A Special Mage (Ike x OC)

Chapter 15 - Expect the Unexpected

I opened my eyes, and everything was still very dark.

Why am I awake? I thought, tiredly looking around my room. It didn't take long for me to notice an eerie glow coming from somewhere, faintly creeping in from under my door and through my window. For a good second I thought it was the sunrise, but when the rest of my senses came to, I heard frantic voices in the distance, and more voices getting closer to me. Someone was shouting orders, but I couldn't tell who it was or what exactly they were saying. Part of me thought it was a dream, but as the voices continued to grow closer, I snapped into fight-or-flight mode.

"No, never! You'll have to...ngh...get through me first!" It sounded like Ranulf, growling fiercely at an adversary I couldn't see.

What's going on? I panicked, feeling my instincts urge me to go out there and help him. In a hurry, I reached for one of my tomes and rushed toward the door, but just then, bursts of orange and green lights flashed outside my room, and a horrific shriek soon followed.

Thud. My door shook.

Oh no, oh goddess no! I grasped the doorknob and pushed against the door, but the door would not budge. A heavy weight obstructed it, and I didn't have nearly enough strength to move it aside.

"No, Serena," Ranulf voiced feebly. "S...stay insi—" another barrage of orange and green flashes illuminated the hallway. He gasped painfully, and then fell silent.

My heart sunk. No. Please don't be dead, Ranulf, please.

More screams pierced the heavy air, and the sound of weapons digging into flesh made my stomach churn.

What are they doing? What the hell did they do to Ranulf? Please, goddess, let me help, I thought as I desperately pushed against the door with all my might, but to no avail. Curse my lack of physical strength. Let me out of here!! I continued pushing harder and harder as the sound of distant shouts and explosions rumbled the fort, but it was no use. No amount of pleading, tears, or anger was going to help.

"She's in there, behind the cat!" a mysterious voice yelled.

Then some new voices appeared. I didn't recognize all of them, but one of them was definitely Ike. He sounded so enraged, even I was terrified of him at that moment, and I couldn't even see him.

"You bastards will pay with your lives!" he spat with fire in his voice.

More lights flashed within the hallway.

Ike laughed. "You'll have to try harder than that. Hyaaaaah!" Thud. It sounded like he took down whoever was out there with ease, and I could hear some people run off, but Ike's voice had moved closer to my door. "Ranulf...you'll be ok," he grunted, and I could see shadows shift from under the door. "You'll be ok." His words reeked of sorrow.

Oh goddess, please don't be dead, Ranulf, I sniffled, standing motionless in front of the door as denial tried its best to swallow up my feelings of fear. As the fierce shouts began to die down and Ike's labored footsteps faded, I tried to open the door again, and it worked. But I was still petrified and cautious, so I first peeked my head out. Then, once I was 110% sure it was safe, I stuck one foot out the door and inched out into the hallway. I had only barely exited my room, but I couldn't bring myself to move any further, as the sight before me was horrific at best. Nobody was in the hallway anymore, aside from the corpses of strange mages cloaked in shadowy robes. Glass shards littered the ground, scorch marks and burnt blood painted the walls and floor around me, and I stood within a massive pool of crimson that continued to spot the path towards the main hall. And having heard what happened to Ranulf, my fears and feelings of guilt were like shackles, pinning me to the bloodied spot where it all went down. It's all my fault, I thought to myself.