The Holder Series 301-350

301. The Holder of Help

In any city, in any country, go to any school or educational facility you can get yourself to. Be sure you bring a watch or other timekeeping device with you. Go to the northernmost entrance and wait until 10:49 PM to open the door. If you open the door at the wrong time, whatever manner of security that is employed will catch you and dismiss you from the grounds. Two days later you will be charged for the murder of a small girl and executed without a trial. When the correct time comes, open the door; it won’t be locked. Do so casually; you don’t want to appear threatening. There will be a girl waiting for you in the middle of whatever room you entered. She looks like a normal school-age girl. This illusion is not meant to harm you, but she can still easily outmatch you if you attempt to harm her.

The girl will run to you and embrace you as if you were family. She will cry about how she has left her homework in her classroom, and she will be punished severely if she doesn’t finish. Agree to help the girl find and finish her work, and she will begin leading you to the classroom. Regardless of the layout of the building, you will be walking down an impossibly long hallway. You will hear the soft scratching of pens and pencils. If at any point this sound stops, whisper softly, as if you were talking to the student next to you during a test, “I do not have the answer you seek.” Say anything else, or nothing at all, and you will be used to make new pencils for the studious demons, feeling the pain of constant use and sharpening for all eternity. If you truly do not know, they will ignore you and continue taking their test; after all, time is a factor. You will eventually reach the classroom. Consulting the clock will tell you it is 6 A.M.

The girl will take her seat in the back of the classroom and retrieve her homework. You have two hours to complete the one-question assignment, as class starts at 8 A.M. sharp. This is not as simple as it seems, for the question is immensely difficult and different for every Seeker. Whatever outcome, you must be present for class at 8. May Hell pity you if you are absent.

The teacher will enter the classroom and begin to lecture. He will mostly talk about how help has harmed the world. He will tell you about the weak who pulled the strong down with them. He will talk about those who took advantage of people willing to help. He will tell you about those who did harm while meaning only to help, particularly in the case of the Objects. When he finishes, you will notice an unnatural darkness forming outside, clearly visible through the window. It will disturb the children and cause them to seek comfort in the teacher. He will simply ignore them, for he is not the Holder of Help. He will simply tell the children that it’s time to hand in their homework.

The children will be called to the teacher’s desk one by one. The teacher will find every answer displeasing, and he will send them outside into the unrelenting darkness. Though their screams of pain will draw your attention, to look at them is to join them. Eventually, the only people remaining in the room will be yourself, the teacher, and the girl you accompanied. The teacher will finally call the girl up to his desk, go with her. If your answer is wrong, or incomplete, the teacher will in an instant force you to fully comprehend every question you have ever gotten wrong. Your brain will likely destroy itself because of this information. If you are unlucky enough to retain your mind, you will be fully aware of the horrors outside the classroom.

If your answer is correct, the teacher will become frustrated at you. Because of your aid, his own safety is in question. The girl will demand that her teacher give her the other answer, the answer that can save her classmates. The teacher will refuse – now is not the time to reveal his secrets. The girl will collapse in the corner and give into tears. At that point you will realize she was the Holder of Help all along. Go to her, console her, and ask her if there is anything you can do. Silently, she will hand you the piece of homework you helped her with, saving her from the horrible fate of the other children. Take it, as it would be rude to refuse her help. The scene will swiftly and silently fade from your vision.

You will awaken at the police station nearest to your home. A nearby poster will inform you that a class of students from the elementary school you attended has gone missing. You will be holding the piece of homework, but you will not remember what was written. No harm will come from looking at it, but it is written in the Language.

This piece of homework is Object 301 of 538.

302. The Holder of Abnegation

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution of halfway house you can get yourself to. This should not be your first Object; the trial is unpleasant and without reward. Tell the attendant ‘I seek the Holder of Abnegation.’ The attendant will examine you keenly, a wry smirk distorting his mouth. He will lead you up the stairs to an ill-lit ward. You will hear the repetitive dull speech of the inmates; the hall lights will flicker and you will smell sour sweat. The attendant will place you in a cell with a plank bed and steel toilet. Here you will languish. You must suffer silently and deeply. Days will pass and useless moments will weigh upon you. Your muscles will atrophy; your mind will circle ceaselessly like a caged tiger. No one will visit. No one will bring you meals, but not even hunger will interrupt the drag of changeless time. The light on the ceiling stays on and even. Shadows are still. Your cell is silent.

You will endure this for an immeasurable stretch of time. If you rage and scream for the attendant he will come with red teeth and a dull blade, shuffling in his boiler-coat with a gait quite unfamiliar to humans. You do not want this to happen. Endure silently. You must sincerely neglect any hope of release. Some long time after you have resigned yourself to a hideous eternity you will begin to experience a strange joy. Behind your eyes a light will open. Warmth and bliss will spill into your mind, and you will realize that the cell’s existence was fragile and thin. You will step out of it as you once would have stepped out of the shower. You will see sunlight again, and the fact that you can run and laugh and talk will thrill you.

You will be in a foreign city. The architecture is strange but pleasing; the people favor cozy, dark dwellings with heavy red tile roofs. Ceiling fans are everywhere inside, and the people of the city spend hours in amiable silence at cafes and bars. They are olive-skinned and delicately beautiful. When you are tired you will sometimes, out of the corner of your eye, see something unusual about their jaws, a distension that suggests the insectile. But you will rarely be tired; you will work there at a cafe, brewing fragrant coffee. There you will meet a lover; she has two children from a previous marriage, and she lives in an apartment filled with shells that she has collected. The children show a peculiar mix of solemnity and humor; after a few weeks you no longer worry about whether you will bond with them.

Days will blend together. The owner of the cafe sends you with his son in a truck to buy coffee beans. You spend the night in another city, near the port. The son gets drunk and the next morning you see he has a black eye. It takes all day to get the coffee; at the port the customs agent drawls and waves your papers around until the owner’s son gives him a bribe. By the time you get back to the apartment it is after midnight. The kitchen light is on and the front door stands open. Standing at your kitchen table is the Epopt; his robe is heavy wool and long ago he cut away his own lips. He will hold his hand palm up and indicate the room in which your lover and her children sleep. The Epopt will pose a question to you: ‘What must you renounce to stop them?’ You may answer ‘everything’ or ‘nothing.’ If you tell him ‘nothing’ he will depart, and you will never learn his mysteries. You will live your life in the foreign city; when you die you will understand the consequences of your choice.

If you tell him ‘everything’ the Epopt will pursue his purpose with your lover’s sleeping children and then with her. You will stand mutely in the kitchen, but the Epopt’s skill is such that you will hear precisely what is happening. He will return encarmine to sit at the table with you. The test has not finished. Freely, and without rage or sorrow, you must open yourself to him. He will take something else from you. It could be something as inconsequential as an old photograph, or it could be your sight, or your health. He will then indicate the door into the living room. Shells stand atop the lintel and you remember your lover replacing one that had fallen but not broken. Past the door is your old cell from the asylum, the plank bed exactly as you left it.

You must return to the cell with a joyful heart. The Epopt will decide how long you must stay there. You will remember a trip to the aquarium with your lover and her children. After a while you will sleep, though the cell is innocent of night, and you will awake in a brick-strewn lot near the insane asylum. The foreign city is gone; you are home.

Your memories of happiness are Object 302 of 538.

303. The Holder of Cthonic

If you are reading my instructions, then I have failed, but with you hope still remains. Follow my instructions and learn from my mistakes.

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution, take a spare set of dull, boring clothes, a hat and a gag of some sorts, they will come in handy. Sneak past the guards and attendants and look for the brightest lit cell, there you will see a crouched, naked man happily scratching a fleshy picture of a descending stair case into his scalp, tell him, in a comforting, motherly voice “I am the one who seeks The Holder of the Chthonic;” but be careful how you pronounce the words, any deviation in your voice will send him into a blind rage, which no barrier can withstand.

If you have spoken correctly, the man will look you in the eye and slowly peel back his scalp, revealing an intricate map engraved into his skull. Without drawing attention to yourself try to force open the cell door: if you can get in, comfort the man, cradle him in your arms, soothe him; you must remove this piece of skull, but keep him alive, only he knows the direct route to what you seek. The only way is to gently crack his skull on the floor while gagging him to muffle the screams. Be careful, but quick; the knocking will attract attention and a situation like this would be very difficult to explain.

If you have successfully removed the segment of skull, you must now dress him with the clothes you brought; for your sake I hope the clothes fit. Keep him gagged, nobody is going to want to here the garbled sounds of a man bleeding to death. Show the man the map, he will take you down to the basement, there he will pull a letter out of his mouth, as he hands the letter to you he will attack you; finish him any way you can. If you have killed him, find the stairs, and descend, hoards of demonic abominations will try and grab you, run, run, do not stop yourself from falling.

You will gain consciousness in a brightly lit cell, you will be naked, something in your mouth will make you choke, spit it out, and you will discover it is a letter, on which is written.

“You are the Seeker of the Chthonic,
To reveal what you are looking for, carve the stairs to the Chthonic on your head,
He will come,
Show him the map,
Keep all others away,
Do not resist his beating, however painful,
Lead him to the stairs,
Only then should you reveal this letter to him,
Take his life, you will receive what you seek.”

This letter is object 303 of 538.

304. The Holder of Immanence

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house in you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself “The Holder of the Imminence”. The attendant would give you a puzzled look. If she doesn’t and calls for security, then pray that your death would not involve long years of torture before meeting your untimely end. Knock on the wooden table twice and close your eyes. You will feel as though ten people are holding and carrying your body around the institution.

Open your eyes after exactly 10 seconds after they let you down because the sight of the creature who held you will forever be etched in your mind and drive you into insanity. After opening your eyes, you will see that your clothes are bloodied and you are in a small square cell whose only source of light, a light bulb, flickers above you dripping with blood.

The walls of the room are decorated by the corpses of humans whom you can’t even distinguish whether they’re men or women since they are horribly disfigured. Protruding from the dead bodies are their inhumanely bent bones which pass through their heads and chests showing the disemboweled hearts and brains of these poor people.

Across the room, if you still bear your humanity with you, you will see a man attached to the wall by the means of bones nailed through his body. He will not answer to anything you say except, “Is this the right path?” You must ask him this during the time the light bulb flickers into darkness for that one measly second determines your fate. If not successful, and you asked him that during the flicker of light, he will be unbound and your fate for eternity is the pain of bones protruding your body in ways unimaginable and you’ll be added to His collection.

However, if you were successful, the holder will speak in the voice of someone whom you have always loved. That voice will tell you the paths of all the Seekers before you and if you aren’t driven insane by their stories and their gruesome ends, the entity before you will be consumed by the now animated bodies of the corpses encasing the room. You will see him devoured by the very bloodied bodies He had tortured for eons. After the feast, the bodies will look at you and will disintegrate into dust. In place of the Holder’s body, you will find a looking glass.

That looking glass is object 304 of 538. It shows the path of the worthy.

305. The Holder of Dilapidation

In every city, in every country, there is at least one building that has been abandoned for as long as anyone there can remember. They’ll give several reasons why it’s been that way for so long – the owner refuses to lease it out, it’s in a bad part of town, something nasty happened in its past that dissuades people from occupying it – but no matter what the tale is, nobody will ever remember a time when the building was in use.

Before beginning your trials with this Holder, make sure to acquire a key that is damaged beyond use. Once you’ve obtained such a key, go to the back door of one of these buildings, grip the knob firmly, and say in a determined voice, “I seek the Holder of Dilapidation.” Then attempt to turn the knob. If the knob refuses to turn, leave the building at once; this portal to the Abandoned Realm is no longer usable. No ill fate shall befall you as long as you wait at least one week before trying again and you never attempt to use the same building.

If the knob turns, push the door open and enter. The building will likely be dark as pitch on the inside, so use whatever means you can to find a secluded spot where you wouldn’t be noticed if the building were occupied. Then fall asleep.

When you wake, you should notice that, no matter the state of the building when you first entered, it now appears in pristine condition and seems to be fully occupied. Now make your way out of the building, taking care not to be seen by any of the building’s occupants; you’ll have a lot of explaining to do as to how you suddenly appeared in the building, and they’re not likely to buy any story you give them.

When you step back out onto the streets, you should find yourself in the same city you started in, only noticeably emptier. For the most part, this doppelganger city consists only of the buildings that are currently vacant in your world, fully occupied and doing steady business. However, a perceptive Seeker will learn that the rule goes both ways; though harder to locate, you should eventually find an abandoned building in this city that in your world is occupied. Just make sure not to be spotted by anyone during your search; they’re highly perceptive to people who don’t belong in their world, and they’ll likely call the police on you. The police force in this town is far more ruthless and brutal than what you’re accustomed to, to say the least.

When you find this building, take out the key you should have brought with you. If for whatever reason you didn’t bring the key, I’m afraid you’re stuck in this city for the rest of your life. You’d best start learning how to live a life of total secrecy, as you won’t be interacting with anyone ever again.

If you brought the key, you should notice that, no matter how broken and useless the key was when you started, it should now be good as new. Insert it in the keyhole and use it to unlock the front door. Enter the building and make your way to the top floor. This will invariably prove difficult, since this building has been left to rot for centuries. The elevators, if there even are any, obviously won’t work, and the stairs are treacherous, ready to claim the life of the hasty Seeker who doesn’t watch their step. If you can make it to the top floor, search the rooms until you find one with a hunched, haggard figure huddled in the far corner. Do not try to approach this being, and make no sound other than to ask, “What have they left behind?”

Without turning to face you, the figure will begin to speak of everything that has ever been tossed aside after it has outlived its usefulness. It will speak not just of buildings and inanimate items cast aside by those who found no usefulness in them, but also of people disowned by loved ones, social outcasts rejected by society, and eventually of those that Seekers just like you have carelessly thrown to the winds in their insatiable lust to unite Them. You must show no emotion throughout any of this; should you show even the slightest hint of pity, sorrow, or anger, the floor beneath you will give way and you will plummet to your death. Should you remain stoic until it finally stops speaking, the Holder will gesture for you to leave. Do so; it has nothing for you, and to hang around any longer than necessary is to invite your demise upon you. Make your way back to ground level and leave the building. When you step outside, you should find yourself back in your world, the building you just left exactly as it should be. If you check the nearest trash can, you should find a small black box on top of all the refuse within. Take it quickly and leave; you don’t want people questioning why you’re digging so adamantly through garbage.

The broken picture frame you’ll find in the box is Object 305 of 538.

306. The Holder of the Angel

In any city, in any country, go to any cemetery and find an angel statue – any will do – and say “Show me the prisoner.” If nothing happens, count yourself lucky, you may have failed the test but your body and soul are unharmed. However, if you are considered worthy, the statue’s mouth will open and emit a piercing cry. A hole will appear in the ground underneath you, and you will plunge into the abyss.

Keep calm and don’t scream. As long as you keep silent you will land safely and softly; if you scream your corpse will be food for the creatures below. Once you are on the ground, freeze! The eyes of hungry beasts fall upon you, these creatures will be creeping ever closer. Wait until they are almost upon you and scream “The Shepherd guards always the gentle lamb!”. If you time your words incorrectly, they will devour your body and corrupt your soul, leaving you as one of them, however should you say the words at the right time the creatures will emit an ear splitting scream and vanish, a light, its source unknown, displaying a path for you.

Keep on the path and never stray. For hours you will walk, though it will feel like days, and at the end of the path you will see a door guarded by a being that defies true description. Its body will be composed of the most fearsome parts of the natural world, claws to pierce your skin, tentacles to strangle you, horns to gore you… and its head will be that of your greatest fear. Do not hesitate – continue on, should you flinch for even a moment the creature will lunge and devour you slowly, excruciatingly painful, starting with your legs. If you possess the strength of will not to flinch or bolt, you will pass through the demon as if it were mist.

