The Fading Passage

Haru’s breathing was erratic. His entire body was tense, his mind in complete chaos. Rika’s eyes were locked onto the rippling distortion beside the door. Something was about to emerge from there.

“Get ready,” Rika whispered, her voice suddenly serious. “If it’s what I think it is, we need to move quickly.”

Haru swallowed hard, his heart pounding. “What’s coming?”

Before he could get an answer, the fluctuating surface suddenly collapsed. A radiant beam of light spilled through, blinding them momentarily. Haru had to squint against the intensity. When the light receded, a semi-transparent figure stood before them. It shimmered, wrapped in silver armor, vibrating slightly as though it didn’t fully belong in this reality.

“Who’s there?” Rika’s voice hardened, her stance shifting into a defensive one.

The figure remained silent for a moment before bowing its head slightly and speaking. “You must leave before the gates close.” Its voice was cold yet melodic.

Haru was baffled. “Who are you? Why are you helping us?”

Ignoring Haru’s question, the figure continued. “The Voidwalkers’ uprising is now beyond control. If you don’t escape now, you may never get another chance.”

Rika narrowed her eyes, giving Haru a quick glance before making her decision. “Alright, we’re coming with you.”

The figure nodded slightly. “I will show you the way. Follow me.”

Explosions outside were growing louder. Haru’s heart was racing wildly. Rika grabbed his arm, urging him forward. The wall beside the door rippled completely, revealing a newly opened passage. Before them stretched a corridor leading into the unknown.

“Now or never, Haru,” Rika urged.

Haru took one last look behind him, inhaled deeply, and stepped into the passage.

The corridor was illuminated by pale blue lights. As their footsteps echoed, Haru realized he had no idea where they were heading. The walls of the passage pulsed and rippled, moving as if they were alive.

“Where does this lead?” Haru asked, his voice still laced with unease.

Rika shot a skeptical glance at their guide. “Are you really helping us, or are we walking into a trap?”

The figure continued walking but tilted its head slightly. “It is too late for doubts. Right now, this is your only way out.”

At that moment, a thunderous crash reverberated behind them. Haru spun around just in time to see the corridor collapsing, the walls crumbling like a breaking dam.

“Don’t stop!” the figure commanded. “The gate is closing!”

Rika and Haru picked up their pace. At the end of the corridor, a shimmering exit flickered like a mirage. But just as they neared it, a shadow suddenly appeared in their path. The figure came to an abrupt stop, raising a hand, forming a translucent barrier in the air.

“What is that?” Haru asked, breathless.

The entity before them shifted within a dense, dark mist. Though humanoid in shape, its eyes were void-like, glowing with an eerie black radiance.

Rika instinctively stepped back. “Damn it. Are they involved in this too?”

The figure clenched its fist, causing the barrier to flare with bright energy. “Move forward! Don’t hesitate, go now!”

A chilling fear gripped Haru. This enemy felt different, something far beyond a normal threat.

Rika’s voice trembled slightly as she whispered, “Haru… Go. I’ll find you again, don’t worry.”

Panic flared in Haru’s chest. “You’re… You’re not coming? How will you get out, Rika?”

Rika smirked slightly. “Did you forget? I’m a ghost, Haru. Nothing can harm me.”

With those final words, the portal sealed behind him. Haru had made it through. But now, he found himself in the middle of utter chaos.

                                                                               ***

The moment I stepped outside, a scorching gust of wind, reeking of burnt air, hit my face. The heavy, suffocating scent filled my lungs as the chaotic scene at the crossroads unfolded before my eyes, pressing down on me with a crushing weight. A thick red haze of smoke hung in the air like a curtain, and to my left, the road was completely barricaded.

Flames crackled from metal barrels lined up in a row, slicing through the darkness, scattering soot and ash everywhere. The people gathered there bore expressions of both deep anger and hopelessness, their tattered clothes and soot-streaked faces marking them as those Rika had spoken of, the Voidwalkers.

Behind the barricade, a raised platform had been set up on a long, makeshift vehicle. A man stood atop it, shouting into a loudspeaker, his voice raw with desperation. He had pulled his shirt aside, revealing a crimson number etched into his chest. His fiery eyes clashed with the tremble in his voice.

"I have only seven days left! Orbis is preparing to erase me! My fate is the inevitable end for all of you! Do you really think you're free? You are all slaves to this system! If you don’t want to suffer the same fate as us, then join us! Destroy Orbis and claim true freedom!"

His shouts echoed through the crowd, sending a chill through my spine. The sheer desperation in his voice felt like a chasm I did not want to fall into.

