Deep Sea Embers - Chapter 552: Chaos Unfolds

People in the crowd were screaming in terror, frantically running in all directions as if a bomb had gone off. The campus security guards, who were on duty at the time, immediately snapped to attention. Their hands reached instinctively for the revolvers holstered at their sides, eyes scanning for the source of the panic.

Nina’s conversation was abruptly cut short by this sudden and chaotic turn of events. Reacting instinctually, she tightly grasped Shirley’s arm, who was standing next to her, and whipped her head around to see where the terrifying screams originated.

It felt like crossing through an invisible barrier or stepping through a curtain into another realm. The noise level suddenly spiked to an unbearable crescendo, each sound wave causing sharp pain that reverberated through the senses. A blinding light filled the sky as if the day had instantly turned into an apocalyptic night while the air was filled with a jarring cacophony that seemed to sting the eyes and skin as though the very air were evaporating. Hovering in this chaotic sky was a massive, indescribable sphere, its size and shape pulsating wildly as if alive.

Shadowy figures began to emerge—forms that defied description, fluctuating wildly and moving erratically. Their bone-chilling screams were so intense that they seemed to shake the very fabric of reality itself.

But in this chaotic moment, a different question occupied my mind: Where was my weapon? My armor? Where were my comrades in arms? Where was I in this cosmic mess?

Suddenly, a horrifying and indefinable mass of darkness materialized out of nowhere, crashing onto the ground with an earth-shattering thud. The mass resembled flesh, but it had a strange, metallic sheen that made it look both organic and inorganic. Its constantly morphing surface occasionally shimmered with prismatic lights, and within that chaotic luminance, it appeared as if something within was screeching and pulsating.

Panic took over the crowd. People screamed, pushing and shoving as they tried to escape the unknown terror.

Amidst the chaos, only the two “Truth Guardians” on the scene seemed to maintain their composure. Swiftly drawing their handguns and other mystical tools, they ran towards this abomination—a ‘Reality Intruder,’ for lack of a better term.

Their urgent shouts pierced through the cacophony, reaching Nina and Shirley: “Kids, run!”

Shaken by the guards’ urgent calls, Nina’s eyes widened in disbelief as she focused on the epicenter of the chaos. For a moment, she questioned her own sanity.

Because, for a brief instant—perhaps no more than a second or two—she thought she saw something even more shocking than the nightmarish mass of darkness. For that fleeting moment, the entity seemed to take on the form of a human being.

She immediately doubted her own perception as the moment was incredibly brief. And judging from the reactions of the people around her, it seemed that no one else had caught that particular detail.

The Truth Guardians were already springing into action. Unsure of how to deal with the mysterious intruder and its unpredictable nature, they refrained from opening fire immediately. Instead, they smashed several test tubes filled with volatile substances onto the ground. The chemicals quickly vaporized, forming a misty “gas wall” in the air. When rays of sunlight hit this mist, it refracted into a beautiful, mesmerizing light.

It was as if a barrier resembling a crystalline rainbow had materialized in the atmosphere, separating the crowd from the incomprehensible chaos unfolding before them.

The two original guards, acting as the front line of defense, were the first to venture into the magical “gas wall.” One guard took up a defensive position, aiming his revolver with intense focus at the churning, writhing mass that lay ominously on the ground. His partner was busy with another set of tasks; he quickly but meticulously scattered an assortment of mystical liquids and enchanted dust across the nearby terrain. He then ignited a portable candelabrum with ceremonial care, filling the air with an eerie, flickering light. Following this, he assembled a makeshift barrier using chunks of crystal and metal blocks, strategically placed to further restrict the entity’s range of motion.

Soon after these preparations, a sharp whistle reverberated from the opposite end of the street. It was the signal for reinforcements, and additional guardians who had been patrolling other sectors of the marketplace answered the call. They arrived at a sprint, efficiently herding the remaining pedestrians away from the epicenter of the crisis. Once inside the protective “gas wall,” they began a coordinated series of rituals designed for sealing, restraining, and purifying malevolent forces.

Standing at a safe yet observant distance, Nina and Shirley watched in awe as the highly orchestrated scene unfolded before them. Far from being anxious or fearful, they found the whole event incredibly fascinating. They had encountered various supernatural phenomena in their lives, but witnessing professional guardians handle an emergency situation “by the book” was something different altogether. It was a far cry from how Uncle Duncan, who they affectionately referred to as the Captain, would typically manage crises—usually with far less ceremony and far more improvisation.

Just as they were absorbing these details, the bizarre, metallic life-form at the center of the magical “gas wall” began to convulse violently. The makeshift magical seals that the guardians had hastily erected were suddenly under extreme duress. A translucent, shell-like structure that had enveloped the entity began to crack inch by inch. Each fracture was accompanied by an earsplitting, high-pitched screech. Two of the guardians who were conducting the restraining rituals were forced to retreat; the crystal prism in one of their hands shattered instantly upon contact with the emanating force.

However, this surge of activity appeared to be the entity’s final act of resistance.

Panting, the guardians prepared to reinforce their magical barriers, but before they could act, they noticed that the creature—the “living metal”—had already started to weaken. The noises it emitted, which had been unsettlingly reminiscent of mechanical hissing and friction, began to fade. The entity’s shape, once ever-changing, started to solidify. The once radiant, metallic sheen of its “skin” turned a dull, lifeless gray, as if it were rapidly decaying or weathering into stone.

