Beyond Earth

The Awakening Of The Son Of Avada

I jumped out of bed, grabbed my machete from where I'd left it, and rushed towards the door. The moment I stepped into the corridor, I was met with a sight that made me stop in my tracks.

The bunker was under attack.

Xaryth were everywhere. Some were roughly human-sized, while others were enormous, towering over the soldiers desperately trying to fight them off. Gunfire echoed through the corridors, accompanied by the screams of wounded soldiers and the terrifying roars of the creatures. The soldiers were clearly outmatched. Their bullets barely slowed the Xaryth down, and several men were already lying motionless on the floor.

I tightened my grip on my machete and charged forward.

A Xaryth rushed towards me, but I sidestepped its attack and slashed across its neck. Another came from behind, forcing me to turn and drive my blade into its chest. I pulled it out and continued fighting, trying to make my way through the chaos.

"Marcus! Ethan! Daniel! Rachel!"

I kept shouting their names, hoping they were still alive.

Eventually, I spotted them at the end of the corridor. Rachel, Marcus, Ethan, and Daniel were surrounding Harold, firing at two oversized Xaryth that were steadily forcing them backwards. Their bullets seemed to have little effect, and one of the creatures was already reaching for Marcus.

Rachel noticed me first.

"Albert! Get your ass over here!"

I didn't need to be told twice.

I sprinted towards them and leapt at the nearest oversized Xaryth, bringing my machete down across its neck. The creature staggered, but I held on to the weapon and forced the blade deeper until it collapsed.

The second one turned towards me, swinging its massive arm. I ducked beneath it, drove my machete into its abdomen, and pulled the blade upwards. It let out a deafening roar before crashing to the ground.

For a moment, everyone stared.

"Damn," Marcus said, lowering his weapon. "I'm glad you're on our squad."

Harold stepped forward, visibly relieved.

"Thank you, Albert. You have no idea how much that helped."

"Save it," Rachel interrupted. "We need to move. Now!"

She led the way, and the rest of us followed.

We entered a narrow passage hidden behind one of the bunker walls. It was an emergency evacuation tunnel connected to a maintenance shaft that led towards the surface. After following it for several minutes, we reached a metal ladder and began climbing.

When I finally emerged, I found myself in the parking lot above the underground facility.

The place was in complete chaos. Dozens of people were rushing towards military vehicles while soldiers directed them towards a second concealed tunnel at the far end of the parking area. The vehicles were being used to transport everyone out of the compound through that underground route.

Harold looked around before turning towards Rachel.

"We need to get to the vice chairman's safehouse immediately."

We hurried towards one of the military vehicles and climbed inside. Rachel took the driver's seat, with Marcus beside her, while the rest of us settled into the back.

As she started the engine, she glanced at the destruction around us.

"How the hell did they find us?" she asked.

I looked down at my machete.

I knew exactly how they'd found us. The girl had entered my mind, discovered our location, and led her people straight to the bunker.

It was my fault.

But I couldn't bring myself to tell them.

Rachel drove towards the entrance of the second tunnel, but just as we were about to enter, someone appeared directly in front of the vehicle.

It was her.

The girl stood in the middle of the road, watching us as though she'd been waiting for our arrival.

Rachel slammed her foot on the accelerator.

"Get out of the way!" she shouted.

"Don't!" I yelled.

She looked at me through the rearview mirror.

"What?"

"Running her over won't work."

Rachel frowned. "You know her?"

I didn't answer.

"Albert, do you know that girl?"

"Just let me down. I'll take care of her."

Ethan turned towards me. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yeah."

Harold looked at me and nodded.

"He's the son of Avada. He can handle himself."

I reached for the door, but Daniel stopped me.

"Wait."

He pulled out a small device shaped like a compass and handed it to me.

"Take this. It's a tracking device. It'll help you find your way back to us."

Harold immediately objected.

"Daniel, you shouldn't give him that. What if the aliens get their hands on it? They could use it to find us."

