Demon Hunterz: Annihilation (Book 3)

Chapter 38: The beginning of the end

I was beyond broken. Beyond over everything this world could ever throw at me. I cried to the point where the tears stopped flowing. To where my voice became as hollow and as coarse as my shattered soul. My shirt was a soaking mess. I didn't even bother to wipe away the tears from my swollen red eyes. So badly, I wanted to sink into the ground and never rise again.

Mitch had to carry me the whole way back. He didn't complain. Because he was too busy crying too. His usually eagle-like eyes and hard face was now scrunched up as tears flow freely from his near closed eyes.

Even though he never said it, his rare tears spoke a common truth. 

He too, respected Bruce.   

Frankie trudged on without saying anything. Massive hands the size of dinner plates just swinging in tune with his walk. In this form, Frankie couldn't be himself. He lacked the traits to soften his expressions, speak calmly, or even lose the extra edge in his now raspy voice. I doubt wolves can cry anyways. They don't need to. So, I can only imagine what's going on inside the one person I once understood the most, by simply a glance.

But as he is now, I'm at a lost here.

We met up with Carter and the others. Who managed to take down the incoming demons. But suffered losing half of their people. I knew it was bad the moment we walked up to their redden eyes and barely contained sobs.

That mystery girl survived. I was told if it wasn't for her powers they all would've died. One look ahead at the skyscraper-sized demons impaled and left bent over a wall of soft-glowing blue crystals told me plenty. Colormasters are truly a force of nature. It's like not a demon in hell can even get close to their level. It boggles the mind sometimes.

After hearing their stories of a hellishly short battle, I let Frankie break the news. He reports to them everything in clear detail. Now back to his normal self but his voice...it was a struggle to even hear what he was saying. It came out watery. Even when I was right in front of him, his words failed to reach my ears.

"I see." Carter tips his glasses up with two fingers. But he never moved them. Nor looked up at any of us. "What a devastating blow this is. We lost two greats and we haven't gotten nowhere in this fight."

Mitch hisses at his own sense of helplessness and grinds his nails into his trembling fists. "Fucking shit, man! How the hell...how did things even get like this?! I should've...I should've done more! If I had then maybe Roger and Sophie would be still here!"

Usually Frankie would say some calming words. But he simply jerks his head to the side. Staying quiet. 

We all did. Exhaustion made comforting another an impossible task. Our minds drained and only focused on shutting our eyes and returning to a world of black. Anywhere but the cold embrace of reality. 

Just then, a group of around twenty shows up just to our right. It was Deondre's group. Most of them having tattered cloaks. But they were okay.

I spot Tammy and Lucy. Holding onto each other by the shoulders. Weak looking, bruised in the face, and riddled with smudges of dirt and dust. They all looked pretty beat up. But just like the mystery girl, Deondre stood tall and untouched. His unflinching eyes fix themselves on the last elite.

Carter Montgomery. 

The old veteran meets his gaze. "Is this all that survived?" Carter asked him. The group stops beside us. Tammy and Lucy were the ones to step out. Deondre remained stationary. Distant even. Not one for winded conversations.