Object 552: The Holder of the Storm

In any city, in any country, make your way to any boating dock you can get yourself to. When you reach the end of the dock, where it meets the water, take a deep breath, and belt out with as much gusto as you can, "I seek, the Holder of the Storm." If done proudly enough, the once calm waters will now turn choppy, the once blue sky will now turn black. Rain, falling from every direction, lightning bolts, crashing around. Do not be afraid, for if you show the slightest amount of fear, each bolt of lightning that was once striking around you, will form together, and strike you down.

If you manage to now show fear, after what seems like an eternity, a set of stairs will appear, leading up. Follow the stairs, until you reach a hallway. The hallway is very dimly lit. Begin to walk down the hallway, until you reach the 5th door on your left; open it slowly, but do not enter. If you opened it slow enough, a light should appear, and in the distance you should see a figure, standing with his back facing you. If the light does not go on, again with as much pride and gusto as you can muster, yell, "I only wish to speak, and learn."

However, should the light not go on, well... Let's just say you're gonna want to try and run for another door, for the fate you meet in there would be like heaven compared to the fate you'd meet in the room in front of you. Now, if the light should go on, slowly walk toward the apparent man. From all around you, you'll hear sharp cries and screams. Don't let these noises instill fear in you, keep going until you reach the man. Without touching him, lean into his left ear, and whisper softly, "What happens when the light dies out?" If spoken with enough pride, the man will turn around, placing his hand upon your right shoulder, and explain in horrific detail about all the times the darkness has prevailed. If you manage to keep your sanity, the man will remove his hood with his free hand, revealing a demonic-like face. Do not scream.

If you manage not to scream, he will softly place something in your dominant hand. Do not look upon the Object, yet. He will then place his left hand on your forehead, you will feel a warm sensation fill your body, the once white room you were standing in is now all distorted. When you open your eyes, you will be back on the dock, where you stood. The waters and skies will be calm. Now, you may look upon the Object in your hand.

The crystal is Object 552 of 2538. You must forever keep this crystal; as long as you hold it, the light will always prevail.

Object 553: The Holder of the Rift

In any given country, at night, you might find yourself walking alone, in a light rain. If you are still alone as the clock ticks 1:37 AM, you will hear footsteps behind you. Don't look over your shoulder, or you will see me, The Holder of the Rift, but it is not time. If you see me before all is ready, your journey will come to an untimely end.

Instead, keep walking in a straight line. Everything around you will slowly start to blackout, but you must keep walking, your eyes focused forward. Eventually, after an untold and unfeasible amount of time, you will see a lone streetlight in the distance.

Still, do not look over your shoulder, you are not ready. You will hear footsteps all around you now. You must keep your eyes on the light, and nothing else. Ignore your peripheral, no matter what stray images may enter and exit. Your gut will wrench, you will sweat uncontrollably, but still, you must continue, unfaltering.

When you are almost in arm's reach of the lone light, it will suddenly go out, and you will be trapped in the darkness. Do not move, despite the chill that now runs down your spine and breathing you now feel down your neck. The only way to save your now captured soul is to ask a single question: "Why have you been following me?"

If you do not move, and ask the right question, your eyes will flush shades of blue and purple, and you will be sent spinning into a vortex. No matter how many times you blink, the blue and purple will not leave your eyes. Soon, you will be dazed, and find yourself in a small, swirling tunnel. Immediately start walking in a straight line, 'til you hear footsteps again, no matter how long it takes for them to come.

You are now ready.

Turn around, and you will see me. I am a tall figure, wearing a steel mask over my face, long purple robes covering my body, and an aura of blue surrounding me. I will start to answer your question, but you must interrupt me quickly and say, "I want what lets you travel the rift." That is the only way you can have what I hold most dear. If you wait too long, you will find yourself trapped once more, listening as I speak on and on, my words so enthralling that you don't notice the horde of nightmares too grotesque to describe descending on your presence.

If you do as instructed, however, the tunnel around you will flash in a blinding, white light, forcing you out of reality. When you finally come to, I will be gone, and you will find yourself alone, at night, at exactly 1:37 AM. You will get to your feet, and laugh, thinking it was all a dream. Only when you decide to touch your face will you realize the steel mask covering it. That, and you also notice the figure walking alone in front of you.

This mask is Object 553 of 2538. Stalk the rift or ignore the mask's plea, the choice is yours alone.

Object 554: The Holder of the Revolution

I am the Holder of the Revolution.

In any city, in any country, go to a place where the murmurs of disquiet had once gathered, or are gathering still. Once there, you may ask anyone present - be it a tour guide, high official, or fellow traveler - for me. All will know of me in this place. Should the person's visage be one of fervid zeal, he will beckon you to follow. Do so. He will lead you down a path down which many others - knowingly or unknowingly - have trod. If, however, the strange shows no sign of enthusiasm, you have come to the wrong place. Do not attempt to find me again, for you have already failed.

For some Seekers, this temptation will be too great - for there will be this yearning that will forever remain unfulfilled. They shall suffer for eternity. If you ask and are met only with confusion, consider yourself lucky. He will ask you to repeat your question (as if he had not quite heard it), and by the time he does so, you will have forgotten what it was. You will shake your head, and turn away, and perhaps try to remember what you were doing in the first place. You will never know. You will forget all about the stranger, the place you went to - you will forget all about the Object and about me. In this I will show mercy: in having failed, you will have forgotten about the failure itself.

Follow the guide down the path you have chosen. He will not try to shake you. You are valuable to him. If you happen to lose him - for the ground you walk upon is treacherous - continue on. The way should already be clear to you, for the path of rebellion is a steep, slippery slope. It will be impossible for you to go any other way but toward me.

You may choose to scour the surroundings for harbingers of your fate - be they good or bad. I would not concern myself with such things, as ultimately this knowledge will give you no advantage. It matters not what forebodings you may be able to pick up, as, in the end, there is nothing you could do to change your fate.

You may begin to hear whispers. At first, you will only be able to make out a few words, as if the speakers feared their words would fall on the wrong person. Do not try to force them to reveal more. Their speech will become more clear and coherent as you gain their trust. Soon you will be able to make out their words. They will speak to you of their plight, of injustices committed, of sentiments pleading to be made into action. Many will pour out from the shadows to walk with you. Some may grab your clothing as they plead with you. Do not ignore their cries. You must listen.

If you hear silence, I pity you. You are, and shall forever remain, utterly alone.

As you enter my presence, do not bother to rehearse a question or to reenact a superficial ritual, for I have already judged you. Nothing you do now can change my ruling.

I am the Holder of the Revolution.

I already know you. I have known you from the very beginning of your quest. Although you have not known it, you have already been working for me, already advancing my cause. For all Seekers are inherently serving my purpose. The act of seeking out an Object itself shows a desire for change, for revolution. For if things were to be left stable, why bother seeking out the Objects in the first place? The Holders cannot unite them. No - they are powerless to stop it. Object by Object, Seeker by Seeker, the revolution approaches. The question is, what will you do to aid it? It is too late to do nothing. You can never forget met - never forget the demands of the masses, of a world longing to be made free, of a reckoning of all things that exist and don't exist.

I am the revolution.

Carry me well, for I am 554 of 2538. Do not abandon me, for I am drawing ever closer.

Object 555: The Holder of the Meadow

Go to the very center of the forest closest to the one place you have the fondest memories of... As you approach it, you will see a shining ray of sunlight brighten the darkest, thickest brush in the forest. The brush will part to reveal a clearing just large enough for you to sit in. Slowly enter the opening, just quiet enough to not disturb the wildlife, and sit, legs crossed, in the center.

When you sit, close your eyes. If you open your eyes, it will be the last time you ever do. You will see a woman with bright red hair and golden-honey eyes take your very soul from you. You will lay there, emotionless, for the rest of eternity, but if you keep your eyes closed, you will see, in your head, a horrific tale.

Many have gone mad after seeing this tale, while others have taken their own life. Only a few have lived to see it in its entirety. It is of a young, short, brown-haired girl, sitting in what seems to be the exact spot you are in. It seems as if the girl is waiting, or as if she's lonely. You can hear children laughing in the distance. The girl will look up, with beautiful blue eyes, put a flower in her hair, and skip off. As she jokingly hides behind a wide oak tree, she will come back around with a steak knife through her heart, and a locket in her hand. You must watch the little girl die, so you can never forget the face of the little girl. Once the child is dead, immediately open your eyes, so you are not tempted to take the locket.

If you open your eyes, and there is no locket in your hands, get up and walk out of the forest; take your time, for you have nothing to fear. If you open your eyes and feel a locket intertwined with your fingers, you must sit in that spot, and try your hardest to think about your childhood. Think of your face, and compare it to the little girl's face. While thinking, you should hope that no one else will read this passage.

That locket is Object 555 of 2538. Guard it with your life.

Object 556: The Holder of the Rain

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 Rain." Should the worker ignore you and instead remark on the dismal state of the weather lately, you are in the right place. Still taking no notice of you, they will then unlock the door you seek. .The door will be located next to the desk, though it won't be made visible to you until now. Upon opening the door, a flash of light will blind you, and you will pass out.

When you wake up, you will be seated behind the desk, in the same spot as the worker from before. The building itself will remain unchanged, though there will be nobody there and the weather will have turned into a powerful thunderstorm. You will feel a great temptation to leave the building; however, you must remain seated until your visitor arrives - you wouldn't want to offend him. This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 10 hours, so be patient. When the time comes, a man wearing a blue three-piece suit and matching fedora will walk in through the front door, holding a black umbrella covered in water from all the rain. He will fold up his umbrella and walk toward the front desk, where you are seated. If at any point, he stops walking and looks over his shoulder you must immediately tell him, "No need to worry, sir. It's dry in here." If he turns around and starts to leave, you will be forced to follow him, and... Well, let's just say that if you weren't afraid of thunderstorms before, you will be very soon.

If, however, he stops in front of the desk and places his hands in his pockets, as if waiting for something, you might have a chance of coming out of this alive and dry. You must stand up, offer him your hand, and ask him, "What causes the rain to fall?" He will grab your hand, grin slightly, and pull your ear to his mouth, where he will whisper to you the origin of the endless storm, a violent, destructive force of nature called forth to find and kill all Seekers to prevent the gathering of the Objects. This will seem to take days, though in reality it only takes a few minutes. After he has told his story, he will turn to leave without another word. Upon reaching the door, he will open it onto a warm, sunny day. He will shrug, mutter, "Seems to have cleared up...," and toss his umbrella behind him carelessly.

Pick up this umbrella, and you will wake up in the third stall of the men's bathroom in the building you were in before, still holding the umbrella. The umbrella itself is a simple thing made of canvas with a black metal handle, but when opened, seems to pulse softly, like a heartbeat.

This umbrella is Object 556 of 2538. When the storm arrives, it should keep you dry.

Object 557: The Holder of the Pulse

In any city, seek the nearest hospital or medical facility on a date where someone loved or related to you was born or had suffered their end. Your own birth will be invalid and upon uttering a word of this Holder will bring you utter and pitiful doom. Compose yourself properly then approach the front desk. Look at the person behind the desk squarely in the eye and ask to meet the one known as "The Holder of the Pulse". They will stare back with an emotionless bore, seeming to want to rip your very life from existence, as they too, will do all to become one with the pulse.

You must not move, waver, or show emotion be it a small grin or simple scowl. If you have, you have failed. If you wish, you can attempt to kill the desk attendant, and redeem yourself. An inhuman feeling with brush your neck if you are redeemed. You may retry your fate once more on one of the patients in the building, or leave without one word, and your terrible deed will not be known to the mortal life. If you cannot kill, or you admit your defeat, your fate is sealed and the last thing you will be able to comprehend is watching Them feed on every beat and pump of your lifeforce, as it is torn from your very soul.

If you do manage to hold your composure, your opponent will admit their defeat, and give you instructions from the Holder; listen closely, and do not fault.

The desk attendant will give you their hands and ask you to close your eyes. Both of you will walk down an unmarked hallway, your mind slipping into a vertigo. The world you enter will be pure white, warm and comforting to all your senses. One other presence will be there, look upon her face and she will smile. During this time, two heartbeats will sound. The second the two become one; ask the girl, "Why does our life begin?" Her expression will change to that of anger or sadness. No matter what your mind, heart, or soul tells you to do or say to get you to stop, you must keep asking the same question. Every time you utter the last word, "begin", she will grow more angry or sad, your senses will flare with pain, and it will be harder to focus as she is killing you. The odd dimension will flash, blinding your eyes, scream, deafening your ears, and scorch and burn your nerves. You will be stricken with disease, a mass of fatal wounds, and suffer a limitless torment through your very being. You may hear your flesh crackle as it burns away to the bone, or your skull shatter into fragments, maybe even watch as your innards are spilled among her floor, anything to make you scream or wail. If you do not last she will turn you into her newest puppet, among the others who seek her blessing. Some prefer this fate, and lavish the warm and gentle touch of her lips as she breathes life into her toys when they stop ticking.

If you manage to withstand until the heartbeats separate, she will abruptly stop, and regain her smile. With a swift movement, she will place a tender kiss on your left palm, a warm pulse will beat through you entirely, blessing you with the gift of life, and the girl will rip the souls of the unworthy to make her toys and to feed you. But those who seek this ability for eternal life, do well to know this, every year past your destined end, an innumerable amount of raging, tormented souls will tear as the thin fickle skin of your pathetic body cursing at the horrid master who cast and killed them off so you may exist. But fear not, as the girl will comfort and embrace your screaming and flailing body, only after an endless 24 hours of this torment on the date you received the pulse.

If this burden is enough for your hellish and cruel soul, go ahead and take it.

The pulse in your vein is Object 557 of 2538. It will beat forever, as it steals the lives of the unworthy.

Object 558: The Holder of Vampirism

In any city, in any country, find a mental institution or a halfway house you can get yourself to. Upon meeting the clerk at the front desk, ask to see someone who calls himself "The Holder of Vampirism". The clerk's eyes will turn into a glowing maroon red and everybody present in the room will violently scream until you are transported to a medieval castle at midnight. Do not touch anything, as this is the Holder's property.

