Chapter 5 Mysterious Mage

The slime creature melts through the floor slowly, as they ooze out Sherley and Peter's corpse.

"What the hell was that?"

I asked, turning to Laura.

"Those things were parasites, Nathan. They are called Plauji."

Laura says, as she inspects the basement.

"What about the kid?"

Dale asks.

"Looks like the kid figured out what was going on. They killed him before he could do anything. I found his corpse upstairs, with that being said. They need meat to sustain in their human-like forms or else they will begin to decay and turn into stone."

I began to inspect the basement out of curiosity.

"It's really hard to investigate a basement with a giant crystal rock inside of it."

I said.

Laura scoffs.

"I saved your life."

Laura said.

Roaming about the destroyed basement.

Noticing a bookshelf in the corner, I grab a book.

"What is that?"

Laura asked, pointing out the space left between the books.

Moving the book shelf out of the way.

A space of the room is revealed, a desk and computer sits behind the bookshelves.

"Someone has been secretly living here."

Dale said.

"This feels bigger than us."

I said, walking towards the desk.

Picking up the journal I opened it, and began reading it.

"It is bigger than us; it looks like someone has been experimenting on a family in broad daylight without any one truly noticing."

Laura said, she sits down at the desk.

She turns on the computer.

"I'll call Sanders this way out of our league at this point. We don't know who is behind this or what we are dealing with."

Dale says.

Dale takes out his mobile device, dialing Sanders' number to call him.

"Hey, what did you find, Nate?"

Lauren asks.

"Looks like some research, I can't make it out."

Handing the journal to Lauren, she begins to read it.

"I need you here now Sanders, it's urgent."

Dale said, approaching the stairs.

As Dale walks upstairs, a man kicks him down.

"Ouch!"

Dale grunts, falling down the steps.

"You all smell like wet dogs."

The man taunts us, standing over Dale.

He wears a long black cloak covering his face with a hood.

Laura drops the journal she is reading.

"Who are you?"

Dale asks.

"You're the man who did this. You are behind all of it."

Laura says, she stands up from the chair.

"That doesn't matter, I didn't expect any intruders to be there. It looks like you killed my test subjects."

He sighs.

The man walks down the stairs further.

"This is as far as you go!"

Dale shouts, standing up.

He punches the man.

Dale is immediately countered as the man catches his punch.

Holding Dale's arm he snaps it.

With the end of his fist.

"Agh!"

He would then strike Dale's chest with his palm.

Dale staggers holding his chest, from the steps towards me.

Catching Dale, he gasps for air as he holds his chest.

"With enough force, even I can bend metal. Now imagine that much force pushing against your lungs."

The man grins.

I growl.

The man is agile, he rushes at me and Dale quickly.

Before we could react.

He kicks Dale in his face.

Dale falls on top of me limp, he is now unconscious.

"To slow."

The man says.

Laura is gathering energy from the crystal boulder that glows.

The boulder begins flowing into several shards.

She's breaking it down, making more shards.

"Dale!" Laura shouts.

The man stands over me.

He grins as his hands begin to spark.

Pushing Dale off me.

Getting up I rush towards the man.

He jabs me in the face.

The jab was too fast.

Stumbling, I catch myself.

I'm blinded by light, feeling an immense burst of force slamming against my chest.

I tremble as I lose control of my body, crashing into the bookshelf.

Knocking it down.

"Argh!"

It feels like electricity running through my body.

I shiver, feeling my chest it's singed.

Laura already starts her attack, as the shards shoot at the man like bullets.

"Die you scum."

Laura says.

The shards strike at him but they are deflected at a certain distance.

"You dare attack me?"

The man asks, smirking.

The crystal boulder tears apart, energy surrounds Laura.

She creates a storm of shards.

Laura begins emitting energy, shaking the house.

Cutting everything inside her storm.

Laura directs the shards against the man.

"Incredible it's been a long time since I've seen someone manifest this much power!"

The man says, grinning.

As Laura's shards grind against the man's invisible shield.

Creating sparks, the barrier begins to crack.

This is my chance.

Sprinting at the man, I roared.

"HAAAAAAA!!!"

He turns to me, but it's too late.

His barrier is shattered as shards fly past us.

I punched him in the face as hard as I could.

"Gah!"

The man grits his teeth.

The man is pushed back holding his hands up.

I go for another but I'm sent flying once again as he releases a shockwave knocking Laura down.

The crystals fade away.

"I'm going to end this now!"

The man yelled.

"I'm going to burn all of you to hell!"

He raises his hands and huge lightning bolts shoot out at high speeds from both of his palms.

Hearing the wood fall, I saw a fire starting above us, hearing parts of the house fall apart.

The man skims the basement with his eyes searching for something, he raises his hand from his red cloak underneath three glowing rings.

Something inside the slime shines rising from it, like pure energy condensed in one tiny bright sphere.

The pure energy slams into the rings as he catches it.

"Now let's finish this."

He was interrupted.

Hearing the police sirens, the three of us walked outside.

Sitting in front of the house inside the truck.

He scoffs.

The man walks up the steps, but all I and Laura could do is look at him leave.

"Dale.."

I reached out to him.

The house is slowly being engulfed in flames.

I grabbed Dale's forearm, lifting him up over my shoulder.

Laura stumbles fatigued from using too much energy.

Laura and I are coughing as smoke clouds the basement due to the raging flames.

Laura managed to get upstairs.

I barely have any of my strength left.

Laura turns around, grabbing my hand to help me up the steps.

The smoke is making it hard to breathe.

The entire house is now clouded with terrible odors.

We made it to the living room. I look at the kitchen as it collapses completely.

Now it's just a giant hole filled with flames as the upper floors and ceiling fall in the pit of flames.

The basement was open. Before we opened the front door, it was kicked down by Sanders.

The same man Dale called earlier, he sports his usual suit, with his shiny shades.

I followed behind them.

Reaching outside, me and Laura were coughing.

I fell to my knees exhausted.

"Glad you all made it out in one piece."

Sanders says relieved.