Enter and you will find yourself in a dungeon, every surface coated with a thin, slick layer of blood. Do not slip, it will be the last fall you ever take. Facing you will be a man nailed to the wall, body covered in gashes and tears. His stomach will be cut, his organs lying in a limp heap on the floor. It will take a few moments to notice the ragged stubs that must have been great white wings. He will not respond and by all accounts appear dead until you say “Can you protect our souls from Him?”

The once-corpse will stare into your eyes and you will see all the evil that has been wrought because of his entrapment, the acts will be so vivid and horrifying that you may go mad, but if you keep your sanity a great white light will envelope you, and you will wake on the footsteps of the nearest church. From then on you will feel a reassuring presence whenever in danger, one that will provide great comfort in the times to come.

Your soul is now Object 306 of 538.

307. The Holder of Winter

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house in you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself “The Holder of Winter”. Should the receptionist begin to cry, you’re at the right place. The reception will call security, and you will be escorted out of the building, exiting into a cold street in the middle of fall after a snowstorm. Begin walking down the street. The houses are all dark and the twilight is forever. It is good to hear the cicadas and birds chirping, for if they stop you must run. Any direction will do, as long as it’s down the street. If the chirping continues again, stop. Do not venture off the road as the things in the woods hate company.

If you see a single black crow on the electric wires in the distance you must cease movement. If a white crow is in its place you must carefully walk turnaround, and quickly walk to the exit; if you run it will hear you, and the pain of it feasting on your soul will never grow dull. Everything will become silent and they will know you have seen it, so do not bother with anything as useless as running. The crow will begin flying at a horrendously slow pace toward you. Once you spot its green eyes you will be unable to avert your gaze from it, for if you do time will accelerate to mid winter and you will be unable to move, left to freeze to death slowly in the snow.

Once the crow lands it will begin acting as if you aren’t there and begin pecking at the ground. If its head turns, maintain your gaze at its head where the eyes should be. You must ask it one question and one question only: “What will we gain by bringing winter?”

The crow will continue pecking at the ground as you continue to stare at it. If the crow should fly away at this point, consider yourself lucky, as it has deemed you too unworthy to kill, letting you escape, but you must never seek this Object again, for fear of death. Should it suddenly turn and begin staring directly into your eyes, almost as if it is staring into your very soul then time will cease to be measurable and the early winter’s cold will chill you to the bone, but you must not avert your gaze. The crow will caw once and begin to fly away but you must not lose sight of it; you must give chase. You will come upon a forest and the crow will fly through the trees. You must stare at where it disappeared and enter the thicket yourself. Fail to locate the crow and not even suicide will save you from the creatures who call these woods home.

You will come to a clearing and you will find the crow long dead and rotting, the only thing left is one of its lucid green eyes. You will be filled with an overwhelming urge to gouge out one of your own eyes and replace it with the crow’s, resist it and eventually you will pass out. When you awaken you will be in a park closest to your home, covered in a fresh sheet of snow. The lucid green eye of the crow will be in your left hand. If you should ever stare directly into the eye’s pupil however, you will die. The forest’s creatures get hungry when no Seekers come.

That eye is Object 307 of 538. Anyone who gazes into this eye will be eaten by the creatures.

308. The Holder of Depression

In any city, in any country, go to any rehabilitation compound you can get yourself to. Walk up to the front desk. If the person behind the desk has long, black hair, you are in the right place. If the person has any other hair color, you’ve come to the wrong place. Run away without saying a word, lest you attract their attention.

If you are in the right place, walk up to the front desk. In the saddest voice you can, ask to see the woman who calls herself the “Holder of Depression.” The person behind the desk will smirk, and ignore you.

Do not be impatient. Wait a few minutes, and calmly ask again. If the worker pulls out a small journal, try to look at what they are writing. Inside will be a six-digit number. Memorize this number quickly, if you value your life.

After they finish writing, quickly and silently make your way to the front of the desk. The worker will stand and motion you to follow them. They will lead you around behind the desk, into a door that wasn’t there before.

As you enter the hallway, you will be blasted by the sound of unintelligible heavy metal music and scenes of extreme sadness and angst. If you attempt to decipher the music, your eardrums will explode and permanently deafen you. Do not gaze upon the images decorating the hallway; to do so would fill you with an inhuman sadness, causing the suicidal deaths of many unsuccessful past Seekers.

Should the music change to any other genre, immediately cover your ears and shout “Depression leads to nowhere!” Should the music resume, you are safe. Should it remain understandable, do not turn around. It’d be best not to see what is about to take your life, unless you’d prefer to go mad before you die.

Eventually, after seemingly hours of walking, your guide will lead you to a large, black door, decorated with ten macabre drawings. Your guide will exit by an unseen door, leaving you alone. The drawings will be in a line, labeled one through ten. Now, remove the drawings not labeled as the number the worker was writing in their notebook. Rearrange the drawings until they match the number. Any other combination, and the drawings will burn, leaving you trapped in this hall of sadness until you die.

If done correctly, the door will unlock. Knock twice; any more will upset the Holder more than she already is. If you hear a woman’s voice asking what the hell you want, it is safe to enter. If it is a man’s, it’d be best to just close your eyes and accept your fate.

If the woman’s voice demanded what you wanted, reply with only one sentence: “What will happen to the innocent?”

The door will open. Before entering, do your best to cover your left eye with your hair, or spike it if it is too short. Failure to do so will anger the Holder.

As you enter the room, you will see a typical teenage girl’s room, albeit darker than normal. If you pay attention to detail, you will notice the decoration is not what it seems. Furniture is carved from bone and skulls, lampshades and wallpaper formed from thin layers of human flesh.

As you enter the room, you will notice a small razor on the table next to you. Pick it up. Walk towards the bed and sit, without making a sound.

After a few minutes, a teenage girl, about 14 or 15, will emerge from the closet. She will be dressed in a black robe, covered in spikes and chains. The girl will stare angrily at you, and demand to know what you want with her. Repeat your question from earlier: “What will happen to the innocent?”

The girl will sneer, claiming she doesn’t care what happens to the world. Use the razor you picked up to slice your forearm. Allow your blood to flow onto the floor.

Doing so should cause a change of scenery. You will appear to be in the pits of a hellish place, surrounded by more teenagers dressed similarly to the Holder. In unison, they will recite every betrayal, every breakup, and every sorrowful moment ever to occur in history, and every that will occur. Many seekers go mad from sadness at this point, slicing their jugulars with the razor.

If you manage to get through the recital, the Holder will turn to you. She will tear a chain off of her robe and throw it at you, then demand you leave. Upon exiting the door, you will find yourself in your bedroom, along with the razor and chain.

Check your pocket. A small piece of paper will be inside. “The innocent will suffer, and their blood will flow through the streets” will be scrawled onto it in permanent marker.

The razor and chain, when welded together, are Object 308 of 538.

309. The Holder of Courage

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls themself “The Holder of Courage”. The worker will respond by saying that there is no one by that name in this facility. Remain looking into their eyes; do not look away for anything. Next, demand that they take you to the one who calls themself “The Holder of Courage”. The worker will then rise from their seat and repeat themself in a harsher tone. Do not back down, repeat that you wish to visit the Holder of Courage. The worker will now get closer and in your face, now shouting that there is no one by that name. Do not flinch, stand your ground. Firmly repeat that you wish to meet with the Holder of Courage. They will stare at you for what seems like 10 minutes, do not break your hold on their eyes. They will then ask you to follow them, and they will turn their back on you.

Stay two feet behind the person at all times. Do not let your eyes wander, keep them firmly on the back of the worker’s head. If it was daylight when you entered, you will now see that it is dark. The building is now made of wood, and the doors have bars on them. Modern electricity has disappeared, and the hallway is lit by candlelight. You will reach a door, and the worker will stop and turn to you. Do not bump into him; stop in your tracks, with your eyes still positioned with their eyes. They will then ask you if you are sure you want to meet the one called the Holder of Courage. Respond positively, and the worker’s face will then melt; do not show any fear. Respond negatively, and nothing will seem to happen. You may turn and run away from the worker; just know that you are forever stuck in this dark, wooden prison for all eternity.

The door will burst into flame and burn to ashes, when you see a chance, walk through the doorway. Do not wait too long for the door to burn, however, or you will slowly start to burn with it. Do not show any fear, and if you are burned by the embers, do not show pain. Inside, you will find a young girl, obviously a burn victim, waiting for you, a heart-shaped locket around her neck. Her eyes are white voids, and it is uneasy to look at her, but continue to watch her eyes. She will start to cry, and as her tears drop, the room will start to blaze, the flames licking away at you and her. You will feel the heat, but do not worry, for it is not affecting you. As the flames touch the girl’s body, her burns and scars seem to disappear. Her hair will grow back, as the flames get hotter and hotter. You are now free to show emotion. She will ask you, “Are you scared?”

Approach her, take the locket from her neck, and tell her the truth.

You’ll find yourself back in front of the worker from before, who will then tell you that no one of that name is in this facility. Thank them and exit the building. In your hand, you should be holding the heart-shaped locket.

Inside the locket is Object 309 of 538.

310. The Holder of Terror

In any city, in any country go to any insane asylum and walk past the front desk; when the man asks you where you are going, or what you think you are doing tell him you are seeking the Holder of Terror. The color should wash from his face as he says in the most serious of tones, ‘Follow Me, You are going the Wrong Way.’

He will guide you down an ill kept hall. He will tell you to stay away from the walls because other Seekers have failed, and taken residence here. He will open the door and tell you to enter; as you do he will shut and lock the door. An unrelenting terror will fall on you as you can only imagine what will happen next. Many die by their own hands in this black room, some die of their own fright. You must remain calm.

You will feel your fears become reality before your very eyes. In a calm, clear voice yell out into your vision, “I’m not afraid of you!” If the room continues to show the nightmare you have failed, and you are destined to join the ranks of the ill kept hall. If you have succeeded the room will return to black except a hallway that wasn’t there before. Proceed down that hallway

When you come to an end a horrific woman will reveal herself. The woman will have chunks of skin missing; she will be oozing blood and what can only be assumed as pus. You will find that you cannot speak, with the exception of a question,’What terror will these Objects bring?’ The woman will begin to describe to you in detail all that your previous journeys and all future ones until you collect the last Object, She will end her prophecy and tell you that ‘What happens after that is up to you.’ She will then reveal a small object that you’ll remember she didn’t have when you began talking.

Just like she appeared she will disappear, and you will find yourself at the front desk. The man will ask you if you found what you were looking for. Do not present the Object, nod politely and leave.

That Object is Object #310 of 538.

311. The Holder of the Dieties

In any city, in any country, go to any temple or place of sacred worship from your religion. When you head inside, do what you normally do in it, but before you leave, kneel somewhere, close your eyes and pray, even if the faithful of your religion do not practice praying. Start praying in the way you’re accustomed to (or the way you think you’d pray, if you do not) and concentrate. Before you finish, calm yourself, concentrate, and ask your deity about “The Holder of Deities”.

At this point, start counting with your mind. If you do not hear any strange, startlingly different sound in 5 minutes, it means you have failed the test and is not faithful enough. You must quickly get up and flee the place, and I suggest you get out of the city as well. From now on you must never step into any place of worship, even one of another religion. You must also never pray again during your lifetime, for they will know where you are if dare to do so, and they will stop at nothing to bring horrifying death and an empty afterlife to you. You have been warned.

If you hear a strange voice uttering unthinkable words, just loud enough so you can tell it apart from any background noise, you may open your eyes and look around. You will now notice that any other sign of life is gone, from plants to people, and deathless silence will dominate the place. Look around yourself and you shall find a figure completely covered in a strange cloak made of neatly stitched leather, slightly hunched. If you think you are prepared, steel yourself and approach the figure from the back or sides, but should you find your beliefs cracking under the pressure of this alien ordeal, stand in front of the figure. The figure will ask you, with a gentle, welcome voice, “Do you repent your sins?”, answer it truthfully; do not attempt to trick it or you will suddenly pass out, awaking several days later on the place place your once prayed, and must flee and never pray again. The same thing shall happen if you answer truthfully, but you will be safe and free to come back and try again another day.

If you are indeed prepared, touch the figure on either of its shoulders and it shall start to walk forward; you must follow. It is safe to just walk along it for now, but once it reveals a once unseen door and starts to turn the knob, you must IMMEDIATELY hold onto its shoulder and close your eyes. Follow it beyond the doorway, always with your eyes closed, even if you experience extreme cold or immense heat, do not flinch; you will not be hurt unless you let go of the figure, and if you dare to open your eyes you will be able to see Them and They will now see you as well. While They will be unable to hurt you as long as you grasp the figure’s shoulder, you will have to endure the journey knowing that, once you have to let go of the figure, you will suffer a fate far worse then hell for daring to set your gaze on Their forbidden features.

If you remain steadfast during the long journey (which, mind you, will last for hours on end), the figure will, at some point in time, stop completely. When it does, wait until you hear the sound of a heavy lock being opened. If you do, it is safe to open your eyes and let go of the figure; if you do not, don’t do anything at all, the figure will resume the march after some time; you must do so as well, and do not let go of its shoulder.

At the moment the figure stops and you hear the noise, let go of the figure and open your eyes. You will find yourself staring inside a gargantuan hall, decorated in gold, crimson silk and bones. You must now walk inside without hesitation; do not set your gaze on anything else until you are inside, else you risk being locked outside in the endless grey oblivion. The Cyclopean doors will lock behind you.

At this point there is no way back, but you are free to wander and look around. The ceiling is completely covered in awe inducing images depicting the genesis of the universe, as described by each and every religion in the same fashion the countless windows, each depicting a religious figure. The hallway’s sides and walls are almost completely covered in all manner of idols, symbols, statues, images and marks of every religion in this universe: some beautiful to behold, some so horrific that your gaze will avoid passing over it, and if you looked carefully and long enough, you would find one of your religion as well. ALL of them are priceless artifacts of unknown eras, eternal reminders of their faithful. You must not touch ANY of them, no matter what, even one of your faith, else you condemn yourself to suffer all penitences of all religions for the rest of your impossibly long existence, and unable to die until you have suffered them all.

Steel your resolve once more and head towards the end of the hallway, where you will find a large stone door. To pass you must kneel before it and say, “I wish to worship the Lord of all Prayers”, and only then it shall open, revealing a place cursed with a very thick mist, preventing your eyes from seeing anything farther then a few feet in front of you; be thankful for that. At the exact moment the giant door opens, cover your ears, for you will be engulfed in chanting cacophony. The chanting will be repetitive and maddening, being repeated in all languages, by all manner of beings, and your hands will not be able to stop it from reaching your brain; but even so, do not remove your hands from your ears; the part of the sound they will block should be more than enough to protect your mind’s integrity. Should it not, try to at least keep your ears covered while you walk through the mist, for hearing the full, unblocked chant will shatter the very foundations of your being. You will lose control of your body and your heart, ears and eyes will explode, and your soul will be forever stunned by the endless cacophony, stranded forever in the noisy hell, forever screaming at the top of your voice but never hearing yourself; and no one, not your god or even another seeker will be able to save you.

Head straight forward through the mist until the endless chant starts to subside, as if you were far away. Keep moving until you stop hearing the chant; it is now safe to uncover your ears, but stay on guard, for it also means that The Holder is nearby.

At this moment, you must kneel and pray, speak into your mind, “I am faithful, show me the way!” Open your eyes, get on your feet and do not say a thing. Many open hands will pierce through the mist, all different from each other, inviting you to hold and follow them to their owner. It is crucial that you do not move an inch; you must not touch any of them. They will slowly retreat back into the mist, but others will appear, and the cycle will repeat for some time. Do not touch any of them. No one knows what happens if you choose one, except for two facts, which puzzle the mind of all seekers who have knowledge of them:

1-The one who dares to touch one will be taken away to an unknown, foreign place.

