The earth shook violently. The already agitated animals began to roar, bark, howl, hiss…
The chaos only grew more pressing.
The few individuals still struggling against the enraged packs almost entirely lost their will, either running in search of shelter or trying to find their loved ones.
The events of that night had never occurred before in the memory of those present. Perhaps they existed in the ancient scrolls, but these lands had never faced such a crisis. Even the strongest, the most fearless, lost all hope in the face of a reality that surpassed their understanding.
One only thinks of the apocalypse when one has heard of it before.
They had never heard of it, but a similar image was forming in their minds.
These people had no deities or specific beliefs, except for the well-being of their settlement and the tales of ancient times involving foreigners.
For them, the worst that could happen was being decimated by a pack of white wolves that had grown too large to be contained. Or the appearance of a second supreme predator, or even a smaller but more unpredictable invasion. But for each of these possibilities, they had an emergency plan. The barriers surrounding the settlement were certainly not there for decoration.
Yet tonight, not only were they being overrun by several packs of wolves, but there were others as well. Monkeys, snakes, hyenas, rats… they couldn't even list all the species attacking their village at that moment.
There was a plan for some of them, for certain invasions, but not for all. Not all at once.
Still, human ingenuity had prevailed over animal ferocity. What could a horde of furious, uncoordinated animals do against a trained and organized elite?
They managed to contain the invasion, to slow down the wolves, and the barriers had already helped by injuring and weakening some of them.
Humans dominate nature, while depending on it. Animals are the essence of the sky and the manifestation of the earth.
But at that moment, the sky joined the conflict, raining stones upon the land. A situation completely beyond the control of the humans present.
How can humans react to a situation that exceeds their deepest fears?
They collapse.
Adonis stood in stunned silence as he witnessed the death of his friend. The latter had murmured his sister's name until his voice became nothing more than a distant echo.
There was a hole in his left arm, he was covered in blood and mud, his face unrecognizable, and his blue eyes, wide open, could no longer express anything describable. Any light that had ever been in them was now gone.
He was dead.
Adonis, previously crouched next to his friend, suddenly stood up, tightened his grip on Hera's hand, and plunged deeper into the village amid the screams and howls.
With a glance back at his friend's lifeless body, all he saw were wolves fighting over the best parts of the meat.
Nature was reclaiming its rights.
Adonis closed his eyes, then refocused on the horizon… he had a destination to reach, and nothing would deter him.
Tears streamed down his cheeks as he moved forward without looking back.
Lifeless bodies littered the path. Every corner where the eye could land held its own share of horror.
And yet, Adonis was no longer affected by it.
After all, people die all the time. How often are we affected? When do we feel concerned? Human nature is peculiar in many ways.
Adonis now seemed impervious to these macabre scenes, and as he fought to fend off a wolf that appeared to have singled him out, Hera was struggling more and more to keep herself together.
It was all too much for her. Far too much to handle at once.
Even in her worst nightmares, she never imagined this night would end like this. Her last day becoming her last day.
She had been holding herself together for a long time, but she couldn't afford to give in.
She wasn't alone.
Strength can manifest in different ways, and though she was clearly not filled with muscle, she still had her ingenuity.
But fear and panic often reduce our abilities to miserable levels.
She knew she needed to pull herself together but couldn't manage it.
Wouldn't life be too easy if we could change our mindset in the blink of an eye?
That would be nothing but a fantasy; reality doesn't work like that.
Yet something had to be done. Adonis was facing more and more beasts, made all the more difficult by his constant efforts to protect her whenever a wolf or a snake tried to pounce on her.
He used his body as a shield against the repeated attacks, with many bruises visible along his body.
Wolves are pack animals; their strength lies in their numbers. At the moment, three of them were pressing Adonis one attacking head-on, another from the left side, while the third continuously targeted the girl beside him.
Adonis alternated between loud, violent shouts to slow down their attacks, although they were relentless. The current situation was at a standstill, with the odds continually shrinking for the human side of the battle.
Adonis saw an opening as one of the wolves landed on its feet after being thrown. He seized it and charged toward the one coming from the left.
Despite being outnumbered, in a one-on-one fight, he could trust his strength to match, if not slightly surpass, the enemy.
He was about to deliver a blow to the animal that would have kept it down for some time.
