(POV – Protagonist)
Right now, I’m perched on top of a building about seven stories high. I sit on the edge, legs dangling over the void, my feet swinging in an uneven rhythm without even noticing, just a reflection of how scattered my mind is, lost in thought.
The wind blows constantly at this height, brushing against my body and gently ruffling my hair. It’s strange... this might be one of the few upsides of having a body that’s practically frozen in ti. I don’t feel the cold, and the heat doesn’t bother either.
Sensations that would be unavoidable for anyone else in a situation like this... for , they simply don’t exist. No shivers, no discomfort, just a strange kind of neutrality. For a mont, I let my gaze drift across the horizon, watching the city far below. But... putting those thoughts aside, the current situation is far from pleasant.
The force field, whatever that thing actually is, keeps expanding exponentially. With every passing minute, its edge moves faster. After a series of careful experints, I managed to reach a few practical conclusions. Inanimate objects, plant life, buildings, cars, they don’t suffer any severe damage when they co into contact with the sphere.
There are effects, though. So vehicles show slight deformations, like they’ve been compressed by so kind of pressure. Pots crack with sharp, dry snaps, and certain buildings develop fractures in their structures. Still, nothing that suggests imdiate collapse or total destruction. It’s almost like the field simply... rejects non-living matter.
But when it cos to living organisms, the situation is completely different. Based on what happened with my arm, I can say with unsettling certainty: anything alive that enters the sphere simply disappears. There’s no visible transition, no signs of destruction or decay. It just... ceases to exist.
I have no idea how this thing distinguishes between what’s alive and what isn’t. There are no visible sensors, no detectable energy beyond the distortion in the air itself. And yet, the difference in how it behaves is undeniable.
I tested it three more tis after what happened to my arm, changing the conditions, the organisms, and the exposure ti. Every single ti, the result was exactly the sa. Instant. Absolute. Whatever this thing is, it doesn’t destroy, it erases.
It’s not like that thing is devouring everything around it. From what I’ve been able to piece together so far, based on my limited observations, what’s happening is much worse: any form of life that cos into direct contact with that field... simply stops existing.
It’s not just the body that disappears, it’s like the very presence is wiped out, like an error being corrected in reality. The field doesn’t consu. It nullifies. Everything it touches is undone in a silent, absolute way, as if it had never existed in the first place.
Because of that, evacuating the nearby civilians was a nightmare. It wasn’t simple at all, many of them were inside their hos, hiding, confused, or completely unaware of what was going on.
I had to break down doors, shout, drag so of them out by force. In the end, I managed to gather everyone at a high point: the rooftop of one of the countless buildings in the city... more specifically, the tallest one.
From up here, the view is as wide as it is cruel. Everyone can see it. The imminent destruction stretching across the horizon like an invisible tide, swallowing everything in silence. And, as expected... the atmosphere up here is anything but calm.
The air feels heavy, thick with fear and despair. So people are crying, others are completely breaking down, and a few just stare into nothingness, unable to process what’s in front of them. Children cling to their parents, and the parents... well, not all of them know what to do.
So of the adults, though, seem more irritated than afraid. Irritated at . Their stares are hard, accusing. To them, there’s a clear culprit behind all of this. Based on what they believe, or maybe what they were taught, anomalies are inherently destructive, dangerous by nature. And I... am an anomaly.
So, in their minds, the conclusion is simple. This disaster has sothing to do with . And, to be honest, they’re not completely wrong. But they’re not exactly right either. If there’s soone who deserves to carry the bla for this... it’s that damn priest.
A delusional idiot who decided to ss with things that were clearly way beyond his understanding, and now, all of us are paying the price for it.
Anyway... I don’t really care that much about the fact that so people don’t like . If even Jesus couldn’t please everyone, who am I to pull that off? That would be arrogant, to say the least. Honestly, now that I think about it, I actually prefer it this way.
It’s better than having a bunch of weirdos putting on a pedestal for sothing I didn’t even do. I an... not dying multiple tis and saving my sisters, does that sohow count as sothing worthy of being called divine? Because, honestly, it doesn’t feel like it.
A real god... well, as far as I know, should be able to fix all of this with a single thought. No effort, no hesitation, no failure. Just a simple act of will, and everything would go back to normal... Yeah. That was a terrible example. Because, deep down, there’s sothing even stranger about all of this: sotis, sohow... I can actually do exactly that.
