The ground began to shake, no that's an understatement. The Earth itself began to shake, rocks fell from the ceiling, desks were split in two, the roof was collapsing, and people were running.
I watched as some of my classmates screamed in panic— while others cried, some broke out into panic attacks, while my own breath had grown heavy.
Amongst the chaos, I had personally grabbed Arneb and Umai and ran for the basement of the school, and now we were hiding under a metal cabinet I knocked over.
But anyways, I need to find a way to protect Arneb and Umai, because this basement will only hold for so long, that being said, I began to look for desks and chairs to add to our defenses.
We ended up hiding under 2 desks with cabinets on top. It'd take a ton of force to break through that, so we should be safe.
"Hey Zalman, are we going to be safe?" Arneb asked me, a look of fear in her eyes, she clearly needed reassurance here.
Arneb's breathing was heavy, she was shaking, and was drenched in sweat, I myself wasn't much better. Although I wasn't physically shaking, I felt as if the world itself was ending. My heart was racing, and my vision grew blurry, but I couldn't let that show, I had to keep high hopes, because if I didn't, who would?
"Yeah, we should be." I responded in a reassuring tone.
Umai was looking up at me, that sharp serious gaze on her face. To be honest, it was creepy, she looked almost like a doll from a horror movie, her level of calmness didn't seem right.
Then, suddenly, a large black sphere crashed through the table we were sitting under. I hurriedly jumped on top of Umai and Arneb to protect them, I most likely wouldn't survive and I knew that- but it's okay. I'd have died saving 2 people.
The sphere crashed into my back.
I blacked out.
I woke up— an endless white void surrounding me, no I didn't wake up, It'd be more accurate to describe this as a dream world. But either way, I'd been awakened in a realm known as my dreams. I was lucid dreaming, there was no other reasonable explanation.
I began to ponder. Had I truly saved anyone? From all I know, a large black sphere made of an unknown material strong enough to destroy brick walls had crashed on top of me and the two girls at full force, even if I was still alive, I'd most likely be severely injured.
"I'm useless." I came to the conclusion that I hadn't saved anyone, and this dream world was my brain's last attempt to make me happy before death. I was most likely bleeding out, and all hope would be lost.
After a time period that felt like an eternity, I awoke from my dream. I expected to be in devastating pain. I expected to be in a state of anguish, but I wasn't.
"Uahhhhh" I yawned, then looked down at myself. "What the hell!" I audibly shouted, I didn't have a singular injury on my body- in fact, my scars had faded and my muscles had grown denser. I had grown to a peak physical condition even though I should've been dead.
Next, I looked around me and saw Umai and Arneb on respective sides of me, both of them still asleep, and without injuries as well. It was a very weird phenomenon.
After checking up on Arneb and Umai, I thought the next logical move would be to look around me.
"Ah." I took a moment of stunned silence as I realized- everything had been destroyed. I heard hundreds of police cars and fire trucks surrounding the remnants of the school, it seems only this school had been destroyed- or rather, the first 3 floors of it had been eviscerated. And therefore, all available resources went to aiding the survivors in recovery.
Yeah, that made sense. Although, it didn't follow the estimate on the magnitude, wait, just what the hell was going on?
"I guess I might as well check outside."
Only the basement remained as a caved-in stronghold for the survivors. It seemed only Umai, Arneb and I had thought of coming down here. No, that's wrong, there were definitely others that had come down here before us.
I looked around in search of them. In my search, I ended up finding a room I didn't recognize.
I opened the door.
I fell to my knees and puked on the ground in front of me
"WHAT THE HELL!?" WHAT THE HELL?" "What the he-" My tone went from one of anger to one of despair. "They're all dead.." "Dea- they're al-" I coughed and choked on my words between my disgruntled shouts. "Plea-" I choked again after attempting to call out to someone. I fell from my knees to the floor, laying in a pit of my own disgusting puke.
It was unfair, those people— my classmates had entire lives ahead of them, but now they lay here in front of me, dead.
They weren't killed by debris or an earthquake, they were all mangled and their bodies looked aged. As if something had grabbed their very souls from their body. Whatever did this— was neither human nor animal, this was the work of a demon.
