Chapter 22: The monsters appear
But seeing Leo's fear-filled eyes, Adam smiled at him and hurried down the stairs and out through the house.
He didn't have the ability to jump off a floor like his parents, but with his physique he had no problem carrying his 8-year-old grandbrother and running with him.
The outside world was chaotic, the city erupting. Flashes of light tore across the sky, and strange, terrifying noises rose into the air. The crowd was in panic, people running in all directions, screams of terror ripping through the night.
Adam hugged his brother, pressing him into his arms, trying to make his way through the moving mass.
"We'll make it, Leo, don't worry." He murmured these words to reassure himself as much as to soothe his little brother.
"Yes, I trust my big brother. He'll protect me even if a monster attacks us," Leo replied in a gentle tone.
This gave strength to Adam, who seemed to feel less weight in his legs.
When a human was afraid, it was common for the body to react badly. It was rather nice in Adam's situation to be able to run relatively naturally.
"Sure."
They crossed devastated streets, skirting debris, burning buildings, fleeing the horror that was spreading through the city.
Gunshots echoed throughout the city.
Even though it was an extraordinary time, most people were unable to become lifelong warriors, including soldiers.
So firearms and armed vehicles remained a very powerful means of defense against low-level creatures.
But against the massive creatures looming in the distance, this was clearly not enough.
Adam didn't spend much time observing the surroundings and kept running until he finally caught sight of the doors of a shelter.
But the crowd was getting thicker and thicker, people jostling to get in. Adam felt a pressure in his mind, a growing anxiety as they approached.
If he didn't get in, he risked being trapped outside with his brother.
And with the events currently unfolding, they certainly wouldn't have a happy ending by staying outside.
In this whirlwind of panic, Adam and Leo pushed their way through the crowd, their progress barely perceptible. Adam held his brother tightly against him, feeling the warmth of his little body trembling against his own.
"Hang in there, Leo, we're going to make it, okay?" he murmured, though he wasn't entirely confident.
"Yes, we'll make it big brother."
There were so many people, so close together, that Adam felt like he was caught in a human whirlpool.
Bodies collided with unheard-of violence, like breaking waves slamming against rocks. Every step was a challenge, every movement a struggle against the pressure of the crowd.
They soon reached the shelter gates, but what awaited them was not the security Adam had hoped for.
The queue stretched as far as the eye could see, and the doors were guarded by soldiers who were doing their best to organize the entrance. But they seemed overwhelmed by the crowd. The agitation was palpable. People were shouting, jostling each other, trying to squeeze through by any means, as if life itself were being played out through these gates.
"Be careful! Stand back!" shouted a soldier, trying to push back the people trying to infiltrate. But it was no use. People were sticking together, forcing security to collapse under the weight of collective fear. The sweat, terror and screams of the refugees mingled in a stench of pure panic.
Adam found himself trapped in a human vise, the pressure of the crowd against his sides, anguish evident in every face he came across. Children were trapped between the adults, crying and unable to be comforted. Men were fighting their way through, pushing and shouting in a collective frenzy, while more fragile women stood aside, desperately trying to protect their children.
Adam could feel the heat of the crowd, his little brother's sweat against him, his heart beating faster. The situation was becoming increasingly unbearable. He couldn't even breathe properly, the pressure around him increasing by the second.
He hugged Leo even tighter, his little brother now crying, worried, his voice trembling with fright.
"Big brother... I don't want to... I don't want to die..."
These words pierced Adam's heart, and somehow it hurt even more than his previous cancer.
Adam tried to calm him down, but the panic in his chest constricted his throat. He could barely move, barely breathe.
"Don't worry... You're not going to die." he finally managed to say, smiling at her.
"Hmm."
The shelter doors seemed so close, but they were like a mirage. The crowd was crashing against them, but the entrance was too small to allow so many people in quickly.
The guards seemed to lose themselves in their task, and tension was mounting.
After several long minutes, Adam felt his patience and energy running out. His gaze fixed on the doors, hoping they would open, but nothing happened.
The crowd was becoming increasingly agitated, with people fighting each other to get in. Shouts, insults and blows rained down from all sides.
Adam had no choice but to be more determined than ever.
"Leo, hang on." He tried to scramble a little further forward, using all his strength to force his way through the compact mass.
But every movement was a superhuman effort. He felt people pressing against him, bodies colliding, squeezing, and an irrational fear began to invade him.
This mass of people didn't seem human, just a heap of flesh, fear and raw survival. There was a strange sense of imminent collapse, as if at any moment this crowd could explode.
Then, suddenly, a hoarse noise ripped through the air, followed by a deep, almost bestial roar.
It was the sound of something colossal moving. The ground vibrated slightly under the weight of a gigantic creature.
Adam instinctively turned his head. In the darkness of the street behind them, he saw monstrous silhouettes taking shape.
Massive shapes, roaring and screaming as they slowly advanced towards the crowd.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone