Rise of the Young: Warriors are not made; they are forged (The Ascended Book 2)

by Bygott, Hugo C.

  Zero’s eyes glinted, and then he smiled.

  ****

  For the first time, Eclipse had lost hope. They were exhausted, but Luka was untiring. She knew she was going to die. When she believed that this would be her final attack, her mind opened, and Kry’s voice entered.

  “Everyone, we don’t have much time. We are losing this fight, and too many have died already. President Katar is dead. He was murdered by Makai, the Blade.”

  Eclipse could not see Kry, but she could feel him close by. With renewed hope, she fought back Luka while concentrating on Kry’s voice. Yet, Kry was not alone. She could sense another with him; the presence was dark and unkindly.

  “Professor Zero is going to create a sonic wave of energy which will disrupt the Purifiers’ systems. It will also knock down and temporarily paralyze the Blades, Seekers, and remaining members of the New Order. You will need to prepare yourselves for this and make ready to run. A barrier of energy will form around the field which will prevent anyone from leaving. You need to reach the exit before that happens. Once you have escaped, go to the Research Center. There is a secret entrance which leads into the mountains. Other students have already made it there. You don’t have much time. The window of opportunity is small, so be ready.”

  Kry’s voice left her mind, and Eclipse turned to Seranay and Svana who both looked back at her with confirmation that they understood.

  Eclipse prepared herself and stamped her feet into the ground. The pressure in the air suddenly grew in strength. Luka was trying to press forward, but the power of the wind was holding him back. And then it came. The sonic wave was powerful as it swept across the field; it was the same blue wave of energy which had disabled the Seekers’ rods. Eclipse held her position as the wave of energy passed. All around her, the Blades, remaining few Seekers, and the last members of the New Order faction had been forced to the ground and were all struggling to free themselves from the energy which held them in place. The barrier which Luka had formed around them had also gone.

  Immediately, Eclipse ran with Svana and Seranay, blinking toward the exit and helping any students on the way who were struggling to flee.

  “To the Chamber!” shouted Seranay.

  Some students were blinking toward the exit, but many were running, too exhausted to generate enough energy to blink. Eclipse blinked again and saw to her surprise that Michael was lying on the ground unconscious. She lifted him up and raised him over her shoulder, but he was too heavy to carry, and she stumbled to her knees. She tried again and turned toward the exit. The barrier was starting to form, and she knew she could not make it with Michael.

  Suddenly, giant arms lifted Michael up from the ground. Yujin placed Michael over his shoulder and then offered his hand to Eclipse. “Hurry.”

  Eclipse gripped Yujin’s hand, and they raced toward the exit. Familiar faces joined her as they ran together. Aiyax and Kayne were also helping the weaker students. Aiyax was bleeding from the leg, and it seemed she had been badly injured, but she managed to keep her balance as she helped many others. Inessa and Akira carried Thrace, and they were barely keeping up. Many others were making it, but to Eclipse’s dismay, many students had been injured and were too slow to get there. The Blades and the last Seekers were attempting to break free as was Sonus and his few remaining followers; there was anger in every one of them. It would only be a matter of time before they broke free.

  Eclipse had finally reached the exit. The barrier around the stadium field was slowly descending. “Not all of us are going to escape. The injured are slow, and the Blades will break free any moment.”

  Many students were still struggling to reach the exit, some falling from exhaustion. And then Eclipse saw Whisper. He was the slowest of them all, and he had his father with him.

  “Whisper!” Eclipse knew he would not make it in time. He was unable to blink with his father with him.

  Yujin had placed Michael on the ground beyond the descending barrier and went back out into the field.

  “Where are you going, Yujin?” asked Seranay.

  “Someone has to help the slow and injured,” responded Yujin.

  Luka was the first to break free as his bonds of energy shattered.

  “Yujin’s right. We can’t just leave the rest,” said Eclipse and followed him out.

  “I will come, too,” said Akira.

