He was second to last in line. Ahead of him, silent in their ritual garments, his cult companions proceeded with swift steps.

Traversing the corridors and underground chambers with the confidence and swiftness of those walking well-known paths.

Meyer had dedicated himself to the cult a few months ago. Tired of struggling to provide for his family, he chose to follow a friend's advice and spontaneously presented himself where the functions were held.

At first, the master, or as everyone called him, the Summoner, had a long conversation with him, providing all the explanations and clarifications Meyer needed. So, in less than three days, Meyer was chosen for the initiation ritual. Weeks had passed since then, during which he had listened to the fervent sermons that the Summoner used to recite during their weekly gatherings. It was at the end of one of these that Brother Tooms approached him. Tooms had been part of the group before Meyer joined. He had demonstrated the right qualities, and the Summoner had introduced him to darker and more powerful rites. Now, Tooms was one of the Initiates - that's what the cultists permitted to undertake the Path of the Unbearable Truth were called. So, when Tooms approached him, Meyer was both surprised and momentarily awed.

"Meyer, praise Shy'og!" exclaimed Tooms. "Praise the bringer of truth," replied Meyer emphatically. Tooms smiled, pushed back his hood, and closed the distance to Meyer even more: a sign that he had important things to tell him. Meyer also raised his hood.

"Meyer, the Evoker thinks you're ready," whispered Tooms, "so tomorrow you will descend with us into the Temple to witness and take part in the dark ritual. It will be your new baptism," added Tooms, looking intensely into his eyes and firmly holding his left wrist.

This gesture and Tooms' whispered words had a profound influence on Meyer. Barely containing his joy, he assumed a serious air and formally thanked the Initiate. When Tooms was sufficiently away, Meyer allowed himself a gesture of satisfaction: he could finally aspire to become one of the Initiates!

So here he was now, quivering, following the group of Acolytes led by the Summoner and a couple of Initiates towards the depths of the Buried Temple. It was the first time he set foot there, and although he was aware that only there the mysteries of the Bearer of Truth were hidden, he was terrified. The darkness around was oppressive. The shadows cast on the walls by the beam of the lamps seemed to come to life and follow them, and the strange designs and sculptures that they crossed from time to time contributed to instilling more and more fear in him.

Suddenly, a gesture from the Summoner made the procession stop. Meyer looked around: they had reached a very large room of which the bottom was not clearly visible due to a dense mist that remained low near the floor. The group arranged itself in a semicircle, waiting for the master's words. "Praise Shy'og!" he exclaimed, amplified by the place they were in, the ceiling of which must have been much higher but almost invisible in the darkness. The Summoner continued, "We descended tonight to celebrate the passage of some of our brethren. Ascending to the knowledge of the Unbearable Truth - everyone made the sign of Shy'og - is a path available only to a few." The Evoker moved aside, revealing behind him what looked like an altar or a sarcophagus. The light of the lamps seemed unable to illuminate it completely although they were sufficiently close. The material it was made of reminded him of nothing known: it didn't look like granite or marble, not even tuff. The stone, if it was stone, had a uniform and disturbing black, glossy color. It was as if someone had just cleaned it because there was no trace of dust on it.

The Summoner continued. "Let the Acolytes step forward to receive Shy'og's gift!" Meyer and the other three Acolytes moved toward the altar, following the Summoner who had taken his place behind them. The ritual, they had been told, required them to kneel and then prostrate themselves, awaiting the master's investiture.

Meyer performed the prescribed gestures, and while he kept his face toward the ground, he heard the Summoner intone a series of invocations in a language completely unknown to him. The Summoner's words seemed to have an effect: Meyer distinctly felt the floor vibrate, albeit softly, as if someone were walking heavily near him. At the same time, an unbearable stench suddenly manifested. Meyer couldn't resist the temptation and raised his face: a little less than a meter away from him, what a moment before seemed like an altar had now turned into a shapeless mass from which shreds and tentacles protruded, moving in every direction. The chanting of the Summoner had now become higher and louder, and the two Initiates joined him. Meyer thought he recognized Tooms' voice, but he had no way of verifying it because a beam of black matter detached from the mass and grabbed his left arm, covering it. Meyer didn't even have time to scream before being dragged toward the amorphous mass, which now showed it had several eyes and openings similar to leech mouths. His body, like that of the other two Acolytes, was enveloped in an instant by the viscous black mass and absorbed into it. Meyer no longer existed. He had ascended to a higher level. He had received Shy'Og's greatest gift: to become part of it.