After suffering significant losses, the Amika retreated, heading toward a pit in the ground. As the last of them disappeared into it, the golems encircled the pit, while the mages layered it with ice, one thick barrier after another, sealing it shut.
One of the two young men approached Eva's sister as the crowd dispersed, tending to the injured and organizing themselves. He whispered a few words to Karlin, who was surrounded by dozens of people who seemed to protect her from every side. Alex observed her closely; he'd begun to suspect her abilities after only a few minutes. She seemed to have a power that could heal allies and replenish their energy—a skill that was invaluable in combat. However, her healing seemed to be exhausting her, and after fighting for so long, those with minor injuries were now resorting to traditional treatment.
As soon as the young man spoke to her, Karlin dashed towards Eva as fast as she could. Though she looked drained, when she saw Eva, she shouted in joy and embraced her. The sisters both cried, seemingly indifferent to the crowd around them. After a few minutes, they reluctantly pulled apart, a bit embarrassed.
Alex looked at Karlin; she seemed like a younger version of Eva. Karlin appeared around eighteen, dressed in a red athletic outfit, with blond hair.
"Sis, I tried calling you, but the network was down. Plus, we got attacked by those things, and so many people… they didn't make it. We had no choice but to gather as many as we could and fight together."
Seeing her older sister, Karlin began speaking nonstop. From what Alex gathered, the situation here was more dangerous than outside, and he began to worry about John. John was the studious type, not athletic or particularly survival-savvy, so Alex felt a growing anxiety about his close friend.
"What are those pits, and why are the monsters coming from them?"
Eva voiced the question that had also been nagging Alex. If these creatures were from another realm and their portals lay underground, then humanity was in real trouble. If more of these gateways existed, no one knew when they might face an invasion or from what.
"We don't know. These creatures started appearing shortly after the events began. They attacked everyone in the campus area. Many of these pits appeared around the grounds, so we teamed up with other groups to defeat the Amika near them and seal the pits with ice magic."
Eva was surprised by her sister's words. They were spoken so matter-of-factly that it almost seemed normal. While young people did adapt quickly, this seemed almost too natural.
"Do you know someone named John Emond?" Alex asked Karlin, holding out hope she might know where John was. If John was alive, finding him now would be challenging with metal monsters prowling everywhere.
"I don't know him, but I can ask the others."
After saying this, Karlin turned to her group and started talking with them. A few minutes later, she returned with a short girl with orange hair.
"This is Elin. She says she knows John. Elin, this is Alex, and this is my sister, Eva."
Karlin introduced the girl, who looked exhausted. She glanced at Alex, appearing to recognize him. He vaguely remembered seeing her around a few times when he'd visited John's dorm.
"Hi, Elin. I'm glad you're safe. Do you know anything about John? Is he okay?"
Alex asked immediately, despite not knowing her well. They were more like acquaintances, but he was anxious about John, knowing the battles raging everywhere could easily have put his friend in danger.
"John's fine. He's with a combat group in the southern part of the campus."
The university was divided into four sections, each representing a direction. Currently, Alex was in the eastern part, and the southern section was only about a kilometer away—closer than he'd expected, which gave him some relief.
"Thanks, Elin. I'll catch you all later," he said, then turned to Eva.
"Eva, what are your plans now? I'm going to find John."
"Alright, I'll stay here with Karlin. Once you find John, we'll meet at the library and decide what to do next."
Alex had expected this response from Eva, so after hearing it, he said his goodbyes to everyone, reshaped his sword into a small blood platform, jumped onto it, and flew southward.
"Eva, your friend has some fascinating abilities," Karlin teased her sister, causing Eva's face to turn red as she pinched Karlin's hand firmly.
"Sorry, sorry! I won't say that again. Let go!" Karlin yelped and begged for help. The sisters' playful exchange lightened the tense atmosphere around the group.
As Alex flew over the buildings, he thought about the Amika. They were metallic beasts shaped like animals, seemingly made of a liquid metal that acted as a coordinated group with some form of connection. He'd noticed how their combat movements were highly organized.
"The apex predator of this species would have to be something that can control metal and disrupt their connection. But I don't know what kind of ability they're using to communicate—that's a problem. With their numbers, I'd need a method of interference that covers a large area."
Alex was already formulating a strategy to defeat the Amika. His power would reach its full potential once he had complete information about the enemy.
As he flew over the buildings, he saw the devastation that had struck the university. Ahead of him stood a massive fifty-story building, the largest on campus and the pride of Larson University. It housed staff and student accommodations as well as numerous scientific facilities.