Magnus Chase - Rise Of Darkness

Chapter 12 - Nifleheim Near Death Event Strikes Again.

Humanity is a strange thing. People are strange.

There are good people, and I don't mean the saints. I mean those who are mentally sane and know at least some concept of good and bad.

Then there are the bad people. People who want to control everyone's futures, people who destroy lives, people who kill, people who slaughter; and people who treat others as if they aren't human.

I think Cyrus would agree with me.

Several moments played in front of me, and none were good. A small albino child, no older than an elementary student, huddled in the corner of a gray room, similar to what I saw Hel in. They had tears streaming down their face as large men who looked like surgeons approached them with flashlights and sharp tools.

Another with a twelve year old Cyrus, strapped down on a table with a headlamp above them. This illuminated their wild, fearful and pupil shrunk eyes and hyperventilating chest as syringes entered their skin.

Another with a fourteen year old who looked almost animal like, screaming with pure hatred as buzzing tools jabbed at their throat. Their arms and legs were camped down on metal restraints as their back arched in agony.

Finally, one last nightmare memory came into focus. Cyrus along with three others were running frantically down the concrete and tiled hallways, shouts and gunshots behind them.

I didn't recognize the other two, but I did recognize the gray haired person next to Cyrus: Annabeth's friend, Koda. Finally, the quado made it to the doors.

"You guys go," Cyrus demanded. They looked almost twenty now, older than the others. "I can hold them off."

"Like Hades you will!" Young Koda snarled, but it was obvious they weren't going to get a word in the decision.

Cyrus grabbed their friend by the shoulders and hurled them through the doors, taking their two other friends with them. Cyrus then locked the doors and faced the army behind them.

Dozens of works had their guns aimed straight at the champion. And they weren't going to go down without a fight. They got into a fighting stance, fists in front of their face, a burning anger making their white eyes look unreal.

At that cliff moment of tension, something happened. The vents of the hallway fell away, the blue fumes of the Skofnung sword flowing in from the system. It pooled around the albino and slithered it's way up to their face, darting into their system. From the mouth, nostrils, and eyes.

Cyrus threw their head back, suffocating, then dropped to their knees in pain. They were bowed on the floor, clutching their hands over their ears and tearing their hair. I could hear the bear like growls emitting from them.

Abruptly, Cyrus' head shot up, eyes consumed in blue. Fangs jutted out of their mouth. Not large ones like Thrudglemir, but still big enough to hurt.

Cyrus lurched at their attackers, like an animal. Their clothing shredded from their body as bullets connected them. The dozens of golden soldiers cried in fear and pain.

That's what Cyrus became, an animal, a weapon. But seeing in their head, and looking at their breathless shock now, I saw the real Cyrus.

I forced myself back in. I was standing in a cell; gray concrete walls, a metal door, and a single brick sized window barred off. A small twelve year old was curled into a ball and leaning on the wall, balling. Their hair was recently shaved in a military cut, most likely reason why they were crying.