《The Heroes Lost》


 Chapter 1

    They were going to catch him. He could hear them, getting closer by the second, closing the distance. They were panting, though they weren¡¯t tired, it was merely the sound of the air passing through their hollow bodies as they charged after him. Like a gazelle running from its hunter, the boy knew that if he stopped, hesitated, slowed down for even a second, he would die. He ducked and weaved between branches and bushes, desperate not to trip. How long had he been running? He had lost track by now; all he knew was that he needed to get away from them. But there was no getting away. They would never give up the chase ¨C it wasn¡¯t in their nature. They wouldn¡¯t stop until they had him, ripped at him, tore him apart¡­ or worse.


    Stop it. Can¡¯t think like that.


    It wasn¡¯t supposed to happen like this. He wasn¡¯t supposed to be alone; he wasn¡¯t ready for that yet. But now he was, and all he could do was run. But no matter how far or how fast he ran, those things would catch up with him eventually. He had to think of something, fast. But what could he do? He had no time to think, no time to strategize. He hadn¡¯t been trained for this. He shouldn¡¯t have come. He was only a child, why had they let him come with them?


    As Aiden ran, he switched directions, turning down a narrow alleyway on his right, squeezing through a narrow gap made by an overgrown tree. He slipped into the darkness of the alley, moving away from the opening onto the main street. As his eyes adjusted to the new shade, his heart sank. In front of him, was a large stone wall.


    ¡°No¡­ please no.¡± He whimpered as he approached, desperate to see a way through. But there was none, the wall was intact, looming over him. He turned back towards the opening to the alley to find he had not yet been followed in. But it would not be long until they were here. Quickly, he searched the area around him, looking for any way of hiding himself. His eyes settled on a dumpster, long forgotten and disused, but still holding some remnants of what had been left inside it ¨C most notably the smell. Without thinking, he pulled himself up and inside the large metal container, pulling the lid shut as he did.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    Darkness was all around him now, with only the faintest crack of light coming from a few holes in the bin, created over time by the rusting metal. Aiden tried to calm his breathing, to catch his breath, but all he could manage were shallow gasps.


    There were gasps coming from outside too.


    Aiden froze, raising his hand to his mouth to try and silence his breathing. Tears began to well in his eyes as whatever was outside edged closer to him. Its uncut nails scratched against the stone walls of the alley, as if the creature was taunting Aiden, causing him to wince as the sound penetrated his ears. The rasping, hollow breaths grew louder. Leaves crunched under the feet of the monster. It was moving slowly, cautiously ¨C tracking Aiden¡¯s movements. Louder. Aiden prayed that a miracle would save him, lure these creatures away from him so that he could make his escape. But no one was listening. As Aiden slowly opened his eyes, he realised he was in total darkness. No light was shining through the rusted holes.


    The creature was in front of him, no more than 30cm from his face, separated only by a thin wall of ancient metal. Aiden had to hold himself back as the smell of the creature drifted into the box, worse than whatever he was sitting in. Tears now streamed down his face as he shut his eyes once again, resigning himself to his fate.


    The sound of metal creaking filled the box, as did sunlight. Aiden gasped and opened his eyes, coming face to face with his pursuer. The dumpster had only been opened slightly, so Aiden could only make out the area around the creature¡¯s eyes. It¡¯s skin hung off the bone, as though all the muscle had been stripped away. Aiden stared into the creatures empty, dead eyes, as it stared back at him, unblinking.


    This is it.

 Chapter 2

    6 Hours Earlier


    Aiden woke with a start as his mother called his name, instructing him to wake up. He rubbed his eyes, trying to force them to adjust to the light from the window.


    Morning already?


    It felt as though he had only had a few hours¡¯ sleep. He glanced around his room, spotting the untidy pile of comics on the floor by his bed. He had spent most of the night squinting through the darkness, reading through them for what felt like the thousandth time. But that didn¡¯t matter to him. The stories of the old heroes fighting evil always excited him, no matter if he knew how they ended. He would marvel at their powers, whether it was controlling ice, super strength, or ¨C his favourite ¨C controlling the shadows themselves. He stared at the cover of the comic on the top of the pile. It featured the strongest heroes in the world ¨C ¡°The Alliance¡± ¨C facing off against their greatest enemy, ¡®Ragnarok¡¯. As always, the heroes won in the end, but Ragnarok gave them a run for their money, facing off against all six members of the team at once and holding his own. He even nearly killed ¡®Sanguine¡¯ in their final battle, but she was saved by ¡®Eclipse¡¯, who used his shadow manipulation to put an end to ¡®Ragnarok¡¯ once and for all. Aiden wondered to himself how this battle played out in real life, whether the events had been dramatized for the comic version, or if it even happened at all. But it didn¡¯t matter to him. The hero¡¯s strength, their bravery, and their teamwork, it inspired him, and made him want to be better.


    If only you were still here.


    ¡°Aiden!¡±


    He was snapped back to reality as his mother entered the room, a stern look on her face.


    ¡°Get up, you¡¯re wanted in the main square.¡± Aiden nodded in acknowledgement and shot out of bed, throwing on his clothes, consisting of an oversized cotton t-shirt, holey jeans and a jumper that had seen better days.


    He walked from his bedroom to the door of their shelter, which was made up of three small rooms ¨C two bedrooms and an entrance way/living area. Aiden stepped over a small puddle of water growing in the ¡®living area¡¯, created from a leak in the roof. Water often spilled in on stormy nights through the many gaps in the wooden planks making up the roof, but thankfully they had not had a bad storm in a while. This small puddle was the result of a short shower of rain from the previous day. As Aiden stepped out into the sunshine, his feet landed on the soft grass that covered the entirety of his village.


    He glanced around, taking in the morning air and the smell of the damp grass. People were busy at work all around him, rushing to tend to animals, chopping wood, prepping for expeditions, tending to crops, and so on.