The earth began to tremble again, even more violently.
Cracking sounds, seemingly from beneath their feet, echoed around them.
Adonis lost his balance in the middle of his move, just as he was about to fall.
A snake that had remained hidden until now sprang from behind, coiling around Adonis's right leg and biting him with all its might.
Though these animals were attacking the same prey – something unusual in itself – they didn't form a united group, not like two coordinated attackers.
Thus, others, like the snake on Adonis's leg, stayed back, watching the fight, waiting for an opportunity to strike.
And that's exactly what it got.
The young man, whose eyes gleamed in the darkness lit by embers, didn't relent. He didn't stop for a second. After all, he still had one wolf charging at him and another struggling to its feet. Compared to them, a snake bite was far less alarming… unless it was a venomous one.
Unfortunately, this was something Adonis couldn't check in the current situation. So, he pushed that possibility to the back of his mind.
He may not have been a brilliant thinker in general, but when it came to combat and hunting, his skills left his peers in the dust.
He wasn't considered the genius of a generation for nothing.
He found himself face to face with the animal, which had also been unbalanced by the previous earthquake.
The beast opened its jaws wide, trying to tear off a piece of flesh. The human responded with a direct blow, both hands clasped together above the wolf's skull, followed by a kick from his right foot.
Both the wolf and the snake ended up knocked out, one with a large part of its membrane flattened like tree sap.
The young man retraced his steps, not letting the pain overwhelm him.
Adrenaline had flooded his body.
He saw Hera swinging a stick from side to side, trying to keep her attackers at bay.
He shouted again, using all the strength in his voice. His lungs felt like they were on fire. The distracted wolf received a rock thrown directly into its eye.
A yelp was heard as it fled in the opposite direction.
Swoosh… Swoosh, Thwap
From a distance, two thin and lethal arrows lodged themselves into the abdomen of the last wolf, which had been leaping at the young man from behind. The animal collapsed, its blood flowing like a stream.
"Uncle…" Hera cried, her expression somewhat relieved as she saw the group of people heading toward them. Norm was Hera's mother's brother.
"You two…" he said with a stern face, "What are you still doing here, and alone no less? The order was given to gather at the den."
"What's happening, Uncle? We were just out for a while, and then we were attacked and then… then…" she couldn't say more as her tears began to flow again. Adonis, standing to the side, said nothing, focused on the injuries covering his body.
His condition wasn't the best.
"We don't know much either," Norm replied, hugging his crying niece, "and now isn't the place or time for this conversation. Follow us. We're trying to gather the few survivors on the elders' orders.
By the way, have you seen my Adela by any chance? I can't seem to find her."
"What?" Hera exclaimed. "My sister's not with you, Uncle? And Father, have you seen him?"
Norm ignored his niece's barrage of questions. Outwardly, he remained calm, but inside he was troubled. He was also searching for his daughter. The current situation worried him deeply. How many lifeless, dismembered, scattered bodies – or worse – had he seen that night already?
He turned his attention to Adonis, who still hadn't said a word.
"Hey, boy, I asked you something. Have you seen my daughter?"
Adonis only shook his head, blood trickling from the corner of his lips.
No matter where you look, regardless of civilization or way of life, discrimination goes hand in hand with society. The rich suppress and oppress the poor, the beautiful mock and ridicule the ugly, the tall torment the short, and the strong oppress the weak.
Adonis was strong, considered the genius of a generation of warriors. But he was still young, and he had yet to accomplish anything notable for the community. What was his strength worth at that moment?
Even in such a unique and dangerous situation as this, those who held aversions toward him hadn't changed their mindset.
Could a person change so abruptly?
Adonis ignored the man's remark. On the other hand, he wasn't in great shape at the moment. He inspected his body one last time, feeling that he wasn't exactly at his best.
However, inwardly, the presence of this group of warriors lightened the burden on his mind. People tend to feel safer when part of a crowd, and Adonis was no exception.
Defending Hera had been an incredibly complex task for him. Even more so now, as he was more eager than ever to find his own. The scene before him only heightened his anxiety.
Norm was about to say something when a rock the size of a bush crashed into a burning house about ten paces from the group.
The impact scared off the few remaining fierce beasts prowling around. At that moment, the village seemed much calmer. The most noticeable sounds were the rain of stones, which had lessened in intensity but had not yet stopped.