2-It has been said, that if the objects ever unite themselves, these places may be the only ones to not be touched by the unthinkable force that will be released on the cosmos.

These beliefs are dubious at best, and what awaits you on the other side might be worse then any horror this universe can conceive. But it is certain that an eternity in the bowels of hell is much more pleasant then to experience the horror of the union of The Objects.

If you persevered in the path of The Seekers, after all hands subside, you may finally ask the question ,”What do they pray for?”, and then the mist will start to fade away, very slowly, as a withered old hand with six fingers reaches out to you. Grab it. You will be slowly pulled upward, walking up some steps that will now be visible, the hand pulling you at the same rate the mist subsides.

At the top, you will find yourself facing the holder: a tall figure covered in a lush, yet horrid robe, stitched with gold threads and covered in countless mouths. His facial features will also be mouths, mouths instead of eyes, nose, and ears, all smiling at you. He will let go of your arm and slowly move backwards then stop, and you will notice that, as the mist thins, that he is standing on the edge of an endless abyss, spanning infinitely in the distance, shrouded in darkness and dotted with distant lights, like a cloudless night sky. He will now sing a chant with every single mouth he is endowed with; this one will not hurt you.

You will notice a gargantuan figure approaching the edge, nothing but a faint silhouette on the endless distance. You must close your eyes, or you risk gazing upon something beyond the reaches of time and the limitations of space; looking at it will shatter your soul, forever erasing you from existence, though you will feel no pain.

As you await, turn around and do not move. It will take a long time, but no matter what sounds you may hear, what fear gets hold of you, persevere.

When it is done, The Holder will reach gently for your hand and put a cold, heavy object in your hands. The Holder will bend forward and whisper to you every reason, every faith, every gruesome motive that fuels them, and why their prayer must not be answered. After the maddening sermon, he will say, as if mocking you, “Now open your eyes and see the truth.”

When your eyes are fully open, a powerful gust of wind seemingly coming from nowhere will blow the rest of the mist completely away, and then you will see.

Of every size and every shape possible, all of them.
Looking at you in disgust.
Mocking you in so many ways your mind cannot grasp.
Uncaring.
Indifferent.

And now, everything you once believed in will cave into your very soul. You may cry. You will never be the same again; your god has now committed the greatest sin, in front of your very eyes.

Your vision will fade into black and you will be back right outside your former place of worship and you will see a black, smooth stone idol in your hands, completely engraved.

The engraved idol is object 311 of 538. It holds the prayers of a doomed world; they will be answered when they are united.

312. The Holder of Alms

In any city, in any country go to the nearest poorhouse that you can get yourself into. Make sure that you bring the coin given to you by The Holder of Temptation. Once there look for a man with no legs, but hair as bright red as a rose. Approach him and ask if you may see “The Holder of Alms.” A look of terror will cross his face and he will quickly try to scuttle out the back door. Follow him into the deserted ally behind.

He will be seen darting down the narrow alley, and you should chase after him. He will move very fast for someone with no legs, and if you can not keep up with him then the things which chase you both will devour you whole. The walls will begin to shift, and bleed. They will grow more and more filth encrusted, and the brick and mortar will begin to chip. Soon another corner will be turned, and you will be confronted with a dead end, the man you were chasing having disappeared.

However lying amongst the detritus of the world there will be another poor man, a beggar of sorts. This beggar will be clothed in the tattered remnants of a monk’s robe. From under his dirty cowl a single red piercing eye will glow. Approach this man very carefully. If he holds out a hand with a chipped bowl then you are safe, if he instead holds out a hand with an upraised palm then dive back and run back to the inside of the poorhouse, then sprint for the front door, as demons are coming to claim your soul.

His dry voice will ask “Alms for the poor?” At this point you should ask in response “Why are the Objects given away?” He will growl at you but then tell you of every other Seeker in the history of the Objects. He will tell you of each and every one’s demise, of all current ones, and of their future demises as well. He will refuse to tell you anything about yourself however.

When he is done his story you should drop the coin from the Holder of Temptation into his bowl. He will show you a wide toothless grin, and then hand you the entire bowl. After that he will crawl back into his box and close the flaps. If you open the box there will be no one inside.

The chipped bowl is Object 312 of 538.

313. The Holder of Piety

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself the ‘Holder of Piety’. Should the receptionist cross themselves chanting, leave immediately. Do not attempt to ask for the Holder again. He will be observing you carefully from then on, and should you ask again, he will not wait to demolish your being piece by piece. His knowledge of human weakness is astronomical, so do not test his patience.

He’ll wait as long as it takes for you to make that mistake.

Should the receptionist give you a solemn nod then your luck has yet to run out. She will beckon you down the hallway to a simple wooden door. From there, she will wish you the best and return to the front. Keep in mind that this is your last chance to reconsider. However, if your wits are about you, proceed through the door.

As you enter into the room, you should take a moment to be accustomed to the change in light. As your eyes adjust, do not look to the floor. The Holder is still waiting for you to drop your guard and what you will see will stun you. If at any time you see the lights come up, shut your eyes tightly and shout, ‘Don’t blind me! I seek the truth!’ Pray that the lights die down again. Your life depends on it.

Once you begin making out the shapes of the room, a set of candles will be lit on the far end. The shapes you see gain form as you notice the remains of a tarnished chapel. All the pews are in disrepair, ashes litter the ground, and the interior is painted with blood. Again, don’t look at the ground. It will not be much more pleasant in the light and the Holder is still waiting.

The one thing in the church that will not immediately destroy you is the man in a black cloak standing behind the altar. Most notable about his appearance is his grey yet still healthy hair. In appearance, he hadn’t aged a day. But in truth, his appearance is deceptive in every way, and that includes his welcoming presence in the room. If your curiosity draws you to question why his hair covers the right side of his face, you will not last long.

Depending on his mood, he may or may not ask you to confess your sins and what troubles your conscience. He is earnest in his request and to decline his offer is much worse for you than the punishments invented in hell. Thus, take your time and tell him what troubles you. For the most part, he is an open minded and helpful Holder for the time being, so take the time you have now to give him honest confessions. The last thing you want to be in his presence is a liar.

However, he may not ask you to confess a thing. This is most commonly his preferred form of Seeker: the ones beyond redemption. In either situation, he will ask you to come closer to give you his blessing. This is an obvious trap; the moment you set foot near him, you will be consumed by his madness. His being will envelop you in the fires of hell, disassembling you in a methodical manner on a physical and mental level until you beg for the joy of an oblivion that will never come for you. In fact, if you so desire, take a step back just in case.

Instead, ask him, ‘What do they believe?’ This is the trigger that will reveal his true form. His welcome exterior will burst away in a mass of flames and fire. His face will be unveiled under his hair to reveal a bloody mass of charred flesh. The eye socket is empty. But most of all, in the flames you will see his burning loathing as he tells you of every loathsome act, every blasphemous declaration of holy action, and every violation of human nature in the name of faith. He will speak of every despicable thing that faith had done to him. Through this, you must not look away from his empty eye. As you stare into it, it will feed you his memory and loathing. It will seethe you to the core, but do not look away. He does not accept the weak-of-heart. If his hatred does not reduce you to ashes, you may survive yet.

After he finishes, the flames will dissipate, leaving the church in an even greater state of disrepair. His appearance, however, has not changed. He walks step by step closer until his eye is staring directly into yours. A cold smile will appear on his face as he holds out a cross broken in half. Take up his offer and grip it tightly. Remember his last words well:’I’ll be waiting.’

Your vision will erupt into flames and your eyes will feel like they are being burned out from the inside. Clench them tightly until you hear the Holder bid you farewell. Be patient; depending on his mood, this can be anywhere from a minute to what feels like a week. When the time comes, open your eyes. You’ll be in the nearest religious establishment to your home.

The broken cross is Object 313 of 538.

314. The Holder of Phlogiston

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. As you arrive at the front desk, ask the attending staff member and request to visit “The Holder of Phlogiston”. Do not allow the workman’s sudden shudder worry you, nor must you watch his dilating eyes as losing your composure in this ‘visit’ will end your life. With a short sigh, the worker shall hand you a small key card, though if you look at it the words don’t appear to be English, but in some incoherent gibberish symbols. Warily,  he’ll direct you to a corridor to the left and instruct you to open the ‘unnamed door’. Despite his vague directions, you should head along the corridor in a crisp walk. As you maneuver down the hall, you need to take note of the doors you pass by. Each door had a small plate with a number beside it; you’ll count up to at least forty.

Though, you won’t have to count much more than that.

Finally you will notice a break in the orthodox system of the plates. You’ll find a plate completely blank. Be wary, despite being a ‘simple’ plate…a strange heat will be emitting from underneath the door. If you look closely, you’ll see ripples wavering in the air, but don’t let this sight hinder your progress.

Open the door. Slide your key card in the card slot situated beside the unbranded plate, twist the knob, and walk inside.

You’ll immediately be blasted by an intense heat wave. Almost simultaneously you’ll find your skin burning rapidly by this invisible fervor.  Endure it, as you must endure it for a considerable amount of time. If your eyes can still function in this inferno, you’ll see that you’ve entered a rich Victorian styled room. It’s extravagantly furnished, with a radiance of colors coming from many embellishments carefully placed around the room. Apart from the ludicrous decorations, you’ll find a small fireplace with a blue flame dwindling inside it with an old man sitting beside it on a crooked chair, contrasting with the beautiful room around him.

Step towards the chair; not too close, as each step will cause the already extreme heat to increase in proportion. Politely ask him, “Do you have anything to drink?”

The man will chuckle and slowly lift himself from his seat. Although the man has such grotesque features, his movement isn’t slow or tardy. He’ll move to a nearby table, with a rich tea set. Once there, the man will commence pouring this tea in a lavish cup. When he’s finished, he’ll gesture to take ‘one‘ sip from the cup.

Accept the offer, and head towards the cup; ignoring the smoldering heat which can draw many into the state of exhaustion and insanity. You must take the cup and take one small sip. The cup itself, will feel like hot steel, but do not drop the cup, because the man will not pour again… in doing that, you won’t be able to leave the room, and the conclusion shall be obvious. If you are able to withstand the pain of holding this cup, take a sip.

The tea will taste bitter, and will quickly burn your throat, tongue and anywhere else it is able to touch. It will feel like you’ve just taken a small mouthful of boiling lava and allowed it to slither down your throat. Endure the experience for more then five seconds. Soon you’ll feel the air become cool again. Your throat rejuvenated, as well as your sweat-drenched body and clothes untouched and dry. If you check on the table, you’ll find that the tea set is gone and has now been replaced with a small matchbox.

If lighted, these matches shall burn through any material in existence.

This matchbox is Object 314 of 538. Do what you may with this object, but torn pieces shall always be repaired by the one who wishes it.

315. The Holder of Hypocrisy

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to see a person who calls himself the Holder of Hypocrisy. A look of machismo and confidence will appear on the worker’s face, and he will walk away, telling you to come with him. Do not follow him; to do so is to invite death. As he turns the corner, he will realize that you are not following him, and will whimper as he scurries back to you. He will tell you much more fearfully to follow him, and will look back over his shoulder to make sure that you are coming.

Follow him, and he will lead you to a wing of the institution that looks like it hasn’t been occupied in years. However, if you look closer, you will realize that the decay is an illusion. The paint chips carpeting the floor have been methodically scraped off the walls, and the lightbulbs that you thought had simply died have been shattered. The usual medium-sized rooms that house the inmates in the rest of the hospital have been replaced by small closet-sized cells covered in wire grating and secured by rail spikes.

As you follow the worker down the hallway, you will begin to hear sounds of other people. The cells are not empty – they are filled with people of varying sanity, all of whom are pounding desperately on the wire grating as thousands of cockroaches crawl over them. Do not look at them, no matter how piteous their cries. If you do, the person you gaze at will cackle with glee as he is freed from his prison, and he and the worker will force you into the cell to take his place.

Continue walking through the hall, following the worker. The hallway will get more and more narrow, until the sides of the cells are scraping on your clothes and the wretched denizens’ fingers are clawing at your face, your legs, anything they can reach. When you hear a woman’s voice murmur, “I know what you are after,” stop immediately and say, “Then you know the way.”

The lights will immediately flash once, then twice, and then go out. You will then hear the rail spikes being ejected from the walls, and the sound of grating falling to the floor. Feel to the left and right for the only grating that has not fallen – if the grating is loose on the left, pray for a quick death as the prisoners shriek and charge at you. If the grating is loose on the right, pry it off and enter the cell. You will hear the woman say, “That isn’t the way, Seeker,” over and over again. Ignore her and continue walking; hesitation will give the cockroaches enough time to eat you alive. You will come to three doors, two of which are golden, one of which is crawling with termites. Open the door that is crawling with termites – the golden doors are in reality no better, and they lead to the darkest pits of Hell.

Once inside the door, you will find yourself on the stage of a large lecture hall with mirrors on all of its walls. At the podium is a man clothed in a silver robe, addressing the empty seats in an unknown language. Only look at the man with your eyes; viewing him through the mirrors will cause you to go mad from the shock of what he actually looks like.

Avoiding the reflections of the mirrors, sit in the farthest row to the back and raise your hand. He will ignore you. Cut the lining of the the seat in front of you, (use your teeth if you neglected to bring a cutting object) and pick up the microphone that the seat holds. Thump the microphone three times. The speaker will look at you in annoyance and ask, “Do you have anything to add?”

Only one question will allow you to leave the hall alive. “What must I do to survive the ordeal?” All other questions will reveal that the hall is not empty at all, and the audience does not like to be interrupted by inane questions.

The speaker will recoil in shock, and you will have to steel yourself for his true appearance. The lights will bathe him in a brilliant glow, and he will disrobe, revealing a creature so horrible that the very air around him will seem polluted, and to look at him would be to invite madness. Shrieks will be heard in the seats in front of you, creating a wretched din. Run to the middle corridor among the seats, and sprint down toward the creature. When you reach the stage, scream, “I know what you are!”

The hall will vanish, and only the stage will remain. The creature will be replaced by the man in the silver clothes, and he will look into your eyes.

“Do you really?”

You see that the man is yourself, thirty years older. The man will then flash back to his monster form, then back to you. Do not react; if you do, you will be begging to be let back into the hall of the insane asylum, as the cockroaches will seem like Heaven compared to your fate.

If you stand perfectly still, he will press a heavy metal object into your hand. The microphone is Object 315 of 538. It will help you find the truth of the objects.

316. The Holder of Thought

In any city, in any country, go to the psychiatric ward of any major hospital you can get yourself into. It can not be a standalone mental institution; it must be part of a larger hospital. Ask the receptionist if you can speak to the one who calls himself the Holder of Thought. The worker’s eyes will go out of focus. Now you must wait for her to return; it may take hours, days even, but whatever you do, do not wave your hand in front of the worker’s face; that will only try her patience. You need not be completely still, but you must not rush her.

When she realizes you’re still there, she will seem to jolt herself back to awareness, and beckon to you with her finger. After a complex, convoluted walk, you will be in a part of the building that doesn’t seem as though it should be there, yet is; this Holder is a master of illusion, and you are in for a puzzle, to say the least.

She will show you to a padded room with a plexiglass window, where a young boy in a straitjacket is thrashing around in a rage. If you dare to go inside, there is only one question that will calm him: “Do they think for themselves?”

He will freeze and when he looks at you, you will notice that he is not a young boy at all, but a shrunken, decrepit and aged old man. His eyes will glow and everything will go black. Now you must experience his tortured thoughts as if they were your very own. You will be shown what each of the Objects represents, how they function, and that they all do, indeed, utilize the process of Thought, though it will be no way of thinking that you are familiar with.

