Cyber Chronicles 3: Plague Genesis

Chapter 6: Ambush

The desert stretched endlessly beneath a sky dotted with distant, indifferent stars. The temperature had dropped, leaving the landscape cold and desolate. The moon cast a pale, silver light over the terrain, its rays dancing off the sand and highlighting the scattered debris from the recent conflict. A soft breeze stirred the fine grains, creating fleeting patterns in the moonlit desert.

Carzen stood apart from the group, his focus unwavering as he conjured a dark blue orb. The orb, glowing softly, pulsed with a rhythmic light, and its surface seemed to ripple like liquid, dripping with an otherworldly energy that glistened in the cool night air. As the orb shimmered, it cast a surreal, shifting glow on Carzen's stern face, each pulse creating a liquid dance of light and shadow.

With a practiced motion, Carzen threw the orb onto the sand. It detonated in a burst of blue light, momentarily illuminating the area with an intense, ethereal hue. The explosion was eerily silent, the only sound a faint, otherworldly hum that resonated through the air. A small, swirling void opened up in the sand, its gravitational pull swiftly drawing sand and dust into its spiraling depths.

The particles, caught in the moonlight, glittered briefly before vanishing into the portal's enigmatic embrace.

Lincoln watched the portal, noting how Carzen's ability contrasted sharply with Aytrex's instant teleportation. While Aytrex's ability was rapid, affecting only himself and what he touched, Carzen's portal was more intricate and had more aspects to it which made it formidable in its own manner.

Nearby, Dexter, despite his efforts, was visibly worn. His armor was battered, and his breath came in ragged gasps. His face was a mask of strain and concern as he watched the portal with wary eyes.

Dawson lay a short distance away, slumped against a rocky outcrop. His injuries were severe, and he fought to stay conscious. His pale face and labored breaths painted a grim picture of his condition. Weiss and Adler, their faces etched with worry and determination, worked diligently to stabilize their wounded comrade.

They carefully lifted their friend between them. Each step was a struggle as they maneuvered through the wreckage-strewn terrain. The blue light of the portal flickered in the distance, a fragile beacon of hope amidst the chaos, intensifying their urgency to escape.

Ketsukii, standing nearby, surveyed the scene with a thoughtful gaze. The cool night air offered a stark contrast to the earlier heat of battle, and the desert's quiet provided an eerie reprieve from the chaos. He glanced at Carzen's portal, noting its glowing presence.

Carzen carefully lifted the unconscious woman into his arms as one by one, the group began to gather around the ominous blue vortex.

As they stepped through Carzen's portal, Dexter's eyes widened in shock. "What..." he gasped, his voice trailing off as he took in the scene before them.

The desert's chill gave way to a jarring new reality. They emerged into a scene of utter devastation. The once orderly base of military operations in Lower Imperiale had transformed into a chaotic battlefield. Buildings lay in ruins, their skeletal remains jutting from a landscape of shattered debris. Smoke and dust billowed through the air, casting an oppressive haze over the scene. The sky was a roiling mass of dark clouds, intermittently illuminated by the fiery glow of explosions.

The blue light from Carzen's portal lingered briefly before the full weight of the destruction crashed down. The atmosphere was thick with the acrid smell of burning debris and the distant echoes of combat. The world seemed to whirl, the portal's remnants shimmering as soldiers and Hydes clashed fiercely in the background.

Gunfire erupted around them, sharp cracks of bullets mingling with vibrant arcs of energy blasts slicing through the darkness. The relentless sounds of battle—a cacophony of screams, explosions, and the constant hum of energy tools—filled the air. Chunks of debris flew through the air, crashing into anything in their path.