Victoria and Adrian returned from their second trip to the old house and went to the living room. Evelyn and Henry as usual, were sitting comfortably in their chairs watching a game show where contestants spin a giant wheel to win money and grand prizes.

"Oh hello dearie. Looks like you found some intriguing things in the basement." Evelyn said with a smile.

"We did. Um, I'll let you go first." Victoria said, bumping Adrian's side with her elbow.

He nodded and pulled out the rusted revolver along with the bullets. Henry adjusted his glasses and was quite surprised. Adrian approached them, getting closer to Henry as he wanted him to inspect them both. He handed them both to Henry then pulled the old coins out of his pocket and held them in view of the two of them.

"Well, I happened to find these coins. After inspecting them, they're all from eighteen-ninety-four. One looks like a quarter, one looks like a dime and the last one a penny I think. But the real treasure, is this ancient revolver I found along with a box of six rounds for it. Doubt it works though. Victoria told me you're knowledgeable about guns Henry so what do you think?" Adrian said.

Henry carefully inspected the bullets briefly then set them down to get a closer look at the revolver. He looked at every inch of it, down the barrel and even the revolving cylinder which did manage to pop right out with ease.

"Well I'll be damned. The shells are intact, still have gunpowder in them judging by their weight. As for this gun here, judging by the model and it's design, must be from eighteen-seventy-five. Betcha' Edward had this for protection since if my memory serves me, his daughter was born that year. Whether it works or not though is a different story. It'd be a risk trying to fire it. I'd at least get some newer shells before testing it sonny." Henry explained, handing it and the bullets back to Adrian.

"How fascinating! There is a gun shop in town, you should take it there if you want. And what about you dearie? What did you find? Looks like some papers and an old spyglass?"

Victoria nodded and approached her to let her inspect the spyglass, holding onto the papers. Evelyn looked through the spyglass over at Henry and waved. He just chuckled.

"Looks like you found me dear. This how you spied on me before asking me to prom all those years ago?" He asked jokingly. Evelyn chuckled back.

"How'd you guess? I only kid of course. What a beautiful artifact from the past. Wonder what it was doing there?"

Evelyn handed the spyglass back. Victoria swallowed hard and handed her the papers.

"This was the most interesting thing I found. Read those. They're from Edward when he I guess, covered for his friend and worked the lighthouse he owned for a couple weeks." Victoria murmured. Evelyn started to read through the papers one-by-one, taking her sweet time. Her expression grew more fearful with each report. Everyone was quiet with the exception of the television in the background. Once she finished reading, she handed the papers over to Henry.

"Read those hon." She muttered softly. Henry took them and read them himself. Evelyn and Henry both got chills upon reading the reports. Once he finished reading he lowered the papers and looked over at Evelyn then Victoria.

"These...were written after he and Mary had their child. After their cave experience...sounds like he started to go mad from the isolation being in that lighthouse. I...can't say I've read anything like this before, and I've heard many a' tales in my life from many folks. Evelyn..." Henry said, turning his attention to her. "...I think it's time. Why don't you go and grab it?"

"Of course."

Victoria and Adrian both wore concerned expressions as they watched Evelyn get up and head out of the living room. Henry glanced at Victoria and pointed to the couch.

"You two should have a seat." He said sternly. They listened and went to go sit down. Evelyn came back holding what looked like a very old, tattered book, and handed it to Victoria. She took it and studied it.

"What...is this?" She asked, puzzled. Evelyn sat back down before speaking;

"That my dear...is the journal of Edward and Mary." She replied. Both Victoria and Adrian's eyes widened. "I know what you're thinking...and let me explain. That journal was given to their daughter, Laura. It's been kept within the family for generations after their passing. Finally, I received it from my mother, Susan, who was inching closer to death with every passing day. She told me, to keep it stored away like everyone including her had done. I originally was going to give it to your father, which he accepted. But then he returned it, told me to hold onto it just for you since he was a busy man, and would probably forget to give you it one day. Then, of course, he and your mother tragically passed away...so I've been waiting to give it to you. I figured since you came all this way...I waited until you had finished searching the old house. And here we are now..."

Victoria fought back tears after being reminded of her parents and started to look through the journal. Each page had an entry date at the top.

"It, looks like they both used this journal." She said.

"They both shared it. Sometimes only one of them wrote something. And other times they both contributed to an entry."

Victoria continued to skim through it until she stopped at one page. Her heart sank upon glancing at the title of the entry; A Pact with the Divine One. Suddenly she started to connect some dots in her head.

