I rushed out the front door of my apartment building and found myself on the sidewalk along with other people who had also emerged from the complex. The crowd outside kept increasing as more people from the same building joined us.
Multiple car accidents occurred amidst the commotion, adding to the chaos. The streets were crowded with people, and only a few narrowly avoided being struck by buses or cars. The drivers behind the wheel pressed down on their brakes, but this only caused more accidents.
Misty City had always been a place known for its dreary gray skies. Hardly were the skies here ever a vibrant burst of color, but today, that had changed. Rich hues of crimson and orange painted the sky above us.
But as if this wasn't enough, the sky freaking was split in half!
There was no way this was real, right?
Please tell me someone was joking?!
Falling from the split, fiery orbs pummeled buildings and the streets. Their impact sent plumes of black smoke into the air while angry flames consumed everything in their path like a relentless inferno.
"W-What kind of hell is this?!" I heard a man shout, and I wanted to know the same thing!
A brilliant burst of light emerged from the opening, causing us to shield our eyes.
Once the light subsided, we found ourselves facing numerous enormous floating screens. On the blue screens was the image of a cute teenage girl. The girl on the screen had a child-like face and innocent, big blue eyes. She wore a short, pure white dress, but what had everyone gaping like fishes out of water were the huge beautiful white wings springing from her back.
"It's an angel! She must be a savior sent from the Celestial Lord!" I heard an elderly woman cry out, tears streaming down her face as hope enveloped her.
But I wasn't getting that same feeling.
My mom was a woman of faith who used to drag me to church every Sunday. Since I was young, I was taught that in the beginning, there existed only one—the Celestial Lord. The creator of Light. He who upheld the scales of Justice and Salvation. He who had created mankind and protected us from evil.
From his heavenly realm, where he lived with the guardians, the Angels watched over and protected us from evil. It was declared that if humans desired to prevent the damnation and eternal confinement of their souls being cast into the Underworld, it was advisable to adhere to the laws outlined in the Divine Scripture.
I might not be as devout as my mother, but I still remember these teachings. However, as I gazed at this ethereal being adorned with delicate white wings and a radiant halo, instead of feeling reassured, my heart was filled with uncertainty.
"Can I please have everyone's attention?" She gently tapped on the screen, trying to capture the attention of the crowd.
Yet the streets were thick with wailing, shouting, and arguing. There were even a few who were down on their knees praying. The sirens of police cars and fire trucks could be heard in the distance. A large majority ignored her request, caught off guard by this abnormal situation we were now in.
The girl's once gentle expression turned to annoyance.
"I said silence," the young girl commanded, her voice devoid of warmth. The childlike innocence that had filled her eyes was now replaced by an unnerving coldness. With a single command, everything around me came to a standstill.
Attempting to move my hand, I found it impossible. Every person and object in the vicinity was suspended in time, frozen in their tracks.
"Much better~! Hi, I'm Alice, your messenger angel from the Celestial World. I came to tell you that this world will now be under trial as each of you will be tested and judged. But do not fret; your lives will be offered for the greater good! If your faith is strong in our Celestial Lord, the angel of protection will protect you while you undergo these trials. But those whose hearts are not aligned with our Celestial Lord, I suggest you get to praying if you wish to live long enough to see the end~!"
From the screen, the girl threw a wink and a smile that did nothing but piss me off.
Say what now? I know I was not the only one who misheard her, right? What did you mean if we wish to live long enough to the end? What end, and why were our lives in danger?!
"You must believe in our Celestial Lord. The heavenly realm has not forsaken you, so please send up your prayers, and survive!"
Her voice trembled with sorrow as she clutched her hands together, tears shedding from her eyes. Nothing about her tears and sorrow felt genuine, as if the whole thing was one big act. Something definitely felt off.
As the feed shut off, time returned to normal, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. With time resumed to its normal flow, pure chaos descended upon us. People reacted with wild abandon to the shocking news.
Some dropped to their knees, seeking solace in prayer, while others turned to vandalism as if that made any sense. But what was this uneasy feeling I was getting from her? Her words felt misleading as if she was concealing pieces of the truth.
