Chapter 289: Too Slow

The thunder and rumble that traveled the air drummed through Van's ears like a cry as he remained frozen still, his foot stopping short on stepping on the floating island. Although their plan was pretty straightforward, they tried their hardest to keep it silent. They tried to keep it as subtle as possible so that Hermes's body wouldn't be put under too much stress.

They weren't sure if Hermes's corpse would truly explode and they were just going with what Evangeline told them. But still, they went through all the trouble of just not ramming their way inside just because of this one simple fact.

And yet now, the mushroom of smoke and the blazing fire reflected on Van's eyes, unperturbed and unabated.

What went wrong? Was Van's thoughts as his foot finally landed on the floating island. Was it because he killed the Pontiff? Was it possible that the trigger that the Pontiff had wasn't just for the bombs that wrapped his body? There were also bombs set on the hidden base?

But how could they have missed it? Wasn't Evangeline's plan fool-proof? Was it because they insisted on joining in? Or maybe… this was part of Evangeline's plan after all?

Van then shook his head from all the thoughts he was having. The most important thing now was to check if Artemis and the others were still alright. With the sound of the explosion, Van was sure that it wasn't enough to kill any of them. But still, there was this sense of dread growing inside of him that he couldn't shake off.

Van started to run to the hidden base, but the sense of uneasiness that was drowning him pulled him even further down as he passed by the dome of roots that he made to hide Athena and Evangeline. There was a huge hole in the dome and fragments of branches scattered in an arc, presumably from either Athena or Evangeline breaking it from within.

Van let out a short but deep breath as he hastened his steps to the hidden base, causing the ground and trees around him to erupt as he could not control the strength of his legs. His steps, however, were once again ceased before he could reach the reservoir as he felt the floating island slowly tremble, and soon slowly descending towards the ground.

"!!!"

Van then no longer hesitated as he pushed himself further, arriving at the vicinity of the reservoir in less than a blink of an eye… and what he found there made the dread inside of him finally materialize.

The insides of the hidden base, which was rooted deep into the ground, could now be seen. There were no traces of the peaceful reservoir that once stood there. Its waters, turning to mud as it terrorized and rammed through the plants and earth that stood on its path to freedom.

There was one area, however, where the water did not reach. There was a sort of wave, frozen still near the remnants of what was once the hidden base. Van rushed towards there as soon as he saw it, only to see Artemis and the others, as well as Athena, standing in a Circle. And on their center, was Hermes's dried-up corpse, with Evangeline lying carelessly on top of his chest, her tears flowing almost endlessly.

"What are you guys doing?" Van then broke the silence as he stepped beside Artemis, "Let's grab Hermes's body and go, this place is going down."

There was a sort of irritation in his voice, as he thought that something would definitely happen because of the explosion. But to find Evangeline just leisurely hugging Hermes, he could not help but slightly frown.

"We failed, King Evans," Athena was the only one to speak up, with Artemis only hugging his arm.

"What do you mean failed? Because of the explosion?" Van furrowed his eyebrows as he looked towards Hermes's body, "...He seems to be alright?"

"No," Athena shook her head as she fell sitting on the ground, "We failed. As an Olympian, I could feel his body starting to heat up."

As soon as Athena said that, blood of wings emerged from Sarah's back as she flew away without a word.

"Then what are we still doing here!?" Van then grabbed Artemis's wrist as he stepped back. Artemis, however, did not move and only shook her head, "Let's run to the nearest Portal, what are you doing!?"

"Your mother lied," Athena let out another sigh as she shook her head, "I am sure Artemis could feel it too."

"Lied? What? What's going on?" Van had no choice but to let Artemis's hand go as he once again took a step back, looking towards Angela and Angelica who had their eyes closed, their mouths moving as if they were talking to someone.

As Angela felt that Van was looking at her, she quickly turned her head towards him and also shook her head, "It was a pleasure having taught you even just a little bit, Mr. Evans. I wish our relationship could have remained as simple as that."

After those words, Angela then once again closed her eyes as she and her sister held each other's hands.

"Artemis, let's go!" Van then stretched his hand towards Artemis. Artemis, however, only lifted her hand for a bit before closing it. She then gently touched her belly before looking Van straight in the eyes.

"I thought I have already embraced my death, Van," Artemis let out a long and deep breath as moisture started to slowly build up in her eyes, "But meeting you… and having this baby. It's just--"

"Why are all of you talking like you're all dying!? I can take all of you to the nearest Portal before Hermes's body explodes!"

"Your mother lied, King Evans," Athena once again repeated her words, "Or perhaps she herself did not know."

"Know what!? Just say it!"

"Going through the Seraph's gate won't save any of us. Whatever is happening to Hermes's body, whatever blast it will produce, it'll pass through the Portal…

...and it will destroy everything in its path."

"How can any of you be so sure!? I will drag you there if I have to!" Van roared as he once again grabbed Artemis's hand.

"Artemis knows it too, your mother can't feel it, but we Olympians can."

"...Artemis?" Van then looked Artemis straight in the eye, but the only response he got was a sedated nod before Artemis embraced him tight.

