The Awakening

The world snapped back into focus, and Lucky Santini found himself standing in the midst of chaos once more. The air was thick with smoke and the acrid smell of burning metal.

The sky, once a clear blue, was now a hazy gray, streaked with the trails of falling aircraft and the distant glow of fires. The ground beneath his feet trembled, as if the earth itself was mourning the loss of so many lives.

Grace clung to him, her small hands gripping his shirt tightly. She was silent now, her wide eyes taking in the devastation around them. Lucky held her close, his mind still reeling from what he had just experienced. The garden, the tree, the voice, it all felt like a dream, but he knew that wasn't case.

He could feel the power stirring within him, as if his soul, which was dormant was now chaotically flowing in reverse relative to his blood vessel, accumulating at a single point. 

He could feel it, a strange energy coursing through his veins, like a dormant fire that had been reignited. It was both exhilarating and terrifying, and he didn't know what to do with it.

"Daddy... what's happening?"

Her voice was small, trembling with fear, and it snapped Lucky out of his thoughts. He looked down at her, his expression softening despite the chaos around them, he suddenly realized that Grace was going through the same thing as him.l

"I don't know, munchkin. But I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

He scanned the area, his sharp eyes taking in the scene. The streets were filled with panicked people, some running aimlessly, others kneeling beside the ashen remains of their loved ones. Cars were abandoned in the middle of the road, their doors left open as if the drivers had simply vanished. In the distance, a helicopter spiraled out of control before crashing into a building, the explosion sending a plume of smoke into the air. It was total chaos.

Taking in the horrid end of times sight, Lucky's instincts kicked in. He needed to get Grace somewhere safe, but where? The world was falling apart, and there was no telling how far the devastation had spread.

Moments later he finally spotted an old diner across the street, out of the rocket viewing sight, its neon sign flickering faintly.

The windows were shattered, but the building itself seemed intact. It was as good a place as any to regroup and figure out their next move.

"Come on, munchkin. Let's get inside."

He took Grace's hand, picked her up and led her across the street, weaving through the chaos with the practiced ease of a man who had spent his life navigating dangerous situations.

The diner was empty, the chairs overturned and the counter littered with broken glass. Lucky helped Grace onto a stool, then quickly checked the back room for any signs of danger. He barricaded the back door and closed the front, frowning as he glimpsed the pandemonium outside.

He sighed then returned to Grace, who was sitting quietly, her legs swinging back and forth as she stared at the cracked jukebox in the corner.

"Daddy... where did Mommy go?"

The question hit him like a punch to the gut. He knelt in front of her, his hands resting on her shoulders.

"I don't know, munchkin. But we're going to find out, okay? We're going to figure this out together."

Of course he knew she was gone, dead and erased from this world. But did Grace need to hear that right now? A part of her already knew what happened, that her mommy was no more, but human beings always want confirmation. Something to reveal the cruel side of reality. But was there need for that right now?

Grace nodded, her lower lip trembling. Lucky pulled her into a hug, his mind racing. He didn't have the answers, but he knew one thing: he would do whatever it took to protect her.

As he held her, the power within him stirred again, stronger this time. It was as if the energy was responding to his emotions, growing more intense with every passing moment. He didn't understand it and he couldn't ignore it but getting to safety took precedent right now.

***

It had been an hour since barricading themselves in this diner, and he knew they cant stay here for long. Right now he already had a destination in mind. The safest place he could think of, a place where those loyal to him would most likely be.

Those who survived that is..

"Grace, I need you to stay here for a minute, okay? I'm just going to check on something outside."

Grace looked up at him, her eyes filled with fear.

"Don't leave me, Daddy."

"I'm not going far, munchkin. I promise. Just stay here, and don't move until I come back."

She nodded reluctantly, and Lucky gave her a reassuring smile before stepping outside.

The street was a bit quieter now, the initial panic giving way to average order as he noticed people gathering together in groups.

