Fractured Worlds (Worlds Away #1)

Brela Chapter 19: Run

Jagged cracks split the sky, the sound louder than any thunder. They ran like veins, spreading far beyond the horizon. It looked like a pane of glass had just cracked, ready to give away at any second.

Fear erupted in the crowd, and people began scrambling to get away from the scene. They shoved past one another, pushing others down in a frantic haste to escape. Car alarms screeched, their sounds and lights off kilter, only adding to the cacophony of sights and sounds.

The two half-eternals struggled to their feet. There was a quick word exchanged, and with one glance passed at the girl, they jumped away, never once looking back.

"What. Is. That?" Hayward breathed, his eyes frozen on the cracked sky. His radio crackled with reports coming in from all over the city, but he wasn't listening.

I looked to Justin for an answer. He was speechless, unable to form words. His mouth gaped open, searching for some sort of answer, only to find none.

There was only one answer I could think of.

"It's coming from the girl," I said, looking at her. It was the only logical assumption. "I think she's fracturing the world."

My thoughts went to fractures. They didn't take a physical form, on or around a world, but if it did it surely would have looked like this.

"Then we need to stop her, before this gets any worse," Justin said, snapping out of his daze.

"I don't think she can control this," I said. "Would she really bring this whole world down on herself? It doesn't make sense."

"And I think it's too late to stop it," Hayward muttered, his eyes still skyward. Justin and I both looked up again.

An ear shattering crackle-like sound filled the air. The sky cracked even more, sending the crowd into a fresh wave of panic.
"Get the people out of here," Justin commanded. His firm grip on Hayward's arm snapped the captain back to the issue at hand. "There might be an area away from here that is still safe."

Hayward simply nodded firmly before yelling at his men, getting them to act quickly. The panicking public was both difficult and easy for the police to control and corral out of the area. With the public under control Justin and I turned our attention towards the situation.

The sky cracked again, the jagged lines spider webbing far beyond the horizon. The earth began to tremble, gas hissing as it broke free from the fissures snaking beneath Justin and I's feet. We backed away, our knees bent and arms out to steady us as the shaking increased. The buildings around us trembled. People fell, shoved from the panic and the might of the crowd. A power pole fell over, sparking as it descended and met the broken ground. Justin and I shielded ourselves as it sparked towards us.

Pieces of a buildings broke off, crumbling down and sending dust into the air. The power around us flickered and strained to remain on, ultimately failing in the end. I didn't have to look at a map of the outage to know that it was city wide.

The very world was breaking before my eyes, but in the middle sat the young girl.

She knelt among the chaos, head thrown towards the sky and arms parallel to the ground, as if she was calling something down from the heavens. She looked just as scared as the rest of us, her own powers taking control of her. Even with the enemy gone she fractured the world, unable to reign in control. She was far too young for this, too innocent, too pure.

"Brela, this world won't stay together much longer. We need to go. Take as many people as we can and leave," Justin said, yelling over the destruction and chaos that took place all around us. But I wasn't listening, not as I watched the girl.

Slowly, her eyes landed on me. Even at a distance I could see them. I could see the terror that they held, the silent plea. She was scared. She needed help.

I didn't know what made me do it, but I took off running towards the epicentre of it all. I ran towards the girl.

"Brela!" Justin yelled. "Stop." There were so many emotions mixed in his voice: fear, panic, surprise. But I didn't care or listen. The girl. That was it.

My feet pounded on the ground as I ran. I heard Justin curse behind me. I heard his steps echo mine as he sprinted to help or stop me, I did not know. I didn't care. The girl. That was it.

I weaved between the parked cars, vaulting over the hood of one and landing on another. I slid off the hood, landing in a stumble as my shoulder clipped a side mirror. I recovered just in time to jump onto another car and witness a sinkhole open. The trunk of the car I was on dropped suddenly, and I gave myself no time to doubt my next actions. I sprinted and jumped, pushing off the hood just as the car was swallowed into the earth. I rolled to my feet, stumbling forward as I regained the pattern my feet had fallen into. There wasn't much time left, but I had to get to the girl. I had to.

I caught the glimpse of purple behind me as Justin summoned a sword. He leapt onto it, and with a graceful jump he cleared the sinkhole, rolling to his feet and continuing to run after me.

"Brela!" Justin called. I ignored him, vaulting over a chunk of a broken building. My eyes were locked onto the girl. I was almost there. I could get to her.

An office building let out one last shudder before it started to descend, the ground floors collapsing under the pressure. Dust was thrown into the air. Already I could feel it filling my lungs, but I didn't hesitate, instead dropping to my knees. I slid, my head falling back as I passed under the structure. I felt it graze me, the dust and shards of the building swirling all around me. I swiftly rolled to my feet and continued onwards.

Through the haze, I saw her. The girl was there, right within my grasp. With one last burst of speed, I launched myself, jumping towards the girl in order to shield her from the debris.

My arms wrapped around her, and a hand fell upon my shoulder.

Then the darkness came.