Midnight Order: Escape from Club Apophis, 10

(click to enlarge)

STORYLINE: Lisa Liemawr’s voice dropkicked the stadium speakers like a popstar crash-landing onto the PA system.

“Don’t adjust your glasses. No, your optics aren’t glitching. It is foggy out there! Like, OMG, who ordered the full haunted mansion DLC for the Season Opener?! Someone cancel the séance and bring back the sunshine! I mean, I'm lowkey into it but this is giving serious horror-movie third-act vibes for my boys.”

Her laughter crackled like static glitter.

“But don’t panic!” she purred. “Your girl Lisa has an entire army of game drones and news bots stationed at every angle. So you won’t miss a single steamy second of our very own cyber-prince, Lathandro, making his legendary baseball debut!”

She winked directly into the cam bot. “Tune into the Hexa Herald Live Stream, -- your number one source for everything scandalous, cyber-beautiful, and definitely not school-sanctioned.”

There was a sharp crackle of interference. A moment later, the official stadium announcer’s voice came in, clipped and tense:

“We apologize for the unauthorized transmission. For official coverage of the Jae Won Dragons Season Opener, please connect to the Jae Won Athletic Portal.”

The livestream cuts to Lisa, now climbing a stairwell toward the upper ring of the stadium. Her drone hovers behind, catching her dramatic pout.

“Okay, okay Dragonlets, so maybe I wasn’t technically authorized to hijack the PA system. Boo, censorship! But that’s not gonna stop me from bringing you the real tea. Because guess what just opened today? The brand new VIP donor suite, also known as the Obsidian Lounge. Ugh, so extra. That’s right, your girl Lisa Liemawr is about to break the velvet ceiling!”

The drone spun as she gestured dramatically over her shoulder. Behind her, the skybox looms like a luxury mausoleum fused into the upper decks of the stadium, its obsidian glass matte and unwelcoming, framed in industrial silver.

Cut to Lisa crouched in front of the VIP suite’s sleek black entrance. Her drone tilts slightly as she holds up a small silver device with a wink.

“Dragonlets, I know what you’re thinking—Lisa, isn’t this, like… wildly illegal?”

She grins. “Only if you get caught.”

A flick of her wrist. Click. The obsidian door glides open with a hiss of chilled air.

“Behold, my scandalous entry! Where megadonors sip nutrient wine and pretend to care about sports.”

She steps inside. The drone follows, revealing sterile opulence: hover chairs without a crumb in sight, temp zones, anti-UV glass, mood lighting like a Bond villain’s spa.

“Bougie much?”

No chatter. No drinks. Just rows of blank black monitors. The silence pricks her skin.

Lisa’s grin falters. She shivers, rubbing her arms. “Okay, exclusive tour complete. Time to bounce before they send security.”

She spun to leave, and froze.

Where there had been an open doorway, now a thick curling fog coiled inward, slow and deliberate, seeping across the polished marble like something alive.

Her Cam Bot whirred, zooming ahead, just before static fuzzed the lens.

The tall figure stepped from the fog like royalty arriving late on purpose. His heels clicked with absolute disdain. A cape of white trailed behind him like smoke. He paused on the marble threshold, lifted his gloved hand, and slid his sunglasses up just enough to hide the faint, unnatural glow beneath.

Lisa’s eyes widened. Her camera bot hovered uncertainly beside her, still streaming.

She forced her signature grin. “Okay, Dragonlets, plot twist! We have a surprise cameo from none other than Dr. Lucien Ginerva, founder of GIN AESTHETICA™, biotech visionary, and the megadonor behind this gorgeously extra Obsidian Lounge! Aaaand I definitely did not break in to get here.”

She gave a theatrical shrug, trying to keep it light. “So, what do you think, Doc? Worth the donation?”

MasterGin's smile was elegant and rehearsed, yet somehow colder than the fog curling around his boots. "Functional. Though the security is appallingly thin."