There was also the ground, rumbling more and more frequently, with cracking noises that made it hard to determine what was happening beneath the earth.
As for the tide of beasts, it had recently subsided. Many animals were still wandering around, but most lacked the ferocity of the earlier predators. Those left were either the slowest or the weakest.
Thus, groups like Norm's were forming more and more, searching for survivors.
A clear realization dawned on them: the tide of beasts wasn't attacking the village, but rather passing through it. This made people even more suspicious, for beyond the settlement, they faced the vast expanse of water.
Once these beasts reached that point, wouldn't they return to the village, unable to swim?
Those who could think this far ahead couldn't help but wear grim expressions. They were far from being out of danger.
One could say that for the moment, they only had a brief reprieve.
Norm looked at the collapsed house nearby; it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. After a brief pause, he said… "Let's go."
…
Near an intersection…
"Relson, wait for me!" Aubrea shouted as they galloped at full speed through the burning houses. The rocky ground made fast movement difficult, even on horseback.
A hundred paces behind them was a group of lynxes.
It was clearly a chase. And Relson and his partner were struggling to outrun their pursuers.
Rather, Relson had found a small lynx with an injured leg that had strayed from its group. Seeing an easy target, he didn't hesitate and drove a blade into its neck. The cub died instantly.
Not long after, he was discovered by a larger group of lynxes, and so began a peculiar hunt.
In these lands, lynxes were highly protective of their young. This was common knowledge among warriors. So during hunts, lynx cubs were often left alone unless it was certain that the mother had also been killed.
But Relson was a rather poor warrior to begin with, and a coward above all. Still, he had been sent out tonight as part of a group searching for survivors. Then, taking advantage of the general chaos, he had escaped with his partner.
Now, he had a pack of lynxes on his tail, from which he couldn't seem to escape.
The pack was closing in fast. They seemed to have less trouble moving on the arid ground.
Realizing this, Relson slowed down, finally allowing Aubrea to catch up with him. She looked terrible… sweat and tears streaked her face. Fortunately, she had managed to avoid the disaster that had unfolded since the beginning of the night. Not a single scratch marred her fair skin.
But by a twist of fate, she had found herself thrown into a life-threatening situation.
"What do we do, Relson? They won't stop chasing us," she said, her breath heavy and her body trembling visibly.
Relson didn't say a word as he slowly drew a dagger from his waist. No one could guess what thoughts were running through his mind at that moment.
But the next instant, the vines that served as his covering were soaked in a scarlet red liquid. He felt warmth in his chest, as though his heart was being squeezed by someone else. He looked down and saw a dagger piercing his ribcage.
Aubrea had stabbed him.
It's your fault, if you hadn't killed the boy, we wouldn't be here. Sorry, I really didn't mean to do it... she said as she gained distance, tears filling her field of vision.
Relson fell from his horse, and the next moment he was submerged.
On an evening when the earth rained down from the sky and nature raged like never before, he breathed his last with the tip of his beloved's blade.
...
She galloped at full speed, gradually pulling away from the rest of her pursuers while outrunning any new ones.
Aubrea was a simple, radiant young lady, as one would expect to find in the concession. She had no special qualities and no real apparent flaws. She had come of age a few seasons ago, and as she did so, she was also planning to leave the dealership, just waiting for the passing ceremony.
For her too, this would be the very last evening with her peers.
As she sped away, droplets of tears welled up in the air every time she blinked.
She had just betrayed the one she loved for the sake of her own survival. Shame, sadness and tears seemed to inhabit her face. But above all, a persistent, all-consuming fear inhabited her.
And just as she couldn't keep her eyes wide open, her mount stumbled, throwing her a dozen paces from where she'd started, earth first.
...
The ground began to tremble.
This time, Adonis realized that the tremors were getting more and more intense.
Once the tremor had passed, he stood up and set off again. He walked as fast as he could along the deserted road, surrounded by flames.
At this point, almost the entire village was covered in flame, but thanks to the construction methods used, the flames didn't spread at great speed, but they didn't disappear either.
He remained ever vigilant, glancing and feeling his way around every bend and dark spot.
After all, he was alone on this road.