Make your way to the master bedroom on the top floor through your seemingly endless path. While climbing the stairs and passing through hallways, you will encounter gargoyles with ten eyes, one sharp tooth, and other bizarre features. They lurk in the shadows and on the ceilings, so be wary to not touch any one of them, lest you alert all the gargoyles to jump on you, covering every inch of your body while piercing you with their poisonous fangs until you are nothing more than a husk festered with wounds. These wounds will cripple your soul even after death.

If you made it through those horrific creatures without being attacked, you may start to hear organs playing a tune that'll haunt you until the end of your mortal days. If, however, the organs stop playing and you start to hear a low hum, jump out of one of the windows into the void home to raw, fleshy, macabre creatures whose size is immeasurable. To eternally face these nausea-inducing monstrosities is a more preferable fate to what would have happened next.

As you succumb to fatigue, you'll eventually make it to the top floor of the castle. Floating near the ceiling is a horde of silent, disembodied eyes, watching your every step. Unnerving as they may seem, go through the door with a statue of Medusa implanted on the top, This is where you will encounter the Holder.

This room will lurk with opaque shadows that squirm in a way no animal can do. Standing seven feet tall in the center of the room will be a 40-ish man wearing a cap with a texture of what can only be described as darkness. Only pay attention to him as you walk closer to him until you're five feet away from him. Even unfocusing for a mere second will result in paralyzing you with his poisoned dagger and feeding himself with your blood. He will only respond to one question and one question only, "What will they feed on?"

To respond to your question, he will explain to you in precise detail every blood ritual, every sacrifice, and every cannibalistic act that occurred throughout history. Many go mad hearing the disturbing tale. Others scream and run out of the room. If, however, you have managed to maintain your sanity, he will end his story and dissipate into blood. You will then be transported back to your home in your bathtub full of blood of who knows what. In your hand, you will be clutching a ruby pendant.

This pendant is Object 558 of 2538. Wearing it will allow you to temporarily stop again, but will it be enough to shield you from Their power?

Object 559: The Holder of Unrequited Love

Whenever you live now, dare yourself to go on a journey. You must go back to the house of a long-forgotten love. If the door is locked, break it down. If there are people living there, do not answer their enraged inquiries of why you have broken into the house. Simply walk straight to the living room or the place you understand to be the center of the house. If the place is now torn down, stand in the center of the ground where it once stood.

You will feel wind on your face. Do not attempt to shield yourself; if you do, the wind will turn to any one of the five elements. It all depends on you. Close your eyes and wait for the wind to subside. When it does, open your eyes. The house will be intact, albeit devoid of life. Seek the bedroom of your first love. If you move to any other room before going straight to her room, you will never escape, and you will discover those that dwell there now. The Object will be out of your reach.

If you reach the room, knock on the door and say, "I'm here to see something, that's all." If silence remains, you're doomed; the next step will make you fall into a catatonic state of melancholic despair, lying motionless on the floor for eternity. You'd best kill yourself while you still have the chance.

But if she responds with anything, even "Leave me alone!", you must enter. You are one step closer to your goal. She will be standing there as you have always remembered her in your fantasies, your dreams, your memories. She will ask you what you want to see. If your silence lasts longer than five seconds, you have failed. Right after she asks this, you must ask the question, "What other path could have been chosen?"

She will get angry with you, saying that there was nothing that could have happened between the two of you. This will fill you with sadness. Keep repeating the question, and each time she replies with, "Nothing could have happened," but continue to say it louder. Eventually, she will stop and shed a single tear. She will then tell you tales of all the unrequited love ever felt amongst humans, countless stories of tear-streaked grins and hopeless wishes on star-soaked nights: every longing look passed, every trembling, heaving chest. You will grow sick with the weight of thousands of burnt love letters pressing into your stomach, yearning to be read. As the heat grows and scorches your soul, you will want more than anything to end all of this pain - but whatever you may feel upon hearing these accounts, keep a firm resolve.

Next, you must stare at her eyes. You will simultaneously want and recoil from her gaze, but your eyes must not leave hers for a time until she deems. Flames will then engulf both of you. The house will follow suit. All that you will see are the flames. Do not move or relinquish your stare at her eyes. Pain will come to you if you do either of those acts, followed by death and the flames' consumption of your soul. If you hold resolute, pain will spare you and the flames will burn the illusion away; only her body will remain. When there is nothing but blackness around you, you must then look at the black beneath your feet. You must keep yourself from thinking that it is a bottomless pit; if you do, you will fall until you die be it starvation or madness, whichever takes hold first.

She is now bare as she walks up to you. If she whispers in your ear, "We were never meant to be," you're safe. If she says anything but that, or stays silent, you're done for. She will rip out your heart either way. What determines if you can go on is if you stay intact. If you crumble when she rips your heart away, you're done. But if you stand bleeding from your chest, you must endure the pain for a little while longer. The reward is coming.

You must look at her body. She will then pull a small ring from a wound in her abdomen. You remember this wound from the old days. She will put it in your hands and then she'll close your fingers around it. Once she does this, you must shut your eyes. If you are lucky when you open them you will stand in your own room, holding the ring. Although you now know all the roads you could have and can now take to make your love possible, you won't be able to. You can only think about it as you continue your search.

The ring is Object 559 of 2538. Sometimes, the pain is the reward.

Object 560: The Holder of Temporary Relief

In any city you can get to, go to the nearest pharmacy. If you see a line forming, leave and come back the next day, repeating this until there is no one to hold you up. Head to the clerk and ask them to see "The Holder of Temporary Relief". If they cringe and then ignore you, leave and find another pharmacy. If they hold their head and start groaning, hand them the nearest medicine you can find. They will walk behind them to a door, you must go in before them. Once inside, you will see a long stairwell. Stand on the first step and wait for the clerk to walk in and lock the door behind them.

They will then push you down the stairwell. It will injure you badly, but when you reach the bottom you will find that you only have a mild aching feeling. In front of you will be a corridor. Walk down it, rubbing your hands along the sides. The walls are made of soft fur and will ease your mind as you walk. At the end of the corridor is a red door with white trim. Enter it, and brace yourself, for the aching feeling that only irritated you before will feel as if thousands of needles are poking through your wounds. If you cannot resist feeling your wounds to relieve their pain, the same clerk who pushed you will find your broken body in the pharmacy backroom.

If you carry on, eventually you will reach a large thistle bush. Thrust your hand inside and search around until you feel something soft. Pull it out gently, no matter how much your arm stings and itches. If you have suffered enough, inside your hand will be an empty pill bottle, and you will pass out and appear at the counter, with an empty bottle of whatever brand of medicine you handed the clerk.

That empty bottle is Object 560 of 2538. Inside, will you find relief or just double your pain?

Object 561: The Holder of Travel

In any city or town in any country, hail a taxicab. Wait for the driver to ask you where you want to go and ask him to take you to the Holder of Travel. If the driver doesn't ask you where you want to go, don't bother, the driver doesn't know what you're talking about.

If you are successful, the driver will start the car. It is strongly recommended that you put on your seatbelt at this point, as the driver is in a hurry, and will drive impossibly fast. DO NOT look out of the window. Everything is hurtling by so fast that the very sight would tear your eyes out. After a while, it could be a few hours, could be a few days, the driver will suddenly stop the car. Although the car was traveling very fast, it will stop smoothly. You may now look out the window. You will be in a seemingly normal city. Get out of the cab and approach the window of the driver. He will ask you to pay him. The amount depends on how long you have been in the car for. Pray that he asks you for an amount in your possession. The drivers in this city do not take kindly to fare-dodgers.

Once you have paid the man, he will point to a small office across the street. Approach it and knock thrice on the door. What you hear next determines your fate: If a shrill-voiced old woman asks you to enter, do so. If, however, she asks you to wait, you may be fortunate enough to die through the horrific torture that awaits you, though it is unlikely that you will, as they are very good at their job.

Once inside the building, approach the front desk and tell the receptionist your name and that you wish to speak with the chairman. She will tell you that the meeting is about to start and you are expected on the third floor. Get into the elevator and travel to the third floor. Once there, go into the room straight across from the elevator.

You will be in a large boardroom. There will be a meeting in progress. There will be 10 people gathered around a large table. They will be discussing something in a language you won't understand. Put up your hand and wait. The man at the head of the table will acknowledge you with a smile and a nod. Ask him only one question lest you are slowly and painfully consumed by everyone in the room: "How do they travel?"

The man will answer your question in detail. Make sure you listen intently, he doesn't like rudeness. At the end of his speech, he will walk over to you and shake your hand. You will feel something hard being pressed into your hand. After he has pulled his hand away, you will blackout.

You will awake in the last place you fell asleep.

The lug nut you now possess is Object 561 of 2538. Any wheel you fasten it to will never go flat.

Object 562: The Holder of Animals

In any city, in any country, go to any national park you can get yourself into. When you reach the help center, ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of Animals".

If the worker looks confused, stand still. Don't move a muscle until it is time for them to close. If you do move, you will die in such an excruciating way that even god cannot describe it.

If the worker has a face of terror, follow him. When you get to the lion's cage, open the cage door before the worker can. When you get in you must shut the door and lock it.

Look the lion in the eyes for only 5 seconds; then look away and take a step backward while still looking away from the lion. If you do anything wrong, the lion will turn into a hellhound and eat you alive. If you do it right, simply ask the lion, "What happened?"

The lion will tell you the bloodiest tale of how all animals came to be extinct, every animal that was killed, and what humans did to fix it. After the tale, you will notice you are holding a spear that you could have sworn was not there before.

Stab the lion in the throat and only the throat or you will miss and it will kill you. When you kill the lion, the ground below you will open. Just before you fall into the endless void, you will wake up at 9:15 in your bed holding the spear.

That spear is Object 562 of 2538. That spear can only be used one more time. Use it at the right time.

Object 563: The Holder of the Wish

Do you have a wish? Something you want above all else. Something you would sacrifice everything for; even a friend of your bosom or a sweet lover and the years of your life spent in searching. Do you have the required resolve and commitment to do so?

If so, search for the oldest mountains barely touched by man. You will be young and naïve when you start your quest and you will be middle-aged and bitter when you are done. There will be fire in your eye. This fire is your obsession and it comes from your heart. If you have gotten this far, then you have obtained a key. Now that you have the key, go to the ruins of the greatest of all fallen civilizations. Having done this, your time searching has ended. This time, you are the one who is being searched for.

When the people with their flashing and clicking devices have left the ruins and darkness is closing in, a thing will appear in your heart. This thing will give you the wish. Do not peer into your own heart whilst that thing is there or everything will have been in vain. If you do, you will see how dark your flame-filled heart has become and you will want to give up on everything, even your dearest wish.

Now that you have fought against the temptation to look, you will be given the wish. You will realize that a wish alone does not mean a wish fulfilled. You may feel cheated, but the fire in your heart will burn away all rationality and emotion. You will then be filled with an all-consuming want for all and you will find and attain all. All, but the granting of your own wish.

As you hold onto the wish, it will fuel the fire in your heart. You will be a hull of what you were, knowing only the want for everything, and of course, it stands to reason, that you will want all of Them as well.

The wish is Object 563 of 2538.

Object 564: The Holder of the Wicked

Go to a place where you have experienced an evil unlike any a soul fortunate enough to have lived a life so pure could dream of. If you have experienced no such wickedness, turn back for you are ill-prepared for the task that lies ahead of you.

Arrive shortly after dusk. Upon the 11th, prick your thumb with a needle and draw the sign of the cross on your forehead in blood. Confess your sins to god, to the devil, and to the Holder of the Wicked. If you are lucky, god will ignore you. Get up, go home, utter a prayer of thanks, and get some sleep. If you are none so fortunate, then you may find yourself in audience with Satan himself, and after such a warm invitation he would not let you walk away free. If your fate is even crueler and your sins are heavy, you have succeeded in contacting the one you seek and he will take you from this world.

If this is the case, you will awaken in a bed that is not your own, in a house that is not your own, in a world that belongs to Him. You will be unaware of this, however, for the setting of your ghastly performance is identical to your regular dwelling and your memories of the day you decided to embark on this trial will be stripped from you. It is, for this reason, you must keep these instructions on your person or you will fail. You will go about your normal life until you leave your house for the first time. Upon your return, you will witness those you hate more than anything committing horrendous acts; torturing, raping, and eventually, brutally murdering those you care about the most. You will be paralyzed and helpless, yet condemned to watch.

If your mind cannot take it, you may find it has shut your body down and ended your life. Be thankful. As they deface and befoul their bloody, filthy corpses, and merrily sing ill of your dearest departed, you will suddenly feel your own paralysis lift and it will be they who can no longer move. The Holder will now enter the room wearing the face of an authoritarian figure with whom you are familiar, and instruct you to punish these demons. If you have not read these instructions since your awakening, you are certain to oblige and you and the people who you were forced to watch suffer will suffer once again for all of the sinners today. You will then join them as the price for your hypocrisy.

Instead, you must kneel, bow your head, and speak the words, "I may not judge, for I too am damned. I seek repentance." Allow him to consider for a while, but do not speak. If he remains silent for more than a minute then your life is over, and it is a matter of time before you break and cannot bear the silence any longer. His patience will shatter with the serenity. If, however, he nods, you will be returned home, to repeat the unspeakable atrocities performed on your loved ones yourself. Afterward, remove their eyeballs and crush them in your fist.

Their suffering is Object 564 of 2538. As long as you possess their eyes, you will feel no guilt and evade punishment for your sins, for you are the devil himself.

Object 565: The Holder of the Ugly

In any city, in any country, go to the newest hospital or clinic that you can find. When you reach the front desk, there may be a beautiful young woman wearing an ID tag that spells out a name you've never seen or heard before, but which seems somehow intimately familiar. Ask her for "The Holder of the Ugly".

If the attendant laughs, that will be the last sound you will ever hear.

That tinkling elfin laughter will follow you for the rest of your days.

The ensuing deafness to all other sounds will be grating at first, and the sleep loss will prove damaging both mentally and physically for at least the first six months, but a great number of people suffering from complete hearing loss live very full, healthy, and active lives. Within five years, statistics say that you will have acclimated marvelously.

There will also be substantial weight gain, hair loss, and ensuing full-body acne, but these are treatable.

If the young woman only smirks, then you are safe for the moment.

