Who would've thought things would have escalated to this point?
Damien thrust a hand forward and the air collapsed.
The force sent Charlie flying through the kitchen, her body crashing into the counter with enough force to split it in half.
But she didn't stay down.
With a snarl, she launched forward, Damien stood defensively, waiting for her to strike and once she did,
Light and shadow collided with a deafening shockwave.
The apartment erupted.
The force of it sent Roman skidding across the floor, and his back slammed against the bookshelf.
His life flashed before his eyes for maybe, the tenth time that afternoon.
Wood splintered and books rained down around him, but the pain barely registered.
He tried to move, to stand, to stop them,
For the sake of their friendship,
But when a dagger of shadow whizzed past his head, barely missing him by inches.
He knew,
They weren't going to stop.
If he stayed, he would die, One billion percent.
Roman's breath hitched as his pulse roared in his ears, forcing him to take action.
Then he moved.
He forced himself off the ground and ran for his life.
The floor shook beneath him as he stumbled toward the exit, clutching his wounds.
Behind him, the room was a battlefield of light and darkness, power ripping through walls as furniture disintegrated in their rage.
Another explosion rocked the building.
Roman didn't turn back.
He held his breath and ran through the smoke, through the wreckage, and through the front door.
His vision blurred, his body screamed at him to stop, but he didn't.
He tore down the hallway, taking the stairs two at a time, as the only thing on his mind was the need to escape,
They were non-humans and would settle their differences their way,
Through violence,
The last thing he heard before bursting onto the street,
Was nobody calling his name,
And so he knew his place.
Roman didn't look back.
He didn't stop to think.
He didn't try to rationalize what was happening as he normally would.
His legs burned as he sprinted down the stairwell, barely dodging chunks of debris that shook loose from the apartment above.
The building groaned, metal and concrete straining under the pressure of Charlie and Damien's fight.
His heart slammed against his ribs as a sharp, searing pain lanced through his side, causing him to stagger and almost tumble down the stairs, but he didn't let it stop him.
The moment he hit the first floor, he shoved his way through the exit, and stumbled into the open streets,
He covered his eyes with a bloody hand to prevent the artificial sun from momentarily blinding him,
The world outside was painfully normal.
No one knew what was happening up there.
Not like they cared anyways.
The humans walked past, heads buried in their devices as neon billboards flickered on tall buildings, and the hum of hover-taxis filled the air, while grounded cars zoomed past.
Roman's hands trembled as he lifted one, gave it a quick flick, and traced a full circle in the air with his finger.
After he did this, a taxi descended, its sleek frame gleaming under the city lights and the door slid open with a faint hiss.
He fell into the chair, struggling to catch his breath as he grimaced from the gash on his side.
The driver, a middle-aged man with tired eyes, glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
"You look like hell, kid. Rough afternoon?"
Roman gasped for air, before whispering in a hoarse voice, "Just... just drive, Ecliptica Academy of Sciences "
As the taxi ascended, Roman glanced down at the apartment complex for the last time before it shuddered and suddenly crumbled into ash.
His eyes widened as he moved closer to the glass window to check if they were alive,
"What the hell?" He whispered as citizens finally looked up from their devices to gather around the fallen house,
There was nothing, no sign of life,
It was almost as though they'd disappeared.
Without explosions, fire, or a sign of shadows and light.
At the same time, he was too far from the ground to see if there were any dead bodies in the debris
He sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose, fighting back the tears that pricked his eyes.
He was only lucky that he left the house before it crumbled to the ground,
But something had happened to his best friends.
And nothing would be the same after this.
His head slumped back against the seat, his body ached and his thoughts swirled in a chaotic mess.
"This better be a fucking nightmare" He whispered inaudibly as the hovercar drifted smoothly through the sky, weaving between the towering structures of the city.
Roman barely noticed the lights reflecting off the glass or the advertisements flashing across digital billboards.
His breath still felt too shallow, his fingers were squeezed tight against his lap, refusing to listen as he willed them to stop shaking,
"Everything will be fine, everything will be fine" He assured himself,
"You sure you're alright, kid? You don't want to go to a hospital? Or call anyone?" the driver asked as he sparing him another glance through the mirror.
