I stood at a distance, like a silent observer in the corner of the room. The creature moved with calculated precision, clearly aware of its surroundings. I knew that a single wrong move on my part could seal my fate.
Above us, a tube light shattered, its casing crashing to the ground, sending a sparkling shower of glass fragments in all directions. Carefully, I tiptoed behind one of the still-standing shelves, attempting to conceal myself. Each time the ominous figure shifted, it produced a disturbing sound, something unpleasant and grating, like the squelchy, slimy noise of something deeply unsettling.
Yuo used an illegal astral technique called pounce. The ability is when one can shift through time and space to attack another person without them knowing. I was able to see this since there was a distortion in the atmosphere shaping his body when he approached the uninvited creature.
It took multiple hits from his attack causing it to stumble down. Laz generated an axe that was three times the size of his and swung it with an unholy amount of force in the main body. The creature was now sliced into two. The legs now separated, unable to move but the upper body still had its arms to be able to be mobile. I couldn't tell but the adrenaline of it must've spiked and its movements were extremely rapid.
I was shocked by the brutality of the scene that had unfolded. My safety was now in jeopardy, and uncertainty loomed over any chance of escape. My heart raced with each passing moment. I sprinted toward the far side of the supermarket, desperately searching for a gap that would allow me to crawl out of the battle. But it quickly became clear that escape wasn't as simple as I had hoped.
A thunderous explosion rocked the air, sending shockwaves through my body and sharpening my senses to a razor's edge. Swiftly, I turned my head, and there, I beheld Yuo, my stalwart comrade, flung against the far wall, his body unable to bear the weight of his injuries. Though his heart still beat, his vitality had been extinguished, leaving him a mere shell of his former self.
The wall itself had succumbed to the force of the impact, its structural integrity shattered, mirroring the chaos within the supermarket. The dark creature, a relentless agent of mayhem, showed no signs of abating. Amidst the pandemonium, the urgency of the moment surged through my veins, fueling my determination. In the face of such turmoil, a singular thought gripped me: we must prevail.
The creature loomed into view, its upper limbs now grotesque, spider-like appendages that hinted at an immortal nightmare. I quickly retreated behind the shelving, moving with painstaking caution, as if the slightest sound would seal my doom. My destination: the far end of the supermarket, where the exit beckoned, remained frustratingly out of sight.
In the pandemonium, the whereabouts of Laz and his cat eluded me. As I inched forward, the air around me thick with dread, a blood-curdling scream sliced through the chaos. It was a sound so excruciating, it felt like two jagged pieces of metal scraping relentlessly against each other, echoing through the industrial soundscape.
Blind from my vantage point, I could only imagine the horrors that birthed such torment. My heart pounded, and the impulse to cover my ears and shield myself from that inescapable anguish was overpowering. Yet, I dared not, for I was bound by the relentless march toward the uncertain exit, pursued by the lurking terrors of the supermarket's depths.
A steel beam was launched in the air landing into the wall that was on the right side of the supermarket. I stopped to make sure I wasn't in the danger zone of this large object. I then look down and see something that decreased all my chances of survival.
It was multiple men who were made of a dark material which vibrated in and out every time they would step forward. They were multiplying rapidly, from a source of goop the monster.
I turned away and started running again in the direction of the exit. These guys seemed strong but also slow. The debris from the impact of the steel beam was a slight obstacle but i pushed forward and onto the other side.
And then... After running for a while.
I made it to the other side, and through the door. I had abandoned all the guys in there to fend for themselves. It was selfish i know, but i had to save myself somehow. I made it back to my cell and sat there alone trying to catch my breath while the battle in the store raged on.
Two superior knights came out of the entry for Neg-100, and ran towards the supermarket store where the chaos was held. I didn't want to interfere since my magic powers were lacking so instead i watched from afar.
An hour passed after the knights entered the supermarket, and no signs of life yet. I waited for a while. It was suspicious that they have not came out yet after so long, but i did have trust in them.
I then laid my body on the bare floor of the cell wondering what could be unfolding. My eyes soon felt heavy, and my mind was ready to be shut off. After what happened today, i was ready to snooze and forget about everything...
...
six hours passed and i heard footsteps. I looked up and i see Yuo. He walked into the cell with fatigue and a couple of scars.
"What happened?"
"Nothing, it was some sort of chemical malfunction from the upper levels. They said to not speak about it."
"Okay..." this made me even more curious as to what this "chemical malfunction" could be. But i never got the answer... And that was the end of it. Is what I thought.
...
A long six months pass. My curiosity to relearn magic again was at an all time high. Asking Yuo to teach me was risky and I didn't want to get on his bad side so I listened to whatever he said the first couple of months.
After that I was able to regain my astral potential which was at a beginner level, but it was enough for me to advance further and be able to become somewhat strong again.
Another couple of months later I was regaining astral magic at a faster rate than I was when I was a teenager.
I learnt some illegal techniques of astral magic which I didn't know even existed. No one tried stopping us, but since it didn't seem like a huge threat, I didn't see why they would bother us. But it was strange that the knights didn't come in a check on us that often.
It was weirdly quiet in and out of the day while I was training my astral magic in peace.
"Al."
I quickly turned around to see a familiar face. It was Yuo. I was alone at a green patch of astroturf practicing astral enhancement away from everyone.
"Yes? Hello."
"I think things are getting weird in here."
"How so?"
"Well, I pressed the alarm for an emergency four hours ago."
"Go on."
"And no one has shown up."
"hmm...That is strange indeed."
I was puzzled for a moment trying to figure out why Yuo was telling me this and no Laz about it. "What emergency was it?"
"Well you remember six months ago, in the block-market? The black goop and the distorted lookin men."
Block-market? The grey store, I see.
"Yes." I was even more puzzled. I squinted my eyes before he could speak again.
"Well, we have a visitor."