    His village was made up of a wooden shelter, put together using wood from the trees in the surrounding area. Aiden could tell they had been built a long time ago by people who didn¡¯t really know what they were doing, but it didn¡¯t matter ¨C it was his home, and always had been. Some of the more well-made houses had metal walls and roofs, but these were reserved for the higher ups in their society ¨C those who made decisions and ran the whole village. He walked through the busy ¡®streets¡¯, heading towards the edge of the village where the main square was located. It was here that votes would be held, parties would be thrown, and people would gather to hold meetings. It overlooked the river, across which you could see the nearby city, lying abandoned.


    As he got closer, he passed the ancient sign on which the village was named after.


    ¡®Liberty State Park¡¯.


    Aiden often wondered to himself what it had looked like before the village founders had settled here, before they had built the large patchwork walls that surrounded the village ¨C leaving the river facing side the only one uncovered. As he turned the final corner, Aiden spotted a group of people stood in the square, with Gideon at the centre.


    Gideon was the current leader of the town, having been elected last year. He was tall, strong, with dark knowledgeable eyes, and a greying beard, showing his age. Aiden approached the group and was greeted by Gideon, who called his name in a strong, booming voice.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± He asked. It was not often Aiden was summoned to speak with Gideon, and he liked it that way. Something about Gideon was off-putting. Maybe it was the large scar that made its way from his chin over his left eye, changing its colour to a milky white. Aiden had never asked how he got it.


    ¡°Thank you for coming. We¡¯ve been talking, and we¡¯ve decided it¡¯s time for you to go on your first expedition.¡±


    Aiden stopped.


    ¡°What? Really?¡± He gasped. He hadn¡¯t thought this would happen yet. He wasn¡¯t prepared, not really. He had only been trained in combat like everyone else, having been taught the basics back when he was growing up by the more experienced fighters.


    ¡°Yes. We think you¡¯re ready. But don¡¯t get too excited. It¡¯s just a simple scavenging mission. Nothing exciting, so don¡¯t get your hopes up for seeing any action. We just think it¡¯s about time you get out there.¡±


    Aiden¡¯s heart began pumping faster. He had been waiting for this moment, the moment when he would be able to make a difference. Maybe he could be like the old heroes after all¡­


    ¡°No! Absolutely not!¡±


    Aiden spun around to find his mother storming towards the group.


    ¡°He¡¯s only 16, he¡¯s too young to go out there. Who knows what could happen to him.¡± She pleaded to Gideon, grabbing Aiden by the shoulders, pulling him away from the group ever so slightly.


    ¡°Sophia, please. I think the boy is old enough now to begin seeing what¡¯s really out there. He has the gift too, it¡¯s time he starts to learn more about it.¡±


    Sophia stood firm, not backing down. Aiden turned to face her, breaking free from her grasp.


    ¡°Mom, please, I¡¯ve been waiting for this, I¡¯m ready. Please. Nothing bad will happen, it¡¯s only a short scavenging mission.¡±


    Sophia took a moment, staring into the deep brown eyes of her son, reaching out to ruffle his dark, messy hair as she used to do when he was just a child. But she could see now, he was not a child anymore.


    ¡°Promise me you¡¯ll come back.¡± She pleaded.


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    ***


    The scavenging party consisted of five people ¨C two scavengers, two fighters, and Aiden. Their mission was simple ¨C head into the city, search an abandoned shopping mall for resources, and return to base. The mall had already been scouted a few days prior to ensure there were no hostiles in the area, and it was given all clear, ready to be signed off by Gideon. Once he had checked all the details, he gave the mission a green light, and began preparing. It was then that he decided to send Aiden along with the more experienced members of the team, and with it being a relatively safe outing, Gideon thought now would be the best time to get Aiden working. Perhaps now they could really start to make use of his gift.


    The group had set off no more than an hour after the meeting had taken place. They didn¡¯t want to waste any light and so had wasted no time in getting Aiden prepared for the outing. He was given an old rucksack containing a flask of water and some bread. The scavengers didn¡¯t like to take any unnecessary items that may weigh them down in their outings, and so took with them only the essentials to get through the mission. For Aiden, alongside the food and water, this included a small knife with a blade no more than 5 inches long ¨C for self-defence only. He had held it in his hand, rotating it, getting used to the weight. He had had some training with blades like this in the past, but never liked them ¨C and had never had to use one for real. He gulped at the thought of having to plunge the blade into an enemy, feeling it sinking into the flesh, knowing what it was doing to them. He shook his head, shaking the thought away with it, and thrust the blade into the back of his belt, where he would be able to grab it in an emergency.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Now, the group walked through the overgrown streets of what was once New York City. It had long since been deserted, left to be reclaimed by nature. These streets had once been filled with people, filled with the sound of chattering and traffic. Now they stood empty.


    Silent.


    Trees had sprouted through cracks in the sidewalk, growing high into the air, creating new areas of shade and shadow. Long grass covered most of the floor, creating a bed for the group to walk through ¨C softening their footsteps. The grass drifted gently in the breeze, and Aiden reached down, feeling it flow through his fingers as the group advanced towards their goal.


    Aiden was in awe. He had never been into the city itself, only seen it from the village square. Far away, it almost looked as though nothing had happened, as though the city as still alive, frozen in time. But up close, he could see this was far from true. It was almost beautiful. Nature reclaiming what was rightfully hers. But there was something not quite right about it all. Something unsettled Aiden. He glanced around at the other members of the group and noticed them looking around, scanning their surroundings. He didn¡¯t know how, or why, but he could tell they sensed it too.


    ¡°We¡¯re nearly there,¡± announced James, the group¡¯s leader, breaking the silence. Aiden guessed he was around thirty, tall with a strong build and broad shoulders. His dirty blonde hair was cut very thin, almost showing his scalp.


    As the group turned the next corner, Aiden¡¯s eyes fell on their destination. The entrance to the building was made of stone, with large pillars erected, appearing to hold up the roof, and the words, ¡°Marketplace Shopping Centre¡± were carved into the centre of the archway. Mould and plants covered the outside of the centre, blocking any light from entering through the cracked windows. Vines hung from the top of the archway, obscuring the stone carvings, and almost hung down to the ground. The entrance had been boarded up a long time ago, but thanks to the scouting mission earlier in the week the barricades had been removed, leaving the doors free to open. James took the lead, pushing them slowly, the ancient metal creaking as it swung open.


