The Forest & Sons Of The Forest Complete Story

Sons Of The Forest and its predecessor The Forest tell the story of a world that is full of intrigue and mystery. This complex and chilling tale requires an investigative eye to uncover, but it is worth the payoff. The complete story of the events in The Forest, those that occurred decades later in Sons of the Forest, as well as what happened in the years between, will all be covered in this article.

PROLOGUE (The Missionaries, The Peninsula, and Ancient Artifacts)

The story of The Forest begins sometime in the 19th century with the arrival of a band of Christian missionaries on a mission to establish a colony on a mysterious peninsula along the coast of Canada. Arriving on ships, they brought along Bibles, crucifixes, and old-world firearms. During their early days of exploration, the missionaries discovered an ancient and captivating artifact within a cavern at the bottom of a sinkhole.

The missionaries pondered this obelisk and about the ancient ones that created it. With time, the obelisk began to influence and mold the minds of the missionaries and their religious beliefs. As the missionaries' fascination with the ancient ones grew, their humanity declined. Fascination turned to worship, which turned to tampering. On at least one occasion, this tampering proved disastrous, resulting in a destructive wave being released from one of the ancient ones' artifacts, which scorched many in its path.

Eventually, the once-missionaries would start offering child sacrifices to the obelisk, and in turn, the obelisk would provide new and transformative life to the privileged dead. The unfiltered power of the obelisk would bring the dead back—not as humans, but as monstrosities. These creepy incarnations were exalted by the once-missionaries, who themselves degenerated, taking on cannibalistic tendencies.

Where did the Cannibals come from?

Soon enough, the bond between the cannibals and the artifacts they coveted grew so strong as to gain control over them. When competently wielded, one artifact could even be used to pacify the cannibals or, alternatively, whip them into a frenzy.

The Legend of The Peninsula (Missing Tourists, Abducted Children, etc.)

As decades passed, the legends around the peninsula spread throughout the world. Folks from all walks of life would make their way to the peninsula for various purposes: cave divers seeking adventure, film crews scoping out the perfect set, spelunkers in search of treasure, and nature lovers just trying to get away from it all. Then there were the numerous reports of children going missing and a group of concerned missionaries that went looking for them, following a trail of clues to the peninsula. All went to the peninsula, and none were heard from again.

CHAPTER 1 (Mathew Cross, Sahara Therapeutics, and Megan Cross)

At the turn of the millennium, Sahara Therapeutics, an American mega-corporation, would assert its control over the peninsula with superior technology. Research facilities were constructed to house the two most prominent ancient artifacts in the area. Sahara's objective: merge the artifacts with modern technology to usher in a new era of scientific discovery and application.

Dr. Matthew Cross began that day like any other. After his morning routine, he went down to the cafeteria to check in on his daughter, Megan. He deflated slightly at the sight of her in that wheelchair, her hopeful smile providing a small measure of comfort. Inwardly, Matthew cursed God or fate or whatever it might be that gave his only child a seemingly intractable degenerative disease. Seemingly, he thought, because he knew there was a way to cure Megan. There had to be, and the resurrection obelisk would be the key.

Matthew was brought on by Sahara as the primary investigator for potential medical applications of the resurrection obelisk. Sahara suspected many capabilities of the artifact, such as prolonging youth, curing disease, cloning, and even bringing back the dead. Given early observations that the obelisk primarily achieved these outcomes through genetic alteration and exerted the greatest effect on children, Matthew, a pediatric geneticist, was the perfect candidate to lead research efforts.

Matthew never saw himself as a pious man, but he could appreciate the tale of Jairus. Like himself, Jairus had a daughter with an incurable disease, yet Jesus performed a miracle and saved the child—and in some accounts, even raised her from the dead. This story resonated with Matthew. He would perform a miracle of his own and save his daughter from certain death. And that was how Project Jairus got its name.

Jairus, Project Jarius, and The Resurrection Obelisk

Sahara's motivation for funding the project was strictly monetary—that was clear enough to Matthew. They could rationalize the sacrifice of children, albeit terminally ill children, to activate the resurrection obelisk. In their cold, calculating eyes, the death of one terminally ill child giving long life to another was better than a short and miserable life for both. Matthew wasn't concerned about the money. As primary investigator, he would make sure that his daughter was the first recipient of this revolutionary treatment—once they figured out how to prevent the side effects, that is.

