Disaster

"What type of confrontation was it?" Uro asked quietly, his eyes searching Lorian's face.

"It showed me the past," Lorian replied flatly, his gaze distant, leading Uro's head dipped in slow understanding.

"…A flaw confrontation?" Uro guessed with worry flickering in his eyes.

"Beast." Lorian stretched out his arm as Uro's expression fell, apprehension blooming on his face.

To descend deeper into the Archetype, one must confront the Shadow. These confrontations are as varied as the people who face them, but over the centuries, Ascendants have learned to categorize them: Hatred, Beast, Inner, Judgment, Morality, Flaws, and Problem. The Shadow will initiate a confrontation through one of these groups.

The ordeal is never gentle. For the Ascendant, it means being shown and told things they can barely stand to acknowledge, memories best forgotten, and truths they'd rather deny.

For example, in a Beast Confrontation, the shadow slowly tries to get you to accept a secret, forgotten, and horrible part of yourself.

One you'd rather bury and lock away.

But the shadow doesn't care. It will continue pressing, pushing, and guiding you to accept it.

If you wish to descend further.

"It's okay, Uro. Lorian will be fine," Selene's says softly, her hand found Uro's shoulder and gave him a squeeze while smiling at Lorian.

Uro let out a long, shaky breath, shoulders relaxing a fraction. "I suppose you're right," he murmured, as Selene passed a set of cups to Lorian.

Lorian drank them all in quick succession. With grace, Selene reached up and caressed Lorian's face, her fingers feather-light.

The warmth of her touch sent a shiver through him. "Remember, no matter what it shows—"

"Nothing will change, because we will always be together," Lorian finished with a smile, Selene nodded, her eyes shining.

"Let's head down to eat—" Uro began talking but then Lorian interjected. 

"Oh, right! We should head to Kyros's house. I kind of promised I'd stop by for breakfast." Lorian chuckled, making Uro raise a brow before shrugging.

"Saving money and home-cooked meals sounds amazing. Let's go."

…

Lorian waved back at the chuckling bartender as they exited Yasoy Bella, stepping onto the sands as the slowly ascending sun cast its rays upon him.

"I'm surprised that all of that happened yesterday," Uro said after Lorian gave him a summary of what happened when he and Selene picked up Kyros.

"You only saw the game yesterday?"

"Yeah, when I left the food store, I saw the crowd. But I left it alone because I wanted to get more food from the stalls on the other side of town."

"Ahh, sorry for leaving everything to you, Uro." Lorian's lips twitched, but before Uro could reply, something sharp and electric split the morning calm.

A bolt of pain drove itself through Lorian's skull, instantly making him gasp. He faltered a bit, clutching his head and gripping while as a cold sweat broke out on his back. Uro and Selene flinched as well but were in vastly better state than Lorian as they quickly glance down.

Everything below began to shake, starting off as small. Then as a second passed, the ground erupted into a thunderous quake. The street buckled and twisted beneath, objects all around began falling and shaking. Buildings creak, windows rattled violently with faint cracks forming, and the noise around continue increasing. 

Lorian, Uro, and Selene looked at each other in surprise. As one, they activated their star vision, magical senses flaring.

The world shifted.

Countless thick, glowing blue Ley Lines pulsed under the cracked earth, flickering like veins. Tiny fractures spiderwebbed across the lines, spreading faster with every second. Lorian's eyes narrowed as more cracks appeared, fracturing like fragile glass. Behind them, the bar's sign swung wildly, banging against the wall with a clang.

Then Lorian had a terrible realization, the Ley Lines were shrinking. Their blue faded, retreating from the sand in a way that felt unnatural.

"The Magic Ley Lines are shrinking! It's a Class II disaster! Selene, wake everyone, have them put on clothing if needed, and tell them to leave their houses!"

Selene was already moving, her eyes glowing a violent crimson, star-bright and fierce. A pulse of raw magic radiated from her, more felt than seen, making the hairs on Lorian's arms stand on end.

[Ruler - Control Freak.]

Her shout split the air. "Everyone, wake up! Get dressed and leave your house now!" The command carried the weight of authority, magic wrapped around every word, compelling obedience.

