Written for a Discord contest :)
Currently working on a short multi-chapter fic, so stay tuned!
The blood-red moon shines down upon the world, like an omen of misfortune. The sky blazes crimson with dusty clouds of smoke as they waft through the air, coating the once-beautiful city of Crocus in a desolate light. Soot and rubble litter the streets, blanketing the city in a thick mist and tainting its surroundings dark. Dilapidated buildings crumble away, adding to the dismal battlefield. It's a haunting sight that speaks of the desolation and death that has taken hold of this once cheerful town, now turned grim and depressing.
A miserable sight for Lucy and her friends to witness after narrowly escaping the crumbling walls that were their cell.
The piercing sound of dragon roars fills the night sky, shattering eardrums of anyone within its vicinity. Or at least, the few individuals unfortunate enough to survive the attack. One bellow turns to many as the hoard shout their triumph, rows of diamond-strong and razor-sharp teeth on full display. The embodiment of doom coasts through the air on lithe wings, hunting for their next victim.
Just one, small beat of powerful appendages swirls more dirt and grime into the air, filling the lungs of fallen wizards as they cough their final breath. Grateful for this hellish nightmare to finally end.
The beasts decimate the land with one blow of magic that sends plumes of smoke and fire together, whirling and spiraling towards the cloudy sky, as if reaching out in one last effort for help. Memories of cheerful times blaze and burn away within the blink of an eye, joining the charred remains of the fallen capital.
The dragons shatter Crocus as they walk through the streets, every small movement powerful enough to overturn even the sturdiest building as large fissures burst from their limbs.
Lucy knows It's too late to save her friends, but she can't sit around and watch life crumble around her. She has to act, do something to prevent this nightmarish horror from becoming a reality. Despite the darkness clouding her future, she won't abandon hope, and that hope is what keeps her going. Regardless of painful injuries and the agonizing truth she may never see her guild again, Lucy presses forward. The sake of the future rests heavily on her shoulders.
She has one chance, one shot at succeeding. She doesn't want to imagine what would happen if she failed, doomed as a dragon's next meal.
The cacophony of extermination haunts Lucy as she stumbles through Crocus, unable to see through the thick haze of smoke, much less recognize the desolate streets. Buildings continue to crumble and fall around her, their eerie booms resonating in the distance like cries for help. Monsters continue to fly overhead, their sharp senses able to see past the fumes as they stalk.
After agonizingly long hours full of fear, fear for herself and the future, Lucy finally reaches the Eclipse Gate. She holds a scar-ridden arm out, protecting her grimy face from the swirling stream of debris. The powerful, intimidating door looms before her, shining like a beacon of hope through the desolate atmosphere. The once misfortunate moon now glows a faint yellow, seeming like a promise for a better tomorrow.
It's a miracle she's made it this far.
Lowering her arm, Lucy takes several cautious steps closer, tiptoeing towards the inevitable future. Light from the surrounding flames bounces off the pristine metal, the curved iron acting like a mirror as fire swirls and dances behind the celestial mage. They pull at her heartstrings, reminding her of the dear friend she lost right before her eyes.
With one sharp shake of her head, Lucy rids herself of the pooling tears. She may not have her friends right now, but she'd be damned to let another monstrous incident happen again. Shaky strides bring Lucy closer to the ajar door, further amplifying her anxiety.
Nothing.
Nothing lies beyond the great doors. Gone is the dominating white light that shined through, gone is the overwhelming sense of magical power. Instead, the dark, dreary reality of her world stares back, the dancing flames and fragmented rubble mock her with their presence.
She was too late, too slow. The door must have run out of power as the mage stumbled through what was once Crocus.
The sight brings Lucy to her knees as sharp rocks dig into her skin. She doesn't feel the biting pain as dread fills her, fear coming back tenfold as her thoughts are consumed by tragedy. Lucy's vision blurs with sorrow as she tries to hold back her anguish, but the world's weight crashes onto her and she finally breaks, allowing tears to flow freely, carving wet tracks down her dirty cheeks.
Terror grips Lucy's heart as the booming sound of agile landfall sounds behind her. Soot sails through the air as the dragon lands, its wing beats forcing rubble to fly away. Wide brown orbs cautiously turn towards the reptile behind, staring straight into the eyes of her blessed end.