Chapter 18: Alter Bridge (3)
EEEEEEEUUUUUUUU!!!
EEEEEUUUUUUUUUUUUU!!
"This is..." Krey said in a shock, whilst a drip of sweat ran through his head.
"Krey, get Mr Woodland to the safe zone !" Said a man in his twenties.
"All right," said Krey with a shaking voice.
As he walks a few steps, he stops and turns to face the man again. "What about you, Hero?". As he turned, the man was nowhere to be found.
"Please be safe, Hero. Mr Woodland, let's go to the safe zone!"
"Yes. Krey-boy.."
Krey and Woodland walk together while trying to be as fast as possible toward their safe zone destination. They both walk through the Priscote town that is in chaos. People from all directions were running frantically. Many were screaming hysterically.
"I DON'T WANT TO DIE!!!"
"HELPP US!! KING KYMA !!! HELP US!!"
Finally, after walking for quite a while, Krey and Woodland reached the safe zone. The safe zone is an area that is around 1 hectare. The main feature of this area is that every side of the zone is covered by a wall. Then the wall was also surrounded by another wall guaranteeing their sturdiness against explosive attacks. The location also consists of the main building filled with barracks and bunkers to survive natural disasters. Because the whole town is in an emergency, the safe zone is cramped.
Krey and Woodland were one of the first people to enter the safe zone. Therefore, unlike the people outside, they managed to confine themselves in the main building away from harm.
"..huff…huff", Woodland pants as he caresses his own back.
"Are you alright, Mr Woodland?" Krey said as he patted Woodland's back.
"Yes… I guess Krey-boy, I am just too old," Woodland said with a smile. "If I was at my prime, I could probably be suited for this kind of 'sporting' event. Kekeke."
Krey lets out a giggle. "I bet you do, Mr Woodland. You're a war veteran. I don't doubt your capabilities."
GRUMBLEE~~~
For a second, the ground appeared to be shaking. The phenomenon caused the people outside of the main building to panic. Some began forcing their way in by repeatedly kicking and punching the door, hoping to break in."LET US IN!!!"
"LET US THE FUCK IN!!!"
Overhearing the situation, Krey took Mr Woodland's hand and said, "I think we should evacuate deeper, preferably to the basement area Mr Woodland, sir."
"Huh… Why is that Krey-boy"
"People are beginning to break in here. If they cause a riot, I am worried about your safety."
"Well, if it would make you feel better. I'll go wherever you suggest me to go, Krey-boy."
"Alright, let's carefully walk down the stairs and---"
GRUMBLE~~
GRUMBLE~~~~"What... What is that sound?"
Soon after, another alarm sounds again. This time from inside the building's speaker. Someone on the audio spoke in a very serious tone.
"ATTENTION, EVERYONE, PLEASE STEP OUT OF THE MAIN BUILDING. THE BUILDING HAD BEEN DIRECTLY HIT!!! PLEASE CLEAR OUT!! IT MAY CRUMBLE AT ANY SECOND!!!"
"SHIT!!!" Krey said as he grabbed hold of Mr Woodland's hand and proceeded to find a way out."
As Krey and Woodland ran to the nearest exit, it was already filled with many people also desperate to get out. Like a cog in a sink.
"WATCH OUT FOR THAT FALLING DEBRIS!!!" Someone said in the confusion as a supporting beam of the building fell down from its original position.
"ARGGHHHHh!!!!" Some of them scream in terror as they're body crushed in the debris. As a result, the object blocked the exit Krey was originally planning to enter.
Krey panicked at that time, but he still tries to remain calm, grabbed Woodland, and ran to another exit. The other entrance was on the other side of the building, meaning they must travel approximately 50 meters.
Nearing the destination, Krey found a similar scene. Mountains of men and women cog the exit as the building crumbles. Already traumatized by the previous scene he had seen, Krey began to tremble. He desperately works his brain to find another solution but can't.
He saw people.. crushed to their death before his very eyes. His mental state began to crumble as he saw a similar scene. His mind wonders what kind of solution is there for him to assess the situation? He doesn't want to see people die. He doesn't want to die. He wants to escape. He wants to…
"HEYYYY YOU!!! NEAR THE BASEMENT STAIR, WATCH OUT! IT'S GONNA FALL!!!!" A man screams to Krey, who is just standing next to the basement stairs trembling in fear. His pupil widened, seemingly gazing into nothing.
"HEYYYY !!! YOU!! WATCH OUT!!
"YEAH, YOU WATCH OUT!!""OYYY!!! WATCH OUT!!! "People who noticed that Krey and Woodland were in danger of getting squashed by falling debris started repeatedly screaming at them.
Krey held Woodland's hand, trembling in fear, and his mind went blank. As the people screamed, he began to breathe heavily and fell to his knees. Stating, "I… can't.. huff… breathe…."