Daniel shook his head.

"I trust him. He won't lose this fight, and he'll find his way back to us."

I looked at the device before slipping it into my pocket.

"I promise I'll find you."

I stepped out of the vehicle and closed the door behind me. A moment later, it drove into the tunnel, leaving me alone with the girl.

She watched it disappear before turning towards me.

"Why?" she asked.

I frowned. "Why what?"

"Why are you so determined to protect them? After everything I've told you, you still choose to stand with the humans?"

"Because they're my family, and I have to protect them."

Her expression hardened.

"Your family?" she repeated. "You would rather protect the people who destroyed our world than stand with your own kind?"

"They're my family," I repeated. "And I'm not going to abandon them."

She clenched her fists.

"Then you've made your choice."

She lunged at me.

I barely had time to react before her fist struck my chest, sending me stumbling backwards. I regained my balance and swung at her, but she caught my arm and drove her knee into my stomach.

I staggered, coughing, then grabbed her and hurled her across the parking lot.

She crashed into a parked vehicle, crushing its side, but immediately got back up.

I charged at her again.

Our fists collided, and the impact sent a shockwave through the surrounding vehicles. Several car windows shattered, while the ground beneath our feet cracked. We were both incredibly strong, but neither of us seemed willing to back down.

I managed to land a powerful punch across her face, followed by another to her stomach. She stumbled backwards, and I seized the opportunity to strike again, sending her crashing into a concrete wall.

For the first time, she looked genuinely impressed.

"You're strong," she said, slowly straightening up. "You truly are the son of Avada."

I raised my machete, but she smiled.

"Unfortunately, strength isn't everything. I have something you don't."

Before I could respond, she stretched one hand towards me.

Suddenly, my entire body lifted off the ground.

My eyes widened as I was thrown backwards and slammed into a wall. Before I could recover, I was dragged through the air and hurled into another one.

I tried to fight against it, but whatever she was doing had completely taken control of my body.

She threw me around the parking lot, slamming me into walls and concrete pillars until I could barely move. My machete slipped from my hand, and blood filled my mouth.

Eventually, she released me.

I dropped to the floor, coughing up blood as I struggled to get back on my feet.

She approached me slowly.

"Pure-blooded Xaryth spend years training to master this ability. You can't expect to match me when you've barely discovered what you are."

I tried to move, but my body refused to cooperate.

She stood over me.

"Is this really the end of the son of Avada?"

Before I could answer, she climbed on top of me and began punching my face.

"Pathetic," she muttered.

Another punch landed, and I felt my strength slipping away.

"Any last words, Son of Avada?"

I could barely open my eyes. My hands were pressed against the cold concrete, and all I could think about was how badly I had failed.

I had promised Daniel I'd find my way back to them. I'd promised myself I wouldn't lose another family.

But here I was, barely able to move.

Then something strange happened.

I felt a faint vibration beneath my palms.

At first, I thought it was another part of the parking lot collapsing, but the sensation was different. I could feel the ground beneath me, the tiny movements within it, almost as though something was calling out to me.

I tried to focus, but the girl struck me again.

My head hit the floor, and for a moment, everything went silent.

Then I felt the wind.

A cold breeze brushed against my face, even though the air around us had been still moments earlier. I could feel its movement, its direction, and the way it flowed through the broken structure.

The strange sensations grew stronger.

I could feel the earth beneath me and the wind moving around me, and something inside my body seemed to respond to both. It wasn't like the strength I had used against the Xaryth. This was something deeper, something I couldn't explain.

I remembered Harold's words about the abilities hidden within my bloodline. I remembered the girl telling me that everything she could do, I could do too.

Perhaps she was right.

But whatever this was, I had to find a way to use it.

My fingers began to tremble, and the concrete beneath my hands cracked.

I slowly opened my eyes.

"My name is Albert."

She stopped punching me.

I reached up, grabbed her throat, and slowly rose to my feet, lifting her along with me.