After some time I managed to get up on my feet. I stumbled my way back over to Arneb and Umai, and I sat down next to them.
After making sure they were safe, I got back up on my feet once more, and stumbled my way over to the staircase on the side of the basement.
I made it to the top and had a horrific sight and realization ahead of me.
It was empty.
The sirens I heard earlier were an illusion, the police cars and fire trucks I thought were there didn't exist. The damage wasn't limited to the school. Most of the city was destroyed.
"A-" It was hopeless. Everyone was dead except the two girls and myself.
As I began to fall into a sea of despair, my arm instinctively raised, I looked over in confusion, wondering what my arm was doing, and then I looked down.
A beam of light pierced the place where my arm had once been— had I just instinctively dodged that!?
While I was dazed in confusion, a second then a third beam shot at me. I was under attack.
"Why now? Wh- EVERYONE IS ALREADY DEAD! S- So why must you torture me now! I don't wan- I don't want to fight you.!" I shouted while coughing and choking on my own words
"It's perfect, perfect I say!" A crazed voice scratched my ear as I heard someone behind me. Could he be the cause of this unnatural catastrophe?
" IT'S PERFECT! SIMPLY PERFECT!" The crazed voice rang out— assaulting my ears like a banshee, the tone of his voice could drive someone mad in no time.
I had to get out of here soon, but how? There was nothing around for miles, that 'earthquake' had destroyed the entire area, and this crazed man's assault wouldn't end soon. I had to figure out some way to beat him or I'd surely die here.
Yes— that was it. I had to fight him, even in my pitiful state, I still had to bring myself to fight. But how? Even if my wounds were healed- there was no way I could fight an opponent who shot light itself.
There was no hope. There was no way I could possibly beat this thing. It wouldn't make sense for me to win here. My mentality of "I had to fight" was just wishful thinking.
Or was it?
I couldn't tell anymore. All options led to a road of despair. I couldn't run, I couldn't fight, I couldn't hide, so what should I do? I guess any of those 3 options would be possible, but none of them were good.
"What to do, What to do, What to do?" I questioned myself, all roads led to the same conclusion, being my certain death, I mean, this guy clearly wanted me dead.
"I senseeee great potential within you boy. What is your name?" The crazed voice suddenly switched to a sharp one and teleported in front of me. The man speaking was a tall one, dressed in a yellow robe with a masquerade mask, behind him sat an unconscious Arneb and Umai.
He had moved both of those two without me noticing, then brought them in front of me while simultaneously speaking. His power was truly immense, and rather frightening. I had to think quickly.
"Also, remember no matter how hard it gets, never lose hope!" I remembered my mother's speech to me this morning. I'd be a disappointment to her if I didn't make good on my promise.
That being said, I stood up. I had to rescue Umai and Arneb. I had to make it home to my mother, I had to beat this crazed man. I felt my willpower reignite the usual flame within my body.
"My name is Zalman Port. I'm the son of Mrs. Port, and I'm the protector of any survivors of that earthquake. Including the two girls behind you." I declared with a newfound confidence in my voice.
"Excellent! Truly Excellent!!! Your power is even stronger than I imagined!" The voice of the insane returned once again, as it did, he raised his arm and fired another beam of light at me.
I attempted to dodge— but the strike hit me head on. It was odd, I'd normally be able to dodge that effortlessly.
It didn't hurt however, rather, my body felt very strange for a lack of better words.
And now that I think about it, how was I dodging beams of light? Isn't light the fastest thing in the universe- no, it IS the fastest thing in the universe, so it doesn't make sense for this man to wield it and for me to dodge it..
Just what the hell is going on here?
"Now boy. Let us begin stage one of the Master's plan." The crazed joker dressed in yellow went back to his serious demeanor.
I felt a compelling urge to turn around.
To my confusion, hundreds of portals? Yeah, portals seemed to be the right word, had appeared behind me.
In the middle of these portals, there was a key. It felt like that key didn't belong. I grabbed it. A shiver went down my spine— no, that isn't right. My entire body began to shake upon grabbing it, a pounding headache filled my head, and knowledge overflowed.
It hurt. It hurt a lot. I had gained knowledge on something, as if I always had a vague understanding of it, but not enough to explain it properly.
