So it is done: 8:00:00 (Patreon)

RESIDENTS. OF. MOUNTAIN. GLENN…

Some kind of surreal feeling seems to have consumed Jonathan.

PLEASE. GO. TO…

I’m dreaming, right? What do those words mean? Do those letters even add up to words?!

THE. NEAREST. SHELTER...

I think I forgot to close the front door…  And the mirror? That’s right, I broke the mirror… I need to replace it soon. Was I talking to someone?

RIGHT. NOW…

Cinder! That’s right, Cinder!

A. HORDE. OF. GRIMM…

Jonathan's frozen gaze finally returned to Cinder, she looked strange? Why is she so frightened? Frightened… Why? She was waiting for something, hoping for it even…

IS. APPROACHING…

Ah, that’s right. It has begun, Jonathan. It has finally begun…

DANGER. LEVEL. NINE…

Somewhere in the distance, there was a shrill scream.

The cold and distinct voice of a robot was then replaced by the howl of sirens again, alerting the entire city of the oncoming Grimm attack. To Jonathan’s ears, it sounded like the tolling of bells.

What are you going to do, Jonathan?

Jonathan was frozen in indecision as he stared at Cinder’s trembling form.

What are you going to do?

***

“Giant Nevermores incoming!” Olivia's scream was almost drowned in the sirens of the cities. “Incoming! Two o'clock! Roman, get to it!”

Roman was quite familiar with conflict against the police before his stint as a huntsman-in training. Buying illegal substances? Smuggling alcohol? Selling Cigarettes without permit? Those were among the long list of his crime spree. Okay, he still does that regularly nowadays, only rather than a cell, he has to deal with Glynda.

Roman knew at least eight police stations thoroughly and from the inside.

RESIDENTS. OF. MOUNTAIN. GLENN…

With the military, however? No, never. Roman had never been in conflict with the military before… And not really for a lack of trying, either. The military was simply something that most normal citizens don't deal with. With the things that made interacting with the military necessary, Roman was really cursing the fact that he’s now uncomfortably familiar with them.

PLEASE. GO. TO…

The droning loud voice, pressed on his ears. The recording spoke slowly, measuredly, pronouncing each phrase with plodding certainty.

THE. NEAREST. SHELTER…

Somewhere in the distance, there was a scream - a high-pitched one. A car alarm was blaring somewhere. And all through the cacophony, the sounds of stomping feet were heard everywhere.

RIGHT. NOW…

“I see it!” Roman swallowed his saliva as he turned to the side, looking at the flickering figure, barely visible against the background of the dark night sky in the distance.

A. HORDE. OF. GRIMM…

Even against the background of the night sky, the figure of the huge Grimm stood out like a dark blob, blocking the dim light of the stars.

IS. APPROACHING…

“More incoming!” Olivia shouted without slowing down. “Gretchen, seven o'clock!”

DANGER. LEVEL. NINE…

“Dive!” Gretchen shouted, after which Roman, obeying the reflexes driven into his brain stem, immediately crouched down, avoiding the diving wipe of the Giant Nevermore.

With the gnashing sound of concrete shattering, the Giant Nevermore crashed into the ground, ripping out lumps of asphalt with its claws. As soon as the opening showed itself, Roman, with a pirouette worthy of a master, he unloaded on the Nevermore with Melodic Cudgel. The Dust round slammed into the creature's head, causing it to recoil backward.

“Gretchen!” Olivia's scream barely broke through the Nevermore’s roar of pain.

“On it!” With a leap. Gretchen crashed into the downed Nevermore, destroying it into wisps of smoke as her fist turned its head into pulp. “Roman, the other Nevermore!”

Roman glanced up at the sky towards the Nevermore that Gretchen was harassing, before swearing in full force. "It’s going to dive! Olivia!”

“Understood!” Familiar with how his team leader's weapon works, Roman immediately closed his eyes and ears. Still, even through his closed eyes, his eye was almost flooded with light, at least the sound was manageable. “It’s down!!” Olivia shouted.

A cry of the Giant Nevermore rang out again, before being interrupted by a blow from Gretchen. “Incoming! Three o’clock, on the ground!”