My scattered thoughts suddenly snap back into place when sothing hits the back of my neck, light, but enough to pull out of my daze. I blink a few tis, still gathering myself, before slowly turning around.
My gaze drops to the ground, where I spot a crumpled piece of paper, folded over itself into a small, uneven ball. For a brief mont, I just stare at it, as if trying to make sense of what just happened. Then I look up.
That’s when I see him. A tall man with tan skin, sharp features, and light-colored eyes that now gleam in a hazy, unfocused way. He stares at with raw anger, there’s no doubt he’s the one who threw it. His body sways slightly, unable to stay completely steady. The strong sll of alcohol reaches before he even opens his mouth.
He’s completely wasted: “Ahh... so... hic... so you and your little buddies finally decided, huh?” His voice cos out slurred, uneven, tripping over itself. He takes a step forward, nearly losing his balance, but manages to steady himself: “Show... show those... those freaky monster faces already, is that it?”
He laughs, but there’s no humor in it, just pure contempt: “You... you little freak...” he spits the words out like they taste bitter: “Go back... go back to hell, you hear ? Back to whatever hole you crawled out of!”
Another step. Closer now. His gaze weighs on , carrying sothing beyond drunkenness, fear, maybe... disguised as hatred: “Hic... leave us alone... leave humans the hell alone...” His voice falters for a mont, but he pushes on, louder, more aggressive: “We don’t want you around... we really don’t! Especially not... not anywhere near our kids...”
He points at with a shaky finger, his hand wavering in the air: “Hic... you hearing , or do I gotta say it again?!” he growls, stepping even closer, invading my space: “Get lost... you... you freak...”
Well, the man was clearly pissed at , that much was undeniable, but aside from the aggressive tone and unstable posture, he hadn’t actually caused any real harm. In the end, there wasn’t much reason for to truly care. Around , the atmosphere had shifted in a subtle but noticeable way.
People nearby watched the scene with wide, tense eyes, as if expecting sothing worse to happen at any second. So glanced back and forth between and the man, as though trying to guess who would make the first move. Mothers pulled their children closer, quietly guiding them away, while others simply froze, caught sowhere between fear and curiosity.
They were waiting for a reaction from . And honestly, striking back wouldn’t exactly be a bad idea. A quick response would put this man in his place and end things without any room for doubt. Still... it wouldn’t be the smartest move.
There were too many people around. My goal definitely doesn’t involve dragging my reputation through the mud over so out-of-control drunk. If anything, I’ve been trying to keep my image... neutral. Maybe even slightly positive, if possible.
Right now, public opinion about is divided. Most people see as neutral, distant, with no real interest in humans. A smaller group believes that, deep down, I actually want to protect them. A rather optimistic idea.
And of course, there’s the other side... those who are convinced that sooner or later, I’ll try to destroy humanity. In the end, you can’t please everyone. I accepted that a long ti ago.
“You... you really think you can just ignore , huh? Hic... just cause you’ve got those little powers... think you’re better than ? Huh?!” the man shouts, his voice thick and tangled as he lurches toward , nearly tripping over his own feet.
His steps are uneven, dragging, like the ground itself is shifting beneath him, yet still driven by a blind, stubborn rage. A half-empty bottle dangles loosely in his hand, the remaining liquid sloshing out with each abrupt movent. As he gets closer, the sll of alcohol is so strong it almost burns my nose, hot and suffocating, mixed with the sour stench of sweat clinging to his wrinkled clothes.
“You think you can just... hic... turn your back on ?! Just ignore like that?!” He lets out a crooked laugh, more like an irritated choke than anything else, before trying to clench his fists, his fingers taking a second too long to obey: “I’ll... I’ll show you... hic... what happens when you try to ignore , you... you freak...” His eyes are glassy, unfocused, unable to lock onto anything properly, but his intent is clear.
And then he lunges. Clumsy. Inaccurate. Dangerous only to himself. Now, a simple little lesson: when a completely drunk man decides to run, or sothing close to it, toward soone sitting at the edge of an absurdly tall building... the outco tends to be predictable.
His foot slips under his own montum. His body, already off balance, tilts too far forward. For a brief mont, there’s silence. And then. He goes right over.
The scream that follows is short, swallowed by the wind, disappearing almost as quickly as it ca. Far below, way down there, the city lights continue on, indifferent, as if nothing had happened. I didn’t even have to move.
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