Away from all the chaos outside the repurposed gymnasium, a cluster of men who held some semblance of authority within the Relief Camp had gathered. Their voices clashed in a heated argument, the tension pressing heavier than the air itself.
"He's definitely a devil's spawn! The only survivor of the mysterious incident that's shrouded in so many questions. How else do you explain how a single person survived this terrible incident that killed everyone else except him? He is a Devil's spawn, I tell you! End him before he ends us!" shouted a lean, middle-aged man, his full head of grey hair damp with sweat as his words cut against the others.
"Verco is absolutely right! How can there be a single survivor when everyone else was left with nothing but a bloody stump on their necks? We shouldn't let that damned Devil's spawn breathe the same air as us any longer than he's already doing. I propose we kill him right now. For the safety of us all." A blonde man with sharp features spoke out in support of Verco. His eyes were narrow, hatred pouring out so obviously. It was visible that he hated Devil's spawns.
"Someone that was capable of such a gory carnage didn't pose any kind of resistance when we tried to restrain him? Does that sound rational to you? If he was really a Devil's spawn, we'd all be dead by now. We, survivors of the calamity of Grede, can attest to their hellish force. If a Devil's spawn wanted to do away with us, we'd have no choice but to await our demise. So, do tell us how you think that young man–who has experienced something truly no human should ever do–is a Devil's spawn?" Asked a middle aged woman, the Shelter Coordinator of Sector A of the Glamour's Relief Camp.
"The two sides are making a valid point. Unfortunately, both sides have a contradictory opinions and what else can I do? We can't just end the life of a young man who you've assumed to be Devil's spawn without solid evidence—" The Camp Manager, a kind looking old man in his seventies, was rudely interrupted by Marvin–the same blonde who had voiced his support for Verco's idea, hatred emanating from his eyes.
"What evidence could you possibly need for something so obvious?!" Marvin shouted, veins popping around his neck as he strained for self-control.
"Watch your tone, boy!" Alex, a fit young man, who served as the assistant of Camp Manager, reprimanded Marvin.
"Oh please, the boy is asking the real question here. Who else could we possibly suspect as the perpetrator of the deaths of forty seven individuals? Apart from that young man–who was the only survivor–who else do you have as your culprit? The choice is obvious!" Verco, the representative of the side that proposed that Andrew be immediately terminated for the safety of the camp, countered.
"If only the boy would speak up about what went on in there… He has forced our hands. A choice indeed has to be made." A slightly chubby man with a buzz cut who seemed to be in his early thirties, sighed.
Adrian had no personal opinion on the matter initially but now, he was really beginning to feel like the mysteries surrounding this event didn't sit well with him. He was still trying his best to maintain a neutral position but he didn't know how long he'd remain neutral.
"Forty seven people died. A lone survivor that has refused to speak up on the matter… Torture is out of question. The boy is unresponsive to physical pain, yes, we've tested that–Don't ask questions. Everything comes down to the fact that we don't know the culprit and the only person that could possibly tell us what has happened has decided to be uncooperative. Old Zerme, I think you know what choice has to be made, for the benefit of the innocent lives in our hands?" Galo, an individual that also supported the idea of terminating Andrew, turned to Old Zerme, the Camp Manager.
There was silence for several dozen seconds, everyone holding their breaths, awaiting the decision of Old Zerme. At the end of the day, Old Zerme still wielded the greatest power and influence here. Anything he said was the decree that couldn't be gone against.
"We need not spare him nor do we need to kill the boy," Old Zerme started softly, an old voice suffused with decades of exhaustion. "When the option of banishing him exists, why do we need to either hold onto such Possible Risk or dirty our hands by terminating a possibly innocent and traumatized young man? Banishment, I say!"
The repurposed gymnasium experienced another silence.
"Is anyone here against the idea of banishment?" Alex asked audibly when he felt like the silence had lasted long enough for everyone to have their own opinion.
There were a total of ten people within the gymnasium. Only seven people had participated in the matter at hand in any kind of way, the remaining three just sat there listening and not uttering a single word.
"Earnestly, terminating him would have been our safest bet. But we shan't take the life of a possibly innocent child. Just because the law and order has been thrown into chaos doesn't automatically give us the power to determine who lives or who dies. In fact, we have no power over his life and as it seems that he could be a threat to the lives of the innocent people under our protection, then the only choice I shall allow is banishment. He harbours secrets we don't know and for his enigmatic state, we shall make the only choice there is." Old Zerme finished tiredly, his voice having evidently grown weaker with each sentence he finished.
Verco, Marvin and everyone else that opt for the termination of such threat were greatly dissatisfied with Old Zerme 's decision. They felt like they'd regret such a choice. Wasn't it better to terminate any potential trouble before it unleashes hell upon them? The others really were blind. Haven't they seen the miseries those "abominations" can cause? Have they forgotten their pain, their losses and the life they could never go back to even if they tried to? Lives those Accursed Spawns have taken away from them.
The image of his four year old son's mangled body that he painfully and tearfully had to drag out from under a large piece of rubble after their house imploded from the shockwave that hit Grede flashed through his mind. The scenes of the body of his beautiful wife that was suddenly struck and exploded into pieces by a car that fell from the sky flooded his mind, overcoming him was a rage that he had no choice but to suppress. Marvin clenched his fist so tight that his nails tore through his flesh.
"You all will definitely regret this nonsensical decision you've made." Marvin muttered under his breath, venomous malice dripping from his voice.
