The countryside seemed to stretch out endlessly in front of them, vast fields of green and gold as far as the eye could see. The hustle and bustle of the city felt like a distant memory as the trio sped down the winding roads, with only the occasional farmhouse or barn breaking the monotony of the landscape.
Anders drove with a sense of urgency. He kept glancing at the rearview mirror, ensuring they weren't being followed. He kept his headlights off so it’d be a bit more difficult to locate them, but that could’ve been his paranoia about the whole situation getting the better of him.
The government might’ve declared Martial Law, but there were other more important dangers to deal with than some random car.
“So annoying…” Zayzal muttered. He just wanted to leave the country and return to his homeland. Why did everything have to be such a pain?
“It is, but there’s nothing we can do. If the higher-ups didn’t do something like this, Denmark would be as good as gone.” Anders responded, thinking back to the trolls they encountered.
Pistols basically had no effect on them. Only people with a certain level of strength or skill could take them down, which, in this day and age, wasn’t many. Even if they awakened their talent, it might not make much of a difference.
Not to mention, Denmark was a country with strict gun laws. The level of protection the average person had wasn’t much. Just a few dozen trolls would be able to run through a small city without proper protection, and that was just from one dungeon.
“Do you think the troll dungeon was the only one in that area?” Anders suddenly asked.
The car fell silent, with the hum of the engine acting as background noise. Everyone fell into thought, as they hadn’t considered how common dungeons were.
“...I doubt it,” Zayzal answered hesitantly. “Sera and I have already encountered two without even trying. There could very well be more hiding.”
“I see.” Anders frowned, looking a little guilty. The weight of his actions finally started to hit him as he realized the importance of his presence – of their presence.
‘Hopefully we gave them enough time to get stronger.’ He gave a little prayer before forcefully shoving the thought away. He didn’t want to think about such depressing things right now.
A heavy silence followed, only the hum of the SUV's engine filling the void. Each of them were lost in their own thoughts, pondering their next move and the repercussions of their actions.
As the hours passed, night began to descend, casting the countryside in a cloak of darkness. Without the city's light pollution, the stars seemed brighter, the Milky Way stretching across the sky like a river of diamonds.
Anders finally broke the silence. "We should find shelter for the night. It's too dangerous to drive in the dark, especially without knowing what's out there."
Sera scoffed in disagreement, “What? Just keep driving! If something really does pop up, Zayzal and I will take care of it! We should almost be at the border, right Zayzal?”
Zayzal looked back at her incredulously. “How would I know?”
“Because you’re good with maps and stuff!”
Zayzal glanced out the window at the near pitch-black darkness. He could hear the crunch of gravel under the tires, and from the faint light coming from the headlights, he could see that they were barely on a one-way road.
‘I don’t think this road is even on a map!’ He couldn’t help but think.
Luckily, Anders answered for him, “...Yes. We shouldn’t be too far from the border.”
“Good! Then keep driving! The faster we make it out of this country, the less trouble.”
Neither of the men had anything to say against that, especially Zayzal. Denmark has been quite troublesome ever since they arrived, and he really didn’t want to be stopped by a group of military personnel.
‘We aren’t strong enough to stop a bullet to the face.’ He thought. ‘Maybe Sera can create a barrier around us to block it, but I’d rather not have to put that theory to the test.’
The longer the lockdown lasted, the more control the government would have over the country, making their lives exponentially harder. Now was the best time to leave.
Anders sighed. “Yes, Ma’am.” He said, getting a chuckle out of Zayzal.
“Looks like we’re not stopping until we reach Germany.”
Anders playfully glared at Zayzal and snorted before putting his attention back on driving.
As the night wore on, the trio encountered no vehicles on the road. The only company they had was the intermittent nocturnal animals darting across the road, their eyes gleaming in the dim light from the car's headlights that Anders turned on as they approached closer to Germany. The looming trees at the sides of the road added a sense of foreboding, creating a dark tunnel effect.
