For years, Mount Nerva had been a dormant stratovolcano, a sleeping giant nestled in the landscape. But now, it unleashed an eerie green cloud of ash into the atmosphere. The phenomenon, though still small in scale, grew larger by the minute, filling the sky with an unnatural hue. Ampelius and Bella stood in awe, their eyes fixed on the extraordinary yet terrifying sight.
Bella's initial shock quickly turned to panic. She rushed away from the window, her voice trembling as she began to ramble about Emmett and the imminent threat of death. Her words became a frantic stream of fears and concerns, but Ampelius couldn’t bring himself to listen. His gaze remained locked on the bizarre scene outside, each billow of green ash captivating him further.
The cloud’s steady expansion seemed almost hypnotic, drawing Ampelius deeper into a state of fascination. But beneath his awe, fear gnawed at him, warring him with a need to stay calm and take charge for Bella's sake. Should we run? Stay and see? Questions flooded his mind, each one feeding his uncertainty. Yet, he knew that now there was no time for hesitation. His body tensed with an instinct to act, even as his mind struggled to keep up.
Suddenly, a glowing green fireball emerged from the rising ash, hurtling toward the ground and striking the base of Mount Nerva with a blinding flash. Ampelius felt a wave of heat wash over him, searing his skin even from a distance. The roar of the impact rang in his ears, disorienting him as he instinctively stepped back, his balance momentarily faltering. His eyes were wide with astonishment. “What was that?” he muttered, more to himself than to Bella. She ignored his question, her panic driving her to frantically stuff random items into a backpack.
Before he could process what he had just seen, another green fireball shot out from the roiling clouds, this time flying farther from the mountain. Its eerie glow illuminated the entire apartment, casting an unsettling green light over everything before disappearing behind a smaller hill in a fiery explosion. The thunderous echo reached them seconds later, vibrating through the floor and sending a shudder up Ampelius’ spine. He gripped the edge of the window to steady himself, feeling the cold glass beneath his fingertips. Bella froze in her tracks. “What was that that just shot out of the clouds?” she asked, her voice trembling.
“Some sort of lava bomb, but with green flames,” Ampelius replied, still fixated on the mountain, his mind a whirlwind of fear and grim fascination. This can't be real, can it? His courage wavered, yet he forced himself to speak steadily, trying to mask the fear eating away at him.
Bella managed to calm herself, the mesmerizing view of the mountain drawing her focus back. Suddenly, a thunderous explosion shook the air, startling them both. The delayed sound from the impact of the second fireball had finally reached them—a powerful reminder of the strange phenomenon unfolding before their eyes.
“Well, that was loud. I see why it’s called a lava bomb,” Bella remarked, trying to maintain a semblance of composure.
“Lava bombs are common during Strombolian eruptions,” Ampelius explained, his tone cautious. “But this... this is different. I’ve never seen anything like it.” As he spoke, a memory flickered in his mind—a time when he’d overheard a group of engineers from Rome discussing experimental weapons that could turn natural forces into something far deadlier. The conversations had been vague, full of whispers, but they’d planted a lingering curiosity in him. Standing here, watching Mount Nerva pulse with that eerie green glow, he felt the old questions resurface. Was this an evolution of those technologies? Had the Empire gone even further than he’d imagined? For a brief moment, the mountain’s fury felt like a warning—an omen of how far they might go.
The green ash continued to rise, and the mountain seemed to pulse with an otherworldly energy. Ampelius and Bella stood there, torn between the urge to flee and the compulsion to witness the spectacle, their hearts pounding in unison with the distant explosions.
Seconds later, another green fireball shot out, this time flying even farther from Mount Nerva and closer to the city. It struck a lone farmhouse on the outskirts, resulting in a brilliant, fiery explosion followed by a deafening clap of thunder. “Another lava bomb?” Bella asked, her voice tinged with growing panic.