CRACK~~
CRACKS~~~FYUHH!!!Woodland grabs Krey's hand, managing to get his attention. As Krey, who was slowly calming down, looked at him. He whispered, "Don't be afraid to survive…". Without anything more than that to say, Woodland pushed his hand, holding Krey to his body, causing Krey to fall back centimetres away from him.
DUARGKKK!!!
Woodland had pushed Krey away from him. Saving Krey's life from the debris that had fallen straight onto them. Woodland's right hand is the only remaining visible body part that Krey managed to see. As it enters the basement's stair area. Woodland's entire body was crushed by a huge stone blocking the basement stair entrance.
Krey yet again stood there trembling. But now, he lets out a sharp cry
***
“HYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Xaviel cries.
BUK!!!!!
Xaviel hits Krey's jaw with a mighty punch, sending him backwards. Then, Krey falls onto the ground with his entire body on the floor"usyha!" Xaviel said as he pointed to Krey. "Huf.. huff…You sure.. are a tricky one to beat." He swept his pants and torso off any dust and turned his attention towards The Beast. He takes out his knife and walks toward it.
"ALTER BRIDGE!!!"
Yet again, a blue panel appears at the head area of The Beast. It slides through its body slowly but surely.
"I WON'T LET YOU!!!" Xaviel, who had predicted Krey's move, threw a knife directly at its brain.
SHRUST!!!!
A Direct Hit!Hearing the sound of impact, Xaviel smirks and looks back to Krey. Same as before, he was in some kind of weird pose. Krey, however, doesn't even squint an eye. He looks fiercely toward Xaviel as if he still had the upper hand.
Krey's face made Xaviel wonder just how confident he was in his own capabilities. Unknown to Xaviel, The Beast had already risen behind him. Its eyes glow red, looking down onto Xaviel.
The feeling of glare sent chills down Xaviel's spine. He looked behind him and saw that The Beast was standing tall behind him, already in an attacking motion. As the Beast swings its enormous hand towards Xaviel. He no longer has a choice to evade. He can only block the impact with the tiny little hand he has.
The Beast's hand sweeps, causing some of the ground's floor to erupt in pebbles as it hits Xaviel. Some of his bones cracked whilst his body was sent flying more than 5 meters away from The Beast.
The Beast's hand sweeps, causing some of the ground's floor to erupt in pebbles as it hits Xaviel. Some of his bones cracked while his body was sent flying more than 5 meters away from The Beast. "Arghh…"Xaviel's left rib bone was caught in The Beast's blow. It cracked and caused him much pain to stay focused on the fight. Xaviel then crashed onto the ground, landing on his right arm, slightly injuring it. BA-DUMP!!BA-DUMP!!! (What's this?) Xaviel rose from his prone position to sit down with one leg holding the weight. (What is this heartbeat?) He reached for his chest and caressed it. (Am I…Afraid?) At that time, Xaviel questioned himself: Was there something that scared him to fight Krey? Was it because of the sudden attack by The Beast? A situation that nearly killed him finally made him afraid. (No… I am not afraid in the slightest…) Xaviel grabs the pebble on the ground created due to the Beast's sweep. (If there's no fucking brain, I'll destroy its lungs!!) “GRAAA
"Serena, I can't fight him alone. His backup, that big animal over there, is really a nuisance!" "Figures...you did quite well surviving this long. I suppose you're Forte is quite powerful," "In this type of combat, I think it's far too useless if my aim is to win. That's why I need your help," "Sure. But first, tell me your power," That sentence made Xaviel somehow uneasy. He remembered that Hoff said revealing that you have a Forte or even saying how the power works out loud. It would be a dangerous feat. Now, however, Serena was asking that question. Contemplating on trust, Xaviel thinks back to events he had faced. He remembered that day. That fateful day where everything changed. The day he tempers with the Odin's Crow. He questioned himself. Why did he deploy them by himself? Why didn't he call one of the stage members to tell them? Or maybe record the warning message as proof. Yet the only thing he did was pursue his OWN dreams fulfilling his OWN need for self accomplishmen
"There's no escape." "I will die here…Alone…." "Mr.Woodland…" "Your sacrifice was in vain…." "Because…" "The only thing I ever did correctly was being afraid…." Krey mumbles hysterically inside a basement room. Though there was light filling the room. None were filling his heart. His trauma of seeing so many people die made him shiver and feel dark even with the warmth and light of a nearby lit fireplace. He was inside a panic room. It is filled with furniture such as a medium-sized table, a chair pair, a clean bed, and shelves filled with canned foods. It is approximately 5 x 5 meters. So, there was plenty of space for him to move around and not bore himself. Even so, he sat down on the floor near the stairs leading to the place where Mr. Woodland died. "Hero.. why didn't you rescue me?" "Where did you go?" "Am I a burden to you?" He spoke as more tears dropped out from both eyes. "No... Hero isn't like that…." "Even though I am not as smart or powerful as he is. He isn't