Her laugh flickered, high, hollow, and a little too loud. “Haha, classic rich-guy shade. Sooo... you here to catch your golden boy’s debut? Lathandro’s big moment?”

He turned slowly, savoring the question like a fine wine. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he purred. Then his smile thinned. “We need to speak privately.”

He pivoted with surgical grace, navy leather gloves catching the light, each fingertip tipped in gleaming gold. As he flexed his hand, a visible arc of electricity jumped claw to claw.

The first thing to die was Lisa’s cam drone.

Zzzt.... A snap of blue light. The drone spiraled and crashed in a plume of smoke.

Then he turned to her, claws still humming.

“You and your cheerleader accomplice should have stopped at fan merch,” he said smoothly. “But you profited off what doesn’t belong to you. You sold what I created: the face, the body, the name, the branding. Everything Lathandro is a registered trademark under GIN AESTHETICA™... right down to the perfectly placed mole on Yoon Jihoon’s ass.”

Lisa stepped back, posture faltering. “You can’t… you wouldn’t,” she said, her voice stretched taut behind the flicker of a falling grin. “Let’s make a deal. I’ve got reach. Influence. You want to control the narrative, right? I can help—”

“Enough. Your little puppet show’s over,” he said coldly. “My lawyers are en route to your apartment. Yes, where your real body sleeps behind a firewall that won’t hold.”

Her avatar twitched, lips flickering with a static stammer.

“I look forward to your prison stream, my dear. No filters, no enhancements. Just you, as you really are. A tragic downgrade.”

Zzzt.... Another flash of voltage.

Lisa’s avatar collapsed like a doll with cut strings, glassy eyes flickering once before going dark.

With a whiff of ozone and scorched plastic, MasterGin stepped past her crumpled body as if she were a steaming pile of refuse befouling his sleek obsidian floor.

From behind the tinted windows, Lucien Ginerva raised his polished binoculars.

The thick air gripped the stadium like white velvet steeped in rot, soft and suffocating, leaving just one immaculate sightline: Jihoon, alone in the dugout, head bowed.

He wasn’t wearing the high-tech gear personally designed for him. Not the UV-proof bodysuit laced with nanofibers. Not the smart boots. Not the reenforced carbon-fiber bat etched with the Lathandro™ brand.

Instead, Jihoon was with her, that grimy little machinist with a spinal column of schematics. She was touching his Lathandro, defiling those perfect cheekbones with drugstore sunscreen.

Gin’s grip tightened on the viewing rail. His rings creaked.

*I warned you, Little Worm… You don’t belong among them anymore. Daylight will crack your pretty dollface.*

Jihoon’s eyes immediately flew open and frantically searched the stands for The King Cobra.

From his lofty perch, the doctor stepped into the hazy daylight, his long white hair whipping like fire. In one hand: an ornate bottle rimmed in gold—an exact twin of the SPF 100 Nano-Serum he had sent Jihoon.

He flicked a gold claw. The bottle opened. Then, slow and deliberate, he poured its priceless contents across the ground. The serum hissed as it hit the warm concrete.

No smile. No parting glance. Just a turn, heels clicking into fog like a metronome counting down to tragedy.

Outside the skybox, he paused.

Above him, the stadium’s half-dome loomed, the curved jumbo screen flashing Jihoon’s face in slow motion as he stepped up to bat, smiling nervously at the crowd.

The fans chanted, “LATHANDRO! LATHANDRO!”

And by the time the King Cobra reached the garage, the fog had thinned. A black limousine idled. Diplomatic plates gleamed. Gold flags on the hood bore the crest: a snake swallowing the sun.

Just behind it, sleek, low, and quietly seething, hovered his personal car, penned in by the limo.

His eyes narrowed. 

This wasn’t a pickup. It was a leash.

The chauffeur stepped out: tall, faceless, chrome-masked, “The Ruler is expecting you. Your flight to America is waiting.”

MasterGin said nothing. His claws tapped once against each other. Then he turned, flung his cape over one shoulder like armor, and entered the waiting car with a haughty sneer.