If, by some miracle, you manage to adapt yourself to this new way of thinking, you will be in one of the elevators you took on your way to visit the Holder, clutching a large, sealed jar of pungent liquid, with the Object floating inside.

The brain is Object 316 of 538.

317. The Holder of Legacy

In any city, in any country, go to any maternity ward you can get yourself into. Ask the receptionist if you may speak with ‘The Holder of Legacy.’ If her expression becomes one of joy, you have come to the right place. If instead it is one of rage, flee or she will tear you apart.

If you were lucky, the receptionist will lead down a hallway unlike that of a hospital; the wood-paneled walls are lined with portraits. Upon examination, you will realize these portraits are painted in the likenesses of your ancestors, all of whom alternate between praising and insulting you. After a moment, they will cease their clamoring. Here, you must shout “I hope I made you proud!” If they resume their tirade, you are safe to continue. If, however, the hallway remains silent, you will find yourself locked within a wooden frame alongside your family.

Follow the receptionist. You will come to an old wooden door at the end of the hallway. Your guide will open it and beckon you forward. Once you enter, the door will promptly slam shut and you will find yourself in your childhood home. Do not linger here. Demons stalk the shadows of the past, and they are not fond of Seekers. Return to your old bedroom and you will find it is now a large empty room, filled with the ghosts of your ancestors. You must be blessed by each of them. Some of their blessing will come freely, others must be earned.

If you fail even one task set before you, your quest for the Object will end and the ghosts will become demons the very sight of which will drive you mad. They will haunt you until the End of Days. If through some miracle you have succeeded, the ghosts will vanish and reveal your true love, holding an infant in his or her arms. Approach them and ask, “Who will seek them in my stead?” They will tell you about the child and detail a ritual you must perform. Hesitating for even a moment in its completion will cause both mate and child to tear your heart and soul from your body, leaving you to drift aimlessly for eternity. Once you have finished the atrocity as commanded, your mate will tell you to protect the child from Him no matter the cost. Proceed with your child back the way you came.

The child is Object 317 of 538. If you fail, it will take your place.

318. The Holder of Good and Evil

In any city in any country in the world, go to any murder trial you can enter and sit through the proceeding until the court is adjourned. Approach the bailiff and ask to speak to the Holder of Good and Evil. If you are not dressed in professional attire, he will not speak to you at all.

If clad appropriately, he will lead you to a chamber in the back and tell you to wait in a chair in front of the desk. The room will grow alternately so cold your breath will chill and so hot that your skin will nearly blister. Endure both in total silence. Even the chattering of your teeth will be enough to attract the attention of… terrible things.

If you have suffered quietly enough, the door behind you will open. Do not turn around. Never turn around, no matter what you hear. A voice will whisper, “Why?” If it is feminine, you may answer.

If it is masculine, you will never get the chance.

When the unseen lady asks, you must answer with a question of your own. “Which is greater?” You must speak without fear and as you do, you must hold up both hands, one to either side of you, palms toward the ceiling.

“You shall be the judge,” the woman will say.

An item will be placed in each hand, two halves of a single thing. You must immediately close your eyes as the sight of either one separate will sunder your sanity and blacken your soul. The very knowledge that you are holding good and evil may do that anyway but you must persevere or be lost forever in this place.

The pieces must be fit back together, a grueling task as one is bitter cold and the other burning hot. One is smooth and almost impossible to hold, the other is bladed and claims a price in pain and blood. If either is dropped, the other will slay you before its counterpart hits the ground.

If you manage to complete the puzzle before you bleed out or freeze, all pain will stop. All sound will end. It will be safe to open your eyes…

…and you will find yourself at the head of the jury of the trial you were watching, holding a small ballot with the wrong verdict on it. The defendant will be innocent and your ballot will condemn him. You must. If you try to interfere, you will take his place instead.

After the trial, you will find the ballot in your pocket again. If you look at someone and think about guilt or innocence in some matter, it will always tell you the opposite of what is true. The ballot is always right by always being wrong. Such is the way of things.

The ballot is Object 318 of 538.

319.  The Holder of Altruism

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself “The Holder of Altruism.” The worker will turn his gaze to you as if you are a savior, and he will bless himself as he rises from his seat.

Follow the worker into a pristine hallway. Take care not to look at these impeccably white walls, lest they erode, decay, and allow the beasts that they keep at bay to break free of their cages and enjoy a succulent feast consisting of your marrow. Instead, keep your eyes locked on the workers back.

Your walk my feel as though it’s taken eons, but do not stop. Eventually the worker will turn and open a faintly glowing white door. Follow him into the howling abyss without so much as a second thought or he will slam the door on you, leaving you to wander the endless white corridor until your body wastes into nothingness.

Your eyes will perceive the room to be shrouded in absolute darkness, but as they adjust you will notice a faint green light beggining to emanate from a point far in the distance. You may leave the worker alone to die in this wasteland or you can give him a chance at survival by taking his hand and leading him to the light, though his limping will slow you and his crying may wear on your patience. As you journey you may hear skittering and scratching but pay no heed to it. For now.

When you near the beacon, your surroundings will slowly change from black to the soft green glow of the light. Out of the corner of your eye you may see the source of the noise that has been following you. Don’t worry; you can stare at the nimble shadows to your hearts content. They’re already advancing on you.

If you brought the worker with you, he will crumple to the floor and begin to weep. You can either run off and leave him to die, or you can use whatever weapons you brought with you and fight off this flood of horrific entities for the sake of a man you don’t even know. If you should survive, grab the worker or let him stay in his pathetic state until more beasts come for him.

Should you survive you may eventually reach the source of the light. This spinning orb is the key to finding what you came here in search of. The only way to advance is to grab the orb with both hands and to force it to stop its eternal spinning. Your skin will be flayed and your bones will be chipped, but you will be able to move on. The orb does not care who it maims, so feel free to throw the worker onto it.

Either way, when the orb has ceased its whirring the light that has guided you for so long will fade, leaving you alone in the skittering darkness. The ground beneath your feet may feel loose, as if it may give out at any second and drop you into the abyss, but make sure that you do not lose your footing.

When the ground feels stable again and your world has stopped spinning, turn around. There, sitting in a splintered wooden chair, will sit a man silhouetted by a single flickering candle. His side will be cut open, blood ushering out of the wound; his right arm will be singed; and his left leg will be broken in multiple places. He will cough blood as his gaze shifts from trying to nurse his wounds to you. Though he stares at you through bruised eyes, you can feel determination in his piercing gaze. He gives off the aura of a vicious animal at rest. He will respond to no questions until he asks his own. ‘What have you done for the defenseless?’

If you brought the worker with you, he will now step forward and tell the man every righteous or wicked thing you did for him. If you did so much as one cruel thing to this helpless man and if his wounds from the demons are worse than those that adorn you, the expression on the man across the room will change to a snarl. He will walk over to his chair, and put on a bizarre looking mask. May whatever God you worship have mercy on your soul.

If you acted selflessly and valued a total stranger’s safety over your own, the man will smile heartily and laugh a warming chuckle. He may even pat you on the back. When he tells you that ‘You have done well’ it is now safe to ask him your question: ‘How can I help them?’

His laughter and warmth will vanish in a blink, and his demeanor will become very somber. He will tell you how he ended up in his mangled form, what he attempted to do, and his ultimate goal. He will inform you of what you need to do to stop them from gathering, and what you will have to do if they should somehow do just that. You will not like what he has to say; it may make you want to claw your eyes from their sockets and clamp down on your tongue and grind your teeth until it’s severed so that you either bleed out or choke. Do not take the cowards’ way out; face what is to come and save the defenseless from the tragic fate that will befall them if they are reunited.

When he is done giving you your instructions he will limp over to his chair and return to you with something in his hands. It will help you immeasurably in the days to come, but its assistance will come at a grave cost.

The Oni Mask is Object 319 of 538.

320. The Holder of the Law

In any city, in any country, go to any prison you can get yourself to. Go directly to the warden and ask to visit the one who calls himself “The Holder of the Law.” The warden will give you a sad smile, as if to say, “You poor soul,” Then he will get up and lead you through a narrow hallway with prison cells on either side. Do not get too close to the cells, or the prisoners will devour your soul.

At first the prisoners will look like normal humans, but the further down the hallway you go, the more monstrous they look, until they no longer resemble anything close to a human being.

Eventually, you will see an open cell door. Inside the cell, a prison guard will be mercilessly beating a handcuffed prisoner. As soon as you step into it, the guard will attack you in a murderous rage.

You must kill the guard before you may ask the prisoner one question, “What have you done to deserve this?” The prisoner will answer with a long, sad tale of murder and deceit. As he finishes his tale, it will become clear that he has learned his lesson. He will then ask to be set free. You may do as he asks; this man will not harm you.

Dig through the prison guard’s pockets until you find a key. Use this key to unlock the prisoner’s handcuffs. He will give you a heartfelt thanks and then leave.

As soon as you step back outside the cell, all of the cell doors that you have passed will open, releasing the monstrous prisoners inside them. Run as fast as you can towards the end of the hallway, and pray that they do not catch you. If you manage to escape, you will find yourself in the place that you call home.

The Handcuffs are Object 320 of 538.

321. The Holder of Conscious

In any city, in any country, go to any hospital you can get yourself to. After approaching the front desk, simply state to the nurse with a warm smile, “I’ve come to see The Holder of Conscience.” A long pause will develop as the nurse simply nods with tears, regret drowning her eyes.

Eventually, she will lead you down the hall to a plain looking room that should be labeled N111. If it is any other combination, run as fast as physically possible out of the building and do not look back. Until you’re out of the building, you must keep your eyes locked on the door of that room; for no one will stand in your path, so long as you do not even glance away from it.

However, if the room is correct, consider yourself lucky and enter the room, closing the door gently behind you. Ahead of you will be a small girl, appearing to be only about eight years old, with large, sad brown eyes and sickly yellow bruised skin, dressed only in a hospital garment. Her face, while young, is extremely withered.

As you the girl approaches you, you see that part of her face and body has been torn off, revealed the muscles and bones underneath. The whereabouts of her missing patches of skin and dark chocolate hair are unknown, as scars decorate her starved, mangled figure. You see, however, that there are poorly sewn on patches of mismatched skin, clumps of foreign hair attached to her skull, as if a poor attempt was made to hide her imperfections. She will begin to tell you the story of her sufferings, of why she was been sent to the hospital long ago. Her story is filled with so much sorrow and pain that you wonder how someone so young has lived through so much.

She will look at you with her large brown eyes, bloodshot and swollen from previous crying, once again filled with tears and she will ask you with a silent whisper filled with pain, “Am I pretty now?” Your mind will attempt to try and force you to say that she is beautiful, your conscience telling you that it will free her from this eternal torment, but alas, you must ignore your instinct to comfort, and instead tell her the absolute truth. If not, she will accuse you of being a liar and will tear off your skin and hair to replace her own, while you are still fully conscious, until all that is left of you is a pathetic shapeless pile of red flesh, seeping into the carpet.

If you do tell her the truth, that she is the ugliest, most grotesque creature you have ever seen, then her face will scrunch up with sadness as she falls to her knees, crying hysterically. She will fill you with guilt as she speaks words of torment, but as much as you want to comfort her, you must continue to tell her that what she did was wrong and that she looks like a monster. Failure to do so will be your damnation; you will become the tormented patient in room N111, filled with eternal pain and suffering. You must then remove from her all the patches of skin and hair of the unfortunate victims that came before you. You must ignore her pleads and cries to stop, ignore her cries of pain; ignore everything she says from that point on. After all of the patches of skin and hair are removed, the crying young girl will stand to her feet, wiping her tears with a soft smile and kindly thank you, and in her bloody hand, give you a pure white feathered pen. You may wonder why it has no blood on it, though she is covered in blood.

The feathered pen is Object 321 of 538. Writing with this will reveal the true feelings of anyone whose name you know.

322. The Holder of Futility

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself “The Holder of Futility”. If the receptionist looks up or says something to you, you have arrived before you should. Do not attempt finding this object again for at least ten days, unless you wish to be lost to the world forever. But, if the receptionist ignores you completely, keep asking to see the Holder.

Eventually you will feel a hand on your shoulder and a voice will say to you, “She won’t help you because she doesn’t know. It’s hopeless trying to ask her again.” The voice belongs to a man whose old age is apparent and the large bags under his eyes hint that he has seen too much in his life. He will lead you down a series of hallways lined with patients screaming for release and he will ask you questions along the way. Answer them as honestly as you can or you will find yourself among the screaming masses.

When the man comes to a halt and the screaming stops, you will have come to the right place. He will gesture to a door. Make sure it’s the door to his left, regardless of whether he is facing you or not, for the door to his right leads to a realm of nothingness where you will exist forever with no one able to hear your cries for help. If he does gesture to his right, leave now for the Holder doesn’t find you worthy yet.

The second the door closes behind you the room will be engulfed in complete darkness. A shaft of light will shine down on a young boy, barely five years of age, holding something. If it is anything but a teddy bear pray now that your death is swift for you have little time to do so. Approach the young boy and ask him, “Why should we even bother trying?”

The boy will speak in the old man’s voice, for they are one and the same, and tell of every time in history that a person’s actions were futile and he will also tell of their depression and sorrow. You will feel each person’s grief as if it were your own and it will make you feel helpless and worthless. If you make it through this ordeal with your sanity intact the boy will hand you his bear and you are now allowed to leave.

The teddy bear is Object 322 of 538.

323. The Holder of Hopelessness

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself “The Holder of Hopelessness”. If the worker looks right through you, as if to look beyond this world, then you are safe. If they look directly at your eyes, the Holder is already carefully watching you. Should this happen, run. Run as far away as you can. You must never cease reminding yourself that you are indeed alive.

If you are unnoticed by the worker, he or she will stand up and walk blindly towards what they are staring at behind you. Follow them until you reach a blank wall.

At this point, the worker will miserably retreat back to the loneliness of the front desk as if nothing had happened. Face the bare wall and stomp thrice. The space around you will begin to become distorted. Do not look at what is happening around you, for what is occurring is beyond your own mental capacity.
Soon, a chill will fill the air and you will find yourself in empty room consumed by darkness. A chorus of screams and moans will echo throughout. It is now safe to open your eyes. A distorted voice will start to call for you. The voice will sound bold; however a hint of loneliness can be heard amidst its eerie voice. Do not search for the source of the voice; simply ask the question, ‘Why have they all given up?’

A being will appear from a void which will open up in front of you. This being will take on your own image in order to allow your mind to process it. However, if he senses your fear, he will become a hellish beast of an infinite size and shape which will tear your flesh to shreds and drink your blood as its nourishment.

The being of your image will begin to utter words in a language that you cannot understand. Should you begin to understand what he is saying, it is too late to save yourself, for what he is saying will describe the void of nothingness in every single cold, dark, and gruesome detail. It will tell you the tales of sorrow, agony, and pain tormented souls had experienced after they had been sent into oblivion. The mere mention of these stories will tempt you to kill yourself in order to liberate yourself from the torture your mind will be undergoing. Pray, for your sake, that you don’t recognize this language.

Should you hear a series of incomprehensible words, shout, ‘I will not be discouraged!’ It will begin to slowly sulk towards you as its skin melts off and becomes a wicked demon of unimaginable horror. Do not move. Do not breathe. Stare directly at it without flinching. Its lips will curl up into a smirk of pure evil. Suddenly, your body will be cast into the dark, cold abyss. As you fall, you will lose your ability to think or feel. The time you spend in this area is unknown, for time does not exist in that realm. If you did not falter when it approached you, you will eventually awaken. If you had flinched, you will suffer a fate worse than an eternity in hell.