    It was like a black hole had been opened in front of Aiden. The sunlight itself seemed afraid to enter the building, instead choosing to wait on the outskirts of the door frame. Did the scouts really think this place was safe to enter?


    ¡°Mike, you¡¯re up.¡±


    James turned back to face Mike, one of the more experienced scavengers, who began to walk towards the opening. Aiden watched him closely as he approached, seeing the concentration and determination on his face.


    Is he always this serious?


    Aiden¡¯s heart was beginning to pound more and more. He couldn¡¯t shake the feeling something was off. He turned away from the group to look back down the desolate streets but could not see anything but overgrown architecture.


    Silence.


    He turned back to the group to see Mike looking down into his hands. His eyes were closed, a look of peace now replacing his look of determination. He opened his mouth slowly, taking in air, holding it, and releasing it again in one smooth motion. As he did so, Aiden noticed a glow begin to appear on his face. It was soft, warm and very faint. He shifted his focus to Mike¡¯s hands, where he found the origin of the light.


    Between his fingers, a small orb of light began to grow. It had no solid matter, and seemingly no solid centre. It was more like a liquid than a solid, flowing in an invisible container between Mike¡¯s hands. Slowly and delicately, Mike began to pull his fingers apart, pinching them together as he did so, as if he was pulling on the invisible strings of the container. This action pulled the orb, growing it in his hands and making it¡¯s glow stronger, now spreading onto Aiden and into the darkness of the building. Aiden could feel it¡¯s warmth on his face as the orb grew to the size of his head. Mike stopped pinching, moving his hand underneath the orb, cupping it but not touching it. It sat just above his skin, floating.


    He stepped into the darkness of the mall, turning to face the group as he did so, the side of his face illuminated by his orb of light.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    The group swept through the first floor of the mall, checking each of the units as they went for supplies. Most of them had been searched already, but they did find the occasional tin of food or medical item that could be used back at the village. William stuck close to the others, following instructions by James. They used Mike¡¯s orb for light, moving as one cohesive unit through the shopping centre. Once the had cleared the first floor, they moved up to the second, climbing up the long still escalator. Here, the group took a moment to pause and debate which section of the mall should be their first stop.


    Aiden stayed quiet during the discussion, opting instead to scan the area around them. Though the orb provided some light for their immediate location, the mall was so dark that it could not spread far. As Aiden scanned the area around them, not sure what he was looking for, his eyes fell upon a sign reflecting the orb¡¯s light.


    ¡®Sal¡¯s Collectibles¡¯.


    Aiden felt a smile spreading across his face. He had heard of these shops. He knew they sold comics, maybe they would have some left, maybe they hadn¡¯t all been taken. He turned back to face the group.


    ¡°There¡¯s a shop, just over there. It might have some stuff we could use. Can I go check it out?¡± he interrupted. James glanced over in his direction, looking past him towards the collectible shop. He let out a sigh and shook his head, disappointed that these so-called supplies were useless. He looked back at Aiden. He really was just a child. But the area seemed secure.


    ¡°Fine. But do not go out of the light. And I mean even an inch.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡± Aiden felt a wave of relief flow over him as he turned and began walking over to the shop. The uneasy feeling he had had mostly gone now, but there was still a part of it lingering in the back of his mind. The area did seem secure, having been boarded up for so long, but what if something had come in after the scouts had been? He slowed his pace, scanning the area ahead of him. Through the dim light of the orb, Aiden could make out the shapes of various aisles. The floor was scattered with loose papers, pages torn from comics. Aiden lowered himself to his knees, sifting through the papers in the hopes that he would find at least one comic intact. Even just one would give him something new to read, another new adventure to lose himself in, more heroes to admire.


    As he shifted a pile of pages to the side, his hands fell upon the very thing he was searching for. He picked t up, squinting through the darkness to make out the title. His eyes widened and his smile grew as he saw the comic read, ¡°Eclipse¡±. On the cover was the shadow manipulator, Eclipse, in his first solo outing facing off against The Crimson Claw. He looked no older than Aiden¡¯s age, his jet-black hair and dark eyes still intact on the cover. He showed no fear, despite his age, and was locked in a battle pose. Aiden flicked through the book, checking the page numbers. They were all there. He slipped off his rucksack, placing the book gently inside. He felt his smile growing wider as he prepared to search once again.


    As Aiden began his search, he tilted his head up slightly and found himself being watched.


    In front of him, no more than three feet away, were a pair of eyes, reflecting the orbs light. They were small, beady, unblinking, but they hadn¡¯t been there before. Aiden was sure of it. He froze, his smile wiped from his face. Whatever it was wasn¡¯t moving now, instead staring back at him. His heart pounded, and he could feel a bead of sweat begin to roll down his face. Aiden squinted even more, trying to make out what the eyes belonged to.


    And then it moved.


    The creature hopped closer to him, now only two feet away, close enough that Aiden was able to make out what it was.


    A raven.


    He breathed a sigh of relief. It was just a bird. He could almost laugh at how scared he had felt when he had seen the eyes. Of course it was just a bird. It sat there, head tilted slightly to one side, watching Aiden with curious eyes.


    It was here that Aiden realised what was wrong. What had been so unsettling throughout their journey to the mall. When they had left the village, the sounds of nature had been all around them and birds had been chirping. But as they moved deeper into the city, it had only gotten quieter, until it was silent.


    No birds.


    But here was one now, staring at him, unmoving. Why were there none outside, but there was one here, exactly where the group had been heading? His blood ran cold as he locked eyes with the bird once again. Still, it stared at him, silent. Aiden began to slowly get to his feet, hoping to retreat to the safety of the group. He raised his leg, resting only on one knee now.