The door hissed shut behind him like a blade into its sheath.

Through the rear window, the fog that cloaked the stadium began to dissolve, retreating like a fading shield.

The crowd roared. A bat cracked. Then a gut-wrenching screech cut through the air.

A terrible hush fell over the stadium.

Ambulances screamed past as the limo glided onto the elevated expressway. 

Enraged, MasterGin’s hand slammed the console. Mozart’s Requiem surged through the cabin, loud and relentless.

He sat rigid, every muscle locked tight as he fought the flood inside, -- the grief, the anger, the silent plea.

A single tear slipped down behind his dark sunglasses. Hot. Traitorous.

He wiped it away.

No one should ever see cracks in a perfectly sculpted mask.

For followers who made it this far in the ongoing Apophis series, thank you. This is an ending but with a strong option continue in a sequel. 

Midnight Order is going strong and this round there are several gothic themes not covered before, such as Kpop Demons and the Dark Ages! For this image, I focused on Elegant and Gold. MasterGin is wearing the OneDays Regalia Outfit gold fatpack. The cape comes separate. A single color version is 350L, You know I love me some fancy.   ...Speaking of fancy, check out the gorgeous ISHIKU Dionaea guided crystal drink and bootle set. I hope you can see from the picture how nice it is. Masterful textures and materials.  ...And it goes perfectly with the Eclectica- Gothic Bar Set. I love the arches on the wall and dresser display! The barstool includes several poses, the bar includes useful poses for the bartender including cutting limes, polishing glass, pouring wine, stacking glasses. It can Rez bar items like tap, port, wine, limes, and anyone can sit on bar to trigger items. Just touch the glass/bottle/barrel to get your drink.   ...My bartender for the image is the Whats Lost Spirits TV MAN. His face inside the tv is an aniamated eye. It's mod so I gave him a slight gold tint. to make it fit with slightly cyber theme instead of retro, I hid his rabbit ears antennas. He is a very fun sculpture!   ... {anc} always excells at elegance and mood. The panel lamp stands are more soft winners that can add a dreamy polish to a room.   .... From Random Matter is the Stargazer [Part II], part of a themed set. You can find other items in the at thier booth in Midnight Order.  ... From CABALPIER is the elegantly twisted Forgotten Birdcage. I included a 2nd image below so you can see the poor bird who didn't make it.

On him, MasterGin:

Outfit, cape: Onedays Nightborn Regalia Outfit gold fatpack, Athletic [mesh](Midnight Order)(1500L)

Bottle, glass: ISHIKU Dionaea Guilded Crystal Set[mesh](Midnight Order)(470L)

Hair: Ginko Hair #97 Hair - Rigged, Male [mesh]

Gloves: CURELESS[+] Nepenthes Glove L / LEGACY M[mesh]

Cigarette holder: GRAAL SMOKING SNAKE [mesh](349L)

Glasses: Kumaki Glasses K_gs Kasha_R2 [mesh]

Eyes: S0NG Vampy, Old Ice Eye [BOM]

Skin: Skin Arcana Maverick, FAIR [BOM]

Head: LeLUTKA CAMDEN 4.0 [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

Pose: ZZANG Strength 002 (edited in firestorm)

Setting:

Bar: Eclectica Gothic Bar set [mesh](Midnight Order)(550L)

Globe: Random Matter Stargazer [Part II] Globe, Gold [mesh](Midnight Order)(125L)

Lamps: {anc} panel lamp stand 2Li (amber) [mesh](Midnight Order)(269L)

Birdcage: CABALPIER Forgotten Birdcage <PBR>  [mesh](Midnight Order)(345L)

Bartender: Whats Lost Spirits WLS - TV MAN  [mesh]

PBR Walls, Floor: Erfe Design Medusa Floor PBR Material [PBR]

Skybox: CANARUN Rock/Concrete Loft Skybox [mesh]

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots, hi-res, midday sky :

And just for fun, here is the SL Mobile view :