"We should look for a place to hide. Somewhere safer than this…" Charlie proposed.
"Well, got any suggestions?" Rodrick asked but none had the courage to speak as everyone knew this was it. Every place we could think of is just as deadly as another. There was no safer place to hide.
The silence continued for a while. Every living dead groaning and causing a ruckus on the alley were constantly being devoured by the serpent, not even giving us any assurance of we won't be next.
"... The Basilica!" Shane gasped, almost getting the attention of the serpent. "I remember now. I saw a girl in my dreams earlier told me something about it. It's gotta be real"
"Are you being serious!? From a dream!?" Rodrick argued.
"I am, Rodrick!" she insisted. "And it's better than staying here…"
I could feel her worry leaking as she glances towards the serpents as her hand firmly grasps my shoulder, shivering from its sight.
Both arguments had made sense as a dream could be just a dream but still, it might not be the best suggestion yet somewhere was better than nothing. A much better option than staying here.
"Look, Shane. we can't risk our lives for-"
"Duck!" Charlie shouted, pushing Rodrick down as the serpent attacks. Fortunately, it misses us but the wall behind us had crumbled, leaving markings of the serpent's fang. It only proves that its fangs are stronger than the concrete itself.
"G-Guess we're going after all…" Rodrick claimed.
I was glad we got to leave as I didn't have a great feeling to stay within these water snakes, and I knew the others felt the same. Going to the church as our class president had suggested was a better idea than staying in a place filled with things capable of munching you for snacks.
"Okay, but how will we be able to get there? The road's probably filled with hungry zombies by now." Hyacinth said.
"No need for that. This riverside is connected to the river that leads near the basilica and if we just keep a low profile, we might have a higher chance of surviving this way than going back on road" Rodrick claimed, leading the front of the party but suddenly stopped. "One problem though…"
"What?" Charlie asked.
"Remember, the basilica is on the other side of the river. We still have to climb back on the road and cross the bridge."
"Well, better than nothing." Charlie replied "Let's just get outta here and just pray the bridge's clear"
Luck was on our side when the bridge had no obstacles. It took longer than we expected as more and more serpents were appearing in the river but we eventually got into the church gate unharmed. Yet the rusted fences and the wide field of the church courtyard didn't give me the feeling of being protective. I doubt it would even be able to hold those massive populations and the large clearance and thin railings give out our presence too much.
We were barely hidden in the naked eye with those who wander outside.
"Is the world… really ending?" Hyacinth questioned as she trembles on her knees, watching the sky as it drops fiery balls all over the city. Trees hit by it burned, transforming them into torches with never-ending flames.
"... it's no use..." I muttered. Charlie and I even checked but the church door itself was closed tight that none of us could get through, and the people inside didn't want us to enter. They were already too scared to even let us in.
"It can't be! The lady told us she would meet us here!" our class president complained, continuing knocking on the large door of the church. "Please, let us in!"
"We tried, Shane. But I'm not risking our chances of surviving here on a possibility. I'd say let's find another place to hide until this mess ends. An underground bunker or basement would be better" Rodrick strongly suggested.
"True, darkness had covered everything but sometimes you got to trust a possibility even it's a speck of light" a mysterious lady wearing a white robe appeared behind us without even one of us noticing it. Like a ghost, suddenly showed out of nowhere. "Get into the pedestal, quickly!"
"Hold on, aren't you supposed to tell us what's going on and why is this happening? And why there?" Shane asked.
"Just go! There's not much time!" She ordered, instructing us to step into the platform in the center of the church courtyard.
The pedestal was just an elevated platform. Sure there were surrounding fences but they only heights a meter and were not even properly fixed into the cement ground. It was further one of the least unsafe places.
Inside the pedestal, we rested and our fatigue slowly recovers as the lady muttered words of an unknown yet vaguely familiar language that made the circular platform glow different symbols. Soon, a floating screen hovered in front of her while she started moving her fingers into it.
"There's a locked door leading under. Maybe it's a-"
"Stay put! I'll send you somewhere safe," she explained, and just when we were about to speak, she added. "And don't interrupt me, or else I might send you into the void."
"Then what's gonna-"
"I said don't interrupt me!" The lady scolded, cutting off Hyacinth's words.
She continued tapping in mid-air once again, then a glowing dot on the platform started to surround the pedestal ground while the lower steps started to look like circuits, lighting the tiny gaps within the floor.
"T-the fresco in the ceiling is disappearing…" Hyacinth muttered then the starry sky appeared in the hole of the ceiling. "The stars!? What is she doing?"
"Something we shouldn't interrupt, I guess?" Charlie shrugged.
"I agree. We should wait until she finishes up before we ask-" Shane's face froze towards the horizon. The burning trees gave sight to where a large wave of marching enemies of different species and it's already drawing closer into our location.
The lady clicked her tongue upon hearing us converse, then she muttered "You got to be kidding me!"
"I-is there something wrong?" Shane asked.
"Nothing! Just stay put, okay. You'll make it. I know it" she replied but doesn't sound too confident about it.
Fear, worries, and agony were all I could see in my friends' eyes draw close. Even I was beginning to succumb to those emotions, thinking we will be done for. My hands shiver knowing a vast amount of forces are on their way towards us. I felt useless, paralyzed, and trapped but a thread-like blue liquid suddenly floated in front of me and as I followed the watery thread's trail, it took my sight to her.
The sight of her constantly in pain while trembling in fear.
"Pathetic" something echoed in my head, then rage filled me. All emotion I had turned into bottled rage as my body unconsciously rushed towards the invading forces and tried to divert their attention farther away from the others. Throwing rocks, striking with anything I could see fit to deal with these monsters, I've done everything I could. I even yelled and made noises many times to call them out of the path of the church.
It was a success but not the greatest plan for I have to deal with a large amount of undead and monstrous beast all by myself. I can't lure them away nor escape as a small portion of them kept trying to slip away towards the location of the church, and I can't let it happen.
At first, the rage of adrenaline inside me gave me the strength to knock off a bunch of dead yet as time passes by, all my strength started to fade.
My injuries have gotten worse and the bleeding was nonstop. My visions were getting blurry and this sluggish body was near to giving up. And on the last yelp, a blade pierced me from behind and stuck out of my chest. An excruciating sensation sent me but I could no longer much move, and all I had done was kneel as these useless feet had betrayed me.
From the stench, I knew it was the corrupted being, and without saying a word, it went within my field of vision as it stretched its peeling hands forward.
"Foolish one…" it spoke in the language I didn't know but somehow could understand. But I was too weak to make up a word and mumbled as it continue to speak. "The light in that direction must die…"
The ground trembles until a giant skeletal beast came out underneath the dirt, soaring into the sky with its dried wings. It was heading towards the others but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't muster the strength I needed to stand up.
As he turned towards me, I already knew I'd be turned into one of those horrible creatures.
"n… v…" his voice became chilly and airy, but he wasn't looking directly at me. Something was behind me. A tall shadowy figure, emitting a dark aura from my back.
The pain could no longer be endured and I fell to the ground. I was losing all control of my body that even the fingers and toes could no longer fidget.
Preparing myself for this useless death, I heard a loud cry and before I knew it, I was staring at the upper half of a corrupted being. My body couldn't function properly to be able to see what had killed it but as I felt the gust of forceful wind, feathers of black fell onto the ground then slowly, the consciousness I kept on holding on was starting to drift away.