Chapter 111: Rliqs
The Gate pulsed again.
This time, there was no mistaking what was happening.
The narrow opening in the darkness widened.
Slowly at first.
Then faster.
The black surface stretched apart as if something on the other side were forcing its way through. Energy crackled across the barrier, blue-white lines spreading from the opening and vanishing into the surrounding darkness.
The stabilizers screamed.
"Pressure’s increasing!"
"How much?"
"Can’t tell!"
The commander stepped back.
"Everyone hold position!"
Nobody moved.
David barely heard him.
His attention was fixed on the opening.
The two lights were still there.
Only now, they weren’t the most frightening thing about the Gate.
Something was moving beneath them.
A shape passed through the darkness.
Too large.
David’s eyes narrowed.
’That’s not a person.’
The shape disappeared.
Then something struck the inside of the barrier.
BOOM!
The entire Gate shook.
Several Association workers stumbled backward.
April’s hand immediately found David’s sleeve.
"David."
"I know."
Another impact.
BOOM!
The barrier bulged outward.
For one brief second, David saw it.
A limb.
Long.
Dark.
Something that looked vaguely like an arm, except the joints were wrong and the fingers were far too long. Each claw scraped against the barrier, leaving trails of distorted energy behind it.
The limb withdrew.
The Gate went still.
Nobody spoke.
David slowly exhaled.
’That’s only one part of it.’
The Guardian suddenly roared.
It moved before anyone could react.
Its injured leg nearly collapsed beneath it, but it forced itself forward anyway, charging directly toward the Gate.
"What’s it doing?"
"Stop it!"
The commander raised a hand.
"Don’t!"
Too late.
The Guardian slammed into the barrier.
BOOM!
Its claws dug into the pavement as its entire body pushed against the Gate.
The thing on the other side struck back.
The barrier warped between them.
The Guardian growled, muscles trembling beneath its damaged hide.
David stared.
The creature wasn’t trying to escape.
It was trying to keep the thing inside.
The darkness shifted.
The two lights appeared again.
Closer.
The Guardian lowered its head.
Its breathing became ragged.
Then the Gate cracked.
Not physically.
The sound came from the energy itself.
A sharp, splitting noise that made everyone in the street freeze.
A section of the barrier folded inward.
The limb appeared again.
This time, it pushed through.
The Guardian roared and attacked.
Its claws collided with the limb.
A shockwave exploded across the street.
David instinctively raised an arm over his face.
Dust and fragments of concrete flew past him.
April stumbled.
David caught her by the shoulder and pulled her behind him.
When the dust cleared, the Guardian was still standing.
Barely.
Its claws were buried into the pavement.
Blood dripped from its mouth.
But the limb had disappeared.
David’s eyes narrowed.
’It hurt it.’
For the first time, something resembling hope flickered through the Association.
Then the Gate moved again.
The opening widened.
And this time, the thing didn’t send a limb through.
It stepped out.
David forgot to breathe.
The first thing he noticed was the size.
The creature emerged slowly, forcing its way through the collapsing Gate. Its body was tall enough that the surrounding buildings suddenly seemed smaller. Dark material covered most of its frame, but David couldn’t tell whether it was armor, skin, or something else entirely.
Its limbs were too long.
Its shoulders were too wide.
And its head remained tilted slightly downward, as though it had no need to hurry.
The two lights were its eyes.
They swept across the street.
Across the Association.
Across the evacuation route.
Then they stopped on the Guardian.
The creature paused.
The Guardian lowered itself.
David’s expression hardened.
’They know each other.’
The Gate groaned behind the creature.
The barrier began collapsing.
The commander stared at the scene.
"Everyone fall back."
Nobody argued.
The Association slowly retreated.
The Guardian didn’t.
It took one step forward.
Its injured leg shook violently.
Still, it raised its claws.
The creature watched.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then the Guardian charged.
David’s eyes widened.
It crossed the distance faster than its injuries should have allowed, throwing its entire body into one final attack.
The creature raised an arm.
The Guardian’s claws struck.
The impact shook the street.
For half a second, the Guardian held it there.
Then the creature moved.
One motion.
Nothing more.
Its arm snapped forward.
BOOM!
The Guardian was thrown across the street.
It crashed through a concrete barrier and disappeared behind the dust.
Silence followed.
David stared at the rubble.
