The Beginning of The End

Working on a creation to save my people, my worst nightmare has come to be as sirens fill the air and blasts are heard from a distance. The Wither, a creature of mass destruction, has found our location and is now on a rampage to destroy everything we’ve built.

I freeze in terror for a moment. My best friend, the person I hold the dearest was in the mines gathering materials that are needed to complete the project. He could be dead right now.

As the initial shock passes, and adrenaline kicks in, I grab the nearest pickaxe to run into the mines to find him.

Before I can take off, however, someone grabs a hold of my arm with a grip so tight that I drop my weapon.

I turn around and see our village leader, a strong and proud man with dark blue hair, olive skin, and grayish blue eyes, with a terrified look.

“Father, let me go”, I yell, “He’s in there because of me!”

“I am not losing you to this creature too Selene”, he yells back, “And you’re the only one that can save us all!”

“Are you really going to believe in me now after you’ve torn me apart for so years of my life”, I yell pulling my arm free from his grasp, “You’ve always believed that my work was the work of others! Felix was the only one who has ever believed in me!”

“That’s not true”, he says with tears filling his eyes, “I’ve always known it was you. You have the same gifts your mother had. The gifts that killed her and put us down hear decades ago.”

“Father”, I say shocked, “What are you saying? Did mother create that monster?”

“Yes”, he says, “She”- but gets cut off as a blast is heard closer.

I once again try to run into the mine, but father stops me and says, “Selene please! I will send an army to find him for you, but we need you here.”

I stop for a moment as tears swell my eyes and I realize, even if I did find him, there wouldn’t be anywhere safe to go if the portal wasn’t finished.

“You better bring him back alive”, I say to my father, then turn around and run back towards the portal that’s meant to save us all.

As I arrive, all of the people on my team look absolutely terrified as they work to complete the project. All except one.

“Well look who’s back”, says the arrogant man with bright red hair, medium skin, and dark green eyes, “What’s wrong princess? Couldn’t save your boyfriend in time?”

“Shut up Cyrus”, I yell at him, my fear turning into anger, “You know that it was you who was supposed to be in the mines right now. Not him.”

“My lady, please”, says a young frail girl with blonde hair, pale skin, and brown eyes full of tears as she takes my hand, “We need to finish the preparations if we’re going to survive.”

“I’m sorry Marie”, I say as I wipe her tears, “You’re right. What’s the progress so far?”

“The last frame of the portal is being reinforced as we speak my lady”, she says as we walk towards the structure completely ignoring Cyrus, “Once those pieces are complete, all we need to do is light it.”

“Perfect”, I say as step closer to it and lay my hand on the sacred energy source that will power this contraption, “I hate to use the energy of those who have passed, but it’s the only way to ensure our survival.”

Marie then joins me and places her hand on it as well as she says, “It’s so strange how the souls of our loved ones are trapped in these pieces of soil. You can almost feel them in the palm of your hand.”

“I know”, I say, “It saddens me that the last of what they were will be burned up, but it’s essential to our survival.”

As we move our hands away, another blast is heard closer than the ones before.

I shield Marie as pieces of stone fall around us.

“Lady Selene”, yells a soldier who comes to our side, “Are you alright miss?”

“I’m ok”, I say as I sweep some dust off of my arm, “Why are you here? Aren’t you supposed to be with the others?”

“My lady”, he says, “I’ve come to inform you that they’ve found Master Felix. He is safe and, on his way back with the materials that were needed.”

I feel my eyes swell with tears as I cover my mouth in disbelief, “He’s alive”, I manage to say.

“Yes”, he says, “He was on his way back when our team found him. He should be coming through the door to the mines momentarily.”

I turn and look at Marie who also has tears in her eyes. As if knowing what I’m asking of her, she says, “My Lady, go. I’ll keep watch over the progress and inform you of any issues.”

“Thank you”, I say, then turn to the soldier, “Let’s go.”

“After you my Lady”, he says and I take of running with him close behind.

As we approach, the doors to the mine swing open, and in walks a tall slender man with ashy blonde hair, fair skin, and dark brown eyes.

“Felix”, I yell as I reach him and wrap my arms around him.

“Selene”, he says hugging me tightly, letting his bag of materials fall to the floor.

I take a step back and see how battered he is. Covered in cuts and bruises, and his hair full of dust and debris.

“We need to take you to the infirmary”, I say.

“There’s no time Selene”, he says as another blast is heard even closer, “It’s almost here. We need to finish this now.”

“Are you sure you’ll be ok to work”, I ask, “I just don’t want your cuts to get infect”-

But I’m cut off as Felix pulls me into a kiss, then pulls back and says, “Being back here with you, I’ve never felt better.”

“Felix”, I say still stunned by the sudden kiss.

“Now c’mon Selene”, he says as he takes my hand, “Let’s go see your amazing creation come to live.”

“Ok”, I say, and we take off running towards the portal as the men who brought him back make their way to the surface gates to try and hold off The Wither.

As we arrive, the last pieces of the frame are finished.

“Lady Selene, brother, it’s ready”, says Marie as she runs towards us, “All that’s left to do is light it.”

Felix pats Marie’s head and says, “Good work little sis”, then turns to me and continues, “Are you ready Selene? It’s your gift that will save us all.”

I take a breath then say, “I’m ready. Did you bring it?”

“Sure did”, he says as he lets go of Marie, reaches into his bag, pulls out a flint and steel, and hands it to me.

Before I can even move, another blast shakes the entire underground city, and the worst happens. The Wither has made it inside

“Selene! Run”, Felix yells, and I start running as fast as possible to the portal.

Once there, some of the soul soil has been moved out of place. Seemingly from the blast.

Felix joins my side, see’s what’s happened, and we quickly work to set it back into place.

“Felix! Move”, I yell as I stand up and spark the flint and steel, lighting the soul soil in a blue flame.

As soon as I do, the portal comes to life. A whirring blueish green light is formed within it.

Before I can even step inside it, along with the blasts getting louder, I hear someone running up behind me.

“Move princess”, yells Cyrus as he pushes me out of his way and into Felix, “I’m going first.”

He the places down a bit of dirt to reach the portal, but before he can step into it, we all hear some clicking noises, followed by an almost ear shattering roar.

Felix then pulls me out of the way of the portal frame as this giant creature covered in what seems to be some sort of blueish green moss steps out, knocking Cyrus completely off the portal frame.

As this happens, The Wither has now made it to our location as well.

Felix then picks up Marie and starts to run and tells me to do so too, but I am too stunned to move.

The worst scenarios start running through my head. Seeing my people go through even more pain because of something I created.

But, instead of more devastation for us, the creature then starts to attack The Wither, and it’s taken down in a matter of seconds, leaving behind some dark bluish green stuff on the ground.

After that, the creature looks around for a moment, and what seems to be a very slow heartbeat is heard.

Terrified, no one dares to move or make a sound.

Once the creature seems to be satisfied, it burrows underground, seemingly gone as the portal flickers then turns off.

Felix then makes his way back to me and says in a hush voice, “Selene, let’s go.”

I take his hand, and we quietly move away from the portal.

We stop once we’re at a safe distance away, and Felix pulls me into a tight hug and says softly, “I thought I had lost you.”

“I’m sorry”, I say in a hushed tone as I hug him back.

“It’s not your fault”, he says as he pulls back for a second, “But Selene what was that thing.”

“I don’t know”, I say, “But I fear that we haven’t seen the last of it.”