    The bird took this opportunity, and launched itself into the air, charging towards Aiden. It collided with his face, knocking him back to the ground and causing him to yell out in pain as it¡¯s claws scratched at his face. Instinctively he lashed out at the bird, punching it and sending it flying across the room, crashing in to one of the many book cases. Aiden sprung to his feet and sprinted back towards the group who had already go to their feet in reaction to the noise of the attack.


    ¡°The birds!¡± was all Aiden could manage to get out before he was knocked to the ground once again. The raven had managed to recover and had given chase, landing on the back of Aiden¡¯s head, taking him by surprise and sending him crashing to the ground, skidding towards the group. Its wings thrashed around as Aiden desperately tried to knock it off.


    James sprang into action, charging towards Aiden and the raven, grabbing it by the neck and dragging it off the boy. He pulled it into the air, refusing to release it despite it¡¯s thrashing and scratching at his arm.


    As he began to squeeze the bird tighter, Aiden managed to get back to his feet, watching as it¡¯s feathers began to fall. The raven¡¯s flesh began to glow slightly, before appearing to dry and crack. In what felt like an instant, the dry skin began to flake away, spreading from the bird¡¯s neck, where James held a firm grip. It was as though the raven had been turned into dirt, the flakes and dust falling through James¡¯ fingers to the floor beneath. He turned his gaze towards Aiden, before glancing back to the others.


    ¡°We need to go. Now. This isn¡¯t sa¡­¡±


    Aiden heard the sound before he noticed the impact. Something hard had hit James¡¯ shoulder, shattering upon impact and sending him staggering backwards. His hand reached out to where the projectile had made impact, feeling something cold and hard. He groaned in pain as a cold sensation began spreading from his shoulder across his chest and up his neck. Aiden watched on in horror as a smooth surface begin to cover James¡¯ body, spreading over one side of his face, causing him to wince.


    Ice.


    Aiden tried to reach out to help but stopped dead as another projectile made impact with James. This time, the ice must have been sharper, as instead of shattering, the projectile sank deep into James¡¯ side, tearing chunks of cold flesh off, sending them flying and shattering on the floor. Blood spilled from the hole, dripping onto the ground and creating a large pool beneath his feet.


    Aiden could do nothing but watch as James uttered his final words before collapsing backwards.


    ¡°Run¡­¡±

 Chapter 3

    Aiden spun around, squinting through the darkness in an attempt to spot the attacker. He was still separated from the rest of the group who now stared at James¡¯ body, collapsed in a heap on the floor, still pouring blood. Aiden focused on the darkness and managed to make out three shapes moving towards them. He stepped back, almost slipping on the growing pool of blood. The shapes came closer, stepping into the edge of the light.


    On the left stood a man, his skin shrivelled and stuck to his bones with no muscle in between. He had dark eyes and wore tattered, stained clothes. They had not been changed in a long time. The shape on the left was hunched over. It had long, sharp nails protruding from bony fingers. There was no hair on it¡¯s body, and nearly no clothes. It wasn¡¯t an animal, but it wasn¡¯t human either. It was like some horrible mix of the two, like God couldn¡¯t make up his mind when creating it.


    The figure in the middle had ice growing from fingers spreading up his arms, glowing slightly in the darkness. The skin underneath had turned black and hard. The rest of his body was shrivelled and wrinkled, as though it had not been cared for properly for many years. His eyes were cold and reflected the light from the orb, almost as though they themselves were made of ice. He raised his arm, running an icy finger through his long white hair, pushing it out of his face.


    I know you. But it can¡¯t be¡­


    Aiden tried to step back once more, but his foot wouldn¡¯t move. He tried once more, but his foot stayed stuck to the ground. He looked down at his feet and found the pool of blood now frozen, forming a seal around his foot and pinning him in place. He turned his attention back to the three shapes, locking eyes with the ice manipulator. He turned his head to it¡¯s side, studying Aiden, before nodding in the direction of the others.


    ¡°Get them.¡± He croaked.


    Before the group had time to react, a terrible screeching sound came from the ceiling. With it, came the sound of flapping, like hundreds of wings had all begun stirring at once. Aiden looked above him and realised why the city had stood so silent. Hundreds of birds sat in the rafters of the mall, flapping and squawking. As one, they descended on the group, claws aiming towards their faces. Aiden raised his arms in defence, swatting the birds away, but it was no use, there were too many of them.


    The orb of light was obscured by a flurry of wings and claws, and the air was filled with screams. Mike kicked and flung his arms around at his attackers, but he could not get them to stop. He could feel them tearing into his skin, ripping at him and his clothes. The orb of light began to fade, flashing like a faulty lightbulb as his concentration wavered. To his left he saw Harry fall to the floor, his whole body swarming with birds. Harry was his friend, they had been on many scavenging missions together, but nothing like this had happened before. He waved his arms desperately in a futile attempt to knock off his attackers. But as more and more birds descended onto him, his attempts became weaker, until eventually he stopped moving altogether.


    Aiden punched the air wildly, making contact with a number of birds and sending them hurtling away from him in all directions. There didn¡¯t seem to be as many attacking him as the others, and he was able to make out what was happening to them. He could see Mike, still with one arm raised, trying to keep the light flowing. But it was fading. Fast.


    Aiden¡¯s face was illuminated in a deep red as a beam of energy carved a path through the birds towards the figure on the left. The smell of burning filled the air as the birds were cooked instantly in the energy of the beam. It hit the figure in the chest, sending him flying backwards, smashing through the comic shop window and landing with a hard thud in the store. All at once the birds ceased their attack.


    Some flew away, others stood on the ground, as if confused as to what had just happened. Aiden turned towards his group and saw Mike stood, barely keeping the light going. It was just a slight glow now. Harry was led on the floor, unmoving. His face was a mess, so much so that Aiden was unable to make out any of his facial features. He looked back up, and saw the last member of the group, Oswald, stood panting. He was covered in scratches, and his clothes were torn. He had a particularly nasty cut stretching from just below his eye down to his chin, and it was spouting blood. He looked as though he had made no effort to ward off his attackers, instead opting to charge his energy to fire the beam. It had taken everything he had, and now he stood exhausted. But it had worked. The figure must have been controlling the birds, ordering them to attack. Now that he was gone, they resumed their normal behaviour once more.


