Origins: The Absolute

Chapter 7: Chaos Unleashed

The chaos in Sector 14 was overwhelming. The acrid smell of smoke and the sounds of destruction filled the air as I darted through the battlefield. My heart pounded in my chest, but I forced myself to focus. I couldn't afford to let fear take over. There were too many people who needed help.

A scream to my right caught my attention. I turned and saw a woman trapped beneath a heavy beam, her leg twisted in a way that made my stomach turn. Without hesitation, I ran to her side.

"Hold on, I'm going to help you," I said, placing my hand gently on her forehead. I took a deep breath, focusing on her injury. "Temporal Inversion," I whispered. As I watched, the damage began to reverse itself, her leg straightening and the pain lines on her face relaxing.

"Thank you," she gasped, tears of relief streaming down her face.

"You're going to be okay," I reassured her, though my eyes were already scanning for the next crisis. There was no time to rest. Too many people needed saving.

Neela was a whirlwind of activity nearby, using her air skills to clear paths through the rubble and guide people to safety. Her commands were precise, her movements efficient. She was a true force of nature in the chaos.

"Over here!" she shouted, directing a gust of wind to lift a collapsed wall off a group of trapped civilians. The wall crumbled into dust, and the people beneath scrambled free, coughing and dazed.

"Move to the triage area!" she instructed them, pointing towards the makeshift medical zone. "Keep low and stay together."

I watched her work, admiring her focus and skill. We had all been thrust into this battle, but somehow, we were making it work. I just hoped we could keep it up.

Dr. Ward was fighting the fires, his water skills proving invaluable. I saw him standing at the forefront, torrents of water erupting from broken pipes and pooling on the ground, smothering the flames.

“Focus on the base of the fires!” he shouted to the other water users assisting him. “Cut off the fuel source, and they’ll die out faster.”

A massive explosion rocked the sector as a gas line ignited, sending a fireball into the sky. I saw Dr. Ward raise his arms, summoning a towering wave of water that crashed down on the blaze, extinguishing it in a hiss of steam. He looked exhausted, but there was no time to rest.

"Get them to the medical area," he instructed the rescuers, his voice hoarse but determined.

I hurried over to him. "Are you okay?" I asked.

He nodded, wiping sweat from his brow. "I’m fine. Just keep doing what you're doing. We need all hands on deck."

The Acolytes were relentless. I spotted a group of them advancing on a barricaded street where a dozen civilians were hiding. My heart raced as I activated "Tempus Exsilium" and appeared in front of the barricade, placing myself between the Acolytes and the civilians.

"Back off!" I shouted, extending my arms. A shimmering barrier formed in front of me, a manifestation of my Level 1 skill. The Acolytes' attacks, intended to breach the barricade, dissipated harmlessly against it.

One of them, a man with a cruel sneer and a Level 4 earth skill, stepped forward, his hands glowing with energy. “Who do you think you are, stopping us?”

“I’m Aza Nut-Amoi,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “And I won’t let you hurt these people.”

He laughed and summoned a barrage of stone spikes. My heart raced, but I held my ground, focusing on the barrier. The spikes collided with it, shattering into harmless fragments. His smile faltered, replaced by frustration.