Roman raised his eyes to the sky before his mind caught up to what was said and shifted his gaze downward. “Deathstalker!”

The looming figure of the giant scorpion seemed so out of place on a dark street full of parked cars and streetlamps. And that’s not just because they were only fighting Nevermores until now.

A grim realization slipped through Roman's head.

How is a Deathstalker here?! Did the Grimm already break through the walls!?

Roman reacted by immediately retreating. A short jump, and he was already behind Olivia. There was no way that just closing his eyes would allow him to survive this time around.

Another flash of light flashed through the street, blinding him, as he did not have time to close his eyes. With a deafening roar, Olivia's weapon fired a projectile accelerated to several times the speed of sound. The metal projectile, turned to plasma by the speed and friction with air, pierced through the Deathstalker, armor and all, killing it instantly.

“Another one! Two o’clock!” Another Deathstalker ran through the black smoke of the dead Deathstalker. “What!? More Deathstalkers incoming! Three o’clock! Six o’clock! Another from three o’clock! Five o'clock! Another from seven o'clock! They’re surrounding us! We need to retreat!”

And through team ORNG’s battle, the sirens howl.

***

RESIDENTS. OF. MOUNTAIN. GLENN…

“Faster, faster!” The screams of the soldiers were drowned in the thunderous sound of turrets firing, each tower desperately firing at the oncoming tide of darkness. “Left two-seven! Fire!”

PLEASE. GO. TO…

A huge black shadow flashed over the wall, before it was immediately engulfed by the explosion of a turret’s projectile. The scene was recreated, dozens, hundreds of times all across the wall of Mount Glenn. Each flash of thunder, each spark of mankind’s fury lighting up the night sky against the darkness, only revealing the hopelessness of the situation. Slowly, inexorably, the light was consumed by the darkness.

THE. NEAREST. SHELTER…

“Left seven-three! Fire!” The cries of the officers who remained on the wall rang with maddened determination, each fighting to the last. “Right seven-one! Fire! Right six-three, Fire! Right five-four! Left two-two… ”

RIGHT. NOW…

“NO! NO, NO! GET AWAY!” Between the sounds of lightning, there were screams, howls, and the sound of ripping, tearing, and Death. Another one falls.

A. HORDE. OF. GRIMM…

“LEFT SEVEN-THREE! LEFT SEVEN-THREE, WHY ARE YOU NOT FIRING!” An officer's shout could be heard, desperate, as they could see death approaching. “LEFT SEVEN-THREE!”

IS. APPROACHING…

“LEFT SEVEN-THREE IS LOST!” A scream was drowned in the roar of fire and the cry of soldiers. “LEFT SEVEN-THREE IS LOST!”

DANGER. LEVEL. NINE...

“Forgive us, Brothers, for we are going to you…” The officer's quiet voice was lost among the shout of soldiers.

Thunders roared, as the storm of darkness engulfed yet another spark, the siren blared.

***

RESIDENTS. OF. MOUNTAIN. GLENN...

“THIRD OFFICER! ON YOUR LEFT!” The captain's voice broke through the shout of the soldiers and civilians. “DON’T LET THE CIVILIANS PASS YET!” Captain Decimus shouted at his soldiers as they tried to group up the disparate civilians pushing in on their cordon.

PLEASE. GO. TO…

“Let us go, the Grimm is coming!” A cacophony of screams, children's crying and the howls of Grimm pierced through the air. “Get out of the way!”

“WE’RE EVACUATING!” The loud shout of Captain Decimus broke through even the cries of the civilians, - “SO, LINE UP IN TWO COLUMNS! THE FASTER YOU’LL DO IT, THE FASTER WE CAN LEAVE!”

THE. NEAREST. SHELTER…

“I am…!”. A plump man shouted as he rushed forward, trying to bypass the lined up soldiers. In return, he was laid flat by a rifle butt to the face.

“LINE UP IN TWO COLUMNS!” Decimus' shout failed to do anything as the scared civilians panicked.

RIGHT. NOW…

A warning shot in the air, finally caused most of the civilians to listen, but some decided to run away. Probably to their assured death.