    Aiden refocused himself on getting free from his trap, bending down and pulling out his knife. He stabbed it down into the ground in a desperate attempt to break the now frozen blood of his protector. He had been the one to save Aiden from the first bird, but now he was the one that held him in place, unable to escape from the remaining two figures.


    As he brought the knife down again, he heard the sound of nails scratching against the smooth linoleum, followed by a terrible scream. He looked back up, and saw the beast-like creature had charged towards the two survivors, knocking Mike down and leaping on top of Oswald. He screamed in pain as the creature brought it¡¯s claws down into his chest, digging deep into the flesh. Aiden watched in horror as the creature raised its claws, and brought them down again. And again. And again. Until the screaming stopped.Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Aiden had to get himself free whilst the beast was distracted. Once it was done with the others, it would come for him. Breaking the blood that entrapped him was his only hope. Desperately, he began sawing at the ice around his shoe, slowly cutting into it. It began to chip and fray away, but it was still taking too long.


    Mike screamed. The creature had had it¡¯s fun with Oswald and had moved onto him. It surged forward, it¡¯s razor sharp claws slicing into Mike¡¯s stomach, sending blood spraying across the walkway. He yelled in pain, and the light began to fade. He shoved his hand into the creature¡¯s face, temporarily blinding it and causing it to stagger backwards. But it did not last long. It lashed out once more with its claws, striking Mike¡¯s hand, severing it from his body. The hand tumbled across the floor towards Aiden, still holding the orb. Now disconnected from Mike¡¯s body, the light faded totally, leaving Aiden in darkness. He could hear Mike¡¯s screams as the monster tore into him.


    Aiden franticly sawed at the ice in the darkness. He couldn¡¯t see his progress, and instead had to rely on listening to it chip and shatter. He glanced up towards the icy figure, and could make out two eyes watching him through the darkness, glowing and cold. Just watching.


    Why hasn¡¯t he killed me yet?


    Mike¡¯s screams of pain went quiet. He was at peace now. And Aiden was out of time. He had to move now. In one swift move, he stood up, and ripped his foot upwards, breaking free from the ice. He tumbled back slightly but managed to stay on his feet, turning and beginning to run in the opposite direction.


    ¡°Do not let him get away,¡± the icy figure mumbled. The creature growled, and Aiden began to hear nails scratching against the floor once more. He continued to run blindly in the darkness, not knowing where he was going but knowing he had to get away from the creature. He made contact with something in front of him, about waist height, and flew over it, twisting in the air and falling for what felt like forever until he landed in a heap on the hard floor. He must have hit a barrier on the second floor and tumbled over it, crashing back down to the first floor. He coughed in pain as he rolled onto his front, trying to stand up. Ahead of him, he could see light. He was near the ext. If he could just reach it¡­


    Aiden felt a hand grab his shoulder, and heard a wheezing sound from behind him. Instinctively, he slapped the hand away with his elbow, and span round onto his back. Above him was another creature. Unlike the monster that had been chasing him, however, it looked human. Like the other¡¯s upstairs, it¡¯s skin was wrinkled and tight to the bone, ass though there were no muscles underneath. Its eyes were sank deep into its skull, but it looked as though there was no thought behind them. The creature almost looked sad as it loomed over Aiden, it¡¯s bony arm still outstretched towards him. Aiden glanced around, and could see more of the creatures lurking in the darkness. They must have followed the group inside. Or maybe they had been summoned here.


    All of a sudden, the creature above him lunged towards him, falling on top of Aiden and pinning him in place. It wheezed in his face, it¡¯s breath stinking and making Aiden¡¯s eyes water. He struggled to free his arm that was now trapped between his body and the body of the creature, managing to twist it so that he could push the creature off of him and onto the floor beside him.


    Aiden rolled onto his front and launched himself forward, charging towards the exit as the rest of the creatures began to give chase.


    Almost there. Just a little further.


    Aiden broke free from the darkness of the mall, bursting out of the doors and into the light of the city. He was momentarily blinded by the change in light, but didn¡¯t stop running. He had to get away. He ran back in the direction the group had come, running back towards his home.


    ***


    The chase had led Aiden to the dumpster, where he now sat face to face with his pursuer. The monstrous creature from the mall had caught up with him, and had been able to track him down the alleyway. He stared into it¡¯s cold, dead eyes as it stared back at him. Tears streamed down his face. The world seemed to be in slow motion. What could he do? He had seen what this monster was capable of, what it had done to the rest of his group. And now he was all alone.


    Images flashed into his mind. Was this his life flashing before his eyes? No. It was something else. He could see the heroes from his comic books, fighting their villains, helping innocent people, being brave. Panels from all the books he read flicked through his mind as though they were a movie, until his mind rested on one image. The comic he had picked up from the mall. Eclipse vs The Crimson Claw. Eclipse had been no older than Aiden¡¯s age, and yet he hadn¡¯t backed down. He has stood up and fought. He had been brave, and he had emerged victorious. The image lingered in Aiden¡¯s brain as he closed his eyes.


    This is it.


    The creature made it¡¯s move. It ripped open the lid of the dumpster, leaning in to grab Aiden as it did so. But as it reached its long arm in, it was launched into the air. It growled and yelped as it came crashing down onto the stone floor beside the dumpster. Aiden hurled himself out of the box, landing on his feet next to it. The monster tried to stumble to its feet, clearly disorientated from the blast. Aiden could feel the energy flowing through his body. It was like nothing he had felt before. It felt powerful. It felt good.


    He raised his arm, stretching it out towards the creature. He breathed in slowly, feeling the energy flow through him. As he breathed out, he directed it to flow through his arm, down and out through his fingertips. The creature was forced backwards, as though it was being pulled by invisible strings. It crashed into the wall that had once served as a dead end, breaking the stones and falling through onto the other side. It tried again to get to its feet, but Aiden was in control now. He was the puppet master, able to control the creature¡¯s strings. He flicked his wrist, sending it crashing into the side of the alley. He could hear the bones shatter in the creature¡¯s back, and with one final flick of his wrist, the creature flew forwards into the other side of the alley, it¡¯s face crushed against the bricks. It fell to the ground in a heap, unmoving.


