The ground shattered beneath my feet.
Huge cracks trailed throughout the amphitheater.
The Dragon Weaver Pavilion swayed like flowers brushed by the wind. The orchestra was hurrying to evacuate from the tall balcony.
Seeing the earth phenomenon, I disabled my spell and let my fire conjuration on top of the pavilion dissipated into thin air.
The crowds were shouting in great panic because of the trembling.
All the performers looked to me in concern.
Before I could blurt out an order to calm the masses, the earthquake fortunately ceased instantly.
The crowd immediately quieted down by the sudden calmness of the ground.
This would be the time to address the people.
"Thank you for coming, everyone! It's a pleasure performing for all of you! Now please stay calm and return to your lodging in orderly fashion! We will see you again tomor--"
Something in the distance suddenly caught my attention.
On the far sky to the south, a huge black cloud was forming.
But the way it expanded and crept through the expanse of the sky was too rapid, so unlikely of a normal cloud.
The mysterious shape then began to disintegrate into grains of tiny black dots.
I squinted my eyes to see what those were.
"It couldn't be…"
I whispered in trembling voice.
The dancer beside me heard what I said and frowned.
"What's wrong, Yuxia?"
It was then that the whole sky suddenly went dark, sending the world into the depth of midnight and the crowd into an uproar again.
The lanterns floating about the city were our only illumination.
Though they could not illuminate the entire city, there was enough light for me to grasp my bearing.
I turned to the west and witnessed the golden sun being devoured by something inexplicable.
Shrieekk!!!
A terrible voice resounded from the sky above the Lantern City.
Shriekk!!!
Shriek!
Shrieekkk!
They came in rapid waves, sounded by at least a legion of creatures.
Soon, the lanterns floating above the city began to diminish. Their light just suddenly vanished as if something had struck it and put out the fire.
"Kyaa!!!"
One of the dancers cried out.
A man-sized creature suddenly descended to the ground and crushed an acrobat upon its landing.
It had the scrawny body of a goblin, clawed-limbs of an eagle, horned-head of a ram, and sharp wings of a bat.
Shrieekk!!!
The creature screamed the terrible sound we had been hearing.
Soon, hundreds more of such monster flew down to the amphitheater and began massacring the people within.
"Evacuate to the main house! Children first!"
I immediately shouted to the scattering masses around me.
But the scream of the people defeated my voice. Everyone was running aimlessly trying to avoid the monsters.
The chaos only provided easy target for the creatures, to my dismay.
Dozens and dozens of people were killed each second passed. Cries resounded throughout the amphitheater.
"Elementalists! To me!"
I shouted to the mages of the troupe.
Like me, they were not especially trained for combat. But they had learned enough assault spells to kill enough of the monsters. Supposedly.
The mages fortunately heard my call.
The group of elementalists soon gathered around me at the center of the stage and began casting their spells.
[Maha Varuna]
[Maha Vayu]
[Maha Shilajalam]
[Maha Agni]
[Maha Bhumi]
[Maha Topan]
[Maha Indra]
Each of them began casting their strongest spell. Elements of nature began to hover around our circle of mages.
I joined their effort.
[Maha Jwala]
Third Circle. A spell that I could cast quickly but still strong enough to inflict sufficient damage to the monsters.
I gathered my mana using every bit of concentration I had.
Fire assault spells required much more magical energy than my art conjuration. The flame was denser and way hotter than my dragon.
If I were to use my fire dragon earlier, these monsters would just pass through it like thin candle fire. I had tried it before and cost the lives of thirty escort guards and eight servants.
Shriekk!!!
The monsters continued to rampage around the amphitheater. Killing the crowd that both tried to flee toward the city or to the main house.
Come on!
I tried my best to accumulate enough fire for my spell.
But no matter how much I concentrated, my mana flowed out in trickle from my vessel and less than that when they permeate through my palm, and even less got converted into fire each second.
Shriek!
The winged-monsters continued massacring our people.
I looked around and saw the other elementalists were still casting their spells.
I was the most skilled of all of us here.
I was the one who could cast the fastest among us.
But I believed at least a hundred more people would die before my spell would be done. If the monsters did not target us first.
"Arrhhhh!"
One of the wind mages was suddenly snatched by the winged-monster. Another creature came to take him away from the first monster, resulting in them tearing the mage into pieces.
"Kya!"
Another monster was aiming for our only lightning mage.
She cancelled her casting and tried to run away.