Your teeth will be gone within three weeks, and you will require cataract surgery once a year for the rest of your life to avoid total blindness, but you're technically safe.

The attendant will then lead you to an ordinary-looking section of the hospital or clinic a few floors up; the only thing different from the rest is that there is not a speck of dust, not a hair out of place, and not a person wandering the halls. Do not look at the doors lining the walls, for the names - each of a woman you've known - will only tempt you to look inside.

If you do peek, you will behold for a second the most beautiful figure you have ever seen, or ever will. All other beauties, from this day forward, will pale compared to her. After getting your eyeful of the occupant, it would be wise to avert your gaze immediately. There is no record of what she becomes; the only thing those who survived could do was scream until their dying day.

Some of them became very adept at biting off their own extremities, as well.

At the end of the hallway, the attendant will turn to you. If she laughs, once again, the test is over. No god can save you... although knee- and hip-replacement surgery techniques are much more impressive now than they were only a few short years ago, and the loss of a quarter-inch in height each month is survivable for a surprisingly long period of time.

If she does anything else, you're on the right track. At this point, the attendant may ask you questions, give you a riddle, or even attempt to seduce you; feel free to engage with her mentally or physically as you see fit, but I would suggest avoiding any topics that might cause her to laugh.

She will eventually unlock the door at the end of the hall on the left titled BURN UNIT and walk back.

Open the door she has unlocked and step inside. The room will be filled with pornographic photos of beautiful models, with a single mirror on the wall opposite you. DO NOT LOOK AT THE MIRROR. I will spare you the description of the true nature of this horrible thing, suffice to say the lowest circle of hell would be a welcome respite from the sight you will see.

All right, fine. One hint: the mirror reflects what you truly look like at your very worst, stripped of all artifice, poise, and expectation. It encompasses your total appearance and presentation at the depths of your most drunken, helpless, depressed, and unwashed, and shows you for who you really are. The mirror reveals the way your worst enemy saw you on the day they hated you the most; it is the image of you in the mind of everyone who wishes you had killed yourself.

If you've ever had a single nagging doubt about yourself, you really don't want to take a look.

Avoid the photos as if they were of brutal executions. In the center of the room, there will be an attractive, 40-ish aged woman asleep on a hospital bed with an exquisite form and luscious hair. Do not take your eyes off of her. Wait until she stirs, and then quickly yell, "Why do they smirk?" before she raises her head.

If she continues to move, immediately look at the pictures on the wall, for anything is better than the horrible sight before you. If she stops, she will begin to speak in a soft, sweet voice and tell of the beauty of the world; slowly, her tale will turn into one of jealousy and hatred, petty revenge and casual cruelty. Listen carefully and never take your eyes off of her hair.

She will discuss in condescending tones what makes the world beautiful, and will laugh as she explains, at length, what the thin, dim glamor of glitter and sunlight truly hide.

When you hear the word "ugly", cover your eyes. She will attempt to coax you into opening them, but do not yield. She will become insistent. She will beg, and she will whimper. She will promise, and then deliver, a variety of shocking sexual acts, and will also engage in lengthy sessions of violent self-harm using a variety of medical instruments. Finally, you will hear a scream and the mirror shattering. Open your eyes. You should be at the entrance of the hospital or clinic. The attendant will ask you why you look so tired, and flirt with you; ignore her and reach into your pocket. There will be an envelope there. Do not open it. Do not hold it up to the light to see inside. There is only a photograph.

This photograph is Object 565 of 2538.

Seeing the photograph causes seizures, vomiting, swelling of the tongue, and complete loss of bowel control. It is a weapon. Use the horror.

Your reflection will be distorted and inhuman for as long as you live.

Object 566: The Holder of Weakness

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. Make sure you are well-rested. Go inside and look for someone struggling with a heavy box. Ask to see "The Holder of Weakness". If he turns to face you, leave the city by any means necessary. They might not find you as quickly.

If he grunts and keeps going, follow him. Do not let him put down the box. If he puts down the box, you must berate him for his weakness and force him to pick up the box again.

Eventually, he will lead you to a large heavy wooden door. Open it, for if he opens it, your quest will end there. Inside you will find a heavy-built man cowering in the corner. You will find a hammer in the heavy box and you must beat him with it, until his limbs are broken and his skull shattered. Should the man choose to fight back, brain yourself with the hammer. It will be less painful.

By the end, he will be crying, begging for mercy, but do not relent until he stops begging. When he has stopped begging you may ask him the question, "What is Their strength?"

He will then, in a voice racked by pain, tell you of every horrific act committed in an act of weakness. People who betrayed everything they stood for because they felt they had no option. If you do not go mad from this information and choose to end yourself there, the man will begin to rot and dissolve, leaving behind one of his fractured arms. Take a shard of bone and push it into your eye without hesitation.

Your eye is Object 566 of 2538. You will see in each person what their moment of weakness might be.

Your weakness is Their strength.

Object 567: The Holder of the Seeker's Death

I wouldn't call me a religious man; clawing my way over fiend and man alike, killing, stealing, shutting out all else to gather them. Yeah, no, not a religious man at all. 'Course, then it happened. And by it, I mean, the kind of "it" that makes babies cry and birds stop chirping and even a Holder shits himself and slinks into an even deeper pit of hell.

Ya see, I was a goddamned badass before all of this, right? Holder of the Nibelung, thanks for the sword! Holder of Guilt, thanks for the, erm, steak, ya know? Tons of 'em, right? I mean, shit, prolly dozens, I never kept count. I did for the fucking rush! I didn't give half a damn if reality would be plunged into an eternal waking nightmare when I was done or not. Catch my drift?

But, no, that couldn't just keep on happening. I had just gotten done getting these bitchin' castanets, right? I started wandering back home, and I think I was near a church or some bullshit. Not too sure, but outta nowhere, my heart fuckin' stops. I mean, dead stops, as in, I prolly had about fifteen seconds left of life. My head feels like it's gonna split, and these trumpets sound. Now, say whatcha want, but fuck those trumpets. Even thinking about them now makes me want to just smile and fall flat to my face and worship something. They were too damned goodly. For about half a second, that is, before blood started gushing out of my ears. And nose. And eyes, and mouth, and everywhere else I had an opening. Yeah, not a fun experience.

Then it was there. I guess I should call it a him, 'cause of the fact that it had a man's voice, I dunno. It just hovered there, my eyes dripping with blood barely able to see if just fuckin' floating like some arrogant asshole in a beam of light with, I assume, trumpets of goodness blaring in the background, while I'm here fuckin' dying! A long moment passed and my senses, as well as my pulse, returned, I managed to cough up at least enough blood to fill a kitchen sink, not to mention what was coming out elsewhere. I felt lightheaded. Then I got my first real look at it.

It was about twenty feet tall, and it looked like a grandfather clock and an ankh had a kid. Thing was just twenty solid feet of a cross-shaped whirl of gears, ranging in size from larger than a car, down to the size of an eyelash. None quite touching another one, but all spinning, varying speeds, and emitting the unearthly hum. Not bad at this point, and all I can think to do is scream at it, and my hand grabs the balmung, or whatever you fuckers call it. Goddamned sharp sword is what I called it. I managed to stagger to my feet and keep screaming, asking this fucking thing what the hell it thinks it is, just almost killing me, then floating at me without doing shit!

Then it spoke to me. I heard its thoughts, really, or felt what it wanted me to feel, and see; the things I saw there, I would gladly jump into one of those pits that you aren't s'posed to jump into, or say the wrong words at the wrong time to a Holder's face than see those sights again, but at the same time I thought I was gonna cream myself. It's like getting hit by a ton of razor-sharp bricks and getting a mouthful of ambrosia at the same time. Fuckin' unnerving. I'm gettin' off-topic.

"You presume much, and you know little. The burdens you gather are but trinkets, and greater services have commandeered your loyalty." So, I'm sitting here shitting creamed bricks wondering what the fuck that meant and I finally say "FUCK YOU" and slash my sword out at this thing's torso. Or, erm, big gear, or, whatever. It was in the middle, and it was the biggest part. Next second, I'm lying flat on my ass, my hand is gone, like, from halfway through my forearm up, and this thing is not only unscratched, but is shining brighter than it was.

"Gabriel, sent by the Alpha, and the Omega. Be enlightened, human. The horrors you have faced before are to me as naught but ants to an armored soldier, wielding a hafted spear and leather boots." An' lookin' at this thing, I couldn't really disagree. I mean, even the fuckin' scariest Holder, even them I could push past it, could man it up and just get through. But this thing... No way, not a chance. We just stood there, then, for a while, and it didn't say anything else, but I began sorting through that it had said, and, well, yeah, when divine relation hits you, you don't ignore it. Dig?

So yeah, then and there, on the spot, I knew what was up, and after a few more "words" from it, which I'm gonna keep between me and that fuckin' thing, I understood my mission fully, and then this big-ass stupid grin just sorta crept over my face, right? It gave me my arm back, and a few other things too, really. I'd already been pretty quick and strong, but now, man... Anyways, lemme tell you about this mission... 'Cause it was a fuckin' bitchin mission! Only catch was I had to give up all the shit I'd gotten. No biggie though, they all went back to their Holder and everything's set up just fine to go again. Or something. Grandfather-clock-angel-thing was a bit less than specific on that point.

But man, this mission kicks ass. D'ya know what's even more horrifying than a Holder? More dangerous and, by far, more unpredictable? Man, it's you fuckin' Seekers! Dig it, man, that... it, gave me my very own sword, made out of its body (Handguard is a spinning gear and it sorta looks like an overlong katana. Shit is bitchin'.) and told me that the path to attempt to gather the Objects is both foolish and ultimately futile. He wasn't too clear as to what he meant by "futile", really, but I got what he meant by "foolish", and I liked it. Yeah, slicing all of you overzealous motherfuckers up in god's name, apparently whoever I kill with this sharp-ass sonuvabitch goes directly to him for judgment, just does it for me.

On an interesting side note, I've made it a point to just cruise all around the world and chill in all the local mental institutions. And halfway houses.

The sword is Object 567 of 2538. If you wield it, you will be compelled to continue its mission as the new Holder.

Object 568: The Holder of Amnesty

In your own country of birth, go to any government building you can get yourself to. Ask the clerk at the front desk if he has the records of Legion. He will slip you a Manilla folder with a dossier of Legion. Now that you have this information, go to the location listed as his place of birth.

Enter the town of Legion's birth and head to any bar or pub. Act completely normal under any circumstances. Talk about whatever the barkeeper wishes until you've managed to befriend him. Once you think he trusts you sufficiently, ask him for the address of Legion.

Once you find the house, enter through the west-facing side's uppermost window. Upon entering, you should find the corpse, not of a fellow Seeker, but of a common burglar that made the mistake of entering the east window.

He now serves as a transportation method to an almost unknown Holder. Should you ask another Holder of his existence, they will have either forgotten, or labeled him as a false Holder. This Holder, the Holder of Amnesty, has no tangible Object of which he can be linked to.

Speak the phrase, "I wish to see he who enslaved you," to the corpse; it will respond by slowly working its way to a standing position. You must now kneel before it, and let it devour you. Piece by piece, you will be dismembered and eaten by the carnophage.

Once the entirety of your body has been consumed, you will find yourself awake in a Spirit Plane. You will see a floating man. The man will be dressed in white garb, and will resemble the wisest figure you've known. He will be sitting cross-legged and looking at the earth. He will be floating around it, intently observing the events happening all across the globe. You mustn't, under any circumstances, disturb him.

Once he has tested your patience, he will ask your intentions of you. Tell him you seek his Object. He will respond with one of two things. The first will be, "You are unworthy of my Object. Please leave." If you have greatly displeased him at any point during your life, you will have heard the first and will wake up in the bed of Legion. If this is the case, then continue on with your journey, Seeker.

If he is pleased with the progress you've made, he will tell you that you have a choice of three fates, but you must first pass a test. He will send you away to the farthest reaches of his domain, and tell you to find your way back. Along the way, there will be souls of the living that you can save, damn, or leave to their own devices. Make your choices and return to him.

After what will seem like a decade of endless walking, you will return to the man, now elderly and unique in appearance. If you damned the souls, he will send you straight to Him. Yes, the one who has hunted you endlessly will now have you easily within His grasp.

If you chose to save the souls and exempt them from punishment, you will be sent down to continue the work of a Seeker.

If you left the souls to do for themselves, the Holder of Amnesty will offer you a choice. You may either observe the fate of the world, allowing you to pass judgment on mortals while suffering no consequences, or you may return to your task.

Should you choose to leave, you will awake in the bed of Legion, with a single tube of viscous liquid. When the time comes, you will understand its purpose.

Should you choose to stay, the Holder of Amnesty will thank you and disappear into nothingness. The sudden realization of what you've done will hit you like a brick to the forehead.

You will watch as the globe spins to the location of Legion's house. You will watch as your body awakens from Legion's bedchamber. It will crack its bones as if it has slept for a millennia, and it will begin to leave the house. As it turns to leave, it will stop, turn to face you, wink, and with the tip of a hat, exit the house. The previous Holder is now free to live your life, as if you had never started a journey as a Seeker. The previous Holder will not be hunted by Him. He was aware of this trick and is now hunting another Seeker.

You now must sit and wait, observing the fates of whoever's life you wish to seal. One day, your chance will come and you will start him/her down his/her quest of becoming a Seeker. With any luck, they will make the same mistake you did, and you will once again be blessed by mortality.

Until then, you are now the Holder, and ironically, the Receiver of Amnesty. Your "salvation" is Object 568 of 2538. You will now observe until you regain a place among the living, or until the end of time. Know that if the Objects are united, salvation will turn to damnation.

Object 569: The Holder of Connection

This may be the final story I ever write. I fear that the Holders have found me, because there is no other explanation for why I am participating in what can only be called an interactive horror story. Sometimes I still wonder if this is fact or fiction. Every story I have read about these Objects appears to fall within the boundaries of truth, if they can so be called, and yet there are many things that indicate these are fabrications, that there's no such thing as any of these Objects, but at the same time, the story is so fascinating that I'm having trouble pulling away. Either way, my mind has never been blown like this, and I've seen some pretty strange and awesome things in my life.

Do not seek this Object if you do not have the ladder rung; your efforts are futile without it.

