Julian stood at the foot of Monty’s bed. The man was resting peacefully, but his bracer kept going off every few minutes. He didn’t know how anyone could sleep through the bracer’s notifications, but Monty was pulling it off.
Then, Julian felt his bracer vibrate.
[Time Remaining: 00:29:59]
[Tri-Bracer preparing to initialize Final Systems Integration.]
The final hour was here, and Julian did not know what to do next. All Izun had warned was that destruction would follow. Looking out the window of the dorm and the world had plenty of that in spades. Whole buildings, street blocks, businesses and homes, dreams and futures, had been claimed by the advent of the Eidos.
Julian couldn’t imagine what else this coming system could take from them, but that didn’t stop his mind from wandering.
Boss?
What’s up, Obi?
We got trouble. Word has spread about Monty’s condition. Liveliness is a no-no to these guys. They are on the way to your location now.
“Damnit,” Julian whispered, looking Monty over one more time. He tapped at his bracer, searching for Andre’s contact info. The party system still wasn’t working.
Finally, he found Andre’s contact info and called him.
“Yo?”
“They are on the move. Is everyone out of the dorms?”
Andre’s voice came in clear through the bracer’s communication network. “We got this covered here. Another ten minutes and everyone will be in the clear. Maria’s on her way to you. She insisted.”
Julian sighed. “Very well. Be on guard, and look out for yourself, Andre.”
“You, too, brother.” With that, Andre signed off.
Obi?
Yeah, boss?
Were you able to practice with the new technique I gave you?
Not at all, boss. I guess now is as good a time as any.
Julian chuckled. Both of you, be safe and stay hidden. I can’t protect Monty without you. Julian paused at his admission, but he shook his head clear. Now wasn’t the time to contemplate his weakness.
We got your back, boss. Don’t worry about a thing.
Julian sighed. Just be careful. Looking out the window, Julian saw the mob coming.
A group of fifty people, some with Eidos summoned, were marching towards the dormitories. People scurried out of the way, trying to avoid the crowd’s attention while they marched past them through the safe zone.
Julian watched as the members of the forefront crowd suddenly tripped up on the sidewalk, falling to the ground. As laughter echoed across the campus, Obi got to work.
[Control Plants] was a very broad and powerful ability, and Julian watched as Obi used his control over flora to tie and trip up everyone as they walked towards the dorms.
“That looks fun.”
Julian jumped in surprise, turning around to find Maria standing in the room. She was watching out the window with Matilda on her shoulders.
“This should give us time to get Monty out of here,” Maria said.
“Agreed,” Dr. Winslow said, sliding into the room with a large nurse right behind her.
Julian watched as the crowd of tamers started hacking their way through the grass and roots of trees that were growing at an advanced pace. Soon, they would figure out the truth, leaving Obi and Omen in danger.
“Alright, let’s go,” Julian said, stepping to the side of Monty’s bed and undoing the foot locks at the wheels. The bed rolled as Dr. Winslow and the nurse pushed it forward.
Julian and Maria escorted them down the hallway.
Boss! Obi roared in a panic, causing Julian to stagger from the sudden splitting headache.
No need to yell! He roared back mentally. What is it?
They have fire! They’re burning through my plants and heading for the building.
Retreat to the back of the building. Just stay hidden for now. Omen, come to the back door and join our shadows.
They burst out the back door of the dorms, where Andre and a few other campus regulars waited for them. They carried the bed down the steps and rolled across the sidewalk away from the mob.
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“THERE THEY ARE!”
Julian turned to see the mob running around the building towards them. Eidos, what looked like a hyena and a wildebeest, charged across the campus with a buffalo and lion in tow.
Torrents of fire lashed out across the yard.
From the trees above, a small bear flew, growing in mass before landing between the Eidos and their targets. A torrent of water burst from the bear’s mouth, snuffing the flames out. Dorffi unleashed a roar that rumbled across the campus.
Charging Eidos stopped in their tracks, their tamers behind them.
The guard from the front entrance stepped forward. “Hand over, Monty, and no one gets hurt.” The mob cheered in response, echoing her sentiment.
“Why the hell would we do that? No one has explained anything!” Maria yelled, standing between them with Julian.
The woman folded her arms. “I know you weren’t here, so there is no way you could have known that Monty planned on shutting down the safe zone! Why the hell would he even consider doing that? We had no choice but to take matters into our own hands.”
Maria looked to Julian, then back to the crowd.
In position, boss.
Julian nodded. “Okay, then. So you planned on killing the man and taking the safe zone for yourselves?”
The woman pressed forward, her lion stalking toward Dorffi. “We had no choice! It was him or us! This place keeps us safe!” The woman pointed her finger at Monty. “Flame Spout!”
The lion roared, releasing fire to shoot out across the yard.
Dorffi matched it with more water, drowning it out once more.
The screen had served as a faint, as other tamers charged forward with their Eidos in tow.
