Across the World

Chapter 18: 

"Camile," Adrian commanded.

Camile vanished from her spot, reappearing behind the man and swiftly knocking him unconscious. Adrian sighed before reaching down to the man, placing a hand on his head. A faint white glow enveloped the man before disappearing. Adrian stood up, looking at Camile.

"Take him home," Adrian instructed.

"Understood," Camile replied.

Camile picked up the unconscious man and took off, leaving Adrian to turn his attention to the remaining villagers. They watched in silence, their expressions a mix of fear and curiosity. Adrian's eyes scanned the group, his expression calm but firm.

"You have four minutes left to decide," Adrian reminded them, his voice steady.

A woman stepped forward, her expression resolute. "I want to keep my abilities," she said. "I'll come with you."

Adrian nodded. "Very well. Stand to the side."

One by one, the villagers made their decisions. Some chose to relinquish their newfound powers, while others, intrigued by the possibilities, opted to join Adrian. The tension slowly dissipated as decisions were made, with surprisingly only five of the villagers opting to keep their powers. Camile returned, landing softly beside Adrian after delivering the unconscious man back to his home. Elena appeared after completing her task, nodding in agreement. Adrian turned his attention to the villagers who decided not to keep their abilities. He snapped his fingers, and a white glow appeared over their bodies.

The glow enveloped them, and their eyes fluttered closed as they slumped slightly, the memories of their powers and the incident being erased. When the glow faded, the villagers blinked, looking around in confusion but otherwise unharmed. Adrian cast an illusion to guide them home without incident. He then turned his attention to the five who chose to keep their powers, snapping his fingers to open a portal in front of them.

"OK, listen. You are going to walk through that portal, and when you do, you will find yourselves in a white room. Do not leave until I come to you personally. There may be other people that appear in that room later."

The five villagers nodded hesitantly and stepped through the portal one by one. Adrian watched them go, ensuring the portal closed behind the last person. He turned to Elena and Camile.

"Let's move on to the next tear," Adrian said.

"Australia next?" Elena asked.

"Yes," Adrian confirmed. "We need to close these tears as quickly as possible."

The trio vanished in a flash of light, reappearing in the skies above the Australian outback. A massive tear in space-time hovered ominously above the rugged landscape, leaking energy that crackled like lightning.

"Let's get to work," Adrian said, his tone determined.

Elena and Camile nodded, immediately spreading out to begin their tasks. Adrian focused on the tear, using his powers to stabilize the rift. The air hummed with energy as he manipulated the fabric of reality, drawing the edges of the tear together.

Elena moved swiftly through the outback, identifying and eradicating any flora and fauna affected by the energy leak. Her precise actions ensured that no harmful mutations spread beyond the immediate area.

Camile, meanwhile, flew over nearby settlements, scanning for individuals who might have been affected by the tear's energy. She spotted a group of people exhibiting strange powers and descended to approach them.

"Hey! You all need to come with me," Camile called out firmly, her wings flaring behind her.

The group looked at her warily, but the sight of her wings and the authority in her voice convinced them to comply. Camile led them back to Adrian's location, where he was nearly finished closing the tear.

"Got another group here," Camile announced as she landed.

Adrian glanced at the newcomers, nodding in acknowledgment. "Good. We'll handle this the same way as before."

Adrian closed the tear and descended to the ground. "Alright, you have two choices."

Adrian gave the same two choices he had given the Kenyan villagers. After a repeat of the process, except without the stabbing part, only two chose to keep their abilities. Adrian then repeated the process of sending the people home and guiding the others to the training room.

"We're making progress," Elena said as they prepared to head to the next location.

"Yes, but we can't let our guard down," Adrian replied. "Two more tears to go."

"England next?" Camile asked.

Adrian nodded. "England next."

With a flash of light, the trio vanished, reappearing in the skies above England. The dimensional tear, while smaller, was more potent and loomed above a bustling city, leaking energy that caused electrical surges and strange weather patterns. Adrian, Elena, and Camile hovered in the air, assessing the situation.

"This one might be a larger issue than expected," Adrian noted.

"Why?" Camile asked.

"Because of the smaller tear, instead of the energy scattering in the air, it's more condensed, thus the storm. If left unchecked, it can start killing people," Elena explained.

Adrian frowned. "We need to move quickly. Elena, start with the environment. Camile, assist the affected individuals. I'll handle the tear."

"But Adrian, question."

"Yeah."

"What to do if the people who were affected aren't the best of people and resist?"

"If you are talking about killers, murderers, and people of that manner, kill them."

"Understood."

"Good, move out."

Elena and Camile vanished in a burst of speed. Adrian turned his attention to the tear, feeling the intense energy radiating from it. He focused, extending his senses to grasp the dimensional fabric, and began the intricate process of mending the rift.

Elena descended into the city, scanning for environmental anomalies caused by the tear's energy. The storm above raged with unusual ferocity, lightning crackling through the sky. She pinpointed areas of abnormal growth and destruction, swiftly eradicating the corrupted elements.

Camile soared over the city, her eyes sharp for any signs of individuals affected by the energy leak. She spotted a group of people in an alleyway, some displaying strange powers, while others appeared frightened. She landed gracefully in front of them, her wings folding onto her back. She walked towards them and spoke.

"You six, come with me," Camile said, her tone neutral.

The six men looked at Camile, and the looks they gave her weren't savory ones.

"Hey, beautiful, why don't you come with us?" one of them taunted.

Camile's eyes narrowed. "I'm not asking," she said, her voice icy and authoritative. "You have two choices: come willingly or face the consequences."

The men hesitated, some exchanging uneasy glances. One of them, emboldened by the group's numbers, stepped forward with a smirk. "And what if we don't?"

In a blur of motion, Camile closed the distance, pinning the man against the wall with one hand, her strength unmistakable. "I wasn't clear enough," she said, her voice dangerously low. "You will come with me."

The man's smirk vanished, replaced by fear. "Oi, kill this bitch!"

Camile's eyes flashed with irritation. The men around her surged forward, attempting to overwhelm her with their numbers. But Camile was unfazed. With a swift motion, she released the man she had pinned and whirled to face the others.

"Last warning," she said, her voice cold as ice.

The men ignored her, and Camile sighed. In the next instant, her wings unfurled with a powerful gust of wind. She moved with the grace and precision of a seasoned warrior, disarming and incapacitating them one by one. Her strikes were calculated and efficient, leaving no room for retaliation. Within moments, the men lay on the ground, groaning in pain but otherwise unharmed. Camile stood over them, her expression one of calm authority. She raised her hand and went through their memories and she did not like what she found.

Camile's gaze hardened as she sifted through the memories of the men lying at her feet. What she uncovered was a history of violence and criminal activity, a stark contrast to the villagers she had encountered earlier. She stood over them, her wings still unfurled, and her expression became cold and detached.

"I see."

Black and gold lightning danced around her hand before she fired a beam of lightning at the downed men, destroying their bodies and killing them instantly.

"Time to find the rest of them."

Chapter 18: End