Suddenly, a massive explosion erupted from the green ash cloud, expanding it and launching green fireballs in all directions. Ampelius and Bella instinctively stepped back as one of the fireballs hurtled straight toward the city. It quickly became clear that it was destined to strike a skyscraper. They watched in horror as the fireball breached the opposite side of the building, exploding violently out the other side. The impact left a gaping hole, with debris shooting outward and the fireball continuing its destructive path toward the ground.
It struck in front of a cluster of smaller buildings, resulting in a massive explosion that sent flames and smoke billowing into the sky. Dust and shattered glass rained down, covering the area in a chaotic shroud. The gaping hole in the skyscraper spewed flames and smoke, a grim testament to the fireball’s destructive power.
Dozens more green fireballs began to rain over the city, each impact marked by blinding flashes and earth-shaking explosions, creating the impression of a bombing raid. Bella bolted away, running around the apartment frantically, searching for anything she could find to stuff into her backpack. Her movements were erratic, driven by a desperate need to escape the unfolding nightmare.
Ampelius stood frozen, his mind struggling to process the surreal and catastrophic scene before him. The relentless assault of green fireballs turned the cityscape into a war zone. The constant explosions and flashes of light created a nightmarish tableau, the once-familiar city now unrecognizable under the onslaught.
Bella’s voice broke through his trance, her fear palpable as she called out. “Ampelius, we have to go! Now!” The urgency in her tone snapped him out of his stupor. He turned away from the window, his heart pounding, and joined her in the desperate scramble to gather their belongings and flee the apartment.
The room shook with each distant explosion, the green glow from the fireballs casting eerie, shifting shadows on the walls. The once-safe apartment now felt like a fragile shell, barely holding against what was happening outside. Ampelius and Bella moved in a frantic, silent synchronization, their movements almost mechanical as they packed the backpack with whatever essentials they could grab. Their minds were singularly focused on the need to survive, their shared fear unspoken.
With the backpack hastily packed, they exchanged a final, grim look. A silent understanding passed between them—there was no turning back now. They made their way to the door, steeling themselves for whatever horrors awaited them beyond the thin barrier of the apartment walls. The distant roar of explosions and the relentless green glow from outside only served to heighten their sense of impending doom.
Ampelius decided they’d overstayed their welcome. The thought of what lay beyond the door terrified him, but staying was no longer an option. “Bella, we have to go. Now,” he urged his voice tight with urgency, his eyes darting around the apartment as if expecting the walls to collapse at any moment.
But Bella, her movements frantic and desperate, seemed oblivious to his pleas. She rummaged through a drawer, her hands shaking as she pulled out a piece of paper and a pen. Ampelius’s frustration mounted as he watched her begin scribbling furiously, the pen scratching loudly against the paper in the tense silence.
“Bella! This is no time for poetry! We need to leave now!” he shouted, his voice rising in desperation. The walls seemed to close in around him, the suffocating fear clawing at his chest as another distant explosion rattled the room.
She looked up, her eyes wide and brimming with tears, filled with a mixture of fear and determination that took Ampelius by surprise. “This is just in case Emmett returns! I want him to know we left!” she cried out, her voice breaking as she forced the words out. The paper trembled in her hands, her fear and worry for Emmett almost tangible in the charged air between them.
Ampelius clenched his jaw, feeling a surge of frustration—and, beneath it, an unsettling tenderness. He knew she was clinging to the hope that Emmett would find them, but to him, the risk felt overwhelming. Still, he couldn’t ignore the way she held onto the note, as if it was her last lifeline to Emmett. For just a moment, he softened, letting her have this small comfort despite the urgency gnawing at him. He understood the weight of her attachment, even if it added to his own sense of responsibility for her safety.
Ampelius’s heart clenched at the sight of her desperation, but the urgency of their situation pressed down on him like a weight. “Okay, okay, just hurry,” he muttered, casting a wary glance at the door. The explosions outside seemed to be getting closer, the green fireballs now visible through the windows, streaking through the sky like vengeful comets.
