"A man imprisoned, is only a prisoner when he forgets what lies behind these walls."
That's what the man in the cell next to mine used to say. Here at Vespertine Academy, I can't say I've met many who were as optimistic as he was. They call us an academy, but anyone unfortunate enough to be sent here knew the truth.
To the public, we're a prestigious organization. A private academy funded by the government to foster the crème de la crème of academics. Anyone who works here will tell you that's just a putrid heap of bullshit.
Most of the “students” here are stolen in the dead of night and brought to the academy as "Vespers." The academy is never short of them. Prisoners, asylum patients, homeless folks, those with nothing else to lose, those who hold no future, those with rarely any family that would notice their absence. Those are the people that make for the perfect Vespers.
The Academy is a beast with an endless stomach. Once you're swallowed, you have little sway as to where you'll end up.
But if you're lucky, you become more than just a disposable pawn.
If you're "lucky" the inevitable evades you for just a bit longer.
They say I should feel honored to be one of the lucky ones. A sorry inmate shackled with a lifetime sentence, who was "chosen" to serve the Academy. A pathetic miscreant who was "given a second chance at life" and bestowed the privilege of becoming a professor.
What joy.
As I prepare for yet another study, I can't help but reminisce about my time as a prisoner. I still vividly remember the first project I was assigned to when I was brought to this godforsaken place. Stripped of my identity and thrown to the wolves with nothing but the clothes on my back. It was common practice here.
This journal is the only thing I have that I can call me own. Unfortunately, we risk "termination" for keeping our personal notes and research observations. The original documents are almost always destroyed or heavily edited, but as long as I'm careful, they'll have no reason to suspect that I have copies of the approved documents. I've attached my personal notes to them.
If there's one thing keeping me sane in this place it's this journal. I have to remind myself of the truth. I've seen one too many prisoners fall victim to the academy's will.
I will not be one of them.
【PROJECT ANUBIS】
「Subject」 Anubis
「Administrator」 Dr. Victor Solomon
「Description」
The subject presents as an abnormally tall man. Long strips of yellowed cloth are coiled around its body and a jackal mask is firmly fixed atop the subject's head. The subject was discovered at ██████ archeological site when the excavation team uncovered its chambers, subsequently waking it up. The subject's sarcophagus was discovered alongside 1 out of 4 canopic jars. The whereabouts of the other 3 jars are unknown.
Authorities relinquished ownership of the site to Vespertine Academy when the original archeological team had been reported as missing. A rise in disappearances in the towns closest to the site were also reported to have begun roughly 4 months before the opening of the academy, with a notable 2-month break between the original discovery of the site and the academy's founding.
Upon investigation of the site, evidence of an attempt to re-bury the excavated ruins was discovered. The investigation team sent to recover the missing archeologists reported that the sarcophagus was found open along with the subject in the midst of performing some form of ritual. The bodies of the missing townsfolk as well as the archeology team were discovered at various stages of the mummification process.
The subject has since been detained and Vespertine staff have ██████ the site. The subject is to be kept in an underground replica of their chambers.
「Behaviour」
The subject is fairly calm and willing to cooperate. It is extremely attached to its canopic jar.
The subject becomes more docile when presented with offerings. It believes we mean to aid in its work. The subject must have a steady supply of bodies to mummify. In the event that it does not, it will either seek out bodies with no regard for whether they are dead or alive. If the subject is contained or unable to procure bodies on its own, it will fall into a state of hibernation within its sarcophagus.
〖Observation Log 1〗
⦾ Vesper-224 is sent into the subject's chamber with an earpiece and instructed to approach the subject and ask if she can change its bandages.
⦾ Subject shakes their head "no." It is confirmed that it understands us.
⦾ Vesper-224 is instructed to remove the subject's bandages. She hesitantly pulls on a loose strand on the subject's arm. The subject flinches, yanking its arm back, causing the bandage to rip. Vesper-224 is heard gagging. She reports that the chamber had filled with the scent of rot. The source seems to be the decaying flesh melted into the back of the bandage that she tore off.
⦾ The subject becomes agitated. The torn bandage in Vesper-224's hand begins to stretch and coil around her arm. She is unable to pry it off. Video footage captures her as she begins to scream and thrash wildly when the bandage begins to tighten alarmingly. The skin that remains visible on her arm quickly turns blue.
⦾ Vesper-224 is asked to describe what she feels. She continues screaming for help. The bandage continues to tighten until her exposed skin is swollen and bulging over the fabric. A snap is heard and Vesper-224's arm falls from her body.
⦾ The bandages release her now severed arm. The arm is stripped of its skin. It seems as though her skin has melted into the bandages. The subject picks her arm up and takes it to a long stone table where it quietly begins the embalming process. This calms it down.
⦾ Personnel are able to recover Vesper-224 from the chambers. She is reported as unresponsive due to having gone into shock.