"Hey grandma. Did you ever meet a man named Anthony Bacchus? That ring a bell at all?"

"Anthony Bacchus? Hmm. Why does that name ring a bell?"

Henry reached over and tapped Evelyn's arm. She turned to look at him as he held a finger up.

"Remember dear? Years ago we had that strange man visit us after we heard about him requesting stories to be submitted for some book he was making? He was offering cash payments and I thought we should submit something. He took the journal and went into the kitchen to read it then handed it back and said he would pay us to use that story after how much it frightened him. I think the one our granddaughter here mentioned, is that story. The cave experience. That man must've been Anthony Bacchus. I knew that name sounded familiar to me." Henry chimed it. The memory clicked for Evelyn and she nodded.

"Oh my God you're right. I remember now! That was Anthony...so that's how you came to know of Edward and Mary out of the blue. That man put their story into his collection and published it. Henry was in it for the money, but the thought of my many great-grandparent's story being out there for the public to read sounded quite fascinating to me at the time."

Victoria's mind was racing from this overload of information. The pieces were starting to come together for her now. While the mystery of how the book even ended up delivered there by some random woman as she was told by the book store owner remained unsolved, now the connections were making sense to her. Adrian seemed baffled by this revelation.

"What about the cave? You think it still exists at all?" He asked. Henry scratched his chin to think for a moment.

"Are you mad sonny? That damned cave is the whole reason Edward and Mary changed! Give some of their journal entries past the cave experience a read."

Adrian leaned his head as Victoria turned to a random entry in the journal by Mary:

Laura is already halfway through her first year of school. She's growing up right in front of our eyes and it's a truly warming experience. Me and Edward have been able to spend some time together alone recently since she started school months ago. He's been working in the evenings so we get a decent portion of the day to ourselves while Laura is away at school. The thought excited me initially. The first couple months were lovely. Just the two of us, sitting by the candlelight as we read and talk about various topics. But...something's changed. We've both been quieter recently and I don't know why. Edward hasn't said anything about it, but whenever I look in the mirror I notice that I look like I've been aging rather...unusually fast. I understand that motherhood does that to a young woman. But it seems Edward is also looking this way. He always looks more worn out, tired, like a man that had returned from a war. This only started to be noticeable sometime after I became pregnant. Did our experience in the cave change us physically and mentally that much? I don't know, but it is beginning to worry me.

Victoria anxiously turned to another journal entry. This time by Henry:

What is going on with me? Why do I always feel so tired? I get plenty of sleep. I don't exactly overexert myself at work being an officer since at night, the streets of town are quiet and calm and makes my job that much easier on me. Laura is a teenager now and becoming more independent, while her mother, my wife, still does all the cooking and cleaning so she does not require nearly as much 'maintenance' as she used to when she was but a child. Maybe it's the constant nightmares? The demon whispering in my ears whenever it feels like it? The strange things I see at night alone while working? Maybe I need to switch to a daytime shift at the risk of contorting my sleep schedule I have become so used to. Maybe becoming a night owl is mentally stressing me out. I don't know anymore. Me and Mary both are looking older with each passing year. I truly don't know anymore. I should stop stressing out over it. I have a family to take care of. I love them. I'm happy. Yet, why do I feel as if my life is slowly withering away with time? Perhaps I need to sit down with Mary the next time Laura goes to the market with her friends.

Victoria let out a deep sigh and skipped several pages to the last written entry in the journal. Adrian was feeling a sense of dread from their words. From both Edward and Mary it read:

Lying here we have realized something. Life is truly precious. You should treasure every moment you can make with those you love and care for. Death has been inching ever so closely for the past several months. We have spent most of our lives exploring the many dark corners of this country hiding in plain sight. We were never the same ever since that discovery in the cave all those years ago. While we managed to get another good few years out for exploring after Laura moved out, our bodies were telling us that it was time to hang up the coats and get cozy to await Death itself. Retirement was dull but we had no choice as we grew older. Laura visited just the other day to tell us goodbye with tears in her eyes. She had to return to Chicago after all so it would be the last time she would see us alive and breathing. The time is nigh. As we write our last words in this journal we've shared since even before we were married, we hope that you, Laura, and your children and your children's children and so on, will get to read our stories and learn about the adventurous and sometimes, tumultuous life we've lived together. At least, once we see the light, we'll be free from the demon that speaks to us. Our offspring, should you ever decide to move into this house we live in and want to explore the vast lands around us, remember to stay away from the strange cave near the coast. We love you so much Laura, from the bottom of our hearts. May you and your family and our future bloodline only live happily, and do not suffer in the later years as we have. This will be our final journal entry. Death awaits us in her chariot. It's time we say our goodbyes now and leave this world together. Sincerely, Edward and Mary Wintercroft.

