"Sonic AIM (by Seeth)"

-

"Did you bring something to drink?"

"Yes, our favorites."

"Well, our parents are leaving for the party any minute now. Do you want to watch some horror stories?"

"Of course. I brought The Shining."

"My dad always tells me I wouldn't understand it. The truth is, it does scare me a little."

"Well, in that case, I have it too. They say it's a classic."

-

At 14 years old, Jacob and I can say that we have been friends for more than half of our lives. Our parents met when we moved here and have been attending meetings and parties together ever since, so we are practically siblings. We went to preschool and elementary school together, and we are about to start middle school. We went to preschool and elementary school together, and we are about to start middle school. Although we used to have someone looking after us, we asked them to leave us on our own this time, and in a vote of confidence, they agreed. They gave us many rules and instructions, emergency numbers, and their own numbers written down and stuck on the front door.

As our parents are doctors, they gave us a 15-minute crash course in first aid. I can say that we are now old enough for this. After all, we just turned 14. We can take care of ourselves now. Although the holiday that used to happen during these days warranted going out, we won't be doing that. We felt we were no longer the right age for that. It was better to order food, see what was on TV, and play until late at night. Jacob took several folders of DVDs with classic horror movies such as Friday the 13th and The Exorcist out of his backpack.

We ordered a pizza, and thanks to the fact that it arrived in 31 minutes, it was free. It was our lucky day. We watched this movie called The Thing. I had prepared a werewolf mask. When Yelkoc came back from the bathroom, I gave him a good scare. He even went out to the patio to get some fresh air. We went to the computer to transfer a movie to a disc. The movie was File 39. It had recently been released in theaters, but it was already available for free on the internet. Then Jacob went to the living room and came back with his backpack.

"Hey, do you want to see something really interesting? I found it in one of my dad's chests. Your parents have big chests too. Mine are always locked. He left it open. Maybe he forgot. I don't know. It's weird. Sometimes he took out a very striking folder with crimson hair. It also had an inscription in gold letters that said Arsetia."

We opened it very carefully. We began to look at the discs. There were three of them. They all had numbers on them. The numbers were nine, 1, and 23. Underneath the last disc was a very recognizable name.

"And why does your father have a Sonic CD in the trunk? I didn't know he had these tastes, to be honest. We should try it."

We inserted the CD into the computer and after a few seconds of waiting, it started.

Alt Tag

"Look behind Sonic. What is that symbol?"

"I don't know. I don't remember the game having that."

"I have no idea. I've never played Sonic."

"What? You don't know anything. But during free periods in class, Tommy and Kyle are always talking about him."

"Yes, but I don't remember anything they said. We'll call them."

"They don't live far away. It would take them a long time to get here. Let's play and see what it's all about."

Alt Tag

And that's it, 26 levels. It seemed like too many levels to get through in one night. However, the first one was pretty easy, so I started thinking that we could beat the whole game in a few hours. It was the first Sonic game, as far as I know. It doesn't have co-op, so we decided to take turns one level at a time. I would start.

Alt Tag

This level was called Green Hill, a striking green landscape in every corner. In the background, you could see what looked like buildings swaying slowly from side to side.

Alt Tag

Alt Tag

After completing it, it was my friend's turn. His level consisted of purple platforms. He had to avoid some robots and lava. The music in this level caught my attention, so while he was playing, I wrote down the name to listen to it later. The level is strange. There is more lava than usual.

Alt Tag

Alt Tag

"You've played it before."
"You're the only one who hasn't played any Sonic games."

And so we alternated between levels. Although every time I started a new one, he would grimace as if something displeased him or caught his attention.

Alt Tag

Alt Tag

"If you have something to say, say it."

The levels have been modified. Does my father edit games? Could he be practicing to learn how to make one? Great. My dad also likes to do other things besides his job. The thing is, my dad doesn't like computers. Once we got to Scrap Brain, he interrupted the game. The map was certainly covered in lava and seemed to have reached a dead end.

Alt Tag

There should be water here, not lava. We couldn't continue without hurting ourselves. Out of frustration, we jumped straight into the lava. Before we even saw the animation of losing a life, the screen went blank and a sign appeared.

Alt Tag

"Clearly this is altered, but it must serve some purpose."

"What? What are you talking about?"

