Rise of Calamity: Chapter 8

Chapter 8

A large group of people rushed in behind the tall figure, blocking the exits. A murmur spread through the crowd, and curiosity lingered in the air. The security stationed at the landmark quickly attempted to disperse this group, believing them to be attention-seeking tourists. But the four guards didn’t make it far before the main tall figure shot forward, piercing all four men with a large spear. People began to scream and stumbled back towards the opposite side of the building. Yet the large group of people encircled all of them, preventing escape from any angle. The mob of people, around 100 students, was corralled into the middle of the Parthenon and forced to their knees. The leader, the tall figure, spoke, “We are simply looking for a person you have in your group. They know who they are, and should reveal themselves now!” A few sobs broke out across the group, but not one person announced their presence. “No? Well, we could’ve done this the easy way. Eh, I like it better this way,” the leader takes off their helmet, allowing long black hair to flow outwards. She turns to her men, “Line them up.” The group of men, wielding various weapons, corralled the mob of people into lines. “Now. Who here is the elemental named Librin?” yelled the woman. Anya looked up, shocked. He certainly wasn’t this Librin person. Was he not? But he had just heard the name earlier. Responded to the name earlier. None of it made any sense to him. His head spun, and the feeling of despair he was feeling was exponentially worse than earlier that morning. “No one? Alright then…” yelled the tall woman. She turned with one swift arch of her spear, impaling the teacher Anya had just talked to earlier that day. The teacher's body fell to the ground, and the crowd erupted in cries of fear and terror. Adeline, kneeling right next to Anya, began crying softly. “This can all be solved if you just come out right now!” Anya’s knees cracked and began bleeding as he shifted his weight. The pain felt surreal, unreal, and everything all at once. Visions swirled in his head. The endless sky, torrential storms; nothing he had ever seen in his lifetime. Bloodshed, bombs, and broken men. Something a mere child like him could never experience. A sharp crack echoed across the room, and another body slammed to the ground. Anya’s hands trembled, another body fell to the ground, another scream pierced the air, another crack grew in his mind. “Now I thought you were more honorable than this, Librin!? Though you were always a heartless bastard… But letting mere children die for you seems even unlike you. And if you don’t want any more to die, then you will come out… NOW!” Yet none of the young children knew of this person, and none were able to tell why this was happening. Neither the teacher who lay cold on the ground, nor Anya himself had any idea of who or what this person wanted. Adeline had started to sob at this point. Almost half of their class lay dead on the ground in front of them. Yet Anya had no awareness of anything going on. It felt as if his head were splitting into a thousand pieces, as if the pieces were shaking around in his head and forming memories and pictures he could never explain. “Alright, I’ve lost my patience! Take them by the row!” By this point, there were only two rows left. It was Anya’s row now. The three friends were dragged forward and thrown onto the ground. The swords rose, and the air froze. Time seemed to slow. The daggers in Anya’s head sped and quickened, and finally exploded outwards. He rose into the air, screaming, and a large wave of an unknown force blasted the guards back. As he landed, he caught a jagged sword from one of the dazed guards and dashed forward towards the wall of soldiers. “Finally!” screamed the voice. “Grab the boy and girl he was with and bring them to me!” she commanded. Anya froze at the mention of his friends. He redirected in midair to combat the men going towards his friends. He shot like a torpedo at a man grabbing Will, cutting the man in half. His blood stained both Will and Anya’s face. “Get behind me!” Anya screamed at his friends. A larger man with an axe swung a large crushing strike towards Anya, and was caught in midair by a mysterious force and beheaded. Swathes of soldiers swarmed Anya, and he cut and slashed, but they seemed to keep coming. A scream cut out from across the chaos, Adeline. Anya flicked his head to see Adeline being dragged towards the tall woman. He shot towards her, slashing and carving his way through anyone and anything that stood in his way. But there were too many, and Anya was grabbed and pinned by a group of soldiers. He was slammed to his knees, forced to watch helplessly as Adeline was dragged up to the tall woman. Adeline screamed out in pain as the tall woman dragged her by the hair towards Anya. She threw her to the floor, looking at Anya, and spoke, “Now you will know pain. Unlike any you have ever experienced.” Anya looked up, tears running down his cheeks, and Adeline reached out for his hand. He reached out, too, but her body jolted to a stop as a spear pierced her chest. Her body fell limp to the ground. Everything seemed to stop. None of it felt real to Anya. Why was this happening to him? He was just a regular kid. Nothing special. Why was this happening to him? WHY?

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