“Captain Maru..” Zed calls Marlon. “What is it? Zed?” Marlon turned to face Zed, who was walking behind him. “Do you, perhaps, have a crush on Ms Serena?” “WHAT?” Marlon startled as his face reddened. “Stop saying that kind of nonsense, Zed!” He continues lightly smacking at Zed’s head. “Ouch! I only ever ask this once! What do you mean stop saying!” “Just… don’t say that again,” Marlon replied, touching his neck. “I am kind of worried, though. She’s my childhood friend after all,” he said. “Aren’t you like 30ish?” Zed said. “Well, you aren’t wrong. I will soon be 30,” Marlon closed his eyes while releasing a breath of insecurity. “Doesn’t that…?” “Doesn’t that what?” “Um… So when Ms Serena was 7 years old. You were like…19?” “Yeah…” “How does that a childhood friend? Weren’t you an adult already?” “Um…” *** Xaviel and Serena were trekking through the corridors of The Great Mylenia Labyrinth. On their way, a thought occurred in Xaviel’s head. “Hey, Serena, mind if I ask
“My name is Xaviel Aktina Mobius. I am not from this world," Xaviel said while closing his eyes with his right hand on his chest."I have more than one hundred questions!" Serena raised his right hand, interested in the topic."Calm down now. Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Xaviel held his hand out, attempting to calm Serena's excitement. "Ahem. As I was saying, I barely know how I got here in the first place. It all started when I was…." Xaviel paused.(Wait.. when does it start again? Ah, right, my dream of a black hole and a piece of trumpet music) Thought Xaviel."So I was sleeping one day in my house. Then all of a sudden, I dreamt of being caught in a black hole which is very bizarre. While strange trumpet music played, I was pulled with a powerful gravitational force. I lost consciousness, and when I woke up, I woke up in the forest where I had met Mika." Xaviel explained while gesturing if Serena had any questions."Yeah, I am kinda lost here. What is a black hole? I am fam
“Trust is earned….”“Trust is earned when actions meet words..”“Basically says if you can’t fucking keep your word, you can’t be trusted. But. Faith means you trust without reservations. You know what that means, right? It means you trust something without limitations. So.. if god decided to fuck you over and you decide. Well fuck I am not going to trust god anymore. Now, wouldn’t that make you unfaithful?”A man in his 40s in a black suit sighed. He looked at the other man who had just spoken and said, “What are you trying to say here, Alfie?”.“I am trying to say… That.. you’ve become a bitch,”“Oh yeah? How so?” The black suit man calmly answered as his eyes scrolled through the newspaper he was reading, simultaneously blowing a cloud of smoke from his mouth.“Because you put faith in the King, not in honourable men like us. Who keeps our fucking word. Our promises. THEY.. those.. what you call them?”“Aristocrats”“Yeah, That. Those aristocrats or whatever… cheat, lie, and does e
“Ain’t this boy a smart one?” Mr. Sullivan smiles, looking at Xaviel.“Thank you... I am so-““Let me stop you right there….” Mr. Sullivan holds his finger at Xaviel and suddenly turns his attention to Serena. “Dear, would you kindly go upstairs and help my dearest wife with her laundry?” Mr. Sullivan said.“Eeeeh?? Alright. Hmph,” Serena pouted and went upstairs.As soon as Serena left the living room, Mr. Sullivan looked back to Xaviel and said, “I respect you, mate,”“You.. what?” Xaviel widens his eyes.“Yes, Yes, I respect you! Please take a seat,” Mr. Sullivan swept the chair in front of him, signaling Xaviel to have a seat.Xaviel was a bit skeptical initially, but he decided to go along with him. He sat down in front of Mr. Sullivan with his fist clenched. As his eyes met with Mr. Sullivan, it came. An Aura of intimidation filled Xaviel’s heart.“Quite bold of ye to do that kind of thing to my niece,”Those words were very horrifying to hear. It was probably because of this in
DING DONG~ Serena’s doorbell suddenly rang. “Who could this be at this hour?” Serena asked. Xaviel took the initiative and opened the front door. “You?” “There you are... SCUMBAG!!” Said a green-haired man. “KUOHH!!” Xaviel’s neck was grabbed. He felt a great amount of pressure slowly crushing his throat. He tried to breathe but was suffocating from the choking pressure. Xaviel frantically moved his hand, grabbing the man’s arm and trying to set himself free. Though, this man's strength was inhummane, as if it is the strength of 10 men choking him. “Pathetic!” The man said as he threw Xaviel’s body into the air. When Xaviel became airborne, he performed a maneuver to carefully land unscathed by the ground. As he carefully lands his feet and body on the ground, it helps Xaviel regain his composure and readiness to battle. “What the hell was that for?” “You took Mika away from me! Tell me where she is!!!” Serena, hearing the ruckus, finally went outside of her house. “Y-you…!