Human beings were the most adaptable after all, and Lucky knew this better than most. He also knew the cause of this new found order

'They must have felt it too ! the torrent of energy !'

He knew what they were busy taking about, discussing even, as they convined below firm structures not destroyed by the debree of fallen aircrafts.

They were still warry of each other and fearfull of the unknown that seemed to be happening deep inside their bodies.

Some took shelter alone inside a cafee, some convined inside office buildings and others were still in a state of panic running and driving away to who knows where.

Some still didn't believe what was happening, didn't want to accept what was happening and so went in a state of shutting down, crawling and holding on to the worldly possessions left behind by the ash who followed the wind.

Although still talking about the changes in their bodies, there voices still echoed with a sombre tone.

Many lives were lost on this day, lost without even leaving a trace in this world. Except for the memories held by those alive that is.

Lucky stood on the sidewalk, his eyes closed as he focused on the energy within him. It was like a current, flowing through his body and connecting him to something greater.

He didn't know how he knew what to do, but he did. He tried to control it, guiding it to the point of concentration he had felt earlier.

Taking in a deep breath, he guided the torrent of energy to a point above his abdomen.Reaching the above the abdomen, the torrents speed increased, spinning like a raging whirlpool, condensing and compressing under the pool of rotation of its own pressure.

The votex torrent continued spinning until the density of the votex reached a critical point and ...

Boom!!

A shockwave of energy burst out of Lucky's body. Introspecting, he found a small spherical red date enclosing holding rotating torrent of energy inside.

It was a core !!

Many eyes instantly landed on him, many of those who were congragating eyeing him with curious gazes.

BOOM!!

BOOM!!

BOOM !!

At that moment shockwaves reverberated at ever corner of the ruined city. Others who experienced the same proccess also achieved what Lucky did and awakened.

Shifting his head to every shockwave, Lucky marked a few faces that he felt an oppressive aura from. Noting to make sure that he avoids them for the moment.

' did they come to the same conclusion as me ? Did they also receive enlightenment from the vision from the tree? '

Lucky lampooned. He had earlier found that it was strange he could feel and circulate the torrent of energy without even knowing what it was. But after proper introspection, he recalled.

When in the garden of souls, when the light covered all people in the vicinity of the tree, memories, none of his own, visions of ancient rituals, also foreign in his conscious,spread through his mind like a fast forwarded video.

At that time he felt that he had relieved an unknown entity's whole life in mere seconds.

During those few seconds,he couldn't make sense of any event that took place during the life of the unknown entity. But what he gained was an epiphany.

Something the Mancer, what Lucky quickly connected to be the title of the unknown entity, did over and over in his lifetime.

A way to circulate torrents of energy.

That was the epiphany Lucky grasped when reliving the whole life of a mancer.

' This must be the gift the Tree Voice spoke about '

" Ahhhhh... Help...ahhhh"

Someone screamed

" Puchii !!"

Blood splurtered with a fiersome pressure reaching near Lucky who was metres away.

Getting out of his reverie, Lucky faced the direction the scream came from.

What he saw made him flinch, which was actually a first for Lucky. Since Lucky doesn't flinch, nothing is supposed to make him flinch. He was ' Lucky shot fucking Santini '. One whose achievements in the underground bussinesses are so unreal that people thought his name gave him supernatural powers.

But alas that was just their rumors

In front of Lucky, a grotesque hand tored through the chest of a man.

One of the men he had marked in order not to cross paths with was dead.

He was dead. And the culprit seemed to be unsatiated as he pulled back his hand, eying the next victim.

Lucky moved, almost instinctual, jumping over a car from the street and reaching the diner.

He knew what he had to do. He had to get Grace as far away from here as possible.

He hurriedly reached for the diner's door, going in as he started to barricade the front door. His plan to escape through the backdoor and get to safety.

When he turned around though....

Boom !!

Grace had just Awakened