The following day dawned without mercy. Ethan dragged himself out of bed in the cramped inn room, the neon glow of the city still seared into his eyes from last night's chaos. His phone buzzed with an official notification.
A sponsored stream.
The words made his stomach tighten. Normally, sponsors meant higher pay, better exposure—but also more risk. Corporate clients loved to push spectacle, and spectacle in a supernatural world meant blood.
He clicked the details.
Sponsor: Crimson Food & Beverage Ltd.
Campaign: Crimson Energy Drink — Power in Every Drop.
Venue: Abandoned slaughterhouse on the outskirts.
Special Guest: Scarlet Witch of the East.
Ethan nearly dropped the phone.
A slaughterhouse? A witch? A corporate PR stunt?
"Hell's bells," he muttered, throwing on his jacket. "Of all places…"
---
The production crew wasn't hard to spot. Floodlights burned against the rusted walls of the slaughterhouse. Crimson banners flapped in the wind, plastered with the energy drink's fanged logo. A cluster of suits barked orders, while interns scrambled with cables and crates.
One of the execs, a man in a too-tight suit with slicked hair, greeted Ethan with a shark's grin.
"Ah, our cameraman. You'll be the lens through which millions see the power of Crimson Energy."
Ethan gave a weak thumbs-up, too tired to argue. His eyes scanned the staging area. Beside the banners, a ritual circle had been chalked onto the concrete floor. Candles flickered.(Seraphine Cosplay) The Scarlet Witch herself—draped in crimson silk, eyes glowing faintly red—stood calmly in the middle.
"This isn't just product placement," Ethan muttered. "This is summoning."
---
When the stream went live, the chat exploded.
[Chat]
skullboy88 : OHHH 🔥 slaughterhouse vibes!! this is sickkk
luna_gazer : wait is that BLOOD on the floor??
brandfan99 : DRINK CRIMSON — STAY CRIMSON 💉🥤
ghosthunter77 : cameraman boutta die again lmao
Ethan steadied the second-hand camera in his hands, sweat dripping down his back. The witch began chanting in an ancient tongue, her voice layered, echoing unnaturally.
The circle flared blood-red. The concrete groaned. Something… answered.
The walls shuddered as if fists pounded from the other side. Then, with a splintering crack, the floor split open. A massive claw, slick with black ichor, tore free.
The executives cheered. "Perfect! Keep rolling! This will sell millions of cans!"
Ethan wanted to scream at them, but his voice stuck. He zoomed in, the lens trembling. The entity forced itself through the rift: a horned beast, skeletal wings dragging across the ceiling, its maw dripping darkness.
The witch's chant faltered. Even she looked rattled.
[Chat]
bleedred : THATS NOT IN THE SCRIPT WTF 😳
urbanlegend : guys is this sponsored?? or sacrificial??
hexedcoffee : cameraman RUNNNNNN ☠️☠️☠️
---
The beast lunged. Its claws swept across the stage, tearing through the banners, shredding the spotlight rigs. Executives scattered like rats. One claw arced directly at Ethan—
—and struck a loose hanging steel beam. Sparks rained. The entire claw deflected inches from Ethan's skull.
He stumbled back, alive only because of a freak accident.
"Holy—!" Ethan shouted into the mic, voice breaking. "It almost—did you SEE that?! I should be dead! The beam… saved me! Damn beam just… took the hit!"
[Chat]
screamqueen22 : INVINCIBLE CAMERAMAN RETURNS 💀💀💀
drinkblood : bro is LITERALLY blessed by Crimson Energy now
witchsimp : she lost control… oh this is REAL now 👀
lolman42 : cameraman luck stat maxed 😂😂
---
The witch raised both arms, her crimson silks whipping like torn banners. Her voice rose, laced with fury. With a final shout, she severed the ritual. The rift collapsed, sucking the beast back into the concrete. A deafening silence followed, broken only by the crackle of dying floodlights.
The executives crawled out from under debris, clapping weakly.
"Amazing… Perfect footage…"
Ethan lowered the camera slowly, his hands shaking. His survival instincts screamed at him to quit, walk away, never return. But the chat was still buzzing, and the sponsor's payment notification pinged almost instantly.
Blood, chaos, near-death—yet the stream was a success.
He laughed bitterly.
"Hell of a job, huh? The cameraman's invinsible. Or maybe just cursed."
---
[Chat]
fanatic101 : HE SURVIVED AGAIN 😭😭
blooddrinker : 10/10 promo I'm buying a case rn
supernaturalwatch : bro… the witch was scared too. That's saying something
cameragods : INVINCIBLE. NOTHING CAN KILL HIM. 📸🔥
Ethan cut the feed, his chest tight. He was still alive, yes. But as the echoes of the beast's roar haunted his ears, he realized: every "sponsored" stream was going to be worse than the last.
And luck—luck always runs out.