Bella finished the note, her hands trembling as she placed it carefully on the kitchen counter. She took a deep breath, her eyes lingering on the paper for a moment longer before turning back to Ampelius. “Let’s go,” she said, her voice barely a whisper, but the resolve in her eyes unmistakable.
Ampelius nodded, a mixture of relief and dread churning in his stomach. He still had no idea if the note would reach Emmett, but he could see that it had steadied Bella, if only a little. This wasn’t just survival anymore; for Bella, it was leaving behind a sign of hope, even if the world around them seemed ready to collapse.
Ampelius sighed in disapproval, recognizing the futility of arguing with her. He grabbed the backpack, slinging it over his shoulder, when a green reflection from the broken glass caught his attention. The glow brightened, casting an eerie light illuminating the window frames. Curious and apprehensive, he moved closer to the window.
As he peered outside, the green glow intensified, morphing into a bright fireball hurtling straight toward them. "OH SHIT!" Ampelius shouted as he bolted away from the window. The fireball punched through the upper wall above the window, tearing a section of the ceiling with it as it smashed into the floor. It continued its descent through the building, leaving burning, splintered embers in its wake.
Ampelius hit the floor hard, landing on his stomach. He lay there, stunned and breathless, narrowly avoiding death. After a moment, he checked himself over, ensuring he was unharmed, and then stood up, his eyes locking with Bella’s. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.
“Excuse me, I should be asking you that!” she mumbled, her voice a mix of relief and irritation.
“Well, you watched me stand up and said nothing,” he retorted, shaking off the shock.
He glanced at the massive hole left by the impact, a gaping wound in the building’s structure. Cautiously, he approached it, peering down into the destruction below. The remnants of the fireball’s path were a stark reminder of the danger they were in. The floor around the hole was scorched, with embers still glowing faintly in the debris. The air was thick with the acrid smell of burning materials, mingling with the pervasive green glow from outside.
Ampelius took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. The urgency of their situation was clearer than ever. He turned back to Bella, his expression grim. “We can’t stay here any longer. We need to leave now, before another one hits.”
Bella nodded, the fear in her eyes reflecting his own. Together, they gathered their belongings, bracing themselves for whatever awaited them outside. The green fireballs continued their relentless assault on the city, each explosion a stark reminder of the peril they faced.
Beyond the ring of burning embers painting each floor below them, visibility was severely limited. Smoke filled the exposed floors, gradually rising until it dissipated outside. Ampelius strained his ears, listening to the crackling and popping of wood within the smoking embers. Suddenly, a machine-like noise erupted from the depths of the crater—a harsh, metallic screech that sent chills down their spines.
They froze, ears straining to catch any further sound. But the noise stopped as abruptly as it had begun. Bella looked over at Ampelius, her eyes wide with apprehension, meeting his equally alarmed gaze.
“That sounded like metal-on-metal screeching. Is there a generator or something down in the basement? I’ve never heard a mechanical noise like that before,” she asked, her voice trembling.
“There is no basement,” he replied, his mind racing. The unsettling sound sparked an old memory—a time when he’d heard soldiers whispering about unnatural noises from deep in the wastelands, tales of machines that shouldn’t exist, or creatures armed with strange weapons. He’d never believed the stories fully, chalking them up to campfire horror tales. But now, hearing that very sound here, he felt a growing dread. Maybe those old rumors weren’t so far off, he thought, wondering if they were about to face a threat from those shadowed rumors in the flesh.
Ampelius took a cautious step closer to the edge of the crater, squinting through the thick smoke and darkness. The remnants of the fireball's impact had left a chaotic and dangerous environment, with the acrid smell of burning materials stinging their noses. The strange noise added a new layer of mystery and fear to their already precarious situation.
He turned back to Bella, his expression grave. “We need to get out of here and fast. Whatever made that noise, it’s not something we want to stick around to find out.”