"I mean, that message doesn't fit. I don't remember it when I played it either. It's kind of creepy"

Alt Tag

Jacob was surprised when new levels began immediately afterwards. After one called Emerald Hill, another called Wood followed.

Alt Tag

"This map doesn't exist. I've played the original and it wasn't there," he said as he stood up to take a closer look. The surroundings were made of wood, with dry leaves decorating the forest. The most striking detail was the addition of a yellow fox next to a new ring and life counter. I quickly learned its name because I liked it. It helped us reach difficult areas, and now we didn't have to take turns playing.

Alt Tag

We could do it at the same time. I decided to control this character named Tails. Halfway through the level, Jacob paused the game and started scratching his head.

"Is something wrong?"

"Didn't you notice? He's gone."

"Who?"

Alt Tag

"Eggman, the boss of the levels, no longer appears."

"Well, as you said, we're playing a modified version. Maybe they removed him to make it easier. We've already advanced several levels with almost no effort."

He paused for a moment, as if something didn't add up. Then he shook his head and went back to the keyboard to continue playing. As we progressed, the game levels began to take on an unsettling peculiarity. The cold, dark tones of the early stages gradually faded away, giving way to a fiery red. It was as if every corner of the game was bathed in the glow of a living flame.

Alt Tag

It was as if every corner of the game was bathed in the glow of a living flame. Orange and yellow flashes flickered erratically, simulating fire peeking out in the distance. The heat conveyed by this aesthetic became almost palpable, as if it were
installed in the air around us. Even the sound changed. A kind of buzzing could be heard very softly, almost inaudibly, which increased in volume and then slowly decreased. It resonated in the ears, similar to very calm breathing. Sonic seemed completely exhausted. His characteristic swift and confident movement was now clumsy and slow, as if he were carrying the weight of something invisible.

Alt Tag

Alt Tag

Alt Tag

His footsteps left a trail of particles, and his eyes looked dull. Every now and then, he would stop with an expression that I can describe as frightened or desperate, something I would never expect. Tails followed closely behind, trying to help him, but he was just as exhausted.

Alt Tag

Alt Tag

His movements were erratic, staggering. Sweat, or what appeared to be sweat, ran down his pixelated face, and his attempts to cheer Sonic on were equally dampened by the proximity of the flames engulfing the level.

Alt Tag

Alt Tag

As we advanced, the environment filled with crumbling paths, platforms that disintegrated upon contact, and a horizon that faded into a sea of fire.

Alt Tag

Alt Tag

Every jump and every step felt like a battle against an invisible enemy. Although there was no such thing in the level, the real threat seemed to be the environment itself. Something was not right.

Alt Tag

It was the feeling that we were descending, approaching something that seemed to have no return.

Alt Tag

After completing a desert level, something changed drastically. Tails disappeared.

Alt Tag

The landscape left behind the open flames and suffocating heat of the previous levels, giving way to a strange and desolate environment.

Alt Tag

We were surrounded by huge, twisted tree trunks, as if they were the charred remains of a forest that had once been alive. However, the most disturbing thing was the lighting.

Alt Tag

The logs emitted a faint light from within that pulsed slowly. The silence was absolute. You realized that the game was not muted only by the occasional creaking of the wood around you. With each step, Sonic seemed more restless.

Alt Tag

His movements became hesitant, as if something about this place affected him deeply.

Alt Tag

A fog occasionally covered the area, making visibility difficult. But then we saw him at the end of the road, among the remains of the logs was Tails, or rather what was left of him.

Alt Tag

There was no trace of his body. The worst part was his head. His eyes were completely black, with a small light reflecting the same glow that emanated from the logs. Sonic stopped dead in his tracks. He seemed petrified, unable to process what was in front of his eyes. A heavy, cursed air enveloped the scene, as if the level itself were watching us closely, waiting for our reaction. The inevitable question echoed in my mind. I whispered it, barely audibly. As another message popped up.

Alt Tag

"Who would do such a thing?"

Level 14 began. From the very start, something was very wrong. Sonic was no longer running. His characteristic speed had disappeared.

Alt Tag

He walked even slower, dragging his feet. His body looked tired. I can imagine that the invisible weight he had been carrying before had doubled, and every step was too much for him.