But the winged-monster swiped its clawed hand and beheaded her mid-escape.
Shriek!
More creatures descended toward our circle.
"Garhh!"
"Urgh!"
"Kya!"
"Save m--"
Our number reduced rapidly by the second.
It did not take long until I was the only one left of the elementalists.
Despite the corpses of my fellow performer around me, I kept on casting my spell, determined to kill at least a few of the monsters and saved even just one person in the process.
Groaaahhhh!!!
An earth-trembling roar suddenly echoed from the dark sky above.
I turned my gaze to witness the monstrosity which sounded the terrible cry.
"What in the Ancients' Dwelling…"
I whispered the Tchakran saying as I saw the titanic creature descending from the thundering abyss.
It was easily the size of a mountain, eight-legged body made entirely out of writhing scales. The span of the monster's feathered wings almost covered the width of Lantern City. Its thousand eyes on its lizard-shaped head glittered like evening stars.
Even if the titan would wait another four minutes for me to cast my Third Circle fire spell, I heavily doubted my assault would do any harm to the creature.
Groaahh!!!
The titan opened its abyss-like maw.
From within burst forth a fireball the size of a hill.
The fireball then scattered into hundreds of small meteors which rained down all over Lantern City, including the Dragon Weaver Pavilion.
Boom!
A meteor struck the base of the main house, shaking it heavily till huge cracks were formed all over the structure.
The five-storied building then immediately collapsed upon the amphitheater where I stood.
The moment I reopened my eyes I was trapped under a pile of shattered beams.
I could no longer feel my left arm and several sharp debris had punctured through my body.
Fortunately, though slightly fractured, I could still move my right arm to an extent.
So I waved my slightly-functioning hand and casted a spell.
[Davah Shashanam]
The beams pinning me down were suddenly enveloped by my mana.
Using telekinesis, I lifted the burden from my body and casted it aside.
My legs were heavily bruised and wounded, but I could still move them. Only one of my ankles was sprained too.
As such, I heaved myself up and rose to my knees.
It was then that I could properly observe my surroundings.
The Dragon Weaver Pavilion was in ruins.
The amphitheater was nowhere to be seen. It had been flattened by the main house that collapsed earlier.
A field of debris was extended widely around me, bordered by huge walls of fierce fire at all sides.
I could no longer see the winged-creatures and the titan from before.
But I could still hear their shrieks and powerful roar beyond the smoke and fire walls. Mixed with the cries of people being slaughtered throughout Lantern City.
Good.
Perhaps if we stayed behind the fire walls, the monsters would not notice us. We simply had to stay hidden beneath the rubbles until the creatures go away and look someplace else to terrorize.
I needed to tell the other survivors of this plan. Some would likely cry out and scream in panic, which would attract the monsters' attention.
I then scoured the ruins of the Dragon Weaver Pavilion in search for survivors.
But all I could find were corpses. Of the audience and the troupe.
There were also people that stayed in the main house scattered among the dead.
The other troupe staffs. The patients. The healers. The…children.
When I found little Tan's corpse that I finally realized there were no survivors here but me.
I could not find Maojien's, but then she must had been making her way out of town to throw that scumbag Chango to the forest.
Though I still doubted she was spared from the chaos. She was probably dead as well.
There was nobody left.
Everybody died.
I could not even save one person.
My former magic instructor said I had a tremendous talent that could rival the great mages in the west. Saying that I had the power to bend all of nature to my will.
Perhaps if I kept training to become a proper mage, I would had reached my full potential by now.
I could probably intercept those swarm of winged-creatures before they reached Lantern City.
I could probably even kill that titan before it wrecked the city and the Dragon Weaver Pavilion.
I could probably save all those people...
Damn it!
All I needed was a little more time.
If I could just practice my assault magic a bit longer…
If I could just put even only a quarter of an effort that I gave for my art…
If I could just…
Maybe I could…
"A chance…."
I whispered. Tears began to stream down my eyes.
"More chance…. Another chance… Just one more..."
I clenched my right hand to the cold palm of the dead orphan boy lying still in front of me.
I cried out right there and then.
"ONE MORE CHANCE! THAT'S ALL I NEED!"
I did not care if the monsters heard my scream.
What was left for me to lose anyway?
But it was not the monsters that responded to my outburst.
[Were those words came from the heart or were they just a hollow promise?]
A light penetrated through the dark abyss in the sky.
From within, echoed an otherworldly voice, resonating within my ears and heart.