Camila shot across the shrouded golden dunes, entering the monument of sand without any fear. Her only concern was reaching her grandmother and cousin, knowing that every second they remained inside the cathedral of sand could push them closer to their last. Fighting inside the storm was accepting an enormous disadvantage, but sometimes it couldn’t be avoided.

The kinetic aura that normally protected her from the wind also repelled the sand that would have otherwise collided with her skin, leaving damage due to the speed of the impacts. Each individual grain was suspended by an independent force, floating in patterns that moved together in massive sheets of reflective golden crystals. She blasted right through them.

The sands established vast constellations of equally spaced grains and she just shoved them aside. When they shifted, it was like a school of minnows trying to confuse a predator, manipulating light and shadow in ways that distracted and deceived, but they couldn’t resist her propulsion.

Her kinetic aura expanded to its maximum, bolstering her perception to its absolute limit as she moved at a completely inhuman pace. Her velocity exceeded 500 miles per hour and anything she could actually see transformed into a blur, with the objects directly in front of her rushing forward at terrifying speeds. Without an absolute focus on her trajectory, she would crash, but her mind raced as fast as she did, barely keeping up with the demand.

She smashed the first lizard to shift into her path with her forearm and continued on, doing her best to pick her way through the armies while ignoring the scalding corrosion that assaulted her mana and threatened to diminish her focus. A long chain of dragons were suddenly exploding, one after the other, subjected to the kinetic force of the Interceptor as she forced her way deeper into their domain.

To the lesser developed enemies, it seemed like they were spontaneously exploding into showers of golden blood and scale, but compared to their vast numbers, it was such a minor reduction that it could be completely ignored by the rank and file. They lost more individual soldiers when the larger bosses inadvertently stepped on them as the battles increased in ferocity. The more advanced dragons watched her go, unconcerned by what appeared to be the last hurrah of a lone human caught in their domain.

Camila tore through the sand, gathering up grains in her wake and outpacing their chase. Geysers erupted with each elongated step, stretching across entire blocks as she instantly approached her top speed. It barely took longer than a minute to reach where the members of her family should have evacuated from. Once she was stationary, the monsters allowed themselves to take notice, immediately encroaching on her position like she was a magnet to their senses. Anyone one of them would have welcomed the opportunity to eliminate her presence.

The previous evacuation point was near the former George Washington Bridge, where phantom ships had helped secure against the encroachment of civilization shard territory until the sands drew too close. All that was left was a cloudy desert of fine sand, blanketed by the golden haze after the shard territory shrank away, evenly coating land and water with equal thickness. If she wasn’t sure of her location due to her own confidence in speed and direction, she would never have recognized it. There was no sign of any people in the vicinity, so she drifted toward the Bronx, passing through legions of reptilian forces of mana as she picked up speed once again.

When it was necessary and she couldn’t sidestep the enemies, she jabbed at the individuals in her way. The unimpeded kinetic energy sent them careening into the crowds of monsters, assuming they weren’t completely broken by the surprise attacks.

Her momentary stop had drawn enough attention that she could observe the change in posture of the nearby dragons. They shifted like a mass of liquid, flowing toward where she had been still, but she broke through the same way as she had arrived, with a line of defeated monsters and a trail of disturbed sands.

It only took another minute to find her grandmother, the Lady of many titles, the matriarch of her family, and the actual leader of the broader organization of The Family. The monsters were all facing the single point of resistance within their domain, having had their attention previously drawn to where a few remaining humans struggled. When Camila exploded through the perimeter, she leapt in front of her family member, applying not just her built up momentum into an overwhelming attack, but also her complicated emotions at the sudden appearance of a personal rescue mission.

Her fist didn’t connect with any monster directly, but the wind that she generated rivaled even the most powerful gusts that Charlie created. A blast zone extended a quarter of a mile into the distance, dramatically sweeping the encroaching enemies away and even temporarily wrecking the structure of the sandstorm itself. The blast sent the golden sands flying, transforming the area back to crimson in the aftermath as the corrupting haze lingered in the atmosphere.

Camila felt like her bones were placed in a vice, her mana being drawn so dramatically that it physically pained her. They were obviously too far away from the safety of Lighthouse territory, without even the influence of a beacon supporting their meager protection against the corruption. It wouldn’t be a good idea to stay for long.

Her grandmother behaved as if Camila was expected, like always. She didn’t even completely turn to greet her granddaughter despite appearing in such dramatic fashion, parting the sands with her fist.

“Ah, so you’ve arrived.” The Lady observed, standing in the center of a clearing with monsters all around.

She was still wearing an evening gown, torn along the hem, that was likely more expensive than most cars at one time. It was as if she was kidnapped from a gala and abandoned in the middle of a stormy red desert rather than preparing for the apocalypse. Her posture was unaffected by the tatters of fabric and the upward tilt of her head was completely typical, but she only observed Camila from the side of her left eye, facing perpendicular to Camila’s blast zone as if something else that was far more important demanded her attention further to the north.