"So… we're all just… going to die?" Van's breaths became erratic as they followed the rhythm of the beating of Artemis's heart, "That's… that?" Van's hand unconsciously wrapped around Artemis as his eyes wandered all over the place.

"Do something, Evangeline," Van then said as he let go of Artemis, "Tell them nothing is going to happen, aren't you supposed to know everything!? Do something!"

"I will."

Evangeline, who had been quietly sobbing on Hermes's chest finally moved, her body slowly floating to the air along with the colossal Hermes's dried-up corpse.

"Run, son."

"Run? I told you I am not like you, I will not leave--"

"Survive."

Before Van could even finish his words, he felt his body being thrown several meters away from the others, almost falling over the cracks of the hidden base.

"Wha--"

Once again, before Van could finish his words, a sudden flash of light drowned his eyes. He felt everything around him stop as if the whole world had frozen up as the flash of light suddenly turned into a small ball, with Hermes's heart as the center.

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The deafening sound of silence whispered into Van's ears. Ringing almost endlessly as the ball once again started to grow in size.

"!!!"

He could see Evangeline's flesh being swallowed by the growing light, her skin not even offering the least bit of resistance as the light seemed to tear it down. But still, there was a smile on Evangeline's face that did not fade, her arms remained embracing Hermes even as she was devoured by the light.

Van then turned his eyes towards Artemis, screaming to her, "Artemis, grab my hand!"

But there was one thing that Van had forgotten-- he was able to perceive time differently than others. And in this instance, that ability was at its peak. Artemis's green hair moved in the air, her head turning ever so slowly towards Van as he rushed towards her.

Van stretched his hand, but the only thing that Artemis offered him was a smile. A smile that said everything she needed to convey to him… and the only thing that Van could do was watch this smile slowly fade away as a string of light erupted from the growing ball.

"...No," Van whispered as the tip of his finger touched the expanding light, causing a part of it to completely be shaved off. Van then looked towards Athena, who was also looking at her before the light also swallowed her.

And at the split second, Van once again did the only thing he could do-- run. He ran because he was too slow. Too slow to save anyone, too slow to notice the mistake that should have been obvious from the start.

Fate was playing with them.

And so, he ran. He ran as fast as he could as the ball of light behind him swallowed everything in its path.

"Grah!"

He roared, pushing himself further as the light almost caught up to him. Van no longer knew how fast he was going, or what direction he was running. But he continued.

And as he was running, he saw a Portal to his left. It might have been salvation, so he tried to run towards it. But before he could even reach halfway, another strand of light erupted from the ball, completely swallowing the Portal.

And so, the only thing that he could do was once again run. He ran across the ocean, no longer knowing how long he had been running… but soon, he ran through the skies above as there did not seem to be a place not devoured by the light.

But still, he ran. He ran until he found himself surrounded by nothing but vast darkness.

He ran from what Fate had in store for him. But fate…

...fate was inescapable.

The only thing that he could do was one again roar, even as only silence welcomed him, he roared as the light behind him finally caught up to him. It first took his feet, taking away the only thing that gave him freedom.

Sadly, in the end…

...he was still too slow.

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***

"Gah!"

"Eek! It's awake!"

"I told you not to poke it with your stick! Now it's going to eat us!"

"Eat this, fireball!"

"Ah, it didn't work!"

Van could feel his bones snapping as he tried his best to move his body. He could feel a slight warmth embracing him, but he ignored it. His trembling hands pushed him up, working with his knees that almost caused him to stumble before he finally managed to sit up.

"Wha…" Van could not help but pucker his lips as he felt it chafing. How long was he out for his whole body to be this dehydrated? He thought. But once everything sank into him, he finally remembered what happened before he woke up.

Wasn't he supposed to be… dead? Devoured by that crazy light that emerged from Hermes? He then blinked a couple of times as he looked at his legs, which surprisingly enough, still seemed to be intact.

Did he… perhaps just dream of everything? If it was, then how far was the dream? No… it seemed too real to just be a dream. He could still recall the feeling of the weird light swallowing him.

"W… what's the monster doing? Is it going to kill us!?"

"Ssh. Don't agitate it, why don't you call father, maybe we can keep it?"

"..."

"Ah, it's looking at us. Call dad, quick!"

Van then looked at the two children in front of him. He was going to ask where he was or what happened, but his eyes quickly wandered towards their ears, which were definitely longer and pointier than anyone else he had seen before.

But perhaps that wasn't just it, the skin of the two… was grey in color. Van also knew that he was small… but to be smaller than these two children? Who were obviously truly children by the way they look.

"...I really am dreaming," Van could not help but mutter.

"Gah, it talked!" One of the two oversized children screamed before hitting Van in the air with a thick branch, and although it did not hurt, he could still feel it. He could also smell the slightly damp scent of the earth, as well as the cold breeze that was wafting through his body.

Van's confusion grew even further as he once again stared at the two. He then looked up towards the sky, only to see what seemed to be 8 moons littering the sky… during the day.

"...Just what the fuck is happening here?"

"It talked again! Smack it in the head!"

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"..."

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