Omniphage of Apathy

Vastarael's heart pounded against his chest as he glanced around. The streets were eerily silent. Buildings burned, their flames licking the darkened sky, but there were no screams, no shouts, no signs of the upper city's inhabitants. Just him and Adelasta.

And the creatures.

Shadows shifted in the corner of his vision. He spun on his heels, his golden eyes darting to the movement. Slinking from the alleyways and rising from the flames, they emerged—grotesque forms of twisted essence and flesh. Their glowing, hollow eyes locked onto him, teeth glinting as they snarled in unison.

They were three meters tall. They had extremely long limbs, grayish skin and a very skeletal appearance. They looked like they were under starvation for decades.

Their hollow eyes and wide jaws made him shiver. They were definitely ugly creatures and very fast too.

They weren't just hunting. They were hunting him.

Vastarael's grip on Adelasta tightened. Her body was limp, her head resting against his chest, barely stirring. Her normally fierce gaze was dull, her lips slightly parted as her labored breaths escaped.

There was no time. He had to move.

The first creature lunged at them.

Vastarael's legs coiled, shooting forward like a bullet, the wind roaring past his ears. He zigzagged through the flaming wreckage of the street, his feet barely touching the ground as he raced past crumbling buildings.

His mind flashed to his mother's relentless training—years of balance and precision drilled into his muscles—and he silently thanked her as he vaulted over debris with ease.

Behind him, the monsters gave chase. Their growls echoed, their claws scraping against stone and metal as they pursued him.

An explosion erupted to his left, sending shards of glass and metal hurtling toward him. Vastarael twisted midair, the heat of the blast scorching his back as he narrowly avoided the shrapnel. He landed softly and surged forward again.

Another explosion appeared, this time directly ahead. Vastarael skidded to a halt, the ground beneath him trembling from the impact. Without hesitating, he spun on his heel, kicking off a piece of broken pavement and darting into a narrow alleyway. The walls were close, the space tight, but he adjusted his strides as he maneuvered through.

The creatures were relentless. One leapt onto the rooftop above, its glowing eyes tracking him as it snarled and leapt down. Vastarael ducked, the beast's claws missing his head by inches. He didn't stop. His legs burned, his lungs screamed for air, but he pushed on, every ounce of his focus on escaping.

Flames roared around him as another blast shook the ground. Vastarael leapt onto a fallen beam, using it as a springboard to launch himself across a wide gap in the street. He landed with a roll, cradling Adelasta carefully to avoid jostling her injuries.

"Stay with me," he muttered under his breath, though he knew she couldn't hear him. Her arm still bore the sapphire cast he'd created, glinting faintly in the firelight.

Ahead, the path was blocked by a toppled building, its rubble creating an impassable wall. Vastarael didn't hesitate. He adjusted his hold on Adelasta, tightening his grip, and scaled the debris with ease. At the top, he paused briefly, scanning the chaotic landscape below.

The monsters were still there, their hollow eye sockets fixed on him. They snarled, clawing at the rubble as they began their ascent.

Vastarael took a deep breath and jumped.

The ground rushed toward him but he landed in a crouch, the impact absorbed by his legs as he continued sprinting, causing a spiderweb like crack on the asphalt. Another blast erupted behind him, the shockwave propelling him forward. He stumbled slightly but regained his footing instantly.

The Business Hub burned around him, its once-beautiful skyline now a silhouette of destruction. But Vastarael didn't stop. He couldn't. Adelasta's faint breathing against his chest reminded him of his purpose.

The creatures were closing in, their growls growing louder. Vastarael's golden eyes narrowed. He wasn't going to let them win.

Not today.

"Stop resisting, Prince of Anqerise!" A loud voice echoed behind him. "No one can help you! They have all been teleported out of this place and are at the shelters! You're the only one left now."

'Fuck. I forgot about the shelters!'

Rise was a very advanced city, even in emergency situations.

Whenever an attack occurred, all the civilians would be forcefully teleported into underground shelters that were impenetrable.

However, Vastarael and Adelasta were not citizens of Rise. They were from the palace and now, his family was defending it from... whatever their name was.

His parents were out of the continent and judging from Opera's tone, they were dealing with dangerous beings, perhaps gods like them.

The palace was not safe. Compared to the city, it was even far worse.

And... he could feel a very powerful barrier cast across the Business Hub.

He couldn't escape. In fact, no one could come in or out at this point. All he had to do was wait until morning.

Vastarael gritted his teeth as a powerful fire blast roared toward him, the force rattling the air and sending tremors through the ground. He instinctively held Adelasta closer, shielding her with his body as he dropped to the asphalt.

His feet dug in, carving a deep trench through the broken street as the blast's impact propelled him backward. Sparks flew as his boots ground against the surface, his body braced against the fiery force.

A mocking laugh echoed through the flames.

"Running like a scared little pup, are we? And here I thought the so-called Prince of Richinaria was supposed to be something special!"

Vastarael's golden eyes darted around, searching for the source of the voice. The monsters had slowed their pursuit, their glowing eyes watching from the shadows, but this voice was different.

Whoever—or whatever—it belonged to wasn't just hunting him. It was playing with him.

"Pathetic," the voice sneered, booming across the ruined street. "You think you can hide? You think you can survive the night? Your little tricks won't save you."

