Invasion

Screams filled the air as people scattered in all directions, desperately seeking shelter from the onslaught. Their village had never seen such terrifying beings. These creatures looked like dark shadows, oozing some kind of goo from their tentacles, their eyes and mouths glowing red, their sharp claws swiping and stabbing anything in their path.

A woman stood at the edge of the town's perimeter, watching her husband and her daughter in despair. She knew she had to help, but how could she? She was a mere farmwife with no fighting skills whatsoever. How could she possibly help anyone when even the town guard had fled in terror?

More screams filled the air. She glanced back at the village, watching as it burned to ashes, the smoke billowing high into the sky, staining it black.

She wanted to run away, to save herself, but she couldn't leave her family behind. Blood pounded through her veins as fear gripped her heart. She shook her head, trying to clear her mind, and tried to think clearly. There was no point in standing here.

"Wh-what are these monsters!" she shouted, gripping the hilt of her dagger tightly in her hand.

As she stepped forward, the ground shook beneath her feet, sending tremors throughout her body. A sudden wave of nausea overtook her, and she stumbled, falling to her knees. The world seemed to spin around her, and her vision blurred, her ears ringing painfully.

A low growl came from somewhere nearby. She struggled to stand up, but her legs felt like jelly. Her eyes searched frantically for the source of the noise, but she couldn't find anything. She heard footsteps approaching her.

"Who are you?" she whispered. "Please... don't hurt me..."

But the monsters did not listen. They attacked, grabbing hold of her arms and legs and pulling her away. Her scream echoed throughout the entire village.

"Let me go!" she cried out, trying desperately to free herself from the monster's grasp. She kicked and screamed, but nothing worked.

Suddenly, a bright light burst forth from nowhere, blinding her momentarily. The monsters screeched and backed away, releasing their hold on her.

An army of soldiers surrounded the monsters, their weapons drawn. It was evident on their faces that they had faced another one of these abominations before.

"Be gone, foul beasts," one soldier shouted. "We will not allow you to harm the innocent!"

***

"Any updates on these... creatures?" the bearded general asked, his brows furrowed in concentration.

A soldier stood at attention, saluting before responding, "We've received reports of similar attacks in other parts of the kingdom, sir. Some say that the creatures are coming from the south, but others claim they come from the west. We can't confirm anything at this time."

The general sighed deeply, running his hand through his graying hair. "No info, huh. If this is happening on a global scale, then I'm afraid we don't stand a chance against them."

"What do we do? Should we evacuate?" the soldier asked, his voice quivering slightly. He was clearly afraid, but he tried to hide it well.

"We need more intel first. If the kingdom falls, our chances of survival become slim. We'll send scouts out to gather information on these beasts."

"Sir!" the soldier replied, nodding quickly and leaving the room.

The general shook his head. "I hope we can handle this situation. If not, then humanity is doomed. This might be worse than the time when demons tried to wipe us off the face of the planet. What we need the most currently is more info! We know nothing of these beasts, their weakness, or how to defeat them. Damn!"

The general slammed his fist down hard on his desk, causing the wood to splinter slightly. He winced in pain. "We have to do something!" he yelled, punching the wall next to him. The whole room shook.

The soldier rushed back into the room. "Sir!"

"What!?" the general snapped, glaring at him angrily.

"Th-there's someone here to see you, sir!" he stammered, backing away from the fuming man.

"Who?" The general growled, straightening his posture and crossing his arms over his chest. "Who dares come here now of all times!?"

"S-she's a young girl who claims she can help us."

"A young girl?" he repeated, raising an eyebrow skeptically. "What could she possibly offer us that we don't already know? Send her away at once!"

"Y-yes! Of course!" the soldier saluted before sprinting out of the room.

"Damn it, the last thing I want is to deal with a stupid brat right now! If only the damn hero were still alive!"

He paced around the camp, frustrated at the uncertainty of the future. Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching from behind him.

"Who's..." he trailed off.

A blonde girl walked towards him, carrying an impressive-looking sword. "Hello, mister general!" she greeted. "My name is Alice. I've come to help."

The general blinked in surprise, staring at her blankly. "Help?" he sighed. "That goddamn useless soldier couldn't even get one girl to leave. He was supposed to send her away. I don't need some little girl—"

"Please listen to me!" Alice interrupted. "I know you're scared of these monsters, but I promise you, I can stop them."

"Why should I believe you? You're just a kid! How old are you? Get out of here!"

"Hey, I'm no kid. I'm a fully grown adult! And I've come prepared." She held up her sword and pointed it at the general. "My name is Alice Sinclair, the descendant of the legendary hero, Arthur Sinclair. I've come to fulfill his legacy, and to slay these monsters once and for all!"

"You..." The general stepped back slowly, eyeing her cautiously. He took a deep breath and cleared his throat. "Tsk, do what you want," he said, obviously unconvinced. "If you can truly help us, then prove it. Fight one of our soldiers."

"Hm," she cocked her. "Then, take a look outside."

"Huh?" he glanced towards the window. Outside, dozens of soldiers were standing worriedly, staring at the young woman. Most of them had never seen anything like this before. Some even had tears in their eyes.

"They wouldn't let me through, so I had to force my way. I promise I'll do what I can to protect them," she smiled gently.

He nodded slowly. "I... see."

He turned and walked towards the exit. Alice followed close behind. When they reached the door, the general paused. "Fine. This way."