The world seemed like it was ending, the sky itself was screaming.

  A low, grinding screech tore through the air, vibrating in Arthur’s teeth and shaking his bones. It sounded like metal being shredded by a grinder.

  Arthur went to his room; he lifted the mattress. The Book was underneath it.

  Do I take it?

  He hesitated for split second. The book was heavy and large. If he fell, or if he was forced to run, it would weigh him down. Worse, if he dropped it in the chaos, it could be lost forever or found by the wrong person.

  No, Arthur decided, gripping his cane. The book is safer here than with me.

  CRASH!

  The window in his room exploded. It didn’t break outward, the pressure wave punched it inward. Shards of glass flew across the room with the speed of a bullet, embedding themselves in the far wall.

  Arthur ducked, shielding his face with his arm. A piece of glass sliced his cheek, but he didn't feel it. The adrenaline had already paralyzed his senses.

  “Move”, he told himself. “Move or die here”

  Arthur immediately turned around and bolted to the hallway.

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  The corridor was a nightmare.

  Servants were running, screaming, clutching their heads. The mana density was rising so fast that people with low tolerance were getting mana sickness-vomiting and fainting.

  The only thing that was keeping Arthur alive, was his unique blood since he had the lowest tolerance of Mana.

  The stone walls of the Estate were groaning as the man tried to force its way through the small cracks.

  Arthur kept his head down, moving as fast as he could.

  Tap. Tap. Tap.

  He reached the heavy oak doors hidden at the end of the Hall-the entrance to the Safe Room.

  Arthur slipped inside quickly as the two guards struggled to keep the doors open for him.

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  The Safe Room was supposed to ensure their survival. Built deep into the mountain, It was the heart of the Ashborn defence.

  But to Arthur it didn’t feel safe. It felt like a tomb.

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  Over a hundred people were huddled inside. The air was hot and thick.

  Roderick Ashborn stood on the raised platform in the centre, shouting orders that were barely audible over the roaring of the wind outside.

  “GUARDS LOCK THE DOORS!”

  Viscountess Sylvia, Elara and Cecilia were deeper into the mountain, in another room that was linked to the Safe Room.

  As Arthur joined them, he spotted Elara standing near a pillar, staring up at the high mana reinforced windows. Viscountess Sylvia was sitting on a couch nearby, clutching Cecilia’s hand and kept consoling her.

  Arthur walked over to Elara.

  “Elara!” he shouted over the noise.

  She jumped, looking at him with wide, glassy eyes. The arrogance was gone now; she was just a 13-year-old girl watching the sky fall. “Oliver?” she whispered, her voice trembling. “The sky... look at the sky.”

  Arthur looked up.

  Through the high windows, he saw the golden Dome of Marcus’s Barrier. It was shaking violently, fighting to hold back the tide.

  Above it, the sky was like a raging ocean of neon purple and black. Lightning didn’t just strike; It left a crack every time it hit the barrier.

  KRRRR-RACK.

  A massive spiderweb crack appeared in the Golden Dome.

  “It is failing,” Elara whispered, tears forming in her eyes.

  Arthur noticed her hands were shaking uncontrollably, He reached out and took her hand, holding it firmly. “No, I am sure that Old Marcus wouldn't go down that easily.”

  BOOM!

  A new Amber like barrier erupted underneath the Golden dome acting as a support, Marcus was giving it his all to ensure that the Dome wouldn't break, because if that happened, that would mean their deaths.

  The Main doors of the hall shook violently as pressure waves hit them. Dust rained down from the ceiling. It was utter chaos.

  Suddenly, the noise stopped.

  For a moment, there was absolute silence.

  Then, the sound returned-it wasn’t a roar, but a tearing.

  ZZZZZZT.

  Arthur felt the hairs on his arm stand up. The air pressure dropped instantly.

  Right under their feet -under both him and Elara- the space twisted. The stone floor pixelated into a swirling vortex of violet light.

  Arthur looked down instinctively, He knew immediately what was going to happen. Time seemed to slow down; he had only a split second to make a choice.

  He had three options:

  1) Save himself and sacrifice Elara.

  2) Try to pull her and they both fall

  3) Sacrifice himself and push her.

  He looked at her face. She was frozen, paralyzed by the sight of the void opening beneath her boots

  Damn it, Arthur thought, a bitter smile in his lips. I wouldn't be able to look at myself in the mirror if I let a kid die.

  He steeled his resolve. The following words that left his mouth were closer to a goodbye than an apology.

  “Elara,” Oliver whispered before pushing her, “Forgive me for the other day.”

  Elara didn’t know what was happening. The next thing she knew, she was flying backwards. She looked up, confused, angry-only to see the floor where she had just been standing vanish.

  ZZZZZZZRRT.

  “OLIVERRRRRRRRRR!” Cecilia screamed.

  His mother, who had been watching the horror unfold, lunged forward. She threw herself at the rift, her hand stretching out desperately to grab her son.

  And just like it appeared out of nowhere, it snapped shut completely before her hands could reach.

  Cecilia crashed onto the stone floor, clutching nothing but empty Air.

  Arthur was already gone.

  (To be continued...)