The Holders are likely to destroy me in my sleep the next time I slumber, and I'm getting tired. I will finish these instructions to the best of my ability and knowledge, but you must realize, dear Seeker, that these Objects must remain forever separated. If your true intent is to keep the Objects apart, you will not be able to obtain this one, but that won't stop you if you are this far in your quest.

(Good luck explaining why you are carrying a ladder rung with you, as you are likely to be confronted about it.)

Go to any cultural center during a play. It is more likely to occur at night. It doesn't matter who's performing, so long as someone close to the door overhears you mentioning "The Holder of Connection" in casual conversation. If you are tapped on your right shoulder, look to your left, and vice-versa.

Make sure to give this person a hearty hug; he, or she, does not like standoffish people, or those who have trouble with intimacy. Give your name when you are asked, and remember the name you are given. Walk with this person to the door of the performance, deep in conversation with him or her. When you are blocked by the guard, speak your new friend's name, mentioning that you're here with them. He, or she, will produce another ticket for you, and you will be escorted into the performance.

Pay close attention! If you are ushered to the Orchestra row, you are safe (for now). If you are guided by your friend to the Mezzanine row, then you have been deemed unworthy...

The play will amaze, inspire, and mesmerize you. You will feel a deep connection with the characters on stage; you will feel their joys and sorrows as if they were your very own. Many a lost Seeker is still in the audience to this very day, because the effect of this play on their hearts has been so profound that they still do not wish to leave.

At a certain moment during the play, there will be a jester and a princess in the courtyard of a castle. The jester will ask the princess: "Why so glum?" At this point, the princess will look directly at you; this is your cue to stand up and say, "Are you dense? She lost it!"

The jester will laugh heartily, commending you on your nerve. You will be invited on stage. The princess will ask you, "Did you know what you were getting yourself into?" You must answer, with every bit of audacity you can muster, "That goes without saying. Did you?"

A pair of floating eyes will open, looking at you from the left side. "It's about time," their voice will say. Do not make eye contact, no matter how hard these eyes try. Seeing them in your peripheral vision is already burning away your retinas, so wait until they look as though they are attracting a multitude of shiny, glimmering dots. "Quick!" the eyes will say. "Put the rung where it goes!" A ladder will appear next to you; one rung is missing.

Produce the ladder rung and place it in the space where there should be one. When you feel it lock into place, you will suddenly find yourself outside the city limits, roughly 7 or 8 miles west of the cultural center, with the assembled ladder at your left side.

This is Object 569 of 2538, the Ladder Between Realms. Climb it if you dare.

Object 570: The Holder of Genocide

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 man who calls himself "The Holder of Genocide". A look of despair will appear on the worker's face telling you that the man you wish to see is evil beyond description.

The worker will take you to an old wooden door, if you see blood trickling from underneath the door followed by a loud banging coming from the other side of the door, RUN, get out of that place as fast as you can, you do not want to see the hellish beast responsible for the banging, the sight of it will cause you to tear out your own eyes. If there is no blood, it is safe to proceed.

Once you are on the other side of the door, you will be in a barren field surrounded by a wall of barbed wire with huts dotted about the landscape highly reminiscent of a Nazi death camp. The sun will appear to be eclipsed, head in the direction of the sun but do so quietly, do not run, do not speak. As you continue walking you will see thousands of corpses of men, women, and children alike, naked and mutilated in many horrific ways, some missing limbs, some covered in large cuts, others will be completely burned. The bodies are strewn across the landscape in a careless manner, some on their own, others piled up in mass graves. These corpses are the reason why it is vital that you stay silent, for if you disturb one of them, they will all wake up and drag you into the abyss. If a corpse is obstructing your path, keep your distance and walk around it, getting too close will mean the end of your quest.

Follow the eclipsed sun until you get to a large cliff overlooking a blood-red ocean, once you are there shout a single phrase toward the horizon: "I am here to see the man responsible for all of this." Upon shouting this phrase thousands of bodies similar to the ones back at the death camp will rise out of the sea, floating as if completely weightless, they will come together to form a large hallway.

Proceed down the hall of corpses, make sure you are completely confident that you will get what you came for, the slightest hint of your own self-doubt will cause the bodies to separate and you will fall into the ocean of blood.

When you reach the end of the hallway you will be in a large circular room, the hall of bodies will disappear, leaving you trapped in this room. The room is filled with the mutilated corpses of Nazi soldiers impaled on large wooden stakes, you will hear groaning indicating that the corpses are in fact still alive, forever damned to suffer eternal torment for the crimes they committed against humanity. At the center of the room will be a pile of clothes, shoes, and other possessions, clearly things that belonged to the many corpses back at the death camp. On top of this pile will be an electric chair, strapped into the chair will be a man wearing an SS General Officer's cap and a dark-gray trench coat. He is horribly mutilated, his open trench coat reveals that there is no skin on his chest, his ribcage and internal organs are clearly visible with the exception of his heart, which is missing, there is a large gash across his throat with blood still trickling down from the wound. This is the Holder of Genocide, he will respond to only one question. "How many will die when they are brought together?"

The SS General Officer will break free of the straps that bind him and climb down from the pile. He will start talking about how he and his men were responsible for murdering many Jews during the Holocaust, he will talk in horrifying detail about how he took pleasure in watching his men torturing and killing children and will even sound boastful. You may find yourself wanting to attack this man in a blinding fit of rage but you must remain calm, despite his mutilated appearance he could effortlessly rip you in half with his bare hands. His boastful tone will change to one of remorse, however, when he starts talking about how he and his men are now forever damned to suffer at the hands of the ones they have wronged. During this part of the conversation, you may hear whispering coming from behind you and even the feeling of someone's hand on your shoulder. You must not break eye contact with the General Officer despite the overwhelming urge to turn around, if you turn around the General Officer will invite you to share his suffering.

At the end of his speech, he will take off his cap and hand it to you, thank you for listening, and allow you to leave. When you turn around, you will see a black door. Once you have seen the door, you must not look back to the General Officer, for if you do, he and his men will be able to follow you back to the real world, they will stop at nothing until all the Objects are reunited.

Once you go through the door, you will find yourself in a local cemetery, still holding the Officer's cap.

This is Object 570 of 2538, it has the power to wipe out an entire race of people. It must never be used and they must never come together.

Object 571: The Holder of Nostalgia

Return to the earliest place you can remember. Focus yourself carefully on the surroundings. Close your eyes and repeat the first word you ever spoke. Open them again, and look to see what has changed. If you cannot find it, then your first memory will be your last, and you will be cursed to endless senility.

Grab onto the warped piece of reality and tell it the name of your first love. The nearest door will decay before your eyes, as if it had been there a thousand years. Open it and enter. The hallway ahead was once white and pure - but now is covered in the blood of its defenders. Do not touch their rotting corpses, as even death cannot destroy their venom.

At the far end is a gate, opened. The gatekeeper, shriveled and mad, still waits behind it. Telling him "I once knew the Holder of Nostalgia" only sends him into a murderous rage as he attempts to unlock the already open gate. Otherwise, nothing that you say will affect him in the slightest.

Pass through the gate. You will find yourself in the idealized world that you believed in as a child. The path continues, curving gently in the direction of your dominant hand. The silence is unnerving, and you will start imagining all the sounds that should be. Even now you should never stray from the path, or listen to the memories of sounds for too long. Doing so will curse you to an endless limbo where you will experience every repressed memory, every stifled scream, every white-washed past that has ever existed.

Instead, continue along the path until you see an old movie theater, of the kind from the roaring twenties. Enter it at once. The inside will be dark and musty, as if the theater had been closed for decades. Find your way to the projector room. The door will have been wrenched open by inhuman force. Inside, where the projector would be, there is a throne from the yellowed bones of all those who gazed at the screen and were lost to their past. The screen is dark now, you need not avert your eyes. Instead, gaze upward at what remains of the Holder. Upon the throne, you will see a skeleton sitting with its hands in its lap, a massive ax embedded in its skull. Its bony fingers once greedily clasped something, but have been pried open.

That Object that was once here was number 571 of 2538. He is searching for the Objects. Do not let him succeed.

Object 572: The Holder of the Floods

In any city, in any country, go to any library you can get yourself to. When you find a librarian, ask to visit that which calls itself "The Holder of Floods". At your request, the human librarian will stop what they are doing; a change will fall over them. They will turn away just as their head twists around backward on their shoulders, watching you. At this point, it's advised not to turn away, just close your eyes.

When you open your eyes, you will find yourself in a great tomb. It will be dark and cold, the kind of dark and cold you never knew existed. In the infinite inky black, there will be a light, colder than space, and brighter than the stars. Follow the light through the dark, be careful where you step, do not trip, do not look around, you'd rather not know. Use the lone light to find a fissure in the wall, ascending through the stone and into a large vault-like structure where the light will expose the intricately carved walls, like marble, with a long and ancient frieze depicting destructions past, and creations still to come.

Quickly make your way through the long, hollow vault that surrounds you. There are people here, but those who inhabit this desolate place are pale, weak, and fearful to the point their jet-black eyes show no sign of other emotion. These are the souls, they're gaunt bodies, like tatters of skin clinging to a phantasm.

As you pass through the vault and into the surrounding halls and corridors, you shall see many more of them. Most of those who are trapped here, some perhaps even Seekers like yourself, have already succumbed to the brutality of this place. They cannot die, though many will simply forego life, eaten alive by the others who blindly struggle for warmth and food. Some will try and fight back, the constant conflict and strife simply adding to the pain of this place, but most are so terrified they would rather surrender to a death that will never come and the false hope of an end. As you walk this cold place, only you will know what is about to befall it.

You may try to save the souls, any that succeed with you shall be freed into the peace of death... Those who remain here through the cataclysm shall be held forever in torment.

Whatever you decide, you must not hesitate, time here is of the utmost importance. Deep, frigid, and abyssal waters already build around this vault. You will first only hear it as the creaking and cracking of the stone basin that surrounds you, by the time you hear it the tomb beneath you will have already filled. Those few souls who realize their fate shall simply break, weep, and beg for salvation as they hear the water rushing into the hall behind them. You must make it out of the vault.

As you approach the end of the vault's long, spacious and ominous hallway, you will likely be able to hear the cacophonous calling of clouds as the rain has been falling here since time's immemorial waiting for a Seeker to release the tide. The storm, finally freed from its endless cycle, shall be relentless as it shatters stone and shakes the structure itself. Make your way up the stone stairway into the great interior of the temple. The chamber here is held by a great and intricate arch. A monument to those terrified and pitiful souls who left the darkness of the vault only to find themselves unable to face the world outside. Here, the flashing litany of lightning and the violent veil of thunder, rain, and hail horrify the inhabitants. Those souls who inhabit this floor are fated to remain here, unable to return yet too terrified to move on.

Regardless of how they plea, you must continue forth venturing onto the docks where you shall see the looming figure of a great ship. The torrential storm of this place is paradoxical; the air remains cold as ice, yet the rain boils as if the clouds are on fire.

You may take the souls of the damned, to save them here is to let them finally rest. Know, however, that they will be fearful, trembling at the sight of the great ship, and inhibiting your escape. Most, if not all, shall refuse to move from these docks though their flesh scalds painfully in the rain. As they are unable to understand, pitiful and alone, they must be left to die in the rain, or washed away in their folly.

Only the structure of the great ship can save those brave enough to bear the rain and the waves, and as such you must reach across the stone docks and stay within the hull of the ship.

There is no instruction, no food, or warmth during this part. Without navigation, you must survive adrift until found by the great beast that dwells in these depths.

Emerging first as a shadow below, it shall throw your ship, as though it were nothing, into the mercy of its deadly waters. Steady yourself and finally come forth onto the deck of the ship, amid the boiling torrents of rain and the splashing waves of sin, to face the creature.

Know that this is one of the seven serpents; the great beast of the sea they would call Leviathan, or that was once named Rahab. A massive creature, only its back-breaking the waves. It is like a great fish, with fins edged as daggers and scales of rough-hewed stone. Iron hooks, that glow like embers, are embedded into its jaw and claw out from its maw-like teeth. Smoke with lashings of fire tainted by sulfur spill from the beast's throat. You must ask the Holder, "Why will they destroy us?" It will never answer directly; instead, a mightily bellowing laugh shall echo in the sky around you as the great serpent Leviathan swallows all of the sea, pulling the entirety of the world into a gut that blazes like the depths of hell. Upon the verge of your death here in this furnace, as if the secrets of the world are etched into the fires around you, the answer shall be clearly realized.

Once the nightmare has passed, you awaken outside the library. Here, a storm will have just subsided and a rainbow, clearer than any before or after, will mark the sky above you. In your hand will be an iron fish hook that burns like hellfire when piercing flesh.

Object 573: The Holder of Masquerades

In any city, in any country, go to any masquerade in progress. Remember to bring a mask. There should be a woman in a red dress sitting all by herself in a corner. You could have sworn you have seen her before. Walk up to her and begin a conversation. Make sure she likes it, for your fate is in her hands at the moment. Should she beg you leave, quickly get yourself out of town and never come back. Trust me, no mask can hide you from your pursuers.

Should she enjoy the conversation, she will laugh. When she does, move in and whisper in her ear as softly as you can, "What are they hiding?"

Everyone at the masquerade will turn around and look at you. Do not look in their eyes, for that would be to gaze into the depths of hell. Instead, ask the lady in red for a dance. Should she not accept, pray that your death be swift. Should she accept, take her hand and dance. You will be overwhelmed with her beauty. Many Seekers have been lost forever, cursed to dance with her for all eternity. Should your will be strong enough, you will dance through space and time until you find yourself in a beautiful house. It will seem to you that you have seen this house before as well.

The woman will let go of your hand and tend to what seems to be her child. Walk up to him. You will feel that something is not right. That is when the child will turn to you with the evilest grin you have ever seen. Your whole being will be filled with panic and fear. At once, you must ask again, "What are they hiding?" You will fall to the floor. The boy will walk up to you and be silent for a time before he begins to tell of everything that is not what it seems, of all the conspiracies in the world, and of all the false and deceiving people of this earth. When he is done, he will begin to transform. Quickly, shut your eyes and think of home. You will wake up in your bed. At your side will be a mask.

The mask is Object 573 of 2538. In your time of uttermost need, put it on.

