Fate Weaver's convergence

C20

"Fuck-fuck-fuck!"

I was listening to myself yell at nothing at this point. All I could do is watch my own memory replay in front of me as if it were a recording. It felt like an out-of-body experience. My reactions were instinctive, I could feel myself committing to them, but it was also not me performing them.

We were somewhere along the border of Czechia and Austria, some portion of area that was once woodland. The landscape now was completely alien; the trees and undergrowth were all a strange mix of yellows and reds. It was unearthly, to the point that even the air felt unnatural. If I had to ever explain it to anyone that had never experienced it, I would say that the air would leave a soapy taste on your tongue if you simply breathed with your mouth open and the faint scent of chlorine was clinging to absolutely everything. Even if you were standing over a ripened, rotting corpse, the smell would still have a clear attachment.

We were here because the area was trying to stabilize; we were in year three of the war, which most would mark as the turning point where the modern world was starting to get a hold of itself. However, even though we were fighting an enemy with a clear face and unmistakable intent to absolutely rend our reality, humans still found a way to absolutely make things worse. We were here because a cult was active in the area and suspected of gathering resources to open a portal. Not wanting to take a risk, the coalition of forces sent out a mixed battalion of infantry and engineering companies to the location. Originally, it was thought of as a simple reserve assignment to give another place for soldiers being rotated off of the current front more time to recuperate. No one anticipated the situation was far worse than even intelligence did.

"Lucas, come on, please. The VTOL will be wheels down any second. Hold on."

I continued to beg my friend, whose bleeding at this point had slowed. If I were in my right mind the first time around, I would have known he was actually dead.

He's already gone, don't think about it. Move on. Move on, damnit!

I thought to myself, as it was all I could really do, being forced to spectate.

I had adrenaline running through my body, and I was stricken when I realized I had used up everything I could to help him from both of our individual first aid kits. There were no medics nearby, and our area was chewed up by the portal actually opening, and the only people we managed to link up with was a squad of engineers.

"I can hear the props, it's close!"

One of the engineers was yelling to the rest of the squad and I.

Around this time, a high-pitched ringing tone started to make itself known. I stared below me, at the body that was laying there still, pale, blood absorbing into my trousers and the dirt around it. My hands were still on the wound, trying to hold pressure. I couldn't hear anything other than the ringing at this point. And soon after, I looked to my left, the culprit, the creature responsible.

Don't look damnit! Look the fuck away!

I was pleading with myself in vain, knowing the sensation that was going to follow well enough.

These things terrified us to no end, and they were the most common of the otherworldly entities, dangerous, intelligent apex predators. It appeared as if it were some strange mix of a lizard and a furless bear. It was bipedal, roughly two to three meters in height, and accompanied by a long, whipped tail. Its weapons were natural, long, sturdy claws and teeth that were stout yet pointed, similar to a killer whales. Its flesh was a deep red with speckled black and brown along its backside. It was a monster out of some kind of horror movie that was made a reality. It was slumped onto the ground, dead from the wounds we gave it as it began ripping Lucas open after ambushing us. I was staring at it now. Unable to hear anything other than the ringing. And then the sensation hit.