[BL] Guardians of Fate
Chapter 58 - 17: The Calamity of the Planet [3]

Chapter 58: Chapter 17: The Calamity of the Planet [3]

"I can’t believe this."

Luke looked out the arched window of the empty church, his hands trembling on the carved stone ledge.

Far out in the seas stood the demonic creature, with only its head visible from its torso. The way it just stayed there was very unsettling. In fact, it was so massive that he could clearly see its features, with its horns, red eyes, and wide mouth.

The waters surrounding the Calamity were turning a darker shade of blue, almost as if they were slowly changing to black. The tentacle-like roots thrashed against the water as they stretched towards the city.

A rooted limb then crashed into the roof of a large house, shattering the stone and raining debris into the empty streets. It wasn’t attacking this area yet where the White Castle stood nearby, which meant Luke still had time to plan his escape.

Wait. Those are...

Luke watched with wide eyes as bursts of magic erupted around the Calamity’s appendages, rendering them to pieces. It was useless because the monster was capable of regenerating them, but at least they were doing well of fending on their own.

When he looked closely, it seemed that a group of people were fighting against the massive roots, their hands glowing a bright orange color.

That magic...

Luke swallowed hard, sweat beading on his brow despite the cool wind that blew through the church entrance. The doors were still wide open, almost inviting him to come out. Outside, he could see the wide garden of the palace, the flowers swaying in the breeze. It was a stark contrast to the destruction on the other side.

I can’t stay here forever.

Luke pressed the palm of his hand to his heart, took a deep breath, and slipped out of the church. There was no time to waste.

As he walked carefully, he touched the crystal in his pocket, his chest tightening at the thought of Zach waiting for him to return to the village. He had deactivated the crystal the night before, and thankfully it hadn’t broken from the fall hours before.

But he couldn’t bring himself to activate it again and call his friend. It was too dangerous for Zach to know about his current predicament as the guy could be impulsive at times. He might even rush here despite the danger and Luke couldn’t risk that.

Especially since he wasn’t a full-fledged Summoner yet.

Luke started to cross the long bridge, his eyes on the Calamity the entire time. This part of the city seemed to be safe from all the destruction, so he probably wouldn’t be spotted for the time being.

For a moment, he looked away and scanned the debris-strewn streets ahead. The surroundings were now a dull gray, and he could see flames burning in the distance, and bits of ash raining down.

It’s like I’m living a nightmare, he thought bitterly.

He ran for a while and then stopped in front of three possible paths. He was now at the end of the bridge, on a lower level where the larger buildings were. The ways down were the wide stairs in front of him and the two winding alleys to the left and right.

If he chose the stairs, it might drain his energy, and he barely had any left thanks to all the magic he had used up today.

Last night, he had taken one of the alleys to be inconspicuous, so he chose that route this time as well. It would take some time since the streets were curved, but at least it felt safer.

When he reached the lower levels, he scurried from cover to cover, first running to an overturned merchant’s cart, then leaping over the crumbled remains of a brick wall.

He peered out, looking for signs of movement. He was safe for now, it seemed.

He paused, chest heaving, protected for a moment in the shadow of a tall building.

Maybe... if I were a true Summoner by now...

But he couldn’t let that train of thought continue. After all, what good would it do him? This world and its people didn’t like his kind. All because he was associated with the trespassers, the harbingers of the world’s destruction.

Speaking of the Otherworlders...

Luke’s brow furrowed in concentration. He hadn’t really thought about it back there because he was too busy with the thought of surviving, but now that it had crossed his mind...

How did the Calamity break out of its seal in the first place? There’s only one way that came to be...

When the answer surfaced in his head, his eyes widened.

No. No way.

At this moment, Luke forgot how to breathe. His mind raced back to last night with that young man, and now he regretted ever turning back.

Then he’s my Guardian. And he’s the reason why I felt a strong pull leading me to this city in the first place.

But why was he with the Prince?

What the hell is going on?

Suddenly, a loud groan echoed nearby, snapping him out of his thoughts. Luke glanced up to see one of the huge tendrils rip right through a watchtower, causing it to teeter precariously.

If he didn’t get out of here now, he would die.

Before he knew it, he was running, jumping over a destroyed table in his path without looking down.

Damn it. The gates are still too far.

He decided to hide behind the marble fountain in the center of town, the only thing left intact in the rubble. The other unscathed buildings were in another district, but the bridges were almost all destroyed.

I could try to swim across. The gap isn’t that big, he thought.

He watched as the tendrils retreated, concentrating near the edge for now, though their attacks shook the ground even here.

Luke let out a shaky breath, feeling himself shiver. He touched the crystal in his pocket once more. If he was going to die today, he wished he could have talked to Zach one last time.

Then his mind went back to that young man, the one he presumed to be the Otherworlder.

One of his fated Guardians.

I wonder where he is right now, he thought, feeling his heart twist on the inside. I wonder if he’s safe.

I hope he doesn’t die as well.

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* * *

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Ardyn was running for his life.

I—I really don’t have to look back or watch out for any attacks?! he wondered frantically. He’s going to watch my back, right?

He tried to glance back, but Blade was going in a different direction.

Where’s he going?! Am I really gonna be safe with that guy?

Ah, forget it!

Ardyn muttered under his breath as he pushed the chunks of stone out of his way, trying to make a crawl space through the rubble.

This is terrible. They really need to rebuild the city after all this.

He passed successfully and broke into a shambling run, his labored breaths echoing in his ears. The sounds of the battle at the edge grew louder and louder, and it made Ardyn sick to hear them. There were distant screams and earth-shaking crashes along with the frequent explosions. He shuddered at the thought of what was happening to Evan and the others.

Swallowing, he stopped in his tracks and looked back, unable to help himself. Calamity’s tendrils were now focused solely on the group of Guardians, and the battle looked pretty intense from here.

My god. It looks horrible.

He forced himself to turn away and ran up the long stairs, past the beautiful flowers and decorations. It was a good thing that the stairs hadn’t been destroyed. Otherwise, he would have been forced to jump through the rubble, and that would have only used up more of his energy.

It’s really weird though, Ardyn thought as he paused for a moment to catch his breath. I don’t usually have this much stamina...

A deafening roar rang in his ears, and Ardyn immediately raised his head.

To his horror, one of the Calamity’s root arms shot out and struck the large statue at the top of the stairs, toppling it down.

Right at his direction.