The Game Before the Fall

Chapter 7: Passage. (Part 1)

Chapter 7: Passage.

The day of the fall:

I was speaking to Sarah and then without warning the building shook as alarms began to blare.

"What was that?" I asked.

"No idea," Sarah shrugged. "I've never heard this alarm before."

"Neither.... We should get out of here." We both stood and left the basement laboratory as many beside us began to make their ways above ground. I checked my phone. No notifications. If the explosion had been the city dungeon, then any registered players would be notified and prepared for combat. It wasn't until the first of us reached the foyer when the reality of it began.

I pushed forward, past those who stood in the way. The university was relatively fine but beyond it where several buildings broken and crushed as if something large had collided with them. People were running in the street for safety, many heading to where we were.

"A-Ardent, what's going on?" Sarah reached me.

"I don't know...," my senses screamed danger, but I couldn't spot anything within sight. I picked a random person standing nearby, "Get everyone here back down in the basement somewhere safe. If you need, take the back exit. Can you do that?"

The man flinched at my words but took the role on himself, "Y-yeah I can do that."

"Then go," I tapped him on the shoulder and walked into the foyer.

Sarah looked at me concerned, "I'm going to find the Professor."

"Be careful," I nodded and ran towards the closest person I could see. "Hey what's happening?"

The women was bleeding and delirious as others tried to help her, "M-monsters! Bone white monsters! They just appeared and began killing everyone!"

"Killing?" my heart thudded at the notion.

"It-it was terrible. Some people came in tried to make them leave but-," she cut herself off suddenly scrambling back. "It's here!"

I turned where she was facing and saw the bone white terror. Four pointed legs of white marred in red splintered the tile it stood upon. A body of bone connected by mysterious white sinew bent towards a neck and head which clacked together from two frightening blades. Worse was the black holes across its body and head which seemed to absorb all light. A primordial sense of fear echoed in my chest.

"Get to the basement," I threw off my jacket and moved away from the group. As I approached, I saw the space behind the monster. Dead bodies that were thrown apart and signs of the conflict that had waged. I grit my teeth and stared at it. Between us a was large tank of water housing fish that had long since hid. "Over here!" I clapped my hands and at once the monster shot towards me. It was faster than I thought it would be and immediately took the shortest route, crashing through the glass. As the water broke, I released the pent-up mana I had been hoarding.

"Freeze!" The monster was suddenly stuck in place as the water it dove through solidified. It tried to scramble but couldn't move from its bound legs.

I took a deep breath and began to fold a new spell. A thin spear of black began to crackle above my hand. Seconds passed as it grew larger and larger, formed from the mana I exerted. Finally, I heaved a breath and pulling back threw the spear with all my might. The thin streak thundered across the lobby and pierced into the icy cage that bound the monster. My body shook, tired from exertion.