It arrives

Ariel awoke before anyone else.

Ilya lay nestled in his arms, sleeping peacefully. Her soft breath tickled against his chest, and he stayed still, simply savoring the quiet warmth of her presence. It was the kind of peace he hadn’t dared dream of.

Some time later, Walter stirred and turned on the lights, nudging John awake with a groggy grunt. Neither of them disturbed the siblings—unaware that Ariel was already awake, eyes half-closed, mind spinning.

They slipped out to make preparations for the evacuation.

‘They’ll be leaving in four or five hours,’ Ariel thought, eyes still on Ilya’s sleeping face. ‘Is that all the time we have left together?’

A conflicted breath left him. Part of him wanted to let her sleep a little longer, but…

‘She looks so peaceful… but this might be our last morning together.’

He gently brushed a strand of hair from her face, then whispered, “Ilya… wake up.”

But before she could stir, the door burst open.

Walter and John rushed in, their expressions grim, panic in their eyes.

Ariel slowly set Ilya’s hands aside and stood up. “What happened?!”

Walter was nearly breathless. “That thing… the one that erased the city—it’s closer than expected. Much closer. It covered more ground than we thought. It’ll be here in just 3 hours, maybe less.”

A chill ran down Ariel’s spine.

Walter grabbed a bag and began tossing things inside. “Evacuation’s being rushed. We’re leaving now. And you too. ”

“Wait—me too?” Ariel asked, stunned.

“You think I’m letting you stay here now?!” Walter snapped. “Before, maybe. But now? That’s a death sentence. I’ll handle the officials. You’re coming with us.”

Ariel could barely believe it. Relief flooded through him—he would live. And more importantly, Ilya would not be left behind.

He shook her awake gently. “Ilya. We’re leaving. Together.”

She blinked slowly, and when his words registered, her whole face lit up. “Really?! That’s amazing!”

“Start getting ready,” Ariel said, though quickly realized: “Wait… do we even have anything to pack?”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Ilya tilted her head. “Didn’t we already pack everything we have?”

He chuckled grimly. “You’re right. Let’s go.”

The four moved quickly.

Walter paused at the exit. “Once we step outside, don’t panic. Stick close to us and don’t pay attention to the crowd. Ignore the chaos. Got it?”

Ariel and John nodded.

“Then let’s move.”

They burst through the doors, racing through hospital corridors until they reached a waiting vehicle. John jumped into the driver’s seat, and they sped off toward the evacuation port.

Ariel glanced out the window.

Far on the horizon, a massive black silhouette loomed—familiar, and yet… different. It pulsed. It grew.

‘It’s expanding,’ he realized, chills crawling up his spine. ‘Not moving. Expanding. And it’s faster now…’

…

The port was madness.

Thousands—maybe tens of thousands—screamed, shoved, cried, clawed for a chance to board. Desperation was in the air, thick and choking. People had stopped pretending to be civil. They surged like a tide, pressing against military lines.

Walter didn’t hesitate. With brute force and authority, he carved a path through the crowd. People latched onto the hope he represented, but soldiers pushed them back, holding the line.

Walter spoke to one of the guards at the gate—clearly someone he knew. A tense exchange later, he returned.

“We have permission. Ariel’s with us.”

A wave of relief washed over the group.

They pushed forward toward a ship—but not just any ship. Ariel’s jaw dropped.

It was colossal. A floating city. A marvel of magical engineering.

‘How… how do humans even build something like this?’

It stretched endlessly into the ocean, towering and humming with power. It didn’t seem piloted—it felt alive.

‘Can it even be controlled by tiny humans?’

Walter led them to a government personnel section far toward the front of the ship. They passed thousands crammed into every inch of space. Desperation clung to every face.

They had reached where Walter was supposed to be.

“Stand here,” Walter instructed. “I’ll help the crew organize the rest.”

He left them behind—but Ariel’s heart was pounding.

Something wasn’t right.

A sense of dread gripped him. It wasn’t just fear—it was familiarity. A knowing he couldn’t explain.

He stood, moved to the edge of the deck.

And saw it.

The black hemisphere had grown immense. It was closing in fast. Only a few kilometers away now.

And around it, the air shimmered unnaturally. The fabric of space and time twisted, warped, as if reality itself was unraveling in its presence.

He stumbled back, heart hammering, and returned to John and Ilya.

“Where were you?” John asked. “What did you see?”

Ariel didn’t speak for a moment. Then, in a low voice: “It’s here.”

“What…?” John whispered.

“That thing. It sensed this place—sensed all the people. It’s coming. Fast.”

John paled.

Ilya, confused, looked up at her brother. “What’s going on, brother?”

Ariel kneeled and hugged her tightly. “It’s just… a really scary monster, that’s all. But we’re going to be okay.”

She clung to him, nodding quietly.

He lifted her into his arms and looked back out over the chaos. Then he spotted Walter, still giving orders.

Ariel rushed to him. “It’s coming. Now.”

Walter’s face darkened. He grabbed a soldier. “Sound the signal. Start the evacuation!”

Moments later, a figure appeared on the deck—a woman of such immense presence that the chaos seemed to dim around her.

Tall, graceful, black hair like a curtain of night.

Her voice was calm, yet powerful:

“We are leaving. Brace yourselves. We will face resistance. Soldiers—stand ready. The thing is approaching!”

And with that, the colossal ship groaned, roared, and began to move.