“WE’RE EVACUATING YOU!” The soldiers did not bother chasing the fleeing civilians, as the remaining civilians were forcefully corralled. Satisfied with what he saw, the captain's cry was heard once again. “GOOD, KEEP YOURSELF IN TWO COLUMNS, OTHERWISE WE COULDN’T PROTECT YOU! SOLDIER, MARCH!”

A. HORDE. OF. GRIMM…

The roar of marching soldiers echoed down the street, drowning out the cries of panicked civilians.

“TO THE SUBWAY! TO THE TUNNELS!” The captain's shout rang out again and again, guiding the soldiers and keeping the civilians in line. Soon the concentration of negative emotions drew out the Grimm like flies to rotten meat. “SOLDIER! BRACE YOURSELF!”

IS. APPROACHING…

“On the ground! Three o’clock!” One of the spotters shouted, “Another, at six o’clock! Seven o’clock! Eight o’clock!”

“THIRD SQUAD! TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT!” Obeying their orders, several soldiers moved out instantly, leaving the columns of civilians. “KILL THE GRIMM! DON’T LET THEM GET NEAR! DEFEND THE CITIZENS!”

“Yes, sir!” Shouted the soldiers as they tried their best to stem the tide of darkness.

DANGER. LEVEL. NINE…

“We'll get you out…” The captain murmured, barely moving his lips, as the civilians behind him screamed in fear, as his soldiers used their bodies and weapons to block the Grimm. “We'll get you all out…” He repeated to himself as a promise, as the situation looks most dire.

Then, there were no more words, only howls, screams, and thunder.

Sirens soon blotted out the sound.

***

Jonathan was on his feet and out of his house towards the nearest dust store.

“Damn, damn, damn!” Not knowing whether he was cursing out loud or not, Jonathan opened canister after canister of dust. "Mistral?" Vale? Atlas? Mantle? Where, where, where…”

“John...” Cinder tried to call out, but Jonathan just waved her off. “Not the time, not the time, not the time!”

Fire, shit, can’t use that, water - no. Ice… more ice, no, no, no, no!

His movements were quick and frenzied as he pried each canister of dust with agitated rage, uncaring as its content fell to the ground, scattering its dangerous content on the ground.

RESIDENTS. OF. MOUNTAIN. GLENN…

“I found it, I found it!” Jonathan grabbed the container with the necessary dust for his ritual like it’s a lifeline. “Now, now all I need next is…”

A scream, sounding as if from a huge bird, made Jonathan freeze in fear for a second. After which, barely turning his head towards the window, he jumped back, catching Cinder in his hand. As he fell to the side, Jonathan saw the brick wall behind him turn to dust as a huge black shadow crashed in front of Jonathan's face.

PLEASE. GO. TO…

Luckily, the Grimm was already dead, as the black shadow bursts into black smoke. Before he could do anything else, Jonathan heard another bird cry. Another one was coming, he needed to leave now!

“Cinder, hold on!” Jonathan drew on his powers, and then closed his eyes. He was lucky that he was in an Umbral World. He shudders to imagine what, doing improvised magic while near a Sleeper, would do to him in the real world.

“I am a moving point itself, I am an unshakable point of connection, I am movement and a path, for my word is Via…”

THE. NEAREST. SHELTER…

The bird's screech echoed again, getting closer and closer, forcing Cinder to close her eyes. It took her a while to realize that the bird’s cry had suddenly stopped.

“Now, I need to…  damn it, damn.” Jonathan instantly let Cinder go as she opened her eyes, looking at his surroundings in agitation. “Shit, shit, shit… I need to hurry.”

RIGHT. NOW…

“Where are we?” Cinder looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. This building was unfamiliar to her...

“Not the time, Cinder! Not the time.” Jonathan did not answer her, chastising her instead. “Now, right. I need two beams…”

Jonathan looked around the room, and when he found something that could work, began walking to it and murmuring. "Now, marker…  There must be a marker in this building, right? It’s a government building, for god’s sake, there must be…!"

A. HORDE. OF. GRIMM…

Jonathan rushed to one of the tables scattered around the room. With nothing to do, Cinder began to look at her surroundings, just in case she could figure out where she was.

This place was unfamiliar to her. There’s a cabinet, some tables, a lot of chairs, and one large meeting table… ok, she gave up.