    Aiden stood and stared at the creature. His arm was still stretched out, but he turned his hand to face him. He looked at his palm. It had no blood on it, but all Aiden could see was red. He had just killed the monster. But he hadn¡¯t even touched it. All he had needed to do was think about what he wanted to do and it had happened.


    Snap out of it. I need to move.


    Aiden shook his head, waking himself back up. He took up running again, this time down the new path created by breaking the wall. He emerged from the alley, and was able to see a large bridge ahead of him, leading out of the city and across the river. Aiden was sure the creatures would have heard his confrontation with the beast, but he could no longer hear their wheezing behind him. But still he ran, not stopping for a second as he made his way back over the bridge, back towards his home.

 Chapter 4

    ¡°They¡¯re really all dead?¡± Gideon couldn¡¯t believe what he was hearing. How could this have happened? The scouting team had told him it was safe to go, that there were no bandits in the area, and no thralls. But they had been wrong, and it had cost him the lives of four of his best men. Three of them had even had the gift, and losing those powers hurt everyone at Liberty Park, not just Gideon.


    ¡°And you managed to escape, unharmed?¡± He inspected Aiden, looking him up and down as though he was lying. How could his experienced men be killed, but this child makes it back unharmed? It didn¡¯t make sense. Aiden ad run all the way back, on his own, without encountering any more of the thralls. It didn¡¯t make sense.


    ¡°Look, I¡¯ve told you everything I know. There were three main ones, and they had powers. Two of them are dead, but the other is still out there, and he¡¯s the one that¡¯s responsible for their deaths!¡± Aiden had been questioned and interrogated by Gideon ever since he had returned that afternoon. It was dark now, and the square was lit by two large bonfires. Aiden had a suspicion that Gideon didn¡¯t believe his story, that he had somehow been the one to kill the rest of the group. But that didn¡¯t make any sense. He was only a child, e had no reason to do that, nothing to gain.


    ¡°Thralls haven¡¯t been seen in that city in years! It¡¯s the reason we live so openly now. Back when the collapse first happened, we had to hide in the shadows, but now, we can live more freely. If what you¡¯re saying is true,¡± Gideon paused, thinking carefully about what his words would mean, ¡°then everything we¡¯ve built here is in danger."


    ¡°It is true!¡± Aiden barked. He was tired of being interrogated now. He knew what he had seen, what he had been through, and he wasn¡¯t going to let someone tell him it wasn¡¯t real.


    ¡°I know what it means, but I¡¯m telling you, they¡¯re out there. And it wasn¡¯t just the three with powers. There were more, I don¡¯t know how many but they were there.¡±


    Gideon turned his back to Aiden, and looked over at the bonfires. Sparks leapt from the flames, bouncing on to the large plastic mats that had been placed on the floor around them, to avoid the fire spreading. People were sat around them, chatting, laughing, living their lives. He hadn¡¯t told them yet what had happened on the trip. As soon as Aiden had arrived back, he had pulled him to the side, and hadn¡¯t let him speak a word of what had happened to anyone else ¨C even his own mother. She was worried of course, and had demanded to know what was going on, but once Gideon had told her that Aiden was fine ¨C physically at least ¨C she seemed to calm down a bit. She hadn¡¯t left though, and Gideon could see her watching the pair of them closely from next to one of the fires. Her eyes pierced into his soul, as though prying into his mind to find out what was really going on. Of course, she may have actually been doing that.


    She too had the gift. She was able to read people, sense their feelings and emotions. But was she able to read their minds as well? She had never made that particularly clear to Gideon, and the thought made him shiver. Maybe she did know exactly what was going on after all.


    Gideon turned back to face Aiden. ¡°You don¡¯t breathe a word of this to anyone, until I say so. People will panic if they hear it.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious! People need to know what¡¯s out there, they could be in danger!¡± Aiden couldn¡¯t believe Gideon¡¯s words. How could he be so callous? His mind flashed back to the Ice Manipulator. His cold, dead eyes glowing in the darkness. Aiden was sure he recognized him.


    It can¡¯t be.


    But there were too many coincidences for it not to be.


    ¡®Frostbite¡¯.


    Frostbite was a member of The Alliance - the elite group of superheroes that used to protect the world, and were the main focus of many of Aiden¡¯s comic books. Frostbite had the power to manipulate and create ice from nothing, as well as freezing existing bodies of liquid ¨C as the figure had done in the mall, killing James and trapping Aiden using his blood. In the comics, he had short hair, as white as snow, and whenever he used his powers, ice began to spread from his fingertips. He remembered the figure in the mall, he had ice growing all up his arms, the skin underneath turned hard and black. Frostbite from a number of years using the power. Ironic.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    It had to be him. But if that were the case, Aiden had just come up against one of his childhood heroes and survived. Only, he wasn¡¯t a hero anymore. No hero could do something like that.


    ¡°Please,¡± he said, bringing his mind back to the present, ¡°We have to tell people what¡¯s out there. They need to prepare themselves for an attack.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Gideon stood firm.


    ¡°They knew we were coming! Do you think that attack was a coincidence? For Christ¡¯s sake, all the birds in the fucking city were in that building!¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Gideon barked the order at Aiden, catching him by surprise. ¡°I have said what will happen, and that is the end of it.¡±


    Aiden rolled his eyes and got to his feet. He brushed shoulders with Gideon as he began to walk off.


    ¡°I was wrong about you,¡± Gideon said, causing Aiden to stop and listen.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t ready. You¡¯re still just a child.¡±


    ***


    Shadows moved through the trees, the sound of their hollow breathing mixing with the wind blowing through the leaves to create an unholy symphony.