Alt Tag

The map was completely flat, with no obstacles or hills, just a bewildering terrain stretching out to infinity, enveloped in a very oppressive atmosphere. But that wasn't what caught our attention. No, at first, as we moved forward, we began to notice something. Lying on the ground were the animals, these creatures that Sonic normally took care of freeing, but this time there were no cages or machines to break, just a field of burned bodies scattered everywhere.

Alt Tag

Some of them were motionless, consumed by flames. The worst part was that some were still moving, twitching slightly. Their bodies were completely burned, to the point where you could barely see the colors they once had. Most had small red details. The sound was chilling.

Alt Tag

There was no music, just the constant crackling of burning bodies. The smell seemed to come through the screen. We could imagine it. A heavy odor that filled our lungs and made it hard to breathe. I remembered a time when my dad burned some meat and it made me feel quite nauseous.

Alt Tag

Sonic kept moving forward, but something in his face had changed. It was no longer just exhaustion, it was despair. As if he was aware of his surroundings but unable to do anything about them. His eyes seemed empty, reflecting only the reddish glow that covered the level. It felt as if this place were a monument to suffering and we, as spectators, were forced to witness it.

Alt Tag

I turned on the air conditioning. We were sweating. Nerves, fear. I was scared of something about Sonic. Jacob would tease me for a long time if he found out. I turned to look at him out of the corner of my eye. He was extremely focused. Either that or he was as scared as I was. After a few very long minutes dragging him through the level, we reached the end.

Alt Tag

There was no sign indicating the end, just a giant ring. Sonic fell to the ground a short distance away.

Alt Tag

He did something I never expected.

Alt Tag

He weakly raised his arm toward us.

The screen went black and we heard a very quiet laugh. The symbol we had seen multiple times appeared in black and white, flashing very quickly.

Alt Tag

Another new message appeared.

Alt Tag

Seeing our names was the last straw. I turned to look at Yelko and saw his mouth moving. He was saying his name. I nudged him with my shoulder, but he didn't react. He remained motionless, staring at the screen. I wanted to open a window, but in my nervous state, I cut my finger when I pinched my skin on the metal covering the glass. I quickly went to the kitchen to find a couple of bottles of water and something to cover the wound. On the way, I saw the note my mother had left. I thought about calling her, but first I had to help Job with whatever was bothering him. When I returned to the room, he was agitated, staring at the ceiling. I drank some water, and even though I had just taken it out of the freezer, it was already warm. I opened the other bottle and offered it to him, but he ignored me completely. I ended up leaving them next to the keyboard. The screen no longer displayed the message. Everything went dark.

Only Sonic was there. Jikob lowered his head, and our eyes focused on him. His pupils were yellow and red, like burning embers. The skin around his eyes was similar to the animals we had seen. It was cracked. It was gray with white details. However, there was still a trace of blue in it. It's ash. He said, as if he had been thinking out loud. It's covered in ash. As he said this, he didn't take his eyes off the monitor. I think that's enough.

Alt Tag

"We should turn off the computer and go to bed. Our parents will be home any minute."

I reached for the power button. Just then, Jacob tackled me and punched me in the stomach.

"Don't even think about it" he shouted as he twisted my fingers in the opposite direction.

"We have to keep playing." He was panting as he stunned me with his screams.

"Okay, okay. Finish your game." I said, looking at him with disgust and fear. It was the first time he had behaved like that. He seemed too angry. My fingers still hurt. I swore to myself that it would be the last time I invited him over. I looked at the clock and it was barely 2 in the morning. Our parents' parties usually lasted a few hours longer. Besides, we had asked them to take their time coming back so we could play longer. I felt very uncomfortable. I remembered the piece of paper with my mother's number on it. I would call her to tell her what had happened and ask her to come back quickly. I ran to the door. As I was dialing the number, I felt a strong push in the back. I fell face first into the wall and broke a tooth. Due to the impact, I shouted, asking him what was wrong as I brought my hand to my mouth. A strong rush of adrenaline coursed through my body as I looked up.

Jacob was smiling defiantly. That laugh came from the room where the computer was. I swear it was the same one from a moment ago. He wanted to fight. I wiped the blood from my mouth and quickly scanned the room for anything I could use to defend myself. Before making any move, Jacob silently turned around and went back to the living room. He wasn't going to let me call anyone. I grabbed a broom and followed him slowly, on high alert. From a distance, I could see that the screen showed a level called "sealed pact."