Object 574: The Holder of Electricity

In any city, in any country, go to any open field you can get yourself to. Go to the tallest tree you can find and wait. Soon, everything around you will start to fade. The road, whatever you used to get here, even the town that may still be visible in the distance, all gone. Once this happens, turn, face the tree, and speak out loud, "I wish to speak to the Holder of Electricity."

If the sky remains clear, leave. Go as fast as you can back the way you came until everything comes back into view. If you don't, they will drag you back and feed on your still-living flesh. However, if a storm builds up, close your eyes immediately. You will hear lightning strike the tree in front of you. Do not move or you will be the lightning's next victim. After the lightning, count to ten and open your eyes.

You are no longer alone in the clearing. Off in the distance, children's laughter can be heard. This is your last chance to turn back. If you don't, your life, should you manage to keep it, will never be the same. If you wish to continue, start walking toward the children. Soon, you will see the children, all around ten years old, playing with an older girl. She will be normal height with blonde hair and green eyes, dressed in a soccer uniform and a bright smile.

You must not make a sound. If you do, the children will mutate and warp into creatures so horrible you will wish to tear out your eyes before they reach you and shred your body until not a scrap is left.

Should you be able to approach the group silently, they will stop everything. The children will fade away and you will be left alone with the girl, who has suddenly become very dark. The clouds will become thicker until only the tiniest bit of light filters through. She will be looking down with a very dangerous look on her face. Despite this, you will feel a distinct pull, as if you are being drawn to her. Walk carefully toward her. One wrong step and she will lash out, torturing you so horribly as to make you wish you were dead.

Once you are directly in front of her, you must only ask, "What gives them power?" She will slowly turn to face you as the smile comes back to her face, though it won't quite reach her eyes. She will start speaking in a happy voice, but the words will be so grotesque you will wish nothing more than for her to stop. Luckily for you, she is a merciful Keeper and will not speak for long. After she is done, close your eyes and hold out your hand. she will place something heavy and smooth in your palm.

Once it starts raining, open your eyes. You will be back in the field beside a dead and charred tree. In your hand will be a single smooth battery which is Object 574 of 2538. You are now able to bring people back to life.

Object 575: The Holder of Reclamation

Know now, Seeker, that this journey will yield no Object, as this Object was obtained by Legion, the Legendary Seeker, centuries ago. However, the information you gain may yet bring you closer to locating and reclaiming the Lost Objects. The Holders of the Lost Objects know Legion all too well, and they're willing to do anything to get their Objects back, even if it means going against the very rules of being a Holder and aiding a Seeker. Don't let that fool you into thinking this task is easy, though...

 

In any city, in any country, go to any train station you can get yourself to. Once you are there, approach the ticket booth and state clearly, "The time of reclamation is upon us. I am here to take back what is mine." Whoever is at the ticket booth will nod silently and hand you a ticket. As soon as you have taken the ticket, make your way down to the platform as fast as you can. The train is about to arrive, and if you miss it, this Object, along with the rest of the Lost Ones, will be forever lost to you. When you see the train, cover your ears completely; the screeching of the train pulling into the station is not meant to be heard by mortals. Those who have heard the dreaded sound... well, you'll see what has become of them once you board the train.

Once you are on the train, wait for the doors to close behind you. Then make your way to any empty seat, sit down, and do not say a word until the train has completely left the station. Once the train is in motion, you may begin your search for the Holder of Reclamation, but keep in mind that he will only answer to one question: "Why do you ride the train?" It may take minutes, hours, or even days to find the Holder. If you're lucky, you might just find him on your first try. On the other hand, if fate is particularly cruel to you, you might have to ask everyone on the train until you find him. You see, every passenger has their own unique story. Everyone you ask will answer your question in detail, and you will be compelled to listen to their story. They will tell you exactly why they ride the train, what they lost, how they lost it, and most importantly, they will speak of the agony they experience every day as a passenger on this train. As they speak of their pain, you will feel it, and it will not stop until the story ends. Some have gone mad while listening to the passengers, and in the end, they became just like them.

The Holder, however, will not react to this question in the same way. When asked, he will rise from his seat, a look of utter hatred in his eyes, and he will begin to speak. The voice you hear will be indescribable; you will have never heard anything like it in your life, but don't let it distract you. You must listen as he tells you how he came to inhabit the train. You will see images in your mind, showing you numerous places, Objects, and Holders. More educated Seekers might notice that all of these images pertain to the so-called "Lost Objects" in Legion's possession. When the story is over, you will see one last image in your mind; you will see the train that you are standing in, but it will be empty save for the Holder. He will be holding a ticket similar to the one that you were given.

After the story ends, show the Holder your ticket and ask him one last question: "What happened to yours?" The Holder will snatch the ticket out of your hand and tell you exactly how his ticket was taken, how he has been waiting for centuries to reclaim it. The train shall once again screech to a halt, and the doors will open. The Holder will run for the doors, still clutching your ticket. You must prevent him from leaving the train at all costs, lest you find yourself trapped on the train forever. If you manage to keep him away from the door for long enough, the doors will close and the Holder will let go of the ticket. Pick it up and say clearly, "You have failed; it is I who will reclaim what is mine, not you." If you have been successful, the doors will open once more. Pocket the ticket and leave the train.

Regardless of where the train stopped, you will find yourself back on the platform. Nothing will have changed, but all of the images you saw on the train will remain fresh in your mind forever. From that point on, every time you touch the ticket, the images will resurface, no matter how hard you try to suppress them.

There's a reason for this. If you can intuit the clues, those images will help you locate Object 575 of 2538, the Holder's Ticket. All train rides reach the end of the line sooner or later. When you get there, will you be ready?

Object 576: The Holder of Strange Fruit

In any city, in any country, go to any garden you can enter. Find the gardener or groundskeeper, and ask to see "The Holder of Strange Fruit". The groundskeeper's eyes will gloss over and he will lead you to a tool shed - he will pull out two spades and show you a patch of unbroken earth. There is only one action to take: Dig.

Once you begin digging, do not stop. Unless you fancy a shovel driven into the back of your head, do not stop digging. You will toil for what seems like hours and days, but you mustn't stop. At last, the gardener will motion for you to cease.

Close your eyes. When your eyes snap back open you will be out of the hole you've dug. You will again be in a garden, but the one at the start of your quest has been left behind.

You are surrounded by trees loaded with pears bursting and ripe. The juice that drips from the leaves onto the leaf-scattered ground looks and smells like pus. You're standing in a patch of guards that look suspiciously like human brains. All around you, there are vines the color of rotted gums, sprouting snaggle teeth instead of leaves. Clusters of human eyes hang from these vines, dripping with yellowish tears.

In spite of their gruesome appearance, a sudden and sharp appetite will overcome you and your body will clamor to take a bite of these fruits. Do not partake, or you will suffer a pitiful and lengthy death. This garden is fertilized with the corpses of those who dare partake.

A path will open up before you, and you must follow it to a clearing where a group of figures is gathered around a bonfire. They are robed and wear pointed hoods of the deepest crimson. Their chants in a repugnant alien language may cause you to flee. If you turn and run and run and run, you may escape to the world from whence you came. Once you approach, there is no turning back.

One of the hooded figures will come to you with a piece of meat roasted on a skewer and you will be too hungry to turn it away. The taste of human flesh fills your mouth, and a deep sleep claims you. Once you awaken, you will find yourself sleeping at the base of a tree in this garden. A desiccated corpse hangs the neck; it is tied to one of the trees' highest branches. You will also note that your belly is bloated and distended. If you are a woman that has been through childbearing, then you will know what you are feeling. If you are either a man or a woman that has never been pregnant, you may not understand the strangeness of the experience. The child can be delivered only by cesarean section.

There will be a knife in your hand. Use it to cut yourself open and remove What Is Within You. The pain of the procedure may drive you insane. If you fail to take the creature out in time, it will offer an eternal pain far more horrible than the delivery.

Once it is out, you will stare in horror and love at your deformed child. Just as you hold it in your bloodied hands, it will grow larger and older. Once it is matured, twitching and groaning on the leaf-strewn ground, the men in red will come, cut down the corpse on the tree, and hang up your offspring in its place. If you try to stop them, the torture you will endure at their hands will destroy you, body and mind.

You notice your child is alive still as it hangs. It will respond to one question only: "How shall I know them?" And it will gasp, "By their fruits, you shall know them." The creature will die as it sighs these words, and utter a revolting retch as it vomits out the Object you seek.

A single perfectly round pomegranate is Object 576 out of 2538. It holds a universe of pleasure and untold knowledge within its flesh, but a single taste will warrant a thousand more. Be warned: its final seed holds a fate more ghastly than death itself.

Object 577: The Holder of the Usurper

Long ago, in the time of the ancients, there lived a certain man. The origin of this man is to this very day shrouded in mystery, but legend has it that on a lonesome night, when the moon shone at its zenith, he climbed to the highest peak in the world. On that clear night, he called out to the wolves' moon, "Where may I dare seek the Holder of the Usurper?" Following his request, the stars painting the portrait of the night faded out of the sky, and the moon began to emit a column of blue light, pale yet brilliant. Encircling the man, the blue light shone upon him, slowly lifting him up to the heavens.

When the man reached the point where the light of the earth could no longer penetrate the consuming darkness of the night, he began to descend. Gliding so gently from the sky, the man gazed down upon what seemed to be a city below.

This was no ordinary city.

What must have once been a brilliant, glittering jewel in the night had become a gruesome battlefield. Pearl-white buildings stretched on for miles, encompassed by a massive white wall that had crumbled and fallen. At the edges of the once-magnificent city, small straw and wood buildings were set ablaze, the flames scorching the very night itself. Closing in on the center, beautiful structures resembling homes and marketplaces lay in ruins, the rubble unable to attest to their former glory. Finally, in the city's inner ring, high buildings resembling monasteries and schools, libraries and parliament buildings, still stood proud and majestic. Rows of catapults and military installations were perched on these buildings, emplacements whose sole purpose was to suppress the plague of black advancing on the centermost structure. The crown of the city, the pearly-white tower rose high into the night, penetrating the veil of darkness which completely enshrouded the massive city. The gargantuan bell tower perched on top rang loud and steadily, echoing through the hollow streets and silent night circling it, calling for help that would never arrive.

People ran amok in the streets, fleeing for their lives from soldiers dressed in black. The cruel black warriors relentlessly maimed and destroyed all in their path, fueled by their hatred for the denizens of the White City. The roads ran red with innocent blood, amplified by the blaze engulfing the streets.

The man began to approach the center tower, the fallen wonder of the city, where the most remarkable battle was taking place. Monks clad in white armor stood sentinel around the temple entrance, ready to fend off the intruders with their white blades.

Feet lightly landing on the battlements of the chapel, the man was approached by the white monks in a very brisk manner. They immediately embraced him, and soon the man found himself clad in the white armor. He was an ally to them, and they could use all the help they could get. These monks appeared to be the city's elite soldiers, for the shining white armor they bore was emblazoned with cryptic insignias, surpassing in every aspect the scraggish armor the other troops wore.

As the battle on the ramparts approached the steps of the chapel, the elite white monks began to unsheathe their weapons. The man knew that this battle may be his last, but he was not unlearned. As the last defender of the chapel fell to an ebony blade, swarms of black troopers advanced toward the group. The elite guards began to charge, hurling themselves at the enemy, running them through without relent, their ivory swords turning crimson with enemy blood. They were clearly overpowering the oncoming waves of black soldiers trying to haul toward the tower.

But the waves of enemy soldiers did not cease, and soon the white monks began to tire, slowly falling to the wicked black blades of the enemy. Friend after friend began to fall to the evil of the oncoming hordes. Finally, all of the white guards had been eliminated, and the man, tired, injured, and knowing he would soon follow suit, fled for the tower entrance.

Bursting through the gate, the sweaty, tired man beheld a sole figure standing in the middle of the great hall. The white monk that awaited him seemed to be the most elite of the allied soldiers. Brandished upon him was a golden-white breastplate, as well as greaves, boots, gloves, and a magnificent golden helm. The man could tell as he approached him that he was benevolent, yet burdened. His stance was that of someone who had known battle most of his life. What was most intriguing to the man was the beautiful scabbard that rested on his left hip.

When they met, the figure gave him a slight nod, signaling him to wait behind him. The black troops finally began to swarm the great hall, hungering for the final kill. As the man behind the figure glanced in despair at the oncoming wave, he knew that the lonely soldier ahead of him would stand no chance.

He was wrong. Dead wrong.

As the first ebony blade swung toward the white figure, he reacted. In a feat of inhuman reflexes, the white warrior unsheathed his blade and decapitated the trooper ahead of him and the ten troops behind him before the blade could so much as touch him. The remaining black soldiers were to follow suit, falling to the swift slashes of the ivory blade before they could so much as blink in surprise.

As the last soldier's corpse piled upon those of his comrades, the man knew that this must be the fabled White King. But his glory would not last long, as darkness began to flood the chapel. A lone black figure entered the bloodied chapel. Stepping over the bodies, both the white and black figures locked eyes with each other, hatred seeming to overflow the boundaries of their minds, affecting even the man next to them. This black newcomer seemed to equal the White King in every aspect, save for the sense of pure evil pouring off of his wicked suit of armor. They drew their opposing blades, both soldiers radiating the urge to kill. That was when the man realized:

The Black King...

Their battle was one that lasted the entire night, shaking the very foundations of the city. Sparks soared into the top of the great hall, fires starting with every clash of the blades. Matching each other's every move, it seemed as if the battle would last an eternity. But in a feat of incredible strength, the Black King disarmed the White King of his shining ivory blade, which flew out of his hands and was wedged into the wall. Bringing the White King to his knees, the Black King delivered the final blow, burying his blade into the chest of his opponent, sending a massive shockwave in every direction as far as the eye could see. The man went flying into the wall, denting his body. As the Black King looked out of the great hall, he released a wicked laugh that would shatter the conscience of any normal man. Too weak to stand, the man watched as the Black King stole the throne of the White King, extinguishing the light of the great hall forever. Blood decorated the once pure white marble floor. A sudden darkness overcame the city, leaving only despair in the hearts of the remaining righteous.