Vastarael's breath came in quick bursts, his mind racing. Whoever this was, they were powerful and they knew the city was locked down. There was no escaping the barrier; he could feel it, an oppressive weight pressing against his essence. Even teleportation was out of the question.

He needed to think. Fast.

The voice boomed again, "Go on, boy. Run. Delay the inevitable. It'll make your fall that much sweeter!"

Vastarael's jaw tightened as his eyes flickered to a damaged spire a few hundred meters ahead. Its once-pristine white surface was now blackened and cracked, leaning precariously over the street. It looked ready to collapse at the slightest touch. A plan began to form in his mind, desperate but possible.

He adjusted his grip on Adelasta, her limp body weighing heavily in his arms. He whispered under his breath, more to himself than her.

"Hold on just a little longer, alright?"

With a burst of energy, Vastarael surged forward. His legs carried him at blinding speed, the air roaring past him as he raced toward the crumbling spire. Fire blasts rained down around him, each impact sending shockwaves that nearly knocked him off balance. One blast scorched the ground inches from his feet, the heat searing his side, but he didn't stop.

"Run, little prince!" The voice taunted, laughter echoing through the chaos.

Vastarael ignored it, his focus locked on the spire. A powerful blast roared past his ear, missing him by a hair's breadth. The force of the explosion sent shards of stone flying, slicing through the air.

Finally, he reached the base of the spire. Vastarael skidded to a halt, his eyes scanning the crumbling structure. He shifted Adelasta in his arms, securing her as best as he could before summoning his strength.

Another blast whistled through the air, heading straight for him. This time, he didn't dodge. He darted to the side at the last possible moment, letting the fiery projectile slam into the spire's base.

The ground trembled beneath him as the weakened structure groaned, cracks spiderwebbing up its length. Vastarael didn't hesitate. He kicked off the ground, sprinting down the street just as the spire began to collapse.

The sound was deafening. The spire came crashing down, its massive frame smashing into the street with an earth-shaking impact. Rubble and dust exploded outward, a tidal wave of debris that swallowed the road. Vastarael glanced over his shoulder, watching as the pursuing creatures were caught in the destruction.

The shockwave hit him a second later, propelling him forward. He twisted midair, shielding Adelasta with his body as they crashed onto a pile of rubble. Dust and ash filled his lungs but he coughed it out, forcing himself to his feet.

The street was unrecognizable, a landscape of fire and rubble. Vastarael's legs trembled beneath him, exhaustion creeping in, but he straightened.

'That should buy me a few minutes. Now to go all out!'

He was glad that using his essence on his body didn't cost as much as using it in runes and summoning mystic circles. He had a lot left but he couldn't fight, not with Adelasta's life on the line.

The voice, however, wasn't gone. From somewhere beyond the rubble, it called out, mocking yet again.

"You think you've won, boy? This isn't over. Not by a long shot. You will be dead by morning! Hahahaha!"

Vastarael's golden eyes narrowed as he glanced down at Adelasta. Her injuries were still severe but she was alive. That was what mattered. He adjusted his hold on her and took off again, disappearing into the burning ruins of the city.

°°°°°°°

Adelasta's eyelids fluttered weakly as she emerged from unconsciousness, her senses returning in fragments.

The first thing she heard was a steady, calm, and reassuring voice.

'Prince Vastarael?'

"Don't worry, Leon, Leones," his voice echoed faintly, accompanied by the faint hum of technology. "I'm fine. Just make sure you listen to Anamorsia until morning, okay? Stay together."

A smaller voice chimed in, trembling slightly. "But what about you? You're not hurt, right?"

"I'm fine, really. You know me. I'll figure things out. Just be good and stay where it's safe."

Adelasta stirred, her body aching with every movement. Her arm throbbed but something felt...different. She forced her eyes open, her gaze blurry as she took in the scene before her.

Vastarael sat a few paces away, his back to her, the soft blue glow of a hologram shimmering in front of him. She could just make out the silhouettes of children—his siblings, she realized—on the display. They seemed worried, their voices overlapping with concern.

They were inside a collapsed spire.

"I'll check in again tomorrow morning," Vastarael said gently. "You'll be okay. I promise."

With a wave of his hand, the hologram blinked out of existence, leaving the area in dim, flickering light from the fires outside. Vastarael turned, his golden eyes immediately locking onto her as if he'd sensed her awakening.

"Oh. You're awake," he said softly, setting down his Mage Book. His tone was steady, but his expression betrayed the lingering worry in his eyes.

Adelasta blinked, her gaze drifting downward. She noticed floating runes circling her, each one glowing faintly with Vastarael's distinct sapphire blue essence. They rotated slowly, casting a soft, calming light. Beneath her, a mystic circle glimmered on the ground, its complex patterns of symbols and runes radiating a protective aura.

"What is this...?" She rasped, her voice barely audible.

Vastarael knelt beside her, adjusting the sapphire cast he'd created around her arm earlier.

"A healing array my father taught me,".he explained, his voice low. "It's stabilizing your injuries and keeping you safe. You were in bad shape after the collapse, Adelasta."

Adelasta's gaze lingered on the intricate runes, her mind foggy but functional. She wanted to respond, but the effort felt monumental.

She was about to fall back to the floor again but Vastarael caught her just in time.

"Easy there. It took me hours to get rid of the poison. Believe me, it did a good number on your soul. If you didn't have a divine soul, you would have died."