Control Plants, Obi! Trip them up.
Omen, Shade Trap!
The mob and their Eidos got wrapped up again by the foliage of the campus.
The buffalo charged forward, heading straight for Monty’s bed.
Freezing Howl!
A loud howl echoed across the campus as ice shot up from underneath the buffalo.
[Ambush Bonus Achieved: x2 Damage]
The buffalo slumped to the ground, its hide covered in ice.
A spark of electricity shot across the battlefield as Penelope made herself known, releasing a lightning bolt across the Eidos to keep them in check. Extra damage was earned from the torrential deluge from before.
“Get them!” The mob called, sending the rest of their monsters to try and slay them.
Oryx suddenly erupted from the earth, sending rocks crashing down on charging Eidos.
Ember released their torrent of fire to surround the mob and try to control the crowd.
“We can’t keep this up!” Julian called across the battlefield.
Put me in, boss!
Control Fauna, go all out!
The ground shook as trees and bushed around campus ripped themselves out of the ground.
This should even the odds!
The uprooted plants charged at their roots, using them as leverage to grapple and restrain the mob.
A large hawk suddenly swooped down at Monty’s bed, but Penelope was quicker. She released a large bolt of electricity to fry the bird before it took off.
The guard was busy removing her returned lion’s capsule from her bracer. “Why can’t you see we are doing this for everyone here? People need a haven. We have one. Let us be here in peace!”
Chuckling came up from behind Julian, followed by a cough. “Is that what this is all about?”
Julian turned to see Monty awake, looking out over the scene before him from his prone position on the bed.
“Monty?” Julian started-
“It’s okay, Julian.” Monty sat up gently, holding his bandaged side. “I never said I was shutting the safe zone down! The safe zone was a temporary measure for the tutorial, you idiots!” Monty slipped out of the bed, the nurse catching him and setting him on his feet.
Panic filled the air.
The woman and her lion looked up towards Monty. “You have no control over it? Even as the Admin?”
Monty laughed coldly. “Of course not. The safe zone was the same as the starting area. Don’t you cowards get it? Survive, bond, and thrive together doesn’t include us being isolated!”
People began to run from the scene, heading to their rooms or camps across the campus.
“Enjoy the last few minutes. The safe zone is going bye-bye!” Monty held his hands up in the air as he laughed maniacally. Then he collapsed on the bed, catching his breath before falling unconscious again.
Julian looked at his bracer.
[Time remaining: 00:01:13]
“Get to safety. We gotta secure the injured,” Julian called out over the chaos.
“Right!” Dr. Winslow yelled, moving Monty towards the backup dorm facilities.
As everything turned into mass panic, Julian watched his bracer time down to the end of the tutorial.
Hey, boss?
What is it, Obi?
What’s going to happen? Julian could sense fear coming from his bond with Obi.
I don’t know, buddy. We will see when we get there.
[Time remaining: 00:00:05]
[00:00:04]
[00:00:03]
[00:00:02]
[00:00:01]
[Tutorial Complete]
[Consolidating Data.]
[Initializing Tri-Bracer System, version 7.346751]
In the distance, the energy erupting from the Artino Research Tower suddenly hallowed out and ceased pouring into the sky.
An eerie calm fell over the city, not counting the panicking mob rushing around.
Suddenly, energy fell from the sky back over the tower, consuming it completely.
As a loud crash of lighting filled the air, a shockwave sent dust and debris flying as the once proud Artino Research Towers crumbled.
Light erupted from the base of the falling tower, rushing over the city and consuming the land: The Final Seeding.
Energy buzzed in the air as the shockwave slammed into the safe zone barrier.
Julian slid into the dorm hallway with Monty’s bed as the safe zone barrier crumpled around the campus with an audible cracking sound.
As the shockwave extended over the city, light radiated over everything in its path as screams of both people and Eidos filled the city.
Julian’s vision went hazy as the light consumed the campus of the USF. He couldn’t see, and he didn’t know where the others were.
He felt Omen panicking beside him, trying to hide from the light.
Obi flew into Julian’s hood, again, trying to hide from the light, too.
Izun, I hope you’re watching. Julian sent up a hopeful prayer to the overseer.
[Final Seeding: Complete]
[Tri-Bracer System, version 7.346751 Initialized.]
[All Bracer Functions Initialized.]
[Class System: Active]
[Rank System: Active]
[Leveling Synchronization: Active]
[Tamer Functions: Active]
[Survive, Bond, and Thrive…Together]
As the light faded away, Julian stood in the dorm's hallway.
Around him, most of the buildings on campus were suddenly falling or overgrown with vines and roots, holding them together.
In the distance, Julian could see greenery covering the cityscape of San Francisco.
“What happened?” Andre asked, rubbing the back of his head where he fell onto the dorm floors.
Julian contemplated his response, looking out from his safe space and into the changed world.
“I think the world ended.”