Reading all of this, Victoria could not fight back against the single tear streaking down her cheek. Adrian held her close in a warm embrace, closing his eyes for a moment. Evelyn and Henry watched in silence, feeling the heaviness in the air. All was quiet with the exception of the television volume that Henry lowered earlier. Evelyn stood up and walked over to Victoria, sitting next to her and embracing her as well. Henry let out a deep sigh. He knew from their expressions what they had just read through.

"You two are adults, so I can't stop you. But heed my words; whatever happened in that cave, only eventually brought ruin to Edward and Mary's lives. It was a slow, creeping ruin, as they did live quite long even for those times when the life expectancy was shorter. If you want to go and try to find that cave, should it still exist...then have at it. Earthquakes, tornadoes and even floods are a rarity in this state, so the odds of that cave being around still aren't entirely slim. But should you find it...venture in at your own risk." Henry said sternly. Victoria wiped her eyes and looked up at Henry with a fierce, determination in her eyes.

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"I understand grandpa...but that cave may hold an answer to what I've been dealing with. The visual hallucinations, the voice, the nightmares...as crazy as it sounds...maybe something passed down through our bloodline from Edward and Mary into me. I-I'm sorry but, we have to go and try to find that cave." Victoria replied. Evelyn sighed and gently stroked Victoria's shoulder.

"We both care about you two very much. We don't want anything to happen to you two. If you do go out there and by chance, happen to find the cave...please for our sake be very careful. While we both would rather you two not go there...Henry is right. We can't stop you. And...maybe you have a point. Your mental trauma is very unusual that...well, any answers you can find could help you. I would hate for you to have to suffer with these conditions for the rest of your life. Especially since you're still so young."

"Yeah, and I really don't want that. Adrian."

Adrian lifted his head up to give her his attention.

"Huh?" He muttered.

"The journal mentioned that the cave is near a coast. Tomorrow, we're renting a boat and going to search for that cave. It was mentioned that it wasn't too far from the old house. It just, somehow evaded Edward and Mary's attention since they both were always gone exploring the country. It may be closer then we think. Our only clues we have, are that it was in a general area near the old house, and that it was near a coast."

"Y-yeah, right. Okay. We'll do that. Hey uh, how long until that snowstorm hits by the way?"

"Oh shit good question. Um-"

Victoria stopped talking and whipped her phone out to check the weather schedule for the remaining days they would be there. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"The snowstorm will start around tomorrow evening. So we need to do this early and get back before that snowstorm starts to hit. The app is saying it will last for at least a couple days."

"Got it."

Victoria and Adrian would spend the rest of the day inside hanging out with Evelyn and Mary, eager for their hunt to track down the infamous cave the following day.

  Natalia sat quietly with her legs crossed inside the limousine and her eyes glued to her phone screen. She casually scrolled through various news articles to pass the time until the limousine came to a stop at an all-to-familiar house. She waited while the driver got out and opened the door for her.

"Third time visiting this place huh? My, this gentleman certainly must be captivating to keep your attention madame president." The driver remarked.

"He is interesting to say the least. I'll give you a call when I'm done here as usual." Natalia said as she began walking towards the house.

It took but a couple knocks before footsteps could be heard approaching. The door opened. Standing there, dressed up in his dapper attire as always, was Vincent.

"Well hello my lady. You wish to see...the secret room?" He said with a smirk on his face.

"Take me there now. I'm out of options." Natalia demanded.

"Oh I just love it when you add that bite to your bark. Of course. Follow me and do listen to me, okay?"

Vincent lead Natalia upstairs and down the hallway to the locked room. He pulled out a dark red key and inserted it into the slot below the knob. The sound of a lock clicked and he opened the door, turning the light on. Natalia froze in place, her eyes darting all over the room and it's contents, particularly what was on the floor. Vincent stepped into the room. The room consisted of dark red curtains covering the windows, a single light illuminating the room, a large knife with an ornate handle and blade design sitting next to a strange book on a table at the opposite end of the room, and a mass of candles in a circle around a large symbol with a circle around it of unknown origin painted in red in the middle of the room.

