With a nod, she led the way back into the Captains' quarters, grabbing John by the arm along the way. Once the door was shut firmly behind them, she released her grip on him and sighed..

"So, a monster." Ray sat heavily on one of the beds. "Let's start with the basics. What did it look like?"

"It was... like the Kraken of legend, but not," he began. "It was black, with yellow eyes and purple markings all over its body. And there was a strange red mark on its head, in the shape of a heart." He paused, looking down at the floor for a moment before raising his eyes to meet theirs. "It destroyed that ship, and everyone on it. And then it came for us. We barely escaped it."