The black moon had almost fully ascended into the night sky. All around the world reality was collapsing in front of the eyes of billions of people. From Brazil to Sweden. From Russia to New Zealand. The world governments were thrown into disarray as those with no safe haven were scrambling to find safety. Chaos and panic had spread wide amongst the populations of every country, every city, town, village, and settlement. A small, secluded island out in the Pacific Ocean was home to a recluse village entirely cut off from modern civilization. There was however an exception, a lone painter named Hikaru who did have a phone to keep in touch with his friends and family overseas in Japan. He was quietly working on a piece when outside his home he heard the villagers hollering and shouting. He took his earbuds out and got up to go check out all the commotion. He saw the villagers all pointing up to the sky and blabbering amongst themselves. Approaching the village elder, he politely tapped the old man on the shoulder.

"Excuse me sir? What is going on?" Hikaru asked. The elder tilted his head and peered over his shoulder. He then pointed up into the sky.

"See for yourself child. The end is here. The prophecy has come true..." The elder spoke. Hikaru looked up and felt his heart sink into his churning stomach. In the sky above loomed an ominous, black plantlike creature with innumerable roots, pale and swollen and, that ramified from a bulbous hole. Each tip an emerald hue. This bole, half hidden from view, was topped with an emerald cup like a monstrous blossom. It looked like a monstrous alien. The villagers all buried their knees in the dirt and cupped their hands together. The elder did the same. "Our God has abandoned us... So it arrives instead. To bring about the fall of humanity. Looks like that painting you're working on... Will be the last piece of art you ever make. Tragic, it truly is..."

Hikaru felt his knees weaken and fall onto the ground with his gaze unable to fixate anywhere else but the foreign entity.

"Mother, father, brother, sister. And everyone who I've called a friend... I hope I'll get to see all of you in Heaven..."

Hikaru just clasped his hands together and closed his eyes, ready to embrace the end and putting his mind to ease as he accepted the words the village elder spoke to him.

"Joseph! Sir! That's the rest of the people. We are officially at maximum capacity inside the bunker." A bald man wearing a National Guard uniform spoke, handing Joseph a clipboard with some sheets of paper all marked up. With a heavy heart, Joseph nodded.

"Very well. Thank you." He murmured.

Joseph walked over to where Laurie, Omari and Edmund Flores were residing; a roomy lounge area with a large television screen playing the news. The three of them sat on a circular couch with a coffee table in the middle of the three of them. As Joseph approached all of their heads turned to look at him, noticing his pained expression. Laurie patted the spot next to her. He went to sit down next to her and join all of them.

"Just bloody fucking wonderful. We get to sit here and watch the world burn from the safety and confine of these walls. I do appreciate you reserving me a spot dear friend." Edmund said. Joseph just quietly nodded. Laurie rested a hand on his shoulder.

"No Peter huh?" She asked.

"Nope... This is it. Xiang stayed in China where he took his extended family into their own government shelter. And as for Maria, she was personally invited by the Russian president to stay inside their nuclear war bunker under the Kremlin. So those two are safe at least. Shame Peter never did make it though... A couple of his friends were asking about him too. Delivering the bad news was not fun."

"I-I see. Goddamn it..." Laurie started to weep, dabbing the tears streaking down her cheeks with a pink handkerchief. "Why did it have to come to this? We were supposed to continue to lead the world in a better direction. Now we can't... We've failed as a species. Our sins weigh so heavy and lie deeply rooted into our past and now we're being punished for it. What a fucked year it's been..."

Dozens of people had gathered together to watch the massive screen playing the news report. With all the news stations' main headquarters currently abandoned, only sole reporters were out delivering updates on the state of the world. The woman speaking into a microphone pointed up into the sky as the camera panned over and zoomed in to show a dark, disfigured entity encroaching into the atmosphere. Some people were sobbing and holding each other close while others were silent or muttering to one another. Joseph's heart was breaking at the sight of this despite his family and most of his closest friends being safe which brought some ease to his otherwise cluttered mind.

The feed on the screen then cut to another news report with a bright red banner across the bottom. A younger man in a dress shirt holding a microphone began to speak. He appeared to be somewhere in New York City where the streets were cluttered with pedestrians all looking up into the sky above an extraordinarily tall skyscraper.

"This is a breaking news update. Daniel Jameson coming to you live from midtown Manhattan. I've been here covering the strange sights in the sky when this started happening..."

Daniel stepped aside for the camera to zoom up towards the skies above the Empire State Building where a massive dimensional rift shrouded by shifting dark clouds had began tearing open in the sky. Rather then the usual empty black void the rifts consisted of, this one seemed to have a grotesque dark shade of green within it. This report so far had even the attention of Joseph and the others with him.

