Tale of Chaos 3: For All Eternity

Chapter 2: Cut to the Chase

Cyclone's POV

For the first time in a long time, I was genuinely afraid.

I'd definitely been afraid before, but this was exhilarating.

I felt my heart pounding in my chest, trying to get past my ribs and escape. I felt my breath in my throat as I sprung up from where I sat and sprinted away.

It was hard to run through the small gap as the monsters chased after us. I pulled Rocksworth along as I dashed ahead, my feet pounding the leafy forest floor and weaving past the trees.

I was one of the fastest, which I was proud of. It probably came with being a student athlete for most of my life. It felt natural to me when I flew through the trees.

I already felt ragged breaths scratch at my throat, my body being filled with adrenaline. Every moment felt like a lifetime, every step deciding my fate.

I could not just run.

I had to fight.

Summoning some plasma into my palm, I flung my hand backwards, taking care not to fling at Rocksworth. I felt the heat from the blast radiate behind me, booming through the forest. I heard loud screeches from the monsters.

When I flicked my head to the side, I caught Maia unfurling her wings, taking off high into the air. I looked ahead of me once again.

Silence.

The only audible things were the pounding of our feet and the screeches of the monsters as they chased the ten (nine once Maia had taken off, eight after Blackout had gone into shadow form) of us.

I slid across the ground, dirt and leaves flying all over me as my heels cut to the forest floor. I turned to the left and electrocuted a few ents, a dragon, and a demon. My chest heaving with exhaustion, I got to my feet. I couldn't go on with how sore my legs already were.

I made up my mind.

Before I did anything else, I felt my lower body take on the form of a cyclone... no pun intended.

The monsters seemed tough.

Scratch that, they were.

Their heavy stomps made more blood rush in my ears.

I charged up some electricity in each hand and launched them at a phantasm and specter. The sparking blue-yellow balls sliced through the air, smashing into the phantasm and specter and leaving dust in their wake.

"LET'S GO!" Rocksworth bellowed from behind me.

I scrambled to my feet, escaping the flame and skidding quickly across the ground once more.

My lungs itched already.

All we had been doing over the past year was run and hide.

We'd seen many monsters and encountered them many times. This may have felt like just another encounter, but it was also another chance for us to die.

To lose the spirits within us...

I looked around as I moved, nervousness clawing at my insides. I found myself surrounded by monsters, baring their teeth (mostly), ready to kill.

I gulped.

If I just stand there, it would be the end for me.

But I remembered a technique I'd worked on quite a bit over the past month or so. It was useful in a situation like this, but I wasn't really able to test it out. All I could do was hope and pray it would work.