The Roar of Recognition

"Before absolute strength"

George went on, his voice low and steady

"All means of resistance are futile."

Murphy's breath caught. A Luminary. An Angel.

He wasn't sure of the specifics of what they were, what they were capable of, but the way George said it, there had been reverence and awe that made his skin prickle.

These weren't just warriors.

They were forces on their own.

Maybe… just maybe… they had a chance.

A soft rustle interrupted the moment. Pearl, the little girl who had been sobbing in her mother's arms not long ago, had calmed down. Her tear-streaked cheeks were still wet, but a gleam of interest sparkled in her eyes. She had been eavesdropping, all scrunched in next to her mother.

"Mommy…"

She whispered, giving her mother a light tuck.

"Is it true? An Angel and a Luminary are coming to save us? Am I going to see Daddy again? Will we go home?"

Her mother hesitated briefly before turning to George. He solemnly nodded, as if to say,

"Yes. Let her believe."

The mother turned to her daughter and cupped her face with her good hand.

"Yes, my dear,"

She murmured.

"The gods have not abandoned us. They've sent their strongest Favourites. Soon, soon, we'll get out of here."

Pearl's lip trembled.

"Will Daddy be there?"

Her mother hesitated, then pulled her into a tight embrace.

"He'll be waiting for us. Just hold on a little longer."

Murphy stood there listening to the exchange, something heavy bearing down on his chest. He turned back to George.

"My memory is a little bit blurry, especially during the Silent Night."

"Was I... was I still in the Outer Circle?"

George nodded.

"Yes. When Miss May got word of Skyfall's destruction and the onslaught reaching Storm Cloud, she was deeply unsettled. She approached the higher-ups, begged them to dispatch someone after you. But they refused."

"Even the Foundation's resources were stretched thin. Everyone was trying to protect their own."

Murphy's jaw clenched.

"So, she left?"

"She escaped," George corrected.

"Amid the chaos. Her goal was to reach you and bring you to the sanctuary of the Inner Wall."

He paused, his expression darkening.

"When I discovered her disappearance, I reported it immediately. The higher-ups were furious and unwilling to see such talent perish. Therefore, they quickly unanimously agreed to dispatch me and Derrion to retrieve her... and you, though… the priority was her."

George turned a regretful glance upon Murphy.

Murphy's face twisted. He understood the implication. He was a mortal. A liability. Not worth saving. He clenched his fists, then slowly let them go.

George sighed.

"Since we protected your sister for a while, we had a few ideas where she might go looking for you."

"The Willow Grove Academy," Murphy murmured.

George nodded.

"Exactly. And when we arrived, we found you both. She was fending off the Newborns with her sword and crimson gun. Her combat training was basic, but the ruthlessness I saw in her… it was something else. That's when I realized, besides the orders, we couldn't bring her back without you."

Murphy looked over at him, his voice low.

"She really cares for me that much?"

George gazed down at May, who remained unconscious, twitching her bark-like arms slightly.

"She would've died for you. And nearly did."

He paused, then continued.

"At first, you were reluctant to leave. You kept saying, 'What about the children?' A few were hiding behind you, clinging to you like you were their last hope."

Murphy remembered. Faces. Fear. Tiny hands.

"Derrion was furious about this development," George added.

"He wanted to grab Miss May and run. But she turned her gun on him. Point-blank. Told him bullets have no eyes."

Murphy's eyes widened.

"She did that?"

George nodded.

"She meant it, too. The standoff was tense. Derrion was frustrated and prepared to leave you both. But then…"

He exhaled.

"We encountered an Infant Wretch outside of Willow Grove."

Murphy's blood chilled.

"An Infant?"

"Wolflord, species," George said grimly.

"A beast of midnight fur and molten eyes. Its form is long and slimy, like a snake with legs. Its howl could shatter bone. And its claws … they could cut through steel."

Murphy swallowed hard.

"We fought it," George said.

"I, Derrion, and May. But it was overwhelming. Fast. Smart. It toyed with us. At one point, it nearly sliced May in half."

Murphy's heart stopped.

"And then," George said, turning to him.

"You intervened."

Murphy blinked.

"Me?"

"You grabbed four middle-grade Crimson Stones," George said.

"Drained them dry. Your body… it transformed. You became a beast of corrosion. You didn't just fight the Wretch, you mauled it. The way you moved… it shook me to the core."

Murphy looked down and stared at his trembling hands, or at least tried to... and quietly thought.

"That's… that's why he died."

George continued.

"Your mortal body couldn't handle it. But in that moment, you saved us all. Though I have to say, the current you is a miracle. I never thought May's talent had reached such heights."

Murphy was silent, lost in thought. The memories were blurry, but the weight of them pressed down like a mountain.

Then something dawned on him.

"Wait"

"You said an Angel and a Luminary were coming. But we've been captured for almost three days now. Don't tell me… something happened to them?"

George laughed out loud.

"The scale of their might, Murphy… even I become a mere ant in their presence. Most likely, they went to the other cities first. Tried to save any survivors. Storm Cloud can hold. We're the last on their list."

Murphy nodded slowly.

"So, they'll arrive … when they're finished."

And then...the ground shook.

A violent, bone-rattling upheaval that threw people sideways, upward, crashing into walls and each other. Screams echoed. Dust rained from the ceiling.

And then... a roar. Not from one beast. But from all of them. All the Crimson creatures in the cave, in the tunnels, in the dark beyond, howled in unison.

A sound of fury. Of fear. Of recognition.

A powerful enemy had arrived.