"As you can see behind me up in the sky, another one of those mysterious so-called 'rifts' has been opening at a snails pace for the past few minutes now and nobody is sure what is could be! The president's controversial speech earlier today has had many people in an uproar but also seemed to not affect the busy flow of foot and vehicle traffic here in the big city! However as soon as this rift started to appear, everybody had stopped what they were doing and devoted their attention to whatever is happening up there! The rift has grown to a substantial size now! We even have a chopper hundred of miles away delivering a live feed which we will cut to now! The scale of this is on another level then anything we had ever seen before!"

The feed switched to an aerial view coming from the news chopper flying overhead showing the rift had now grown as wide as half of the entire span of the island where New York City was located. Joseph stood to his feet with his mouth agape in absolute shock. Within a few minutes the rift had stopped growing in size. Inside, the mysterious anomaly had begun to shift and move around like a fetus in an ultrasound. Then to everyone's surprise, the anomaly shifted upwards now revealing a gargantuan, striking pearlescent eye gazing down upon the city. Daniel just dropped his mic and began to scream. The camera fell to the pavement with the operator also screaming. All across the entire city, millions of screams began to cry out. The people inside the operator also screamed, losing control with the chopper beginning to descend as horrified viewers could only watch on. Joseph felt his knees give out as he collapsed onto the couch. Omari, Edmund and Laurie could not believe their eyes yet remained glued to the screen while the chopper fell and crashed onto the roof of a building, the feed cutting to black.

Victoria and Adrian were about to reach the roof before Victoria stopped midway up the stairs, feeling discomfort in her stomach and a throbbing pain in her head. Adrian stopped at the top then turned to face her. He reached a hand out to help her up the remaining steps. She held a hand over her stomach with the other pressing against her temple.

"This feeling... We are in serious trouble, child of the bloodline. 'He' is awakening at this very moment..."

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Hastur spoke, which would explain the sudden pains Victoria was feeling. She could sense the serious, even anxious tone he spoke in. She shook her head to regain her concentration.

"Adrian. Our time is running thin... We need to end this now." She stated in a grim tone.

She took his hand before he could respond and busted open the door leading to the rooftop. Standing over on the other side of where they were was Natalia, Madison, and the shadowy form of Nyarlathotep looking out into the distance at the towering Cthylla looming over the streets of the suburbs just outside the city. Victoria lead the way as her and Adrian approached the three of them. Natalia just shook her head. Madison had her hands clutched together.

"It's over, child. Nothing you can do will stop the fall..." Natalia muttered in earshot of Victoria and Adrian. "Look at what's happening all around us. I hate to admit it but... This is truly the end. Just accept it. Maybe with that deity you harbor similarly to mine... You too will survive to watch the world perish."

"I won't be letting that happen. All I need to do is take you out... Shadow." Victoria replied, clenching her fists tightly. "If that thing can manifest then..."

As Victoria felt her pulse rising rapidly and her heart pounding, Adrian stepped back as a pure black mass emanated around her body. Black tendrils with blue tips peeked out from her back, attached to the figure slowly emerging from the mass. Coated in black with glowing yellow features on it's head and torso, the true embodiment of Hastur had risen from within her subconscious and taken form, appearing just as he had when he revealed himself to Victoria inside her mind. He towered over the two of them and floated in the air. Immediately, the entity Nyarlathotep turned around. His white eyes widened at the sight. Natalia followed and turned to see them. Madison did the same but with caution.

"So you finally show yourself, King in Yellow. To think, you would aid this human and in theory, all of humankind, and for what reason? You slumbered within the planet. Do you not wish to see the planet reborn anew? Why are you doing this?"

"Thy was awakened many, many years ago. Thy hath witnessed many lives come and go as thy resided inside the bloodline of this child. Thy hath seen the true nature and beauty of humankind. There is hope for a future for their species. The fall will only prevent progress and kill them all. Thy cannot let this happen. Let the Outer Gods and Old Ones continue to reside where they belong, thyself included."

Nyarlathotep shook his head and held out a finger to point at Hastur.

"You are but a fool! Look up towards the stars. Father has already arrived. You would be going against not only me, but all of the Court of Azathoth! Is that what you desire? This is a fight you cannot win... Let the fall commence and eradicate humanity as punishment for their sins!"

Hastur looked past them and out over at Cthylla. She began to slowly turn, her multitude of eyes now glaring at Hastur.

"It is not too late to put the Great Old One back to slumber where He belongs. Thy are not alone. All thy has to do... Is to kill you. Without the true Harbinger, the fall will. Dear daughter of the Great Old One if thou can hear thy words... Doth thou not wish for this world, thou's own home, to flourish? Resist their advances. Call upon those who dwell within our planet to rise up. And as for you, Nyarlathotep... Thou will perish here and now."

As Natalia stood her ground, in the distance a shrill screech from Cthylla rung out in the skies. She felt a creeping sense of dread within her. Madison ran behind her, pressing her hands atop her shoulders. She trembled with fear. Victoria started to get closer as did Hastur who had grazed by, now hovering in front of her. The blue tips of his tendrils along with the yellow spots all began to glow.