Roman exhaled slowly as he prepared to answer in a calm straight tone.
"Yeah, I'm good." He whispered, but it wasn't convincing, not even to him.
He leaned his head against the window as the city outside blurred past with streets lined with food vendors, storefronts glowing under the artificial dusk and people laughing in groups,
Blissfully unaware that, just miles away from them, two newly powered freaks had just killed each other.
He clenched his jaw.
This wasn't normal.
None of this was normal.
But somehow, everyone else would rather go on living like it was.
The hovercar curved downward, easing into the residential district where his dorm was located.
Roman sat forward slightly, watching as familiar landmarks came into view as the automated security drones drifted in lazy patrols, keeping an eye on the streets below.
His eyes followed a couple of students walking past the gates, chatting amongst themselves as their was world still intact,
While his wasn't.
The car slowed near his building, and the driver flicked a switch on the dash. "That'll be 30 credits, seal or band?"
"Band" Roman answered as he tapped his wristband against the scanner drone that detached from the dashboard and floated towards him,
The small beep confirmed the payment and the door slid open, but he hesitated.
What was he supposed to do now?
Just go upstairs and pretend none of this happened?
Pretend that his two best and only friends didn't just unleash hell in a shitty apartment over a fight about saving or destroying the world?
The thought made him want to laugh, but it lodged in his throat like a stone, so he gulped instead.
"Take care of yourself, kid," the driver said in a fatherly voice as Roman finally decided to step out.
He moved back as he watched the hovercar lift off the ground before disappearing back into the river of traffic above.
Roman stood there for a moment, staring at the cars floating above before returning his gaze to the dorm as his heart still hammered against his ribs, noticing how the students thronged past and skillfully ignored him.
Roman stumbled into his dorm, his hand pressed tightly against his side, fingers sticky with half-dried blood, shutting the door with his shoulder while breathing out through clenched teeth as the lock clicked.
The silence of the room wrapped around him like a dull pressure in his skull.
He was home and safe.
No one was waiting for him.
No glowing girl, no shadow-wielding bastard.
Just him.
He suddenly groaned as the adrenaline had started to wear off, leaving only the deep gnawing pain in his ribs and the sharp sting of every shallow cut along his torso and face
His shirt was ruined, ripped, and crusted with dirt and blood, sticking uncomfortably to his skin.
Peeling it off slowly, he winced as the fabric tugged at raw wounds and the scabs of minor wounds that were slowly forming.
"God, this is a mess," he muttered under his breath as he tossed the scraps of clothing into the trash.
The small mirror above his desk reflected the damage,
Bruises blooming across his chest and arms and a deep gash slashed along his side, while his face was covered with multiple cuts,
It wasn't that bad, not compared to what it could have been if the building collapsed on him.
But it still needed cleaning.
He staggered toward the sink and filled a small bowl with lukewarm water.
Then, he grabbed the cleanest towel he could find, he dunked it in, wrung it out, and pressed it to his side.
Pain flared from the wound, sharp and electric.
His hissed out a harsh breath between his teeth as he threw his head back.
"Yeah. Fuck you" He muttered at his own reflection before refocusing on his wound.
He wiped away the worst of the blood, flinching at every rough swipe.
He probably needed actual disinfectant. Or stitches.
But he didn't know how to do that.
He'd never put himself in a situation like this before.
What was he supposed to do?
Watch a fucking tutorial?
Instead, he chuckled and reached for the half-forgotten first-aid kit buried in his drawer.
The bandages inside were stiff with age, but they'd have to do so pressed a long strip against the cut and slapped it on without thinking.
"Shit!" He screamed as his whole body flinched as he felt his skin burn.
He exhaled sharply, pressing his forehead against the cool wall.
"Bad move. Terrible move. Roman" He whispered as he grinded his jaw,
But it was done.
The bleeding had slowed.
It wasn't perfect.
Hell, it wasn't even good, but it would hold.
With a heavy sigh, he let himself slide down to the floor, staring at the ceiling with a groan as he felt the wound pulse like a painful heartbeat,
Everything still hurt.
But at least, for now, he was still alive.