The Call of the King

As the night shrouded the sky a tinge of yellow could be seen as the city gradually went silent. Nothing except for the faint sound of footseps as well as humming could be heard echoing down the alleyway.

A man wearing a three-piece suit with a matching vest, tailored pants, leather oxford shoes, a fedora and a plague doctor mask walked alone the alleyway, his mind filled with peace and serenity.

This was William Hargrave, a 27 year old business-man who had black hair and shining blue eyes. His skin was pale white and he was about 6'1 in height.

He suddenly felt a weird feeling, as if he was being watched. He looked around but couldn't see anyone.

Suddenly, he heard a voice in his head. It was soft and insidious like a careless whisper. It said,

" Beyond the depths of lost Carcosa, he comes, in tattered wings, robes of yellow, and withered crown of madness, he shall descend to rule over the kingdom of madness and despair."

Reality started to distort as those words finished coming into his mind. Everything started to turn yellow. The ground turned yellow, the sky turned yellow, the streets turned yellow. Everything turned yellow. William looked at his hands and they were all yellow.

An ominous feeling arose in his heart as he found himself looking at himself from afar. Like he was another person, able to look at himself while being himself.

Faint ringing sound could be heard as William's view became blurry. The mixture of blurriness and yellow caused William's mind to become filled with a sense of danger.

He blinked his eyes for a second and then he noticed that the ground wasn't the same. He looked around and saw that there were strange symbols carved on the greyish walls. Torches were flickering in and out and Ichor could be seen oozing on the floor as well as the walls.

The ground was filled with broken bones that were shone upon by an ominous yellow light coming from an unknown source. A strange and strong metallic stench assaulted his nose as he felt a bit dizzy from it.

As he slowly looked around, he could faintly see that there were figures and he knew that they were looking at him from the shadows.

Finally, his interest was caught by a throne of bones and blackened metal 10 meters away from him. There was no one sitting on it but William felt a horrifying feeling from it. William continued to look at it as if trying to discern what was so special about that throne.

"Child" a soft and insidious voice echoed about as William was awoken from the trance and came back to reality. He tried to look around. He blinked his eyes for a moment and he suddenly felt an ancient and powerful presence in front of him. His heart started to pound like there were marching bands inside his chest.

His eyes blinded by the shimmering yellow light. Fear gradually trickled into his whole body as he broke down into cold sweat. William felt like he couldn't breathe due to the fear welling up inside him.

"Welcome to my kingdom of madness and despair. I am the King in Yellow, the harbinger of chaos and the bringer of doom. You have come to witness my play, to delve into the depths of your own insanity. Behold the tattered robes of Carcosa, the city of lost dreams, and let your mind unravel. Fear not, for in madness lies the truth. Embrace the Yellow Sign, and you shall know my power."

said a figure wearing tattered yellow robes, a palid mask as well as a crown. His eyes were filled with eldritch power that seemed to flow outwards and fill the whole chamber with a sickly, yellow light.

William gulped a bit of saliva, the ominous voice still ringing inside his head. He had heard of the King in Yellow before, one of the cosmic horrors that lurked on the fringes of human understanding. He had never believed in such things, but now he felt a cold terror as well as a hint of excitement grip him.

"What do you mean? Your excellency?" William answered. His voice filled with respect and fear. He knew that someone as powerful as the King in Yellow could easily erase him from existence with just a single blink of his eye. Thus, he became very respectful.

"Become my protege" the cosmic horror responded.

"Forgive my impudence but why me my lord?" asked William, full of doubt.

"You have been chosen because your nature is.... somewhat special ..." the voice replied ominously.

William felt a shiver run down his spine but there was also a tinge of excitement mixed within it.

'What does he mean by that? Does he know who I really am?.' William thought to himself.

"I don't have a choice do I? I beseech you my Lord to tell me what is it that you will get from this exchange of ours" he said.

"The time of the Great Cosmic Unveiling is nigh" the voice said. The cosmic horror's eyes shined bright with yellow.

"Serve me faithfully and loyally, and I will grant you unimaginable power. But be warned, the cost of such power is great. Your mind will be consumed, your soul will be corrupted. You will become a vessel for my will."

William's eyes shined.

"Will it help me to do that my Lord?" William asked. Seemingly with a vague question. He was trying to ascertain his claims earlier about whether or not this being really knew him inside and out.

"Your courage to test my knowledge is indeed harboring on the edge of insanity and foolishness." the King in Yellow responded with a light chuckle.

William felt his back turn cold as for a second there, he felt like he was going to die. Testing a cosmic horror really wasn't the best course of action.

"You can." then he answered.

"Alright. I accept," William answered without a slightest hint of hesitation. Why would he hesitate if he got to do what he wanted?

'I always wanted to shed this mortal coil of mine. With such power, I could proceed towards my plans a bit earlier and with a zero fail rate! Ahh this pleasure... This day couldn't get any better!' William thought to himself as his cheeks turned puffy.

The King in Yellow nodded in approval. "Very well, my child. Now, let us form the pact that will bind us together."

The cosmic horror raised his hand, and a yellow glow surrounded it. He then placed his hand on William's forehead, and the yellow light enveloped him.

The King in Yellow's power burrowed towards William's soul, like a venomous poison slowly corrupting his whole existence. He felt a surge of unimaginable power and a rush of euphoria, but he also felt a sense of loss. He knew that he had given up a part of himself, and that he would never be the same again. However, he quickly threw those negative reactions away. Loss? Regret? Those are rubbish compared to this power!

William's eyes constricted as boundless knowledge filled into his mind as it was drilled into his very soul. But this also caused a huge pain on his mind as he groaned in pain. His screams filled the whole chamber.