  They blinked toward Whisper and were about to reach out to him when a bolt of lightning struck the ground beneath them. Eclipse’s eyesight was blurred, and her head was ringing as she tried to get back to her feet. Whisper was beside them trying to help them both up.

  “Eclipse! Akira! Get up!” shouted Whisper.

  Eclipse thought she could hear him not in her mind, but in the real world. When her vision returned, she realized Whisper had indeed spoken.

  Yujin was there and formed a giant barrier around them. “Keep moving!”

  Eclipse got back to her feet and saw Luka rapidly firing bolts of lightning toward them. Other Blades had also broken free and were heading to join Luka. The barrier had almost descended, but the Blades would reach them before they could reach the exit.

  Eclipse and Akira helped to carry Dr. Rhodes while Yujin did his best to maintain the group barrier.

  “It’s too much! There are too many attacks,” said Yujin, his voice weak and tired.

  Suddenly, several students ran past them and fired blasts of energy toward the oncoming Blades.

  “What are you doing? Get back!” ordered Yujin.

  “Not this day,” said Aiyax as she blinked forward and slashed her whips across the ground, the energy creating a wall of fire. Ren and Kayne were with her.

  “You three, get back to the entrance!” said Eclipse.

  “You will not make it before they reach you. Hurry,” said Aiyax with confidence and calm.

  Akira looked to Ren with doubt and then turned to Eclipse. “I will join them.”

  Ren overheard him. “No, brother. You must go on. I failed your sister, and I failed my faction leader. My only duty now is to make sure the rest are safe.” Ren wielded his katana in the air, filling it with energy.

  Akira looked at him with sadness. “Kishi kaisei.”

  Ren locked arms with him. “Kishi kaisei.”

  “Go, my brother,” said Akira.

  Eclipse could see the pain in their eyes. They had grown so much since she had first met them, once enemies over a common grief, now they were allies over a common enemy. Kayne, Aiyax, and Ren now stood together as they defended against the barrage of attacks.

  Yujin pushed forward, and they all reached the exit, rolling under the barrier before it locked. It now trapped the Blades and everyone inside who had not reached the exit.

  Seranay came to them and checked on Yujin. “You’ve spent too much energy.”

  Yujin looked past the barrier with sorrowful eyes. “Not enough.”

  Eclipse helped Whisper and Dr. Rhodes up. She hugged Whisper, and then they all looked across the barrier to the scene that was unfolding.

  Aiyax, Kayne, and Ren were the only students remaining behind the barrier, and all the Blades were coming toward them. Sonus had also broken free and was throwing fireball after fireball at the three of them.

  “It should be me out there,” lamented Yujin as he slammed his hand against the barrier.

  “We have to get to the mountains while we still can,” said Seranay. “We cannot save them now.”

  Flashes of lightning lit up the stadium as Aiyax burst into a storm cloud of thunder. Kayne turned his body into stone and slammed the ground creating powerful shockwaves. Ren swung his katana with flaming fire around him, and it almost seemed like a shadow of a dragon was forming.

  “I am Aiyax! Champion of the Cube! I lived as a champion, and I die as a champion!” Aiyax flew into the air, slashing left and right with her whips, pushing back the Blades.

  Kayne followed his half-sister into the fray and roared. “None shall pass! Death to the Blad
es!”

  “For Yuri!” shouted Ren. He ran forward with his flaming katana. “Iku zo!”

  Akira whispered to himself under his breath. “Kishi kaisei, my friend.”

  “What does that mean?” asked Eclipse.

  Akira took a deep breath. “Wake from death and return to life. It means to turn a desperate situation around in a sudden moment, but I fear that this will not be the case.”

  “We must go, now!” said Seranay. “Everyone, follow me!”

  Seranay, Yujin, and the surviving students ran with everything they had as Aiyax, Kayne, and Ren gave everything they had to make sure the remaining students would survive.

  ****

  They reached the Research Center, and Seranay was the first to enter the building. The secret passageway was made long ago as a tunnel for research purposes to study the minerals in the mountains.