It was then that the man gathered the remnants of his fading strength and ran to the corpse of the White King. Wrenching the black sword from the chest of the White King, he focused his eyes on the Black King, who began to look at the man in terror. The scene began to blur, and the man fell unconscious. Waking on the mountaintop, the man was bruised and beaten to near death, still clenching the black blade in his right hand.

The Wicked Blade of the Black King was once Object 577 of 2538, but since then it has been lost, forever forgotten in myth. Banished for its wicked power, it shall only answer to the Dark One. May it never find him.

Object 578: The Holder of the Yellow

The Holder of the Yellow wasn't much one of violence. He didn't hack or slash at the Seekers who failed his tests. The test itself was enough to make them leave. He just wanted to left alone. Only one man came into his domain and demanded his Object. He was massive, blond, and his presence told of anguish and corruption.

The Holder of the Yellow looked at the tags of his brothers, Green, Red, and Blue, hanging from the man's belt. He must have gotten all those Objects in the same day, probably one after the other.

The Holder of Yellow knew no mortal human could pass the test to reach him.

The Holder of Yellow seemed familiar with this man. He seemed like a relative. Like a Holder.

The Holder of Yellow handed over his tag. The man laughed at him, an ignorant, arrogant, violent laugh.

The Holder of Yellow knew then, who this man was. He had become corrupted. And now possessed all the colors. The man was Legion. And he now had another Object. This is Object 578 of 2538.

Object 579: The Holder of What Is

I am that which is, and have been since We were created.

In any city, in any country, you can go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. Once there, you will ask to see "The Holder of What Is". The attendant will not move, and neither will you, if you wish to keep your eyes. You will stay here in this position for three hours. People will come to speak with the attendant, and you will ignore them, as they will you. The attendant will not speak or move, and the others will get their information as usual.

After three hours of not existing, the attendant will give to you an odd, rusted key. You may hold it, but do not look at it, Seeker. If you do look at it, it will burn its way into your hand as an additional digit, and you will feel its pain, and the pain of everyone else who held it until your demise is met.

Should you not look at it, you may turn to face the pair of elevators that were not there before. Stand before the elevator that calls to you. If you cannot hear the beckoning, then you do not deserve to claim me, as described by my Holder. I am that which is, and have been since We were created, and I will not join Them or be destroyed by your hands. However, if you can hear the sweet song of my Holder's many voices, then you will know which elevator to open. The key will only open one, and will break if the wrong one is chosen.

Once inside, do not press any buttons, or activate any switches. The elevator will fade around you, and you will be alone. You will know what solitude We have been in for so long. Here is where your challenge lies, Seeker. Here is where your path will split into two, with one leading to a pain that your mind can't comprehend. Hopefully, you will choose the correct path, as I do not enjoy this seclusion.

Step forward into the stark abyss. You will not be able to see ground, but it is everywhere, for it is of my Holder's making. You may not shout or whisper your question, for your lips will be sealed and your throat cut. You shall not write or mime your question, as your hands and feet will dissipate. You will simply think with a clear mind, "What exists in Them?" Should the dark world around you stand its ground, then you may run if you want. You won't get very far before the ground beneath you is no longer a ground, but a mass of teeth, glass, metal, and all things putrid.

Should the dark simplify and form into what you perceive as a marble statue with not a set of eyes, a set of ears, or a nose, then you may week softly out of pity. This is the Holder of What Is, and he has never seen what is, or what isn't. He has never seen or felt anything in any way. Weep out of pity, or you will take his place and forget all of what is, and what isn't.

Repeat your question in the same fashion as before. My Holder will open his stone mouth and speak to you as if you were nothing, as well as everything. He will tell you the history of what has existed. He'll whisper what is, and always was, in Us. He'll shout what isn't, and what never was. If your mind should sustain this information, then admire you, Seeker.

Upon his final words, my Holder will falter, and crack. Finally, he will destruct. When this happens, you may walk to where he was, and see what is. Embrace me, Seeker, for We are together.

I am Object 579 of the 2538. You may wear me, eat me, inject me, put me away, or take me with you.

For I am that which is, and have been since We were created.

Object 580: The Holder of What Is Not Yet Should Be

In any city, in any country, go to any vacant lot you can find. Shut your eyes tight and yell at the top of your lungs, "I wish to see what can be!" If nothing happens, then kill yourself. The Holder has deemed you unworthy.

However, should you hear a whistle, open your eyes. In front of you will be a barren wasteland with no signs of life. Walk in any direction you feel appropriate. After what will feel like an eternity, you will come across a sole river making the only sound you will hear while in the wasteland (unless you count any you make). Cup your hands, close your eyes, and drink ONLY ONCE. The water will be the best tasting water you will ever touch. But if you did not heed my warning and drank once more... Well, you will spend the rest of eternity burning from the inside, the water will have the power of sulfuric acid. Death will never be so kind as to claim you. After you drink, if you hear the river stop, you are doomed; you will stay here forevermore with the only place to quench your thirst forever lost, the water will be taunting you, dare you drink again?

If you continue to hear the river, then wait 13 seconds before opening your eyes. After the 13 seconds, when you open your eyes, you should see stones sticking out of the river continuing on a path outside the river, leading somewhere in the wasteland. Walk on them. Do not step off a single stone or you will fall into a void filled with horrors you, nor the devil himself, could fathom.

After a few hours, days, or weeks, you will come to a stone door. Don't knock. Instead, hold your ear to the door and listen. If you hear the scratching of chalk on the stone door then enter. Should you hear anything else, opening the door would be unwise.

Once you enter, shut the door behind you. You should see a person dressed in tattered robes and a hood drawing something in chalk. You won't see what he draws. You wouldn't want to. It is a picture of what will happen when the Objects come together.

Walk slowly to him and say, "Why is it not?" He will then, in a saddening voice, tell you a tale about the horrors all Objects can cause, why they are apart, why they wish to be one again, why others were destroyed. If you can keep your sanity, say, "Should I have been?" He will then begin to laugh and take off his robe. Quickly close your eyes tight and hold out your right hand. He will whisper, "You are," and drop the robe in your hand. Eyes closed, put the robe on.

Open your eyes. You will be in the vacant lot wearing a brand new robe. Check your right pocket. The stick of chalk is Object 580 of 2538. You now hold the ability to see what you shouldn't, see what isn't.

Don't let them come together, lest you want to see what the Holder was drawing.

0 is a number, but is not seen as one. You now have the white stick of chalk, keep it away from the black stick that is yet should not be.

Object 581: End of the Holder

It all started when I was just sitting around in my house, doing nothing in particular. I was in that state just in-between consciousness ad sleep when the telephone rang. It was a familiar voice, but one it took me a while to recognize. My physics professor wanted to speak to me at once.

So I traveled to the campus and then to his office. He began to discuss my term paper on antimatter. He wasn't criticizing it, but neither was he praising it. After he was finished, I left and started to walk back to my car as I normally would.

But, the entire world seemed like someone had shaken it up. Nothing was as it seemed. The sky was orange, the grass red. The clouds were black, and the sun dark. I saw my old roommate going about as if nothing had happened. I approached him and tried to ask if anything had happened, but the words that emerged from my mouth were not mine. They definitely weren't English, nor any other language spoken on this planet. I doubt they were even of this universe.

As to be expected, he fled at the sound. My mind was a maelstrom of confusion at myself and at this reverse world that I seemed to have just been cast into.

Then I saw it.

I can barely describe the being itself in a thousand years, and the feeling I felt in its presence was just as consuming as itself. Though my mind had been confused before, it contained but one phrase now.

EDO EDI ESSUM

The being reached out to me, and I blacked out. The last I remember is falling to the ground, and a large black van approaching.

When I came to, I was bound to a stretcher, being led through the halls of what appeared to be a mental institution or halfway house. The world was still reversed as it was before, and when I spoke, those same words came from my lips.

They led me to a cell in a deep, hidden section of the building and left me there.

I don't know how long it has been since that time, but during my stay, many people have come to visit me.

I don't know these people, they are of all kinds and compositions. But when they come, they each carry an object. These objects are always different, but every time they come, my gaze is fixed on these objects.

When they come to my cell, my body responds in the exact same way every time. I ask them a question. Not in that cursed, alien language, but in plain tongue.

"What will cause the end?"

And every time, every visitor responds with the same mind-shattering story of how the Objects came together. All the Seekers who sought. All the Holder who held. Every injustice, horror, and vile act committed in the name of bringing these Objects together.

And every time, it drives me a little more insane.

My twisted mind is Object 581 of 2538. Will you twist it more?

Object 582: The Holder of Difference

Walk into an empty field, barren and desolate. Make sure of that. Do not be followed, it will end in death. Be careful of what you sing or say while passing through the field. If you hum, an ebony-haired man will appear, he will sigh and scowl at you. You must stay emotionless in this time, or he will murder you. His eyes will be black and misty. You must ask him why his eyes are that way. He will not answer you at first, but soon will give up and tell you the secrets of the underworld. You will now be a god.

If you speak, a brunette man will appear before you. He will not speak or move. You must ask him if he knows any monsters. He will point to himself and then to you. You must not reject the fact he had laid before you.

He will then smile and tell you to walk away and find the necklace in the field, after that you shall be a god. Knowing nothing but ignorance.

Each path will result in the power of a god, not always how you think of though. If you walk through the field silently, the two men will be at the end. They will be holding hands and scowl at your presence. They will both lift a gun, gold and silver. They will shoot, but miss purposefully. The ebony-haired man will tell you that you're a demon. The brunette will point to the west, saying that your demise lie that way.

Unwillingly you will walk west, no matter what you do.

The men's knowledge is Object 582 of 2538. It will give you uncertain hell.

Object 584: Abronmalitye Opfv Thde Holoder

Evreewun haets mee. Iem aufool.

Huem Ie pleez. Ie wuz u faelyer.

Ms/Ie oenlee. Ie hav choezin it az it wuz mie destinee.

Ie wuz naat choezin bie eneewun.

Mie ubjjekt iz tairubool. It iz noebudee waants tue vizit mee. Mie test iz tairubool. Due naat leev mee.

Chek it aul raung. Ie wuz born bad.

Ie wuz wun dae. Pleez bee paeshint. Ie wuz born bitween bad oenerz and mie airer wuz sellektid. Iem uglee.

Ie waantid tue help mee 2538 ubjjeks, iz naat thu kaes.

Iem stuepid. Bud Ie kan chaenj.

Pleez due naat leev mee.

Object 585: The Holder of Acceptation

In any city, in any country, go to any abandoned building you can find in the first hours of the morning and ask to see "The Holder of Acceptance". Speak politely and in a low tone, as if you were talking to someone right in front of you. If the time is right, everything will go silent and a black bucket with human figures painted on it will appear at the door of the building.

Drink from the bucket, for what is inside will show your fate from now on. If the water inside is sweet, as if full of sugar, you may not leave the area around the abandoned place and you may not enter it. If you do either, what you will experience is beyond human comprehension.

If the bucket is filled with normal water, then you must leave. The Holder does not want to see you and to enter the edifice is to invite death, not to you, but to every single person you ever talked to.

However, if what is inside the bucket is the most horrible thing that ever touched your mouth, something that cannot be described on its terrible nature, a mixture of every single one of the disgusting things of this world and beyond, you can enter the place. Drink all of the content of the bucket, even if it burns your throat and makes you want to take your tongue out, and only after you do so are you safe to enter the building.

What is inside may vary slightly from person to person, but is essentially a long stairway that leads straight down. There are pictures or windows on the walls that will always portray the most terrifying moments of your life, twisting them into terrific scenes. A few may also see cracks on the wall showing the same thing. You may look at and touch the pictures, but if your mind is weak, you may start crying or try to turn back and this is something you should not do while in this place.

At all times, make sure you can hear the sounds of children crying, screaming, and sobbing in pain. If this sound ever stops, your only hope is to lie on the floor and pretend to be asleep. If the sound returns, do not move. Instead, fall asleep there; if you don't, the Holder will know you were pretending and you will never find an end to the corridor.

If instead, you start hearing the laughter of a man, abandon all hope, for the Holder has sent his worst torture upon you.

Once you reach the end of the corridor and there are no more steps in the staircase, you will see a sliding glass door. Open it as silently as you can, you do not want to interrupt.

You will find yourself in a pitch-black room and in the middle of the room, you will see a child being raped by a big person. Ignore the child, do not feel sorry or try to help, otherwise, his fate will be yours. Stare into the nothingness and ignore all sounds. The man will not answer any question other than, "Who will pay the price for their doings?"

He will immediately stop what he was doing and simply lie down, crushing the child beneath. He will not answer. Repeat the same question until he moves and is standing in front of you. He will then start saying a list of names and at each, you will see the fate of the person he says, the tortures they endured and accepted in the name of others, their pathetic lives, their stories, and their deaths. You must not cry or show compassion; if you do, you will be killed instantly.

At the end of his list, if you managed to stay cold and emotionless, he will smile and point to the almost-dead child on the floor, saying, "The one you look for is there," before giving you a golden knife.

The child, and not the person who gave you the knife, is the Holder. Use the knife to rip open the child's chest. You will find a small box inside. Take it, and both the knife and the person who gave it to you will be gone.

You must now simply sing a song, as if to put the child to rest. If it does not like the song, you will be taken to a place of nothingness, forever to hear your own song distorted into a demonic chant while you feel the same pain of the Holder until you go mad. If he is pleased, your song will echo like the sweetest lullaby to ease even the worst pain and you will fall asleep to wake up back in your home, the box still in your hand.

Inside the box, there is a leash. Use it on any creature and it will, from there on, want to give its own life to avoid seeing you in pain. If it ever dies, though, you will perish with it.

The leash is Object 585 of 2538. For the sake of the happiness of some, many have to accept all of the pain of the world.

Object 586: The Holder of Aging

In the place you call home, wait 'til sunrise and walk into your bathroom. Stand about two feet from the mirror and say to your reflection that you would like to see "The Holder of Aging". Should your reflection slightly smirk and walk away, you have come at the wrong time, and you will be tortured by your reflection in ways that can't be described in any human text.

But if your reflection sits down and tells you to proceed carefully, heed this warning and walk out the door.

