. After a moment of silence, she began to speak once more.

"First, I want to thank you all for coming. I hope you're ready to work together to take down this Depraved. We've been fighting this for weeks now and haven't had any luck. But I believe, with your help, we might finally have a shot at defeating it."

The group listened intently to Shelly's words, their faces solemn as they processed the information. This Depraved was clearly no ordinary threat. They all wondered, silently, what it was capable of.

Noelle nodded, her eyes serious. "We're ready. We need as much information as you can provide us with."

Shelly nodded, her hands clasped together on the table. "All right then. While we wait, let me fill you all in on what we know thus far."*

She proceeded to give a detailed account of the Depraved, its appearance, its capabilities, and its destructive tendencies. The more she spoke, the more the group seemed to grasp the intensity of the situation.

Camilla leaned forward, a mixture of curiosity and fear in her eyes. "What do you think it wants? Why is it attacking us?"

Shelly sighed deeply, her expression heavy. "We don't know for certain, but we believe it draws power from chaos. The more fear and destruction it causes, the stronger it grows."

Zalgo swallowed hard, a thought occurring to her. "How on earth are we supposed to fight something that feeds off of fear? That's its advantage."

Shelly nodded, her eyes darkened. "That's the challenge we're facing. Our only hope is to remain calm and work together, pooling our individual skills to create a united front.”

“If I may add,” Noelle intervened. “The Depraved thrives on division. If we can stay together as one, we just might be able to overcome it.”

Zalgo spoke up. "So you're saying we need to take advantage of its sadistic tendencies. Turn the tables on it, so to speak."

Shelly nodded, a hint of a plan forming. "Exactly. It's not only about defeating the Depraved, but also about outsmarting it. It's arrogant and cocky in its own invincibility. If we can make it think it has us in its grasp, perhaps we can use that against it."

Outside the dam, a large dark portal can be seen opening in front of it.

Shelly's voice rang out urgently. "It's here!"

The others turned their attention to the window, their eyes all widening at the sight of the ominous portal.

As the group stared at the dark portal, Shelly walked over to the window, her eyes trained on the ominous sight. "This is it. We have to stay focused and follow the plan. Remember, it thrives off of chaos. We need to keep our cool and stick together.”

The air grew tense as everyone mentally prepared themselves for the battle. Camilla was bouncing on her heels, her eagerness to fight clearly displayed. Rachel stood silently, her face stoic, but her eyes betraying a sense of anxiousness.

The seconds ticked by slowly as everyone waited for the impending attack. The only sound in the room was the hum of the machinery and the occasional beep of the electronics.

Suddenly, a deafening screech filled the air, causing everyone to clap their hands over their ears. The screech came from the portal. It was a sound of pure anger and pain, like something being dragged from the depths of hell.

As the group looked towards the portal, they spotted a monstrous, lizard-like shadowy figure emerging from it. The Depraved stepped out into the open air, its form shifting and writhing like a liquid shadow in the moonlight.

Its form was massive, towering over ten feet in height. Its eyes were pools of darkness, devoid of any light or empathy. It scanned the room with those empty eyes, a chill running down the spines of all who saw it.

The Depraved let out another screech, this one even more menacing and chilling than the first. Its mouth, if you could even call it that, was a gaping maw full of sharp, dagger-like teeth.

Everyone in the room felt a wave of terror wash over them at the sight of the monstrous creature. It was unlike anything they had ever seen before, a living nightmare made flesh.

The sound of the machinery in the background died down, as if the Depraved's presence was silencing everything around it. The only sounds were the low rumbles of thunder coming from the portal and the heavy breathing of the Entity itself.

Shelly's brow furrowed as she observed the Entity. "It's bigger than we expected. Stick to the Depraved. We can do this if we work as a team. We are Light. We are stronger than the Darkness.”

Camilla's eyes were wide, her body tense and ready for action. "I'm ready. Let's show this thing it picked the wrong group to mess with.”

Shelly looked at Alice and her friends. “Do any of you know about Void Magic?”

Noelle nodded, summoning her staff. “I am quite skilled in it myself. As for Alice, Rachel and Zalgo…they're still beginners.”

Camilla stepped forward with a confident grin. “Then you can count on me!” she replied, her aura surrounding her body flowing like waves in the water.

Hmm, is her Aura Type Conversion? Alice thought.

Shelly's aura surrounded her body as well, electricity crackling around her.

Alice's brow rose as she thought: Hers too?

Noelle stood beside Shelly and Camilla, staff in hand. “I will assist you in taking it down. Here goes nothing.”