If you regain consciousness, you will find yourself facing the previously blank wall, now bearing an oddly eerie painting. The painting will be of a smiling man, covered in blood, standing amidst a barren land, surrounded by many different accursed objects. This painting will seem familiar, like you have seen it somewhere before. However, something will be slightly askew, as if many things are missing from the picture. As you remove the painting from the wall, a feeling of hopelessness will rush throughout your body.

The painting is Object 323 of 538.

324. The Holder of Depression

In any city, in any country, go to any safe place(school, hospital, mental home, fire station, police station, etc) and make your way to the front desk.

Make sure you have no weapons on you and are not in a bad mood. If your intention truly is to find the object hidden here, the front desk clerk will sense it and will walk up to you. The clerk will give you the warmest hug you have ever felt, making you feel loved and accepted like never before, but don’t stop to enjoy the feeling. You must push the clerk away softly and say, “I’m sorry, but I’m here for an important reason.” If your heart is true and you are worthy, the worker will nod and point to a door. If not, then I suggest you become heavily armed as soon as you can. If the worker points you to a door, any door, enter it.

The second you are inside and the door closes, you will be in what looks to be a school guidance counselor’s office, but it will be soaked with blood and littered with the corpses of those who gave up too soon. Walk to the desk and sit down at one of the two chairs. The counselor will appear before you and ask you to state your business. In a very calm, cool voice, say exactly this: “My situation is desperate, for if they come together, all is lost.” The counselor will reach out to stroke your face, their hand becoming a razor-sharp claw. Do not resist, no matter how deep it cuts you. The counselor will then nod and say “What are your intentions?”, to which you must reply, “To protect those who embrace peace and love.” The counselor will then reach under the desk and produce a rather small book. This book, however, contains the gruesomely detailed accounts of every time throughout the history of humanity that somebody’s situation was so desperate, be it abuse, addiction or any other vice, that they considered just giving up.

The counselor will read this book to you in a way that sends you reeling, putting you right in the middle of each situation. Most seekers end their lives during this story, resulting in the thousands of corpses lining the walls. If you make it through the entire ordeal, the counselor will close the book and it will glow with an unearthly light. As the counselor goes back under the desk to get something else, they will show you their true form. No matter how horrifying it is, you must look the counselor in the eyes and say, “Thank you. I know what I must do.”

The counselor will then take the Object from under the desk, a very small razor, and carve your name into the front cover of the book, then give it to you. From then on, you will have prior knowledge of any suicide attempt by anyone you know, and you will be able to instantly talk them out of it, but in doing so, you will inherit their pain.

That razor is Object 324 of 538. To keep them apart; you have become the guardian angel of those who suffer.

325. The Holder of Restraint

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you walk up to the front desk, ask to visit the thing that deems itself “The Holder of Restraint”. Should the man working the desk suddenly appear joyful, leave immediately. You are in the wrong place, and you do not wish to meet the thing that truly resides here. But should he appear uncaring and bored, repeat your answer more firmly. If he continues to ignore your requests, feel free to make death threats until he accepts.

He will then lead you to the simple Janitor’s Closet of the institute. He’ll unlock the door and begin to go ahead of you into the dark. Stop him in the most polite manner you can- the Holder of Restraint has no time for rudeness, and ask if you could lead the way. He will agree and as you step into the dark room, he will slam the door shut behind you. Even though you will be bathed in pitch black, continue forward, despite your lack of sight.

The walking will seem to go on for hours, and if at any point you see a light in the distance, scream aloud, “Control yourself!” Should the light grow brighter, immediately hit the floor and lie face down. If you fail to do so quickly enough, you will find yourself being baked alive by the shining light. Keep going on in the dark until you feel a burst of cold air hit you from behind. Turn around and change directions, going back the way you just came even though there is nothing back there.

You’ll find yourself suddenly walking out of a dark alleyway, and the streets on the other side are cobbled and olden- perhaps the streets of another time entirely. Tiptoe silently until you can see the empty street and sidewalk clearly, but keep in mind to stay in the shadow as much as you can. Leaving the safety of the cool dark will surely be putting your life in forfeit. You will see a handsome young man leaning against a lamp post alone. He should have blonde hair; but if the man has any other shade than that you must flee back into the darkness. He knows you have been coming for his crimes and he is prepared to silence you.

The man will do nothing for a long period of time; just leaning against the lamp post boredly as a few men and women pass him by. Eventually no one will be out in the streets anymore besides him. But just as you are about to succumb to your curiosity and leave the haven of the dark alleyway, a young woman with black hair will emerge from around the corner. What comes next has led countless Seekers to their deaths. The man you have been watching so intently for the last few hours will grab the woman and violently rape her in plain view. You will be forced to watch the man until he is finished with his little victim.

She’ll scream and beg for your help, but you must ignore her. Restrain your common sense of justice throughout her entire violation no matter what your conscience screams at you. To rush out into the street now will be quite a foolish act for someone who values there free lives. After the man is finished with his twisted pleasure, he will slit her throat and the scene will become almost unbearable for you to not go out there and save her. But have faith; it is almost over.

He will then proceed to run away from his victim’s corpse and leave around the same corner from which she emerged. After you are positive it is safe, run out from the alleyway to the bloody corpse of the woman. Kneeling besides her fresh body, take her limp hand in yours and plead into her lips, “Will They be able to restrain their urges?”

Most of her face will be covered by her jet black hair, but her mouth is free to answer you. Her bloodied and bruised mouth will whisper to you a most despairing truth. She will be difficult to hear, so make sure you lean over her closely to receive your answer- else suffer a burning regret for missing a single sentence of your prize. Her answer will be short and quick, but the despair and emptiness that it will leave is excruciating. Some Seekers have even gone so far as to take their own lives at this point. Keeping her hand in your clasp, close your eyes and count to five out loud, so that her tortured spirit may hear your reassuring words.

After you reach the final number, you are free to open your eyes. You should be seated in a chair in the Recreation Hall of the institute. In your clasped hands will be a single, wintertime glove.

The Glove is Object 325 of 538.

326. The Holder of the Escape

In any city, in any country, go to any park you can get yourself to. Sit on a bench and watch as people pass around you. Every 5 minutes, whisper, ‘I’ll wait until your return.’ Eventually, somewhere in your view of the park, you’ll hear a soft whistle and notice something unusual: a small area will appear to warp in on itself, and someone will emerge from nowhere. Approach this person and ask ‘where do you hide from Them?’

The person will look at you, pretending not to understand what you asked. Repeat your question and he will walk to the nearest coffee shop. You must follow this person and sit with him, because if you lose sight of the person, you will never have another chance to meet the Holder. After the person orders and finishes his coffee in complete silence, he will get up and walk away, leaving behind a sip of his drink in the cup. Take the cup, enter the shop’s bathroom, and lock the door. Finish the drink and your vision will warp the same way the person appeared out of nowhere. The world will turn black and fade into nothingness.
When your senses return to you, you will be standing on the end of a dock, facing a small island in the middle of a nameless ocean. It will be pleasant, and you may forget what you are looking for, but be careful, for you will die alone on this island without the object you are looking for. Walk quickly to the only small cabin on the island, for it will quickly become apparent that the water is slowly rising up the island, to forever drown whoever is unlucky enough to be on the island at the time. Do not look out to the ocean, for you will be pulled out to sea by a giant wave and left to fend for yourself for the rest of time.

Upon entering the cabin, you will notice the bodies of those who could not escape the inviting atmosphere of the island. On the bed will be a sleeping figure. Nothing will wake him up besides the question: ‘Where can I hide from Them?’

The figure “The Holder of the Escape“ will awaken, and tell the story of every Seeker who could not hide from those who hunted them, sending a chill through your entire being. As this story continues, the shack will start to deteriorate, the sand will turn to hot ash, and the water will turn to blood, more quickly rising up the island than before. When the Holder finishes his story, he will disintegrate, leaving behind a small whistle, and you’ll notice a shackle around your ankle, locking you to the floor. The blood will rise up above your head, and you’ll be forced to drown in it, imagining the horrors that They inflicted on the other Seekers.

If you awaken in the coffee shop from what onlookers think was a nap, consider yourself lucky, as you’ve passed the Holder’s test and now possess Object 326, the whistle. Its power will transport you to the safety of the island, but each time you visit, time will pass more quickly in the real world and you’ll be more tempted to stay for the rest of your days.

That whistle is Object 326 out of 538.

327. Holder of the Western Seas

If you go to any boat rental shop, any ferry, anywhere that can get you on a boat on the Pacific Ocean, and go up to the rental desk/ticket desk and ask for a ticket to see the Holder of the Western Seas, the person at the desk will immediately look desperately seasick, ready to vomit. The person will lead you to a normal taxi cab waiting outside, and you and the person will drive for some time. It could be a few moments, it could be an hour, but you will invariably be led to a small dock with a motorboat tied to it. Get in. There should be a bright, brass compass the size of a CD and about an inch thick in the boat somewhere. If there isn’t, get out of the boat before the person casts you off. You’re too late to find it, and you will be killed. Also beware: if the person ever vomits on you, even the tiniest bit, be it during the car trip or as you are cast off, dive into the seawater. It’s the only thing that can stop it from stripping every millimeter of flesh from your bones within a matter of moments.

If you make it into the boat, go out into the open ocean, so far that you can’t see any kind of land at all. Now set the compass on your lap and focus on it. Within seconds, you will hear a deep, hollow chanting. It will start quiet, but soon it will seem to be all around you. Once the noise is nearly deafening, start going north, never letting your eyes waver from that compass. If the chanting ever stops for more than three seconds, dive into the water and do not come up; sharks or drowning are preferable to what you’d find above the waves. Of course, it’s not like you’d find anything short of the Devil’s darkest nightmares in these waters.

Eventually, you will feel your boat bump a piece of land. Congratulations, you’ve arrived at the center of the chaos. You will see huge moai statues dancing around a great pyre. Be wary of the smoke, for it drives even Death himself away. Do not glance into the fire, and ignore the maddening cacophony of screams coming from within it, and do not look at the faces of the moai, for if you do, they will notice you and roast you alive over a low flame for the rest of eternity, pumping you with liquid so that you are palatable to their hideous tastes.

Walk up to the flame, staring at the compass all the while, and ask the fire “What did they plan to do with the earth?” The moai will let forth a great hum in a bass that will vibrate your marrow to the very core. Hopefully, it won’t shatter too many of your bones. Now, look into the fire, as deeply as you can, and when you see it, you will be asked to forfeit the compass. If you do not, then the fire will take it from you, and melt your hands off, possibly even more. If you give it the compass, be ready to run. When the compass leaves your fingertips, run into the center of the fire, ignoring any pain or burning you will surely feel. Ignore the burning grasp of all those who perished in this fire before you. And, if you can, ignore their last screams of pain as the last bits of flesh are melted from their white-hot bones.

If, somehow, you can reach the center before your feet have melted themselves to the hot coals — which would consign you to an eternity in this screaming, burning, waking nightmare — you will be washed in cleansing warmth, like a Jacuzzi. The core fire will sear images of the earth as they would have made it to the back of your brain, from grass as sharp as broken glass, flaying the feet of passer-by, to the tiny little midges that bore into the organs of unlucky hosts and expand to the size of car tires, and a plethora of other horrors. If your sanity is not seared and blackened by this, you will find yourself on a beach near an airport, somewhere in Hawaii, no matter where you started from, clothed in the clothing your grandfather wore exactly sixty years before you set sail. In your pockets, you will find two things in addition to whatever you had on you: a plane ticket to wherever in the world you most need to be at the moment, and a small lighter carved from a dark, dense wood in the shape of a moai head. This touristy prop will ignite anything, even under water.

That lighter is Object 327 of 538.

328. The Holder of Treasure

In any city, in any country, go to any house; as long as the building is mostly intact and empty apart from yourself it doesn’t matter which. See if there is an attic present. If not, choose another household.

Once you have chosen an attic, slowly make your way up, I wouldn’t advise bringing any light source with you; unless, that is, you prefer seeing the horrors and demons that detest all artificial light up there. As soon as you set foot in the attic, make your way to the west end and pause. Close your eyes and relax. You can make noise as you wait, this Holder doesn’t mind.

If you can feel no sensations for a while and just hear a thundering silence, then turn around quickly and open your eyes. Slowly go down back into the house and never go back into an attic for the rest of your days.

Wait until something draws a large feather across your face, and then suddenly lifts you up. It is important you do not panic at this point, doing so would mark you as sure prey for the Roc that has taken you up in its gargantuan claws. Open your eyes now.

You will be amongst the clouds, and the sun is setting smoothly into the horizon. Despite the obvious danger of falling, you unnaturally cannot feel any fear, only a sense of serenity. Rushing warm air and the steady beats from the Roc will lull you near to sleep eventually – fight this feeling to the best of your abilities, then try to look at the other claw. An oubliette cage containing a homely and exotic looking woman/man swings back and forth suspended on a single claw. Suddenly you will feel the Roc land on an isolated cliff top lathered in fog. It will let you go gently and the cage containing the mysterious stranger, and then fly off tirelessly.

Look at the stranger – you can talk to them, but they won’t say anything you understand. Their language sounds fleeting and hides a surprisingly deep accent. Try to free them, but you will find that they are locked in the cage from the outside, the only way out would be to find a key. Mention that you want to find a key, draw one if necessary. The stranger points down a steep slope leading to a now fog-free beach. Nod, smile at them and then make your way down carefully.

Once at the beach you will find that instead of sand, the entire area is covered in keys of all shapes, sizes and colour. You need to find a solid gold key amongst the thousands that lie in wait. This may take decades of effort, and you must keep both yourself and the stranger well fed and rested in the time that passes. I’ve heard the sharks are particularly tasty surrounding this island. Once you have found the key, the joy will be overwhelming for you. Make your way back to the cage. The stranger will now be extremely thankful for your help over these harsh years, as soon as you free them ask: “Do They know of the Treasure?”.

Depending on your gender/sexual orientation the stranger will start to flirt with you, and will lead you to the beach slowly. Do not resist them, and follow gently. They will make sure you are fed and watered and then build a shelter surprisingly quickly and skilfully. Rest in this shelter once it is complete, and let them make love to you. Once finished you will soundly drift off into a dreamless sleep.

When you wake up you will be back in the bed in the place you call home. The Stranger from the island will lay beside you, and will follow you and comfort you wherever you go in your travels from now on. They will be the perfect life companion by being imperfect. Learn their language and treat them well.

Should the Stranger physically die (or otherwise), they will be back by your side when you wake; ready to start the day anew.

The Stranger is Object 328 out of 538.

329. The Holder of Perdition

In any city, in any country, go to any Christian Church you can get yourself to. To the first holy man or woman that approaches you ask, “I wish to see the Holder of Perdition”. If the person you are speaking to looks confused ask again. If on the third time they ask you to leave, do so. You’re at the wrong church.

If the holy person agrees and leads you upstairs, refuse and demand to go downstairs. Once the holy person takes you down to the end of the stairs say, “I no longer need you; thanks.” Otherwise, he or she will surely kill you in the dark catacombs of which you have arrived.

Wait until you can no longer hear the holy person’s footsteps, then shut your eyes and walk forward until you hit a wall. Alternate between directions (right, backward, left, forward) every sixteen steps in that pattern for 1024 steps. Right, backward, left, forward. Right, backward, left, forward. At no point should you open your eyes or lose count or else you’ll forever be lost in the labyrinth beneath that church. Once you have walked 1024 paces altogether, open your eyes. Before you will stand the same holy person who brought you down here, except now he or she dons a white robe that is covered in fresh blood. He or she will announce that they are the Lord of Perdition, not the Holder, and several torches will burst into flame behind him or her, revealing where the blood came from. A young girl between 13 and 16 will laying nude on an altar with blood coming out of every orifice on her body.