  Seranay led the way and quickly walked down the spiral staircase to the basement. Eclipse and the others continued to follow, and it was soon apparent that the sounds of fighting had ended, but she could not tell if Aiyax, Kayne, and Ren were alive or dead.

  Seranay pressed a button behind a stack of books. Eclipse had never been in the Research Center before, especially in the basement. It was very much like a computer lab. Tables were covered with miscellaneous items: strange objects with pointed ends, colorful objects which glowed, and objects from which she could feel a considerable amount of energy. She wished she could ask Seranay what they were, but they did not have time as Seranay already stood in front of the door leading into a dark tunnel.

  “Everyone, through here,” said Seranay.

  Students entered one by one, and Eclipse, Whisper, and Dr. Rhodes were the last to enter along with the professors. Seranay made sure to close the door once everyone was inside; it sounded like a slab of rock connecting as the door finally shut.

  The tunnel was dark, wet, and freezing. They continued walking ahead in a straight line, and there was little light except for the occasional lamps hanging from the ceiling. The further they walked, the colder it seemed to get, and Eclipse soon felt the cold wind on her face. She did not count how long they had been walking, but she was certain they had traveled several miles. It was deadly silent inside the tunnel, and the only sound was of their footsteps trying to get to the end. Whisper and Dr. Rhodes were in front of her, and she was relieved that they were together. Though, she wished it was under happier conditions. She still had yet to talk to Whisper properly about his voice returning.

  Finally, there was a flood of lights, and students were cheering. The wind grew stronger, and as she made her way out of the tunnel, flakes of snow fell on her face. The lights shone on her giving her new life. Many students were standing on the snow-covered mountaintop. All around her were snowy mountains, but she never felt more relieved to be in the cold. There were glowing lights at the corner of the mountain peak.

  “Sensors,” said Yujin. “They cloak our presence and are used to protect our research from the outside world. The Blades will not be able to find us here.”

  Eclipse recognized many of the students who survived. Wei Long, Gustav, and Hendrix were the only surviving faction leaders she could see. Many students were wrapped in blankets and were shivering, huddled together and cold.

  “Take a rest. We have a lot to plan,” said Yujin.

  There was a shout from the crowd, and a lumbering figure came toward them.

  “Yujin, Seranay, I’m so glad you both are alive,” said Bronson, greeting them.

  Seranay lowered her eyes. “I wonder if being alive is better.”

  Bronson held a folder of documents. “Is Professor Katar with you? He told me to take these and meet him here.”

  Yujin lay his giant hand on his shoulder. “Professor Katar is dead, my friend.”

  Bronson shook his head. “No! Professor Katar was right behind me! How could he die? He was the strongest of us all!”

  “He was killed by a Blade. Professor Nam and Professor Manjra are also dead,” said Seranay with grief.

  Bronson dropped to his knees, his arms covering the documents. “He gave me these. He said these were important.”

  “What are they?” asked Eclipse.

  Bronson turned to Yujin and Seranay for confirmation.

  “It’s research about Kry. After Kry was revealed to be an Ascended, Professor Katar wanted to find out more about his origins,” said Yujin.

  “What? You were researching him?” asked Eclipse.

  “Professor Katar believed there was something important about Kry, as do I. We’ll talk of this later,” said Yujin.

  Yujin helped Bronson up and took him to the side. Bronson was overwhelmed with grief. Seranay walked away and tried to encourage and comfort some students who were also grieving.

  Eclipse wondered how deep the research was. All she understood was that Kry had believed he was one of the two boys, who were at the center of the disagreement during the User Civil War. However, Makai had said he was the one who had killed them under the orders of the Shadow Government. She did not know what was true anymore. She was confused.

  “Eclipse!”

  She turned to see Athena coming toward her. Abel was with her, and he looked like he had recovered.

  Athena hugged Eclipse. “What happened? Is this everyone?”

  “This is everyone. The rest are…” Eclipse lowered her eyes.

  Abel limped forward. Athena turned to help him. “You shouldn’t move, not until you’re fully healed.”