From every corner of the globe, all of those who worship the many Great Old Ones had gathered in mass and were chanting, praying, calling out for their respective deities. The space shuttle that had departed from the International Space Station had breached the atmosphere of Earth and was headed for the landing pad. Several miles away the grounds below a long stretch of fields started to tremble and shake, cracking open as a monstrous pot-bellied, toad-like creature with a bat-like furriness across it's body began to emerge. This sight had the passengers aboard the shuttle in shock and awe.

Just outside the town of Salem, a sticky black substance had spread and grown to cover a wide field of grass now tinged with the substance. A group of people dressed in black robes all stood miles away with their hands cupped together. An amorphous mass with several black tentacles was protruding from the black substance and only growing larger. Upon seeing this sight, a bystander rushed back towards Salem and was shouting at everyone to warn them of what was happening. Proving to be telling the truth, the people started to evacuate at once. The ones in the black robes only chanted, calling for the sanguine entity to rise.

Beneath the waters somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, a lone sailboat with three passengers resided far away from the nearest shoreline. The waters, once calm, grew intense and rocked the boat so much to the point where one of the passengers was flung overboard into the ocean. The waves rising several miles away raged as an enormous, blue-shelled, amphibious insectoid creature emerged from the sea. It had a barrel-shaped trunk with six appendages ending in claws-like pincers and a near-spherical head covered with hair-like filaments, a tentacle-like proboscis and three small, beady eyes. Once the passenger was rescued from the ocean the sailor in charge readied to get the boat to sail as far away from this creature as possible, fearing for all of their lives.

Within the Crypt of the Sepulchral Lamp deep in the depths of the macabre catacombs beneath Paris, a swirling mass of darkness manifested where the lamp was displayed. The dozens of people cowering in fear and taking shelter from the arising threat of the Outer Gods visibly descending from the stars, were thrown into panic and hysteria by the terrifying sight of this darkness that had taken form out. They split up and ran away as a hideous, shadowy black worm with spikes on it's back, gaping mouth with black fangs surrounding it and four tendrils split up resembling a twisted flower rose from the dark mass. It hissed as it slithered away and down through the halls of the catacombs.

Nyarlalothep and Natalia both sneered at Hastur and Victoria, whom had a concerned look on her face. She looked up at the eldritch deity with a sense of reassurance but she wasn't sure why. Meanwhile, both Adrian and Madison had kept their distance from their respective partners.

"What is going on? Why do I sense many rising from below the surface? Hastur! What have you done?!" Nyarlathotep hissed, his forked black tongue poked out. Hastur reached one of his tendrils down and wrapped it around Victoria. She somehow felt a calming presence.

"This one and her kind will not be erased from existence. Her resolve is why thy was awakened, her bloodline hath shaped thy perspective on how we Old Ones view those who dwell above the surface where we reside.. Hence why... Thy hath transplanted commands to the one called Cthylla. With her presence and thine authority, we hath called upon the other Old Ones to awaken for us. To come to our aid. The fall will not be the end, for it will be stopped as will thee. Thy will strike thee down and banish thee back from which you came, Nyarlathotep..."

Cthylla knelt and set Vincent along with his followers down onto the ground. He glanced around then motioned for his followers to hop off of her massive palm. She stood back up, extending her wings and with eyes glowing a sinister red, she arose into the air and began ascending towards the sky where the ominous silhouette of the largest creature was very slowly descending. Hastur released his grip from Victoria, arising higher and extending his tendrils. The yellow patterns and blue tips began to glow bright. His words bellowed with determination and anger;

"The one called Azathoth, that leads the Outer Gods... Will not be reaching this planet's surface. The secret daughter, Cthylla, will make sure of that. To halt the black moon from full ascension and cease the awakening of the Great Old One, the sleeping god Cthulhu... You will perish."

Hissing, Nyarlathotep's humanoid form contorted and shrunk into a black shadowy husk before rising into the air and shifting into a more horrendous, creature-like form. The form that which Natalia had first seen of him when he had revealed himself to her. Slamming his monstrous feet onto the surface of the roof, he stepped forward and let out a vicious growl. Natalia remained silent, only staring down Victoria with her intimidating gaze. Madison shrieked at the horrific sight of the ghastly deity standing before her. Victoria gritted her teeth while Adrian just stood back further and held his breath. Nyarlathotep pointed a crooked, clawed finger out to Hastur. As he spoke, his voice shifted to one more resembling a demon speaking with a threatening tone;

"Once I kill you... All hope will be lost. The fall is inevitable and you cannot stop it. The time is nigh. The black moon will rise. He will awaken to consume this world. As the Harbinger for the Court of Azathoth I must ensure his will be sought out. Fate has humanity ensnared in it's jaws. The planet will be reborn anew... And you will perish by my hands along with the rest of this wretched species..."