The Minions

In the closing days of the year 999, the gateway that would unleash the Antichrist is sealed for a thousand years. An ancient order of Templars guards a single key that can reopen it, and the Minion, a host-toting demon, makes its initial bid to claim the key. After a fatal counterstrike by a Templar, the key escapes with a survivor who vows to carry it toward the western lands.

Just before Christmas 1999, two city engineers uncover a hidden Templar burial chamber beneath New York City. An archaeologist, Karen Goodleaf, is summoned to study the chamber’s relics as the Minion's presence becomes increasingly felt. The discovery sets off a violent contest between ancient guardians and a demonic force.

Karen meets Lukas Sadorov, a Templar and former Spetsnaz operative sent by the order’s head to recover the key. He explains the plan to shield the key's location and to thwart the Minion’s attempts. Karen’s trust deepens as she witnesses the Minion’s power firsthand.

To prevent the Minion from inhabiting any host forever, Karen proposes burying the key in a nuclear-waste depository on the Mohawk reservation. The lingering radioactivity is meant to deny the Minion new hosts. Lukas agrees to help, and Karen enlists her Mohawk grandfather to help gain access.

Karen's grandfather, Michael Bear, a Mohawk shaman and plant foreman, uses his access to the depository to help them hide the key. He navigates the facility’s security and becomes a critical ally against the Minion. The trio’s alliance represents the bridge between spiritual and modern guardianship.

The Minion’s power remains relentless, hopping into new bodies that cross the path of its former hosts. It drives the chase through New York, testing Karen and Lukas at every turn. Its host-switching keeps the danger close, forcing the protagonists to adapt quickly.

The Minion possesses Karen’s former archaeology tutor, Professor Schulman, turning him into a tool against Lukas. Schulman’s involvement drags the NYPD into the serial-murder investigation. Lukas must navigate deception while protecting the key.

In a brutal turn, the Minion assassinates Karen’s grandfather and, in a radiation-suited disguise, tricks Lukas into handing over the key. The Minion escapes with the key to Jerusalem. The loss deepens Karen’s resolve to stop the apocalypse at its source.

The Minion arrives at the Templar headquarters in Jerusalem ahead of Lukas and Karen. It wipes out many Templar guardians, demonstrating the extent of its reach. Bernard, a bold Templar Knight, ultimately allows the Minion to seize him and insert the key into the gate.

Karen arrives to attempt removing the key from the gate as Lukas battles the possessed Bernard. The struggle is brutal and decisive, and Lukas destroys Bernard to prevent the gate from opening. The moment marks the last stand of the original Templar order.

The final seal breaks, but Lukas and Karen succeed in keeping the gate from opening. The order is decimated, but the threat is contained for now. The guardianship passes to a new generation sworn to protect the key and the gate.

In the aftermath, Lukas resolves to rebuild the Templar order and Karen chooses to join him. Their alliance signals the dawn of a renewed generation tasked with guarding the gate and the key. The story closes with cautious hope that evil may be held at bay for now.