Do not feel pity or sorrow for the girl or you will suffer her fate instead. Only ask, “What makes you the Lord?”, then with conviction bordering on anger, “You are just a Holder!”

He or she will laugh and you will see in your mind’s eye every atrocity ever committed in the name of God and salvation. Resist these visions and he or she will say: “I make the damnation; I will define its Lord.” Say nothing to this and he or she will become enraged, screaming at you in multiple tongues. At this point focus on the pain and how wrong it is. Do not think of vengeance; think of relief and peace and happiness. The ‘holy’ person will stop his or her screaming, the room will become dark, and he or she will say, “This will not help you, Seeker; it will only remind you of the suffering that has happened and you have yet to experience. Enjoy, fool.”

The blood soaked garb of the holy person is Object 329 of 538.

330. The Holder of the Story

Once upon a time, there was a Seeker who got himself to an asylum, made his way to the front desk, and asked for the one who calls himself “The Holder of the Story.” A look of puzzlement crossed the worker’s face.

“Who?” she asked.

“The Holder of the Story,” was the response.

She insisted that she knew nothing of what he spoke. Many times did the Seeker repeat this name and insist on visiting him. He grew angry when he was denied. Soon enough, the receptionist threatened to call security.

The Seeker was smart. He ceased and walked away, knowing he had failed in his quest.

The next morning, he did not awaken. They knew his purpose and had found him.

The End.

—

Once upon a time, there was a Seeker who got herself to a library and asked the librarian for the one who calls himself “The Holder of the Story.” The librarian disappeared underneath the counter and came back up with a library card. On it were written unrecognizable words in an indiscernible language and the Seeker’s name written in her language. She accepted this gratefully, hiding the surprise and dread that lay thickly in her stomach. The librarian then pointed her to a section of the library that she had not seen before and walked away without a word.

The Seeker made her way to this section. Its shelves were lined with old tomes bound with the skins of creatures unknown to her. Their titles were in languages unknown to her, but with each title she read, clearer and clearer their meanings became. They were stories of redemption, of romance, of adventure. The mere titles brought tears to her eyes, elation to her heart. They were tales with both familiar and alien themes. Something within her longed for these stories, just as we all long for answers to our questions and solutions to our problems.

The temptation to read them became greater and greater, almost unbearable. Her curiosity was like a great weight on her shoulders. She saw no harm in pulling a book out and skimming through it. The words were unknown to her, but the image of the story manifested itself. Soon enough she knew the story and carefully put the book back. In place of her burning temptation was an odd certainty.

An old blind man dressed in a single white cloth approached her and asked for her library card. The Seeker gave it to him. He put it away.

“What is your story?” asked he.

The story she had read spilled from her lips against her volition. The words she spoke were in the language that she had read. Even when her tongue twisted and cramped, she spoke on. The last word of the story was the last word she ever spoke.

The old man returned her library card. In place of her name was the last word of that story. She accepted it and returned home. Her path had been chosen and she knew what to do.

It attracted Them. She could neither scream nor beg.

The End.

—

Once upon a time, there was a Seeker who got himself to a library and asked the librarian for the one who calls himself “The Holder of the Story.” The librarian disappeared underneath the counter and came back up with a library card. On it were written unrecognizable words in an indiscernible language and the Seeker’s name written in his language. He accepted this gratefully, hiding the surprise and dread that lay thickly in his stomach. The librarian then pointed him to a section of the library that he had not seen before and walked away without a word.

The Seeker made his way to this section. Its shelves were lined with old tomes bound with the skins of creatures unknown to him. Their titles were in languages unknown to him, but with each title he read, clearer and clearer their meanings became. They were stories of redemption, of romance, of adventure. The mere titles brought tears to his eyes, elation to his heart. They were tales with both familiar and alien themes. Something within him longed for these stories, just as we all long for answers to our questions and solutions to our problems. The temptation to read these stories was almost unbearable, his curiosity a great weight on his shoulders, and yet he still continued on.

Soon enough (and yet it took too long), the Seeker came upon an old blind man dressed in a single white cloth. The old blind man asked the Seeker for his library card. The Seeker gave it to him. The old blind man put it away.

“What is your story?” asked he.

“I have none,” was the response. “Tell me His.”

The old blind man smiled. From his mouth spilled a story never before conceived by any author. It was spoken in a language that the Seeker could not understand, but the meaning was very clear indeed. But the Seeker’s mind was weak. It was easily broken by the Story. Upon the last word, his sanity fled him. But the Story remained in his mind and still does to this day as he wanders the maze-like shelves of the hidden section of the library.

The End.

—

The Story is object 330 out of 538.

331. The Holder of the Fragile

In any city, in any country, go to any hospital you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself “The Holder of the Fragile”. Should you then experience searing pain throughout your body, and find yourself sprawled on the ground, unable to move, while the worker laughs maniacally, then it is already too late and your fate is sealed. You will not leave this hospital alive.

If you have passed this part of your trial, you will then be placed in a private room, trapped in a bed. You will find yourself unable to move, speak, or even blink. You will remain this way until the day your death arrives. You may try in vain to catch the eye of any nurse who enters the room, but you will continually find that where their face should be, there is but featureless flesh. After enduring this unending torture, year after year, you will find yourself visited by a little boy with a red balloon. This boy signals the beginning of the end.

If the little boy’s balloon bursts while he is in the room, the Holder will soon arrive. If the balloon stays intact, and the boy leaves, the moment the door closes behind him your heart will cease to beat, but your brain will live for all time, trapped in the room. It will continue to function until the end, forever seeking peace, but receiving none.

Once the balloon has popped, and the boy has left, you will find that the gravity in the room begins to increase exponentially. I wish to tell you to not be afraid, but that would be a lie. You should be afraid, for the Holder is on his way. As you lay there with the pressure of the world pushing down on you, crushing you, smothering you, you might hear a little voice in your imagination sweetly say “His lips are of the demons, his soul of the Saved.” If these words grace your ears, then you might have a chance to survive. If not you are surely doomed.

Suddenly, the door will creak open, and in will walk a man. He seems to be a regular man, and he even wears the coat of a doctor, but on his face rests nothing but a mouth spread wide in a smile. Quickly, before he speaks, you must pull yourself from the bed, savagely fighting against the forces holding you down, and throw yourself at his feet, bowing before him. If you do not, his words will become chains that bind you, and you will do nothing but serve him for all eternity. Slowly, your face will melt away, and forever you will tend to the other souls who Seek.

While on your knees before him, the moment to ask the question burning your brain has arrived. Gather up all the courage you can muster, and without fear ask him, “How can we stay strong?”

The doctor will place his hands upon your shoulders and suddenly you will see not only your own life flash before your eyes, but every life that ever was or will be. You live the life of every person that has or will exist. Every building, every plant, every thing, every Object, every Holder. You see them all. You are them all. You see them all decay. You see them all rot. You see them all end. Except one. And with your dying word you utter his name. “Legion.” As you lay there, your life ebbing away, you watch as the Holder bends down with a peculiar box in his hand. Every square inch of this box seems familiar to you. Then it dawns on you. This box is made from all of the memories of the world, combined together in a single object. As these memories fill you, the Holder gently removes your soul from your body and places it in the box. As he lays your new home on the ground, and walks out of the room, he tells you then that you are destined to wait in this room until the fateful day when one of your descendants comes to collect the box.

This box is object 331 of 538. Will you have the courage to kill everyone you love? It is the only way to save them if the objects come together.

332. The Holder of Absolution

Any time after midnight, visit any abandoned Church in any country. Do not try this is in a Church occupied by a servant of God. Once there, kneel at the altar and repeat these words: “Show me the Holder of Absolution.”

The tabernacle will flare a bright-red, but do not look at it. Instead keep your head bowed and stay on your knees. After a short while, a great booming voice will reverberate through the building as it calls out your each and every sin, trespass, misdeed, crime and transgression. For some, this may take a while. Once voice is done, it will say “Stand, but know that the way of the liar is blind.” At this point you must pick up the chalice on the altar and walk to the fountain. As you walk be careful not to open your eyes. If you do, you will be forever unable to distinguish fact from fiction. Darkness you will perceive as light, day as night. You will go mad from trying to distinguish lie from truth and, convinced your life is a lie, you will end it yourself, alone and afraid.

Dip the chalice into the waters of the fount and drink from it, making sure to drink every single drop. You will feel refreshed and free of guilt.

Eyes still tightly shut, take the chalice and walk slowly toward the door and leave. Upon returning to your life you will find your altercations forgiven, your enemies befriended and your sins forgotten. You will also find that any persons wishing to incriminate you will find it exceedingly difficult to do so.

If you lose the chalice you will be unable to resist confessing your every mistake and error.

The Chalice is Object 332 of 538.

333. The Holder of Karma

In any city, in any country go to the nearest Buddhist temple. Upon your arrival ask the first monk you see to take you to see a man named “The Holder Of Karma”. A look of pure bliss will cross the monks face, and he may sink to the ground. If he begins to fall, make sure to hold him up, and it will soon pass. The monk will take you into the temple and tell you to close your eyes. Do so, and he will ring a ceremonial gong once.

When the gong goes silent you may open your eyes. You will find yourself on a vast plain of grass. Walk through the grass until you come to a cliff which is perched over ragged rocks. There will be a sole man on this cliff, a monk of some years. He will have a wizened look to him, and skin that is tough as leather. If he wears a black robe then quickly hurl yourself from the cliff, as it will be a more merciful death than any he will give you. If he has a white robe on however then approach him slowly.

As you draw nearer, he will step from the cliff, but instead of plummeting to his doom he will float suspended in midair. Without words he will offer you a small vial and float several more feet away from the cliff ledge. Take the vial from him and drink it. Now is the moment of truth, step from the ledge into the air. Should you be deemed unworthy, the weight of your sins and misdeeds will send you plummeting to your demise. If on the other hand you are not weighted down, you will be able to walk across the air.

If you still live the monk will smile and respond to only one question, “Which are good and which are evil?”

He will then tell you of every misdeed that was punished, of every good deed rewarded, of every vainglorious fool whose intentions sent them to the water depths below, of every pure seeker who failed and was corrupted. Many people will be unable to hear these truths, and will go mad, falling like so many others to their deaths. Be you strong of mind however, you will persevere and endure.

At the end of his tale the monk will look to the sky behind him and comment about how a storm is approaching. Glide back to the cliff ledge and run through the fields of grass once more. Eventually the grass will thin and you will find yourself back outside the monastery where you started.

The empty vial is Object 333 of 538. For every misdeed you do to someone else it will fill a little bit more with black liquid, should it fill to the brim your soul will be consumed by darkness.

334. The Holder of the Beholden

In any city in any country in the world, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can enter. Hand the first caretaker who sees you any small object with a face on it. The face can be anyone, the item can be anything.

They will silently write a room number on your outstretched hand. Though they will use only one pen, each digit will be a different color.

By the time you reach the room, the numbers will have faded from your flesh.

Though the house may be high security, this room will not be locked and you can easily enter. Once you do, no door will exist behind you. If you cannot answer the Holder’s challenge, you will never leave this place again.

Along the walls, hundreds of alcoves have been carved. Each one is filled with a small ivory bust of a man or woman, each tiny base engraved with a word or two in a strange, unknowable language. All across the floor, a layer of white dust can be seen. The dust is piled in waves, disturbed only by your footprints.

Sitting at a small table in the middle of the room is a strange sight: a genderless figure with absolutely no face at all. In gnarled, scarred hands as flawed as its visage is featureless, the Holder grasps a sharp piece of stone.

One minute after you enter the room, the figure will leap from the table and plunge the shard into your throat. If, before this time elapses, you take the stone and drive its point into your own palm, you may survive. The stone carries a terrible wasting plague, one that will painfully wither you until all that remains are bones: fresh ivory for the Holder to carve.

Living through the disease requires asking the question “How will we know Their faces?” before five drops of blood fall from your palm; if you do, the Holder will sigh and dissolve into dust, joining the teeming sea of white at your feet.

The piece of jagged rock has now become a simple sculptor’s chisel with an unmarred silver shank and a bone handle. With it, you can carve anything you can imagine from any material softer than steel.

The first thing you should carve is a door so that you can leave the room.

The bone-handled chisel is Object 334 of 538.

335. The Holder of Collections

In any city of any country, enter a library open for service. Ask the librarian at the front desk for the ‘Holder of Collections’ If the librarian has something to give you, it will be nothing else but your death so brutal that no book in history will be ever written about it. If you are graced, the librarian will say that there is no such item. Keep on insisting that you wish to see the Holder of Collections. Raise your voice if you must; don’t give a damn about everyone else. The librarian will call for security, and as you are taken away, you will be given a smile that reads ‘Good luck, cause you’ll need it’

The guard’s uniform will be in inverted colors, and when he is about to open the door for you, close your eyes and yell in your mind ‘I wish to see the Holder of Collections’ If the door is opened before you do that, you will be given a tour of all the levels of hell, because that’s where you’re going to live from then on. If done successfully, you should be in an endless corridor with human sculptures rimming both sides. The guard is nowhere to be seen. These sculptures have tags containing a unique number, personal information and they will all appear as if in their life’s prime. Unless you wish the person who looks like the sculpture to die, never look at the eyes. The likes of Hitler and other genocidal icons have traveled this path, seeing the marble sculpts come to full life as they pass through them.

Some will look like completely lifeless and white, some with few color and some are fully colored and almost lifelike. You may go back if you wish (at the cost of your morals and sense of righteousness), but if you truly want the Object, you have to search for door at the very end of the corridor. Should your body survive the long walk, you will be welcomed by a man wearing the Grim Reaper’s clothing. Though he has no more flesh sticking on his blackened skeleton, he will be pleasant, for it is not often that a person could see him without having to die. Ask him’How did your collection come to be?’

He will ask you to sit on his luxurious leather couch, and will start telling you how his collection began. He will tell you about his favorite sculptures, what they experienced before being delivered to his domain. He will tell you how his skin slid from his bones, rather, tell you what the sculpture that did that to him was. For each Seeker, he will tell a different person’s name. Never ever meet that person, because that person is fated to kill you, and death from his/her hands will send you to a place worse than the man’s domain.

After he tells his story, he will give you a checklist with only one item. That item is the soul of a person you are tasked to kill, lest you wish to take his place and continue his lonely job until someone replaces you. Don’t worry, for the one you must kill is someone close to you. Say your farewell, and he will reply with ‘See you later. Don’t be a stranger’ which will bring you back to your house, with the checklist and memories in your possession.

The checklist is Object 335 of 538.

336. The Holder of Skin

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit the one known as “The Holder of Skin”. If the clerk looks up at you, you should not have come. If the clerk does not acknowledge your presence, leave.

Outside, you will find yourself in a large canvas tent. Surrounding you on all sides will be a number of picnic tables, populated by everybody you have ever cared for; pick the one you love the most and hold them until the screaming begins. Do not choose incorrectly. Do not close your eyes. Your eyelids will be pulled from your head and you will see anyways. Do not let your loved one go. Eventually they will begin to slide from your hands and you will fall unconscious.

When you awake, you will be lying naked in the desert, beasts tearing at your skin. Their teeth shall be made of glass, their skin of burning charcoal, their eyes of razor wire. If their chattering does not burst your heart you are damned. Scream and they will leave you, the baking sun and your agonized nerves the only solace left. Hold your silence while they go about their work and a man will come to shoo them away. When they are gone, reach up and grab his arm, no matter what it feels like. Ask him this question before he pulls away: “Will I know?”

He will laugh at you before giving your skin back. Bite your tongue against the rending sand until he leaves, and then stand. In your hands will be a box. Turn around and put it on the clerk’s desk. When she permits you to go, one of your teeth will fall out.