“Shit, shit! Got it!” Jonathan, grabbing a marker he had found on one of the table’s cabinets, he ran to one of the walls and began drawing. “Ok, the third ray... Shit, why is it so dry!? Not now!”

IS. APPROACHING…

After wiping the previous drawing with his sleeve, Jonathan immediately began to draw a new one.

“North, tower, third to… Third to nine” Cinder was not sure what Jonathan was saying or what he’s trying to draw on the wall. Whatever it was, it looked complicated. “Moon…  Moon in retrograde... Mercury in retrograde? No, it’s in the normal position. Ok! Next…  Shit! Why don't I have any silver?!”

DANGER. LEVEL. NINE…

Suddenly, something seemed to click, and Jonathan froze. As he turned to face Cinder, she could see the terror on his face. “Neo…”

And all throughout his frenzy, the siren rang all through the night.

***

A screech from a diving Nevermore made Neo dash to the side, as she escaped the bird's sharp claws, before continuing to run forward.

“Come on, Neo, come on! Come on, the basement is close!" Shouted one of her caretakers as the person equally cried, and tried to usher Neo along.

RESIDENTS. OF. MOUNTAIN. GLENN...

“My daughter! My daughter is still inside!” The cries of the lone woman were drowned out by the cries of fleeing civilians. In desperation, the lonely woman rushes across the crowd towards the wrecked building destroyed by an errant Grimm. She was running towards her death. The crowd doesn't care.

PLEASE. GO. TO…

Before she can even do anything, the crowd knocks the woman down without stopping. She was dead before her voice even died down, drowned in the roar of gunfire and Grimm.

“SEVEN O’CLOCK! WHAT!? EMPLACEMENT LEFT SEVEN-TWO IS LOST!” The night sky lit up for a second with flashes of distant explosions, and even the cries of the Grimm were drowned for a second.

THE. NEAREST. SHELTER…

A Beowulf had appeared in front of Neo before she knew it, rearing its claws to cut her in twain. As her life flashed before her eyes, she was saved as several bullets knocked it down, killing the Beowulf.

“CITIZEN, TWO O’CLOCK! ESCORT HER BACK HERE, SOLDIER!” An officer's shout echoed down the street, - “SEVENTH PLATOON, REINFORCE THE RIGHT SIDE! MORE INCOMING FROM SEVEN O’CLOCK! WHAT? PRIVATE! THAT URSA IS STILL ALIVE! WHY ARE YOU CALLING IN A STRIKE? GIRL, GET OUT OF THERE!”

RIGHT. NOW…

Neo dived under the swipe of an Ursa that could’ve decapitated her. Just as the Beowulf died, a half-dead Ursa rushed in to kill her. That wasn’t what almost killed her, though.

An explosive shell crashed nearby, its explosion and shockwave threw her back like a rag doll.

She was alive, but her ears were ringing. It was cold, it was quiet.

Very quiet.

A. HORDE. OF. GRIMM…

From afar, the sirens sounded like it was underwater.

Neo tried to clear her eyes, but the picture in front of her eyes did not change, it was as if it were imprinted on her pupils.

It was dark. Very dark.

IS. APPROACHING…

It’s scary. Very scary.

Nobody wanted to die, Neo didn't want to die. And if Jonathan had anything to say about it, there’s no way that it’s going to happen.

Neo was feeling a strange sensation. As her eyes cleared out, Neo suddenly realized that someone was hugging her. Someone had torn her off the ground and carried her away from the darkness.

And Neo didn't have the strength to do anything about it.

It was very cold, and Neo couldn't feel her legs.

“...fracture… stable? No.” A voice made its way reluctantly through the veil that had clouded Neo’s ears. “...on the spot... urgent help... evacuation... I don't know if... damn…”

DANGER. LEVEL. NINE…

The Sirens kept blaring. The sirens were so loud that it felt as if it even pierced Neo's mind.

But most of all, it was very, very cold and painful...

***

“HOLD THE RIGHT FLANK!” The cry of Captain Aisa echoed over the soldiers. “HOLD UNTIL THE CIVILIANS COULD EVACUATE!”

The sirens sounded so loud that even trying to plug their ears, no one would be able to do it.