Alt Tag

I remember reading it in the levels section at the beginning. I think it was at the end. When did it progress so quickly? I can describe it unmistakably as hell. There was no other way. Everything around me seemed like an amalgam of pain and perpetual suffering, with a landscape formed by columns of fire and a ground covered with charred skulls. But the worst part wasn't the environment, it was Sonic.

Alt Tag

At first glance, he was unrecognizable. His body, once blue and vibrant, had taken on a grayish-blue color. What made my blood run cold was what he was carrying on his shoulders. In one of them lay something I didn't want to accept was real. Tails' head. Despite the grotesqueness of the scene, what happened next sent a chill down my spine. Tails blinked slowly. His ears were drooping, limp, and the movement of his eyes suggested that he was still conscious. On the other shoulder was that worm-like robot with spikes. It was gray in color, probably from being burned, and had an expression of fury. And Sonic, he was happy. A subtle, twisted smile, completely out of place, made my hair stand on end. It wasn't a smile of satisfaction or triumph, it was something darker, more cruel. His eyes glowed with slow titillation as he carried those two heads on his shoulders.

Alt Tag

Every step he took made a sound like a groan of pain. I immediately associated that sound with Tails. I didn't know what to feel. It was clear that we had reached the end of the game, but there was nothing to relieve us. That was it. That monstrous version of Sonic seemed to want to drag me along with him, and I was frozen in place, unable to look away. I had crossed the line between player and victim, and in that moment I realized that this level wasn't Sonic's hell, It was mine.

Alt Tag

Jacob tried pressing a button, but nothing happened. Sonic turned to face us, and finally, the screen went black.

Alt Tag

Once again, the last message appeared. We both began to say it aloud in unison.

Alt Tag

Alt Tag

Then, the screen lit up in fire, showing us his face.

Alt Tag

Alt Tag

A tremendous fear took hold of my body. I barely managed to muster enough momentum to run away. In this adrenaline rush, the water bottles next to me fell onto the computer and sparked a fire that jumped onto the carpet. A fire quickly started and spread with extreme violence. When I reached the door, I noticed that Jacob was on the floor. Did he faint from fright? I tried to pick him up and drag him to the door, but he was too heavy. I dragged him as far as I could. I didn't have time, and I was losing strength. I didn't know what to do. I had to let my friend die, or we would both burn to death. I shouted for help with all my remaining strength. The fire had completely reached the door. My quick option was the nearby window, but it was locked. I had to break it. I used my clothes to wrap my hand and hit it, but it was useless. I took a second to think clearly, but then I heard them. People, people outside the house shouting.

I looked up at the window and when I saw what was on the other side, I silently shed tears. All the houses in our small town were on fire. The cries of babies, children, dogs barking, and calls for help filled the air. Everyone slowly began to suffocate as I started to feel very thirsty. On my back, it felt as if a thousand needles were slowly piercing me, my skin tightening and burned. Smoke began to fill my lungs. My eyes burned, not only from the heat, but from the tears that boiled as soon as they left my eyes. My body no longer responds. I am trapped inside my own body. And for the last time, I hear that laughter. What did we do? Why did Jacob's parents have such a thing? We summoned it and set it free.

-

A shocking tragedy occurred early this morning. A small town in Michigan was consumed by a massive fire, leaving total devastation and multiple victims. But the cause behind this disaster could be even more disturbing.

Alt Tag

Preliminary investigations point to a possible connection with a cult known as the Children of Solomon. It is suspected that the fire was the result of a suicide pact carried out by members of this sect.

Alt Tag

This group is known for its occult practices and is believed to have active cells in Michigan, Arizona, Louisiana, and Thunderbe, Canada. Authorities are already working to prevent similar tragedies.

Alt Tag

The Children of Solomon refer to the legend of King Solomon's mythical ring, supposedly used to control demonic forces.

Alt Tag

Their followers believe in extreme sacrifices to achieve spiritual ascension.

Alt Tag

An urgent appeal to anyone who may have information about this cult. If you know anything, please contact the authorities. We will continue to report on this alarming tragedy. Stay tuned, we will return after the break.

Edit

Pub: 10 Aug 2025 23:36 UTC

Edit: 11 Aug 2025 20:45 UTC

Views: 89