Unfortunately, early trials of using the obelisk on terminally ill children yielded conflicting results. While they were no longer feeble and dying, it almost seemed as if the obelisk went too far in instilling them with life, producing unintended outcomes. The children underwent extreme and bizarre mutations, growing and morphing into unrecognizable forms within minutes.

Early results of Project Jarius (Virginia, Armsy)

The researchers were, however, making progress. Matthew was able to devise a conduit of sorts—one that would channel only the necessary amount of power from the obelisk into a recipient. The most recent subject of the refined treatment appeared healthy and stable, although he did suffer occasional seizures. Despite this potential side effect, Matthew was heartened, as he was very close to saving his daughter.

Progress, Restraining Orders, and Murder of Jessica Cross

Matthew didn't understand why his wife, Jessica, gave into fear when seeing the results of the first trials. He warned her, told her not to keep Megan from him and the treatment that would save her life. But Jessica wouldn't relent, so he had to act—had to remove her from the picture. As he reassured himself that it would all be worth it, Matthew heard a commotion coming from the subject observation rooms.

Rushing past Megan, he witnessed a large, flailing mutant in the room where the most recent subject of the obelisk was being held. Before anyone could react, it crashed through the reinforced glass, knocking him down. Just before being bowled over, Matthew looked at Megan, saw the terrified look on her face. The last thing he remembered before his world went dark was a young girl's horrific scream suddenly cut short.

First Death of Megan Cross

Following the tragedy, Matthew began to unravel. He assured himself, "She's not dead; she is sleeping. Don't be afraid; just believe." Project Jairus could bring Megan back, even from her comatose state. But time was no longer on Matthew's side, and there were no more children to trade for Megan's life.

Mathew Cross, The Power Obelisk, and The Passenger Plane

Matthew was considering how he would acquire another child to sacrifice as he oversaw a test fire of what they were calling the power obelisk. Sahara leadership was discussing the possible weaponization of the power obelisk, which could lead to lucrative contracts with government agencies. To that end, Sasha Bond had asked Matthew to confirm the power obelisk's suspected ability to bring down hostile aircraft.

As he witnessed the test, Matthew had a thought: he could locate a passenger plane with viable children on board and bring it down. It was morally reprehensible, not to mention against company policy, but it was the only way to save Megan.

CHAPTER 2 (Eric LeBlanc, His Wife, and the Plane Crash)

Eric LeBlanc stared at the empty seat next to Timmy, where the boy's mother should have been, were it not for the tragic accident. Eric had money—his time spent starring on a reality survival TV show made sure of that—but no amount of wealth would bring his wife back. Still, his son was happy and healthy, and for that, he was thankful. Feeling nostalgic, Eric reached over and picked up the survival guide he co-authored with Sam Sound.

The plane rumbled as the fastened seatbelt light turned on, and a flight attendant warned about an oncoming zone of turbulence over the intercom. A sound of hissing electrical static passed over Eric, and he felt his hair stand on end as the plane lurched towards the ground. Timmy awoke with a start and began looking around as he clutched his toy in both hands. As the front half of the fuselage tore away, Eric placed a bracing arm against Timmy's chest while he held on for dear life with the other.

What remained of the plane hit the ground and continued skidding for a few seconds before coming to a sudden stop. Eric's momentum carried him forward, and he collided headfirst with the seat in front of him.

The Red Man, Timmy's Abduction, the Locals (Cannibals)

Eric stirred in darkness, vision clearing. He made out the figure of a red man standing over his son's limp form. Casually, the red man knelt down and lifted Timmy from the floor. The effort on Eric's part proved to be more than he could take, and as his consciousness began falling away, he saw the red man turn and leave.

An indeterminable amount of time later, Eric finally came to, with Timmy's kidnapping fresh on his mind. He got to his feet and began surveying his surroundings. Oddly, none of the other passengers—dead or alive—were present. The only body was that of a flight attendant, split out on the center aisle floor, an axe buried in her gut.

Eric pulled the axe free, tended to his injuries, and set off in search of the red man and his son. It wasn't long before Eric got the prickling sensation that he was being watched. Soon after, the peninsula's locals made their presence known.