The response was quick and frantic. Doors flung open all along the street as townsfolk poured out, their footsteps pounding the earth in a desperate, uneven rhythm. The bartender from Yasoy Bella flung open his door, yelling for patrons to move, and a dozen people spilled out after him, faces pale, eyes wide, some still clutching mugs or napkins. The café owner stumbled into the sunlight, hastily tugging on a tunic, looking as if he'd just been snatched from sleep.

The once-quiet street became a river of motion and noise. People streamed from homes and shops, calling for loved ones or dragging dazed children along. Fear and confusion painted every face. And through it all, the ground didn't stop shaking, the tremors kept on incerasing.

'Two minutes have passed. That means six minutes left before it all blows,' Lorian thought before glancing at Selene with a nod.

[Ruler - Control Freak]

"Everyone, leave the town now! Head south!" Selene's command rolled out over the chaos, wrapped around every mind, as if an invisible wave that swept through the crowd.

At once, faces slackened. All around, the panic drained from the townsfolk, replaced by a glassy calm. Even the children, who only moments ago had been wild with fear or confusion, now moved with eerie silence. The whole town began to run, not in scattered panic but as if pulled by a single string, every step in unison, every gaze fixed ahead.

Lorian's heart hammered in his chest. A starry light appeared in his eyes, a delicate web of stardust stretches from himself to each person, magical thread touching everyone.

[Magician - Naivety]

Streams of glittering stardust flashed past the crowd, then faded like shooting stars. Lorian watched as pandemonium unfolded around him. The windows shivered violently in their frames, and the shutters slammed against the walls like frantic hands seeking escape as the earthquake's deep, resonant growl reverberated through the air.

The crowd pressed forward as one. The adults picked up the elders, teenagers lifted up the kids and any others. Before they began rushing out, boots and sandals against the trembling ground. 

"David!" Louise's voice cut through the chaos. Lorian whirled to see Louise and the Silvian Outlaws spilling out of the bar, weapons already slung over their shoulders, bags clutched in calloused hands.

"Help me!"

"Right! Some of you follow the townspeople, help anyone who falls! Magicians, keep applying Naivety!" Louise shouted.

Lorian glanced over his shoulder and caught sight of the Unicols dashing through the crowd, their forms blurred with speed. Behind them, Roy sprinted, terror etched across his features.

"Young master, let's go," Selene said, a warm presence exuding from her. Lorian nodded as his eyes caught sight of the rumbling slowing down.

…

They moved past building after building, each one groaning under the strain, cracking and splintering like brittle bones. Shards of wood and stone flew through the air, catching the sunlight in sharp flashes before falling to the ground. Dust swirled thick and choking, a heavy blanket that filled the area. 

The ground beneath the group continued to fracture and expand with spiderwebbed like fissures. They stretched out like veins, and began slowly expanding, yet none of the people panic. 

All around, they marched on with their faces expressionless and spirits blank, compelled by Selene's will. The silence of their escape was almost unnatural, as there were no screams, no sobbing, just the collective thud of over fifty.

[Four Minutes]

A house decorated with bone carvings let out a low groan. The sound grew, twisting into a creak that made some of the Outlaw's flinch. Lorian's eyes locked on the building as it swayed, each movement a warning that once it came down, anyone caught beneath would be crushed without mercy. Still, the crowd pressed forward, unshaken, oblivious to the deadly threat looming just behind them.

[Three Minutes]

Above them, the watchtower rocked dangerously. The bones snapped free, whistling through the air before smashing against the sand pit below that only days ago had been the playground for laughing children. Yet the people kept marching in eerie unison, numb to the disaster erupting all around them.

[Two Minutes]

Every tremor stole more from the town. Buildings gave way, timber and bone collapsing in thunderous cascades. The vibrant and joyful heart of Nuya, the Market place was swallowed up by a roaring cloud of dust and debris. 

[One Minute]

Finally, they reached the outskirts. The chaos of the town fell behind them, replaced by a storm of dust and sand that expanded out through the collapsing town. They kept moving, another hundred meters or so, before the spell broke. The crowd began to slow, blinking as confusion crept back into their eyes.

[Zero]

Instantly as if threads were cut, awareness returned to the townsfolk swiftly. They were all bewildered and daze, some blinking, others rubbing their, eyes and rest looking around with furrowed brows. Before glancing behind to see massive dust clouds, consuming collapsing buildings.

The sight felt like someone was squeezing their heart.