“NEVERMORE, SEVEN O’CLOCK! ANOTHER URSA, TWO O’CLOCK!” The sounds of shooting and shouting, howling and crashing, roaring and screaming, the sounds were deafening. Yet, through it all, the Siren blared.

“RIGHT BUILDING, IT’S COLLAPSING! THREAT SEVEN O’CLOCK!”

RESIDENTS. OF. MOUNTAIN. GLENN…

Wave after wave, the Grimm crashed against the soldiers, ignoring the civilians. Perhaps they know that if the soldiers broke, the civilians would be free game. A black mass of Grimm drowned the streets, making its way into houses and cordons. The roar of gunfire,  the screams of those in panic, the howls of the dying.

“REINFORCE THE LEFT SIDE, THEY’RE BREAKING THROUGH!” A soldier's shout broke through the cacophony.

PLEASE. GO. TO…

“SHOOT THE PANICKING CIVILIANS, THEY’RE DRAWING IN THE GRIMM!” The grim order was given, to be answered instantly by the roar of shots and screaming civilians.

The screams intensified for a second, only to completely disappear a moment later. It was too late for the Captain to belay the order, hundreds have died by their soldiers’ hand.

THE. NEAREST. SHELTER…

“THE RIGHT FLANK IS COLLAPSING!” The howls of the Beowulfs collided with the cry of the soldier. “SOLDIERS! WE’LL HOLD IT UNTIL THE LAST!”

“SIR! THE SIXTH DIVISION IS GONE!” Screams, so many screams…

RIGHT. NOW…

“KEEP UP THE DEFENSE!” The captain's voice was desperate and hoarse. “WHERE IS URD?! WHERE IS THE REINFORCEMENT?!”

“THEY’RE DEFENDING MISTRAL SQUARE, SIR!” A soldier ran up to the captain and then tried to breathe and deliver their message as calmly as they possibly could. “Civilians are moving from the side of Marsh Leibin street! Captain Urd is directing the evacuee.”

A. HORDE. OF. GRIMM...

“SHIT! SOLDIER! WE’RE RETREATING TO THE SIDE OF THE RIGHT ENTRANCE!” The order of the captain was punctuated by a shot from the captain's pistol. “SEVENTH DIVISION! WE’LL BE COVERING THE EVACUATION!”

“YES, MA'AM!! A discordant chorus of answers from the soldiers reached the captain.

IS. APPROACHING…

Grabbing the nearest rifle, Aisa jerked the bolt, sending a bullet into the chamber before taking aim - “ON OUR SHOULDERS IS THE LIFE OF MILLIONS! GO SOLDIERS OF MOUNTAIN GLENN!”

DANGER. LEVEL. NINE…

The soldiers were retreating slowly before the endless horde of darkness.

***

Why?! WHY?! WHYWHYWHY?! WHY IS THIS HAPPENING!?

Let there be Hell on Earth!

RESIDENTS. OF. MOUNTAIN. GLENN...

Hell, hell, hell… is this hell?

The grounds are rumbling, and the air is filled with shouts of despair, shooting and the roar of beasts.

Black monsters with white bone-like shells flickered past the windows. A huge scorpion is ripping a soldier apart with its pincers as the soldier tried, with his dying breath, to kill it in turn. A soldier throws explosives at a horde of huge wolves that was shredding his comrade-arms. A giant raven bursts into a building, ripping out the cowering civilians inside, like plucking worms from the ground.

It was a scene straight from hell.

PLEASE. GO. TO…

Crowds of people crush each other in their frenzy to escape the monster.

The air is filled with the sounds of shooting and explosions, as the soldiers defend themselves furiously to the last.

The cries of the officers and the flickering of shadows was the only thing Jonathan could hear and see outside. That, and the ear-piercing Siren.

THE. NEAREST. SHELTER…

What… What should I do?! WHAT SHOULD I DO?!

Run, Jonathan. Run. Save yourself! Isn’t that what you do?

Jonathan could feel Neo's limp body in his arms like lead weight. And the panic in the eyes of Cinder, hiding in a corner shaking, burned his skin like the unrelenting ray of the sun.