My hands trembled slightly, my palms growing cold and damp with sweat. I didn't belong here. This wasn’t my world. The breath of the gathered crowd suffocated me, the crackling flames clawed at my ears. What was I doing here? I didn’t even know where to go.

Traffic had completely halted. Smoke billowed from overturned vehicles, rising into the sky as their metallic bodies succumbed to the fire. The echoes of explosions pounded in my skull. People were scattering in panic while the Silver Guardians struggled to maintain order. I felt trapped, as if caught in the very heart of chaos itself.

Instinct took over. I turned toward the nearest alleyway, crouching behind a line of dumpsters. I held my breath for a moment, ears tuned to the voice blaring from the loudspeaker, but my eyes darted around, praying no one had noticed me.

Then, the sharp clang of metal striking metal sliced through the air. A screech of brakes shrieked from the right, a piercing sound that made me wince. When I turned my head, I saw a car slammed into a streetlight, smoke billowing from its engine. The pole tilted dangerously, groaning under its own weight, the sound of tearing metal sending a shiver through my spine.

My eyes scanned the street, and that’s when I saw it.

A child, no older than five, covered in filth, his cries swallowed by the city’s chaos. Tears streaked tracks through the dirt on his face as he stood frozen in panic. The streetlight above him continued to tilt, the base giving way inch by inch.

I quickly glanced around. Was someone else going to help him? Where were his parents? But the frantic crowd was too caught up in their own panic. No one had noticed him.

Damn it!

Hiding was the safest option, but I couldn't just leave him there. Fear and logic warred inside me, but my legs had already moved. I sprinted forward. As the shadow of the collapsing pole loomed over us, I lunged, grabbing the child and throwing myself backward with all my strength.

At that moment, the pole crashed down with a deafening boom. The impact of metal against concrete sent shockwaves through my body, shaking the ground beneath me. The deep, guttural groan of the earth itself seemed to vibrate through my bones. Stones shifted under my feet, the asphalt cracking into jagged shards. I bent my knees to steady myself, but everything was spiraling out of control. Around me, people screamed, some stumbling, others covering their faces in terror.

The sky flashed with a blinding light, and an ear-splitting crack of thunder slammed into my chest like a physical blow. It felt as if the world itself had shattered. The air was thick with terrified screams, the shriek of collapsing buildings, the metallic groan of crumbling structures blending into a single nightmare. Explosions painted the sky in streaks of fire, ash and smoke making it nearly impossible to breathe. Chaos had descended completely.

Even the Silver Guardians had abandoned order, shifting into survival mode. Fear lingered in the air like an unrelenting fog, and I stood in the middle of it all, unsure of what to do.

Then, without warning, the tremors stopped.

I barely had time to process it before I heard a distant, muffled scream approaching me. A woman, her face streaked with tears, ran toward me, her breath coming in ragged sobs. She reached for the child in my arms, trembling hands clutching him desperately. Her voice quivered as she repeated words of gratitude over and over before vanishing into the crowd, the boy held tightly against her chest.

For a moment, the world seemed to shrink, the noise fading into the background. An unfamiliar emptiness settled inside me. All that remained in my grasp was the lingering warmth of the child I had just saved.

I stood frozen in place, breathless, my mind blank. My body told me to move, but I couldn’t.

And then… I felt it.

A pair of eyes locked onto me.

A chill crawled down my spine. Even before turning, I knew what I would see. The weight of an approaching threat pressed down on me like an invisible force. A Guardian. He was staring at me. Then, with deliberate precision, he raised his hand.

The Guardian beside him followed his gaze, lifting his head to meet mine.

I was caught.

Without hesitation, I bolted. My footsteps slammed against the pavement, the shouts of the pursuing Guardians mixing into the chaos behind me. Damn it! I should have stayed hidden! Why did I try to play the hero?

My heart pounded against my ribs, my breath coming in ragged gasps. My eyes darted frantically for an escape. Then, I spotted a narrow passageway between two buildings. Was it big enough to fit through? I had no time to calculate.

“Over here!”

The voice cut through the noise, sharp and urgent.

My body instinctively hesitated. I glanced around, but saw no one.

“Over here!” This time, the voice was clearer.

The Guardians were closing in. Desperate, I turned toward the source of the voice. Just as I did, I felt it, a hand, cold and strong, grabbing me from behind and yanking me into the shadows.

Panic surged through me. My eyes widened as I spun around, expecting to see my captor.

But what I saw made my mind reel in disbelief.

A single arm, floating in mid-air, reaching out from the darkness.

And it was pulling me in.