It was after a long amount of time of the three stewing in silence, fearful and anxious, that Nael proposed a question to the two, "Would one of you know how long its been since we have been sitting here?"
Cinna looks up, a thoughtful look on her face before she ultimately shakes her head in answer. Nael frowns, eyes shifting down to look at his very scuffed shoes.
"..I'd estimate between 20-25 minutes or so."
Nael snaps his head up to look at Fei whose attention is on the ceiling of the cave. Nael nods, humming in answer.
Nael feels like it has been longer than 25 minutes. Running for his life, watching people be torn apart, screaming and begging. He feels like years were taken off of his life span, what with sore knees, a creaking back. He feels exhausted and so so terrified. He just wants to go home, back to his mother. To see her comforting smiles, her hand on his back. Her hugs. Especially her hugs. He misses her. He wants to see her, but he isn't even sure if he will make it out alive. For all he knows, he could be next, or Fei, or even Cinna!
Gosh he hopes not, he doesn't want to see them die, not in front of him. To hear their gurgling cries, their screams. He is afraid it'll break him further. He had already watched many others die excruciating deaths, he doesn't want it to happen to them. Nael sighs inaudibly, hand rubbing across his face irritably. He is already tired and so done with everything. He wouldn't even mind dying at this point, but not if it means leaving his mother alone. He is sure that if she was listening to his thoughts, she would hit him across the head so hard he would stumble, before pulling him in, crying her heart out and calling him every name in the book. But she was too nice for that, the most she would do is call him an idiot for thinking that.
Stewing in his thoughts, Nael doesn't notice Fei tensing up beside Cinna, drawing her attention to him. She mutters his name in question, but Fei doesn't answer. His eyes were wide, body tense and coiled. His mismatched iris's darting around, his body shifting. Cinna furrows her brows in confusion, calling his name again but louder, drawing Naels attention. He looks on in confusion, one eyebrow raised. Seeing Fei still not answering Cinna, he goes to stand up, but the ground shakes violently. Nael yelps in surprise and panic, falling over and knocking his left elbow against a rock. He hisses at the throbbing pain it unleashes, going throughout his left arm. He hears Fei and Cinna exclaiming in panic. The cave walls shudder hard, knocking stalactites from the ceiling. They hurdle fast to the ground, breaking apart loudly and sending shards and dust all throughout the cavern.
Nael musters up his strength, coughing, he struggles to steady himself, using a nearby rock to help himself stand, he yells over the rumbling, and the large sounds the stalactites make when coming into contact with the ground. "Hey! quickly! out of the cave!" It took them a second, but when hearing Fei and Cinna respond back, Nael shakily stumbles his way out of the cave. He tries quickening his pace, but there are rubble and meaty bodies in his way, making him trip and almost fall multiple times. He hears Fei and Cinna stumbling after him. He feels relief that they are there, knowing that they might just get out of the cave alive.
It took him a minute, but he successfully made it out, quickly turning around to assist Fei with Cinna. He grabs her, ushering her fast, away from the cave entrance which looks about ready to fall apart. Once the three of them gained enough distance, and the ground finally stops moving and threatening to trip them up. They stood there, out in the open, trying to catch their breath. Panting heavily and breathing hard, Nael wipes dirt and sweat from his face, not realizing that he is just smearing the dirt more and making it more prominent.
After taking a deep breath, Nael looks up, observing the two. Fei is shaky, breathing heavily in panic and the quick adrenaline run. He is bruised, scuffed up and his clothes are covered in dirt and dust. There are a few cuts here and there as well, but he seems well and good. He shifts his gaze to Cinna. She is also scuffed up and bruised, sporting cuts and dirty clothes. She is panting heavily, trembling in fear. She has one of her hands coiled tightly around her stomach protectively. Seeing that everyone was okay, he finally turns to inspect the cave they were just previously in.
His eyes widened in shock and fear, distantly, he could also feel relief. The cave entrance was rubble, broken apart and completely covered in large boulders. He doesn't even want to think about how it was inside the cave, for if they were even a few minutes late- no, seconds late, they would most surely be dead. Crushed and unrecognizable in the death trap that it was. Breathing out a shaky exhale, he turns to the two people beside him who are also looking back at the cave in shock.
Fei, still staring at the cave which is no more, he mutters shakily, "Good save Nael.." Nael, understanding his words, simply nods. "Are you both okay though? No serious injuries?" As he says this, Nael feels his left elbow twinge in pain but he ignores it. It doesn't feel serious for he can still move his arm. Fei nods, looking towards Cinna who nods as well.
