Chapter 503:Saved?

Chapter 503: 503:Saved?

Above, Elias fired another arrow and the approaching Tier Four beast stumbled. Several civilians escaped through the passage.

Mina was helping the final group. Rowan stood near the entrance, reinforcing the damaged walls.

Elias looked down.

Almost everyone was out.

He smiled faintly.

At that moment, the Tier Four beast charged again and struck the tower. The impact shattered several supports.

Silver’s barrier broke and the entire structure lurched.

He stumbled backward as blood spilled from his mouth.

[Warning: Spatial Energy Circulation Critically Unstable.]

[Warning: Continued High-Output Ability Usage May Cause Severe Physical Damage.]

He ignored the notifications and activated Short-Step.

[Short-Step Lv3 Activated.]

His figure flickered but the movement failed as pain tore through his spatial pathways.

He dropped to one knee.

[Short-Step Activation Interrupted.]

[Spatial Backlash Detected.]

He gasped as his vision blurred.

Above, Elias looked toward him, then toward the evacuation passage. The final civilians were almost clear.

He activated his communicator.

"Silver."

He raised his head.

"Don’t."

Elias smiled faintly.

"Listen."

He shook his head.

"No."

Elias looked toward the approaching beasts, then toward the damaged fuel-storage structure beside the northern road.

An idea formed, a terrible one but it would work.

He reached for his final arrow.

"Silver, don’t come back."

His expression changed.

"Elias..."

"They’re almost out," he quietly said.

Elias drew the bowstring, his arms trembling.

"Just make sure they get home."

Silver struggled to stand but his body seemed to have failed him at that moment.

"Elias!"

The young archer smiled.

For a moment, he remembered Delta One, his parents, his older brother, the training grounds where he’d spent countless hours trying to improve and the excitement he’d felt when his energy saturation reached ninety-eight percent.

He’d been so close to Rank Two.

He exhaled, then released his final arrow. It flew across the ruined street, past the approaching beasts, through the smoke, and struck the damaged fuel-storage structure.

The explosion was enormous.

A wave of fire erupted across the northern road, collapsing the weakened structure and sending tons of burning debris crashing into the approaching beasts.

The Tier Four creature disappeared beneath the wreckage, and several smaller beasts were crushed.

The evacuation passage was sealed from the northern road. The civilians escaped but the shockwave struck the communications tower and its remaining supports failed.

[Fire Resistance Lv2 Activated]

Silver looked up.

"Elias!"

The tower collapsed; metal rang through the explosion and concrete shattered. The upper platform disappeared into the rising dust.

Silver extended his hand.

[Spatial Distortion Lv2 Activated.]

A barrier flickered, then shattered.

[Activation Failed.]

[Insufficient Spatial Stability.]

Silver stared at his trembling hand.

"No."

He tried again.

[Short-Step Lv3 Activated.]

[Activation Failed.]

"No!"

He forced more energy through his body; pain exploded behind his eyes and blood spilled from his nose.

[Warning: Severe Spatial Backlash Imminent.]

He ignored it and reached forward.

"Elias!"

The tower struck the ground, the impact shaking the entire district and a cloud of dust swallowed the street.

For several seconds, he couldn’t see anything. He remained on his knees, his hand was still extended.

Then he activated Spatial Sense.

[Spatial Sense Lv3 Activated.]

His perception spread through the wreckage. He could only see broken metal, concrete, burning debris and several dead beasts.

He searched again and again but he found nothing. There was no familiar energy signature, no movement and no heartbeat.

His hand slowly lowered as he stared at the wreckage. For a long moment, he couldn’t understand what had happened.

Then his communicator crackled.

"Silver?" Ravenna’s voice came through.

He didn’t answer.

"Silver, the civilians are safe. We got everyone out."

Silence.

"Silver?"

He looked toward the collapsed tower. His lips moved but no sound came out.

Ravenna appeared beside him moments later. She stopped when she saw the wreckage, then looked at Silver who was kneeling in the middle of the ruined street, blood running from his nose and mouth, eyes fixed on the collapsed tower.

She slowly approached.

"Silver..."

He swallowed.

"I..."

His voice broke but he tried again.

"I could’ve reached him."

Ravenna froze.

He looked toward her.

"I was right there."

She crouched beside him.

He shook his head.

"I had him." His hands trembled. "I almost had him."

Ravenna looked toward the wreckage, then understood.

Her expression changed.

"Oh, Silver..."

He lowered his head.

"I couldn’t..."

For the first time since she’d met him, Ravenna saw Silver completely unable to find the words he wanted.

He simply stared at the ground.

She wrapped her arms around him but he didn’t move... Then, slowly, he leaned against her.

His breathing trembled.

Behind them, the surviving civilians continued fleeing toward the southern shelters.

Mina stood near the passage, staring at the collapsed tower. Rowan had fallen to his knees. Helena arrived moments later. She looked toward the wreckage, then toward Silver.

"Where’s Elias?"

Nobody answered.

Her expression changed.

"Silver?"

He closed his eyes.

Ravenna held him tighter.

Helena slowly turned toward the tower. For several seconds, she remained motionless, then her communicator crackled.

"Commander Seer! We need reinforcements at the southern barricade! Several Tier Three beasts have broken through!"

She flinched.

She looked toward the wreckage one final time, then closed her eyes. When she opened them, tears were running down her cheeks but her voice remained steady.

"Understood." She turned toward the surviving students. "Everyone who can still fight, move to the southern barricade."

Mina looked up.

"Helena..."

She swallowed.

"We can’t stop." Her voice broke slightly. "Not yet."

Silver slowly raised his head.

He looked toward the wreckage, then toward the civilians Elias had saved. Several children were being carried toward the shelters.

The others were alive because Elias had stayed.

He closed his eyes, then slowly stood.

Ravenna looked toward him.

"Silver..."

He wiped the blood from his mouth.

His expression was empty.

"We have to go."

She hesitated, then nodded.

"All right."

He looked toward the collapsed tower one final time.

Elias was gone, and the beast tide was still moving.

Silver tightened his grip on his sword, then turned toward the southern barricade.

The night wasn’t over, and there were still people who needed him.