    The boy¡¯s tracks had been easy to follow. He clearly hadn¡¯t spent any time covering them, and they had been able to follow his path through the city, past the smashed corpse of a once loyal follower, over the bridge, and into the woods. He had been running, that much was clear. Branches were broken, puddles were sprayed over nearby foliage, and there was the occasional sign that the boy had tripped and fallen on his way. He was afraid.


    Good¡­ that just makes it more fun¡­


    ***


    ¡°Don¡¯t let him get to you, you know what he can be like,¡± Mary stirred a pot of stew that was resting over the fire as she spoke. The smell of beef wafted into the air as she stirred, filling the room and lending it it¡¯s warmth.


    ¡°He¡¯s right though,¡± Aiden scoffed, ¡°I am still a child. I couldn¡¯t do anything to help; I just stood there and watched!¡±


    ¡°There was nothing you could have done, dear,¡± Mary set the wooden spoon down on the side, moving over to the table to comfort her son, placing her arm around his shoulders and pulling him in close.


    ¡°From what you¡¯ve said, it¡¯s just a miracle you made it back in one piece. I don¡¯t know what I would¡¯ve done if I had lost you too.¡± She looked at him. He had his head down, his shoulders slumped. In her eyes, she could still see the little boy in him, sulking when she had made him do chores around the house. He had always hated doing them, instead all he anted to do was read his comics, or listen to stories about the heroes of the old days. His father had always obliged, recalling great battles and struggles that they faced, and always overcame. Of course, he had made a lot of the stories up, but the boy didn¡¯t need to know that. Mary recalled the look on his face when he heard them for the first time, and how his smile had never faded, even when hearing them for the hundredth. She used to watch him and Harry playing in the square, pretending they were locked in a great battle. Aiden was always the hero, always the victor, and his father was always happy to lose.


    When they lost him, Aiden had been inconsolable. He had become a shell of his former self, no longer wanting to play, despite Mary¡¯s best efforts. She wasn¡¯t the same, in her mind, she wasn¡¯t as good. That wasn¡¯t true, she knew that, but at the time it was all she could think. Even though Aiden admired all the characters in his books, Harry had been his one true hero. And he had been taken from them. Aiden had retreated back to his comics, reading them again and again, trying to lose himself in that world, to forget the pain he was feeling. Mary had tried to get him to open up and talk to her about it, but he never would.


    As the years passed, the pair had grown closer, but still Aiden had never opened up to her about his father. She wondered if he had ever gotten over the loss, or if he ever truly would. She knew she wouldn¡¯t, so how could she expect him to?


    If only you were still here¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s what I can¡¯t get my head around though,¡± Aiden¡¯s words snapped Mary back to the present, ripping her away from the memories of her husband.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Why I¡¯m still alive.¡± Aiden paused, considering his words and recalling the confrontation in the mall. He remembered how he had watched as the birds attacked his group. Yes, some had come for him, but not as many as the others, and not as savagely. Was it just because there were more of them? Could they sense they were stronger?


    ¡°They had the chance to kill me, but they didn¡¯t. It¡¯s like they wanted me to watch what was happening to the others.¡± His mind flashed back to the dumpster. He had locked eyes with the creature, and it hadn¡¯t attacked. Not instantly, anyway. In the mall, it had gone for the kill straight away, ripping into Mike and Oswald and tearing them apart. But not him. It knew he was there, it had seen him, looked into his eyes, and it had waited.


    ¡°Oh my god¡­¡±


    Aiden shot to his feet, moving away from his mother and towards the door of their house. He had to get to Gideon, fast.


    He grabbed the handle of the door, and swung it open with force, stepping out onto the grass outside. Mary followed him to the door, and stood watching as he raced off. He moved quickly, running away from his home and towards the town square. He could see the glow of the bonfires above the shelters, still burning brightly.


    But it was too late. He could already hear the screams.

 Chapter 5

    How could I have been so stupid?


    There was only one reason why Aiden was still alive. Why the beast had not torn into him as soon as it had seen him. Why Frostbite hadn¡¯t put an icicle through his head.


    They had let him go.


    They had seen he was the weakest member of the group, and had killed the others in front of him, making him watch as they died, all in an effort to scare him so much he ran away. Ran all the way back home. Back to his settlement, back to his people. The same people who had no idea what had happened earlier in the day. No idea they were in any danger. No idea what was coming for them.


    The screams grew louder and more panicked as Aiden approached the final corner. He didn¡¯t know what he would see as he turned but knew he couldn¡¯t stop. This was his fault. He had to help, in whatever way he could.


    Aiden began to turn the corner but was blown backwards by an explosion. He twisted in the air, landing hard on his side, the air forcing its way out of his lungs as he did. He groaned and struggled to get to his feet as the screams continued to worsen. He was afraid to look up, scared of what horrors he would see, but Aiden knew he had to do something.


    He hauled himself to his feet and scanned the square in front of him. The ground a few meters in front of him was scorched, and a small crater had formed in the middle, sending dirt and mud flying through the air. If he had been any earlier, he would have been blown apart by the blast. Further into the square, people ran wildly in all directions, desperate to escape the area. Shadows hurled themselves over the fence between the square and the river, their wet bodies spraying water as the launched through the air, landing on the grass of the village. This was the only weak point of the town, and they were exploiting it. What looked like hundreds of bodies swarmed over, giving chase to the citizens of Liberty Park.


    Aiden watched as a husk flung itself on top of a woman, knocking her to the floor and pinning her in place. Aiden had seen her around town many times but didn¡¯t know her name. He had seen her just this morning on his way to the square, tending to the cows in the farmyard. She struggled to get away from the creature, but it would not let her go. Its face was inches from hers, its foul breath seeping into her mouth and nose. She screamed for help as the creature raised its head and opened its mouth, ready to bite.


    Aiden rushed forwards and tackled the husk, sending them both tumbling onto the ground beside the woman. The creature landed on its back but quickly rolled onto all fours, ready to attack once more. It leapt towards Aiden, who raised his hands into the air, blasting the monster away and sending it hurtling through the air until it crashed into the earth near the bonfires. He turned back to face the woman, who led still on the grass.