While I was trying to gather my thoughts, a scream of terror pierced the air, snapping me back to reality.
"There's monsters in the sky!" a voice screamed.
Immediately, I shifted my gaze to a random rooftop of a ten-story building. From the fiery orbs that had fallen, an ugly, giant bird monster had arisen from the destruction. This must be happening all over the city, and probably even the continent, if this was like my dream.
A sense of panic washed over me. Without haste, I ran off. Where? Who knows? But I wasn't about to stand around, doing nothing.
"Oh, sweet Lord! What are those beasts?!" I heard a second voice exclaim.
Without looking back, I was surrounded by the sounds of animals that did not belong to this world's ecosystem. The beasts' cries filled the air as they invaded our city.
Don't look! Just keep running!
I constantly told myself. The main streets filled up in a flash with people dashing for safety, and that was when those eerie floating screens popped up again, displaying the same unsettling face as before.
"I forgot to mention that there will be safety zones set up. However, please note that they are limited within each city-state and town, and each safe zone has a different capacity. You can spot them by the glowing green pillar shining in the air!" she said in a bored tone, finding her nails more interesting.
"They should spare your lives at least for a little while before we dive deeper into the trials and before the beasts can consume you whole—I mean, good luck, future heroes!" She quickly changed her tone after catching her slip-up and put on that sorrowful and compassionate fake act of hers before the feed shut off.
Right after the feed ended, a car flew over my head and tragically slammed on top of a man and woman. Their blood stained the ground. The look of terror on their faces stuck in my head.
I did my best to block out the scene of their deaths as I pushed past the frantic crowd, determined to find a safe escape.
Not wanting to get myself engulfed by the massive, desperate crowd of people running for their lives, I ducked into an alley, dodging through the familiar maze of back routes that I used when I was too broke to take the bus. I veered away from the main streets where panicked people were getting trampled.
Heart pounding, I kept my gaze fixed ahead, desperately seeking a path to safety. I was running down the street, my head filled with the repeated chant of "Green Pillar." My eyes darted around, scanning my surroundings until they finally landed on a blinding green pillar of light reaching high into the sky.
The green pillar loomed closer, and I couldn't help but let out a small sigh of relief.
I was not alone; there were others with me who, like myself, sought refuge from the hell unfolding on the streets. The air was filled with animalistic shrieks and terrified screams, and the once-distant flames appeared to have drawn nearer.
I knew this place.
It was the local shelter house that closed down a week ago for remodeling. Standing outside the front doors was a group of people who were aiding and urging people inside to safety.
I ran as fast as I could across the lot. My legs were burning, begging for me to stop pushing them past their limits. I was not an athletic person, but my life was on the line. The distance to the front door shrunk the closer I got to it, but just as I was a mere foot away, a shadow swept over me.
As I locked eyes with the man running beside me, everything seemed to slow down. We both felt the looming presence of the shadow, but by then, it was already too late. In a split second, a giant bird beak gobbled and swallowed him whole.
How horrifying.
He didn't even have the chance to let out a scream. The massive, eerie bird-like beast with fiery red eyes cast an imposing figure over us as people frantically scattered in terror. The creature's height towered over that of the average human, and its immense weight probably matched that of an elephant.
The overwhelming grip of fear held me hostage, rendering me immobile and unable to take a single step.
I was going to die.
I stood there frozen in fear and on the verge of wetting myself as the bird beast with its large, long, sharp beak and the face and color texture of a vulture, only ten times bigger and terrifying, stared me dead in the eye. Its mouth opened, showing off its rows of sharp teeth, ready to chew on my flesh and devour me.
But right when I thought this was the end. A hand seized my hoodie, yanking me forward, causing the monster to narrowly miss its target.
I was saved?
"You ain't dying on me today, kid!"
I knew that voice!
"Mr. Barry?!"
"In the flesh and still kicking, kiddo!"
Mr. Barry swiftly carried me over his shoulder as he dashed into the building. The monstrous beast attempted to pursue us, but focused its attention on the other people.
I couldn't believe it.
I was still alive?