“Grandmother!” Camila gasped. “Let’s get out of here!” She exclaimed, reaching for her arm though her grandmother made no effort to reciprocate.

The monsters were already filling the gap her arrival had established, the opposite side inevitably taking longer due to the extent of the damage, but the lizards held each other back from actually attacking, as if waiting for an order to converge on the humans who continued to resist corrosion deep within the sandstorm. The mass of lizards temporarily kept their distance despite completely encircling the area. The longer they waited, the more difficult an escape would become and the forces of mana seemed to know that time was on their side, using it to their advantage despite it seeming unnecessary given the disparity in numbers.

“I won’t be coming along this time.” Her grandmother answered stoically, the way she would when she was going to be stubborn about a decision, as if she always knew best.

“What? Why? What are you doing?” Camila questioned, every second spent talking feeling like it was wasted, but her grandmother pulled her arm away, separating them one last time.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Her grandmother chuckled, letting her expression slip a bit. “I’m holding the beasts at bay, making sure that my family survives. Same as always.”

“You should have already evacuated!” Camila argued, upset that they were in this position at all, even if they had to rescue people from the invasion. “But we can fight our way back if we work together.”

Her grandmother just smiled sadly into the sands, growing eerily nostalgic. “My dear, child.” She hummed happily. “I’m so glad you made it before it was too late. Isn’t it nice that your insecure little cousin grew up to be such a reliable young man?” She chuckled, referring to Carlos.

“Stop talking like that.” Camila demanded, not liking the way things were going. The lizards could be on them at any moment and they were wasting precious seconds talking about nothing.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“It’s good he was able to reach you, for her sake.” Her grandmother pointed behind her, revealing Gabby’s unconscious form on the ground nearby, partially covered in sand in the center of the clearing. She was a bit battered, but honestly seemed to be in better shape than Carlos, though the way her skin was slick with sweat and the sand stuck to her made it seem like the corruption was really getting to her.

“Hurry and take Gabriela to safety and get out of here.” The Lady ordered, returning to her serious voice.

“You have to come too.” Camila stated, confused as to why they were debating anything at all.

Though it would be difficult, since they would have to go slow, she was pretty sure they could defeat the dragons that blocked them from the last awaiting ship. Both of them had proven themselves to be powerful beyond most expectations and if they took too long, Charlie would probably do something that might help as well. They had to at least try.

“I’m afraid not.” Her grandmother responded regretfully. “Even if I could still keep up, that thing won’t let us go.”

When Camila’s grandmother gestured further toward the north, where she had been focused throughout the conversation, Camila finally noticed the glint of an enormous reptilian eye shining through the sands. Taken on its own, it was a mere glimmer, an oval of verdant color in a washed out atmosphere that was easily overlooked, but the way it bejeweled a massive dragon-shaped shadow that extended all the way across her peripheral vision revealed the much larger problem.

Camila gasped, realizing that the Icon known as Inevitable Conclusion was already there, so large its form had simply become the background of the entire landscape. That it hadn’t already defeated her grandmother was inexplicable, but it was frequently said that The Lady was powerful beyond explanation.

“You better move quickly, before it roars again.” Her grandmother suggested. “Or else you might end up stuck in its time loop with me. Take care of the family.” She added calmly, using her authoritative voice. “It’s about time you took on the mantle.” She added before her expression broke and she laughed again, as if she was calmly reminiscing about times long past. “You’re such a brat, just like I was.” She added with a smile as she turned toward Camila.

Camila went silent as she saw the other half of her grandmother’s face. It was already ruined to the point that half of her skull had been destroyed, but it was held together with a dark coalescence of energy, her right eye transformed into a crimson orb that matched the synthesis of dark mana that ran down her neck, arm, and torso. She had already been fighting for a long time and she had taken what must have been a mortal wound. Somehow she could still control her mana, but it didn’t seem like there was any going back. Camila couldn’t explain how she was still standing at all, but the realization that her grandmother was already dead hit her like a brick.

“No, wait!” Camila shouted, but the Lady of the Family was no longer entertaining any argument, turning away in preparation for more fights.

She had already accepted her fate, perhaps going as far as when she accepted the mantle of the matriarch. Her irises blazed with renewed crimson light as she reactivated the skills that had been enough of a thorn to hold the Icon back in the first place. All she wanted was to make sure her grandchildren made it out of the wasteland that had once been her territory.

Camila could sense a low, resonant hum emanating from her, vibrating through the sands, each thump adding a barely visible layer of dark aura radiating from her grandmother in the shape of her body. It was a carefully controlled power that matched the sound of a steady heartbeat, one that could not be bent by any amount of pressure, no matter the source.

