"We need to move now, the whole building is coming down on us!" Heines barks, his voice strained but clear. There's no time for hesitation. Every second counts. He scans the corridor, searching for the quickest escape route. The main exit is their best bet, but the path is treacherous, littered with debris and unstable structures.
"Follow me! Stay close!" He commands, his hand instinctively reaching for the katana strapped to his back. He moves with practiced grace, his military training kicking in. Each step is calculated, each movement precise. He knows that one wrong move could be fatal.
Maria nods, her face pale but resolute. She clutches the child close, her eyes darting around, assessing the danger. The other patient, a middle-aged man with a grim expression, struggles to keep up, his breathing ragged.
They navigate the collapsing corridor, dodging falling debris and leaping over obstacles. The air is thick with smoke and dust, making it hard to see and breathe. The sounds of the collapsing building are deafening—the groans of straining metal, the crashes of falling concrete, the screams of trapped souls.
They look toward the exit and start running.
The closer they get, the heavier the air feels. The kinetic pressure increases, vibrating through the walls and floor.
"Almost there!" Maria says, breathless.
Heines suddenly grabs her arm. "Wait."
One of the patients panics and rushes ahead. "It's clear! We're safe!"
"Stop!" Heines shouts.
The man pushes through the exit doors.
A deafening crack splits the air.
A massive rock from the left tears through the doorway at impossible speed. It obliterates the man's upper body instantly. The lower half collapses a heartbeat later.
Maria gasps. The child lets out a small scream.
Heines pulls them hard against the wall. "Don't look," he says sharply.
Outside, the ground trembles. Another explosion answers the first. Concrete shatters. Firelight flashes violently through the entrance.
Maria's voice shakes. "What is happening out there?"
Heines listens carefully. This energy is different. Not chaotic. Controlled.
"There are two awakened people fighting," he says quietly. "And they know exactly what they're doing."
A shockwave rattles the reinforced frame of the exit.
"We can't go out there," Maria whispers.
"No," Heines agrees. "This entrance is reinforced. It should hold longer than the rest of the building. We wait."
"For how long?" she asks.
"As long as it takes."
They stay low against the wall while the battle outside tears apart the street.
Nearly two hours pass before the tremors fade and the pressure in the air dissolves.
Heines exhales slowly. "It's over."
He steps toward the doorway and looks outside.
For a brief moment, the smoke seems thinner to him. The darkness… clearer.
He blinks and dismisses it.
"No movement," he says. "We go."
Across the street, he spots a small market on the corner.
"That's our next stop."
He guides Maria and the child into the ruined street.
They cross the ruined street carefully and slip inside the market. The bell above the door gives a weak chime before silence swallows it.
"Clear," Heines says after checking the aisles.
Maria lowers the child into a chair. "We're safe… for now."
"For now," he repeats.
He gathers bottled water and sealed food. They eat in silence, the sound of distant tremors echoing outside. Night falls quickly. With no power, the store sinks into complete darkness.
He blocks the entrance with a shelf and sits against the wall, katana across his knees.
"You need rest," Maria whispers.
"I'll stay awake," he says—but exhaustion pulls him under.
As he sleeps, the darkness inside the market deepens. Shadows stretch unnaturally along the floor, slowly drawing closer to him, as if breathing.
He doesn't stir.
He doesn't know.
But something within the dark has awakened something inside of him.
Umbrakinesis the power to control the shadows and manifest darkness.