Insidekick

On a distant world where native customs dictate deadly formalities, a corporate manager oversees a ruthless counter‑espionage program, confident that any spy caught will meet a swift end. The story follows the unremarkable Albert Johnson, who has slipped into the tangled Vaornia‑Lagash frontier, hoping to blend in while gathering secrets for an unknown agenda.

When three local enforcers close in, believing they have the upper hand, an unexpected creature emerges from the dark forest, freezing the encounter in a moment of primal terror. The sudden appearance of the mysterious Zark forces everyone—spy, native, and corporate overseer—to confront the thin line between ritual, survival, and the unknown dangers that lurk beyond the road. The opening sets a tense, atmospheric stage where every decision could be fatal, and the true nature of the world remains tantalizingly hidden.