If you're in the first house you ever lived in, you can relax for now. If the door leads anywhere else, no matter how tranquil the area seems, yell at the top of your lungs, "I know I'm not long for this world, but don't let it end here." Then quickly turn around. If the door is there, you may continue. If the door isn't there, sit down and accept your fate. You may pray for a quick death, but it's likely that it won't be granted.

The house will be empty. Walk into the living room and sit there until sunset. You may watch TV but the shows will be in a language you've never heard of, and trying to comprehend it will drive you mad.

At sunset, go to your old room. Knock five times, no more, no less. If you hear a voice also whimpering for you to come in, quickly run in and DO NOT LOOK BACK. It's better if I don't tell you why. You will see a younger version of yourself frantically cleaning an already spotless room. The walls will be filled with awards for things you have never done, but wish you had. Don't speculate on the awards for too long. Stand in the center of the room and ask the question: "Do They age as we age?"

Your younger self will stop cleaning and turn toward you. The Holder's eyes will turn blood-red and the room will slowly morph. The walls will rot and mold, and the awards will turn to severed limbs. It will then open its mouth as if to answer, but will then pull out a coin from a void where its mouth should be.

Your mind will give you a vision of your face when you die, or what's left of it. Your vision will be strong and cause you to faint.

You will wake up in your bathroom, clenching the coin with your dominant hand.

The coin will be regular currency in others' eyes, but will look demonic and evil in yours.

The coin is Object 586 of 2538.

You have seen yourself dead. This is now your fate. Don't try to avoid it.

Object 587: The Holder of Gravity

For this quest, you will need some motorized transport, like a car or a motorcycle. It is recommended that you take with you at least ten physical Objects, because this Holder is very unpleasant with the newcomer Seekers.

Go to any field that has a crop circle traced in its surface. Head to the center of the area, and sit there. Wait until the sunset, and when the sun is no longer visible, whisper to the air: "I wish to see the Holder of Gravity." If nothing happens, then you must leave the field, leaving behind one of your Objects, in order to deflect attention of the unfathomable horrors that will try to haunt you. Maybe you lost that Object, and you must reclaim again from its Holder, but you will be safe for now. Perhaps you should do this several times. Otherwise, if you caught the Holder's interest, you should begin to levitate some inches off the ground. Drop the Objects softly, and then you will ascend to a constant velocity.

You will elevate for several hours, feeling the pressure differences at each altitude; your heart pumping faster, your breath less comfortable, but you must be calm all the time. If you show a minimal sign of discomfort or distress, you will be dropped, with the gravity increased fifty times, going down into the ground to subsequently reach the very center of the earth, being melted and crushed by the immeasurable force of gravity over you and the intense heat, without ever being granted the will of death.

Stay calm, and eventually, you will reach the clouds. The clouds will seem to be stratocumulus, but from them will emerge grotesque tentacles and tendons that bind them grotesquely. Close your eyes and count to eleven. If you open them, you will be caught by one of the tentacles and brought into a cloud, where you will be torn apart in every possible way, using your flesh and nerves to make more tentacles, binding more hellish clouds until the end of time.

If you are successful, then you will find yourself in a great tubular room, geometrically impossible to conceive in our mind, as they continue ascending. The "windows" of this alien room will show panoramic views of the places where you have faced another Holder, some earthen landscapes, strange monuments of foreign worlds, otherworldly worship locations, and an image of your bedroom in real-time. Soon, you will see aberrant beings watching these panoramas, completely weightless, and some of the most hideous beasts should pay close attention to your bedroom. You will realize that you have been monitored every day and night since you started your journey. Many Seekers fall into madness after witnessing this. If that's the case with you, the beings here will know it, they will come to you, and you will be thrown by a "window", reappearing in these locations, with some strange device implanted in your body. If you are lucky, you will possibly fall back to Earth, with your memory completely blank.

Eventually, you will arrive at the Holder's lair. It appears to be in outer space, with some giant red stars aligned, attracting and devouring other minor celestial objects. At this time, weightlessness should be affecting you in some degree, but you must resist. Falling unconscious in this realm implies you have been absorbed by the supermassive black hole above you. Where there should be the Holder's arms, there will be two tentacles, similar to those that were in the clouds before. They will be holding you, saving you from being absorbed. Look at the Holder's eyes and shout: "No attractive force can be compared with the impressive power of Them coming together!" He will respond, "Here's a sample of Their gravity." All your loved ones will appear over you, linked to each other with the same tendons you saw in the clouds. Then, with a wave of his hand, they all converge before you in a huge singularity, crushing and exploding in a very painful way, converted in a single red marble, which you can reach with your hand.

Then, he will start to tell you about all the laws of physics in the universe, and how Their reunion will distort them, all of this in excruciating detail. You will be instructed of the power of gravity, and how to manipulate it with the marble. However, you will be warned of the consequences of its use: Whenever something is absorbed by the Object, its weight, but not its mass, will be added to yours as gravitational force, making you increasingly difficult to move or lift objects, to the point of overwhelming your body, squashing you eternally. That marble longs to reunite with the others, and converts the entire universe in a worthless singularity.

When the Holder ends the story, you will be released from his tentacles, reaching the black hole and finally back out. When you wake up, you will notice a bright point in the sky - a supernova. Look at the marble, laying among your other Objects. Take Them and leave as quickly as possible.

With this marble, you will be able to absorb things, including living beings, reducing them to mere dense black matter, but remember the warning that the Holder gave you: because that compacted material will be part of you with each use. The Objects will orbit around it when They come together, awaiting His arrival.

The red marble is Object 587 of 2538. Everything falls by its own weight.

Object 588: The Holder of Ancient Dead

It would be wise to bring one of the weapons with you such as the White King's Sword or the Crystal Spear, however, any weapon Object will do.

To Seek this Object, go to any body of water connected to an ocean in the middle of a storm. Once there, look for a small boat that has a grizzled old man with a hammer and oar guiding it. When you approach it, several disfigured-looking people will be on it. Only focus on the grizzled man with the hammer and oar. Say to him, "I wish to see the Holder of Ancient Dead." He will answer with, "You shouldn't call him that," and motion for you to get onboard. Once onboard the boat, do not let any of the beings on there touch you. Stab them with the Object you brought if you must. Beware, if they touch you, your trip to Hades will be one you will not return from.

After a long while, you will cross through a marsh with numerous white rotting hands reaching out toward you. As with the people on the boat, don't let them even touch you or the rest of eternity you will spend in those marshes.

Upon reaching the shore, you will be faced by a massive 3-headed dog. Face the beast and shout with authority, "I wish to see your master!" If the dog doesn't back down you must kill him that instant or he will rip you into pieces. If you are lucky and commanding enough, he will back down and you'll be able to pass him.

Then a strange thing will happen, you will suddenly find yourself in a bright green field with a small palace in the distance. You will see people laughing and enjoying themselves. Walk to the palace, you may interact with these people but do not allow yourself to be distracted and eat none of their food, these people are here for all eternity and will easily waste away your entire life talking about philosophy, sex, and other joys of their life until you join them.

Once you reach the palace, begin walking in the direction away from where you started and toward the sun. The more you walk, the more the sun will set until it is darker than the blackest nights. You will then see that the field has turned into a craggy wasteland with a black castle off in the distance. You will see many people around you, some suffering more than others, but let none of your senses lock onto them, or your return will be much more perilous.

Once at the castle, you may again confront the 3-headed dog. Shout again that you wish to see its master. If it refuses to back down, try to kill it with all of your strength. Once you have passed, you must find your way to the main chamber. As you approach the main chamber of the castle, you will see blue fires burning all around you in the hallway. Never slow your pace to the chamber, this Holder has been watching since you stepped on the boat and will know your weakness by now.

Once in the main chamber, kneel with your head bowed 6 paces in front of the Holder's throne. Say with much passion, "Hail to you Guardian of the Underworld. What caused the death of the ancient ones?" His cold, dispassionate voice will chill you to the bone as he orders you to rise and look into his eyes. As you lock eyes with him, you will see the deaths of the old world. Every legend and their demise of antiquity and how the 2538 come into play will be shown to you in your head. Should you survive the retelling of this horror, the Holder will look down at the ground and mention something of how very few can survive the truth. He will remove his helmet and toss it at your feet. "You must ask my brother of the sky if you wish to end our tale. That helmet will render you invisible to most people."

The helmet is Object 588 of 2538. Even gods could not contain their power.

Object 589: The Holder of the Blade

Walk into the town, you will see a large warehouse.

Walk in, don't look back. Ask aloud to see the "Blade". A young girl will look at you, a blade in her hand. She will ask you for water. If you give her some, she will give you a note. The note will say, "Killer Blade". Now run, don't look back. Ever. Escape the town, find the large solitary oak tree. Once you do, the girl will be there.

Look her in the eyes, they are blue. Good. You made it out on time. You have won the blade.

They are red. Bad. You have failed, prepare for her to stab you in the heart with the same blade. Whatever you do, do not lose the note. She will kill you if you do not have it with you.

The blade is Object 589 out of 2538. Beware, the blade brings solitude.

Object 590: The Holder of Art

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 Art". The guy behind the desk will seem to be staring at a pencil on his desk and sigh. If he doesn't look at his pencil, run far away, farther than you've ever run in your damn life.

If he does look at his pencil, he'll motion for you to follow him with his middle finger. Follow him up a staircase behind you that wasn't there before, but it feels like it was there before. Follow exactly two steps behind him or you will fall into a fiery pit of death but will be alive forever to die.

When he stops, he will turn left and punch a hole in the wall. Put your hands against your ears and look surprised, or he will kick you down the stairs and a dog will eat you.

Go into the hole in the wall alone, and follow the trail of purple candy. If at any time, a different color candy appears on the trail, close your eyes and pray that whatever beast comes for you will grant you a quick death of life.

When you start to smell something that reeks of shit in a diaper, turn right and stick your thumb in your nose and say these exact words, "What causes them to bandwagon?" A spirit will appear before you with a book of Sonic fan art and begin flipping through the seemingly endless book and cackling at the same time. You must never look away from the recolors or you will become a Sonic fan-made character for all of eternity and your soul will be tormented.

When the ghost stops, close your eyes tightly and say these exact words, "I seek originality." If all noise suddenly stops, open your eyes and you should be in a pink room. On a table, there should be a little girl's sketchbook full of things impossible to describe.

This is Object 590 of 2538, and those unknown drawings long to be scanned into your computer.

Object 591: The Holder of the Smells

In any town located near any lake, find a wooden hut built on the shore of its waters. Standing in front of the door, kneel down and pick up a rotten fish that will be lying on the doorstep and hide it in your pocket. Knock on the door three times, no less, no more. The door will open and you will be greeted by an old lady. Ask her to lead you to the Holder of the Smells. Her face will become pale, and she will insist that you should just leave, but ask her again, and she will let you in.

Inside there is a dark room, with two wooden doors, one on the left and one on the right. Take the left one, don't even think about the right one. The door will close behind you by itself. The corridor will be pitch black and will smell of rot and feces, and you will hear splashes under your feet, but continue forward with no doubt.

Step lightly, as at the end of the corridor there is a well in the ground. Kneel and slide into it, as it is a pipe leading to a cellar. It will be lit by a single candle in the lamp above the reinforced door at the end of it. The whole cellar will be filled with mud and feces - it will smell awful, but don't cover your nose, as you will start to breathe in with your mouth, which will paralyze you, and you will drown in the foul matter. There will be four small barrels in the cellar, one for each corner. Go to the left one closest to where you came from, not any other. I repeat, don't approach any of the three others, don't even dare to. Put your hand out and reach to the bottom of the barrel, no matter how foul and sticky the substance in the barrel will seem, no matter what objects you will feel there. On the bottom, you will find a key. Use it to open the door and walk into the next room.

At the end of an old, cracked, wooden table will be sitting the Holder of the Smells, appearing as a fat, old fisherman. Instantly, you will be attacked by what seems to be a dog covered with scales - throw him the fish you collected from the doorstep, or he will tear your body asunder and eat you. the Holder will laugh, and proclaim a teasing comment, but don't respond, or he will knock you out in a wink of an eye and start to devour you cap-a-pie. The ubiquitous smell of rot and feces will make you want to throw up, but don't, 'cause he will take it as an offense and do the aforementioned thing.

Sit down in front of him, and ask him, "Can the Seekers sense them?", using exactly those words. He'll indulge in a gruesome story of failed efforts, commenting each severity in a cynic manner, telling you about things that should have never happened. If you will sustain his tale, not going mad or vomiting throughout the story, he'll say, "Okay, time to go," and knock you unconscious with his bear-like hands.

You'll wake up in front of the house, covered with mud and feces. You'll finally throw up. Search your vomit, there you will find a shiny fish scale.

The scale is Object number 591 of 2538. You will now feel them all.

Object 592: The Holder of Artemis

Your efforts for this Object are futile unless you are wearing the headdress.

Since before this writer can postulate, this Holder's minions have been practicing the so-named ancient Sapphic arts, and times have stayed the same as much as they have changed. Throughout history, these extremes have transformed and evolved (some would say they have merely changed) to a vehement hatred and mistrust of their brother gender or to a more passive, indifferent coldness, depending on the times.

Even so, if you are a woman, these creatures will sniff out whether or not you have even touched a man in your life; be prepared to answer the most intimate and awkward questions imaginable if you get tangled up with them.

Put on the headdress and go to any remaining verdant forest you can get yourself to. Whether or not you hear drumming deep in the forest, visualize any symbol that represents the Holder of Artemis. It doesn't matter what the symbol is; just as long as it means the Holder of Artemis to you, keep a firm image of that symbol in your mind.

Once you have the symbol in your mind, find any tree that seems to be attracted to you - you'll know which one it is - and place your less dominant hand on it. You will feel a tingling coming from the tree and slowly entering your hand, moving from your fingertips and filling your arm up to your shoulder. It will then spread throughout your body. It will feel distinctly different when it touches your dominant hand; watch for this, because it may save you. When it reaches your head, you will be transported to the other realm.

You will be on the main road of a grand, rock-hewn city. Behind the curtains and in the rooms upstairs, you will hear the groans of women in Sapphic ecstasy; do not lift the curtains or enter the rooms, no matter how tempting it sounds. Proceed into the shining crystal palace and you will see the symbol you visualized earlier, in all its glory, decorating the interior. Again, do not enter any of the rooms, but proceed to the throne room.

