Freefall

The team plummeted through space at an astonishing pace, each member resembling a glowing comet. Miraculously, their suits held firm, the pure white fibers resilient against both pressure and heat.

Amidst the plunge, a kaleidoscope of a million colors rose against an infinite white backdrop, swirling and intermingling. Streaks and circles enveloped the team, momentarily embracing them before shying away. They were on the brink of entering the Twilight Grove.

Khadija could not stop smiling, her lifelong dream of embarking on some otherworldly adventure was about to begin, there were a multitude of emotions going through her but excitement dominated all.

Her gaze was fixed forward, and she still couldn't believe that Queen Golden had personally insisted on her being the team captain, especially when there were better choices like Qatan or #212.

'I wonder what did she see in me' She thought to herself and before she could contemplate further,

A colossal black projectile, hurtling at the speed of sound, collided with Qatan who was falling just beside her, throwing him completely off the trajectory. Before Khadija's mind could register what happened her hands had stretched forward trying to grab his paw, but he vanished away in a blur. Frantically, Khadija started gasping.

Her excitement changing into panic and chaos, as her eyes reddened in fear.

She looked to her left, and noticed several more of black projectiles but a bit smaller in size, racing toward them with the same astonishing speed, bare seconds away from crashing into them. And then the unthinkable occurred—her worst fears materialized as the team was systematically picked off one by one, leaving her isolated.

Khadija began panting and shouting in her helmet, but no sound came out of it. And then she too, was picked off.

***********

Isra was lost in her thoughts when something crashed violently into her ribcage and dragged her away from the group. They had been ambushed by an unknown force. A million thoughts popped into her mind.

Was she going to die just like that? Where was Queen Golden? No one told them about this.

The black mass of seething darkness was pressed against her helmet when she tried to grab its face. It struck her in the belly. Leaving her gasping for air. Blood seeped out of her mouth and sprayed against the inner glass of the helmet.

Isra suddenly felt weak and lethargic, and then she fainted.

The blow had left her seriously wounded, She was going to die at this rate if she remained untended.

A tear rolled down her cheek, reflecting the array of million colors that still danced around her. And among those colors, something white and cloudy glowed with crackling electricity.

Qatan zapped at her at a speed that was too hard to imagine. He pushed his burning sword deep into the darkness that was still latched onto her, and it blew up from within. Then he threw it off and grabbed Isra with both paws, and then the whole world disappeared. They both fell to the ground.

They had reached somewhere, but it was not Twilight Grove.