"Since we've all reached an agreement," The Shelter Coordinator, Madam Agnes, spoke up when the others chose to remain silent. "Let's set it into motion?"
"Alright then."
*****
"What could possibly be the reason why a school campus would have a dungeon built and hidden under it?" Madam Agnes muttered the thoughts on nearly everyone's mind.
"The Vice-Chancellor would have given you the answer to your question. Quite unfortunate, he's dead now." Verco responded indifferently, his steps echoing alongside the steps of others as they walked down the gloomy passage that lacked a good ventilation system, that's if it has any at all. The only source of illumination was from the lamp that Alex, walking at the forefront of the group, held.
"Glamour has a long history spanning close to four centuries. I don't think it's that surprising to find something as antique as a dungeon below it." Adrian threw in his personal opinion.
"Either way, it's still very weird to have a dungeon under a learning facility." Madam Agnes responded, clearly disturbed by this kind of environment.
"What could they have kept within this place?" Alex joined in as the light from his lamp illuminated the empty cells as they walked along.
The iron bars of the cells were old and rusted. There was a kind of stale, humid air pervading the entire dungeon, making breathing rather uncomfortable.
"We are here." Old Zerme said as they reached the furthest cell.
"Huh?" Marvin expressed the thought of everyone.
Inside that cell that was usually dark and with it's poor level of oxygen, it used to contain an individual that could possibly be a terrible threat to the lives of the innocent people. Now, there was nothing but chains on the ground. The individual these chains had bound was now nowhere to be seen. It was as if he had just simply... Vanished?
"Where is he?" Alex wondered aloud in confusion.
This was exactly the same question everyone everyone wanted an answer to. Where was Andrew?
*****
The city of Grede had been ravaged by dreadful powerhouses, as though summoned from the very depths of hell itself. They emerged without warning, tearing through the once-bustling streets, and left behind only a macabre wasteland of misery and death. Craters spanning nearly a kilometer scarred the land. Few buildings still clung to existence in this ruined world, and on the roof of one such survivor, two figures stood, overseeing the devastation wrought three days ago.
"I did this," Andrew mumbled to himself. He stood at the edge of the building, battling the sudden urge to hurl himself from the roof and plunge twenty meters to his death.
"I know." Isabella stood some distance away from him.
"Don't you think I should be put to death after everything I've done?" Andrew asked.
"Yes. I think you are very deserving of the worst kind of deaths but…" Isabella stopped.
"But what? I have no excuse for all that happened here that day. I fucking brought destruction upon an entire city. Do you know how many people I've killed?" Andrew's voiced quivered as his conflicted emotions overwhelmed him.
"One million, three hundred and fifty seven thousand, five hundred and nine casualties… known. Most of the people died in ways that didn't leave behind complete bodies. As such, that's only the verified deaths. It could be more, I don't know." Isabella informed Andrew with a tone void of any emotions and yet, her words struck cruelly.
"Over a million? What can I even say?" Andrew muttered to no one in particular before falling into a long period of silence, just taking in the view of the horrifying ruins the beautiful city had now turned into.
"Who would have thought they'd make the casual choices of ours into a reality, right?" Andrew casually voiced out a question.
"Yeah." Isabella replied with disinterested.
Silence again.
The city of Grede was now a land of desolation. Only ruins as far as the eyes could see. The government hadn't had the time to offer real help. They could only provide the basic aids to the various Relief Centres created at the outskirt of the devastation. No one knew when anything would be done about this ruins.
All over the world currently, Some Chosens were either bringing destruction on everything while others were trying to stop those very Chosens bringing destruction on everything.
"My dream was to travel the world, visit the beautiful cities we've built, be blessed to see the traditions and cultures of people all over the world. Grede was one of those places that I desired to visit one day and when I finally did, it was to see it's ruin form. What a wish come true, wouldn't you say?" Isabella chuckled lightly. Andrew turned to her, trying his best to ignore her overwhelmed beauty. She was alluring beyond the norm.
"I'm sorry." Those were the only words that left Andrew's lips. He didn't know what else to say… No, it was simply just the only words he could utter that explained nothing. The only words that meant nothing and justified nothing. Who gave the slightest fuck if you were sorry?
Isabella ignored him, remaining silent as if she hadn't heard him.
"Why did you save me?" Andrew finally asked the question that had been plaguing him.
"Save you?!" Isabella nearly laughed but opt for a simple chuckle. "I wouldn't call what I did 'saving you'. I find you rather interesting, Andrew." Isabella mumbled to herself.
"You know what I've done?"
"I'm very aware, Andrew."
"What do you want from me?"
"Do you feel guilty, Andrew, for all you've done?"
"I don't know. Maybe I do, maybe I don't. I just want to die, that, I think I'm certain of."
"Don't you want to redeem yourself? To rid yourself of the guilt you feel? I can give you redemption, Andrew. Death simply the easiest way out. After all you've done, you simply want the easiest way out? Really?" Isabella's visage grew in both beauty and form in his eyes. It wasn't a physical change, it was something more ethereal.
"So… what next?" Asked Andrew, turning to face Isabella with his soulless grey eyes after thinking for a while.
"Next, we redeem you." Isabella offered Andrew her hand.
"Can you?" Andrew extended his hand to grasp her outstretched hand.
"We can." And finally, the City of Grede was now truly desolate as the two vanished.