"Now you are mine, William Hargrave. You are bound to me, and I am bound to you. You shall be my vessel, and I shall be your master. Together, we shall bring about the Great Cosmic Unveiling." The King in Yellow spoke, his voice echoing through William's mind.

"Now go and spread madness and insanity. The shores of Carcosa shall await the arrival of our guests" the soft and insidious voice echoed about as William felt his vision go black as he became unconscious.

....

William wakes up on a strange bed on a dimly lit room still feeling groggy and confused. He remembers being approached by the Yellow King and offered immense power, but everything else is hazy.

As he tries to gather his thoughts, he realizes that his whole existence was radiating a strange energy. Unimaginable power hugged his whole body as the excitement and thrill from the discovery caused shivers down his spine.

William stood up, feeling nothing like the man he was before. His back straightened as he walked towards the mirror. He looked at himself and found that his skin that was already pale before, now looked even paler like he was a ghost. But his skin held a hint of yellow, albeit unnoticeable until deeply focused on. His shining blue eyes dimmed, replaced by the soft and mysterious color of yellow.

William became even more handsome and his height also grew. Indeed, he really was nothing like the man he was yesterday.

He flashed the mirror with a devilish smile as he walked towards the bathroom and took a bath. He hummed his favorite tune all while he dressed up with his usual attire. He once again stared at himself in the mirror.

Suddenly, he saw a child run behind him through the mirror while a sinister high-pitched laugh reverberated throughout the room. His eyes narrowed but he just shook it off.

'I already saw a cosmic horror myself. What is there to be afraid off?' he thought to himself as he chuckled.

He put on his plague doctor mask and walked down the street. The streets weren't bustling as there was a deadly plague growing around. People were in their homes, hiding away. Not daring to reveal themselves and risk becoming infected as the disease was something that easily infected other people through air-borne transmission.

The buildings surroundinf him were old and made out of bricks.They were the houses of the people living in this old city called Lyonville.

As he passed by a beggar on the sidewalk, William stopped and looked at the man. The man was dirty and pale. He looked as if he hasn't eaten for a few days now. He reeked of trash and a foul odor capable of making one vomit. His eyes looked dull as if he had already lost the will to go on in life. His hair was long enough to reach his shoulders. His hands covered with dust and he was overall very disgusting to look at.

Flashes of the man's most priceless memories invaded William's mind as he stood there in a daze. William saw a handsome man in the memory. He was wearing black clothes and a plague doctor mask like him. The man was helping out patients and seemingly looked like a doctor.

Then the scene changed as the man accidentally cut a wrong artery on his patient's body.

"What have you done?!" A female doctor shouted. The man looked horrified and his face was unisghtly.

The scene changed again as the man was now held in court deemed by the judge to be punishable by death through hanging.

The sound of the ladle hitting the table reverberated as the Judge shouted, "Guilty for Malpractice. Mr. George Proft you are sentenced to death by hanging in 3 days!"

William saw George Proft cry as well as become imprisoned. Fortunately he was able to escape.

Tons of scenes appeared inside William's mind but in reality, it only happened for a brief second. Finally, the flash of memory ended. William's head hurt as he let out a light groan.

'Was that one of the powers given by him?' William thought to himself.

Without much thought, William reached down towards his pocket and gave the man a few coins as well as a crumpled old paper.

The beggar looked at the coins with happiness but was intrigued by the paper as he read the words inside the paper aloud, his voice trembling with fear and awe.

"Beyond the depths of lost Carcosa, he comes, in tattered wings, robes of yellow, and withered crown of madness, he shall descend to rule over the kingdom of madness and despair."

Beside the words was a symbol of a simple design resembling a spiky starburst covered in sickly yellow.

When the beggar finished reading the words aloud, he stood up. His back no longer arched and his eyes radiating with an unknown energy that it didn't have before.

The beggar shouted wildly and ate the piece of paper. It looked at William and nodded at him. The beggar then ran in the opposite direction and disappeared from William's sight.

William smiled at the Beggar's reaction.

'I felt a similar power come from the beggar the moment that he touched that piece of paper which I just imagined to have at that moment.' thought to himself.

'This is getting interesting.' he continued as he walked down the road. He thought about something and then smiled.

'If my assumptions are correct, I think this idea of mine will work' William thought to himself.

He closed his eyes and then imagined himself teleporting towards the Lyonville Clock Tower. The Lyonville Clock Tower was the highest clocktower in this city. It had the most wondrous view of the whole city.

He opened his eyes and he felt the refreshing air breeze through his skin.

"This is Amazing!" He exclaimed with a devilish laugh.

That's right! He gambled if whether or not he can teleport! And his gample paid off! He really can teleport!

"This scenery is very beatiful but I feel like it needs something..." He said as he looked at the scenery in front of him. There were numerous buildings that were made from bricks and smoke coming out from factories. At this height, humans looked nothing more than ants to him.

"Ah yes! Now I know!" He said with a wide grin.

He raised his hand in front of him with his palm facing towards the sky. He conjured up a bubble. Inside that bubble was the exact scenery in front of him, but mass destruction could be seen. Everyone was killing each other. Corpses lay across the street left to rot.

Children were wailing and women from all ages were being raped. Screams could be heard coming from the bubble and if any mortal saw this, they would instantly faint and gouge their eyes out as the sheer horrificness of the scene is not something that a normal person would be able to endure.

William caressed the bubble with his left hand and smashed it to a pulp. The screams died out and nothing was left to prove that such a bubble existed in the first place.