〖Observation Log 2〗
⦾ Vesper-138 is sent into the chambers with a recording device, an earpiece, and a deceased bird. Upon entering, the subject takes the bird as if it were expected, and it begins mummifying it.
╰┈➤ RESEARCHER NOTE:
It seems that the subject views the cadavers as offerings and is therefore willing to tolerate our presence because of them. To further gain its trust, it is recommended that personnel present the subject with a cadaver each time they enter its chambers.
⦾ While the subject is calm, Vesper-138 is instructed to ask its name. The subject points to its canopic jar. The jar's lid is sculpted to resemble a jackal's head.
The following is an audio transcript of Vesper-138's attempt at communication.
V138: A jackal? Jack?...no. What else is-oh! Is it Anubis?.....wrong again huh?
*Subject ripping it's bandages*
*V138 wretches*
V138: God that stinks… Prof, you seein' this shit? It's wrapping the bird up with it....how'd it get that long…
*V138 continues to mumble to himself*
Dr. Solomon: Vesper-138, please stay focused on the task at hand. Please ask about the connection between the jar and the subject’s name.
V138: Ah...okay jeez I hear you. Uh, hey, so what does that jar have to do with your name?
*Subject stops wrapping the bird*
V138: I think it wants me to look at the jar. Should I?
Dr. Solomon: Yes.
V138: …M’kay…
*footsteps*
V138: Holy shit what's in here? How's it so heavy!
*V138 struggling to lift the jar*
V138: Screw this!
*V138 opens jar, audio crackling*
*Screaming*
End of audio transcription
⦾ Vesper-138 is asked to describe what is in the jar. He drops it. Inside are ██████. Coagulated, red fluid leaks out when the jar is dropped.
⦾ The subject ceases his tasks and becomes agitated when the jar is opened. It grabs Vesper-138 when he drops the jar. The eyes of its mask begin to glow. Vesper-138 starts showing signs of rapid starvation and dehydration.
⦾ Academy personnel place the lid back onto the jar and pries the subject off of Vesper-138.
⦾ The subject resumes mummifying the bird.
⦾ Vesper-138 remains in an unresponsive and emaciated state from which he has yet to recover.
╰┈➤ RESEARCHER NOTE:
I have a theory regarding the Subject's identity. The ancient Egyptian priests in charge of mummifying individuals often wore jackal masks. The other researchers have taken to calling the subject Anubis, but I believe his identity is closer to another jackal-headed deity.
〖Observation Log 3〗
⦾ Vesper-512 enters the chamber with an earpiece and the cadaver of ██████ . She complains about the stench coming from the stain where the coagulated liquid leaked out during the previous experiment.
⦾ Vesper-512 is instructed to ask the Subject to remove its mask. The subject shakes its head no. Vesper-512 asks if she can touch it.
⦾ The subject leans down, allowing Vesper-512 to examine the mask. Vesper-512 takes the opportunity to pull the mask off of its head and is immediately ██████ and ██████.
【END OF PROJECT FILES】
Cadavers were withheld from Anubis for about 7 weeks following the third experiment. We had expected him to mummify Vesper-512, but he never did. Her corpse remained on the ground, coated in her bodily fluids as she decayed. Anubis and his sarcophagus were taken back to the site where he was first discovered and buried along with the rest of the site. There have been a few disappearances since then, but not at the same rate as when he was first discovered and none that we can link to him searching for bodies to mummify.
The security footage from the experiment was destroyed after academy personnel monitoring the cameras also witnessed Anubis without his mask. They were missing organs and like the victims before them, they were incredibly emaciated.
I suppose I should be thankful for their tampering though. After all, the only reason I didn't fall victim to whatever it was that killed them was because I wasn't there.
The final experiment was done without my knowledge. I theorize that someone had gotten impatient and disagreed with my methods in attempting to gain Anubis’ trust. The final research log was still submitted under my name but because they wanted to keep the consequences of their involvement under wraps, they edited the final observation log to only include Vesper-512's death.
The academy helped to cover up the deaths of all the staff that saw Anubis' face. I tried asking about what happened when I noticed there was an unfamiliar observation log, but nobody knew anything and those that did kept their mouths shut.
All cameras in the chamber had been turned off so they could remove Anubis' sarcophagus without risking the same incident occurring again. I hovered around the cleaning crew under the guise of wanting to apologize for having made such a terrible blunder and creating all this work for them. While they were occupied scrapping remains off the walls I snagged an access card from one of the now-deceased security guards before their belongings were sent to be incinerated.
I surmise that someone very powerful within the academy hierarchy must be willing to sabotage my research to further their own. Unfortunately, I have no leads as to who they may be.
If I want to ensure I don't become a scapegoat for them, I need to find out who they are sooner rather than later. Perhaps that access card can be of use.
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