    ¡°You need to run, now, get as far away from here as you can!¡± He got to his feet and offered a hand to help the woman up. She managed a frail thank you before turning and running in the direction Aiden had come from. He turned back towards the bonfires just in time to see another husk charging towards him. He wasn¡¯t quick enough to avoid it, and took the hit from the beast, crashing back to the floor. Its hollow eyes gazed into his, and for a moment, Aiden could almost sense a sadness emanating from it. Almost as though it was sorry for what it was about to do. It raised its bony arm, ready to lash out at Aiden, but was caught by a strong hand from behind. The hand whipped to the side, sending the creature flying as though it weighed nothing. It crashed into one of the bonfires, tipping it onto its side and spraying sparks onto the grass beyond the plastic mat. The creature writhed in pain as flames spread over its body.


    Aiden looked up at his saviour and found Gideon looking back at him. He stretched out his hand towards Aiden.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    ¡°On your feet.¡± He pulled Aiden up with ease as the pair looked around the square.


    ¡°You don¡¯t belong here. Leave and get to safety.¡± Gideon¡¯s voice was stern, unforgiving.


    ¡°I can help. Please, let me¡­¡± Aiden didn¡¯t get chance to finish his sentence before the pair were cut off by another explosion nearby. The shockwave knocked Aiden back, but Gideon stood firm, unwavering.


    ¡°Now.¡± With the one word, Gideon took off running towards the chaos unfurling in front of him. Thralls were swarming the area, dragging his people away from the square, some into the darkness of the nearby streets, others over the side of the barrier into the river, and others didn¡¯t bother to take them anywhere, preferring to rip into them in the middle of the grass. He listened to the cries of his people, the people he was supposed to protect, but he knew it was too late for them. He had to focus on the ones who had a chance. The ones who hadn¡¯t yet been caught. And to do that, he had to push the enemy back.


    He charged forward, knocking away any feeble attack by the thralls. He had one target in mind. One of the thralls was different. Gideon had spotted him earlier but had been side tracked by Aiden, and so wasn¡¯t able to act quick enough to stop any more of his attacks. He stood by the railings near the river, overseeing the attack. His hair was thin and patchy, and his skin clung to his bones tightly. It looked painful and scarred, as though it had been significantly burnt. The burns spread from his arms up to his neck and across his face, digging deep into his sunken flesh, almost exposing the bone underneath. He smiled with broken, crooked teeth as he swung his arms upwards, palms facing towards Gideon. Flames erupted from his dark flesh, shooting towards Gideon like a python, writhing through the air. Gideon threw himself down onto the ground, narrowly dodging underneath the blaze.


    There was around 100 feet between the two, and as chaos raged around them, the pair locked eyes. Gideon could feel the hatred in the thrall, as though it was emanating from him like his flames. Tendrils of fire began to sprout from his body, wrapping themselves around him and clinging to his body, singing his already burnt flesh. He seemed to enjoy the pain, if it even caused him any, as he continued to smile, and began to laugh. Gideon was still on his stomach, his hands clenching the dirt, his knuckles turning white. In one swift movement, he shot to his feet, and swung his fist into the air, tearing apart the earth beneath him, sending chunks of mud into the air, followed by a curtain of dust. He held a clump of the ground in his hand, and using all the strength he could muster, he launched it towards the thrall, like a shot from a cannon. His enemy reacted quickly, and shot a burst of flame towards the projectile, turning it completely to dust before it reached him. But that was fine. In the time taken for him to singe the dirt, Gideon had used all the power in his legs to close the gap and charged towards the thrall. He burst through the cover of falling dirt and swung his powerful fist towards the thrall¡¯s head.


    He felt the crunch of his skull shattering as his fist made impact with the creature. It went flying, crashing along the ground and finally into the railing overlooking the river. He sat slumped for a moment, before he raised his broken head, still smiling. Half of his head was sunken in, his skull shattered. But it didn¡¯t stop him. His laugh grew louder as he struggled to his feet.


    He¡¯s enjoying this.


    Gideon charged forwards once again, only this time he wasn¡¯t quick enough to dodge the next blast of flame. He hadn¡¯t noticed the thrall turning his palm towards him as he got to his feet, and was caught by a quick burst of fire, shot like a shotgun blast. He stumbled backwards and felt his skin burning, the flesh melting to his shirt. The blast had only made impact with his shoulder, but it had slowed him down enough for the thrall to gain the upper hand. The tendrils of flame that had once been wrapped around his body now sprung forward, latching onto Gideon¡¯s arms and torso, digging into him, and burning his flesh. He winced in pain as he struggled against the flames, but they held strong. Even with his strength, the whips clung on, the flames biting deep into his body. Gideon cried out as the thrall¡¯s laugh grew ever louder. He had gotten to his feet now, and began moving towards Gideon, who was now on his knees. The pain was overwhelming, his skin bubbled and cracked as the flames continued to burn away at him. The thrall stood over him, and turned his head to one side, as if he was inspecting Gideon. He raised his arm above his head, and Gideon saw his palm was filled with white hot flames.


    Shit.


    The thrall swung his arm down towards Gideon¡¯s face, the flames screeching out for flesh to bite into. Gideon steeled himself against the attack, bracing himself for the pain. But it didn¡¯t come. He looked up to see the thrall had stopped half way through his attack, the ball of flame in his hand still hot, but ebbing away slowly. The smile had gone from his face as well. Gideon breathed a slight sigh of relief as the tendrils began to unwind, removing themselves from his body. He slumped forward, his body still burning and aching. He coughed and sputtered, blood spraying from his mount and onto the grass. He looked up at the figure before him, who now stood, staring down at him. Something had changed within him, like he was a totally different person.


    ¡°Why¡­?¡± Gideon croaked, wondering why he had been spared.


    The figure smiled faintly back at him, though it was not the same maniacal grin as before and leaned closer to Gideon¡¯s face, grabbing him by the throat and pulling him inches away from his face.


    ¡°Because¡± he growled in a deep voice that did not fit his body, ¡°you¡­are mine.¡±