"Now that is what you call paradise" William laughed out loud sinisterly.

While relishing in his own geniusness, he suddenly heard a light chuckle.

It was a chuckle that was like the one who chuckled was just beside his ear. It was creepy and the vibrations of the chuckle sent shivers down his spine.

William instinctively tilted his head to the right and looked towards his left but saw no one there.

'Was that him?' He thought to himself.

Not thinking about it any longer, he looked at the view in front of him again with a big smile. He opened his arms wide and started to talk with an eerie tone,

"Ahh Lyonville... The day of your demise has come."

"I thought this day could not have come sooner. But he has other plans."

"Oh the King of Manipulations, the King of Madness and Despair, thank you for this wondrous opportunity! I your protegè, shall bring forth to this world the blessing of your wrath!" William screamed out loud but at this height, no one can hear him as he was tens of thousands above ground level.

...

2 months later.

April 14, 1920

Detective Marcus West stepped into the precinct, feeling the familiar weight of his badge and gun against his chest. He looked at the place that he has served in for the last 10years.

He had just closed a difficult case, and he was looking forward to some well-deserved rest.

'I think spaghetti and meat balls would be good for tonight. And some champaigne too.' He thought to himself.

But before he could even make it to his desk, his superior, Captain Neil, intercepted him.

"West, congratulations on your last case," Johnson said, extending his hand. "You did a damn fine job with that one!."

"Thank you, sir," West said, trying to hide his exhaustion with a smile but his eyes, filled with eyebags couldn't fool anyone.

"But I'm afraid I've got another one for you," Johnson continued, his tone turning serious.

"Already?" Detective West asked sheepishly.

Captain Neil nodded and said, "There's been a mass murder just down the street, and we need your expertise to help solve it."

'Just down the street? How could we have let this happen?' He held himself back from asking as he knew it would incur the irk of the Captain.

West's heart sank. This wasn't the first time that he encountered such a case and every time he did, he wasn't pleased. But he knew he couldn't refuse as this was the call of duty. He nodded to his captain and followed him to the interrogation room.

Inside, he found a tall black man wearing the same uniform as him, waiting for him, looking agitated. This man was Officer Hernandez. He had a frustrated expression written all over his

face as he looked at Detective West who was approaching him.

"Detective West, thank God you're here," Hernandez said as soon as he saw him. "We've got a suspect, but he's not talking. We need your help to break him."

West looked through the one-way mirror into the interrogation room. There, sitting in front of Hernandez, was a bald man but had facial hair and sideburns. His skin was light brown, his eyes were bloodshot and he had a dishiveled appearance.

This man was called John Greid. A 33 year old male from just dowm the street.

He had been arrested for killing his wife, daughter, son, and three other people with a shotgun. But when the officers had asked him why he had done it, he had only muttered strange phrases that made no sense.

"In the darkness, in the light," John repeated, his voice barely audible. "Lost forever, endless night. Come and hear the Yellow King's call. Embrace the madness, give up your all."

West felt a chill run down his spine. Those words were foreign to him but he felt something odd about it. He just couldn't pinpoint what it was. It felt like something was scratching at the back of his brain and he couldn't stop it.

"Did you find anything that could explain his motive?" West asked Hernandez, hoping to find even the slightest clue.

Hernandez shook his head and with a sigh he said,

"Not a trace, Detective. It's like he was possessed or something. We need your help to get him to talk."

West took a deep breath and entered the interrogation room. He sat down across from John, trying to read his body language. He examined his whole body. John's clothes were still filled with blood and some parts even had small pieces of flesh stuck like glue towards the clothes. John reeked of blood as well as gunpowder. It attacked Detective Marcus's sense of smell very badly.

"John? John, my name is Detective West," he said, in a calm voice. "I'm here to help you. Can you tell me why you killed all those people including your family?"

John looked up, his eyes meeting West's. But there was no recognition in them, no emotion. It was as if he was only an empty shell. Someone who had no soul.

Detective West felt a chill run down his spine as he gulped a bit of saliva. He now knew that something was wrong. Something was different about this case.

"In the darkness, in the light," John repeated, like a broken record. "Lost forever, endless night."

West felt his head hurt and his vision slightly blur as he asked John,

"John, john who is this Yellow King? Why did he call you?"

But John didn't answer nor looked at him. He just stared at the corner of the wall and kept repeating the same words, like a mantra.

West knew he had hit a dead end and that there was nothing more that he could do. He gazed at John one last time as he heard the words,

"Come and hear the Yellow King's call"

"Come and hear the Yellow King's call..."

'Come and hear the Yellow King's call...'

This line reverberated inside his head as he felt his head hurt even more. He stood up while massaging his forehead and signalled Officer Hernandez to let him out.

"Don't let him out of your sight," West said, on his way out from the interrogation room.

"I need to do some research. Maybe I can find something that could help us understand what's going on."

As he walked back to his desk with his hand still on his head, he felt his heart race. He couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to this case than meets the eye and based on what he saw, something was definitely wrong with what was happening. And he was determined to find out what it was.

...

Detective Marcus west got up and went towards the scene of the crime. The house was old and the floors were made of wood. Blood and chunks of flesh were everywhere as the incident only happened about a few hours ago and the house was left unmoved. The strong stench of blood, meat and gunpowder still lingered around the house and assaulted the Detective's nose as he entered the house.

The Detective surveyed the surroundings and started to search every nook and cranny of the house. Hoping to find something that wasn't found by the other detectives. Alas, his efforts didn't bear fruit as after a few hours, he still couldn't find any clues that would point him in the right direction.