"This here, miss Emerson...this is the ritual room. Every Saturday night, we gather in here and conduct our ritual prayer for the great Cthylla, with one member drawing blood over the symbol to show our devotion at the end of every session. The one who draws blood rotates out every week, as the same blood cannot be given two weeks in a row. I am the only exception as I lead these people and the prayer, sort of like a priest in a twisted way. We turn the light off, light the candles, conduct the prayer, and end the night feeling rejuvenated." Vincent explained thoroughly.

Natalia was at a loss for words. She shook her head to recollect herself mentally and focus.

"I uh...I see. You all really are...devout to this deity you worship."

"Indeed. Now, before you go about doing anything let me tell you what to do. This is a very unique situation, as you wish to conduct your very own ritual within this room with a different deity. Something entirely different to what we always use this room for. You must turn the light off and light the candles, like we do. Then, you will grab the book sitting on that table along with the knife, the sacrificial blade to be specific. Then, you will recite the 'Spirit Within' summoning prayer from the book on page, which is a ritual used to summon a demon or demons that have made their homes inside of a human, which in this very specific case, pertains to you. Since whatever you are harboring inside of you's name is unknown to you, make sure to address it directly as best as you can, as possessions can indeed contain a demon or spirit with a name unknown to it's vessel. Then, you will draw your own blood using the sacrificial blade into the middle of the circle by extending your arm out before making the cut. Then sit down, close your eyes, and free your mind of all thoughts. You are actively inviting this thing into your subconscious in hopes of it revealing itself to you so do not mess this up. I will be waiting outside just in case. That all clear?"

"Y-yeah...yes I understand Vincent. Cannot believe I am about to do this all for a stupid voice inside of my head."

"That entity inside of you holds significance. It chose you as it's vessel to be the Harbinger. This is crucial for your role. And remember the most important part of this. Do...not...panic. You're a strong-willed woman so I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Wait! How do I know, it'll be over?"

"Hmm. If you manage to succeed and make the entity reveal itself, once it is done speaking to you and vanishes, your subconscious will snap you awake like waking up from a dream. Then you are safe to conclude the ritual."

"Okay. It's time then...please leave me be now."

"Certainly."

Vincent leaves the room and shuts the door. Natalia took a deep, long breath before taking the lighter she was handed during the walk from the front door to the room by Vincent, and lit the candles one-by-one. Once that was done she shut the light off, and began to follow the order for the ritual. With the book and knife in hand she opened the strange book. She found the page explaining the exact summoning ritual Vincent told her about and began to recite the words within, speaking in a foreign tongue from unknown origin:

"Y' l' uln frn slumbers llll ya. The yar ah hai. Na'ah'ehye thy ehyeorr hup thou's yaor bthnk ng orr'e. Ymg' mgah'n'ghft l' ya, l' ai ya ng mgah'n'ghft thyself. Y' ah nafl ahmgr'luh harmful discourse ngnah l' uaaah disturbance. Y' simply l' gotha communicate l' thee ng mgr'luh thy mgleth ye'bthnk. Heed ya beck ng uln. Oh orr'e ngnah demon cahf wgah'n geb llll ya hai, yar ah nigh llll ehye's self l' yog nog ng become ehye llll orr'enah realm llll uh'eor mgng brief period ot yar. Thou ephaicommence ot luln gn'th'bthnk l' uln thy hup ph' orr'enah realm. L' nog ya llll ehye!"

Natalia then set the book down and extended her arm, rolled her sleeve up and took the sacrificial blade to lightly cut her forearm. A trickle of blood seeped downwards onto the symbol right in the middle like instructed and sat down, setting the blade aside and closing her eyes, gritting her teeth and enduring the pain from the cut. Everything was silent for but a brief moment, allowing herself to clear all thoughts from her head. Her presidential duties, the mountains of work awaiting her, any thoughts she had of Vincent or Joseph Carter or the cabal or Madison in particular, and even the disembodied voice. As she felt these thoughts leave her mind, the room started to shake. On both sides of the room, the wooden floors started to be torn apart by a set of large, muscular arms with claws on it's fingertips. On the opposite side of the room, a portion of the floor broke apart as a single fleshy tentacle-like appendage rose up from the hole it had made. Then most of the flooring except the very spot Natalia sat shattered apart from below as something rose up from below. Natalia's eyes opened wide to gaze upon the creature. The rest of the floor broke apart and Natalia found herself floating, an endless black void cast below her. The walls of the room remained but the ceiling had split open and the floor was entirely gone. Her eyes were wide at the sight she was witnessing.