Blood runs down Neo's legs. She was going cyanotic, her lips were turning blue. A fragment of a bone from her thigh could be seen piercing through her leg. Her legs were swollen, and one of her feet twisted unnaturally. She was becoming paler and paler by the second. He needs to do something, right now.

RIGHT. NOW…

It's over, Jonathan! Just save your own skin! Outside it’s Hell. Hell on this earth, I say! But rejoice, Jonathan, for your prayers have been answered! Welcome to Hell, where you decide nothing, Jonathan! Your prayer to be a useless coward has been answered and heard! Hell has come to Earth, Jonathan! So run Jonathan, run!

A. HORDE. OF. GRIMM…

Screams. Sirens. Shots. Howls. Roars. Cry. Explosions.

Neo doesn't react to any of it in his arms, and the panic in the eyes of Cinder.

IS. APPROACHING…

Jonathan could feel a Jolt. Not from the artillery, this one was much greater in intensity.

The ground shook, and it felt like the very mountain was crumbling. Then a roar. A roar so loud it shook the very earth.

The glass that still remained in the buildings burst apart, crumbling into so many pieces. And yet, biting else could be heard, no one can hear anything other than the roar.

The primordial roar of a monster getting free.

DANGER. LEVEL. NI… BRZT…

And for a second, the Siren stopped as Jonathan also froze as he stared through the window. It was a dot. A dot so small on the horizon and yet even from so far, he could feel the rolling death coming from it. A feeling that got more and more intense as the dot’s size grew.

Even through the veil of smoke and darkness, Jonathan could see it clearly.

Huge wings that covered the night sky.

A mouth full of teeth, grinning in hatred.

"Dragon..." On the verge of a nightmare and reality, Jonathan spoke slowly as something cracked within him...

TEN…

***

“DECIMUS!” Shoot, keep shooting, keep the line. The thought repeated again and again in the soldier's head like a mantra. “REINFORCEMENT!”

RESIDENTS. OF. MOUNTAIN. GLENN…

Just shoot, shoot the horde. Beowulf turned a car over? Shoot it. An Ursa tore apart yet another soldier? Shoot it. A Nevermore crashed into a building? Shoot it.

PLEASE. GO. TO…

Shoot. SHOOT! SHOOT! KEEP SHOOTING!

THE. NEAREST. SHELTER…

Pull the trigger, no need to think. No need to look at the dead. No need to listen to the cries of the dead and the Grimm. Just shoot.

Don't look at their faces. Don't listen to their screams. Don't think about their death. Shoot, keep shooting.

RIGHT. NOW…

Others are shooting alongside him nearby, but don't look. Don't be distracted by the orders. Shoot, keep shooting.

Retreat, then shoot. Attack, shoot them dead. Defend. Shoot. Kill. Shoot.

A. HORDE. OF. GRIMM…

The sky was covered by a monster and the lights were fading. The moon was covered by shadow.

Shoot. Shoot. Shoot.

IS. APPROACHING…

An ugly black blob falls to the ground, transforming into a Beowulf. Shoot it.

A brother in arms falls without an arm. Shoot.

Civilians crush civilians underfoot as they scream and run like headless chicken. Keep shooting.

DANGER. LEVEL. TEN…

Your body is being torn to pieces. Shoot.

You are dying. Shoot.

Fight till the end.

Keep shooting.

The sirens are howling again.

Shoot.

***

“SIR! HUNTERS, TWO O’CLOCK!” The cry of a soldier that was not something horrible, for once, made Urd shift her gaze from the Grimm. “FOUR OF THEM!”

The flickering figures of hunters, aura  and dying Grimm was a sight for sore eyes. Only for her mood to be soured soon after. “SIR! THE FIRST SQUAD WAS DESTROYED! THE WALLS ARE LOST!”

RESIDENTS. OF. MOUNTAIN. GLENN…

The last turret has now fallen silent. The radio was now silent. There is no one else to listen to orders, they were the only ones left. The only ones still stemming the tide of death and darkness.

PLEASE. GO. TO…

“REGROUP! TO THE HUNTERS!” Orders go into the void, but there are still people that can still hear her, sparks of light against the consuming darkness. The embers are dying one by one, but still, they fight on. “WE’RE CLOSE TO THE SUBWAY MEN! HOLD ON!”

