Dawn of the 13th Era

The Special Force

Stumbling through the forest, Orion clutched his right arm, blood pouring freely from the deep cuts that covered it. His clothes hung in tatters, barely clinging to his body. Each step felt heavier than the last as he dragged himself forward, forcing every ounce of willpower into escaping the forest as quickly as possible.

“I shouldn’t have gone that far… What was I even thinking, going into the mountains alone after what Robert said?” he muttered, struggling to stay on his feet.

He tried transforming into Dave’s form, but there was no response. The black clusters within him were scattered some reacted faintly, while others drifted aimlessly, completely out of sync.

Panting heavily, Orion staggered onward until, at last, he caught sight of the highway.

Relief barely had time to settle in before his body gave out.

He collapsed onto the ground, his vision fading as faint crackles of energy danced across his hands before everything went dark.

“Something definitely happened to them… after I took it.”

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After being cornered by three wolves, with no path of escape and his body already torn by claw wounds, Orion made a desperate decision, he would transform into the blue cell’s form.

All he knew was that it granted him control over lightning. But how much control… he had no idea.

It was exactly the same reason why he had ventured deeper into the forest. He needed something anything to test his power on.

The moment he transformed, he saw them.

Tiny blue sparks floated all around him.

Though it was his first time seeing them, they felt strangely familiar like extensions of his own body.

He raised his hand.

The sparks gathered instantly, condensing into a cluster of crackling energy that surged around his fist. Electricity arced wildly as he clenched it tight and hurled a punch at the nearest wolf.

“BOOOOOM!!!”

The explosion tore through the air.

The wolf was blasted backward violently, its body slamming into the ground with a sickening force. The others didn’t even have time to react.

The fallen wolf lay motionless, scorch marks burned deep into its body.

“Is it… dead?” Orion muttered, staring at his hand still flickering with blue energy.

Then an idea struck him.

The sparks surged again this time enveloping his entire body from head to toe.

In the next instant, they began to sink into him.

Everything… stopped.

The forest froze in place.

The wolves stood motionless, as if trapped in time.

Orion blinked.

Only to realize time hadn’t stopped.

It had slowed.

Drastically.

The wolf in the distance began to rise but its movements were sluggish, like a scene playing at a fraction of its normal speed.

“What… is going on?” he whispered.

Then he looked down at his hands and froze.

His skin was splitting.

Veins bulged and tore beneath the surface as if something inside him was trying to break free.

‘I need to finish this quickly… and get out of here.’

Without hesitation, he moved.

His body felt weightless faster than he ever felt.

He drove his fist into another wolf.

It died instantly.

He moved again.

Another fell.

And another.

The two wolves he had blasted earlier lay nearby, barely alive but he showed no mercy.

When he was done, five bodies lay scattered across the forest floor.

Only one remained.

The wolf that had been crouching earlier now stood on all fours, its eyes locked onto him.

“It won’t be easy to deal with that one, There’s no point fighting it,” Orion muttered.

He turned and ran.

But before he could get far a sudden gust of wind tore past him.

His instincts screamed.

Too late.

The wolf was already there.

It lunged, jaws snapping as it tore into his right arm.

Pain exploded through his body, surging straight to his brain.

Acting on instinct, Orion focused every remaining spark into his right hand.

They gathered and detonated.

A massive blast erupted from his arm, tearing through the surroundings and sending the wolf flying violently into the distance.

The forest shook from the impact.

Orion staggered, clutching his shredded arm.

Without hesitation, he forced himself back into his normal form, cutting off the flow of energy before the sparks could return again.

Breathing ragged and uneven, he turned and limped away from the site.

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Aeric and the other three left the forest and walked into the city then hailed a cab over to the city hall.

"Spending so long in the mountains is really showing its effects now, I reek of shit." Aeric said with a scrunched up face. "Forget it, where's the governor?" He asked the security guards.

"He's in his office, would you mind telling us who you are and your purpose for coming here please." Daniel asked.

Aeric pulled out a badge and told him "We're here for a visit don't be bothered."

Daniel after checking the badge immediately ordered the other guards to leave the entrance and let them in.

"Who are them?" Another guard asked.

"Members of the country's special force, they have rights to see the governor and we can't really stop them" Daniel said while returning to his post.

"Special force? It's my first time actually seeing one of them" the guard said lamenting the fact he didn't pay attention earlier.

Aeric directly walked to Robert's office and opened it without a care then sat down on the chair. "Hello Mr governor, we'd like to have a few words with you. Mind lending us a bit of your time?" Aeric asked with a smile on his face while Vincent and Damion entered the room then sat down on two other chairs.

"Who are you, where did you come from and why should I answer your questions?" Robert asked with a frown on his face.

"Oh sorry for not Introducing myself." Aeric said then pulled out the same badge as earlier.

"Captain of the sixth squad, Aeric Vainglory" he replied with a smile on his face while Roberts eyes widened.