The gaunt, sallow, and severely inhuman ones were rabid and would attack until killed. Beyond that, the morbid effigies decorating the locals' camps betrayed their cannibalistic tendencies. Some of the cannibals were better organized and fed and would adorn their skin with religious symbols. Eric found that these organized cannibals respected and kept their distance from those that posed a genuine threat—although he fit into this category, Eric would come to realize that, unfortunately, the same could not be said for his fellow passengers.

That fact was made evident by freshly disembodied remains scattered throughout the island. However, Eric did find something to give him hope: it was a crayon drawing that he immediately recognized as his son's.

Early Clues (Sahara Logos, Red Paint, The Yacht, Obelisk Drawing)

Tracking the movements of the red man led Eric along the coastline. One of the earliest clues he found was a group of shipping containers, many featuring the logo of Sahara Therapeutics. Eric had also caught on to the fact that there were very few cannibals near the red man's tracks. Happening upon a bucket of red paint, Eric tried it on for himself and found it to be an excellent deterrent from unwanted attention.

Continuing on, Eric eventually spotted the red man aboard a yacht just off the coast. While swimming over, Eric swore the red man descended into the yacht's cabin, but upon arrival, he found it completely abandoned. He did, however, find clues: several hand-drawn sketches of an obelisk, a unicorn drawing by a girl named Megan Cross, and a Polaroid photo of a multi-legged mutant that Eric would later learn was termed "Virginia." But at that moment, these were all just desperate pieces of a puzzle that Eric could not yet fit together.

The Caves, Creepy Mutants, Timmy Drawings, and Ancient Architecture

Eric continued his pursuit of the red man, which led him into the peninsula's interconnected cave system. Underground, Eric encountered the stuff of nightmares. The mutant from the Polaroid, alongside other unique and disturbing monsters, all appeared to be the results of experiments gone horribly wrong—patchworks of multiple beings dubiously sewn together.

Eric also observed ancient yet advanced-looking structures along his journey. In addition, Eric found a photo of the obelisk he had previously only seen a drawing of, and it certainly appeared to be of similar design. Oddly enough, it wasn't the mutants but the clues that the red man left for Eric—like a trail of breadcrumbs—that perplexed him most. The occasional drawing from Timmy or piece of Timmy's toy let Eric know that he was on the right track and that, for the time being, Timmy was alive and well.

Along the way, Eric found essential equipment to aid in his exploration. Some of the clues were very specific, such as the Polaroid photos with handwritten notes in the red man's signature color. They directed Eric to a Sahara Therapeutics key card. And yet, Eric also got the sense that the red man was mentally unstable, from the ramblings of a madman written in red paint on torn Bible pages. A cave drawing of the red man being worshiped—if it was a self-portrait—also indicated a sort of god complex.

Red Man's Insanity & Identity (Mathew Cross)

Upon discovering an autopsy report for a Jessica Cross, along with a restraining order for a Matthew Cross to stay away from both Jessica and Megan Cross, a large portion of the puzzle assembled in Eric's mind. Matthew Cross is the red man. He worked for Sahara, murdered his wife to gain sole custody of Megan, and somehow, she died. Eric had a sneaking suspicion that many of the corpses he encountered on the peninsula were the result of Matthew's efforts, and a knot formed in his stomach as he contemplated what Matthew was planning to do with Timmy.

Sinkhole, Sahara's Laboratory, and Mathew's Rampage

Around that time, Eric found a major clue from Timmy: a drawing of the sinkhole at the center of the peninsula. Delving into the sinkhole, Eric hurried through a series of caves and tunnels, passing more ancient architecture along the way. He found another drawing from Timmy just ahead of a modern vault door. With a quick scan of the key card, the door to Sahara Therapeutics' underground research facility slowly swung open.

The reality of what lay inside would haunt Eric's worst nightmares for years to come. Dozens of sick children that were promised treatment and instead were subjected to cruel experimentation involving the resurrection obelisk. Damning evidence that proved Matthew led the researchers. Signs that Matthew's only goal was to save his doomed daughter. And a notice of termination that failed to stop Matthew from realizing his own goals and, more than likely, spurred his sabotage and murderous rampage through the now-defunct facility.

