Fred assured them after several deep breaths, his mind gradually clearing, though a trace of nervousness still lingered. As he confirmed to Kalsie, he took a step back.
"Come on, what are you waiting for? Just do it!" Wendy called out from behind, her tone more encouraging than impatient this time.
"I'm ready," Fred replied with newfound composure.
Kalsie glanced back to ensure that everyone had moved to a safe distance from the potential explosion zone. In the worst-case scenario, the explosion could extend to the terrace. As a precaution, everyone had spread out, hugging the edges.
"SHOOT!" Kalsie's shout rang out, signaling the moment.
Swooosh!!
As soon as Kalsie gave the command, Fred released the arrow, sending it hurtling toward the cylinder's valve.
Kalsie wasted no time. He swiftly kicked the door shut and grabbed Fred's hand, leading him towards the edge of the terrace.
"EVERYONE, DUCK—!!!!!!"
A deafening explosion drowned out Kalsie's shout.
BOOOMMM!!!!
And within seconds, another explosion followed. Fortunately, Kalsie and Fred had already distanced themselves from the blast zone. However, this was just the beginning; the true spectacle was yet to unfold.
BOOOOOOOMMM!!!
BOOOOOOOMMM!!!
...
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!
A series of ten explosions erupted, with the final one being particularly deafening and perilous. Their ears rang, and beyond the persistent buzzing in their ears, they couldn't hear anything else.
BAANNG!!!!!!!
Before they could process the situation, the terrace's roof and its door were propelled skyward by the force of the explosion. Simultaneously, tremors shook the ground, and the floor became scorching hot.
Although cracks spiderwebbed across the entire terrace due to the blasts, it miraculously held, preventing a catastrophic collapse.
While most of them instinctively lowered their heads, Kalsie, Wendy, and John managed to witness the rapid sequence of events.
They observed the roof and door being catapulted into the air by the explosions, accompanied by flames and billowing black smoke. None of them had expected the situation to escalate to such perilous heights.
However, at least now they were certain that no Dead Walkers could have survived those cataclysmic explosions or find their way to the rooftop.
"L--- O-t!!!!!!!!"
Amidst the chaos, John attempted to convey something to Kalsie and Wendy, but their compromised hearing made it impossible for them to discern his words.
However, as soon as he urgently pointed upwards, Kalsie and Wendy grasped the gravity of the situation.
"!!" The objects that had been propelled into the air were now hurtling back towards them. Most items, such as bricks and the water tank from the rooftop, were falling away from them. However, not everything was following the same trajectory.
A half-broken door, which had been flung skyward, was now spinning rapidly and descending toward them with alarming velocity. The most distressing part was that its crash zone was perilously close to Nicole.
"NICOLE!!!! LOOK OUT!!!!!!"
Kalsie and Wendy desperately tried to shout a warning, but their voices went unheard. Nicole, like everyone else, was still in shock from the explosions, and her head was bowed low, oblivious to the impending danger.
"SHIT!!!!" Seeing her unresponsiveness, they all immediately sprinted towards her, aiming to push her out of harm's way. However, they were several meters away from her, and time was running out.
Even though Jack was just a mere three meters from his sister, he, too, had his head down and remained oblivious to the peril approaching her. Consequently, they rushed towards her at breakneck speed.
'Shit!!! Just reach her!!! Or she'll lose her life!!!! COME ON!!!!!!!!' Kalsie's inner voice screamed, unwilling to let harm befall Nicole.
He couldn't bear the thought of losing someone he cared about, especially after the loss of his father. He was willing to do anything to save her, even if it meant putting himself at risk.
'Please!! Don't!!!' Kalsie's heart grew heavy with dread as he desperately closed the distance between himself and Nicole.
In a matter of seconds, he was just four meters away from her. However, the broken door was mere centimeters away from striking her.
'No! No! No!' The sight weighed heavily on his heart, filling him with an overwhelming sense of dread. He didn't want anything to happen to Nicole.
"COME ON, REACHHH!!!!!!" Kalsie's heartrending shout resonated with his determination to save Nicole. He urged his body to move faster and faster, his sole focus on reaching her.
Then, something peculiar occurred.
Kalsie felt a strange energy surging through his body.
zzz. zzz. ZZZ.
An electrifying sensation coursed through his legs, sending a strange and tingling feeling rippling through his limbs. As Kalsie sprinted toward Nicole, it was as though time itself had momentarily halted. Then, in a matter of milliseconds, he miraculously closed the distance between himself and Nicole.
Swish!
'What just... happened?' The bewildering events had unfolded in the blink of an eye, leaving Kalsie utterly flabbergasted. Despite the newfound strength he was gaining from the orbs, this experience was entirely unlike anything he had ever felt before.
Kalsie couldn't comprehend the mysterious occurrence, but his left hand reached Nicole in the nick of time, pushing her out of harm's way.
"Wha...!!!?"
"Nicole!!!!"
Both Nicole and Jack were left in a state of shock by the sudden turn of events. Nicole, in particular, was perplexed as she felt an inexplicable force push her aside, sparing her from a potentially catastrophic accident. Little did they know, however, that it had only spared her...
Bang!!!!
"URGH!!!!!"