Sitting on the throne will be Queen Artemis herself. She will attempt to speak, but do not give her a chance. Look her straight in the eye and demand to know: "Aren't they brothers and sisters?"

Her eyes will glance upward toward your forehead; if she sees that you have the headdress on, she will break down and cry. Do not show any pity for her; hold out your dominant hand and tell her, "You know what I have come for. Give them to me now."

She will remove her earrings, and place them in your hand. After you receive them, threaten her life if she tries any rubbish. After she heaves a deep sigh, you will be back at the entrance you took to the forest, still wearing the headdress, and now holding the pair of earrings. Examine them if you like; they're shaped like lightning.

The earrings are Object 592 of 2538. Even if your ears aren't pierced, the moment they touch your ears they're in forever.

Object 594: The Holder of Ceridwen

Before you attempt this, it is absolutely vital that you be wearing both the headdress and the earrings.

In any city, in any country, go to any abortion clinic you can get yourself to. Ask the receptionist if "The Holder of Ceridwen" showed up today. A certain unnerved expression will cross the worker's face, and she will proceed to look through the files. When she finds one with what you are seeking, she will look at you; if you are not wearing the headdress, she will kill you with her bare hands, but if you are, she will merely stare at you, stunned.

Behind all of the rooms where the abortions are taking place, the worker will show you to a door at the end of a hallway. Here, you will see it; it does not take on any one form for longer than it takes to register what it is, and it is actually shapeshifting much faster than that. Before your mind collapses upon itself trying to make sense of the sight before you, ask it the question: "Did they start off bad?"

It will freeze and whatever form it is in, no matter how beautiful or gruesome, will begin to speak. It will tell you of what they were instructed, how the ones who disobeyed led the obeying ones astray, and why they became what they did. While it is speaking its story, touch the ear that matches your dominant hand. Depending on how the earrings are feeling, lightning will either shoot out of the earrings or come down from the sky, incinerating the Holder. When the dust clears, you will see an empty cauldron.

The cauldron is Object 594 of 2538. It is where enough of them will come together to reunite them all.

Object 595: The Holder of Cruelty

In any city, in any country, seek out a person who used to live in your house. It can be any person who used to live in your house. Bring with you the Collar of Love Betrayed, however, or unending sadism shall be your fate. When you reach the house where the person now lives, knock three times on the door. If there is no answer, wait a week and try again. If a woman answers the door, politely apologize for the misunderstanding, then wait two weeks to try again.

Should, however, a man answer the door, you can ask him, "Are you the Holder of Cruelty?" Should a sly smirk come to his face, he will lead you to his living room and sit on the couch. He will light a pipe and ask if you want to hear a story. Agree. He will spin a vivid yarn of every act of sadism he himself committed when he lived under your roof. Though the story is horrifying, concentrate only on it, and by all means, do not look at any furniture besides the couch, or you will become part of it. Eventually, he will reach an especially gruesome part of the story, that tells of his unending torture of his own pet, an animal he once loved. When he reaches the end of this section, he will ask if you want to see the pet. Agree, and he will lead you to a small room with little furnishing but a steel box. Wait for the man to unlock the box, then scream, "Cruelty shall be met with cruelty!" and produce the collar.

This will summon the spirit of the Holder of Compassion, who, with his unseen claws, shall tear the skin from the man's face. His job finished, he will blink twice before fading from existence. Open the box to find the skeleton of a small dog, the Holder of Compassion's physical body. Take the bones and have them buried in any pet cemetery you can yourself to. But before you do, take the largest claw off of the skeleton's front right foot.

The claw is Object 595 of 2538. This is one step back from the point of no return. Enjoy it while it lasts.

Object 596: The Holder of Demise

In any city, in any country, go to any mental institution or halfway house you can get yourself to. Once inside, walk up to the attendant and ask to visit someone who calls himself "The Holder of Demise". The worker should look up and smirk, then go back to doing whatever he was doing before. Should you ask again, he will ignore you. Ask seven times, no less, and he will rise and walk to his right until he reaches a door. Do not follow him. Instead, go behind the desk. There should be a red button underneath it. Press it and a door behind you should open. Walk through the door, and you will find yourself in a hallway, dotted by the occasional door on either side. There will be paintings on the walls as well. Should you look at any of these paintings, you will be drawn into them and pitted against evil monsters with nothing but the clothes on your back.

Walk down the hallway until you reach a corner. Turn the corner, and continue. You will notice something strange about this corridor. You will not seem to be getting any closer to the door at the other end. To avoid walking this hall for the rest of your natural life (you cannot turn around and go back, for reasons I will soon explain), you must close your eyes, turn around, and walk backward. Do not open your eyes, for something is stalking you that would destroy your sanity in one clawing stroke should you look upon its face. As soon as you feel something solid against your back, feel around until you grasp a doorknob. You may turn around. Open the door and enter. It is safe to open your eyes now, and the thing that was following you shall trouble you no more.

You should be at the top of a white staircase, except you will notice it seems to be suspended in an endless void of darkness. Be careful not to trip or fall off the side, lest you continue falling until the endlessness begins to shred your mind and body. As you walk down the staircase, try not to look around, as while the demons circling you are mere imps, the sight of them would surely cause doubt and great fear in any mortal mind. When you reach the bottom of the stairs, you will see a small door with a strange symbol on it. The symbol will appear different to all who see it, but it will always be symbolic of something bad that has happened in your life. Ignore the symbol and enter the door. You will see a hooded man sitting behind a small table in the middle of a well-lit room. Sit down in the chair across from the man, and ask the only question he will allow you to ask without killing you: "What will happen if they are brought together?"

He will tell you of every death, every torture, every last detail of every bit of suffering that will occur if the Objects are all brought together. He will tell you of evil beings that will invade every place on Earth, unstoppably powerful, and torture every mortal being in existence, forever. However, he will tell you one things that will happen if they are not brought together, and that information will send you reeling. Compose yourself, stand, and thank the man. He will hold out his hand. If you take what he is holding, he will grab your neck with his other hand and break it with one foul twist. Instead, say you dare not take the possessions of one such as him, and back away, still facing him. He will laugh cruelly, place the Object on the table, and reveal his true form, that of an evil beast. Calmly stare at its feet, else it will dash forward with inhuman speed and tear your head from your body.

As you speak this next statement, be extremely calm, for this beast of the damned can sense fear, and it loves the taste of fright. Say to it, "I fear no evil, be it man, demon, or item." If it believes you, it will howl painfully and disappear. If not... Well, let's not think about your fate then. If it vanishes, walk to the table and grab the Object. Use it, even if you have never used one of its kind before, as it does not judge quality. You should feel drowsy as you use it. Give in to sleep, and you will awake that night in the bathtub of the place you call home.

The flute you hold, known as the Flute of Man's Demise, is Object 596 of 2538. It will play only one more tune; that of the funeral of humanity.

Object 597: The Holder of Destruction

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 Destruction". The worker will hastily throw a small key at you. Upon closer inspection, you will notice an odd pattern of what looks to be teeth marks. Walk up the staircase to a door. This door will be black and charred and yet still standing, an ever-present reminder of what lies ahead.

As you walk through the hall you will see screens, each depicting the violence and destruction that has run rampant through our history. The bloodshed of nations past and times of chaos in the present, all will be shown. Do not stop and stare, lest your eyes bleed from their sockets until the husk of your body lie in a pool of your blood on the floor. Do not attempt to identify the source of the images most dire, lest you be transported into the scene and destroyed.

Continue walking until you come to a hole in the floor. From this hole protrudes the arms of all who have been destroyed in conflicts from all of human history. Their shrieks and screams may incite you to pause and lament, but do not do so. Do not stop near this hole, and do not think of these lost souls, lest the arms of the departed pull you into the hole of the abyss.

As the corridor comes to an end, approach the door to the last room. As you stand before it, the wood shall splinter and you may enter.

A very large man, sitting in a chair facing away from you shall greet you as you enter. Should you attempt to walk around the chair, the giant will break through the floor, taking both himself and you in the infernos below. He knows the answer to only one question.

If you so choose, you may ask of this giant, "Who can It save?" The giant shall remain silent, for none are worthy to know the answer. If you grow impatient and implore the giant again, he will declare, "Surely not you."

At this point, the giant will stand and walk away. After searching around his now-abandoned throne, you shall find a small golden hammer.

Touching the hammer shall transport you out of the room and back on the street. The hammer has no weight unless you wish to use it; using it will cause it to become so heavy that upon first strike, you shall hurl yourself through the earth and into the pits of hell. While the hammer cannot create, by merely possessing it, all before may one day crumble to the ground.

Your impatience has allowed you to continue the search but has further damned you from salvation.

This is Object 597 of 2538.

Object 598: The Holder of Employment

Seekers have foolishly wandered into mental institutions, halfway houses, etc...

Foolish Seekers!

But if you are as foolish as you are brave you have my permission to seek this Object.

 

Walk into a mental institution or halfway house. Approach the clerk and utter the words, "Allow me to relieve you of your duties!" If you are deemed worthy, the clerk will escort you to his manger. On the way, the clerk will chat with you. He will probably tell you how much of a burden you will be relieving him of. If your mind unnerves or if you perhaps lose confidence, leave. It is better than receiving a full blow of my wrath!

If the manager deems you worthy, you will gain the job of being a clerk. He will hand you a booklet and a pistol. This job is joyless and thankless. Turn up at 8 am every morning (those who are late infuriate me), and leave at 5:30.

Many Seekers will approach the desk and ask to speak to different Holders, such as "The Holder of the End" or "The Holder of Darkness". Pay attention to which Holder they are requesting to see. If you were competent enough to receive the job as clerk, you should know where to guide each Seeker. If a Seeker utters the words, "Allow me to relieve you of your duties", guide him to the manager.

If the manager deems him unworthy, go back to your duties. If he takes your job, leave this mental institution and never return. You are an unwanted visitor!

If one day a Seeker asks to see "The Holder of Employment", guide him to the door across the manager's office. Sit at the desk and examine him. If he appears fit to be in my service, tell him to sit across from you. Tell him to turn up at 8:30 am the next day. If he appears on a Friday, tell him to appear on Monday.

When he turns up, guide him to the same office you employed him in. Tell him he is fired. He will protest. Press the security button under the desk. My demonic guards will enter. They will drag him to his brutal death. If you feel the slightest twinge of remorse or pity, the demons will drag you off too. You are too weak to meet me.

After this meeting is over, you may now leave the office. You will be now in an endless hall full of doors. Each door will lead to another Holder. Walk to door 598. Knock thrice. I do not wish to be disturbed, let alone burdened with an uninvited visitor. If there is silence, leave through door 0. If a voice retorts "Enter", you may enter.

When you enter, you will see a stressed, overworked version of you. You will be wearing a suit with a badge sporting the title "CEO".

Ask him, "Is the work equal to the result?"

He will tell you how good of a payoff the uniting of the Objects actually is.

Remember the pistol the manager handed you? Blow the figure's brains out. I will appear to congratulate you in passing my test and offer you the CEO's job. Decline it, or you will suffer the fate of the figure you shot.

If you decline, I shall say, "I assure you the past CEO's progress was phenomenal, please. complete it."

The bundle of papers I hand you is Object 598 of 2538. May you learn from your past self's mistakes.

After you receive the papers, leave. If you take care to notice the list of past employees, you may notice one of them is named Legion. May you learn from his mistakes.

Object 599: The Holder of Eternal Night

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 Eternal Night". You will not have to worry about whether or not the desk clerk is truly the Holder's caretaker. The Holder of Eternal Night knows of everything around himself at all times.

You will find yourself in the dark the moment you speak the Holder's name. Lightning will appear above you, and a dark sky will take the ceiling's place. This is a gateway and will take you to the Holder. If you hear the screams of millions through the black, boiling clouds, then the Holder has granted you permission to enter his lair. The screams are from the future.

In the dark, the Holder's caretaker will whisper, "What is your question?" Be sure to ask: "What will happen to them in the end?" or a question asking about the fate of the world at "the end".

If you show concern for humanity's fate, then the Holder will allow you passage to his lair in order to confront him. The sky in the ceiling will open up for you and you will begin to fall upside-down. You will fall up into the sky, through the ceiling and up into the night. All around you, you will see visions of the future. You will watch them all die, man, beast, and creature.

Whoever overcomes and contains the essence of this Holder will never feel the hand of death. But, they will see the "face" of death. They will be immortal and will live through the ages to see the rise of new life and new biological creatures. They will become a god to a new world. But, they will need to live 2 million years before they will rule... alone. You will see these visions as you fall upward toward the Holder's lair.

The real test is to face the Holder of Eternal Night and confront the goodness in your soul. The Holder will give life to all of the love and joy inside of you. You must overpower your own, true self, and kill it before the darkness of the Holder will weaken enough to be captured into the round, clear amulet worn around the caretaker's neck. The shell of the amulet is created of pure light. So pure that it is unseen to the human eye. The light is bound to the amulet through electron exchange cycling through the alien, brass-colored metal. The metals dance with miniature arches of lightning. The pure light is attracted to the electron exchanges so it is held to the amulet like gravity holds you to the earth. The darkness cannot pass through the light. It will be trapped within the amulet until the Objects come together.

Do not listen to the cries of your good self, you must ignore its screams. You have to kill this youth, a younger image of yourself, in order to weaken the darkness to capture it. The youth will be truly afraid of you and will cringe at your blows. You will not be allowed weapons, so you must literally beat the child to death with your bare hands.

When you do so, the darkness will ooze from the child's nose, eyes, ears, and mouth to swirl aimlessly over the corpse. Take the amulet from the caretaker's neck and hold it over the darkness. The caretaker will be in a vegetative state at this point, so don't mind him or her. The amulet can be opened by unscrewing a small, brass stopper at the top of it. You will need to wrap your palm around the amulet to create a dark place to trap the Holder's darkness. Place your fisted hand into the darkness above the corpse. The darkness will be drawn to the shadows inside of your fist.

Once the darkness has slipped into the amulet, replace the stopper and tighten it securely. The Darkness of Eternal Night will not be able to cross the invisible light of the amulet's casing. Just ask yourself this, though. Are you sure you want to live forever?

The amulet is Object 599 of 2538.