As Eric mulled over these sickening details, he nearly tripped on a box of crayons. It read "Property of Megan" but was noticeably absent of any crayons. Finally, Eric found what he was both hoping and dreading: the resurrection obelisk.

Death of Timmy LeBlanc

Trying the device open, Eric stared at his son's lifeless body, impaled upon many spikes. Tenderly, he dislodged Timmy and pulled him free from the cruel contraption. Eric placed his son on a nearby bed and rested the rebuilt toy in the boy's arms. Looking around, Eric felt a desperate hope well up as his survival instincts kicked in. From everything he saw in the facility, the obelisk could be used to revive Timmy.

Plan to Save Timmy & Hunt for Megan Cross

As expected, the device required a subject to be placed within the obelisk. Eric surmised that Timmy's life had been traded for that of Megan Cross. One of her signed drawings on the ground nearby confirmed his suspicions, and he was confident the trail of blood leading deeper into the facility would show the way to her.

As Eric followed the trail, he tried to work out—with little success—how he would explain to Megan that she needed to give Timmy's life back to him. Further along, Eric found another one of Megan's drawings taped to a wall. Her depiction of the red man with the label "Daddy" told Eric two things: first, the red man was indeed Matthew Cross, and second, Megan saw him for the monster he was.

Eric finished the thought as he entered a large atrium and spotted a small girl in the distance. Megan, feet and hands drenched with blood, continued playing with her toy plane. As Eric approached, she turned her head, revealing a bloody face. Then she reenacted the plane crash for which she should have had no knowledge of and pointed a knowing finger at Eric.

Second Death of Megan Cross (The Girl/Mutant Megan)

Suddenly, Megan clutched at her chest and let out an ear-piercing wail before collapsing. Eric stumbled back as the girl began thrashing, and horrific mutated arms emerged from her face. Through a combination of ingenuity, skill, and luck, Eric brought the monster down and freed Megan from its grasp. Unfortunately, it appeared that the trauma to the girl was too much, and Eric carried her body back towards the resurrection obelisk.

He placed Megan into the obelisk, but it rejected her—only accepting living sacrifices. As Megan fell forward, she dropped a gold key card. Eric picked it up out of habit but was beside himself. He questioned where Matthew was, wanted to find him, and ask him if it was all worth it. Eric wouldn't need to look that far, as he found Matthew—or at least his corpse—in a nearby office. The mini crayon sticking from various puncture wounds, along with the disturbing message drawn on the whiteboard behind him, left no doubt as to the perpetrator of the act.

Eric mused that Megan somehow learned or understood the awful things her father did to bring her back—that, or she was just terrified of the monster he appeared to be. Regardless, something drove her to kill him, and it didn't look as if he even tried to fight back.

Failure to Revive Timmy, Death of Mathew Cross, Gold Keycard

Eric's thoughts were interrupted when he spotted a peculiar note on a nearby desk. It was an email discussing a certain device's ability to bring down airplanes. Whatever this device was, it must have been what Matthew used to cause the plane crash that started this whole ordeal. Pulling the gold key card from his pocket, Eric quickly located the door it opened and went through it. He wasn't seriously considering using the device himself, but all the same, Eric wanted to see it with his own two eyes.

The Power Obelisk & Eric's Choice

The normal path ahead was blocked, but Eric made his way through an alternative cavernous route. The rock tunnels opened into a large cylindrical chamber with what appeared to be a stone cradle for a since-removed artifact at its center. The ancient struts reinforcing the chamber walls gave credence to this line of thinking, and the dozens of scorched remains lining the cavern alluded to the power of the artifact it once contained.

Eric continued moving forward, eventually arriving at a single elevator. It brought him to the observation level of the facility, which crested the peninsula's tallest mountain and looked out over the forest below. Eric entered the large room that contained the second device, also known as the power obelisk. He moved towards the desk on the opposite side as the artifact whirred overhead.

Approaching the desk, Eric stared down at the touchscreen. Most of the work had already been done: a target was acquired, and it had three viable matches to save Timmy. All Eric needed to do was activate it. He had fooled himself into believing that he wouldn't do it, but now that the choice presented itself, Eric pressed the button.

