Chapter 25 - The Monster, The Shadow and The Ghost

The truck swerved sharply, dodging other vehicles fleeing the area. I instructed Fae to keep calling Michelle while I leaped out of the truck to search for her. Turning to Zild, I asked him to send a message to Barry, hoping he might see it once his phone was out of airplane mode.

Over the police radio, an officer called for reinforcements - even from the military and navy. I was taken aback; this country was landlocked in South America. Where did they expect a navy to come from?

Noticing my confusion, Raymond said that they have a navy on Bolivia to protect the Amazon. I get it now.

"You're going alone?" one of the officers asked, opening the door to step out. But another officer held us back, he looks distraught and angry.

"Your daughter is in there too, right? We'll help you," I said, gesturing for Raymond to translate for me.

Raymond exhaled sharply, his face grim. "He says he'll be in trouble if he lets civilians like us get hurt."

"Raymond will help you look for them. You're not responsible for us," I reassured him, tapping Raymond's shoulder. "Watch over them for me. I don't know which direction she might have gone." He nodded, but as the policemen called for me, Raymond casually told them I needed to use the restroom. Seriously? Now?

A group of workers, escorting patients, shouted at me, gesturing frantically for me to turn back. "It's dangerous!" they warned repeatedly. Behind them, a slithering shadow loomed, poised to strike.

I activated the red gem, boosting my legs with combustion, and leaped over them to intercept the attack. Their eyes widened in disbelief as I shielded them from the monster. The shadow retreated, slipping back into the darkness.

"Who are you, mister?" a young nurse asked, but I didn't answer, simply motioning for them to leave. I can only understand what she said, but I can't speak Spanish. Too bad, she's cute, though. She must think I'm mute or something.

People were still fleeing the hospital, but some scrambled inside, trying to figure out how to safely evacuate the patients. Standard protocol dictated that the most vulnerable, patients strapped to beds or in wheelchairs, be evacuated first. The problem is how to manage that.

The security gate's walls crumbled as a ten-meter-tall winged monster came into view. It had the heads of a fox and a coyote, its serpentine tail demolishing everything in its path. The wind from its flapping wings sent people stumbling back, shattering glass windows and doors.

Some had already been devoured, their bloody remains scattered across the hospital grounds. The creature seemed intent on entering the building, where more prey awaited.

I summoned my spear through my open palm and swung it, launching a ball of fire at the abomination.

The Amaru growled, and water erupted from the ground beneath it like a geyser, forming a protective barrier. Steam and boiling water filled the air, making the atmosphere unbearably hot.

I shouted at the onlookers who had stayed to watch the fight, warning them they were still in danger. Reluctantly, they nodded and ran. Some people just have no sense of self-preservation.

Realizing the danger our elemental powers posed to the surroundings, I switched gems. The green gem summoned my staff, and Clematis vines sprouted from the fountain the Amaru had created.

Now, all I need is to wait for the Lantana flowers to bloom and sedate...

However, the beast took flight, claws outstretched to shred the vines. But the plants multiplied rapidly, coiling around its legs. The Amaru retaliated, transforming the water into thin, sharp sheets that shot upward, freeing itself from the vines.

The sharp crack of gunfire echoed as the police unleashed a barrage of bullets, but the Amaru's wings deflected the projectiles, scattering them harmlessly.

The officers froze, realizing their weapons were useless. Then they spotted me and collectively moved to "rescue" me, acknowledging they couldn't defeat the monster.

I broke free from their grasp and used my vines to keep them at a safe distance. They cried out in surprise as the thick, coiling stems carried them away. They'd probably need therapy after this.

The Amaru, a native monster of the region, was a formidable aerial foe. Switching to the blue gem, I harnessed the power of frost.

Glistening blue powder emanated from my hands, forming a harpoon with a sharp, icy tip. I looped the line securely around my right hand, ready to throw. Suddenly, I sensed a sinister presence behind me and leaped aside just in time.

A shadowy snake hissed menacingly, its tongue flicking. Above me, the Amaru dove, claws extended. I dodged and struck the creature with the harpoon, drawing purple blood from its side.

The monster shrieked, snapping its jaws and slashing wildly with its claws.

I sprinted away from the hospital, hoping to lure the creatures after me. But my attempt failed; instead, they turned their attention back to the building, tearing at its walls to reach the people inside.

In a split second, I hurled my harpoon at the shadowy snake. The spike pierced its form, and it writhed in pain. But its body turned semi-transparent, and the harpoon clattered to the ground.

The snake's shadow retreated into the Amaru's tail. The creature howled in frustration and turned to face me again. This time, a ghostly figure emerged from the coyote head—a spectral version of the beast.

"Liam!" a familiar voice shouted. It was Michelle. She was trapped on the second floor with her coworkers, huddled together near a gaping hole in the building. Debris rained down around them, and some clung to the walls, paralyzed by fear.

I fought off the ghost and the Amaru. The ghost lunged repeatedly for my neck, but its attacks were predictable. The real challenge was the winged monster, which assailed me from above, unleashing torrents of water.

Pulling my harpoon back through the harness, I created a wall of ice to shield myself temporarily. Sprinting toward the hospital, I waved the harpoon, forming a frosty slide connecting the second floor to the first.

"Hurry!" I shouted. The survivors immediately began sliding down, but the Amaru tore through the wall, pinning me to the ground. The ghost surged toward the survivors, ready to devour them.

"No!"