Elysium

'Devil Storm'

It was like an imperial call. Everyone stopped on their track and looked at the incoming sand storm.

A sea of sand rose in the sky with a strong whirlwind blowing everywhere. The sky darkened and various howls resounded from the storm.

It was still a couple of distance from the group. Yet, they felt the pulling force of the Devil Storm.

Why was it named the devil storm?

According to rumor, at the center of the storm was a gigantic beast with thousands of teeth with a single red eye.

It swallowed everything that entered the storm. Only a couple few had the luck of escaping from the storm.

Yet, no one knew where the beast came from. It only appears during the storm. And after the storm. It would be long gone.

Seeing the nemesis of all wastelanders, the only thought of the people was to run for their lives.

Though the hope of escaping was minuscule. It's better than none.

Vroom!

The three witches jumped on the skull-filled bike and rushed forward at full speed. While the few remaining of the Byport Village rushed forward into their black rovers.

Tsh! Tsh! Tsh!

They tried to switch on their vehicles. But the barricades of bullets had affected the engines.

"What should we do!" A voice shouted.

"Run!" Rashad shouted. He jumped out from the rover and sprinted at his fastest speed away from the incoming storm.

Everyone dashed at their top speed, leaving their heel to touch the back of their head. While they kept muttering some indistinct word.

No one noticed the flabbergasted young man, looking at the scene with his mouth agape.

Perhaps, he was just too shocked by the events or scared silly by the incoming storm.

Ding*

[Host, why are you not running? Perhaps, you have a death wish.]

La Coasta shook his head and sighed.

'How can I run from this?' He stared at the raging devil storm and sighed again.

'Run! With my injury, how far can I run before I'm swallowed by it? Besides, only a handful of people had escaped from the storm. It's better to wait for my death than make a futile effort.'

He saw no hope in running. How far can they run? He wondered and sat on the sand while the pin bra dangled on his neck.

He looked at the horizon, lost in thought.

In a couple of seconds, the sand storm swallowed the lonely La Coasta like it was nothing.

Perhaps, it was nothing to the enormous sand storm that reached the sky.

Hmm!

La Coasta groaned under the whirlpool of the strong tide of the sand storm. He was tossed back and forth with blood gushing out of his mouth and chest.

He already resigned his fate to death.

'At last.'

Suddenly, deep in the sky where no eyes could reach. A blinding light falls into the center of the devil storm.

Forcing the dark raging sand storm to be illuminated. It was like a Holy Light.

The light fell on the almost unconscious La Coasta and his eyelashes twitched. He opened his single functioning eyes and stared at the light.

He raised his head a bit, looking for the source of the Holy Light.

Deep in the cosmos, among the thousand stars. A small world shines brightly, untainted by the darkness of the world.

'Elysium'

A strange voice echoed deep inside La Costa's heart. Though it was faint. Yet, he could hear the faint otherworldly voice.

Seeing this, La Coasta blinked his eyes twice and swallowed the lumps in his throat. Can this be possible?

Lost in the magnificent beauty and holiness of this strange world.

Suddenly, an enormous beast pounced on him out of nowhere and everything was blank.

In a deserted city.

The rustle of cold breeze assaulted the deserted ruins. While the tingling of objects resounded deep within the desolate city.

A couple of rodents with yellow eyes scurried away with an unknown dark object in their mouth.

Top on the flagpole was a young man dangling back and forth lifelessly.

A pink cloth which was obviously a bra saved the young man from falling to the ground.

The bra on his neck miraculously hooked the 12-meter high pole saving him from falling to death.

The young man dangled back and forth with a bruised face, dry blood on his mouth, and deep in his waist. No one could tell whether he was dead or alive.

A couple of meters from the pole. Three disheveled ladies supported each other in walking.

Their light leather armor was destroyed, turning into rags. Deep cuts appeared on their bodies with dry blood on their faces.

"C-Can we make it." The lady on the right whispered in trepidation.

"As long as we leave this haunted city. We will be fine." A cold voice responded.

"I'm sorry." The last lady said in a low voice. If not for her playfulness. They won't be in this predicament, having lost their ammunition and deeply injured.

Now, any tom and dick could take them down with little effort. In the wasteland. There is a saying. No one is a friend. Only friends with benefits.

But these three didn't have friends with benefits. Only friends with an eternal hatred.

People who wouldn't bat an eye to hang their heads on a stake. And be used in an inhuman possible way.

"What is that?" One of the ladies said, staring in a particular direction.

The others raised their heads and followed her gaze. They opened their mouths for a couple of seconds before closing them slowly.

"What an asshole." The cold voice said in disdain.

"I think I've seen him somewhere." The middle lady said. She stared at the young man, dangling on the pole with an intense gaze.

"Hmm. I remember. He was the one hunted by those rascals."

"Let's leave. The night will soon descend. I don't need to tell you what would happen then." The cold voice announced.

"But I need a specimen for my research." The last lady announced.

The three ladies were quiet for a moment and looked at each other's faces. Two of the ladies looked at each other's faces before turning to the cold lady among them.

"Fine!" She accepted reluctantly. "But we need to be quick. This place is creeping me out."

*****

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