Fractured Worlds (Worlds Away #1)

Mae Chapter 20: Level Six

I burst out of the meeting room, Raymond and Magda right behind me. With a quick movement, I summoned my sword—Marasen— to me. The people in the hallways parted for me, allowing for my growing group to rush to the control room, the source of the alarm.

A crowd had gathered in the room as we entered, all curious. They parted for me yet again, and my group followed. Eyes followed me, all asking for answers that I didn't have.

"Status," I demanded, looking at the agent running the desk. Averial butted in; the agent gratefully backed away, relieved not to have this burden on him. Putting her headset on and hurriedly scrolling through the data page, the leader of the intel unit spoke.

"Immediate level six, on World 4," Averial said, not looking up from the screen.

Edoline passed me a look, both of us knowing that Justin and Brela were there. I didn't question how the fracture had happened. I snapped into action.

"Edoline, Zyair, Haruto, Boradon, Siegefried, and Gryph; go," I commanded. All of them nodded, jumping away in the order I had called their names. "Raymond, you're in charge until I get back." The leader of the maintenance unit nodded firmly.

I turned to jump away, pulling confidence into me.

The squealing alarm stopped, and a small scream of surprise filled the air, stopping me from jumping.

Edoline appeared in the base, sliding backwards. Agents scrambled to get out of her way, tripping over their own and the feet of others to move.

The rest of the people I had sent came right back too, sliding just as Edoline had. Without thinking, I thrust my hand out. Gryph grabbed it. Using his momentum, I spun him to his feet, pulling him from the line of rebounding agents.

Everyone leaned and peered down the path they had made for the team I had hurriedly assembled, watching them as they slid.
An umph could be heard as Igniatus' feet were swiped out from under him by Haruto, pulling him into the line of sliding agents. Igniatus tried to grab Celia's outstretched hand but missed.

With a thud—which made everyone wince—Edoline hit the far wall, followed by Zyair, Haruto, Igniatus, Boradon, and Siegefried in quick succession, each one getting their own wince from the crowd. A collective groan came from the line of agents.

"Why me!" Igniatus yelled over everyone, his voice muffled.

People helped the groaning agents to their feet as I jogged over to them, the other unit leaders a step behind me.

"What happened?" I asked as Zyair pulled his fiancée to her feet. Edoline shook her head before she spoke.

"We jumped into blind space. World 4, it is gone."

Everyone stopped.

"Pardon?" Socorro asked, looking over to Edoline.

"That's not possible, a world has never been destroyed, not instantly," Celia said. "Has it?"

All eyes turned to me, looking for an answer.

"It's not impossible," I said. "But a fracture always rises from a lower-level to a level six. An instant level six... that's unheard of."
"It only happens when the world is on the brink of destruction," Averial said, back at her station. All eyes turned to her. "And that has never happened in the history of MEPA."

"Then how does that work?" Magda demanded. "We would never miss a fracture like that."

"Maybe the eternals developed a new weapon," Boradon said.

Siegefried shook his head. "But why destroy a world that you could take over? It's not the eternal's status quo."

"Like the director said, there can only be a level six when a lower-level fracture evolves into one, and there wasn't one on World 4 previously," Averial said. "The last people that were there were Team 64, Edoline, Brela, and Justin."

"There was no fracture when we left," Edoline said, no uncertainty in her voice.

"Brela. Justin," Wayne breathed. "They were there."

Celia's hand flew to her mouth, her eyes fearful. Already there were tears welling up in them. The expressions of the other gathered agents looked much the same.

"They are resourceful, there is still a chance they made it," I said, even though I doubted it myself. I couldn't bear to be in this room any longer, with everyone's eyes on me, searching for answers that I didn't have. I turned and walked. Pausing, I laid a reassuring hand on Celia's shoulder.

"If anyone made it out, it would be your brother," I assured her. Celia only managed a nod, her tears slowly leaking down her face. But I knew the fear wasn't only for her brother, but also Brela. The two had gotten close in the past months. Celia had lost enough in her young life already, from her parents to almost losing Igniatus; she didn't need her brother or friend added to that list. More than ever, I wanted to do something to save her from this pain, just as I had for her years before, but there was nothing I could do, and that was what I hated most. I hated the feeling of uselessness, the inability to help my people. I should have been able to do something, but I couldn't.

I lifted my hand from Celia's shoulder and walked away, the crowd parting once more. Igniatus grabbed Celia and pulled her into a hug, words of reassurance already leaving his lips.

I raised my voice, still moving back towards my office. "You have missions. Leaving to warn our allies is even more imperative now." I sensed as groups began to jump away. "We cannot afford to lose anyone else."