Finally, it ceased all movement, save for the occasional faint twitch on its surface—reminiscent of the final, involuntary muscle spasms that sometimes occur in animals post-mortem.

“Target activity is declining; it has ceased reacting to Catalyst 17,” one guard announced, holding a revolver in one hand while carefully cradling several test tubes in the other.

Another guardian, who had been clutching an exceptionally thick, ancient tome, continued to observe the now-still mass. He seemed to be using other senses to evaluate the situation. Finally, he spoke in a tone of cautious relief, “The target shows no signs of cognitive activity.”

Thus, for the moment, it seemed the immediate crisis had been averted, leaving Nina, Shirley, and everyone else present to ponder what had just transpired—and what it could possibly mean for the fabric of their reality.

“Central zone still exhibits some activity, although it’s on the decline… Also, there’s no evidence suggesting that it’s sending or receiving external signals.”

“It’s not reacting to Category III catalysts either. This entity doesn’t match any known ‘invader species’ in our database. Any word on when specialists from the Academy are due to arrive?”

“The message has been dispatched; they’re saying it will take them at least fifteen minutes to get here.”

“Very well. Everyone, maintain heightened vigilance, keep close tabs on your mental states, and stay within the confines of the barrier zone at all times. Should you encounter anything unusual—visually or audibly—report it immediately.”

The guardians were tackling the unfamiliar and unsettling situation with a level of professionalism and speed that was truly commendable. Despite facing an entity that was entirely novel, not fitting into any existing classifications or records, they managed to keep their composure and act without hesitation. That is, until an unexpected voice broke their concentration.

“Um… excuse me, Mr. Guardian, could you tell us what this thing actually is?”

Nina, her hand gripping Shirley’s, walked up to the now largely inert entity—this mysterious “living metal mass.” The object before them was an enigmatic shape with a diameter of nearly two meters. Inquisitiveness getting the better of her, Nina posed her question.

The guardian nearest to them nearly jumped out of his boots.

The man, who was garbed in what looked more like scholarly robes than battle armor, spun around with wide eyes and a look of utter disbelief. He had assumed that these young girls, who seemed as if they were about to report an anomaly, would have been among those already evacuated from the scene. Why on earth were they still here?

And then, as he took another split second to process the situation, he found himself facing an even more confounding mystery.

“How did you get inside this area?!”

He scrutinized Nina and Shirley incredulously. A quick check over their shoulders confirmed that the magical “gas wall,” designed to quarantine the incident site, was still completely intact a few meters behind them. This shimmering barrier, resplendent with its rainbow-like crystalline texture, had not been tampered with. Furthermore, his senses had not picked up any interaction with the barrier itself.

How did these two girls, who seemed no older than middle school students, manage to so nonchalantly stroll into this restricted zone?

“I just walked in,” Nina replied, now visibly nervous as she took in the guardian’s shocked reaction and sensed the heightened alertness emanating from the other guards around him. “I just… walked right in.”

Standing beside her, Shirley nodded in confirmation, rapidly calling upon her long-unused childhood acting skills to assume the most innocent expression she could muster. “We were curious and thought we’d get a closer look, sir.”

“You just walked in?!” His eyes widened in disbelief. Years of rigorous training kicked into overdrive. As his mind silently recited Lahem’s prayer for protection, one hand instinctively reached for the grip of his sidearm. Yet, despite these protective maneuvers, his eyes never left the two girls standing inexplicably before him.

A subtle silver luminescence flickered deep within the guardian’s eyes as if trying to pierce through the layers of reality to discern the truth.

However, Nina and Shirley merely stood there, embodying the innocence of two typical kids enjoying an uneventful walk outside. They did not look like they harbored any ill intentions or secrets.

Nina was genuinely clueless about the situation at hand. She had observed the misty, magical barrier encircling the area but had perceived it as a merely symbolic boundary, much like a line drawn on a playground in chalk. She had strolled right through it, feeling no more resistance than the ease with which sunlight passes through a pane of glass.

Shirley had the same experience—she too felt no obstruction. It was as though she was walking in concert with the very sunlight that was passing effortlessly through the barrier.

The tension in the air was palpable. The guardians present were on maximum alert. In about half of them, a faint silvery glow emanated from their eyes—a result of invoking Lahem’s blessings to augment their perceptual abilities. They scrutinized Nina and Shirley, both of whom behaved and spoke in ways that were slightly unsettling, yet also inexplicably ordinary.

After their scrutiny, they found nothing amiss.

Only the eldest guardian, a middle-aged man who appeared to have decades of experience, sensed an elusive dissonance. It was as though a secret was hovering just at the edge of visibility, subtly concealed within the guileless smile of one of the girls. As a result, he found his gaze lingering on Nina a moment longer, a flicker of suspicion glinting in his eyes.

But then, quite unexpectedly, he was overtaken by a sense of unexplained calmness. It was as though there was no longer any need to delve deeper into his suspicions. This mysterious sensation prompted him to instinctively quell the glowing light in his eyes.

Rubbing his eyes for a moment, the guardian felt the initial unease that had momentarily seized him drift away like morning mist.

“Did we interrupt your work?” Nina inquired, her tone tinged with polite regret.

The guardians exchanged fleeting glances. A few of them seemed to communicate wordlessly before huddling together to quietly confer.

Finally, the eldest guardian, still emanating a degree of wariness beneath his solemn demeanor, took a step forward.

“Excuse me, young ladies,” he began, choosing his words carefully. “Would you mind accompanying us for a brief discussion?”