From above, the Brooklyn Bridge shone in the last rays of the evening sun. If one were to look out at it now, they would see more than three-quarters of it covered in what looked like a growing black moss. But, upon closer inspection, they would see the charging Corrupted occupying every available space. Each pushing forward, in an attempt to get to get across. Not even the supporting cables or underside of the structure were safe. When one or two fell off into the water below, their empty spot would be filled by the creatures waiting on the banks. Mobs of Corrupted gathered from the streets in the thousands, all trying to climb onto the comparably small bridge.
The only thing slowing them was a small group of humans, blocking their path forward, in an attempt to protect the hundreds behind them.
The Corrupted numbers were so great, and the threat so large, that if even a small portion of the horde got to the other side, it could spell disaster for anything living on the island of Manhatten.
Then, in the fading light, a sudden rapid series of explosions went down the whole bridge, targeting key structural supports. This kind of explosion could only be planned ahead of time as a failsafe, should anything like this ever happen.
Down on the ground, Mark was carrying Daphne over his shoulder and felt the structure below him lurch violently, while he was not afraid of the fall, he knew this was not the same for others.
Right now, flight was something most people had not yet achieved, and while more and more casters were capable of it, in their whole group, probably only forty to fifty people could achieve sustained flight right now.
So as the bridge began to fall into the waters below, Mark knew that if they didn’t get everyone off now then this entire trip would be a waste.
From somewhere ahead Mark heard a shout go up.
“Move!”
The first things to go were the support cables, snapping like the twang of a guitar string.
People ran in terror for their lives. Though their bodies were stronger now with the system, no one was confident they would survive this type of fall.
At the same time, Chloe screamed.
“Duck!”
Now, when a lady known to be able to see the future tells you to duck, you duck.
Without hesitation, Mark dove to the ground taking Daphne with him, only the sound was of cables whipping overhead. Screams were cut short for those who did not react in time. Corrupted rained down into the water below, giving people more time to escape.
Getting up, Mark pulled Daphne's arm over his shoulder and they both made a run for it.
The next tremor that shook through the bridge almost knocked everyone to the ground, Mark stabilized himself with his construct. Daphne was panting but she ran as fast as she could manage, luckily that was considerable with her attributes, even if she was on the verge of collapse.
Mark heard when the bridge finally gave out in the center. Sending a shockwave through the rest of the structure and throwing an explosion of water up into the air behind them.
The sudden nature of the fall turned their straight shot, into a gradually increasing incline.
The road was listing backward.
Mark could see that only about half of their convoy had made it onto solid ground.
The vehicles that were still on the bridge began to slide backward, despite their driver's best efforts.
Mark kept running but he could tell as plain as day that they weren't going to make it.
Jonathan had grabbed the Major along with another wounded soldier and made a beeline for the other side. A couple of other Aura users had followed his lead and grabbed injured. People were abandoning cars in droves and making their way forward as best they could.
Every second made the climb harder.
Henry had linked himself to his men with a cord and was carrying them up the hill on all fours, digging his fingers into the concreate.
Sam had taken to the air carrying Boe and Ethel.
Then the road itself snapped under its own weight. Without the structural support and a rapidly dipping center, the bridge's brittle tarmac was no longer able to hold itself together and crumbled.
Cracks spread far and wide, leaving little time to react, as the portion they were on began to break apart.
Behind them, Mark saw the bridge fall away, just like that. They had been there seconds ago. Corrupted fell from above, crashing into the failing structure, some of which landed right next to them. Those that didn’t immediately fall off, flailed around trying to grab at any humans that passed them.
Mark saw something ahead that caused him to slow, just in front of them, less than ten meters away, the next section was already breaking and falling down toward the ocean. They would be able to make it with his flight but there were more than a hundred lives on this part of the bridge alone. And what of the next? Even more people were packed onto that.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
Mark readjusted Daphne's arm over his shoulder and took a calming breath. Pulling the staff from the sheath on his back, he brought it around. Stabbing it down with enough force to bury it an inch into the tar.
Mark opened his cores and allowed all of his remaining energy to sink into the conduit. Mark knew he must have leveled at least once after all of that, so without checking he threw all his remaining points into his Mana and Prana.
He felt new energy flood his body and then flow straight into the staff.
His bands of iron wrapped around his legs and drove themselves into the tar as well, stabilizing him.
Then blocking out all other distractions and noise Mark focused everything he had into his [Sculpt Mana].
The construct that came into being was the largest Mark had ever attempted. Spanning the entire width of the bridge, or at least what was left of it.
Mark drove himself hard, having bands of force dig into the structure to give him a grip on the bridge.
There was a sudden jolt as the portion they were on slowed its descent, still, the construct grew, moving past people to the next section.
It would be impossible to supply the energy requirement to hold up the whole bridge, but he didn’t need to, he only had to give them a moment, just long enough, for everyone to get across.