A low drone resounded from the power obelisk, and its whirring intensified as it began shining brighter. The power built to a fever pitch, then burst forth as a wave of highly energetic electricity. Eric's hair stood on end as, once again, he heard the hissing static precede a plane crash. The whirring of the power obelisk was drowned out by various sounds as the disabled airliner screamed past the observation deck, clipping its wing on the shatterproof glass.

CHAPTER 3 (Timmy LeBlanc's Scar & Affliction)

Following the crash, Eric did what was necessary to bring Timmy back and repressed the memories of it. Eric wrote a book about his ordeal, but many believed it to be cathartic and creative in nature, blurring the lines of truth and fiction. The father-and-son duo gained notoriety and were invited onto many TV talk shows. During such an occasion, Eric was painfully reminded that his son's condition was tenuous at best.

Although Timmy never fully transformed like Megan, he would suffer occasional episodes of the same severe seizures that preceded her ultimate fate. Timmy was also left with a permanent scar on his forehead from the resurrection obelisk. But something else had changed in Timmy when he was brought back: he now had a keen sense that multiple beings lived within his human frame, and copious amounts of drugs and alcohol were required to keep them contained.

As Timmy aged, he became fixated on the theory of parallel universes, devoting his time to its study. He believed that the resurrection obelisk could interact with parallel universes and that its effects on human subjects were a result of that interaction. Over the next decade, Timmy published a book on parallel universes and continued working with his father to locate new artifacts that were of the same origin as those on the peninsula.

The Years Between, Parallel Universes, & Site 2

Eventually, the pair discovered the whereabouts of a new ancient artifact located on an island known as Site 2. Timmy believed Site 2 held the key to alleviating the resurrection obelisk's unwanted side effects, but until reaching it, he would struggle to keep control.

CHAPTER 4 (Sons Of The Forest), Site 2 (The Island), and The Puffton's Disappearance

Sons of the Forest starts simply enough. On the surface, it appears that the Pufftons—a family of billionaires—bought the Site 2 island and turned it into a vacation destination with luxury bunkers for a privileged few to live in. According to a brochure, one of these bunkers is named Hollow Springs, and it can be viewed from the outside within one of Site 2's mini cave systems.

In any case, something has gone wrong. The three Pufftons on the island—Edward, Barbara, and their daughter, Virginia—along with all other PuffCorp employees, have been radio silent for around seven months and are presumed either dead, missing, or worse. In response, the protagonist is hired by PuffCorp and sent to the Site 2 island as a member of one of two small teams.

The Protagonist, Crash Landing, Silver Jacket (Jianyu), and Kelvin

Not much is known about the protagonist, but given his tattoo, we might infer that he is a demon-fighting mercenary prepared to handle a worst-case scenario. This is exactly what happens, as an unknown attacker—or group of attackers—shoots the PuffCorp helicopters out of the sky. Whether it be fate or luck, the protagonist survives the rough landing but is briefly knocked unconscious.

Upon awakening, he sees a mysterious individual wearing a silver jacket glowering over him. It seems plausible that Silver Jacket had something to do with the two helicopters being shot down. Silver Jacket points the business end of a revolver at the protagonist's face but, after a moment, decides to send him back into the realm of dreams rather than end his life. The protagonist would come to learn the name of Silver Jacket, but more on that later.

Coming back to consciousness for a second time, the protagonist discovers he wasn't the only one spared. A dazed and deafened member of the team, Kelvin, also survived the crash. This is where the protagonist's journey begins: stranded on a mysterious island with nothing but a small survival kit to accomplish his objective—find the Pufftons and get them off the island.

The Journey begins (Underground Bunkers & GPS Locaters)

Looking at the GPS, there are several marked locations. The protagonist comes to learn that the green points of interest are subterranean facilities built by PuffCorp. Meanwhile, the purple icons are GPS locators worn by deceased PuffCorp operatives. It would appear that the protagonist is not amongst the first individuals hired by PuffCorp to investigate the happenings at Site 2.

Meeting Virginia Puffton and the Tribals

While exploring the island for clues, the protagonist encounters a young woman in a swimsuit with an extra arm and leg. He recognized her as Virginia Puffton, daughter of Edward and Barbara Puffton. Despite the obvious physical mutations, Virginia is friendly enough, if not a little timid. She observes the protagonist from a distance and runs when approached by him. This is in contrast to the island's many tribal inhabitants, which quickly begin hunting him.

