John Dies at the End

As David Wong's recollections unfold, he finds himself pondering the essence of identity, specifically whether a tool like an axe remains true to its original form despite changes to its physical components. This introspection serves as a precursor to his account of supernatural events that beset the small, undisclosed city where he resides, which he shares with reporter Arnie Blondestone.

The narrative jumps back in time to a party hosted by David, attended by friends John and Fred Chu, acquaintances Amy Sullivan - who bears an unsettling amputation on her hand - and Justin White. It's here that David discovers Amy's dog, Bark Lee, has gone missing after biting Robert Marley, a self-proclaimed Jamaican drug dealer with dubious claims of possessing supernatural abilities. As the evening wears on, David learns that Bark was last seen near his vehicle.

John summons David to his apartment, where an unsettling discovery awaits: a syringe containing a mysterious black substance dubbed "Soy Sauce." John reveals that this substance, administered by Marley, confers inhuman knowledge upon those who take it, but at the cost of propelling them through alternate dimensions and timestreams. This phenomenon is exemplified by a past version of John communicating with present-day David.

As they depart, David inadvertently injects himself with the Soy Sauce, catapulting him through various realities. Upon his return to the present, an enigmatic figure named Roger North materializes in the backseat, depositing a bizarre creature down David's shirt and instructing him to drive. David uses the car's cigarette lighter to incinerate the creature before stopping the vehicle and confronting Roger, who vanishes into thin air.

The narrative then shifts to a police station, where Detective Lawrence Appleton interrogates John and David. Appleton reveals that John and Justin White were the sole survivors of a drug-fueled afterparty hosted by Robert Marley, with all other attendees either disappearing or meeting gruesome ends.

In the present day, Arnie's incredulity is tempered when David convinces him to stay by revealing the presence of an invisible monster lurking in his vehicle. This bizarre encounter sets the stage for David's forthcoming account of a city beset by supernatural forces.

As the investigators pry into John's mysterious demise, the room is suddenly permeated by an otherworldly presence. Dave, unwitting participant in this eerie encounter, finds himself telepathically linked to the deceased, whose spectral form imparts crucial information: the seemingly ordinary police officer is, in fact, a malevolent specter masquerading as mortal. With John's guidance, Dave makes a daring escape from the station, only to be rendered insensate by Marley's enigmatic Soy Sauce.

As he regains consciousness, David finds himself face-to-face with Appleton, whose sinister intentions are twofold: not only does he intend to torch the trailer, but also to conceal the fact that John's body has vanished, replaced by an eerie, eldritch energy seeping in through the Soy Sauce. A desperate bid for survival propels David into a time-warping odyssey, as he survives a gunshot wound courtesy of the very bullet used to try and kill him.

Meanwhile, John's ghostly influence courses through Bark, who commandeers David's vehicle, creating an opening for his friend's escape. However, this fleeting reprieve is short-lived, as possessed Justin White materializes in David's apartment, leaving no choice but to resort to violence against the now-undead interloper.

David's subsequent abduction by White serves as a precursor to a series of events that unfold like a macabre puppet show: the forced transportation of his friends – Fred, Amy, and John – to an abandoned shopping mall, where a portal beckons, promising access to alternate dimensions. It is here that David meets the enigmatic North and Albert Marconi, celebrity psychic and exorcist extraordinaire.

As they delve deeper into the mystery, they uncover the true source of the bizarre occurrences: Korrok, a gargantuan, eldritch biological supercomputer now hell-bent on conquest. This erstwhile benign entity has morphed into a genocidal deity, driven to explore and dominate new dimensions. With Marconi's guidance, David and John are equipped with an LSD-laced C4 explosive designed to disable Korrok.

Their passage through the portal transports them to a nightmarish alternate Earth, where they find themselves at the mercy of Korrok's mindless minions. A totalitarian regime holds sway, crushing dissent with brutal efficiency. As "chosen ones," David and John are ushered before Korrok itself, which intends to devour their knowledge, absorb their dimensional travel expertise, and then proceed to conquer their own world.

John's fumbled attempts to activate the explosive device serve only to heighten the tension as Bark Lee, possessed by John's spirit, takes matters into his own hands. With a selfless act of sacrifice, Bark throws himself at Korrok, detonating the C4 and destroying the malevolent entity in a blaze of glory.

Upon their escape from this apocalyptic realm, David and John reunite with Marconi, only to discover that Bark's martyrdom was always part of the plan. As they rebuild their lives, Amy becomes David's girlfriend, while Marconi helps them become exorcists and demon hunters, equipping them for a lifelong crusade against forces both human and supernatural.

As Arnie's narrative finally sees the light of day, Dave is struck by a profound epiphany - his perception of Arnie has been irrevocably altered. The revelation prompts him to confront the gruesome reality: in the trunk of Arnie's car lies the decapitated body of the man who had initially reached out to him, a victim of circumstance whose life was cruelly cut short after their initial encounter. With the truth laid bare, Dave imparts his newfound understanding to the lifeless corpse, only to watch as Arnie seemingly denies the notion, vanishing into the very ether that once bound them.

Meanwhile, John and Dave engage in a spirited game of basketball, their competitive juices flowing freely. However, their friendly competition takes an unexpected turn when they inadvertently launch their ball into a realm beyond their wildest imagination - a post-apocalyptic dimension, ravaged by the ravages of time. As they venture forth to reclaim their wayward orb, a heavily armed paramilitary organization emerges from the shadows, proclaiming John and Dave to be the chosen ones, destined to restore the world to its former glory. Yet, the duo's initial excitement gives way to disillusionment as they dismiss the organization's claims, choosing instead to simply walk away from the dubious proposition.