A deafening explosion shattered a brief silence, like a bowling ball smashing into metal pins. A powerful shock wave erupted from the abyss, sending Ampelius sprawling backward. He landed hard on the ground, watching in horror as the blast forced smoke and burning embers up and out into the night sky.
Immediately following the shock wave, an ominous green smoke began to rise through the floors, its eerie hue stark against the darkness. Ampelius’s eyes widened as he saw it, his instincts screaming that this was something far more dangerous than anything they had encountered. Without hesitation, he grabbed Bella by the arm.
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“We have to go, now!” he urged, his voice laced with urgency.
Bella didn’t resist as Ampelius pulled her toward the door. The green smoke slithered through the apartment, spreading in all directions like a living thing. Ampelius noticed how the smoke seemed to move with purpose, creeping along the walls, curling around obstacles as if it were searching for them. It filled every crevice and corner in strange, deliberate patterns, an insidious presence almost aware of their escape, as though it were following their every move. It filled every crevice and corner, an insidious presence threatening to consume everything in its path.
Ampelius grabbed a towel lying on the floor and hastily stuffed it under the door in a futile attempt to contain the smoke. He glanced at the pathetic barrier, realizing it wouldn't hold, before turning to follow Bella toward the stairwell. Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed down the hallway.
He spun around and saw the girl he had briefly spoken to earlier sprinting toward them, her arms flailing wildly. The hallway floor beneath her swelled like a pufferfish as she ran into the green smoke seeping through the towel. She stumbled, falling onto her stomach as the green smoke coiled around her like a snake. Ampelius froze, a wave of horror washing over him as he watched, helpless to intervene. He felt a pang of guilt, remembering their brief exchange and the spark of life in her eyes—now swallowed by the merciless smoke. The green tendrils wrapped tightly around her, just as if the smoke itself were claiming her. The floor began to crumble beneath her, and her screams faded into the void as she disappeared into the swirling dust and smoke.Ampelius clenched his fists, anger and helplessness roiling in his chest as debris shot toward him, forcing him to duck. Not wanting to meet the same fate, he bolted down the stairs, spotting Bella waiting at the landing below.
"Don’t wait around for me, go!" he shouted, his voice filled with urgency.
"Nowhere to go!" she replied, panic edging her voice.
Ampelius caught up to her, his mind racing. “We have to find another way out. This place is coming apart!”
Bella nodded, her fear evident but her determination intact. Together, they continued down the stairwell, their footsteps echoing in the confined space. The walls trembled around them, groaning as if they, too, were ready to give way. The acrid smell of smoke and burning materials filled the air, thick and suffocating, coating his throat with a bitter tang.
Ampelius rounded the corner to the next landing, only to be confronted by a pile of rubble and thick, choking dust where the stairwell had once been. “Well, shit,” he muttered, his heart sinking. Bella was on the verge of hysteria, her eyes wide with fear as the building continued to groan and shudder.
“How are we getting out of here? This building is collapsing around us! We’ll be crushed! We’re going to—”
“Bella, breathe and calm down!” Ampelius interrupted, forcing himself to stay steady despite his own rising panic. Years of therapy and training flickered through his mind—moments when life had depended on keeping control of his own emotions. He pushed his fear aside, knowing that if he faltered, they both would. He could feel the pressure bearing down on him, the mental toll of staying calm mounting with each tremor of the walls around them. Each rumble of the building pressed in on him, tightening the walls around them. The stairwell felt like a narrowing tomb; its exits cut off one by one. “I’ll think of something to get us out of here.”
A violent explosion rocked the building, sending dust and debris cascading from the ceiling. The noise jarred him to his core, reminding him of just how little time they had left, but he clenched his fists, steadying his breath. This isn’t the first death trap I’ve faced. Focus. The walls shook violently, cracks splintering across the surfaces like jagged scars. Moments later, another blast rattled the structure, and cracks began spider-webbing across the floor and walls where they stood.