He sighed to himself as he wiped off the sweat from his brows. He was about to give up when he noticed something a bit off. The floormat was positioned slightly different or off as if it was put there in a hurry.

He walked towards the mat, bent downwards and then pulled the map upwards. A shiver ran down his spine as he saw strange symbols on the floor inside the circle.

It was a symbol that he had never seen before, but he had a sinking feeling that it was the key to solving the murders. He knelt down and examined it closely, keeping in mind the intricate details of the symbol. It was a simple designed line that was shaped like a spiky starburst. It was written using a sickly yellow paint. Detective West also noticed how it seemed to glow in the dim light of the room.

Detective West stared at the symbol and he grew entranced by it. His vision focused on the symbol. He tried to think of something else but all his mind was filled with was the symbol.

"wha-what is this? What is happening?" Detective Marcus West tried to fight it but soon he completely became entranced by the symbol.

He heard a soft and insidious voice with a high pitched tone whispering beside his ears,

"In the darkness, in the light

Lost forever, endless night

Come and hear the Yellow King's call

Embrace the madness, give up your all"

An ominous ringing sound completely took over his hearing.

Then suddenly, he was awoken by a person calling his name.

"Detective West?? Detective West?? Are you okay?? What happened?" A voice filled with concern echoed around the house.

"Huh?? What happened??" The Detective replied with a hint of confusion as he pressed on his forehead which was throbbing with pain.

"I tried calling you but you weren't answering. Me and the others were starting to get worried as you haven't returned even after the sun has set." The female officer replied. This female officer is called Jane Thorne. She had blonde hair, white skin, brown eyes and was about 5'9 in height.

"What do you mean by the sun has set, I've been in here for just a few hou...." Then as he responded, he suddenly turned quiet as he looked at the moonlight coming from the open window.

Fear started to enroach upon his whole body. His hair started to stand and he felt numb all over. He looked down towards the symbol and noticed that it wasn't glowing like before. However as he looked closer, he noticed something even more disturbing. There was dried blood pooled around the edges of the symbol, as if someone had been bleeding onto it.

West looked at it with fear but he still maintained a cool head. He carefully collected a sample of the blood and gave it towards the female officer.

"I'll tidy up this place. Here, give this to the lab for analysis. It might be able to provide us with an explanation." He said dryly and with a serious tone.

"Alright but are you okay?" Jane replied.

"Why wouldn't I be? Oh and tell Captain Neil to seal this place off for the time being. Don't let anyone come over here except for me." Detective West ordered.

"Why? Is something the matter?" Jane replied while sneaking a look at what was under the mat.

Detective West blocked her vision. Preventing her from seeing what he saw and looked at her with serious eyes.

"Alright alright! I gotcha" Jane replied with a laugh as she raised her hands, seemingly saying that she'll lay off of his back.

Detective West nodded and covered up the symbol.

He knew something was wrong.

'I don't know what happened but when I looked at that symbol I became entranced and what seemed to be hours for them felt like a few seconds to me.' he thought to himself.

'I hate to admit it but I feel like strange forces are at play' he continued.

He still spent another hour combing over every inch of the house, looking for any other signs of a ritual or other evidence that might help him solve the case. But aside from the strange makings on the floor and the mysterious bloodstains, there was nothing that seemed out of the ordinary.

Finally, exhausted and frustrated, West decided to call it a night. As he left the house, he couldn't help but glance back at the mat on the floor. He knew that he was in for a long and difficult investigation, and that he would have to rely on his wits and instincts if he was going to catch the killer.

The night passed and he couldn't get the symbol out of his head. He couldn't sleep because of it as whenever he closed his eyes, he could see that yellow sign appearing in his mind.

The Detective went back to the precint and started to find information about the symbol. He spent hours poring over books and websites, searching for any information he could find on the strange symbol he had seen at the crime scene.

But despite his best efforts, West came up empty-handed. There wasn't anything in the database about the symbol, and everyone that he talked to doesn't seem to know what it was.

He grew increasingly frustrated and tired. Everything seemed to irritate him. Even the sound of the turning of the clock irritated him.

---

As if a demon possessed him and with no qualms whatsoever, Detective West went towards John Greid in one of the cells. There were 6 cells in this prison room. Three on the left side and 3 on the right side. The cell that John was in was the last one at the left side of the prison room. All the cells were filled with one or two prisoners. Ranging from murderers to thieves and lowlives. All of the cells emanated a foul stench. Rust was amongst them. The ground and walls were made up of cement but weren't polished.

He signalled the officer guarding the cell to get out. He also signalled the officer who was in charge of the security cameras to turn that particular camera off.

He looked at John who was sitting in the corner of the room with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"You! Why did you kill your family!?"

" Why did you kill those people?"

"What is that strange symbol underneath your floormat?!"

Detective West grabbed John by his collar and started to beat him senseless after every question that he asked.

"GAHHHHNNNNN!!!" Detective West rained down a bunch of punches and kicks towards John, blood slowly covering his fist. Both from John and from his skin breaking due to the impact.

John didn't have any reaction during the first two questions but after Detective West asked about the third question. John finally showed a reaction. Detective West lifted him up using his now-bloodied collar and pushed it towards his throat.

John who had bruises as well as blood all over his face, looked at him for a second and then smiled widely.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHAHAH" John started to laugh maniacally with difficulty.

Detective West loosened his hold on him.

"You've seen it! Ha!" John said with happiness as he looked at Detective West with familiarity and kinship. He started to jump up and down from excitement like he wasn't beaten black and blue just a moment ago.

"OOooooooh youuuuu've seeen it!!"

"How was it huh???"

