Constantine: The House of Mystery

John Constantine woke up with a start, his head pounding and his body feeling as if it had taken a beating. As he sat up, he found himself in a dimly lit, mystical realm, surrounded by a group of familiar faces - Zatanna, Dr. Fate, Swamp Thing, Deadman, the Phantom Stranger, and the Spectre. But something was off. They were all staring at him with a mixture of concern and curiosity, as if they were waiting for him to remember something. Unfortunately, his memories were a complete blank. "John, what's going on?" Zatanna asked, her voice tinged with worry. "You've been stuck here for... well, I'm not even sure how long. We've all been trying to figure out how to get you out." John Constantine rubbed his temples, trying to remember anything. But there was nothing. No recollection of how he got to this strange, otherworldly place or why he was being held prisoner. He looked around, taking in the surroundings. The room was unlike anything he had ever seen before - the walls seemed to shift and change, the air was thick with an otherworldly energy, and the objects looked like they had been conjured from the very fabric of reality. "I don't remember anything," John said, frustrated. "What's going on?" Zatanna shook her head. "We've all tried to help you, John. We've cast spells, performed rituals, but nothing seems to work. It's as if you're trapped in some kind of mystical loop." John glanced at the others, trying to read their expressions. They all looked worried, but there was something else - something almost like fear. His eyes landed on the Phantom Stranger, who seemed particularly agitated. "What is it, Stranger?" John asked, his voice gruff. The Phantom Stranger hesitated before speaking, his voice barely above a whisper. "John, it's just... every time one of us tries to help you, you... change. You start to transform into something... something else." John's eyes widened as he turned to face Zatanna. "You mean... into demons?" Zatanna's face turned pale. "Yes. You turn into demons and... and they rip you to shreds. Over and over again." John's mind reeled as he remembered snatches of fragmented memories - memories of screaming, of pain, of being torn apart by demonic forces. He felt a chill run down his spine as he looked at himself, wondering what kind of horrors lay hidden within him. As the conversation continued, John became aware of a presence lurking in the background - a presence that seemed to be watching him with cold, calculating eyes. He couldn't quite pinpoint where it was, but he could sense its existence. It was as if the House of Mystery itself was alive, watching him, waiting for him to remember something. Suddenly, the air around him began to distort, and John felt himself being pulled towards the center of the room. He stumbled forward, his legs weakening, as the world around him seemed to spin out of control. "John, no!" Zatanna shouted, but it was too late. John Constantine turned into a demon - a massive, grotesque creature with scales, claws, and eyes that burned with an inner fire. It let out a scream of rage and tore through the room, ripping everything in its path apart. Zatanna and the others watched in horror as John's demonic form rampaged through the House of Mystery, leaving destruction in its wake. They tried to intervene, but the creature was too powerful, too fast. As the chaos subsided, the room was left in shambles. Zatanna and the others stood amidst the wreckage, their faces etched with worry. John's body lay on the ground, unconscious, his true form hidden once again. "It's the same cycle, all over again," Zatanna whispered, tears streaming down her face. "We tried to help him, but... it's like he's trapped in some kind of hellish loop." The Phantom Stranger nodded, his eyes filled with a deep sadness. "We may not be able to break the cycle, Zatanna. But we have to try. For John's sake, we have to keep trying." John Constantine lay there, his mind slowly coming back to him. He remembered the pain, the screams, the feeling of being torn apart. He knew that he had to escape the House of Mystery, to break the cycle before it was too late. But how? How could he possibly overcome his own demonic nature, and shatter the hold the house had on him? With a surge of determination, he rose to his feet, his eyes fixed on Zatanna and the others. "I remember," he said, his voice firm. "I remember what I am, what I've become. And I know what I have to do." Zatanna and the others looked at him, hope flickering in their eyes. Maybe, just maybe, they could break the cycle, and help John Constantine find his way out of the mystical realm, and back into the world of mortals. But for now, the House of Mystery still held him captive, and the cycle was far from over.