“Think of something now, or we’re dead!” Bella screamed, her voice rising in sheer terror.
Ampelius took a deep breath, struggling to keep his panic at bay. He quickly scanned their surroundings, desperate for any means of escape. He’d trained for chaos, for moments when the mind wanted to freeze, but he couldn’t deny the toll each second took. Forcing calm was draining, but he needed his focus now more than ever.
He glanced up and saw a window above them, but it was too high to reach and far too risky to attempt, given their altitude. He could feel the air tightening with the weight of the collapsing floors above, pressing down as if ready to bury them alive. Looking down, he assessed the ruined stairwell leading to the third floor, but the gaping void and jagged debris ruled that out as an option. The narrow passage around him seemed to close in with every tremor, the walls groaning louder, a relentless reminder of their entrapment. They were trapped, and the fear threatened to overwhelm him as the building shuddered again, the sound of crumbling wood and plaster filling the air.
Just as hope began to fade, he noticed something—the dust and smoke from the stairwell were clearing as if being drawn away by an invisible force. With better visibility, he could make out the floor below.
“This is manageable,” he muttered to himself, a glimmer of hope igniting within him.
“What is?” Bella asked, her voice tight with anxiety.
“The next floor,” Ampelius said, nodding toward the now-visible landing below. “It’s not too far down. We could jump down onto it and escape from there.”
Bella hesitated, edging closer to the gap. She peered down, her eyes wide as she judged the distance. “Are you serious? We’d break our legs! A broken leg might as well mean death,” she protested, her voice trembling.
“What other choice do we have? This building is coming apart. If we stay here, we’re dead!” Ampelius shot back, his tone urgent. “We have to try. If we hang off the edge first, it’ll shorten the drop. We can do this, Bella.”
“There has to be another way. I don’t want to break my leg and end up trapped anyway. The pain would only slow us down,” she argued, shaking her head.
“Damn it, Bella,” Ampelius growled, his frustration mounting. “If your stubbornness could get us out of here, we’d already be safe! I’m jumping, even if it means breaking my legs. Once I’m down, I can help you. But we can’t stay here any longer.” He fought to keep his voice steady, knowing that any hint of doubt would only feed her fear.
He looked at her, his eyes pleading. “Please, trust me. It’s our only chance.”
“Oh, how noble of you. What if I refuse to jump?” Bella challenged, her voice edged with defiance.
“Then your death is guaranteed,” Ampelius replied sharply. “And Emmett will have to live knowing that you died in this stairwell like a coward, crying and complaining the entire time. You’ll have had the chance to survive, but you chose death instead. And when he hears that, he’ll kill me, and I’ll join your little death party.”
Bella’s eyes narrowed, but she couldn’t suppress a wry smile. “Fine. But if you die, I’m telling him you sacrificed yourself because you felt bad for the vultures circling this building.”
Ampelius chuckled, a hint of mischief in his eyes. “I’d love to feed those vultures,” he whispered, his grin widening.
Bella sighed, bracing herself for the jump. “Alright, let’s do this. Just don’t go dying before me, okay?”
“Deal. We’ll make it through this. Trust me,” Ampelius said, offering her a reassuring smile.
Ampelius positioned himself at the edge, his heart pounding as he steeled himself for the leap. He counted down, three, two, one—just as he was about to jump, a deafening explosion rocked the building, sending him sprawling backward onto the floor. Dust and debris rained down, and the structure groaned ominously under the strain.
The ground beneath them began to split open, cracks snaking through the floor and walls. Panic surged through Ampelius as the floor gave way, crumbling beneath their feet. He barely had time to register what was happening before they both plunged into the dark, collapsing void below.
