CHAPTER 27 - 27 – CITY AFLAME (PART 2)

Chapter 27 – City Aflame (Part 2)

Exactly twenty-two minutes and thirty-three seconds had passed since the global invasion began.

In hindsight, it was a painfully short span of time. Barely enough to prepare for anything. Even the most violent natural disasters—the deadliest earthquakes, tsunamis, and storms—took longer to cause real destruction.

And yet, in these mere twenty-two minutes, the devastation Earth endured surpassed anything in recorded history. It rivaled all the wars that had ever scarred its surface combined. A calamity like no other.

Across every corner of the world, monsters of every shape, rank, and species poured in like a tide of nightmares. It didn't matter whether it was land, sea, or sky—no place was spared. Gates opened across all terrains, and from them, the creatures surged forth, mindless and bloodthirsty.

Cities were razed in moments. Civilization crumbled under the relentless onslaught. The death toll climbed at a pace no one could comprehend. Hundreds of millions perished—many in the most gruesome, horrifying ways imaginable. Torn apart. Devoured alive.

And Jack's city, Riverfall, was no exception.

The people had been completely unprepared. The scale of the attack was beyond any warning or prediction. In the blink of an eye, chaos engulfed everything. Bodies lined the streets. Blood flowed through gutters and soaked into the concrete. The scent of death and fear filled the air, suffocating and absolute.

But in the midst of this nightmare, on one of the many ruined streets, a lone figure stood out. While civilians screamed and fled blindly, one boy ran not to escape—but to fight.

Jack.

He moved with purpose, not panic. His blade gleamed as it carved through the monstrous apes attacking him. Each swing of his weapon claimed another life. Blood splattered across his face, his clothes, his arms—but he kept going. Even as claws raked his skin and blows slammed into his body, none of it seemed to slow him down.

"RAAAH!"

The apes shrieked and lunged at him in groups. Still, they fell like flies before the storm of his blade.

'Almost at the end of the road!' he thought, ignoring the pain lacing his limbs. Blood ran down his sides, soaking into his tattered shirt, but his eyes stayed focused.

The road ahead opened into a narrow alley, his only chance of escape. But more apes had caught his scent. They roared and charged, trampling over each other to reach him.

Jack had grown stronger with every monster he felled, but even he had limits. His stamina was almost drained, his body bruised and torn from multiple strikes that had nearly ended him.

'I have to get out of here!'

As he reached the alley, Jack leapt inside. The apes lunged at him from all directions, but he rolled across the ground and scrambled forward. Behind him, the creatures crashed through the narrow path in a wave of destruction. Some scaled the walls like insects, moving as one chaotic, monstrous tide.

"Jack! Don't look back!" Lune's voice rang out beside him as the tiny companion floated anxiously in the air.

"I know," Jack grunted. "But their numbers just quadrupled."

"RAAAH!!"

From above, apes leapt from rooftops, hurling themselves down to crush him.

Jack focused his essence. Energy surged through his legs, and he shot forward like a bullet. Darting left and right, barely avoiding their claws, he pushed his battered body beyond its limits. A few frantic minutes later, he burst out of the alley into a different district.

'I need to lose them. There's way too many now!'

He risked a glance over his shoulder—and what he saw chilled him.

A sea of monstrous apes followed, screeching and snarling, tripping over each other in their madness to tear him apart. It was a terrifying sight. And yet, Jack's mind remained oddly calm. He wasn't panicking. He was calculating.

He scanned the area quickly.

"There," he whispered.

Without hesitation, he sprinted toward a nearby manhole cover. Gripping the metal lid, he yanked it open and dropped down into the darkness just as the apes rounded the corner.

"RAAAAH!"

The creatures reached the area moments later and stormed past, searching for him. Their howls and stomps echoed through the ruined street, breaking whatever fragile silence remained.

In the manhole below, Jack crouched in the damp, pitch-black tunnel, holding his breath as he listened to the chaos above.

"..."

Seconds ticked by like hours. Then—gradually—the noise faded. The monsters moved on.

"Is it clear, Lune?" he asked quietly.

Hovering just outside, the glowing figure gave a nod. "Mm. You can come out now. They're gone."

Jack climbed back up and glanced around, wary. "That was too close for comfort... but I'm alive."

"This city's cursed," Lune muttered, floating at his shoulder. "Titan Tree Apes are among the most destructive beasts in existence. They don't leave anything standing. And worse, they breed like wildfire. Their numbers will multiply fast. It won't be long before they consume everything here."

"That doesn't surprise me," Jack replied. 'They're like locusts tearing through a field of crops. No mercy. No control. Just endless hunger.'

Shaking his head, he turned north. "The northern district isn't far. I can reach it from here."

With that, Jack began running again, disappearing into the shadows of the burning city.

Meanwhile...

"OPEN THE DAMN GATES!!!"

"PLEASE! AT LEAST TAKE MY CHILD IN!!"

"WE'RE GOING TO DIE, YOU HEARTLESS BASTARDS!!"

Not far from Jack's location, a storm of panic had erupted near the entrance to the northern district. Hundreds—no, thousands—of civilians had swarmed the checkpoint in desperate search of safety. But instead of refuge, they were met with locked barricades and cold steel.

Military tanks lined the streets. Soldiers manned the walls, firing into the distance at incoming threats, trying to hold the line against the growing tide of monsters.

But the real danger, for now, was from within.

"Everyone, please stay calm!" a commanding officer shouted through a megaphone. "We will let you in once the area is secure! Please be patient!"

"BULLSHIT! YOU SAID IT WAS SAFE!" a man roared from the crowd, pushing against the barrier.

"LET US IN!! MY WIFE IS IN THERE!!"

People tried to scale the barricades, clawing at the walls in frenzied desperation.

"Sir, please step back!" a soldier warned as one man attempted to climb over. "This is for your own safety!"

"Safety?!" the man spat. "The city's burning! We're getting eaten out there!"

"We're doing everything we can to bring things under control," the soldier replied firmly. "Now get down!"

"LIAR!"

The man lunged forward, grabbing the edge of the wall. The soldier tried to restrain him.

"GET DOWN!"

THUD!

The soldier struck the man with the butt of his rifle. He dropped instantly, blood running from a gash on his head.

"WHAT THE HELL?!"

"HE HIT HIM!"

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL US TOO?!"

The crowd erupted into pure fury. Screams rose louder, fists slammed against the metal gates. The fragile line between order and chaos had fully shattered.

"We warned you!" one of the soldiers bellowed. "Stay back or you won't be allowed inside!"

"YOU MURDERERS!"

"THE MONSTERS ARE COMING!!"

The tension thickened like smoke. Desperation hung in the air.

From a distance, Jack stood silently, watching the chaos unfold. His eyes narrowed.

"What a mess..." he muttered, his voice void of sympathy. "They look like pigs trying to flee the slaughterhouse."

"You can't blame them, my love," Lune whispered softly. "Their lives matter. They're scared."

"If their lives truly mattered to them, they'd follow orders," Jack replied coldly. "The military's likely holding them out to avoid attracting more monsters. But if they keep acting like this... they'll just get themselves killed anyway."

Lune didn't argue.

Jack's gaze shifted toward the wall, thoughtful. "I want to know what's happening inside the northern district. Looks like I'm taking a small detour."

And with that, he turned and began walking again, slipping silently into the night.