"OPEN THE PORTAL NOW!" A desperate order echoed in the air.
"THEY'RE COMING, CAPTAIN!!!"
"EMMA!!! START CASTING!!"
"BANE!! WE'LL COVER YOU!!"
Shouts, screams, echoes through the surroundings as my companions gathered one by one towards the entrance of Twin Cape mountains, holding their weapons up high, preparing themselves for the worst case scenario.
Each and every single one of them rushed towards the narrow pathway, making a blockade large enough to prevent from getting past.
Hundreds of magical beasts rushed towards our direction, in the far hills they dash, and with each second they grew closer.
Closing in until they finally pinned us in the very center , without anywhere to escape to.
"I THOUGHT WE WERE SAFE?! DID THEY FOLLOW US?!"
"SHUT UP AND KEEP CASTING!!! BANE!!!"
A man named Sirius who wore a full-plated golden armor shouted my name. He turns to my direction, glaring with his pale brown eyes, and his long blond hair underneath his helm sways as his head moves in a rush sequence.
At first sight, every single one of us are already full of injuries, some had broken legs while the others were already on the verge of death. So keeping a sane mind at this point became harder than I thought.
I spent no time and acted immediately. I was the only one who can get us out of this situation, and the only one capable of opening our escape route.
"GIVE ME FIVE MINUTES!!!" I shouted and immediately took the pair of spare rings from my pocket. Equipping the pitch-black rings on both sides of my thumb, each bearing the crest of the crescent moon and the rising sun.
As I clasp my hands together, five magical circles appeared mid-air, one different colored and shape than the other. The sequence was simple, yet the concentration and focus needed to achieve what I planned was by far the hardest I have ever done.
"Converting the necessary circles.....combining each one to create a specific type of magic.....Possibility.....10%..."
The odds were against us, even if I manage to do it. The chance that a portal will appear and whether it will last was close to zero.
"DODGE!!!" With the screech entering my ears, the surroundings shake entirely. A few steps to my right, blood splattered with the sound of breaking bones. A dead body of a soldier laid bare, fell to the ground with its entirety being a lump of meat.
Eyes widened, I refuse to look further.
"HELP!!!"
"ATTACK!!! DON'T GIVE UP!!!"
Screams once again entered my ears. My head turned and saw the blood splatter in the surroundings. The deep dark brown color of the ground immediately turned to a puddle of crimson blood.
I was running out of time. Turning my head back to the circles at hand, each one slowly twitch as if the spell was going haywire.
As my eyes began to strain, keeping the spell in check, blood started to trickle down my chin and my legs began to shake, I felt woozy, and my vision blurred with a tinge of red after a few seconds.
Considering I could even use magic even without a mana heart was by far a miracle, yet, with only a few minutes, it was already straining my body. My fingers felt hot, burning even. I saw my fingertips slowly breaking, cracks began to appear more so than I thought, yet not a single drop of blood appeared from within. It was the repercussions of using a high-tier magic spell without the help of a mana heart.
I wanted to scream, shout and faint because of the pain, but seeing all the responsibility I bare, I persevered and held on to the last thin thread of my consciousness.
Swords clanging echoed once more, explosions erupted and shouts of anger continued.
As I clenched my jaw and kept the magical circle into place, my legs buckled, I took a knee and bit my lips, And after a few short seconds, I finally succeeded.
Glaring towards the opening portal that led to our main base, people were startled from the other side.
Taking slow breaths, and my eyes twitched, I turned my head after making sure it was stable.
"IT'S OPEN!!! HURRY!"
With the sound of my voice, my companions ran in my direction. Those who could walk hurriedly forced themselves to run, while the rest who can still fight was able to buy a few extra seconds for the injured to enter.
Sweat fell from their chin, whilst their arms, legs, and back were full of scratches that are both fatal and deadly. We lost a few companions, and nothing can bring them back.
Little by little, my companions vanished towards the portal I still struggled to keep it open. The cracks on my fingertips began to crawl upwards, slowly devouring my hands, painting my very existence into darkness, at a slow pace.
At the point where Sirius and I were the only people left to enter, a spear flew in my direction, piercing my stomach. My eyes opened wide, bloodshot stricken through my pupils.
In that short yet everlasting moment, my focus disappeared, and the portal immediately closed.
"HEY!! BANE! SPEAK TO ME!!" He shouted whilst supporting me with his shoulder. "WAKE UP!! WE NEED TO GO!!"
In all my life, I've never even thought I would end up like this, even in my previous life, I never knew something of such evil existed within this world.
"Since when did things go wrong?" I muttered, blood dripping from my mouth as I glare towards the crimson shattered sky. A large eye staring from within the other side, looking at the world with its ominous gaze as If we were insects being used as entertainment.
With my eyes staring aback, I held on Sirius' shoulder, slowly being surrounded by magical beasts in the process.
Standing here, the memories of my past started to enter my head.
And to know how I got into this situation, we must start from the very beginning.
Before the time of my birth.