It wasn’t long before they neared the border between Denmark and Germany.
They saw bright lights in the distance, accompanied by the distinct sound of vehicles and chatter. Multiple checkpoints, armed guards, and massive floodlights made it clear that they couldn’t just coast on by.
“What’s the plan?” Anders asked.
“Go out and ask them politely if we can leave?” Zayzal joked but only received two glares in response. He thought more about a plan before his eyes narrowed, and he said in a low voice, “The way I see it, we have two options: sneak through on foot or find the weakest point in the barricade and run through it with the car. I’m leaning toward the latter.”
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The two fell into thought. Sera didn’t care either way, but Anders had a few different ideas. It’s just that they weren’t as effective as Zayzal’s, so he didn’t point them out.
‘I don’t want to ditch the car. It’ll take us forever to traverse Germany without it. Not to mention, if Germany is on lockdown, too, it’ll be annoying to find another one.’ He thought before coming to a decision.
“Let’s ram through it.”
Zayzal and Sera nodded heavily.
“Sera, get ready to create a barrier around the car, but try and focus on our protection more,” Zayzal ordered.
‘I guess we’re going to put it to the test, anyways.’ He thought but quickly pushed that to the back of his mind.
“Understood!” Sera exclaimed and began channeling her mana.
“Remember to keep your heads low! And Anders, go full throttle! Even if someone is in your way, don’t slow down!”
“Got it!”
“Then, let’s go!”
Anders revved the engine, feeling the vibration under his hands as he gripped the steering wheel tightly. A mixture of fear and adrenaline pumped through his veins, and he took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.
Beside him, Zayzal mentally went through the plan once more, while in the back, Sera focused all her energy on creating a protective barrier. A soft, shimmering glow emanated from her hands, encasing the car in a nearly invisible forcefield.
From a distance, the checkpoint was a hive of activity.
Guards patrolled, trucks loaded with supplies moved to-and-fro, and bright floodlights scanned the surrounding areas. But Anders had identified a weak point - a spot where the barricade was relatively low, and the guard presence was slightly less dense.
He exchanged a final glance with Zayzal, who nodded in affirmation. Sera clenched her fists, reinforcing the barrier. Without another word, Anders stomped on the accelerator.
The SUV lunged forward, quickly gaining speed. The wind howled past them, and the roar of the engine became almost deafening. Anders kept his eyes fixed on the weak point, steering the car straight towards it.
As they neared the checkpoint, the guards finally noticed the approaching vehicle. They pointed their rifles at them and yelled.
“Stop! Stop the vehicle now!”
“Enemy approaching!”
“If you don’t stop now, we’ll be forced to shoot!”
Shouts filled the air, followed by the sharp sound of sirens. Floodlights were redirected towards the SUV, bathing it in a blinding light.
"Keep going!" Zayzal shouted over the noise, holding onto the dashboard as the car sped on.
“Open fire!” One of the military men shouted. The soldiers immediately followed his orders.
Bullets began to ping against the car's exterior, but Sera's barrier held. It shimmered and vibrated with each impact but didn't break.
They were almost there. The weak point in the barricade loomed ahead, but just as Anders was about to ram through, a truck pulled out, blocking their path. It seemed like a dead end.
Anders' heart sank, but in a split-second decision, he swerved the SUV, aiming for a small gap between the truck and the barrier. It was a tight squeeze, but the car managed to slip through, scraping against the side of the truck and barrier but continuing forward.
They were through!
Anders didn’t let up on the gas, wanting to put as much distance between them and the border as possible. The sirens and shouting from the checkpoint faded into the distance as they drove deeper into Germany.
Finally, feeling that they were at a safe distance, Anders slowed the SUV and pulled over to the side of the road. The three of them sat in stunned silence, processing what just happened.
Zayzal was the first to break the silence. "That was... intense."
Anders exhaled loudly. "I can't believe we made it."