The portals lit up after I grabbed the key, as if obeying to my will. Just what in the hell was going on? The knowledge I gained from the key was telling me one thing but my eyes and senses were telling me another—- what to trust?
"EXCELLECNT!!! IT WORKED!" the crazed voice began to shout again, before pulling out a small cult-like dagger, plated with a gold-like substance at its hilt and blade.
"Just what the hell are you talking about!?" I shouted back
The jester responded by laughing at me.
Instinctively, I swung my arm towards the crazed jester in front of me and punched him. The jester had moved his arms up to block, but the punch still landed. Upon its landing, a sharpened Alphorn that looked more like a spear came out of one of the portals. It stabbed straight into the jester's arm, in the same spot I had punched.
Things were seriously getting weird now, had my punch directed that? Was that a coincidence? I have no way of telling which is true and which is false. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something else.
A bright flash coming from the direction of the two girls.
"ARN-" I screamed
"Don't lose focus now boy!" The jester responded.
I punched the jester in the face the moment he said that. As my fist collided, a large sword-like flute stabbed into the rib I had punched.
Those portals had to be following my punches, but how? What was going on?
"AHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHH" The jester laughed as the instrument stabbed into his ribs. "So the feast shall begin. How wondrous." His voice was one of pure insanity, and this time he punched me.
His punch didn't have a weapon supporting it like mine, but it hurt a hell of a lot more.
He punched, I punched, his body was gaping with holes from sharpened instruments impaling him before disappearing into nothingness. My body was covered in injuries and bruises from his hits of steel.
I still found the instruments coming from the portals to be weird, but I didn't have time to question them, as it was aiding me after all.
Eventually, my body was near its breaking point, it felt as if every bone was broken— even if they weren't, while his body continuously regenerated his wounds. I was being drained far faster than he was, I had to think quickly or I'd be dead. I then had an idea.
I jumped back, beyond reaching distance, and swung my arm in his general direction, and at the same moment my suspicion was proven true. A large instrument that I didn't recognize that was sharpened to an axe, had flung in the same direction I swung my arm.
"Hmmm, am I controlling this with my actions?" I thought to myself. I decided to test it again, as my arm swung in the direction of the jester— and a large bladed instrument pierced through his leg.
That solidified it, I could control this with my actions, but just how far could I go? With that question in mind, I rapidly lunged my hand back and forth in succession with one another, and as I thought, a new instrument pierced the jester with each motion.
The jester was seemingly enjoying the pain that the wounds posed to him, as he was laughing manically while being skewered. Although, he was still regenerating, so I guess he didn't see it as threatening.
After regenerating from his impalement wounds, the jester finally stopped laughing and shot a serious glare at me. "Now boy, let's begin." he said, the look in his eyes was petrifying, had he truly lost his mind?
"For the church." The jester followed up— although, it seemed those words weren't intentional, as if he'd said too much. "Ah." he responded to himself, as if realizing he mentioned the 'church', he was clearly infuriated at his slip up.
I began to wonder a bit, "What church is he talking about?" I thought to myself, I began to deduct based on what I knew and what I could see, he wore yellow, which was a key trait of the Calthians. Wait, wait, wait, was this a Calthian in front of me? That's horrifying! Those monsters destroyed the Americas!
My breath got heavier as I put things together, I knew that masks were only worn by high-ranking Calthians, and this guy's overwhelming power surely supported the theory of him being a stronger Calthian.
"Shit! Not good." I thought to myself as I put all the pieces together, he had to be an elite of the Calthian's religion. From what I knew, the church they followed led one to insanity, it was banned across all of Earth to practice or spread due to its imminent danger.
"So… you're a Calthian aren't you?" I asked, my voice far shakier than before.
He responded by looking at me, a killing intent in his eyes, a look that screams "You know too much."
I had to do something quickly, and in my panic, a plan was formed. Hundreds of portals appeared behind me as I formalized my plan, the Calthian jester was slowly walking towards me— this had to work, or I'd surely die.
As I thought to myself on how to execute my plan, I figured something out. As I did, I rapidly moved my arm back and forth in the air, and as I imagined, hundreds of instruments fired at the jester.
Our dance of power had truly begun.