THE. NEAREST. SHELTER…

“HELP!” A new cry rang through the cacophony, even with the sounds of Hell on Earth and the tolling of death’s bell, his voice sounded clear. “CHILD! DYING!”

Urd turned only to see a boy — a civilian — holding a child, no two of them, running through the dead and Grimm.

RIGHT. NOW…

“NO HOSPITAL! EVACUATE WITH THE CIVILIANS!” No time to think, there is no thought of how he ended up behind the cordon. It makes no sense, but there’s no need to think about it. “WE’RE TIGHTENING THE CORDON MEN! RETREAT TO THE RIGHT ENTRANCE! SECOND SQUAD COVER OUR REAR!”

“THE SECOND SQUAD IS ALREADY DESTROYED, SIR!” A voice, one of his soldiers, responds instantly.

A. HORDE. OF. GRIMM…

“DO ANYTHING, I DON’T CARE WHAT! YOU NEED TO HELP HER.” The civilian, the boy, was suddenly behind Urd. “DO SOMETHING!”

“DO, JONATHAN, DO!” For a second, Urd seemed to hear a scream from the boy before he froze in place. For that second, everything else seems dim and distant to the captain’s senses.

“THE THIRD SQUAD DESTROYED! FOURTH SQUAD, PLUG THAT HOLE!” The screams of the soldiers rushed to the captain, as whatever that was passed her by. “WE’RE RETREATING!”

IS. APPROACHING…

“RETREAT!? YOU NEED TO HELP NEO!” Urd turned to the boy as he was just standing there.

How old is he? Eighteen? Maybe less? The girls holding on to him? Maybe ten years old?

The girl in his arms looked about eight years old. She has an open fracture of the left leg. Blood loss. Bleeding.

She was suffering hypovolemic shock. She was going to die.

“WE CAN’T DO ANYTHING!” Urd shouted back, trying to at least save on life.

DANGER. LEVEL. TEN…

The sirens' howl drowns out everything.

***

Everyone is dying, Jonathan.

Isn’t this good enough?

There was nothing you could do.

You couldn't save anyone.

Nothing you could do would change anything.

So, do nothing.

That's it, Jonathan. Just leave.

Everyone is dead.

Everyone is dead and there’s nothing you can do.

No.

What do you mean, Jonathan? No?

They can still be saved. I can still save them.

Then do it, Jonathan! Now is the time to act.

Then for an instant, the world froze.

In that instant there was no more horror, no screams, no monsters, no looming darkness in the sky, no more dying.

There was nothing. There were only words.

So it is done.

And the World, moved.

***

“NO. YOU FUCKING WILL SAVE NEO!” The civilian pointed at Urd, and handed the pale girl to her - “EIGHT HOURS! YOU WILL ENDURE FOR EIGHT HOURS! I’LL GET US OUT OF THIS MESS!”

Urd didn't care. Civilians don't give orders. But Hell had descended to earth. And being in Hell, people are ready to cling to any lie about salvation.

“EIGHT HOURS IS IMPOSSIBLE!” A shout came in response, as the soldiers shot at the shapeless mass of darkness ahead.

“EIGHT HOURS!” The child shouted back in response, and he led the other girl into the hands of the captain.

A blink and the boy disappeared.

“RESIDENTS. OF. MOUNTAIN. GLENN… ” The siren's voice repeated its message for the umpteenth time, before being cut off by the prepubescent voice of a young boy. “EIGHT HOURS! HOLD YOUR POSITION FOR EIGHT HOURS! DO IT AND YOU’LL LIVE!”

Just as unexpectedly as they had sounded the first time, it was silent. For a thousandth of an instant, there was silence.

And then Death resumed its performance.

“FOURTH SQUAD DOWN!” The cry of the soldier finally reached the captain, who tore off the sleeves of his jacket, to bandage the girl.

“EVERYONE HEARD THE VOICE!” - The cry of the captain echoed down the street. “TIGHTEN THE CORDON! FIND A DEFENDABLE POSITION! EIGHT HOURS!”

There was only one thought in the captain's head.

If there is a God in the world, you better be his messenger.

So It Is Done.

8:00:00