Sera, her energy drained from maintaining the barrier, leaned back, panting heavily. "That was close. Too close."
"We're not out of the woods yet," Anders reminded them. “We still have no idea what’s going on in Germany.”
But for now, they were safe. The three of them shared a moment of relief before preparing for the next leg of their journey.
***
In an undisclosed location, the remnants of Denmark’s governing body convened. From a distance, the building seemed nondescript, but within, the tension was palpable. The room was illuminated by soft overhead lights, casting a shadow on the array of officials gathered around a large oak table.
Prime Minister Henrik Moller, a middle-aged man with deep lines etched on his face, took a deep breath and addressed the room. “I understand everyone’s concerns, and I thank you for gathering here on such short notice. We are currently facing an unprecedented situation, and our first and foremost priority is to ensure the safety and well-being of our citizens.”
Foreign Minister Anton Berg adjusted his glasses, “I have been in talks with Germany. They, too, are experiencing similar phenomena. Borders are closing, not just to prevent the inflow of potential threats, but also because they are grappling with their own internal challenges.”
Defense Minister Kasper Ludvigsen chimed in, “The armed forces are doing everything they can. But reports of monsters, combined with the unprecedented event from last week, are stretching us thin. The chaos in our streets and the deaths of millions of our people demand a united front.”
Silence descended on the room as the weight of their situation set in. One by one, various ministers and officials began to lay out the details of their current strategies and the difficulties they were facing.
“Why was Martial Law really declared?” questioned General Peter Sorensen, a senior military official. “While I understand the reasons shared publicly, there are rumors about individuals with extraordinary abilities. Some even say that they could be assets or threats. Are these mere urban legends?”
Minister Ludvigsen exchanged glances with Prime Minister Moller before speaking. “The rumors are not completely unfounded. We have a few confirmed cases of individuals manifesting powers beyond human capabilities. We’re still trying to understand the extent and implications of these abilities.”
“Our intel suggests,” Minister Berg interjected, “that not just Denmark but several countries worldwide are observing such phenomena. Some governments might see them as assets, while others as threats. There's a global race to understand, control, or harness these powers.”
“However, the real reason is that we lost most of our military bases due to rising sea levels.” Prime Minister Moller sighed deeply, and some of the people who weren’t in the know became solemn. “It’s true that while our priority to protect the citizens remains, we can't ignore the potential advantages or dangers of these individuals. If we can’t take control now, we might never be able to. If people with such powers fall into the wrong hands or have malevolent intentions, the consequences could be dire.”
The room buzzed with murmured discussions. Everyone was trying to grapple with the gravity of the situation. Amidst the concerns about monsters and the catastrophe, this new revelation about super-powered individuals added another layer of complexity.
The thought that they could also be possessors of supernatural powers never crossed their minds. Most of the people in this room were already in their later years. After mana came down and changed them, at most, they felt a few decades spryer.
That was nice, but they didn’t suddenly become super powerful. At least they didn’t feel all that different physically; maybe a bit stronger, but that’s it. However, they had never trained their bodies to begin with, so any increase in strength was negligible compared to others.
Which made sense in regards to their talents. If Zayzal were here, he would’ve noticed that none of them had any red talents.
“Do we have any leads on these superhuman individuals?” General Sorensen inquired.
“We have a few,” responded Director Erik Larsen, the head of the national intelligence agency. “Our teams are actively monitoring them. Some seem to be using their abilities for personal gain, while others are genuinely trying to help. We're establishing a task force to approach, assess, and, if needed, recruit or contain them.”
A collective nod of agreement went around the table. They understood the delicate nature of this new challenge. It was essential to strike a balance between harnessing these newfound powers for the greater good and ensuring they didn’t spiral out of control.
As the meeting drew to a close, Prime Minister Moller stood up. “I urge everyone to be vigilant and dedicated in these trying times. We must be unified in our approach and actions. The people of Denmark are relying on us. Let's ensure we rise to the occasion.”