[BL] Guardians of Fate
Chapter 56 - 17: The Calamity of the Planet [1]

Chapter 56: Chapter 17: The Calamity of the Planet [1]

I should’ve worn a thicker cloak, Ardyn thought to himself as he cautiously stepped onto the cobblestone streets. The wind brushed through the alleys, the sight of the deserted streets making him feel uneasy.

The waves were surging in a turbulent pattern, a sight that sent alarm bells in his head. It was probably because of that object that fell from the skies.

At the thought of it, he shivered and ran quickly through the city, his every step echoing in his ears.

It was scary how he remembered how alive this town had been the night before, but now there was not a soul in sight. The area was completely abandoned, with confetti, papers, empty tables and chairs, and unlit lanterns everywhere. Ships and boats were docked nearby, but without passengers.

Again, he heard a distant rumbling. Startled, he quickly crouched behind a wooden table, panting heavily.

This is insane! he thought, his heart pounding so loudly that it kept drumming in his eardrums.

Damn it. I could’ve already gone to safety with those soldiers!

Why?

Why did I have to come back here?

While he continued to scold himself in his head, the ground suddenly shook.

An earthquake?!

He held on to the table for dear life, shutting his eyes and hoping that it would soon pass.

He didn’t know how long the tremors lasted, but after a few minutes, everything seemed to stop.

The wind died down, and the waves stopped crashing against the edge. The trembling ceased, and for a moment everything was eerily quiet.

Is... Is it over? Ardyn thought, still trying to calm his racing heartbeat.

Should... Should I peek?

Unable to help himself, Ardyn rose shakily from the table and watched the sea.

It looked normal now, as if a deity had suddenly hit the pause button. The sky remained a dark gray, but the swirling of the clouds had stopped. The confetti and papers also went still. He thought that he could hear some disembodied noises, but they sounded too far away for him to make out clearly.

"What’s happening?" he wondered out loud. "Is it really over?"

He had spoken too soon.

Not long after the words left his lips, everything exploded.

The calm surface of the sea erupted without warning, a colossal form rising from the bubbling waters.

Ardyn watched in horror as a gruesome, towering creature rose from the sea, water cascading down its thick, grotesque body. Only its torso up to its head was visible, and it was terrifying.

From a distance, its flesh appeared leathery and dark, like burnt coal. The head was a hideous, eyeless visage with a gaping mouth taking over most of its features. Rows of jagged teeth lined the mouth, and above it, where the eyes would normally be, was smooth flesh marked by a few pulsing slits in which a pair of red lights glowed. He could also spot two curved horns above its temples.

My god! What the hell is that?!

Oh no, no, no, no, no. I gotta get out of here. I don’t wanna be here anymore! he cried in his head.

Ardyn was already regretting all of his life decisions. How had he gotten to this point? This was beginning to feel more like a bad dream.

While he was still considering whether or not to run back to the soldiers, the creature suddenly let out another roar.

The wind picked up again, and Ardyn had to grab the table once more for support.

I’m gonna get blown away!

The table soon flew up and was blown back to the end of the alley, shattering into a thousand pieces. His cover was now destroyed.

Ardyn swallowed, then ran for his life.

Gotta get to safety!

He looked around and found a house nearby. He quickly grabbed the door latch and turned it.

Oh thank god! It’s open!

Almost crying in relief, he slipped inside, shut the door, and locked it.

That was scary! I can’t get back out there again!

Ardyn collapsed to the floor, breathing heavily. His heart was pounding relentlessly, and it was as if all the energy had been drained from his limbs. He could feel the adrenaline still coursing through his veins, making him wide awake and automatically going into self-defense mode.

He quickly got to his feet and looked out the window. The monster was still there — the Calamity, as they called it — and it stood eerily still, as if surveying its surroundings. It was as if one of those creatures from horror movies had come to life before his eyes.

Ardyn used to love horror, too.

But now, he wasn’t so sure.

What is it doing? he thought, swallowing in fear. Is it looking for something?

I don’t think it’s safe to go out, but I can’t stay here for too long.

Think, Adrien. Think!

Ardyn closed his eyes and breathed in and out slowly to calm his nerves. He emptied his mind as much as he could, trying to reassure himself that everything was going to be okay.

Oh, who am I kidding?! Of course it’s not gonna be okay!

What can a powerless human like me do?

Wait, why did I come here again?

He exhaled slowly to keep the panicked thoughts from escalating.

Calm down, he told himself. Okay. So the priest mentioned something about a young man earlier. That he trapped him in the church...

He looked out the window again, trying to ignore the giant creature that was there, watching the city in eerie silence.

Damn it. I’m still a bit far away from the area of the White Castle.

I’m pretty sure that if I make a run for it, that monster will notice me, and then I’ll become minced meat in just one second.

But that man...

He has to be my Summoner, right? I won’t be feeling like this otherwise. If it were up to me, I would never have come back here!

Damn it...

That guy better hold on!

Ardyn took a deep breath, his hand hovering over the doorknob. His fingers were trembling.

Okay. At the count of three, I’ll sneak outside and try not to be noticed.

I can do this.

He closed his eyes in concentration. He could still feel the adrenaline lingering in his body.

He couldn’t just leave the city now. Not when his only chance of survival was currently trapped in the Church! That man was like one of his rare allies in this scary world.

One...

Two...

Three!

Ardyn opened the door, just a slit.

He opened it very slowly, just enough for his body to slide out, his eyes never leaving the monster. He didn’t bother to close the door behind him. It might attract attention.

He began to sneak into a nearby alley and leaned against the wall, breathing a sigh of relief when nothing drastic happened.

Okay. You can do this. Just don’t look at it.

He stepped out of the alley and cautiously made his way to the nearby bridge that connected the two districts. Going forward, there were only about three or four more bridges left for him to cross. It was a big city, after all.

Just a little mo—

A sudden roar interrupted his mildly optimistic thoughts, wiping out every shred of sanity in his head.

The sound was so terrifying that Ardyn instantly froze, the fear so overwhelming that everything in his body ceased to function, including his mind.

Fuck.

I’m dead.

He slowly turned his head.

The Calamity moved its arms at the speed of light, causing the appendages to rise from the depths of the sea. They looked like roots that moved like multiple tentacles. The sudden action caused the water to explode upward, spraying the city like a rainstorm.

Ardyn felt himself getting drenched, and in the next instant, the creature’s hands shot out and destroyed the bridge in front of him, shattering it into a thousand pieces. Debris flew in all directions, causing him to instinctively cover his face with his arms. The sound of splintering wood and crashing metal echoed through the air, almost deafening him.

Oh no.

He lowered his arms and watched as the hand — the tentacle-like roots — slithered towards the nearby houses and slammed into them with brute force. Walls crumbled and roofs collapsed, creating a surreal scene of destruction.

Ardyn moved quickly, dodging the debris that flew in his direction. He took a step back, his expression frozen with fear.

Th—That was close!

Just as he was thinking about going a different way, another tentacle-like root lunged directly at him like a deadly claw. For a moment, Ardyn actually thought he was going to die.

But then, something surprising happened.

A sudden burst of flames hit the root hand out of nowhere, causing it to recoil from the searing heat. Ardyn quickly stepped back and watched with wide eyes as the flames crackled against the hardened skin.

What the hell...?

In moments, the hand collapsed to the ground, burned to ash.

Ardyn turned around.

A man stood not too far away, his stony expression revealing a semblance of surprise. He had noticeably dark-red hair and slanted, narrowed eyes, and his hand was outstretched, surrounded by a bright orange glow.

"Who are you?" the man demanded.