Paragon of Shadow by Luke Chmilenko & Alex Knight

Author:Luke Chmilenko & Alex Knight [Chmilenko, Luke & Knight, Alex]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aetherworld Productions Inc.
Published: 2024-04-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

The System’s arrival changed the world in several key ways. In its wake, humankind has had to adjust to many uncomfortable truths. Ol’ Le Conte foremost among them.

—Elder Noressa’s favorite warning

* * *

“Oh, this is bad. This is actually very, very bad.” Mercutio rocked back and forth where he was sitting. “Killing the guardian must have done it, that’s it. That had to be it. But this shouldn’t be possible,” Mercutio said, shaking.

Meanwhile, Sumalin dug frantically in her pocket before producing the gate core.

“What are you talking about?” I snapped at Mercutio, his drastic change in temperament setting off all sorts of alarms in my head.

“Theoretically, the empowered guardian was sent here to keep entropy in check. But it was infected and then you all killed it. You killed it and now . . . oh, System above, now we have a problem.”

“We didn’t just decide to kill it!” Val snapped back. “You, or Salvo, or whatever, sent it to fight us to cover your escape! We were protecting ourselves!”

Sumalin produced the gate core from her pocket but it slipped free of her hands and bounced off the floor in a series of sharp clicks.

“Damn it!” she cursed while hurrying after it.

Mercutio shrugged at Val’s clarification, still rocking back and forth.

“You killed it all the same,” he said it quiet and with a little panicked laugh. “Now there’s no one here to keep entropy in check. It’s not just bleeding into the world like I thought. No, no, no. This is . . . this is a full-blown infection. That explains what’s happening now.”

“Anyone care to clarify why this infection is headed straight for us?” Ciprien shouted, panic in his voice.

“I second that,” I said, nodding emphatically. “I don’t care who’s at fault, I’d just like to know what’s going on!”

“Got it!” Sumalin had pinned the gate core beneath the toe of her boot. “Enough yapping,” she said, looking at all of us for a moment. “We’re getting out of here.”

And with that, she dug her toe into the ground and the gate core was crushed out of existence.

The node fell away around us, dematerializing in a rush of wind and impossible sights as the walls shattered into a million pieces, the ceiling folded in on itself, and then we experienced a moment of freefall before landing on soft grass. Back in the real world. Back in reality.

I breathed in a cool rush of predawn air and, for a moment, was at peace. Until I remembered what was coming for us.

Coming for us. Shit. If only that were true, I found myself wishing as I looked around. The infection wasn’t coming for us; it had already arrived. And with it, the sounds of hell. Whoops and hollers, growls and screams. Grunts, barks, chirps, and even some sort of strange, echoing moaning that reverberated through my chest. But there was something else in that encircling madness. Something I couldn’t yet see but could feel with every fiber of my being. Like when standing too close to an inferno.

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