They hit a solid surface hard, the impact jarring their bodies and knocking the breath from their lungs. The thunderous sound of crumbling wood and concrete echoed around them, a deafening roar that filled the space. Dust and smoke choked the air, making breathing hard, and they coughed violently as they struggled to catch their breath.
After what felt like an eternity, the relentless noise of collapsing debris began to subside, and the dust slowly settled. Ampelius blinked through the haze, his eyes stinging as he took in their surroundings. They had landed on the stair landing below, miraculously intact amidst the chaos.
Ampelius’ heart slowed, a fleeting sense of safety creeping in as the dust settled around them. The relief was temporary but potent—his body yearning for rest even as his mind reminded him it wasn’t safe. For just a second, he let his guard down, feeling the weight of exhaustion settle over him.
Gritting his teeth against the pain radiating through his body, Ampelius forced himself to sit up. He brushed off the smaller chunks of debris and scanned the wreckage. The stairwell leading to the next floor below was still there, a narrow escape route in the midst of the destruction.
Bella lay nearby, groaning softly, her face twisted in pain as she tried to move. Ampelius crawled over to her, his own body protesting with every movement.
“Bella, are you okay?” he asked, his voice hoarse with concern.
She nodded weakly, her breath ragged. “I’m alive, I think. That was... something else.”
“Yeah,” Ampelius agreed, his tone grim. “But we’re not out of this yet. We need to keep moving.”
Ampelius crawled over to Bella, carefully removing the chunks of debris covering her. “Are you okay? It looks like the stairwell to the floor below is still intact. We need to move before this building comes down around us. We don’t have time to sit on our asses!” he urged, his voice strained with urgency.
He stood up, wincing as pain shot through his back, and reached out to help Bella. She hesitated, clearly in pain.
“Come on, you don’t really want me telling him you died like a coward, do you? Get up, now!” he insisted, his tone edged with mock sternness, trying to mask his own fear.
“Oh, shut up, you vulture lover,” she muttered, managing a weak smile as she took his hand.
Bella gritted her teeth, stifling a groan as he pulled her to her feet. She leaned heavily against him, her body trembling with effort, but together, they managed to make their way down the stairwell. As they reached the landing, they were met with a shocking sight. The third floor was gone, collapsed into a gaping, sinkhole-like crater, taking all the apartments with it.
“Holy mother of Minerva,” Ampelius breathed, staring down at the devastation. “The whole floor is gone!”
Bella, still leaning on him for support, took in the scene with wide eyes. “It looks like the outer walls are still standing,” she said, her voice filled with disbelief.
Smoke hung thick in the air, rising from the depths of the rubble. Small fires flickered occasionally, casting an eerie light over the wreckage. The sight was both surreal and terrifying, a stark reminder of the destruction they had narrowly escaped. The realization of how close they had come to being buried alive hit them both like a punch in the gut.
As they made their way down the next flight of stairs, Ampelius caught a glimpse of something large moving below the smoke. He blinked a few times, unsure if his eyes were deceiving him, before dismissing it as a trick of the light and continuing to help Bella down to the next floor.
Once they reached the second floor, Ampelius suddenly released Bella from his hold, and she dropped to the ground with a gasp, her face contorting in pain.
“What the hell, Ampelius? Why did you drop me?” she cursed, wincing as she tried to push herself up.
But Ampelius didn’t respond. He stood frozen, his eyes locked on something in the distance, his face pale. Bella’s anger quickly turned to concern as she followed his gaze. There, deep in the pit of the collapsed building, lay a massive, silent machine that looked like a giant turtle shell, its form strange and alien against the ruins.
“What in the hell is that?” Ampelius whispered, his voice barely audible over the ringing silence.
The machine suddenly lit up, its surface flickering with bright, multicolored lights that pierced through the dust and smoke like a beacon. A shock wave rippled outward from its base, clearing the air around it. As they watched in stunned silence, the machine began to hover, defying gravity as it slowly rose into the air.