"Wasn't it beautiful?"

"Wasn't it amazing?"

"Ohhhh hooo hoooo have you met him?"

John attacked Detective West with a bunch of questions and he asked them with a voice that was filled with delight.

"Who-who... are you talking about?" Detective West felt his back turn cold as an unsettling feeling seeped into his whole body.

"Him! The ruler of chaos and doom! The harbringer of madness and despair! His majesty, the King in Yellow!" John was shaking from the excitement while he uttered these words. A foul stench surrounded the cell as the sound of liquid flowing could be heard.

Detective West looked at John's pants and saw that the man urinated on himself! And the man was still fucking smiling!

Detective West's eyebrows raised because of this but he paid it no heed as he asked, "Who is this King in Yellow?"

John then went silent and after a few seconds, he repeated the chant,

"In the darkness, in the light"

"Lost forever, endless night"

"Come and hear the Yellow King's call"

"Embrace the madness, give up your all" said Detective West.

Detective West covered his mouth as he realized what had happened.

He looked at his hands that were now covered with blood and wounds that he used to beat another human being senseless.

'I.. I wouldn't normally do this. I have never done this! What is happening to me?!' Detective West thought to himself as his hands trembled from the realization.

"Oh the King of Chaos and Destruction has already set his eyes on you. You cannot run any longer... He is waiting for you on the shores of Carcosa!" As if he heard the detective's thoughts, John answered with glee and a hint of playfulness.

" Come Detective! Together we shall tread towards his kingdom! " John said as he forcefully grabbed ahold of the Detective's right wrist.

Detective West was caught off guard as he went out of balance and let himself get pulled by John.

John grabbed ahold of the detective's head and then faced it towards the wall. Detective West struggled with all of his might in hopes of breaking fre but it was useless.

He strangely couldn't overpower this man! Faced with this realization, Detective West's own being was filled with despair.

"COMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOME"

"HE AWAITS US!!"

John bashed his and the detective's head on the wall as he laughed and continued saying the words,

"COMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOME"

"HE AWAITS US!!"

Bump! Bump! The sound of an object hitting the wall reverberated throughout the whole prison. Blood started to trickle down from both of their foreheads. It beautifully colored the walls dark red and augmented the foul odor of metal and rust.

"hahahahaha you deserve it you fucking popo!" The prisoner in front of John's cell said with a hearty laugh.

"COMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOME HE AWAITS US!!"

Another bump echoed about and then it stopped. Blood was now constantly flowing from both of their heads as their skin broke from the constant bashing of their skulls towards the wall. Detective West looked lifeless and dull as any moment now he could lose consciousness and faint. His face covered with his own blood.

John's bloodied head rotated 180 degrees and looked straight at the prisoner who laughed with murderous eyes. His neck literally twisted in a way that should have never been possible!

The prisoner felt cold. Fear surrounded his whole body as all of his hairs stood up.

"COMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOMECOME ACCOMPANY US? HE AWAITS US!!" John said with a big smile that reached his ears. The murderous eyes that he used to glare at the prisoner before, was nowhere to be found as it was replaced by a happy looking stare.

All of the prisoners inside the prison room in different cells started to bash their heads against the wall repeatedly.

Thud! Thud! Dark red colored the walls like the curtains of a play in a theatre.

The noise and vibrations reached the ears of the officers outside the prison room.

After a few seconds, one of the officers decided to check what was happening.

With a sandwich on his right hand, he opened the door towards the prison room with his left hand.

"AHHHHHH!!!!!!" His scream reverberated across the whole precinct as the sandwich that he was holding was unconsciosly released. The officer vomited on the spot. His scream attracted the other officers as they all quickly rushed to stop the people inside the prison room from what they were doing.

Horrified expressions were written on all of the officers' faces as they helped one another to address the situation.

"Hey West is here! Help me! He's fatally injured!" One officer shouted as he unlocked the door towards John's room.

John the culprit of this incident was dancing in the corner of the room, waving his arms about as he chanted repeatedly.

"In the darkness, in the light"

"Lost forever, endless night"

"Come and hear the Yellow King's call"

"Embrace the madness, give up your all"

In between the chants, he hummed and danced to the beat as if everything that happened in the prison room had nothing to do with him. He looked as nonchalant as ever.

"What the fuck are you dancing about?! What did you do to West?!" The officer who opened up the cell screamed at John.

John didn't even spare him a glance. He just continued with what he was doing.

"Bastard! Hey fucking cuff this man for me!" The officer yelled and in a matter of a second, 3 officers went inside. 1 helped the officer who yelled for assistance move Detective West who was now unconscious, outside to get some treatment.

The other 2 cuffed John and then made him taste a few punches and kicks to the gut and face. Their pent up aggression fully imbued in their fists and feet.

....

Detective West lay in his hospital bed, his mind in a foggy haze. He had been found unconscious and bloody in his prison cell, his head slammed against the concrete wall. The doctors said he had suffered multiple concussions on his frontal skull, and it was a miracle he had survived.

As he drifted in and out of consciousness, he experienced a never-ending nightmare.

"What... What is this place?" Detective West said as he looked around him. There was only a vast darkness surrounding him. Nothing was there. Not even the echoes of his voices could be heard.

"Hello??"

Detective West suddenly felt a powerful suction as he felt himself become as thin as spaghetti. An array of colors assaulted his vision as a strange bright yellow covered his whole body.

"SERGEANT! SERGEANT! GET OUT OF THERE!" A hoarse voice of a man screaming could be heard.

A faint ringing sound could be heard as Detective West lifted his eyelids and looked at his hands. It was covered in blood and dirt.

