Freedom (Part Three)

“Get off her!”

The creature´s grip faltered, its attention snapping toward the source of the voice. Iris blinked, her vision clearing just enough to make out a figure standing a few feet away, a woman clad in the unmistakable cloak of a Prowler, her stance tense, her weapon raised.

The Ghoul hissed, its body tensing as it shifted to face the newcomer, releasing Iris in the process. She fell to the ground, gasping for breath, her body weak and trembling as she struggled to push herself up.

The Prowler woman didn’t wait. She lunged forward, her weapon slicing through the air as she struck at the figure, her movements swift and precise. The creature retaliated, its claws flashing as it countered her attack.

Iris watched, dazed, her mind struggling to process what was happening. But she had to move, had to get out while she still had the chance.

She caught the eye of the Prowler woman for a second. Then, gritting her teeth, she pushed herself to her feet, her body protesting with every step as she staggered toward the faint glow. Each step was a struggle, her vision blurring, her strength fading, but she forced herself onward.

When she reached the opening a few seconds later, limping, she realized it wasn´t just two Ghouls. Hundreds had emerged from the shadows, their forms dark and menacing all around. With that she saw hundreds of Prowlers, all dispatched to the sector to fight.

She forced herself to stay upright. She felt the blood trickling down her side, warm and sticky, the sharp sting of her wounds cutting through the numbness that had started to settle over her. But she could feel the pull of the Shroud, its light tugging at her like a beacon, urging her forward.

One step. Then another. Then another.

Ten meters.

The sirens blared, and the Prowlers shouted as they fought the endless swarm of Ghouls. Obsidian swords were littered all over the dry, lifeless ground as far as she could see, lying near dead bodies, most of them Prowlers. 

Nine meters. 

She still limped in pain, covered in her own blood, and hand on her left shoulder as if it was the only thing keeping her limb from separating from her body. 

Eight meters. 

Ed and Finn had just heard the sirens for the first time. And then the Ghouls coming out from the dark alleys all around. Finn´s eyes widened as Prowlers started to emerge from the sector border, making their way toward the creatures, beckoned by the siren calls. 

"We have to get her back," Ed said in horror. They both called upon Aegis, Chrona, and Arcane at the same time, launching themselves high into the air trying to move away from the fight. 

But the fight was everywhere. 

Seven meters. 

This felt like hours. She was struggling more and more with each step, trying to block out the deafening shrieks all around her. 

Six meters. 

The Ghouls moved with terrifying precision, their forms shifting in impossible ways, like shadows given purpose. They bore no armor and wielded no weapons, yet they cut through Prowlers as though they were made of air. Their eyes, cold and unyielding, glowed crimson red as the appendages behind their backs gleamed with light. 

Five meters.

Ed and Finn navigated through the throng, their faces set in grim determination, dodging and weaving between the chaotic skirmishes, eyes darting in search of Iris.

A Prowler beside them, drenched in his own blood but still standing, let out a fierce war cry. But the creature merely cocked its head, assessing, and then slashed through the iron shield with a single swipe, the protection splintering into a million pieces. The Prowler staggered back, his shield dissipating to dust, before being taken down by another Ghoul that tore into him with ruthless efficiency.

Four meters.

Finn grabbed Ed’s shoulder, pulling him back just in time as another Ghoul lashed out, its claws glinting like daggers. They ducked low, pressing themselves against the ground as Prowlers leaped over them, wielding Arcane energy that crackled in the air, brilliant hues of violet and blue colliding with Ghoul forms.

He glanced back at Finn, who nodded, his expression mirroring Ed's desperation. They used Chrona to the best of their abilities to weave through the attacks, passing hordes of Ghouls and Prowlers.

Three meters. 

They pressed forward as an explosion erupted nearby. A group of Prowlers wielding Arcane energy had managed to surround a creature, their combined forces erupting in a blinding light that shattered the creature's form. But even as it dissolved into ash, two more took its place, and the Prowlers' triumph was short-lived.

Ed felt a surge of energy- Iron- pulsing through his veins, and he used it to reinforce his resilience. He punched forward, knocking back a Ghoul that strayed too close. It staggered as Ed winced in pain, shutting off Iron in an instant. They had an opening.

Two meters.

Iris felt the force of the Shroud pulsing against her body. She winced in pain and let go of her shoulders as her left hand clung to her body lifelessly. She stretched out her other hand, reaching for the opening, reaching for the Shroud that bordered the whole of Arnem. 

One meter.

Her hand outstretched, she felt it inches away from the force field, her leg dragging on behind her, barely supporting her weight. With a final surge of strength, she pushed herself forward. 

Just as her hand brushed the edge of the Shroud, her fingers piercing past it for a split second, a sharp pain flared in her back, a Ghoul´s claw sinking deep into her flesh, pulling her back and cutting through the left side of her body. 

The sound of Iris´ scream was drowned out by the siren wailing as she fell to the ground, the whole world smoky around her. She coughed out blood, then leaned against an Obsidian sword which was rammed tip-first into the damp stone beside her. Her left limb finally gave way and blood spluttered onto the ground, mixing with the water. She screamed in pain.

She panted and made out shadows amid all the smoke. Hundreds of those creatures surrounded her, red spheres glinting all around in the shadows through all the smoke and the rain. 

She panted, wiping her face clean with her sleeve, then looked directly at the one looming right over her. Taking a deep breath and feeling the blood in her lungs, she gathered the last of her strength, noticing the boundary of Arnem right in front of her. Unreachable.

"What a stupid life . . ." she muttered slowly. 

And with that the creature pounced one final time, launching his claws straight through her heart as the world felt overwhelmingly cold and lonely around her, then faded to nothingness at last.

END OF PART ONE