Cynic's Odyssey

Heralds. A name given to those selected by the codex. Typically chosen between the ages of seventeen to twenty, to wield great power and are tasked with defending humanity. At the end of every winter solstice they venture into a desolate and forgotten realm that humans have dubbed, The Voidlands.

As far as Mathew could tell, the Herald in pursuit of them was no higher than the awakened tier, seeing as the task of catching up to a speeding car and killing them where they sat would be an all too easy one for those of higher tiers.

In itself, that was a terrifying thought. If they were capable of that what other inhuman feats could they accomplish?

Mathew spun, watching in disbelief as the Herald launched the jagged spear of ice like a missile. Striking the rear of the car, shards of glass pelted them relentlessly as the frozen projectile whistled past them. Shattering the windscreen and striking the road a few dozen meters ahead.

The effect was practically instantaneous. Upon impact, the shard detonated. From it, a massive wall of ice rising like a glacier was formed, and it erupted from the ground.

"Fantastic!" Mathew barked sarcastically. "What's next, hail? Summon a bloody snowstorm while you're at it!"

With yet another roadblock before them, they had no choice. Mathew felt his stomach lurch as his mother abruptly turned the steering wheel and sent the car screeching into a narrow alleyway.

The lead car reacted just as quickly, following them without losing a sliver of momentum. But the two following weren't so fortunate. Both collided head-on with the barricade of ice. Metal crunched and glass shattered. It was a cacophony of noise that barely registered through Kaleb's adrenaline-fueled haze.

The death toll continued to rise.

They now only had one pursuer and somehow needed to make it out of the district and back to the highway. Bursting out of the alleyway and onto another busy street, their pursuers emerged racing down the street at high speeds, but it was too late.

After slipping into a car park and shutting off the engine only moments earlier, they managed to lose their pursuers. It took a while to accomplish, but finally, they had done it and made their way back to Route One.

***

Now cruising down the highway, Mathew's gaze was fixed on the road ahead, lost In thought for a while. A few mile markers later, he turned to her, frowned, and told her in a demanding tone.

"Stop the car!"

She glanced at him, with an expression that clearly said, Really? Ignoring his ridiculous demand, she looked back and continued driving.

A quiet moment passed. Then another. And another.

Finally having enough of his mother's silence, Mathew snapped. And in a moment od desperation grabbed the steering wheel with both hands, wrestling it away from her. The car swerved wildly, tires screeching against the asphalt as it swerved. His mother instinctively slammed the brakes, bringing the car to a bone-jarring halt in the middle of the road.

The short period of silence that followed was almost deafening. Broken only by the sound of Mathew and his mother gasping for breaths. The adrenaline coursing through their veins made every breath sharp. A reminder of the grim fate they just escaped.

Angrily throwing a door open the young cynic got out followed closely by his enraged mother who reached out, grabbing his shirt, baffled by his recklessness, and asked in an incredulous tone.

"Are you insane? You could've killed us!"

"Yeah, because you were doing such a stellar job of keeping us alive. I figured I'd just be speeding up the process."

Mathew glanced back, and shot her an unimpressed glance before turning away and slamming the door. Refusing to grant her an opportunity to respond.

She frantically undid her seat belt, got out of the car, and chased after him. With all the strength she could muster she pulled him back and demanded in her most authoritative tone.

"Get back into the car right now Mathew!"

The young cynic opened his mouth to retort, then closed it again, mirroring her silence as he yanked his arm out of her grasp.

"What the hell do you think you are doing? I said get! Back! In! The! Car!"

"What am I doing? Are you really asking me that? What are you doing Mom? We're not in some crazy action movie. Did you miss the part where we were almost turned into roadkill? Or am I just crazy and I imagined all that?"

His mother froze and her expression softened as she tried to maintain her composure. She reached out once more but hesitated, her hand hovering in the air before retreating. Finally finding the strength to speak, she said in an almost pleading tone.

"Mathew... I know how this looks," She took a deep breath and settled herself before continuing. "I know you have many questions, and you deserve answers to all of them. But I want you to know that no matter what it is I'm doing, I'm doing it to keep you safe."

Mathew's brows furrowed deeper.

"Safe!? By speeding into oncoming traffic and refusing to answer my questions? Genius plan, Maybe next time we can try jumping in front of one of a car—double the thrill. I mean, we have the same odds of survival anyway, so why not!?"

She inhaled sharply, averting her eyes and glancing down the road from where they had come. Steadying herself, she spoke in a firm but quiet tone, saying to him.