Sounds of guns and explosions rang out as dirt flew across the skies. Men screaming with all their hearts out as well as their moans and the sounds of bodies hitting the floor reverberated across the whole battlefield.

"Fuck Sergeant! Come on! We got fucking ambushed! Darn that fucking scout!" A man with black hair and wearing a military uniform cried out while cursing. A nametag written on his left chest.

"Sanders"

Sanders grabbed Detective West's wrist as he supported him in retreating from the battlefield. Detective West looked at Sanders with confusion.

Sanders supported Detective West and said, "Get your crap together! I need you to go and retreat! I'll pick up the others!"

Detective West was still confused so he didn't respond.

"Lieutenant!" Sanders shouted hurriedly.

"Grenade!" A man shouted.

"Yes alr-" Detective West who had momentarily regained his composure was about to reply when a large explosion happened right in front of his eyes!

Sanders pushed him to the side as he jumped towards the grenade and covered it up so that the explosion would be contained.

"BOOM!" Dirt flew and covered him as he saw Sanders's body flew and become a corpse. Chunks of meat flew towards West and tainted his uniform with blood. It was as if time stopped as he saw Sander's eyes look at him with mixed emotions.

West was dumbfounded as he screamed as loud as he could.

"AHHH!!!! SANDERS!"

Suddenly, Detective West felt the same sensation again as he was warped again and he found himself staring at a figure sitting on a throne of skull and bones.

The figure was wearing tattered yellow robes and a pallid mask. He wore a crown that extended for a few meters.

And then he warped again. This time in a different scenario but the same battlefield. He watched each and every one of his squadmates die in front of him. The way that he watched them die in the past. This would alternate with him seeing the yellow figure and then the scenes of his past. This left Detective West feeling more terrified each time it happens. Sometimes, he would see that figure in the distance when he was in the battlefield.

Days passed, and Detective West remained trapped in this nightmare. He couldn't escape the King in Yellow's grasp, and he felt himself slipping further and further into insanity.

....

A man wearing a three piece suit colored in black with a fedora and a plague doctor mask could be seen sitting on a throne like chair in a long and spacious room. The walls of the room were colored grey and was filled with strange yellowy symbols. The symbols looked new but each of them radiated a strange eldtrich power. Leading to the throne was a red carpet made from the finest and most high quality materials in this planet.

Kneeling in front of the man were hundreds of people clad in formal attire. The man inspected the people in front of him with his dimly blue and yellow eyes.

Voices echoing throughout the long room as they all prayed faithfully in unison.

"Oh, King in Yellow, whose glory is unmatched,

whose terror strikes fear into our hearts,

we bow before you in awe and reverence.

Your horror is a thing of beauty,

a twisted masterpiece of terror and pain.

We revel in your power, and we praise your name.

Oh, King in Yellow, your horrificness is glorious,

a testament to your divine wrath and fury.

May we forever be in your favor,

and may your terrifying majesty reign supreme.

We offer ourselves to you, oh King in Yellow,

as willing subjects to your twisted kingdom.

Take us into your embrace, and show us the true meaning

of glorious, horrific bliss"

A smile that reached the man's ears flashed itself behind the mask.

"Your prayers are music to my master's ears." William said as he held out his right hand. Sickly yellow light glowed from it.

"As the followers of the King of Madness and Despair, accept this gift of mine. Continue to serve our Lord with complete fervor and devotion."

The people kneeling in front of him suddenly yelled out in surprise as one by one they began to glow yellow.

Splat!

Suddenly, the head of one member exploded like a fountain.

"But this power... is not something that you all can have. Pray to him with greater devotion and he shall help you withstand this trial" William said with a chuckle as he placed his hand on his mouth and looked at the surrounding people with disdain.

In an instant the room was once again filled with noise. However this time, along with the sound of prayers were screams and shrieks as well as the sound of something exploding from time to time.

William looked at the scene and laughed with his heart out. People's heads were exploding. Some died in unimaginable ways. But the ones that did survive, glowed a very distinct yellowish aura not visible to the naked eye.

....

"Arrhhggg!!!" Detective West gruntled as he sat awake on his hospital bed. Detective West was placed in a private room with all the best medical equipment that he would need. A lamp was lighting the room, although a bit dimly. The curtains were light blue in color and the ambiance was peaceful.

Jane looked at him with surprise as the food that she was holding fell to the ground.

"West!" She hugged him with teary eyes.

Detective West felt out of place as when they separated, he looked at his hands as if his concept of reality was still overlapping with the memories of his past. He looked at his hands and saw that they were all bloody and full of dirt.

"West, why did you leave me..." He heard a voice mumble beside his left ear. He looked towards his right side and saw Sanders. Still looking at him with the same expression like the one he saw at his final moments. His body was all fucked up and his face was ripped off and bits of his skull could be seen.

"AHHHHH!!!" Detective West screamed, horrified with what he saw. He looked at his feet and saw the pained expressions of his former brothers in arms crawling towards them with their mangled, dirty and bloody flesh.

"West!! What's happening? Doctor! Help! Help! Nurse!" Jane quickly placed her hands on West's shoulders as she looked at him with worry.

West couldn't stop screaming as the voices filled his ears.

All asking the same question.

"Why did you leave me?"

He tried to escape but his body was too weak due to being in a coma. He fell out of the bed and started to crawl towards the door. He crawled and crawled with all the strength that he could muster as he felt the hands of his fallen comrades grip his feet tightly.

Jane watched this scene with the utmost worry. She could see the terror in West's eyes as if he was seeing something that was not there. She tried to help West but West shook her hands off of him.