The tooth is Object 336 of 568. Now you know where to bite.

337.  The Holder of Galaxies

It is suggested that you carry a number of Objects with you to aid you in this task. The Cloak, the White King’s Sword, the Summoning Book and the Shield will be your best choices.

On any moonless night, find a sizable field of grass. It does not need to be vast, but you must have room to work in. With a sword in hand, slice a pentagram into the ground. Then stab it directly into the center, and shout at the top of your lungs, “I challenge the Universe.”

One by one, the stars will wink out. The sky will become lighter as if the sun was rising, but it will not be blue. The heavens will turn a sickly crimson, arcs of red lightning flashing across the sky as noxious black clouds traverse the horizon. The sun will be a cold, dead ball of a grotesque brown hue. The earth will wither and die before you, turning into a barren wasteland of darkness, and houses will rot away and become sickening, haunted ruins. The pentagram will solidify into pure crystal, entombing the blade of the sword within.

You will hear the most agonizing and terrible scream, a scream at once intensely animalistic, yet human. It will overpower you, and you will drop to your knees, ears bleeding from the terror.

When the scream fades, and you regain your hearing, stand. Low, rolling clouds will be seen to the north. They will approach swiftly. If you have the Summoning Book, use it. The pentagram will erupt in a column of flame, melting the crystal and freeing the blade. Take it, and don both cloak and shield, if you have them. Otherwise, pray for a quick death, as the coming onslaught will have the upper hand.

When the clouds at last cover the earth, a legion of terrible beasts, neither living nor dead, will approach. If you have the Cloak, they will not notice you. They will pass on by, allowing you to obtain the first strike.

Lash out at the beasts. No matter what blade you might be using, they will be cleft asunder in with one strike. But kill one, and the rest will take notice. They will be armed with all sorts of vicious weapons from all through the ages, from stone clubs to battleaxes to assault rifles to weapons not yet dreamt of by man. They will attack, but you will defend. The Shield, if you have it, will guard from their attacks. Otherwise, you must dodge, parry, and do everything you can to stay alive.

After the last of the creatures fall to the ground, they will dissolve into the earth. The clouds will fade, and you will feel a presence behind you. Turn around, swiftly. There, surrounded by an aura of the blackest darkness that any mortal will ever see, is His avatar. It is nothing and everything at the same time. It will take on any shape He desires, and not even the Objects you wield will be able to guard yourself against Him if He chooses to attack.

You may only do one thing: ask Him, “Why do You do this?”

In a voice composed of every sentient creature that has ever been conceived in the known universe, he will answer. He will describe every single Object and every Seeker that has tried to claim them, and failed miserably. He will tell you where the remaining Objects are located, and which Seeker carries them, and where that Seeker can be found. His speech will take several months to listen to, but you will be unable to turn away, entranced by His voice that is both beautiful and disgusting, repulsive and seductive. And, at last, He will vanish, leaving behind only the barren wasteland you stand on, and the knowledge of the Objects that linger in your mind.

You will undoubtedly collapse out of sheer exhaustion. You will awake in the bed of the area you call home. A soft whisper will enter your mind, “Bring them together…” Tightly clenched in your hand will be a small serrated dagger with unintelligible script engraved on it. The metal will not be of this world, or even this universe, and no amount of testing will be able to reveal its properties.

This dagger is Object 337 of 538.

338. The Holder of All That Ever Was But Is No Longer

In any country, in any city, find any person. Ask to visit someone who calls himself “The Holder of All That Ever Was But Is No Longer.” The person will stare at you blankly, frozen in place. When you attempt to rouse the person, you will discover that you, too, are frozen. Then you will disappear.

In your place you will sense every living thing that has ever died. You will sense every inanimate object that has ever been destroyed. And you will sense nothingness. But you will no longer sense yourself.

Finally, you will sense the presence of anachronism and nostalgia, crumbling away to despair with the futility of your attempts to regain your own past. The despair becomes palpable, as what is left of your mind will want to shape it into your greatest fear. You know this is a false form, but what is left of your mind is incapable of giving something so horrible any other. Do not allow the despair to take this form or you will never return to yourself.

Say nothing. This will be easy to accomplish, as you will have no means by which to speak; however, even an attempt will be enough to end your existence permanently. The despair will tell you to do something. Do the opposite.

You will return to the former scene, the person with whom you were talking looking confused. This person will have become Object number 338 of 538.

339. The Holder of Choice

Before you attempt this object, there are two things to make sure of. It is heavily suggested that you be younger than thirty when you attempt this, or the holder may very well react violently. Secondly, make absolutely certain that no one follows you there, or knows that you’re going.

In any city, in any country, visit a location where gangs, drug dealers, and hoodlums hang out. Seek a girl with equal parts black and red hair, and ask her to take you to the “Holder of Choice.” If there is no such girl, do not worry; you’ll be granted another chance by this particular holder. If she is there, she’ll reply with nothing but a smug grin and walk away. Follow her.

She will take you to a nearby building. It will be old and run-down, and there will only be a few other people there. They will appear to be teenagers sampling different drugs, and I suggest that you make no effort to see through that illusion. She will ask you, almost in passing, about what brought you to this place. Your answers here will play a part in what is to come. Speak informally — you do not wish to appear uptight in front of her.

You will be taken to a makeshift table in the back, and she will lay out a pill and a syringe. The pill will be a deep black, and feel cold to the touch. The syringe will be perfectly normal, except that the liquid inside seems to almost glow with a bright, clear light. You can choose either one, but the experiences will be entirely different.

If you choose the pill, you will be filled with an unearthly contentment. For the next few hours, you will know nothing but the greatest peace and happiness of your life. However, just as drugs can dull the senses, this one will leave its mark. For the rest of your life, your every happiness will be lessened.

If you choose the syringe, you will be left in paralyzing agony for the next few hours. Do not show pain in front of the holder, however, as she will not take kindly to you insulting her wares. If you can survive this ordeal, you will find that most of your pain receptors have burned out. You will never again know physical pain as you did before.

Whichever one you take, you will find it almost impossible to concentrate once the drug wears off. You must, however, as the holder is about to ask you something. Cut her off and ask, “But what does it mean?” Her grin will disappear, and she will tell you exactly what it means to your quest.

If you took the pill, then from this point forward every object will be all the more difficult to take. The pain will be multiplied for every one, with the only difference being that it will not, in and of itself, drive you insane. If you took the syringe, then they will find new ways to test you, and you will beg for the mercy that was simple pain.

At this point, you may ask her whether or not you really had a choice. She will answer with a simple yes or no, and it will leave you relatively unharmed. The one thing that will truly cause you anguish will be the realization that, whatever choice you’ve made, you’ll only be worse off for it.

After all, that choice was Object 339 of 538.

340. The Holder of Turmoil

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself “The Holder of Turmoil.” A look of pure regret and melancholy should overtake the nurse, and she will instruct you to close your eyes. Once you do, she will lead you by the hand into a maze of hallways. Should you let her hand slip away at any moment, you will be stuck in this maze for all eternity. If you make it to the end, she will instruct you to open your eyes.

When you open your eyes the nurse will be gone. The room she left you in will be so dark, you will not be able to see your own hand in front of your face. From this point, there is no return, and any attempt to go back through the maze will leave you eternally lost. In front of you will be a door, and a faint light should be pouring from underneath it. If the light is cold and fluorescent, do not enter. If you do, the creature beyond will strap you to a table and pry your chest open, leaving you there in your misery. However long it takes, a minute, an hour, a day maybe, you must wait until the light changes to a warm glow before entering. Once you enter the room with the warm glow, the door will shut behind you and there will be no escape unless you are successful.

In this room is a man in his mid twenties sitting on a bed and sobbing, squeezing a toy dog tightly as if it were his child. It is then you must ask the question, “What came before them?” If you ask anything else the toy dog will crawl over and siphon your soul into it, forcing you to be damned with those who came before. If you do ask this question he will look up, and in his eyes you will see the horrid birth of all that’s evil and the twisted and dark deeds they had to commit to rise to power. If you look away he will bite your throat and stare into your eyes as you die, forcing you to watch. If you can survive the madness that his eyes will bring, his body will rapidly rot and decay into dust, leaving just the toy dog.

This toy dog is object 340 of 538.

341. Holder of the Loop

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself “The Holder of the Loop.” Do not dawdle or blink because for less than half a second the worker’s face will look like yours – if it did not, run away, go to the other side of the world if you can, for they will try their hardest to catch you. If, however, you see his face change, do not show any hint of surprise. He will then call for someone, and you will hear a voice inches behind your left ear. Again, do not show any sign of surprise. The owner of that voice will then tell you to follow him. Do not face him yet, but look at the worker behind the desk and repeat the phrase “Ad Infinitum” until the worker gives you his wristwatch. Only now, look at the floor and turn around – it is important that you do not see the upper half of the other person or even talk to him as he begins to walk. Follow.

He will walk down a corridor for a while, and eventually you’ll feel that you’ve been walking through a circular corridor. When this happens thank all the Gods you know – but if this feeling nevers comes, and you feel that you’re walking a straight corridor, you’d be luckier to have failed at some other Holder’s test than here. You may be following that man for days or weeks but it is important that you do not look at his upper half. When he finally stops, look to your left where you will see a door. Turn the knob counter-clockwise and it should open. If, on any part of the journey, you saw the man’s upper half, or if you turned the doorknob clockwise, or if you did not have the wristwatch, you’d see the lobby of the building you are in, you’d see “you” talking to the worker behind the desk, you’d be forced to be the man who led you to this door “Ad Infinitum.” But if you followed the instructions you would see a hallway filled with timekeeping devices. If this is the case, enter and close the door without turning back.

Walk and keep your sight straight ahead, never sway to your side, never look back, and never stop until you reach a pedestal. Place the wristwatch there and wait as its hands spinn backwards. When it stops there will be nothing but darkness – feel for the watch, pick it up and put it down again, and it should now spin clockwise – if it does not, try to fall asleep – that way you won’t see what comes for you. When the watch finishes, again, there will be nothing but darkness around you.

You should now ask the darkness “Why does it repeat?”, it should now tell you in excruciating detail, all that has happened, everything that is happening and everything that will happen to anything and anyone excluding you. Listen to everything, stand straight, for should you falter in any way, the best thing that would happen to you is to go insane. When the darkness finishes its story, repeat the question, “Why does it repeat?” The darkness will reply by asking the same question of you. Remember what you’ve been told, and an answer should form in your head. If it doesn’t, then all is in vain and your body will separate atom from atom, agonizing second by agonizing second until you are one with the void. If, however, you have the answer, scream it at the top of your lungs, keep screaming the answer until your breath or voice give out, no sooner. When you wake up you would be lying in your bed in the place you call home. Look under your pillow for a small, impossibly black object signifying the Darkness at the Beginning and End.

This little ball is Object 341 of 538.

342. The Holder of Instruction

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to visit someone who calls himself “The Holder of Instruction.” The worker will open a trapdoor behind his desk and hand you a set of earplugs. Once you have them in, he will motion for you to descend. He will follow and firmly shut the door behind him, enshrouding you both in darkness.

Only remove the earplugs when instructed. Doing otherwise will result in your death. Some things were never meant to be heard by human ears.

Suddenly, a flickering, sourceless light will paint the large, oval room you occupy. Enter the wooden door at it’s far end, and step into the stone corridor beyond. A voice will begin issuing commands, and no matter what happens, you must obey. Do not even show the slightest hesitation. Failure to comply will result in a horrible waking nightmare from which you will never escape.

Only once will the voice allow you a choice. At some point, you will find yourself in front of two archways. The first archway is made from human muscle and bone; gore dribbles down it and collects into glistening pools. It is truly a horrific sight. The other archway is made from entirely fire. Beyond each lies impenetrable darkness.

One archway leads to the Holder of Instruction and his Object. The other leads to eternal damnation. It is unknown which one leads where. The choice is yours.

If you choose the correct archway, you find yourself standing in darkness. The only visible thing will be the Holder. He wears a dark cloak and is completely bald, excluding his long beard that nearly brushes the ground. He will smile at you and his voice will once more ring in your head in you head. He will ask you to look him in the eyes and tell you the story of the earplugs and why it is necessary for you to wear them. Many go mad upon it’s recitation. If you are alive and sane when he finishes the tale, he will ask you to remove the earplugs and will present you with a new pair. This new pair is completely black.

He will clap his hands once and you will find yourself back where you began.

The black earplugs are Object 342 of 538. They are the only thing that will deafen His screams.

343. The Holder of Servitude

In any city, in any country, go to any out of the way nursing home, making sure that you get there after 11:00 pm. The sign out front will say that visiting hours are over, but the door will be unlocked. When you reach the front desk, ask the receptionist to tell The Old Maid that you’re ready to play. The receptionist will probably act surprised, as if she were unsure that she heard correctly, and will ask you to repeat yourself. This, too, is a trap. You mustn’t tell this woman anything else other than “She’s expecting me.” If you say anything else, anything at all, the receptionist will forcibly lead you to a room with one of the most dangerous tenants of the home, who will torture and kill you.

If you answer correctly, then after a few moments of disappointed silence you will be lead down a long series of hallways, with slightly open doors lining each side. Inside the rooms will be elderly men and women, sitting by the window, watching television, listening to music, or in some other way trying to ease their monotony. As you look, they will try to meet your gaze. If you lock eyes with even one of them for an instant, they will run towards the door with unnatural speed, flinging it open and dragging you inside to join the horrors that were a second ago obscured.

Around 11:20, you will reach the end of the labyrinth, and you will come to a door different from the others. It will be locked with a large padlock. The receptionist will put a twisted little key in the lock and leave in a hurry. It is now up to you whether or not to open the door and continue your visit; however, leaving now would likely be disastrous, as every door you passed will now be wide open, and they will be waiting for you. The key will seem to stick in the lock, caught on something, stubbornly refusing to turn. Keep trying until it opens; it won’t break, no matter how much pressure you put on it.

Inside, the room is complex, yet simple. The otherwise plain walls are lined with long and seemingly endless lines of text. If you had the time to read them, you would have seen that they contain the rules of every game ever played, and every game ever to be made. They contain poems of heroics and bravery, laments of cowardice and betrayal, as well as a code of rather specific loyalty in a small space off in the far corner. But you haven’t time; the game has already begun.

Sitting at a plain table in the middle of the room are two chairs, a deck of cards, and what appears to be a young woman. The only proof that she would be anything but is her hair; it is the color of moonlight and covers one side of her face. When she speaks, her voice will be quiet and ancient, finally revealing that she is The Old Maid, and the Holder that you’ve come to bargain with. She will invite you to sit, as she shuffles up the deck in preparation.

You will seat yourself at the table, in the chair across from her. She will deal you a hand, but every card will be terrible to read. They hold crimes, tortures, atrocities more ghastly than you can conceive of. It will be all you can do to even hold them, and you must play with them.

Check the time. It will be 11:30. Your time is shorter than you know, and the game is Old Maid. Only in this game, you have to find the maid, and failure results in the personal realization of every horror you hold in your hands. The woman before you will read you like a book, puzzling out your every move, and tell innocent little stories to stall for time. You have ’til midnight to find the one card in the deck that is your salvation. If you find it, it is most likely you will find it close to the last stroke of midnight, just before your time is up. The card itself shows the woman seated across from you, but the card depicts a hairless, haggard crone, save for a young and beautiful patch of skin located where the younger incarnation’s hair now falls. Look up, and the young vision in front of you will shrivel, dry, and crack into dust.