Nael hums, finally having the time to really look around. They are out in the open, which is dangerous and concerning. There are rocky walls all around them, almost looking like a ravine. He doesn't hear anything but silence, very unnerving silence. Looking up, he can distantly see stalactites, many of them are big, some are broken and seem to have broken off because of the weird rumbling that just happened. When looking down, Nael purses his lips as he catches blood and chunks of human meat almost everywhere. Most of the bodies aren't visible because they were further crushed by the falling rubble and stalactites from the ceiling.
He rips his gaze away, speaking to the two beside him, "Alright, so safe to say we will not be going into any caves anytime soon. It also looks like there is nowhere to hide. It's grim but we are now stuck in the open.." he then added, "Any suggestions?"
Cinna looked thoughtful, looking around. It was a second before she spoke up, "Well, there isn't really anywhere to go but forward. I think we should go left, that way" she lifts a hand, pointing left to a break in the path, "I can't be sure if it is safe or anything though.." she finishes, uncertain, hands cupping her belly. She smiles a little, feeling her baby moving around.
Fei hums, nodding, "Alright then, let's get a move on, quickly." He finishes, crouching low to have Cinna on his back. After getting her comfortable and secured, he stands up, adjusting to the added weight before turning to Nael.
"Ready to go?" He questions. Nael looks around once more, before looking back at him. He nods tiredly but is determined. Fei smiles slightly, nodding before turning away and beginning the long trek to somewhere safe. Nael, stunned at the smile on Fei's face, felt his cheeks heat up. Embarrassed, he scratches his head before shaking all thoughts away and quickening his steps to catch up with Fei. Though, he couldn't help but think about how beautiful his smile was.
It couldn't have been more than 5 minutes when they began moving. They maneuvered over large rocks and boulders, stepping over and ignoring dead mutilated bodies. They saw a few children mixed into the dead, faces struck in horror, tear tracks and mouths hanging open from past screams and sobs. It made their hearts hurt to see such young kids be killed and eaten in such brutal ways. Kids are special, they were to be the next generation of humankind, but now look at them. Dead and alone. It hurt too much to keep thinking about it, so the group quietly dismissed and ignored all the bodies they found, refusing to even look at them for very long. They didn't wish for those faces to be surfacing in their nightmares once this is over. If, it is over and they survive.
After more walking and maneuvering, the rubble and dead bodies finally disappeared. It was quiet as they walked, the stillness only broken by their heavy breathing and heavy footfalls. They were a little distracted by their thoughts, thinking about everything that's happened so far. Being summoned, picking their classes, the clamor and loudness of multiple other people of many ages. Kids, elderly, office workers. It was messy and loud. Then the test just had to go straight to shit. Glitching and breaking apart, setting those monsters upon them, taking away their ability to fight with their skills. So many deaths, so much screaming and crying.
With all that to think over and speculate, it was no wonder they didn't hear screaming and yelling far ahead of them. Nor the heavy footfalls of something big. Too big. It was Fei who noticed it first, jolting and tensing. He stopped, rigged, ears straining to hear more. Cinna tilts her head to look at him, "What's the matter?" she asks, confused. Nael stops, turning to look at them, he opens his mouth to say something before he hears it too. Screaming. Yelling.
Nael jolts, twisting around. He stares off into the distance, wary and anxious. The yelling got closer, louder, before it was basically on top of them.
There were people, 10 others. They ran frantically, yelling at each other to keep moving. One was crying, sobbing out a name continually while another tried to get her to stop. The three person group were understandably confused. The large group was obviously running but why? Nael thought it over as the large group continued to shorten the distance from them. It was then his eyes widened in realization. He mutters under his breath unconsciously, "Oh shit."
He turns quickly, grabbing Fei and running back in the direction they came from. He continued tugging, knowing Fei was going to be slower because of the extra weight on his back so he kept his hand wrapped around his wrist. Fei didn't ask questions, just running, following him. Cinna was tense, coiled tightly around Fei in fear. The large 10 person group ran behind them, catching up but there was still a distance between them. It was then they finally heard the footfalls of something unbearably large, stomping its way behind them. It was fast for its large mass and form, but not fast enough to catch the two groups. Cinna whips her head around and sees- Her breath stops. Her heart pounds faster in her ribcage. Her eyes are as wide as saucers, mouth agape. An icy chill runs through her veins and her body shakes harder. She couldn't look away. All she saw was their death, staring right at them. Running after them. It was horrifying.
A large monstrous figure stomped its way after them. So large that it was crouched so it wouldn't skirt the ceiling of the dungeon. It had a very large maw, big enough to swallow a bus. It had a large, long whip like tail. It was the same as the other monsters that chased them, except this one was bigger, larger, deadlier. It was as big and large as an international airplane, but tall too. It sat approximately 30 meters tall. It was the devil incarnate. It was death. They were gonna die.
