Devyn's pulse raced as his eyes darted between the snarling horde ahead of them.
The air in the subway was thick with the smell of decay mixing with the foul stench of the creatures blocking their exit.
His heart pounded in his chest, the monsters wild and uneven , their grotesque forms twitched and shifted, an array of sharp teeth, claws, and unblinking eyes all focused on them. There were too many. Far too many.
Devyn felt his knees threaten to buckle beneath him. His breath quickened, each inhale sharper than the last. He could barely think, barely process the terror clutching his throat. The tunnel was closing in, the walls tightening as the monsters seemed to grow larger. How were they supposed to fight through that? How were they supposed to survive?
He turned to Malakai, his fear clear in his eyes, but Malakai stood firm. Silent. Watching. The man didn't seem afraid. Instead, there was a strange calmness about him, a deep stillness that made Devyn's stomach churn. Why wasn't he panicking?
"What… what do we do?" Devyn managed to ask, his voice barely above a whisper.
Malakai's silver eyes flicked to him for a moment, offering no comfort. "Stay behind me," he said, voice low and measured.
Before Devyn could respond, Malakai pushed him back gently but firmly, positioning himself between Devyn and the horde. Devyn stumbled, barely keeping his balance. His hands shook as he tried to steady himself.
And then something strange happened.
The creatures, previously advancing, recoiled slightly. Devyn blinked, his eyes widening as he watched the beasts hesitate. Their snarls grew softer, their movements less sure. It was subtle, but undeniable, the monsters were afraid.
"What the hell…" Devyn muttered, his words trailing off. Why were they backing off?
Malakai stepped forward, his silver eyes glowing faintly in the dim subway light. The creatures stepped back again, their confusion and fear evident in the way their jagged limbs twitched. They weren't running, though. Something was keeping them there, pulling them toward Malakai as if they couldn't escape even if they wanted to.
The creatures looked confused, torn between wanting to tear Malakai apart and something else, that seemed to be drawing them closer against their will.
Their hesitation was palpable, their snarls now laced with uncertainty.
Then, without warning, Malakai raised his right hand.
A bright light ignited from his palm, casting a silvery glow throughout the tunnel. Devyn's breath hitched as the light pulsed, growing stronger, filling the air with an almost electric hum. The creatures howled, their screeches echoing through the confined space, but they didn't move. They couldn't.
And then, in an instant, the light exploded.
A wave of energy shot from Malakai's hand, slamming into the creatures with a deafening roar. The monsters screamed as they were consumed by the silver light, their bodies igniting into purple flames. Devyn watched in stunned horror as the creatures were reduced to ash, their charred remains crumbling to the ground like dust in the wind.
"What…?" Devyn whispered, his voice barely audible, but Malakai didn't answer.
More creatures tried to flee, their confusion growing, but something held them back. They stumbled, their twisted bodies jerking awkwardly as if they were caught in some invisible force. They couldn't escape. Malakai stepped forward again, his hand still glowing, his face cold and unreadable. The creatures that remained turned on each other, claws and fangs ripping into their own kind. Devyn could only watch, frozen in place, as the horde tore itself apart under Malakai's silent command.
The chaos was overwhelming, screeches, growls, and the sickening sounds of flesh ripping filled the tunnel. And yet, Malakai was unfazed, his silver eyes gleaming in the dim light as if this was just another day for him. Devyn's stomach twisted in knots. This couldn't be real. It shouldn't be real.
And then, Devyn saw it. The creatures that hadn't been destroyed yet began to turn on each other. They were attacking each other, tearing one another apart with claws and fangs. It was madness, chaos, as the horde collapsed into a vicious frenzy, driven by some unseen command from Malakai.
Devyn's stomach churned, a mix of awe and horror twisting inside him. He had never seen anything like this. Not in his nightmares, not in his visions. This was beyond anything he could have imagined. Who, no, what, was Malakai?
As the last of the creatures tore themselves apart, Malakai turned back to Devyn. His face was expressionless, his eyes still glowing with that otherworldly light. Without a word, he reached for Devyn, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him forward, dragging him through the remnants of the horde.
Devyn stumbled, his legs shaky beneath him. His mind was a mess of questions and fear, but there was no time to ask anything. Malakai moved with purpose, dragging him along as they hurried toward the exit. The tunnel felt suffocating now, the smell of death and ash clinging to everything.
When they finally burst through the subway entrance, Devyn was hit by a rush of cold air. The world outside was just as chaotic as it had been underground. Buildings were crumbling, streets were cracked and broken, cars were overturned and abandoned, some still burning. The sky, once clear, was now an angry swirl of dark clouds, and the distant rumble of destruction echoed from all sides.
Devyn doubled over, gasping for breath, his hands on his knees as he tried to steady himself. His mind was racing, heart hammering in his chest. What had just happened? How had Malakai done that? And why were the creatures afraid of him?
"What… what the hell was that?" Devyn asked, his voice shaking as he straightened up and looked at Malakai.
Malakai barely glanced at him, his gaze fixed ahead as if he were looking for something. "Part of my power," he said simply, his tone casual as though what had just happened was nothing more than a routine occurrence.
Devyn stared at him, his mind struggling to keep up. "That's not…you can't just brush that off! You turned them to ash! You made them attack each other!"
Devyn couldn't believe that was possible.
Malakai finally looked at him, his expression unreadable. "You can see the future," he said softly, "and yet you think my powers are impossible?"
Devyn blinked, confusion and frustration twisting inside him. "How did you…? How do you know what I'm thinking?"
Malakai's lips curved slightly, though it wasn't a smile. "I don't read minds, Devyn. It's written all over your face."
Devyn didn't know how to respond to that. His thoughts were swirling with confusion and doubt. Who was this man? This stranger with powers beyond anything he could comprehend. Why had he saved him? Why was he putting so much effort into protecting him?
As they moved through the rubble-strewn streets, Devyn found himself questioning everything. Should he trust Malakai? Was this man even human? He had saved his life, over and over again, yes, but the things he could do, the things he had just witnessed,were tterrifying
And yet, despite the fear gnawing at him, Devyn knew one thing for certain: Malakai's powers might be the only thing keeping them alive.
But at what cost?
With every step they took away from the subway, the weight of the situation pressed harder on Devyn's chest. He glanced at Malakai, who was walking ahead of him with that same eerie calmness. There were so many questions he wanted to ask, but something in him told him that Malakai wouldn't answer. Not fully. Not yet.
"What now?" he whispered, more to himself than to Malakai.
Malakai didn't respond immediately, but there was a tension in his posture that Devyn hadn't noticed before.