The creature lowered its arm.
The Gate behind it collapsed completely.
The last traces of energy vanished.
It was out.
And there was nothing left between it and the city.
David’s fingers tightened.
The Guardian didn’t move.
April whispered beside him.
"Is it dead?"
David didn’t answer.
He was still staring at the rubble.
Then something moved beneath it.
The Guardian slowly pushed itself up.
Its body shook.
One leg refused to support its weight.
Blood ran freely from its wounds.
But it stood.
Again.
David’s expression changed.
’It’s still fighting.’
The Guardian raised its head toward the creature.
And charged.
The Guardian charged.
It barely made it five steps before its injured leg buckled.
It caught itself with one claw, dragged the damaged limb forward, and kept going.
David watched in silence.
’It knows it can’t win.’
The creature didn’t move.
It simply waited.
The Guardian reached it and swung.
The creature caught its arm.
The impact cracked through the street.
The Guardian roared and twisted, bringing its other claw around toward the creature’s head.
This time, the creature moved.
Its body shifted sideways with almost no effort.
The claw missed.
The creature’s hand closed around the Guardian’s throat.
David’s eyes narrowed.
The Guardian kicked.
Nothing.
It struck again.
Nothing.
The creature lifted it from the ground.
April’s grip tightened around David’s arm.
"David..."
He didn’t answer.
The Guardian’s claws scratched uselessly against the creature’s arm.
Its feet kicked above the pavement.
Then it slammed the Guardian into the ground.
BOOM!
Concrete cracked beneath its body.
The Guardian tried to rise.
The creature stepped forward.
One foot came down against its chest.
The Guardian’s body jerked.
David’s jaw tightened.
’It’s playing with it.’
The creature lowered its head.
Those two lights stared directly into the Guardian’s eyes.
For a moment, neither moved.
Then the Guardian opened its mouth.
A low sound escaped.
Not a roar.
Not a growl.
Something quieter.
Almost like a warning.
The creature’s head tilted.
Then it raised its arm.
David moved.
"Wait."
April looked at him.
"What?"
David stepped forward.
The commander immediately turned.
"Don’t."
David ignored him.
His eyes remained fixed on the creature.
’If it kills the Guardian, it’s coming straight for us.’
The creature’s arm continued rising.
David’s hand tightened around his weapon.
He didn’t know if it would work.
He didn’t even know what he was capable of against something like this.
But standing still wasn’t going to make the problem disappear.
The Guardian had already done everything it could.
Now it was his turn.
David took another step.
The creature’s eyes shifted.
They moved away from the Guardian.
Straight toward him.
David stopped.
The pressure in the air changed.
Every hair on his body seemed to rise at once.
The creature stared at him.
Then it released the Guardian.
The massive body dropped onto the pavement.
David’s eyes narrowed.
’Why me?’
The creature took one step forward.
The Association immediately raised their weapons.
"Hold!"
The commander’s voice cut through the street.
Nobody fired.
The creature took another step.
David didn’t retreat.
His heart was beating faster now, but his face remained calm.
’Come on.’
He tightened his grip.
’Just give me one reason.’
The creature stopped.
Its head tilted again.
Then—
"You’re going to die."
The voice didn’t come from the creature.
David froze.
Someone was standing behind him.
Calm footsteps crossed the cracked pavement.
One.
Two.
Three.
The Association turned.
Several weapons lowered immediately.
The commander stared.
His expression changed.
David slowly looked over his shoulder.
A man walked through the scattered soldiers as if the creature standing ahead of them didn’t exist.
No hurry.
No weapon drawn.
No visible fear.
He stopped beside David.
Then looked toward the monster.
For the first time since it had emerged from the Gate, the creature moved backward.
Just one step.
But everyone saw it.
David’s eyes narrowed.
The man beside him smiled faintly.
"Rliqs."
The name came from the commander in a voice that sounded nothing like his earlier orders.
Rliqs didn’t look at him.
His eyes remained fixed on the creature.
Then he spoke.
"You’re a long way from home."
The creature didn’t answer.
It simply stared.
For several seconds, neither side moved.
David glanced between them.
The difference was obvious.
The Association had been terrified of the creature.
The Guardian had fought it like its life depended on it.
But Rliqs?
He looked almost bored, that was the intriguing part. David studied him for a moment.
Who the hell is this guy?