Everything changes as Cinna watches the devil of a beast take a large inhale, so large that it took close to a minute to fill up its massive lungs, before abruptly letting it loose. It was an ear shattering shriek. Cinna yelps as she falls to the ground, no longer being held on Feis' back as he, too, falls. She screams as her ears split open, pulsing and throbbing with pain. Her head comes alive with it, pounding like a church bell against her skull. It hurts, it hurts so bad.
She didn't know how long it was, it could've been hours or even days, but she knew, logically, that wouldn't be the case. The pain was still there, but it was dulled. The muteness? The quiet? The ringing? It was there, loud and piercing. She couldn't hear anything, everything was muffled and quiet. She's deaf, she couldn't hear anything. Cinna opens her eyes(she doesn't remember shutting them) looking around. Her eyesight is blurry, unfocused, one eye squinted because of pain, but she takes in as much as she could. Everyone she could see were on the ground, eyes shut tightly because of pain and fear. She looks to her right, Fei, on the ground, eyes open but pained. His hands were on his ears, covering them as best he could, she notices how she was the exact same, not having realized that her hands were on her ears as well. Looking to her left, she spots Nael in the same position as Fei. They seemed okay, no bleeding.
Feeling the ground rumble, she darts her head up, eyes widening at the large figure in front the two groups. It was staring at them, almost condescendingly, smug. Its eyes gleamed in glee, and it opened its maw. White-blue wisps appear out of thin air, swirling into a ball in the beast's maw. It formed a large ball of mana, or at least, she thinks it's mana for she has no experience in seeing it before, until now that is. It glowed bright blue, casting shadows all around them. It was readying it for a massive blow. The beast isn't even gonna eat them, pick them off one by one. It was just gonna kill them, quickly, painfully. Cinna couldn't muster the courage to keep her eyes open anymore. She would prefer not seeing it, the cause of their deaths, their fear. She couldn't bring herself to watch these people die. People she doesn't know, but she knows Fei, for she had been with him for many many years. She loved him like a brother, and now she loves him like a son, and she couldn't watch someone she has taken care of for years, someone she has grown to love so deeply, die right in front of her. She couldn't. She couldn't do it.
Fei's ears rang and his head throbbed like someone took a hammer and bashed his head in. It hurts a lot. He couldn't hear anything, ears muffling so much sound he should be able to listen to. A rumbling draws his eyes open, and he peels them apart, looking into the large maw of the beast. Overwhelming dread curled around his heart, chilling his veins and stilling his movements. He stares wide eyed at the large mass of blue mana swirl into a heavy sphere of it. It looked powerful, deadly. They were gonna die. Fei felt fear grip his heart, tugging the air from his lungs so quickly he almost choked. Belatedly, he turns his head to Cinna, her hands covered her ears, eyes shut tightly, tears clung to her face, trailing down her cheeks. He turns his eyes to Nael next, he was the same as Cinna, except his eyes. They were open wide, fear and dread showed on his face, his mouth agape in horror and shock.
Fei looked back at the beast, noticing the 10 person group a few feet away from them. They were in the same boat. Eyes shut, dread and horrified by what they see, for the ones that didn't close their eyes. Some were sobbing, mouth opening and speaking words he couldn't make out. A girl was on her knees, hands clasped together. Her eyes are wide in horror, mouth moving as she uttered prayers upon prayers. Fei didn't understand a thing. He couldn't hear. He couldn't do anything. Nothing. He felt useless. He didn't want this to happen. Just why had he been chosen for this!? He couldn't bear to watch as that monster killed his only family. His sister, his mother. He couldn't bear it. He couldn't do it. Not again.
Please, no.
The ball continued to grow larger and larger. His ears began to ring louder.
Please..don't.
The large sphere of blue mana engulfed the huge maw of the beast, and it finally shifts its position.
No, don't..
And it cocks its head back so fast, it almost looks to be whiplash, and it does it again but forward, releasing the ball of mana into a too large spew of blue fire.
Fei's eyes widened as he watched it in slow motion. His breathing stopped, and his body trembled in fear so bad he felt faint. He watched the blue fire grow ever closer, quicker. It's gonna engulf them. Set them alight, burn their flesh away. They were gonna die. He's gonna die. Cinna's gonna die. Naels' gonna die.
Everyone's gonna die, and he couldn't do anything about it.
Fei's eyes burned anew, blood vessels popped and leaked blood. He grit his teeth, eyes widening as he watched the flame of fire come ever closer, almost touching them.
No. I won't let you.
And his eyes glowed, brightly, burning, searing.
!BOOOOM!