Phantom Thunder

Chapter 24

Fully developed phantoms were everywhere. Below meI heard crashes and bangs and shouts. Then, as if time was reversing the split of the universe, the giant gash in space and time healed itself, leaving behind only a couple dozen blood thirsty monsters.

Behind me something spluttered and popped. I spun around to see the bulky contraption that created the Academy's shield spark wildly as something inside it burst.

I dashed across the roof to the machine. My eyes desperately searched for anything that was supposed to give me a clue as to where to insert the drive Pluto had fine me. My hands were shaking uncontrollably.

"Come on Ghost" I murmured aloud. I took a deep breath, and as I exhaled I heard the sound of our universe cracking behind me.

It wasn't comparably as large as the first rip. This one was less than two meters long, and hovered just above the tiled roof. Five black humanoids oozed from the tear before it resealed itself.

My breath caught in my chest. I slipped the drive into my pocket, and with my heart beating faster than I thought possible I exhaled.

I felt the energy coursing through my body. It slid through my skin to create my familiar weapon. I gripped my sword with sweaty palms.

The phantoms, seemingly incapable of confusion, didn't hesitate before coming at me. My brain, overloaded with fear took my few split seconds to marvel at the phantom's thought pattern. They were rushing towards the only thing in the universe capable of killing them. I guess their desire to feed over powered all common sense or survival instinct. Perhaps they had none. That was a more feasible hypothesis.

I was snapped out of my wondering daze as the first phantom reached me. I raised my sword to block it's blade, and then ducked under another as it lifted it's arm to strike down. As I spun, I slashed my blade across it's side.

They were sloppy to turn, and I took that split second to survey my situation.

I could easily run to the trap door in the roof, but I wouldn't be able to open it, get in and close it without being stabbed in the back and eaten, or rather 'smelled.'

A fall from the Academy's roof could seriously injure and quite likely kill a human. I wondered if that was the same with phantoms.

All five came at me. I couldn't take I've at once. No way. Despite being slow and sloppy, phantom's were good fighters. I guess the instinct came all inclusive, along with the desire to consume.

I blocked the first attack, but four other were coming at me. I tried to block again, but as I did the tip of a blade ripped through my jeans and cut open the skin just above the knee. I was lucky that it wasn't deep, but the sharp pain served as a wake up call. I backed up quickly, and when I could safely turn, I did and ran.

I switched my sword to my left hand and slowed as I reached the edge off the roof. I thought back to class, when I'd first learned to create, and Talaya was teaching projectiles. Focusing, I spun, and as I did so I released a pointed sphere of energy from my finger tip that used the momentum of my spinning arm to launch itself towards the group of phantoms.

It struck one the phantoms in the shoulder and the creature dropped it's weapon. It stumbled, then recovered and retrieved it's weapon with its other hand.

I was standing less than a foot from the edge of the roof. If I stepped back, even a half step, I'd fall most likely to my death. But it was either fall from the roof of my home or get ripped to shreds and 'eaten' by phantoms.

Or fight and survive I reminded myself. That was the option I was going for.

As I was hoping, the phantoms each had a slightly different pace. The first one reached me and stabbed fiercely at my abdomen with his blade. I parried it so the tip of the weapon slipped passed my left side and shifted to the right. I let the momentum of the stab carry the phantom in the direction his was going. I took a step away from the edge of the roof while the creature moved toward it. Before it could regain it's balance, I slammed the hilt of my sword into it's back, causing the phantom to fall forward over the edge of the roof.