Hold the card tightly, and run. You have very little time to exit the building, which will now ring with maddened screams, all screaming your name, all accusing you of abandoning them, and all coming closer. If you can make it back through the labyrinth fast enough, you must flee from the building and run until you can no longer see the front door, the windows, or the horrors behind them. When you are finally safe, you may look once again at the card you’ve hopefully held onto this whole time. It shows The Old Maid, young again, hair pulled behind her ears to reveal the dry skin and empty eye socket you couldn’t see earlier. On the back of the card is more of the writing from the room, spelling out a contract of service for a “live-in maid.” You must sign it quickly, or you will find yourself standing back outside the nursing home at 11:00 pm, but with no chance of success.

From this day forward, after signing the contract, you will hear a quiet, ancient voice telling you the truth of any subject you ask it.

The voice is Object 343 of 538.

344. The Holder of Fire

In any city more than one hundred years old, go to the cathedral nearest the city’s center. When you enter you will be greeted by a deaf, hunchbacked old priest. You must tell him, within thirty seconds of his greeting, that you wish to see The Holder of the Fire. If you wait too long, his ears shall close up and he shall return to his soundless world until the next seeker comes to him.

If you ask in time he will shake his head three times. Repeat your request. This time he will stand as straight as his years permit and look you in the eyes. Do not break eye contact with him, for the church around you is dissolving, and the sight of it will drive you mad.

After what will seem like eternity, you will find yourself standing in pitch black darkness. Then, from the middle of the darkness, a roaring fire will appear. It will seem to have no source, indeed, you will think it is floating in mid-air.

In the midst of this fire will be a creature more lovely than anything you have ever seen. It will be bright, as if made of hot metal, and will take the shape of all your desires. You must not look upon this creature’s body, however, only its face. If you look down it will fly into a rage, and your fate will be one of unending agony.

Speak immediately, and ask it only one thing. “How long has it burned?” If it does not answer immediately, fall to your knees and look at the floor. It would be best that you not see how you died.

If it deems you worthy of hearing the answer, it will open its mouth and a tongue of flame will shoot out. You will hear it speaking from all around you, in a million silvery voices that will send chills down your spine. The creature will tell you of everything it has seen, and everything that it has taken part of. You must remain silent until it is finished or it will stop speaking and you will find yourself back in the church. It will drive you mad that you do not know how the story ends.

When the creature finishes you will notice that the temperature of the room has fallen, despite the flames. You must stand still and not shiver. If you are sufficienty still the creature will ask you, “Are you cold?” You must say that you are. It will hold out it’s hand and give you a small flint, which will fill you with warmth. Then the darkness will grow brighter, and the creature will fade. You will find yourself back in the church. Leave immediately and do not speak to the priest of what you have seen.

The Flint is Object 344 of 538.

345. The Holder of Envy

In any city, in any country, you could have gone to any pawn shop you could get yourself to. You can’t anymore. I got there first.

Inside, the dealer may have immediately cast you a defensive glare, as if you were a threat. This meant either he was naturally a nasty man, or you have come to the right place. The only way you could have been sure is to ask if he has any merchandise sold to him by the “Holder of Envy.” If, after a quick search on his computer, he glares at you and retreats into the storage room, you’d have been in luck. He won’t do this anymore. I got there first.

He would have handed you a TV with a broken screen and told you to get out of his store at once. It wasn’t worth complaining, leaving was the best solution. Despite the glass being broken, the TV functioned fine, at least in respect to showing you images. It didn’t pick up any channels, though. Once it was plugged in, it only showed you a face, screaming at you in fury. The accusations it would be throwing you were obviously false, but nonetheless, you would be ridden with horrible guilt.

If you managed to will yourself past the emotional weight, the face’s tirade would have only stopped for one statement. “What have They to take from us?” The face would have immediately fallen silent, an arm reaching out of the TV screen as the Holder pulled himself out. The Holder hated the Seeker for everything he had, and you had to watch as he destroyed all of your most precious possessions and burnt down your house. It all would have gone so fast, only the lucky could have escaped with their lives.

If you managed to escape the flames, soon the Holder would have come out of the wreckage with a flaming sword in an attempt to take your life. He was a strong opponent, having spent his entire existence waiting for a Seeker to butcher.

His severed left hand is Object 345 of 538.

346. The Holder of Charms

In any city of any country, travel to a road not taken in any car. Make sure that car has a mirror for you to see your face. Take a deep breath and steel yourself for you won’t be resting anytime soon.

Now, start charming the person in the mirror. Don’t worry about your image (yet) for there will be no one to look stupid for. To have an audience is your task, the Holder of Charms. Keep in mind that she’s a demon, and to charm her you have to be a demon. Speak about about cutting newborns’ faces with rusty scissors, flaying your siblings with potato peelers, chopping fingers with pruning shears, or pulling teeth out with wrenches. Never stop even if your throat bleeds, if your tongue dries to stone or if your bladder starts to betray you. This will take hours, or days, or eternity if you submit to hatred and spend the rest of your life in your car cursing about the ones you cherish.

If you stop or the person in the mirror shows disinterest, you haven’t shown enough hatred. You lose; every time you fall asleep, you will go through the torture you offered to the Holder of Charms. It will appear as a dream, but the pain won’t. You may never sleep if you wish. The only way to lift this curse is to actually fulfill the wishes you had made.

When the images in the mirror change, be happy for you’re on the right track. Don’t let the images disturb you. You will see smiling heads of babies without bodies, drooping faces as if they were wax, skinless faces, crushed faces, ones covered with boiling pus and worms, and more that would send a chill even to Death’s spine. The images are you, for your hatred has charmed the Holder, and don’t be surprised if you may feel what the images feel.

When no more images appear in the mirror, close your eyes. Keep your hate, and just a pinch of humanity and sanity. Never open your eyes until you hear an old and insane woman singing the stereotypical snake charmer melody you hear in cartoons. Sometimes she would sing the English alphabet or nursery rhymes. When you open your eyes, you will be in a meadow of dead foliage, before you an eight foot old Demoness. Her skin has been boiled black, dripping rubbery flesh that plaster to the earth with acidic sounds. Her exposed bones have opulent green maggots. Misplaced eyes, fangs and unknown organs adorn her naked body. Her face, looking down on you, features a warped smiling skull with skin. Her eyes are sunken in the purple caverns which are the sockets; her lips have flaked off, cooked by the oil that was once her nose. In place of her teeth are slashed gums dangling and arcing in impossible ways.

She will then sing the melody of a couple about to marry. Hold her sizzling maggoty hand, and she will extend her neck for the kiss. Her lips are cold, like raw meat. The slashed gums will be hard and metallic, her tongue as bitter as hell, yet as sweet as a kiss. She will taste like cooked human.

After the kiss, you will find yourself in your car, with a raging purple tumor on your throat. No one will pay attention to it, for you’re the only one who can see it. But don’t worry, because you have the gift of utterance and charisma. You can make anyone fall for you, metaphorically, or literally.

The tumor is Object 346 of 538.

347. The Holder of Exit

If you insist on pressing on, Seeker, I suggest you carry both the Tuning Fork and the Delete Key, for they will make this marginally easier for you.

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself into. Ask the receptionist if you can visit with the “Holder of Exit.” The worker will tell you to turn around and walk out, perhaps mentioning that there’s an exit behind you. If you wish to exit from this quest, this is the last chance you have, for there is no turning back after you follow the next step.

You must specify that you wish to see the Holder of Exit, not the Exit itself. If the worker doesn’t know what you’re talking about, you will start to notice yourself fading away into nothingness. This Holder, unfortunately, understands what mercy means. If this happens, before you disappear completely, you must strike the Tuning Fork to call forth Object 290, the Tuning Pitch, to aid you in vibrating yourself back into existence. Whatever you do, do not match your voice with the pitch, no matter how tempting it seems; this will cause your vocal cords to transform into…well, you’ll gradually end up turning into The Holder of Vibration, if it doesn’t cause your throat to explode first. Let the vibration form around you until it dissipates. If you are in the wrong place, the worker will look at the Object in your hand; now you may as well try, because if you survive the transformation, you will at least be taken away to a cell.

If you’re lucky and the worker blinks his eyes several times, he will lead you to a high point on the building. There will be an exit sign, even though the building is too high and you will fall off the edge if you haven’t opened the portal with the Tuning Fork, specifically from downstairs.

Along the hall, you will notice the largest number of exit signs you have ever seen in your life – taking one of these will only result in one of many horrible, painful and drawn out deaths. After what will seem like an eternity of walking, the worker will say: “May They have mercy on your pitiful soul,” and point you towards a door that has no markings.

The fierce, large chimera inside the room is far too powerful for anything other than the combined force of the Tuning Fork and the Delete Key to subdue; an Object such as the White King’s Sword might help, but I leave that up to the Seeker. It is far too enraged to even answer a question that this writer knows of. Stun the chimera with the Tuning Fork, followed by a blast from the Delete Key. (I must not elaborate on what happens if you do not do these things in that particular order.) If you do it correctly, the realization that you just witnessed such a brutal, powerful creature falling to such a simple process will cause you to black out. After the chimera vanishes, let everything go black.

If you are deemed strong enough of will to be allowed to wake up, you will be lying on your back, in your dwelling, wearing Object 347 of 538, the Sealer’s Sash.

348.  The Holder of the Rose

Anywhere, in your most darkest hour, you can only pray that you are truly obsessed with one object. If you have deemed your life worthless to live, and you indeed have the means to end it, say the name of this Holder once, and attempt to end your life. As you lose consciousness, the things around you will change, though you will barely tell, as you are now dieing. Submit to the cold.

You will wake up. Do not question why. This Holder does not like those who question the powers of the Objects. Your body has been placed up high, three nails bind you to the walls of a church. One in your left hand, one in your right, and one piercing both of your feet. This was necessary, for the greatest Sin is taking the most valuable gift from God, your life.

If you have not been deemed tainted enough by any object, the Holder will leave you here, forever nailed, forcing you to watch the churchgoers pray, thinking you are Jesus. Though they do not know it, they are praying to a false idol, which is now you. Everyone of those souls will be banished to Hell, and once someone figures this all out and takes you down, they will be waiting.

Soon, a bright, golden light will appear before you. It will be okay to close your eyes. This light will fade, and a man of stunning beauty and grace will be floating before you. This man, is not a man. It is the Archangel, Barachiel. He will smile upon you, laughing at your pitiful state of mind, and the situation you are in now. You must ask him one question.

‘Which one of us did he deem unworthy?’ His expression will change from mockery to that of pity. He will wind up his right arm, and impale you with a rose. Not just any rose, The White Rose. It’s stem will pierce your heart, the barbs ripping and annihilating every fiber of you that they come in contact with. Here is your final chance.

You must get the Rose out of you with the pure will to live, and that alone. You will struggle, thinking about your failed past, wondering why your life seemed so condemned to sorrow and depression. Yet you must look past this. Find the meaning of your life, of life itself. And if you should succeed, the angel will smile upon you. The Rose will fall to the ground, as will your limp body. Before you lose consciousness, you must grab the Rose, and keep even the slightest grip.

If you have won this Holders respect, The White Rose will be by your side as you wake up, exactly where you left off, on the edge of suicide, the instrument of your death in your hand. I would advise you not attempt suicide again, for if you do, you will have a face to face meeting with this Holder. Hell would be like Heaven to you, after that.

You will go home, and rest. But not before spilling a drop of your own blood onto the White Rose. With every drop of blood, it will grow, the stem climbing to impossible lengths, and the flower to immense size. As long as you put one drop of blood onto the Rose, you will live a happy life. But, if you should fail to quench it’s thirst, even once, it will be the instrument in your suicide.

The White Rose is Object 348 of 538.

349.  The Holder of the Note

In any town, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. Once at the front desk, do not say a thing. This Holder will know of your intentions. Soon, you will feel a blade at your throat. No one in the room, no matter who they are, will react to this.

As long as you do not turn your head, you will be safe from the bite of your captors blade. However, if you do, he will slit your throat, leaving you to slowly bleed out, drowning in your own blood until the Gathering. Here, you will encounter many a Seeker who have met the same fate.

He will softly pull you back to the front door and turn you around. This door is not the same one you entered, but an experienced Seeker will pay this no mind.

The door will open, and you will have to walk. You ought walk neither too fast nor too slow, just walk, at a casual pace. In this small hallway, you will see glass panels, somehow keeping back countless grotesque beasts the likes of which you will never see again. Note that it is now safe to put the blade at your throat out of your mind, for if you turn your head here, he will simply leave you as the glass panels vanish. Here, your assassin is your only defense.

Once you reach the end of this hallway, after perhaps a minute, or years, you will be prompted to open the door that will be in front of you. His voice will not leave his lips, never to fall upon your ears. His words will ring in your mind, echoing in your fragile imagination. If you can stand this without Him breaking your will, open the door.

The soothing sound of a wood flute will enter your ears, instantly causing you to fall to your knees. This will be the most beautiful song you will ever hear, and its sound will lift you into a state of euphoria. Be quick, however, for the flute’s song is summoning the Holder’s guardians, and you don’t want to know what happens to those to tarry too long to enjoy the music.

Run to the ladder that leads to the flute player’s platform. There will be six ladders, only one of which leads to the top. If you happen to make the wrong decision, the ladder you are on will grow to impossible proportions in a matter of seconds, then tip over. You will far for nearly an eternity, and when you land, it will be the most horrid, shattering pain that you will ever experience – and it will be yours to experience for the rest of time.

The flute player will appear to be a human girl, no more than ten years of age. Bow down to her, and tell her how wonderful her song was. She will laugh, and tap you on the head.

For the rest of your life, you will always hear the last note of that song. The Final Note is Object 349 of 538. The more emotion you feel, the louder it will be. If you ever feel an emotion that rivals that of the Final Song, the piercing scream of the note will bring an end to you.

Play the Final Note at the Gathering, and the world will sing no more.

350. The Holder of Serenity

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution of halfway house you can get yourself to. When you reach the front desk, ask to speak to someone who calls herself “The Holder of Serenity.” The worker should sigh and rub their forehead in annoyance, but will proceed to stand up and instruct you to follow them.

You’ll be led to a glass door that presumably leads to some sort of backyard. Upon opening the door, you will be engulfed in impenetrable darkness, the only light being very faint and extremely distant. Head towards that light. As you proceed, you may begin to notice several noises from all around you. They are nostalgic; the sound of children laughing, the sound of bike bells chiming, the sound of crickets chirping, etc. Do not turn your attention away from the light for even a moment, for if you do you will find that the invisible surface you walk on no longer exists, and you will fall through darkness for eternity, surrounded by endless silence.

Should you reach the light without surrendering to temptation and curiosity, you will find yourself in the middle of a large, seemingly endless field in the middle of night, illuminated by a large crescent moon. All around you will be pale yellow flowers, swaying slightly in the warm summer breeze. Directly in front of you is a girl with long blonde hair and a white dress, who has her back turned to you. In her hand is a flower, but it is dark purple and very visibly dead.

Approach the girl but do not touch her. Say to her “What is their ultimate purpose?” A small chuckle should escape the girl’s lips, and she’ll turn to face you, revealing the rotted remains of a face; her teeth are yellow and smeared, her mouth forever frozen in a skeletal smile, and one eye dangles from its socket. In her forehead is the hilt of a blade permanently embedded in her skull. The wind will blow slightly and a scream should sound in the distance, echoing all across the meadow. At this point you should feel as though a million knives are stabbing you from all over, but do not flinch; the pain is but a hallucination, and surrendering to it will drive you insane.

After several agonizing seconds, the pain will stop. A gust of intense wind will push the girl into you, and as her hand touches yours, you will be surrounded by a feeling of absolute peace. You’ll find yourself standing outside the institution which you entered so long ago. In your hand is the dark purple flower, now vibrant with life.

The flower is Object number 350 of 538. Its very presence is soothing to the soul.