"Mathew, enough! I know you're angry, and honestly, you have every right to be. But you still can't speak to me that way and just walk away, regardless of what I've done. I am your mother."

She crossed her arms as her voice grew quieter, almost pained, then continued.

"Okay. Maybe I... miscalculated. But the last thing I need from you right now is your cynical sarcasm. So please Mathew. Just get back in the car. We'll talk about this later. But right now, we can't afford to waste any more time."

Mathew paused for a long moment and just stared at his mother. After a while his lips parted and he said in the most irritated tone he could muster in that moment.

"This is just bullshit!"

What did time have to do with any of this? All Mathew wanted to know was why all these strange events were happening one after another, he said sarcastically. He turned back to his mother and said with sarcasm dripping from his words.

"Back to that car? Oh, yeah, because nothing screams safety like sitting in a moving death trap with you behind the wheel and being chased by god knows who."

He paused momentarily, took a deep, relaxing breath, and then continued.

"Look, Mom, if you want to keep playing car chase, be my guest. But I'm out."

She hesitated, her expression revealing that there was something she wanted to say, but for some reason couldn't. Her voice wavered as frustration and desperation blended into her tone.

"You're being unreasonable..."

Mathew cut her off with a sharp glare.

"Unreasonable? I'm being unreasonable? You're the one dragging us deeper into this mess! And you don't even seem to have any sort of a plan! Do you think if we just keep running they'll get bored and leave? Well, newsflash mom! They don't seem to be playing tag. They fucking killed people, mom! Their own people!"

Her eyes widened and her lips parted, pressed back together in a thin line. Glistening in the dim moonlight with Fear and guilt swirling beneath the surface.

The bottled-up emotions finally overflowed. In a low trembling voice, she said.

"I... Mathew I didn't want any of this to happen. I might not be doing a good job of it, but I'm just trying to keep you safe... I'm trying to... to fix this, but I don't know... how!"

Like a dam bursting at the seams, her raw emotions were evident in every syllable.

"And you're right! I don't have a plan. But still, I'm your mother. I'm supposed to protect you, and I've already made so many mistakes."

A single lonely tear slipped down her cheek. Looking up to him with an expression of plea and shame she said in the most desperate tone he had ever heard.

"Please... just trust me. Just a little longer."

No matter how upset one is, if a mother bursts into tears and pleads desperately with their child, no one, not even a cynic like Mathew, would be able to just stand there and watch.

As he observed his mother, the full weight of her pleas sank in. For a fleeting moment, he was tempted to fire off another sarcastic remark. But the crack in her voice, the vulnerability etched across her face, and that lone tear broke through the armor of his cynicism.

He ran a hand down his face, and let out a long, sharp sigh of frustration.

"Really? Tears? You're using that card now?"

He stepped closer, watching her desperately try to wipe away the stream of tears something shifted within him. He pulled her into a loving embrace, feeling the tension in her body.

"God, Mom," he said, his tone still laced with a hint of irritation but was softer now as he continued.

"You're laying it on thick, huh?"

After a few moments resting in his embrace, she had finally calmed down. And in that time, Mathew had come to accept that no after what he said right now, she wouldn't divulge any information. So reluctantly, he decided.

"Alright, fine. You win. I'll get back in the car. But let's get one thing straight,"

Raising a hand to her cheek, he wiped away her tears.

"When we get to wherever it is you're dragging us, we're going to sit down and have a serious talk about this whole disaster. No more running, no more vague 'trust me' nonsense. No more secrets."

His expression softened, and then he asked with a tone filled with more emotion than he had shown in the last few years of his life.

"Deal?

A wide and bright smile appeared on his mother's face as she nodded.

"Yes, son." After wiping off the rest of her tears, she continued. "I promise. No more secrets."

Mathew stiffened, pulling his arms away and hanging them awkwardly at his sides then looked away. While scratching the back of his head, he said in an awkward tone.

"Alright, alright, enough of the sentimental nonsense." With his gaze still averted the young cynic added. "Just... don't make me regret this."

"Don't worry son. I won't."

'This whole thing had better have been worth it.' Mathew thought to himself as he and his mother stepped back into the car. He leaned his head back against the seat, staring out the window. When a thought struck him. It was a question he had asked but got no answer to, so he looked to his mother and asked.

"Hey, you never answered where you got this..."

But before he could finish, the sound of glass shattering interrupted his flow, followed by the sharp sting of pellets striking him.

In that same instant, a chill erupted down his spine. He looked to his mother, opened his mouth to speak, but the words froze on his tongue. Illuminated by the glow of the streetlights, the sight before him was the most horrifying thing he could ever see.