Power is the ability to Shape the world....
Zach's eyes widened as he glanced at haruki the seemingly frail old man covered in flaming runes.
"You saved me.." Zach blinked a few times.
"And don't make me do it again", he sheathed the long red katana,into it's sheath, and the sword tuned into a mirage of fireflies, dissipating into mid air.
The monsters dead body fell on the floor as Zach watched it's massive body dissipate in a fury of golden sparks.
Awakeners were people that had grasped into divinity. Divinity is like a puzzle, the more you understand it the more powerful you become.
There are currently seven stages of awakening.
1st stage: ignorance
2nd stage: curiosity
3rd stage: suspicion
4th stage: understanding
6th stage: Clarity
7th stage: resonance
8th stage: perfection. (Truly grasp divinity).
Haruki glanced at Zach, "believe it or not I was a war hero back in my days".
"Yeah no kidding.."
The police arrived in a haste, police vehicles wailing as they screeched in front of the bloody scene.
Officers dressed in black body suits rushed out, holding baring their katanas with a black sheath.
The monsters were frenzied—mad even, the night sky had turned less visible because of the smoke going into the air, the streets were desolate by this time, no human soul was in sight, except for the police force of course.
The officers were cooperative, moving before the monster could even charge at them.
The abominations didn't sit back though, as they bared their rowed fangs, rushing towards the group of armed police officers with their towering Bodies as big as a truck.
*Bam*
The officer showed no fear instantly diving into the chaos, the blades glowed as they unsheathed, crashing into the horde of monsters with a deafening clash.
More officers arrived at the scene as the frist wave battled against the opposing forces.
Zach watched, his eyes shone as the officers moved, as though rehearsed, they maneuvered around the towering abominations, slashing it at blind spots.
The monster, waved it's giant claws chaotically at the group, each of the officers doging them.
Officers continue to arrive on the scene, a black SUV, totally different from the other pulled up and a woman wearing a black suit stepped out, this suit was different from the other officers as this one had gold outlines running down its edges.
The woman's jet black hair cascaded down her shoulder as her unreal purple eyes scanned the damage as nearby officers rush to her.
"What's the damage" she spoke as an officer handed her a pamphlet.
"64 civilian casualties ma'am, up to 35 severely wounded, the entire road is crawling with those thyxars.." he spoke.
Zach listened on the other end of the road.
"Thyxars?.." Zach wondered.
"Sigh.. there finally here, Haruki moved from his position, walking towards the group of police officers.
Zach sat there bleeding, as he carefully listened. His hearing was sharper than most allowing him to easily here there conversation.
After a while Zach was carefully carried by, a group of officers as the carefully placed him in an ambulance.
Zach body ached as his vision blurred. The medical staff had given him a sedative earlier.
His body shut down as he drifted into the dark void of his subconscious.
******
Time passed.
******
Zach stirred...
Few days had passed since the rift event, Zach had gone through many surgical operation to remove the broken pieces of metal and bone in him.
His eyelid felt like stone as they flutters open slowly, florescent light hummed above and the sharp scent of antiseptic filled his nose.
"Ughh.. where.."
His words halted as pain surged through him, His body ached, bandages were wrapped around his chest, arms and forehead.
Machines beeped steadily besides him, slowly tracking his vitals.
He slowly turned to the right, wincing. A television mounted on the white freshly painted wall flickered softly, a new broadcast was playing.
Zach's attention shifted to the tv screen, as the scenenario looked familiar.
"A few days ago, chaos erupted in district 7, what seemed to be a minor security breach escalated into a full scale monster invasion. Authorities confirmed over sixty civilian deaths and a total of twelve dead officers, dozenes wounded, and major infrastructural damage."
The television's rambling instantly caught Zach's attention.
Footaged rolled, cracked rolled, burning vehicles, panicked civilians being herded away... And in the background, blurry shapes of the thyxar, massive grotesque beast twring through the busy streets.
"But thanks to the swift intervention of the special rift affairs unit (SRAU) the monster were neutralized within 40 minutes"
The footage shifted to a woman in in a black and gold trimmed suit, The anchor voice carried a bit of a reverend tone.
"Leading the charge was commander Rei Evangeline, a swedish fugitive and a high ranking awakening, a sky rank awakener. Eye witness say she singlehandedly defeated two of those beasts all by herself, a truly remarkable feat for someone her age.."
Zach blinked slowly. Her....that woman with the purple eyes.
"Speculations continue to rise regarding the identity of an unidentified man reportedly seen using fire based runes during the battle. Sources suggest he may be an unaffiliated awakened.... perhaps even an old war veteran from the old war conflict"
The screen briefly showed a blurry imagine, smoke filled screen and glowing embers with a figure holding a considerably longer katana.
People wont recognize the image but Zach did... "Haruki..?" Zach's lip parted.
"The public is adviced to stay indoors, after dark till further notice. More sighting of thyxar activities has been reported in districts 9 and 11".
Zach heart beat quickened, his mind drifted back to the scent of ash, the screams, the pain.
'Power is the ability to shape the world.. '.
[Congratulations... the astryx whispers your name]
[Zachariah keal]
[You have gained curiosity..]
[Beware, there are things no mind should seek, and no heart should grasp]
"What the..?"
A whisper... no... an almagamation of whispers echoed to form a ghastly orchestra rang out.
Zach head flamed with pain as he gritted his teeth.
[The veil has thinned..., the cracks bleed truth. And truth is hungry]
He sat upwrite in bed, eyes wide.
"What happening.."
He felt like a thousand needles were being pierced into him.
"Arrrggh.." he groaned, sweat cover him as his grip on the sheets tighten..
The room around him shimmered as though caught between two realities. The hum of the machine dimmed, replaced by a low whispering, like wind though broken glass, and gravel scraping against metal.
[The frist step is always innocent]
[But curiosity leads to doors sealed for a reason ]
Vision swirled in his mind, glimpses of endless staircases vanishing into black skies, cities floating upside down, creatures mad of shadow and memories crawling out of golden flames.
Zach's groans had turned into full blown screams..
The pain soared... it felt like his body was burning as he heard voices.
"What's going on..?"
"Grab a towel"
"He's burning up"
Zach whole body wiggled violently.
His mind pulled forward by a greater unseen force.
[The path is here... Zachariah keal]
[You want to know about the very flame of existence?... the birth of creation?]
Arghh!!!!....
[Those who gaze into it are unmade, will you remain?]
Now the voices had died down, the pain was still there, but it felt surreal, distant even.
[Stage two curiosity achieved..]
[Thread carefully]
[Welcome to the inner circle]
****
[Author's note: Hello author here I really hope you guys are enjoying my story, writing has always been very hard for me and I always quit whenever I write a new book by the 6-12 chapter mark, but now I've decided to finally lock in and write like a true author for the first time.]
[Please support me by making your presence know, trust me, a single "well done author.." can fuel me through 5 chapters. From now on no more waiting 😤, no more rewriting my frist chapter over and over again, I've decided to truly work my ass off for once and I hope it won't be for nothing 🤦.
So please make sure to give me your support like and power stones peace out 🤟]