The bridge shook once more, slowing further.
He needed to extend it further, faster.
Mark triggered his mental release and gritted his teeth as the splitting headache started immediately.
The construct grew to the next section, Mark could feel the weight now, pressing down on him, trying to crush him.
Tonns of metal and concrete came to a gradual stop, its descent into the ocean below stalled for just that little bit longer. With nothing but a failing support structure and Mark holding it up. Every second the weight was increasing, and Mark had to keep growing his construct further to keep up with the destabilizing bridge.
The staff hummed with energy as it channeled his resources, its small engravings glowing with fading power
Mark didn't unclench his jaw even as he had the construct reach out toward the third and final portion.
The trembling of the structure stopped and Mark panted, he felt like he had reached his limit twice over, but now he had to maintain this for as long as he was able.
He didn’t even have the time to tell Daphne to keep moving.
Mark was under such strain that he could feel each interlocking piece of the spell stretched to its limit.
He had pushed it to the breaking point, and as if to prove this to him, a key component in the spell began to crack and break down. With a stab of his will, he repaired it, but another came up Mark squashed that too. but it was a losing game dozens of cracks spread throughout the structure, Mark tried to plug them all but he didn’t have enough energy or will lets.
He had to find another source of energy. As if summoned by his desperation his corruption bubbled up, begging him to use it. It promised him, that if he pulled it now, he would be able to save everyone.
Mark hesitated.
Another crack spread through the spell and outwardly the bridge rocked slightly.
People had not stopped moving and now more than two-thirds of the survivors were off. He just needed to buy a little more time.
At that point, the damage must have reached its peak, because the bridge gave one final agonizing groan and the rest of the supporting structure gave out.
All at once, the weight more than doubled and Mark couldn’t hold it.
His construct was a plaster on a knife wound.
He needed more energy, more time.
Suddenly a massive amount of ice rushed up from the waters below and crashed into the underside of the bridge, pushing it up and molding around it. Acting as a pillar, the weight lessened considerably
Mark's body shook from exhaustion and he turned to look up ahead. There on the bank, he saw Sam along with the twins casting magic together. The three of them had linked hands and must have poured their remaining Mana into the spell.
There was the sound of cracking spreading throughout the ice, but at that moment several smaller pillars of earth began rising out of the water and slowly braced against the bridge, further lifting the burden. Mark saw what was left of their casters moving to assist however they could. Dozens of smaller pillars rose to reinforce the bridge, each one helping just slightly.
Mark panted as the last of his energy bled away, but it was worth it, the time they had brought was enough.
He could tell Daphne and himself were just about the only two left on the bridge. Unwrapping the iron bands from his legs, Mark mobilized his Mana once more. Pain shot through his head and chest.
All at once his construct snapped back towards him and the second it did the bridge shook. The ice and stone below began to crumble.
Daphne was almost completely out of it, so he wrapped her up in an embrace and covered them with what was left of his construct.
As the bridge began to fall away below them they hovered there above the water for a moment.
Mark controlled their descent towards the bank and only stopped when his feet came into contact with the ground, his construct crumpling returning absolutely nothing.
Mark looked around as the edges of his vision throbbed and his body shook from overexertion. People were cheering in relief, they had been lucky. The bridge collapsing when it had, had prevented the Corrupted from crossing over. A slightly more sinister thought was who the hell had detonated the fucking bridge while people were still on it?
Mark tried to stay focused, but even thinking was becoming hard.
He noticed the flashing lights around them once more, and as he looked around, Mark realized that the celebratory air about everyone had faded. Being at the back, he could not tell what was going on. However, beyond the crowd, Mark could make out the absolutely titanic wall built between the surrounding skyscrapers, almost as if the buildings were part of the wall itself. The thing could easily have been fifty meters tall, stretching around as far as the eye could see.
Leaning down from the wall and buildings were countless individuals, currently pointing their various weapons this way. Though Mark sensed no hostility only caution.
There was a commotion up front and Mark tried to get to his feet but his body would not respond, violently punishing him for even trying.
Collapsing in a heap he looked around for Sam or Jonathan, or even the major, none of which were around.
Mark heard someone shout.
“Found them!”
Blinking rapidly Mark turned his throbbing head to the speaker. It was Abby and Tommis coming their way. Both were covered in blood and dirt, while Tom looked like he'd been crying.
Mark was glad they'd survived. Daphne was already passed out and Mark felt himself slipping as well. As they approached Abby looked pale and her hands were shaking from exhaustion as she spoke. Mark could only make out some of what she was saying.
“Mark, Jonathan sent me to find you… conditions for entering…above the level average …fifteen… need to …”
Whatever she was saying was probably pretty important, however, Mark couldn’t even string reactions together right now.
Slowly the world began to narrow as Mark's body and mind finally gave out, and the world went dark.