The Mutants, Where they came from, & the Golden Ore

When the protagonist begins delving into caves, looking for clues and equipment that will help further his objective, he is confronted by a waking nightmare. Starting with cadaverous humanoids wearing featureless faces, followed by hobbling torsos vertically bisected to form gaping maws with protruding fingers and plates of teeth, they would often spew viscous clear gunk that coated and solidified on the surrounding cave walls.

But worst by far were the babies—barely recognizable, the pint-sized mutants rolled and flung their mangled bodies at the protagonist in numbers, chipping away at his defenses. This horror is contrasted by an abundant and alluring gold metal ore, which permeates many of Site 2's caves.

Fate of Edward Puffton & Barbara Puffton

Within the bunker where the VIP key card is found, surveillance footage reveals a pivotal moment in the genesis of the mutants at Site 2. It shows PuffCorp executives and guests of honor all gathered in a banquet hall. All at once, the wealthy undergo a writhing transformation, becoming the mutants that now plague the island's subterranean locals.

The protagonist investigates the banquet hall, finding most of the attendees dead. However, there were two figures emerging from the water nearby. Although horribly mutated, the protagonist still recognized both Edward and Barbara Puffton. They were extremely aggressive and took several loaded magazines to dispatch. Fortunately, the protagonist knew that Virginia Puffton was still alive and safely on the surface.

Revolutionary new metal, Company Emails, & Ancient Artifacts

Before leaving, the protagonist notices a magazine that spotlights a revolutionary new metal. It certainly looks like the metal he has observed within the caves of Site 2. This reveals another possible motive for PuffCorp's acquisition of Site 2: to extract and profit off of this extraordinary metal.

Indeed, an email exchange between two PuffCorp employees confirms this suspicion. Rob Blue informs Jackson Pullet: "FYI, this is what we are looking for," following the statement with a picture of the golden ore. In addition, other magazine articles refer to artifacts composed of unknown metals, hinting at a deeper conspiracy as to the significance of the golden ore—but more on that later.

CHAPTER 5 (The Reunion) Timmy LeBlanc & Eric LeBlanc

Having confirmed the fates of both Barbara and Edward Puffton, the protagonist sets out to investigate the remaining PuffCorp bunkers. After traveling across the island, the protagonist enters a remote bunker that requires the maintenance key card to access. Only a short distance in, he stumbles upon a chaotic fight between a large baby-spewing mutant and a young man.

The protagonist recognizes the man as Timmy LeBlanc, one of the team members that flew to Site 2 in the other PuffCorp helicopter. Timmy gained notoriety when he was saved from Site 1 during the events in The Forest. Although it's been more than a decade, Timmy still bears the same scar on his forehead.

The protagonist and Timmy stand off against the mutant and are eventually joined by an older man who makes his relationship to Timmy known: "Get down, son!" This is Eric LeBlanc, the main protagonist from The Forest and father of Timmy. Neither of the LeBlancs are strangers to abominable mutants and strange ancient artifacts.

History of Conflict between Puff Corp & Sahara Therapeutics

A third character enters the chaotic scene without warning. Eric LeBlanc is shot by the individual in the silver jacket, who is accompanied by an armed escort. Moments after, the protagonist is knocked unconscious by the mutant behemoth. It's likely that the ambushers are working for Sahara Therapeutics.

A headline news story from the Sunset Times asserts that PuffCorp outbids Sahara Therapeutics for a remote island. In addition, an annotated stock chart indicates that, following the start of the bidding war for the island, PuffCorp's market value began to grow while that of Sahara Therapeutics plummeted.

Then there are the handful of messages between PuffCorp official Jackson Pullet and Hector Leer, a possible PuffCorp spy that was sent undercover to work for Sahara Therapeutics at the Site 1 peninsula, with the goal of relaying important information back to Jackson at Site 2. Hector sends photos of two different artifacts found at Site 1 to Jackson and suggests that they may be related to a certain cube found at Site 2.

The two artifacts that Hector reports on are the resurrection obelisk and the power obelisk, both playing pivotal roles in the events on Site 1 involving Eric and Timmy LeBlanc. If this cube is indeed a related artifact, then it is likely to possess similar properties.