"Get off me! Leave me! Ahhhhh!!!!" West screamed.

A nurse arrived and quickly took control off the situation. She gave a sedative to West and then West slowly lost consciousness.

After a few hours he woke up again. His expression very tense and he was significantly flinchy. He looked around and saw no one but Jane. He sighed in relief as he knew that he was only hallucinating back then.

Days passed and Detective West was discharged from the hospital. In those few days, nothing unusual happened other than the fact that every time he slept, he was haunted by the same figure he saw when he was in a coma again and again and again.

Captain Neil told him that he should stay at home for a week and rest before working.

West was dropped off at his house as he felt a bit better. He looked at the familiar sight and he couldn't help but smile.

'Ah, I'm finally home...' He thought to himself as he walked towards his house.

"West..." A man's voice could be heard mumble beside his ear as if someone was right beside him.

He looked at his right side but saw no one there. Shivers went down his spine as he forcefully tried to ignore it.

But it only got worse.

Every few minutes Detective West would hear voiced calling out to him and asking him the same questions. Sometimes he would hear the sound of gunshots and explosions.

And just like in the dream, he would see that figure wearing a sickly yellow robe looking at him through its paliid mask. But this time, it was in real life. Not in his dreams anymore.

As time passed, Detective West's mental state continued to deteriorate.

He started to hallucinate more and more. Seeing things that wasn't there. Feeling someone calling and touching him without anybody doing it.

"Fuck! I can't take it anymore!" West said out loud. He started to search and look around for this King in Yellow. The figure that he sees every day.

"West! What's the matter with you? You've been back for a week and yet you haven't done jackshit! Am I employing you for nothing? I know you've had an accident but we still need you to get your shit together! It's already been 2 weeks since you made your recovery!" Captain Neil scolded him in his office.

"Well, I guess it sucks to be you! Fucking whiner! I quit. I can't take this shit anymore!" West replied with a hiss and irritation.

"You fucking ungrateful bastard! You weren't like this before! What the fuck is wrong with you? Leave your gun and badge here!" Captain Neil said. Seething with anger but a hint of worry could be seen in his eyes as the west he knew was a rational and polite man. He was smart and dedicated to his job.

Finally, Marcus West was fired from the task force but the nightmare didn't pity him because of it.

He became obsessed with the King in Yellow, convinced that the entity was real and had somehow been involved in the mass murder case. He was convinced that this entity was the cause of all this.

.

And so, the nightmare within Marcus West continued, a never-ending cycle of terror and despair.

...

February 23, 1920

A man wearing a plague doctor mask and a doctor's garb could be seen as he was treating other people. This was George Proft. The beggar from before but because of William, he had turned his life around and reverted back into his previous state of being a doctor. Normally, his name would be streched wide because of the blunder that he had done. However, when he entered the hospital that he was working in right now. It felt like nothing happened. The people around him didn't know him as the man who had made a mistake but a man who was a renowned doctor.

Seeing this, he couldn't help but exclaim out loud with a laugh,

"Oh your highness! You are truly amazing!"

He was laughing to himself inside a room in the hospital when he heard someone, "Dr. Proft, we need your assistance on a patient."

"Ahem.. alright I'll be right there" He replied with a bright smile.

Dr. Proft followed him into a room where a woman could be seen laying on a bed. This woman had a pale expression and the effects of whatever sickness she had, could easily be recognized even without a doctor's knowledge. The woman was looking at the window with a distant gaze.

"She is Mrs. Johnson. One of the patrons of our hospital. The chief asked me to tell you to treat her since we know of your capabilities. We'd feel more assured of her recovery with her in your hands." Dr. Valentin said.

"Hmmm.. alright." Dr. Proft replied confidently.

Dr. Valentin handed him the documents about the patient and then left.

Dr. Proft went to Mrs. Johnson and inspected her body. A foul stench assaulted his nose as he saw that there was a blue bucket beside the patient filled with a black substance.

"Mrs. Johnson, Hi. I'm Dr. George Proft. I am the Doctor assigned to treat you." Dr. Proft said with a charming smile.

Mrs. Johnson turned her head and looked at him.

"Thank you doctor. I am Melissa Johnson."

"56, female. Diagnosed with the Phantom Pathogen. Symptoms started to appear on February 16, 2023."

"Yes that's right doctor. I started to cough very badly and my throat felt sore. After a day or two, I felt really dizzy and started to violently vomit. When I started to vomit bits and bits of black liquid, I knew that I was infected with the famous disease haunting our land. I tried to quarantine myself for a few more days, but I realized that I could really die from this disease so I quickly went here. Hoping to get better even if there is no known cure yet." Mrs. Johnson said with a bit of sadness in her eyes.

"I know Mrs. Johnson. I'm truly sorry for our incapability to find a cure for this disease." Dr. Proft said with a sad expression.

"I can't blame you doctor. I have looked up and seen all of the knowledge about this disease. The scientists says that this disease is not something that can be cured with our current medical technology..." Mrs. Johnson said as she broke out into tears.

"Don't worry Mrs. Johnson. I will still try my best to cure you and if not possible, at least alleviate the pain." Dr. Proft said in a serious tone.

"Thank you dear.. thank you!" Mrs. Johnson replied.

After a while of talking, Mrs. Johnson finally started to exhibit the symptoms right before his eyes.

"BLEURGHH" Mrs. Johnson vomitted black liquid on the bucket beside her. The stench was foul and horrid. It reeked of the fluids inside a human's stomach.