Bella, still leaning against the wall for support, stared in disbelief, her breath catching in her throat. The machine’s pulsating lights illuminated the devastation around them, casting long, distorted shadows that danced across the rubble. The surreal scene felt like something out of a nightmare, adding another layer of dread to their already dire situation.
As the machine ascended higher, its purpose and origin remained a terrifying mystery. The realization that they were facing something far beyond their understanding filled them with a mix of awe and terror. Ampelius and Bella exchanged a look, knowing that whatever hope they had of escape had become infinitely more complicated.
As it hovered above the wreckage, Ampelius noticed thick, web-like ropes hanging from its underbelly. His eyes widened in shock as he saw people clinging to those ropes, their bodies limp and swaying in the air. Among them, he recognized the girl from apartment 407, the one they’d seen fall through the floor earlier.
“That’s... that’s the girl from apartment 407. It must have picked her up after she fell,” Ampelius said, his voice shaking.
“Is it... collecting bodies? Are any of them alive?” Bella whispered, her voice filled with horror as she clutched his arm.
They watched in stunned silence as the machine rose, its eerie glow casting a greenish tint over the lifeless forms hanging beneath it. The sight was almost too much to comprehend, their minds struggling to grasp the reality of what they were witnessing. The terrifying thought that this machine might be harvesting bodies, whether dead or alive, made their blood run cold.
“None of them are moving from what I can see, but I can’t be sure,” Ampelius replied, his eyes still locked on the grotesque scene above.
They continued to watch in stunned silence as the machine ascended higher until it hovered directly overhead, disappearing from view beyond the roofline. Small pieces of debris tumbled down in its wake, clattering against the ruined structure. “It’s making a bigger exit,” Ampelius thought, a grim realization settling in. They exchanged a bewildered look, the enormity of what they had just witnessed weighing heavily on their minds. Questions swirled in their thoughts, but no answers were found.
With a shared sense of urgency, they turned their focus back to survival. Without another word, they hurried down the final flight of stairs, the tension between them palpable. Their minds raced with a chaotic mix of confusion and fear as they reached the ground floor.
To their relief, the ground floor appeared relatively untouched compared to the devastation above. The broken glass and the collapsed main doors were the only signs of the chaos they had just escaped. They paused to catch their breath, leaning against the wall as they tried to steady their nerves. The eerie silence of the ground floor felt almost surreal after the turmoil they had endured.
As they gathered themselves, Ampelius noticed a small group of people gathered outside in the street, their attention fixed on something above the building. He glanced at Bella, their exhaustion momentarily forgotten as curiosity and apprehension gripped them once more. They edged closer to the shattered entrance, peering out into the night.
Suddenly, a wave of terror rippled through the crowd. One by one, the onlookers began to burst into thick, shimmering blue liquid as if they were grotesque water balloons filled with some alien substance. Each eruption sent arcs of the iridescent fluid splattering across the pavement, painting the scene in a surreal, otherworldly glow. The air was filled with the sickening sound of wet, muffled pops, mingled with the desperate, cut-off screams of those who hadn’t yet succumbed to the horrifying phenomenon.
Ampelius and Bella froze, their eyes wide with disbelief and horror as they watched the gruesome spectacle unfold. The street outside transformed into a nightmarish landscape, the once-solid forms of people reduced to glistening pools of blue liquid that shimmered in the pale light. The reality of what they were witnessing was almost too much to comprehend, their minds struggling to grasp the sheer impossibility of it.
Bella’s hand shot to her mouth, stifling a sob as she turned away from the gruesome scene. Ampelius’s breath came in ragged gasps, his heart pounding. They had to get out of here—whatever this was, it was beyond anything they could have imagined, and they were dangerously close to becoming its next victims.
“We need to move, now!” Ampelius whispered urgently, grabbing Bella’s arm and pulling her away from the entrance. His voice was barely steady, but the need to escape overpowered the terror gripping his heart.