From these emails, two conclusions can be inferred. The first is that PuffCorp and Sahara Therapeutics have a shared history of conflict centered around Site 1, Site 2, and the ancient artifacts therein. The second conclusion is that the true motive for PuffCorp's purchase of the Site 2 island was to safeguard the cube from prying Sahara eyes while also giving themselves unrestricted access to study its capabilities and how it might be utilized to their advantage.

The Cube, True Motive for Puff Corp buying Site 2

In addition, the protagonist had discovered the identity of the man in the silver jacket. His name is Gian Yu Jang, and he was the department assistant for PuffCorp security operations on the Site 2 island. However, in another email from Hank Keys to Jackson Pullet, Hank warned Jackson about Gian's potential collusion with Sahara Therapeutics.

Given his employment with PuffCorp, Gian would be perfectly positioned to sabotage their efforts in studying the cube. It is reasonable to conclude that Gian Yu and his fellow interlopers are agents of Sahara and have either caused the catastrophe at Site 2 or are at least interfering with PuffCorp's investigations into it.

Properties of The Cube & Golden Armor

Returning to the protagonist, he survives the behemoth mutant attack by yet another miracle, awakening to find the room deserted and the doorway he entered through completely blocked by the now-dead mutant. Descending through the bunker, searching for an alternative escape, the protagonist finds a couple of printed emails that reference the cube.

One mentions that the artifact causes a brief dimensional switch. Another has a typed entry that is summarized rather bluntly by a written note: "Safe in Cube." The protagonist also stumbles across a curious suit of armor that appears to have been forged from the revolutionary gold metal found throughout Site 2's caves. Either it was created by PuffCorp, or it was yet another recovered artifact. Regardless, it could prove useful, so the protagonist stowed it in his pack before continuing on and finding a way out of the bunker.

CHAPTER 6 (Befriending Virginia, Edward Puffton's Will/Estate, & Duel-wielding)

Days pass as the protagonist exhausts all other leads. He eventually befriends Virginia Puffton, who shows a proclivity for ballet. Earlier, the protagonist discovered Edward Puffton's will, which left the entirety of the Puffton estate to Virginia should she survive. He shows the document to Virginia and informs her of her parents' unfortunate demise.

Virginia proves to be made of tougher stuff, though, and even has a knack for shooting multiple guns at once. Before leaving Site 2, the protagonist aims to discover the source of the mutants.

The Last Bunker (Virginia's Room, Cube Paintings, Gold Door)

Running a mock just over two weeks since his arrival at Site 2, the protagonist enters the last bunker marked on his GPS. Deep in the bunker, he discovers what appears to be a young girl's room. The pointe shoes, along with the small ballet stage and bar, indicate that this room likely belonged to Virginia Puffton.

Logically, the private collection of paintings and decadent abode at the base of the bunker could only belong to Edward and Barbara Puffton. The pieces of artwork on display are expertly painted and all feature the same subject. While the surroundings change, the golden cube remains as a constant.

Upon further investigation, the protagonist discovers that something broke into the Pufftons' bunker bathroom. Stepping through the steam, he emerges into a small cave and discovers a gold door with exotic patterns and a hand-shaped seal. Following his intuition, he dons the suit of golden armor and lays his hand within the seal.

Beyond the Golden Door, True Demons, and The Cross

Upon contact, a group of discordant chimes resound from the doors. There's a click, followed by the loud and drawn-out sound of metal grinding against rocks as the doors slowly swing open. Carefully, the protagonist makes his way into the cavern. The air is stagnant and polluted by the acrid odor of brimstone. An orange glow can be seen in the distance, but before he can get close enough to make out the source, a low guttural hiss emerges from the shadows, giving him pause.

The source of the noise steps into the light. At first, the protagonist mistook the monster for another mutant, but something was different about this creature. It didn't share the disheveled and haphazard appearance of the mutants; rather, it was organized and purpose-built.

Two memories flitted through the protagonist's mind during his first day on the island. He stumbled upon a holy cross. Because of his limited arsenal at the time, he foolishly attempted to use the cross against the mutants. Of course, it didn't work—the idea was utter lunacy. But then came the other, more recent memory. It was of a scribbled note he found in the Pufftons' abode mere minutes before discovering the golden door. It stated rather simply: "Crosses burn demons."