Fortunately for him, the tide of beasts had passed, and the animals he came across now were small creatures, the most troublesome of which he was content to avoid with shortcuts or patience.
Rather, he and Norm's group had parted ways when he told them he had to find his family.
His home was a little way from the village center, as everyone knew. The idea was that the area would be full of beasts.
So who would be willing to go with him - and risk their lives in the process? Apart from Hera, no one in this group had a good feeling about her.
Given his warrior skills, he would have been more highly regarded, but after these repeated attacks, his strength was at an all-time low. He could already barely walk, let alone run.
So, in a situation like this, the old stereotypes became more vivid than ever. Each of them had their own agenda, and they weren't going to support an ailing Adonis.
Hera would have protested, but she was well aware of the situation, and kept silent as her new group moved steadily away from Adonis, leaving him with only a scythe to defend himself.
He continued on his way home, anxiety evident on his face. He was well aware of his parents' prowess, his father's skills and his mother's rationalism, and they were considered the strongest hunting duo in the concession.
But fear is a feeling that's hard to control, hard to rationalize.
After an intersection, as he was getting to his feet after the earthquake, he heard a cracking sound, like a bone breaking.
Adonis, with his experience, could recognize this type of sound, even amid the destruction that enveloped the entire village.
He approached cautiously, scanning his surroundings repeatedly, ensuring there were no lurking dangers. Taking a deep breath, he peeked toward the source of the noise.
The first thing he saw was a horse lying on the ground. It had fallen over but seemed otherwise unharmed.
Continuing his inspection, his eyes fell upon something that shocked him.
There, not far away, lay a young woman sprawled on the ground. Her arms were outstretched in front of her, while her legs dangled over a blood-soaked rock. She was lying face down, but Adonis could see her face as clearly as he could see the pool of blood she lay in.
He recognized her immediately; he had often seen her in the company of Héra.
Aubrea was lying in her own blood. Her head had twisted unnaturally upon colliding with the rock. She had died on the spot, her eyes closed.
Yet, even in death, her tears had not ceased.
Adonis observed the scene in absolute silence. Then, standing with resolve, he grabbed the horse, which had already risen to its feet, and mounted it.
He rode as fast as the horse could carry him.
His thoughts drifted.
His mind was adrift.
But he no longer thought about what had just happened. He knew his family was waiting for him; they had to be. He had to find them. Pain, fear, and the numbness in his muscles were nothing compared to the horrific image forming in his mind as time passed.
His parents were formidable warriors, possibly the most distinguished in the community, at least in his understanding, excluding his grandparents. However, they were not invincible. They had aged. His father now limited himself to hunting boars, and his mother rarely ventured into the forest.
To make matters worse, the skies were raining down dirt.
How many lifeless bodies had he come across so far?
And what if one of those rocks had crushed his house?
His family?
Jason?
At this thought, his expression shifted. It was no longer fearful. It was filled with worry, and above all, urgency.
He no longer tried to avoid the animals he encountered while galloping. Without realizing it, he passed the half-devoured body of Relson. One of Relson's eyes was wide open, while the other was a bloody void. The lynx pack had already departed.
By now, much time had passed since Adonis and Héra had left the mountain. The day was already breaking on the horizon, and the night of horrors seemed about to release its grip.
At least, that's what everyone would have hoped.
Adonis encountered few others, living or dead, on his path. His family's home was indeed on the outskirts of the concession.
Galloping through the tall grass, the shapes of small trees around which soared the brush surrounding their home, he moved swiftly if perilously. The grass, like everything else, burned like a torch lighting the way.
The air was difficult to breathe, as the burning petals crumbled, offering a spectacle of beauty and horror.
Yet the rider was not in the least perturbed by this furnace.
Adrenalin, determination, anxiety... whatever motivated his steps, he kept going. His goal was closer than ever.
But as he crossed this space, something completely new struck him.
The bush was higher than a man standing upright.
As Adonis emerged from the dense vegetation, a beam of light filled his vision.
The radiance of a brilliance he had never experienced before flooded his eyes.
With his head tilted toward the sky, he marveled at this unprecedented sight. He was dazzled, and the tears that had dried on his face began flowing again.
The light was warm, so very warm.
And just as he managed to lower his gaze, he barely caught sight of his father's arm being torn off by what appeared to be a jackal.