Expressions of horror and disbelief appeared as shock swept through area. Countless people were gasping from the terrible yet familiar sight before them. The sight that represented the end of their life and memories here. Tears began flowing down the adult's cheek as one hand covered their mouth and kept wiping the tears away. The bakery that once the heart of the community that welcomed all was reduced to splinters and ash.

Some mothers pulled their children close, stopping them from watching the collapsing scene. While some fathers held their kids up, caressing their hair and whispering soft words to the trembling child.

"Look!" a man's shouted with disbelief. A shaking finger pointed toward a row of homes perched near the edge of the town.

All eyes followed just in time to see one of the houses, a blue and white began collapsing. Its roof caved in, the walls breaking as the bones snapped, and everything collapsed as the wood shattered. A brown-haired woman stumbled, cloud of sand swirling around her as she dropped to her knees. Her voice breaking as she whispered, "That... That is my mother's house..."

It was just the beginning.

The next house toppled and then another, instantly a chain started with each fall slower and more brutal than the last. Beams of bone splintered, bronze fixtures burst apart, and the wooden frames surrendered to gravity. With every crash, the people of Nuya saw the places where they made countless memories, being buried in the sand.

The adults inched closer to the scene. Some had their arms stretching out, others wrapped around each other and some clenching their fist. A few shouted curses with bloodshot eyes staring at the scene while a woman stand motionless, watching as her bakery dissolve into dust.

A man in black apron fell to his knees, hands gripping the sand, and his shoulders shaking at the sight. A girl with a braid down her back buried her face in her friend's shoulder, her shoulders trembling as she tried not to cry.

The lively plaza used to echo with laughter and stories shared under the open sky. The lively plaza where people gathered every day, where they talk, ate, played, and share stories with each other. That once beautiful place became unrecognizable under a hill of rubble, sand, and dust. 

With every collapsing structure, a piece of the community vanished. The bar where friends gathered, the cozy café where people meet and greet, and the sandy patch where children played. All erased in moments, swept away in the clouds of dust.

Even though it was something they were used to and has happened many times.

It still hurts every time.

And then, a new agony swept through the crowd. It faintly started as their limbs feeling a bit heavier and then tightness in the chest. Then instantly, it erupted into something far worse with their legs going numb, backs spasmed and some collapsing. A father clenched his teeth as held onto his whimpering daughter whose expression started to change.

"What's happening to us?" Someone screamed from somewhere in the mass. The question was answered by more cries and more people collapsing from the pain. 

The food stall owner fell to his knees, clutching his side, and feeling something pressing against his ribs. "It hurts!" He screamed while gasping for breath.

One by one people succumbed to the pain as they began collapsing. The backlash of Selene command was finally to hit everyone who was moving. The command to escape had driven them past their physical limits, and now, with its absence, reality struck back with a vengeance.

Another women crumpled to her knees, crying as stabbing pains tore their bodies. While the men cried out, clutching at their chests or head, overwhelmed by a wave of exhaustion that crashed over them.

[Lover - Other-Worldliness]

Instantly, the pain vanished. The suffering melted away, replaced by blinking confusion. Uro rushed in, four Silvian Outlaws at his side, forming a protective ring around a cluster of fifty.

They extended their hands, magic brightening the air.

[Lover - Mother Wishes]

An ethereal blue light emanated from Uro and the outlaws, spread over the crowd like a gentle wave and wrapping them in its luminous embrace. The azure glow seeped into their bodies, infusing them with energy just as the Other-Worldliness effect began to dissipate.

A few among them winced as the familiar sensation of pain crept back in, but it was fleeting, as the magic gently dulled the sensation and eased their discomfort.

Some children erupted in cheers, echoing with delight. While others, like Kali gazed in awe with her eyes sparkling as she tried to capture the ethereal blue light in her hands. 

…

Lorian after steady a nervous Unicol nearby, produce a bittersweet smile. He turned his gaze back toward what remained of Nuya, watching the rest of the destruction unfold. 

Selene walked up, her long hair blowing in the wind. "No casualties," she said with a smile, glancing at Uro for confirmation.

"None," Uro grunted. He was kneeling where Kali and a few other children had started drawing patterns in the dust with their fingers, the blue afterglow of magic sparking faintly in the wake of their movements.

"None over here, everyone made it out safe," Louise shouted after Anne came up to tell him.

"And all of the Unicols are safe," Roy said near Lorian, also making sure the Unicols were unharmed.