After vomitting, Dr. Proft wiped her face with a clean towel that was brought earlier by a nurse. He cleaned her up and then told her,

"Okay Mrs. Johnson. I advise that you do not move and just sleep. I will get some medicine that can help reduce the pain when vomitting. But my powers are only limited to what I am prepared for. Pray to him, the one who was here from before the beginning of time." Dr. Proft said with a smile.

"I...i didn't know you were a religious person doctor... And who is this god you speak off...?" Mrs. Johnson asked weakly.

"I will tell you next time Mrs. Johnson. Now, rest well and I will leave now to go and fetch your medicine." He said with a charming tone.

"Alright thank you doctor for your assistance."

Dr. Proft left and fetched some medicine. He went back and fed her some and then went on his day to check up on other patients in need of his assistance.

The moon finally rose as it shone brightly amidst the black sky. Moonlight covered the whole Lyonville city. However, an eerie atmosphere could be felt as if something evil was unveiling its presence to the world.

A figure could be seen in the corner of a woman's room silently praying with his head turned to the wall,

"Oh, King in Yellow, whose glory is unmatched,

whose terror strikes fear into our hearts,

we bow before you in awe and reverence.

Your horror is a thing of beauty,

a twisted masterpiece of terror and pain.

We revel in your power, and we praise your name.

Oh, King in Yellow, your horrificness is glorious,

a testament to your divine wrath and fury.

May we forever be in your favor,

and may your terrifying majesty reign supreme.

We offer ourselves to you, oh King in Yellow,

as willing subjects to your twisted kingdom.

Take us into your embrace, and show us the true meaning

of glorious, horrific bliss"

He repeated this again and again and again. He grabbed the knife in his pocket and then crawled under Mrs. Johnson's bed. His face warped and twisted. He slit his wrist and poured blood all over the floor. He drew the same symbol that he saw first in the paper given to him by William.

Days passed and things repeated like this. Mrs. Johnson's condition however, seemed to get better as she didn't exhibit the next symptoms of the disease. She didn't grew black blisters and red eyes. On the contrary, the vomitting lessened and her pale face slowly but surely, started to gain more color. While every night Dr. Proft would creep inside Mrs. Johnson's room and pour blood on every nook and cranny of her room. Drawing the same strange symbol with his blood.

"How are you feeling Mrs. Johnson?" Dr. Proft asked.

"I feel great!" Mrs. Johnson replied with a smile.

"Doctor, how did you do it?" Mrs. Johnson asked.

"I do not deserve such praise My Lady. It was him. You prayed to him remember? He answered your prayers. I am merely someone who he sent to help you recover." Dr. Proft said with a bright smile.

"It's strange now that you mention it. Every time i sleep, i dream of the things I did when I was a kid. It felt refreshing to be honest. Given how old I am, It felt good to experience once again the feeling of being a child." She replied with a laugh.

"But, every time I dream, I always see this figure wearing tattered yellow robes, a crown and a pallid mask. It felt really strange like I knew him..." She continued.

"Oh you have seen him? I envy you. I haven't seen him even in my dreams." Dr. Proft replied with a bit of surprise in his voice.

"What do you mean?" Mrs. Johnson asked interestedly.

"The figure that you saw. It is him. The Yellow King. The one who is everywhere. The one who rules the kingdom of Carcosa." Dr. Proft replied. Awe and worship could clearly be felt in his voice.

Mrs. Johnson remembered that figure and said, "tell me more".

They spent hours talking until it was finally time for Dr. Proft to visit other patients.

"But I thought gods didn't exist?" Mrs. Johnson asked right before Dr. Proft was about to leave.

"I didn't know you were an atheist Mrs. Johnson?" He asked.

"Yes I only believe in science and in the power of my fellow humans like you." She said.

"But they are very much real my lady. Your recovery is proof of that. Don't forget to pray to him okay? He will see to it that you recover." He said with a laugh.

"Alright doctor. Thank you!" She said while also laughing.

Mrs. Johnson started to feel sleepy and so she slept.

She still dreamed of the time that she was a child and that made her very happy unconsciously. The figure that she saw regularly wasn't there however, she noticed a strange symbol that could be seen at random places. It looked like a spiky starburst painted in yellow. It was glowing but fairly unnoticeable.

She woke up and recalled the dream. She remembered that this was the sign that the doctor had told him about.

The Yellow Sign.

His symbol.

The symbol of the Yellow King.

She felt shivers down her spine like she realized something and then she prayed,

"My Lord, the King in Yellow, he who sees and hears everything. He who is present from before the beginning of time. I thank thee for helping me recover and shall also thank thee in advance for helping me recover even further!"

She prayed and prayed with awe and worship. Before it was half-hearted, but now that she thought about it, the more she knew that this god was helping her and deserved her worship and admiration.

Finally, after a few more days, she made a full recover albeit she still coughed from time to time.

The other doctors were amazed at how in the world did Dr. Proft cure her. He only said that he did what he was informed of what to do. He said he really didn't know the reason but he would still help more and more people with the same method that he used to help Mrs. Johnson recover.

"Maybe she's just lucky. I only did what I was told and maybe more effort on taking care of her. After all, she is our patron and one of the biggest donors of our hospital. I'm just glad that she recovered. There are some cases of people recovering without any vaccines and such." Dr. Proft told the chief of the hospital as well as all the other doctors that asked him.

Although they were a bit suspicious and wanted to acquire information about how he did it even further, they really couldn't pin him about this as he also promised to cooperate in the future.

Through these methods, Doctor Proft continued to accumulate new followers, all the while maintaining his position as a respected physician in the community. His ultimate goal was to create a new society under the guidance of the King in Yellow, and he knew that he needed as many followers as possible to achieve it.