When her grandmother lunged toward the mass of enemies that separated them from the Icon that loomed above, she was fully unleashing the power that had secured their position in the assimilation. It wasn’t entirely due to her connections that the family had been so prominent in the post-mana world. They had to have strength beyond mere words, and despite the powerful lieutenants in the family, the true source of their stability was always centered at the top.

The poise that had barely restrained a predatory power within the family matriarch shifted as the darkness was fully embraced. The painted nails on her still human hand became extremely sharp, elongating into obsidian tips, already dripping with dark crimson blood that matched her entire opposite limb. Camila had heard of such transformations occurring, where humans channeled monstrous powers through permanent personal sacrifice.

The nearest enemies reacted to the threat, taking the opportunity to retaliate against the challenging opponent, having already learned a morsel of something that might have been called fear in their previous bouts. Before they bit and clawed at their target, tendrils of shadow congealed from between her grandmother’s shoulder blades, forming whip-like appendages of thick, viscous blood that extended a dozen feet into the air. They lashed out with unnatural speed, so fast that even Camila wouldn’t have been able to react had she been the target.

Four reptiles were cracked in half, presence snapped away with the incredible force of each of the supernatural spider-like limbs. The tips crackled with shadowy energy, an orb of darkness at each point absorbing life force and reminding Camila of vampire stories and paranormal black widow nightmares.

Camila made to follow and fight at her side, but she stopped, realizing she couldn’t leave her cousin to die as the lizards also turned to her. She grabbed Gabby instead, hoisting her over her shoulder, and snatched her discarded baseball bat. Hundreds of reptiles converged on their grandmother and only a handful came toward her. Each monster that approached the vampiric spider was shredded, but eventually, the mass of golden scales obstructed sight of the battle.

Camila still refused to leave, smashing and kicking just to hold her ground as the smaller portion of reptiles went after her and Gabby, unable to draw the necessary strength to actually defeat most of them while also protecting her cousin. Then, her augmented grandmother emerged from the pile, rising above the fray while surrounded by crackling red energy, spider limbs covered in golden blood. She shot into the air, splaying each of the blood whips out and exploding with a powerful aura as she sought to engage the Icon itself.

The rest of her body matched the damaged portions as she essentially overcharged her mana in a way that there was no turning back from. The display made her a massive target, challenging all the forces present with confidence earned from a lifetime of implacability.

Glowing red threads shot through the air and attached to the Icon’s scales. Bursts of energy flowed through the connections, exploding when they reached the main threat in dramatic blasts of black and red energy, but the boss monster barely flinched as it was targeted. Camila’s grandmother didn’t back down, dragging herself further into the air like a spider seeking to wrap prey that was much too large for its web, above the mass of smaller dragons, as she set her sights on the Icon itself.

Hundreds of the smaller lizards chased after her, diving through the air. Only half even made it past nearly invisible energized tripwires, having their limbs and heads sliced like they had driven themselves through razor wire. None of the others reached her before she was close enough to impale one of her whip-like limbs directly into the gold-armored skin of the ultimate boss. It lifted its head in surprise at being stung by the tiny enemy, pulling her further off the ground as she refused to let go. She stabbed again, aiming to blind the god-like enemy by bursting its right eye as the other minions were left behind.

The dragon shifted backwards, releasing a rumbling growl that resonated throughout the domain as if the sound vibrated through the sands rather than the air. They were both lost in the domain for a moment, but the Icon reappeared as a blur, as if Camila was watching a VHS tape as it was suddenly rewound. Then it disappeared again, this time twisting into the sands with its eye fully intact to seek out its opponent, left behind somewhere else.

Camila cursed at the army of dragons that remained when nothing else happened for a second, their reptilian pupils already focusing on her as the more prominent target was taken away. They were filled with a combination of bloodthirst and curiosity, a wariness imprinted on them by her grandmother’s unexpected level of power, but Camila was unable to fully show them what she could do while carrying Gabby. When they leapt at her, she could only rely on her perfect counters to keep them at bay.

Camila fought to follow her transformed grandmother, even if she was already dead, only for her spider-like appearance to suddenly reappear with the dragon just barely within the limit of her sight, then disappear again over and over. Even she couldn’t keep up with the massive boss while also protecting Gabby and defending herself from the forces of mana, and it was clear that if she tried to track their sporadic appearances, she would also be lost.

Then, a wing unfurled right above her, completely blocking the sky before it abruptly flapped, lifting the whole dragon backwards somewhere in a distance that could have already been miles away while also sending a tidal wave of sands in all directions. The dragons were unaffected by the rolling dunes, but they pushed Camila even further from the fight, nearly causing her to lose Gabby and tumble into enemies.

She bit her tongue, taking control of her emotions before they destroyed her reason. There was no other choice but to make sure her cousins weren’t also lost. She was forced to turn away and fight her way back toward Charlie and the last phantom ship, feeling the familial obligations that had always been waiting for her weigh heavily on her shoulders.