Without waiting for a response, they turned and bolted through the lobby; the horrific images burned into their minds. The sickly blue glow from outside flickered against the walls, a haunting reminder of the fate they had narrowly avoided. They didn’t know where they were going, but anywhere had to be safer than here.
It all happened so fast that the last person on the street had no time to react before they burst, splattering the pavement with a vivid blue spray. Ampelius thought he saw a small blue orb hit each victim, seemingly firing from the rooftop. It must be that turtle shell! He realized, a cold dread settling in his stomach.
He gently helped Bella to the ground, then edged closer to the door to get a better view. Peering out, he noticed the reflection of the machine hovering above their building on a large TV screen mounted on the structure across the street. The screen's distorted image confirmed his fears: the turtle-shell-like machine was indeed responsible for the horrific scene unfolding around them.
The machine pulsed with neon blue and green lights along its sides and front. Ampelius watched, mesmerized and horrified, as it floated menacingly above the city. Then, without warning, it vanished, warping away as if it had never been there. His mind reeled, struggling to grasp what he had just witnessed. Turning back to Bella, he noticed her hand pressed tightly against her side. Panic flared as he rushed over to her.
“Oh shit, you’re bleeding! Move your hand and let me see,” he urged, his voice tight with concern.
She hesitated but eventually removed her hand, wincing as he gently lifted her shirt. A deep gash stretched from her stomach to her right side, the dark red blood oozing slowly from the wound.
“Do you know how this happened? What cut you?” he asked urgently, his eyes wide with worry.
“I think it happened when the floor collapsed. I must have landed on something sharp. I didn’t even notice I was bleeding until you sat me down,” she replied, her voice strained and shaky.
Ampelius cursed under his breath. “I should have noticed sooner, but I was distracted by that damn machine. Alright, keep pressing on the wound. We need to stop the bleeding. I’ll find something to help.”
The distant rumble of explosions grew louder and more frequent, each blast a reminder of the danger closing in around them. Ampelius’s anxiety spiked. He knew they couldn’t stay there much longer. “Stay here,” he said, his voice tense. “I’m going to check if it’s safe outside. I’ll be right back.”
Stepping cautiously out into the open, he was assaulted by the deafening cacophony of explosions. He spun around, scanning the horizon, his heart sinking at the sight. Turtle-shell machines swarmed the city, some floating ominously above buildings, others weaving between skyscrapers. One of them launched a glowing green orb at a structure, and with a deafening roar, the building crumbled to the ground. None of the machines were near their location, but Ampelius knew that could change instantly.
Determined to move while they still had a chance, he hurried back inside and helped Bella to her feet. “Alright, it’s time to go. We need to be quick but quiet. That turtle shell we saw—it’s not the only one. They’re everywhere. I think those fireballs were those machines. It’s not going to be easy getting out of the city.”
“What about Emmett? We can’t leave him!” Bella cried, her voice breaking.
“Shh! Keep your voice down,” Ampelius hissed, glancing nervously at the door. “If he turns up, we’ll find him. But right now, we need to focus on getting out of here alive. We can’t help him if we’re dead. And I don’t know how to safely move through the city with those things patrolling.”
Bella took a deep breath, her eyes wide with fear but resolute. “The metro systems! We can use them to escape the city. I used to work at the Great Lepidus Library, which is only a few blocks from here. There’s a maintenance entrance in the basement that leads to the metro. I think it’s our best chance.”
Ampelius nodded, the plan forming in his mind. “Alright. I know a shortcut through the alleyways that should give us some cover. We’ll need a light source once we’re in the tunnels, and I know just the place to grab some. It’s on the way to the library. But we have to move quickly and keep a low profile. Those things move faster than anything I’ve ever seen.”
Bella nodded, determination hardening her features despite the pain. Together, they gathered what little they could, steeling themselves for the dangers outside. With one last look at their ruined apartment, they entered the chaotic night, ready to face whatever horrors lay ahead.