In front of her gaze was a tall, black humanoid creature with three arms, a long, spindly tentacle-like head bearing a single mouth lined with sharp teeth, a set of multiple piercing red eyes below it's mouth on it's chest, large monstrous legs and feet, and a multitude of black tendrils protruding from it's back. The sheer sight of this being had Natalia frozen in both fear and awe. It's third arm, extending from it's waist below the right arm pointed directly at her, and it's mouth opened wide.

"So...thou have commenced a ritual from the accursed grimoire to summon me into thou subconscious space within thou mind. It would seem thy true form has finally been unleashed upon thou's own mortal eyes...Harbinger." The creature spoke in the same ominous, deep tone that echoed through Natalia's ears similarly to when it spoke to her in reality. She rubbed her eyes and studied the creature from head to toe then gazed into it's many eyes. "Thou must be inpatient if thou resorted to summoning me through the means of a blood ritual."

"It...it's you. It's really you...the voice that spoke to me on the night of the inauguration. The voice that has been inside of me all this time. So now I have finally laid eyes upon your true form, creature from the beyond." Natalia replied.

"This is correct. I am the deity that lays dormant inside of thou own body. Thou are the vessel that keeps me concealed and locked away. Tell me oh Harbinger...what is thou purpose of commencing the ritual that has lead to this...meeting of the minds..."

"Because you wouldn't reveal yourself to me! You forced my hand to do this...now tell me your name! Where are you from? What is your true purpose? The Harbinger demands answers!"

"...As thou wishes. Thy name is Nyarlathotep, messenger of the Outer Gods. I am from beyond the stars, somewhere no mere mortal mind could even comprehend. I chose thou as the vessel because of thou's significance amongst the mortal population. This much thou already knows. You bear thy message, sent from a higher power above thy own, as a warning to you and your kind. Your world has suffered over many decades by thou own actions, and thus is doomed to perish from the fall. While thy manifestation is but a vision conjured inside of thou own subconscious, I exist alongside you and will be freed on the day of reckoning. Until then, I remain inside of you, sharing body and soul as one. Thou may be thine own construct of flesh and bone with an independent mind, free will and a pulsing heart that thy cannot take control of, but remember that thy resides within you."

Natalia finally began to truly understand the purpose of this creature that has been with her for over a year now. She would not let this break control of her subconscious however.

"I see...I understand now. You come from somewhere way beyond our solar system. A different dimension perhaps. And yet, all of you are going to punish humankind because of how we've destroyed our own world slowly over the course of modern history. You clearly exist within our own universe...that would explain how any of this is even possible. Goddamn it..."

"Do not fear thou's purpose for my existence. I promised thou that thine own life and the life of whom you hold closest would be spared from the fall. This is simply...how fate has been woven by the great Old One. If thou does not have any more purpose for speaking to thyself, then thou will return to thine own world. Is there anything else thou wishes to ask of thee?"

"I, well I...I have one more question for you...Nyarlathotep."

"Speak then, Harbinger."

"I was able to make contact with another human being not too long ago...and warped their mind to the point of forcing them to break down mentally. What...what was that?"

"Ah yes. Thou had forced thou own hands unto another for answers, because thou broke them for not speaking the truth. While thy resides within, thou have made use of thy own power. Consider it...assistance in thou's own endeavor."

"So you helped me do that. Oh God, what else am I capable of then?" Natalia began to look down at her own hands.

"Thy answers will be revealed when the time comes. As thou remains a mortal with purpose, thy assistance will be necessary in dire situations as thou continues to serve your own kind. No matter the cost, even if it means breaking someone's own mental state. Continue thou purpose as a leader. Thy will remain sealed away until the fall comes. Use thy powers at thou's own risk..."

"Okay...I understand. It's time we ended this conversation now. I have my answers...and I now know your true form. I'm ready to leave my subconscious and return to the real world."

Nyarlathotep began to lower himself back into the void below. The floor began to reconstruct itself back into it's proper form as did the ceiling and the wall opposite of where Natalia was floating. She closed her eyes and sat back down on the reconstructed floor below her. After what felt like an eternity inside of her own subconscious, she opened her eyes once more and found herself inside the dimly lit room. She stood up and walked over to turn the light on then returned the strange book and knife to their original spot. She was ready to leave. Vincent stood outside leaning against the wall as the door opened.

"Well? How did it go my lady?" He asked with a smirk. Natalia looked at him and smiled.

"It went well. Now take care of this cut will you?" She demanded.

Natalia parted ways once more with Vincent and stood outside the house, turning around to look at it. The cold wind blew gently against her face. She called for her ride and waited patiently. There was a wide smirk across her face, as she was excited to tell Madison about what had happened to her.