Destruction.
There was no better word to describe the scene that lay before Calyx. The night sky, once obscured, was now clear. The roof of the building that had blocked it lay around Calyx, nothing but rubble.
The chamber's exterior was also destroyed, and no one was present. Calyx stood alone amid the flames surrounding him. He was confused, standing in a trance, unsure of what to do next.
It took a loud explosion from not too far away to snap him back to reality.
"Haze and Hal," he thought.
Regardless of what was happening, he knew it was crucial to ensure they were safe. So, he ran—not at a human's speed. He was faster, weaving through the rubble and crumbling parts of the building that now lay like obstacles before him. The acrid smell of smoke filled his lungs as he pressed on.
The further he got from where he was, the less destruction he saw. It seemed like the attack was specifically targeted at that location. His eyes filled with red as every alarm blared. Then, with a final dash, he reached the door of the lobby where Haze and Halaine were supposed to be.
"Damn it," Calyx cursed. They weren't there.
Now unsure of where to look, his head swiveled as he tried to come up with a plan. Then, an idea came to him.
"I need to find someone—anyone," Calyx thought as he leaped off the corridor, using the wind to cushion his fall. He landed gracefully on the floor.
The main building was not far away. He needed to get there fast. So, with a gust of wind and swift motion, he moved.
He didn't run for long before he reached the heart-wrenching abomination before him: people huddled in the main lobby, with two Quasars among them, surrounded by monsters.
Monsters Calyx recognized all too well, monsters he would never forget even if he tried. Monsters that looked exactly like the ones his family had become.
Yet, what terrified him, as his gaze shifted from one person to another, was the possibility that Haze and Halaine could be among those monsters. So, he searched among the people being approached by the monsters, hoping to see them. And he did.
Amid the terrifying faces that confronted potential death, Calyx spotted Haze and Halaine, their expressions etched with fear and worry. However, he couldn't indulge in relief for long, as the screams of the crowd pierced through the lobby when a monster charged at them.
One of the two Quasars, who stood as a barrier between the monsters and the people, dodged the swing of the approaching beast's claw before thrusting his spear with graceful movements into its heart. The creature let out a piercing roar and collapsed to the ground in agony.
"So that kills them?" Calyx thought to himself as he raised his hand, trying to steady it and aiming for one of their hearts.
Then, wind began to swirl around the fingertips of Calyx, rotating faster and faster as the air also pressurized, compressing into a ball. With steady aim, it shot from his fingertips, piercing through the heart of one of the monsters, killing it.
As the monster fell to the ground, all attention shifted to Calyx, who immediately prepared to retreat, expecting the monsters to attack as soon as they realized his presence.
"Calyx!" Halaine exclaimed when she saw him.
"Hey, you're a Quasar, right?" One of the Quasars asked.
"Yeah," Calyx responded, noticing the monsters still hadn't given him any attention.
"Just keep your distance like that. They don't attack Quasars unless they're in their way. Can you do what you did and take out the remaining eight? If we attack them, some will get an opening to attack the civilians," The Quasar explained.
"Understood," Calyx responded as he took aim again, his hands steady as another compressed ball of wind swirled at his fingertips. He released it, watching it pierce through the heart of another monster.
He continued, taking out one after another, until they were all dead.
With the threat eliminated, Calyx ran towards the group, meeting Haze and Halaine.
"Are you guys okay?" Calyx asked as he inspected them for any serious injuries.
"We are, you?" Halaine asked.
"I'm fine," Calyx responded before turning his head to both of the Quasars.
"What the hell is going on here?" Calyx exclaimed, frustration in his voice, hoping that what Moros had told him wasn't true.
"An Ethervore attack—an extremely powerful one. It first targeted Building V," the Quasar explained, pointing to it.
"That's where I was," Calyx thought to himself.
"It seemed to know exactly what it was looking for. Then, suddenly, its attacks became random, as if what it had been searching for disappeared. It left, and all fifteen available Quasars are in pursuit. We were asked to stay here and protect the civilians since we just graduated from Astra," the Quasar continued.
"So you're telling me an Ethervore is ravaging through the city right now as we speak?" Calyx asked in disbelief.
"Yes, and even worse, it's releasing Quasarite as it goes, meaning innocent people are being turned into monsters. And if it releases more potent Quasarite, the chaos taint it might create could birth tier-2 monsters, which can infect other humans with the chaos taint as well. If that Ethervore isn't taken care of soon, this world is done for," the Quasar explained.
"Calyx, my mom," Haze said, looking deep into Calyx's eyes.
"Oh crap," Calyx mumbled.
"All of you follow me; you'll be taken to the underground bunker for now," the Quasars announced.
"Both of you go with them. I'll go get aunt and Hal's parents," Calyx said.
"My parents left the planet this afternoon on a business trip," Halaine informed.
"That's great. Then I'll go get aunt; you both go," Calyx said.
"I'm coming with you," Haze declared.
"No, you are not. Didn't you hear what's going on out there?" Calyx exclaimed.
"I'm not hearing it, Calyx. That's my mother. I'm coming with you!" Haze stood his ground. Calyx saw the look in his eyes—a look he once had and knew he couldn't refuse.
"Fine, Halaine, go with them," Calyx said.
"You both take this," one of the Quasars advised as he handed them the spear he wielded and the sword his partner used along with seath strap.
"Thanks," they both said, collecting the weapons, knowing they would need them.
"Both of you be careful," Halaine said, receiving a nod from both as they turned to the building exit.
"You ready?" Calyx asked.
"Yeah," Haze said with conviction.
"Let's go," Calyx responded.