First Light of a New Age

Chapter 14: Thunderhawk

"Move! Move!"

The soldiers were on a speedboat as they sped up towards a nearby house, preparing to clear each building manually despite the severity of the storm.

In fact, since the start of the catastrophic storm, it was now slowing down as the rain poured less heavily for the past day. To the surprise of the many, the floodwaters were also rescinding down at a quick rate, as if the water found an indescribable hole that they could fill in.

It was a surprising one, and a welcoming one. They could now navigate the area with greater speed and efficiency than ever.

Finally, hope is on the horizon. Now the only thing that they have to finish is the monsters that have invaded their motherland and bring the perpetrators into justice while the storm was much weaker.

"On your right! Fire!"

Flashes of gunfire pierced the desolate streets as the forces of the Liberation Army marched down the area.

"Above us! Fire!"

The ground was littered with the remains of slain monsters. After which, the soldiers worked to remove the barriers that were once set up earlier to protect their retreating troops.

As the floodwaters receded, leaving only half a foot of water, the atmosphere became heavier as the soldiers could see the dead bodies of their fellow comrades who had died defending their motherland and civilians who hadn't made it out alive.

Sadly, they couldn't recover the bodies at the moment, so all the respect they could give is to move the bodies to a place that is somewhat more respectable and out of the way to avoid being disturbed when the armored amphibious vehicles drive by.

After moving the bodies, a soldier approached the armored columns of amphibious vehicles and used a light stick to signal the vehicles to move on, confirming the area was clear.

The soldiers methodically cleared the city street by street. As time went by, the entire city of Nusantara was progressively rid of all the monstrous invaders, though not without significant loss.

Triage and hospital camps were quickly being filled with wounded soldiers and civilians who had survived the onslaught. Fortunately, the dedicated nurses were able to handle the situation swiftly, ensuring there was no backlog of the wounded.

Panning back to the soldiers, they've now entered one of the last houses and were combing it if there were any civilians left and if there are any monsters around.

As one soldier scanned the rooms, he noticed a family portrait on a nearby table. The image depicted a father, a mother, two brothers, a little girl at the age of six, five puppies, and three kittens. An idyllic snapshot of a loving family.

Moved by the picture, the soldier made his way upstairs to reach the second floor. He methodically checked many of the rooms until he reached the last door, judging by the pink and colorful design, he guessed it might be the little girl.

Upon opening the pink door with a quink, what he stumbled on left a deep impression on him.

He saw five that seemed to be the family in the portrait downstairs were hanging on the ceiling.

"Did they kill themselves?" The soldier wondered aloud as he felt his heart sink at the tragic scene. He wondered whether they had taken their own lives in a desperate bid to escape the horrors that had befallen their city.

Upon observing it more, the soldier realized the figures hanging from the ceiling were ensnared in a spider web, as if cocooned by a monstrous creature. The soldier immediately understood that a monster had killed the family, and he turned to his back to alert his squad that a monster was inside the house.