Her eyes widened as she tried to punch me, but her fist stopped just before reaching my face, as though an invisible barrier stood between us.

I tightened my grip and threw her across the parking lot.

She crashed onto the floor and quickly scrambled to her feet.

"What...?" she muttered, staring at me. "How are you doing that?"

She stretched both hands towards me, attempting to use her telekinesis again, but this time I didn't move. I could feel the force pushing against my body, yet somehow, I managed to hold my ground.

She tried again.

I felt the pressure intensify, but my feet remained firmly planted against the ground.

Then I looked down at my hands.

They were vibrating, and the air around my fingers seemed to twist and gather. I raised them slowly, feeling the wind respond to my movements.

I wasn't just feeling it anymore.

I could control it.

I stretched both hands towards her.

Before she could react, an enormous force struck her and sent her flying across the parking lot. At the same time, the ground beneath us split apart.

The entire structure began to collapse.

Concrete pillars broke, the ceiling came crashing down, and the vehicles around us were swallowed by falling debris. The ground shook violently as cracks spread across the parking lot.

I tried to move, but the destruction was happening too quickly.

The last thing I remembered was the ground giving way beneath my feet.

Then everything went black.

---

When I finally opened my eyes, sunlight was shining over me.

It was morning.

I slowly sat up, brushing the dust from my face and clothes. My entire body ached, and I could barely move my arms, but somehow, I was still alive.

I looked around and froze.

The parking lot was gone.

Everything had collapsed, leaving behind a massive stretch of rubble and dust. The vehicles, the walls, and almost everything that had once stood there were buried beneath the debris.

I struggled to my feet and looked around.

Was the girl still alive?

I couldn't see her anywhere.

Then I remembered the tracking device Daniel had given me. I reached into my pocket and pulled it out, but the screen was shattered, and the needle no longer moved.

It was useless.

I slipped it back into my pocket and began walking.

I had no idea which direction the others had taken, and there were no tire marks to guide me. Still, I couldn't just stand there, so I kept moving, hoping I would eventually find something familiar.

I was exhausted, and I knew I wouldn't be able to walk much longer, but there was nowhere to rest.

New York was barely recognizable. Buildings that had once stood tall were now damaged or reduced to ruins, and the streets were almost completely empty. Broken vehicles littered the roads, and dust covered almost everything. It looked as though the entire city had been abandoned.

I continued walking until I heard a deep rumbling behind me.

I turned around.

A massive sandstorm was approaching.

It stretched across the horizon, swallowing everything in its path. Dust and debris filled the air as it moved towards me, tearing through the already damaged buildings and sending loose objects flying.

I immediately started running.

But my body was still weak from the fight, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't move fast enough.

The sandstorm was getting closer.

I pushed myself harder, but my legs eventually gave out, and I fell to the ground.

The sand was almost upon me when a gloved hand suddenly appeared in front of my face.

I looked up.

Someone wearing a black mask and a scarf that covered most of their face stood before me. Only their eyes were visible.

I hesitated for a moment before reaching for the hand.

The moment I took it, I noticed how small and delicate it felt. It was a woman's hand.

She pulled me to my feet.

"Come on!" she shouted.

We ran together, struggling against the wind and flying debris. Through the dust, I spotted a man standing beside a truck.

"Hurry up, Marie!" he shouted.

So that was her name.

Marie helped me into the vehicle, where another woman dressed in similar clothing was sitting with a young boy on her lap. She climbed into the front passenger seat, while the man who had called her got behind the wheel.

The truck immediately pulled away.

The driver pushed the accelerator as we raced away from the approaching sandstorm. I struggled to remain conscious, leaning against the side of the vehicle while trying to catch my breath.

Marie turned towards me.

She slowly removed her scarf and mask.

"You're safe now," she said, placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "You're safe now."

I tried to respond, but I couldn't find the strength.

My vision began to blur as I looked at her. She had beautiful red hair and striking green eyes, and somehow, those were the last things I saw before darkness took me once again.