  Abel was adamant he wanted to walk. “Is Kry with you? I don’t sense him.”

  “He isn’t here already?” Eclipse asked with concern.

  “No, we thought he’d be with your group,” said Abel.

  “He told us all to come here. Zero aided our escape. Is Zero not here either?” asked Eclipse.

  Athena had fear in her eyes. “Neither of them are here, Eclipse.”

  “Kry and Zero must be together,” said Eclipse. “Zero should be able to keep Kry safe.”

  Abel looked into the distance deep in thought. “I hope you’re right.” His voice was full of doubt.

  Chapter 36 – Separate Paths

  The cold air blew across the mountaintop as the students huddled together to keep themselves as warm as possible. Many were too tired or injured to concentrate on using their energy to create a barrier of warmth around them. The sun was slowly setting, removing the last shreds of natural light, and the darkness of the night soon descended upon them.

  Seranay carried a small medical kit with her as she went around the camp attending to the students. The university had set up a small research base at the top of the mountain which had been equipped with medical resources, food, and a shelter, but it was not enough to manage the large number of students who were now using it as a refugee camp.

  “Will he be alright?” asked Inessa.

  Thrace began to cough. “I’m much better, but I feel like I’ve been hit by a bomb.”

  Seranay pulled out tablets from the medical kit. “You were hit by a bomb. Take these; they’ll ease the pain. Your User ability will slowly heal the rest of your body given time.”

  “Thanks, Professor Seranay,” said Thrace, taking the tablets.

  “Don’t call me a professor. I’m not a professor anymore. The university is in ashes, and I don’t think I’ll be teaching any classes again.”

  Yujin walked over. “Don’t be so sure, Seranay. There are students who need our help, and many still need our training.”

  Seranay closed the medical kit. “Train where? There’s nothing left, Yujin, nothing. The Shadow Government will continue to hunt us down until none of us are left. Our lives are now ones of fugitives.”

  Eclipse silently listened. Kuro rested on her lap. If a Blade appeared at the tunnel door, she would be ready.

  Thrace tried to stand up.

  “Sit down, Thrace,” ordered Inessa. “You were just hit by a large amount of energy.”

  Thra
ce tried to push her away. “I want to stand. I feel terrible for missing the entire fight and not being able to do anything.”

  Akira helped Inessa in forcing Thrace to sit. “Be thankful that you didn’t have to see the terrible things we did,” said Akira. “Many died this day, but none will be forgotten.”

  “I don’t think Thrace will listen to you. For some reason, men are stubborn when it comes to their own health and well-being,” said Athena, who then glanced at Abel.

  “I’ve had enough rest,” insisted Abel. “It’s better to move to allow the blood to circulate.”

  Athena huffed. “Still stubborn!”

  Thrace laughed and fell backward. Inessa did not try to help him this time. “You’re right. Men are stubborn.”

  Eclipse was glad that some of her friends could still be in good spirits despite what had happened. She looked up into the night sky where the Moon was shining brightly. Her thoughts were of Kry and how he had yet to arrive. Neither he nor Zero had arrived, and she was deeply worried. She vowed to protect Kry, but she could not sense him anywhere.

  “I can’t believe Whisper can talk now,” said Athena. “He sounds so charming with his young voice.”

  “Be careful, Abel. Your girlfriend might be interested in Whisper,” teased Thrace.

  Athena pelted him with a small bolt of ice. She turned red in the face. “He isn’t my boyfriend.”

  Abel also blushed and looked away.

  Thrace winked. “Why so red, lovebirds?”

  Inessa thumped his arm.

  Thrace yelped in pain. “Hey, that hurt! I was just hit by a nuclear bomb. You don’t need to hit me like that!”

  Inessa shrugged. “I thought you said you were fine, and don’t exaggerate. The blast was powerful, but it wasn’t a nuclear bomb. You’re not that strong to survive that kind of explosion.”

  Thrace glared at his girlfriend.

  “Keep glaring, and I’ll make sure it’s your last.” She glared back which quickly caused Thrace to turn submissive.