Piles of rocks slammed hard over Jeremie and Maya. They were unconscious until they awakened, seeing with terrifying looks over the state of Sector 5. Buildings collapsed, no sign of a living person as they only see corpses even dead soldiers. Maya and Jeremie mused if this is the cause of their ritual. If it was, they are going to regret and wish in every fibre of their being to restore all that was there prior to this. The sad truth they must accept is what is done can never be undone.
"Let's go.", Jeremie said sadly, holding Maya's hand as they move away from the corpses, from the sight of the ruins of the town.
For the next 4 minutes, Jeremie and Maya were searching for survivors. Jeremie and Maya had come to accept no one is alive. Was it really their fault, did they unleash something dangerous that it took away the lives of thousands?
I have blood on my hands?, Maya thought. Though she was a fighter for almost 2 years, Maya's life never included her responsible for other people's death. The people she killed would be rapists, thieves, and monsters.
Jeremie feels intense sorrow for allowing his research towering his caution, and the price was beyond anything his family can afford altogether. An entire population in Sector 5 severely reduced. There's no coming back from this.
Suddenly a figure with messy long black hair stumbles out alongside two boys.
Maya and Jeremie are astonished finding none other than Sissi Delmas to still be alive. Behind Sissi there is a boy with pimples wearing glasses and another boy who a messy blonde hair.
"No way", Jeremie muttered in shock.
Sissi could discern two blonde-haired cadets. One of them is a male, and the other is female. She knows straight away who they are even before she rubbed her eyes for a clearer view. "Belpois?! Schaeffer?!", Sissi cries out with a little feeling of reassurance. "What a relief, I thought I'd be a nerd in the next three cycles.".
"You mean Herb Pichon and Nicholas Poliakoff standing behind you with scowls on their faces?", Jeremie asked.
"Yes.", Sissi said. "Anyway, where the heck have you been cycles ago, Belpois?".
Jeremie and Maya exchanged glances with sad faces, unable to answer that question. Luckily they didn't need to. Sissi shrugged it off.
"Never mind. Have you seen Ulrich?", Sissi said.
"Ulrich? Out of all the people, why is he on the top of the list of the most concerned? ", Jeremie said. Ulrich is well-known in Sector 5, he is described as the always-depressed guy who rarely speaks to anyone.
"Because he can protect us.", Sissi said.
"You wouldn't need protection if you were with your father.", Jeremie said.
"Well, it started when I asked Ulrich to come to my room, I waited outside of the barracks for a very long time waiting for him until I saw creatures coming from everywhere.", Sissi said. "I was trying to find Ulrich but I wind up with these two. We were the only people alive before we met you.".
"That goes the same for us. We were the only two people we know alive.", Maya said.
"Well now that we're together, we can stick together, defend ourselves from monsters.", Sissi said.
"What?", Herb exclaimed. He shocked he is walking around Sector 5 with his rival Jeremy Belpois. "No!".
"Keep your lips sealed, Pichon.", Sissi said to Herb with a serious expression. "You should be grateful I didn't leave you and your stupid friend under a desk.".
Herb was forced to allow Jeremie and Maya to join them.
"Uh... backup, did you say monters?", Jeremie asked. Is the monsters the cause of this town's devesatation?
"You haven't seen?", Sissi said in surprise.
"We... passed out.", Jeremie said.
"You should've seen with your own eyes. There were dozens of little moving rocks, a few blocks with legs, 15 giant red creatures with four legs. I watched them kill them, cadets, people, destroy our town.".
Jeremie and Maya sympathised for Sissi.
"I'm sorry you had to experience this traumatic feeling.", Jeremy said in a very sad tone, blaming himself for causing it all.
"You sound as though you are responsible for Sector 5 in ruins.", Herb said.
Has Herb figured out Jeremie caused a thousand deaths and the damage done to Sector 5?, Aelita thought.
Jeremie unable to respond. He doesn't know why. Is it remembering he had indirectly taken away away a thousand lives rendered him speechless?
"Knock it off!", Sissi shouted at Herb, causing Herb to stay quiet.
Suddenly a few thumps caught everyone's attention. Everyone turned and saw creatures coming from a narrow way. There are three creatures. They have scythe-like legs.
Sissi whimpered. "It's those things!", Sissi said.
Maya prepares to battle the creatures, only to stop when Jeremy grabbed her hand and Sissi's hand.
"No. Don't fight them. We don't know what they are.", Jeremie advised. He gestures Maya and Sissi to hide under the debris.
Sissi and Maya followed, and hid under the debris.
Jeremie took cover behind a fragment of a building.
Herb and Nicholas hid behind a large debris, bodies lying while they squint at creatures heading their way.
"They haven't seen us yet.", Jeremie said. He can tell by creatures' gazes they have not seen them.
Should I trust his word?, Sissi thought. According to reports Sissi would secretly look over, Jeremie excels at analysing postures. He does not have any superpowers like Yumi or Ulrich but he is smarter than both of them. And there are two smartass cadets. Maya and Jeremie hold that title even though Herb is intelligent. This moment is making her anxious intensely. Sissi has no choice but to listen to Jeremie, and acknowledge the creatures haven't found them.
Nicholas is shivering in fear at the sight of monsters.
"Would you quit shaking?", Herb said. "You're making me scared.".
"I cannot help myself.", Nicholas said.
The monsters are slowly moving out, without knowing there are survivors hiding from them.
Jeremie saw no other monsters are around. "Okay, the coast is clear we can run.", Jeremie said. He gestures Nicholas and Herb to follow him as he leads Sissi and Maya out of this area.
Herb is very reluctant to follow. Sissi following Jeremie forced Herb to follow them which made Nicholas follow them too.
They took a long run across the ruins of town.
"I hate this.", Nicholas muttered.
For 5 minutes they were running around circles seemingly because of monsters appearing everywhere. They would hide or they would run.
Sissi panted. "Where is Ulrich when you need him?", Sissi said.
"We are struggling to get out of town, and all you could do is contemplate about Ulrich?", Jeremie exclaimed.
"Yes... because-", Sissi cut off when she saw something behind Jeremie. She instantly screamed at monsters in fear.
Jeremy turned. Tentacles wrapped around Jeremie's body. He is pulled up the air by the monster.
"Jeremie!", Maya exclaimed. She finally uses her powers. Maya raises her two hands, making the creature turn into a petrified state. She draws a small blade, cutting down the tentacles, freeing Jeremie. She pulls Jeremie away from the frozen creature.
Everyone backs away but they would shortly realise it is pointless once they distinguished numerous monsters surrounding them.
Sissi screamed loudly. "ULRICH!", she shouted.