Chapter 69: Demon Invasion - Part 5

Chapter 69: Demon Invasion - Part 5

Lina found herself standing at the edge of an infernal lake, its surface boiling with molten fire. The heat was oppressive, pressing against her skin like the air itself had weight. She stepped back, her boot sinking slightly into the charred, brittle ground beneath her feet. The landscape stretched on endlessly, with the lake at the heart of it, a surreal sea of flames reflecting the crimson skies above. She couldn't comprehend what she was seeing at first, but the sheer chaos unfolding before her eyes slowly took form.

Across the flaming expanse, she saw legions of demons, writhing, slashing, clawing at one another in an unholy dance of blood and fury. Their twisted bodies glistened with hellfire, and their howls filled the burning air with a terrible symphony of war. Amongst them, other shapes, paler, more fragile, fought back, their forms barely holding against the monstrous tide. These were souls, she realized, trapped in this nightmarish struggle. Souls of the damned, warring eternally in a place where no light could reach.

Lina turned around, and her breath caught in her throat. The ground was littered with bodies. Not just any bodies, these were the warriors who had once stood beside her. The familiar uniforms of the Foundation lay scattered like broken dolls, their tactical gear torn apart, their faces frozen in expressions of horror and agony. Interspersed among them were the crumpled forms of French soldiers, their blue insignias stained with blood and ash, and the once-proud knights of the Order of Light, their brilliant armor now dull and broken, smeared with soot and gore.

She forced herself to keep looking. The devastation was total, but one corpse caught her eye, a massive mech, now reduced to a smoking wreck. It stood in the center of the carnage, its metallic limbs twisted and half-submerged in the fiery lake. Near it, she spotted more bodies, an adolescent girl in a tattered green dress, her lifeless form sprawled beside the giant machine. Leaning against the mech's hull was the body of a young boy, his navy-blue combat uniform slick with blood, a look of grim defiance still etched on his pale face. Not far from him, the body of a third figure, a girl dressed in a tailored black suit, lay unmoving, her hands still gripping a shattered blade.

Lina's gaze was drawn forward to another, more heart-wrenching sight. At the foot of the mech lay Élise, her once-golden hair matted with soot, her elegant armor rent apart, blood pooling beneath her still form. Lina's heart seized in her chest. The sight of her friend, lying dead in this forsaken place filled her with a cold, hollow dread.

But the nightmare wasn't over. Standing on top of the mech, silhouetted against the backdrop of fire, was the Administrator. He was on his knees, and a massive, grotesque demon loomed behind him, holding an enormous, jagged sword that pierced straight through his torso. The blade shimmered with hellish energy as it stuck out from the Administrator's stomach, and blood dripped from the wound, pooling at his feet.

Lina was paralyzed, her mind numb from the sheer horror of it all. She couldn't move, couldn't think. The Administrator, the unshakable leader of the Foundation, was kneeling in defeat, moments from death.

Then, out of the smoke and flames, a figure emerged, a man dressed in a perfectly tailored grey suit. His stride was calm, almost leisurely, as if the chaos around him was of no concern. He walked toward the scene with purpose, his polished shoes stepping over the wreckage and bodies with eerie grace.

When he reached the Administrator and the demon, the man in the grey suit stopped, pointing directly at the scene before them. His voice was quiet, but somehow, it cut through the din of battle with chilling clarity. "Don't let this happen," he said simply, his eyes locking with Lina's.

Before she could react, the ground beneath her feet gave way. She screamed as the earth opened up, a massive, dark pit yawning below her. She tumbled into the void, falling through endless blackness, her heart hammering in her chest. The last thing she saw was the man in the grey suit, his face a mask of cold indifference, as she plummeted into nothingness.

Lina awoke with a start, gasping for breath. Sweat poured down her face, her heart racing as she scrambled upright. Her eyes darted around the room, still caught between the remnants of the nightmare and the reality before her. She was still in the small house, lying on the same worn-out couch she had collapsed on earlier. The dusty sunlight filtered in through the broken shutters, casting long shadows across the floor.

She looked down at her watch. It read 6:00 a.m. Barely any time had passed since she'd fallen asleep, but it felt like an eternity.

A figure moved in the corner of the room. She flinched, her hand instinctively reaching for her sidearm, but then she recognized him, Cain. His eyes, as always, were calm, though there was a hint of concern in his gaze as he watched her carefully.

"You were having a nightmare," he said, his voice gentle but steady. He held out a small bottle of water, the label faded and worn from use. "Are you alright?"

Lina hesitated for a moment, her mind still processing the images from the dream. The lake of fire, the demons, the bodies of her comrades, it all felt too real. But she pushed the thoughts down, forcing herself to nod as she took the water. She uncapped it, tilting her head back as she drained the entire bottle in a few long gulps.

"I'm fine," she lied, her voice raspier than she expected. She handed the empty bottle back to Cain, avoiding his gaze.

"You don't look fine," Cain replied, his brow furrowed slightly. "That dream… it was more than just a nightmare, wasn't it?"

Lina sighed, rubbing her temples with the heels of her hands. "I don't know," she admitted. "It felt… different. It felt like something I should pay attention to. But…" She trailed off, glancing toward the window where the first hints of dawn were beginning to touch the horizon.

Cain said nothing for a moment, his expression thoughtful as he studied her. Finally, he leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms over his chest. "Dreams can be strange things. Sometimes they're warnings, sometimes they're just echoes of what's already happened. Either way, don't let it weigh on you too much. We've still got a mission to complete."

Lina nodded, though the weight of the dream still clung to her like a second skin. She stood up, stretching her stiff limbs, and glanced toward the door. "I'll be fine," she repeated, trying to convince herself as much as him. "Let's just focus on what's ahead."

Cain watched her for a moment longer before nodding in agreement. "Alright," he said simply, pushing himself away from the wall. "Just... take care of yourself out there."

Without another word, he turned and exited the room, leaving Lina alone with her thoughts once more. She looked out the window again, her mind drifting back to the image of the Administrator, impaled by that monstrous demon. His final moments. His death.

"Don't let this happen," the man in the grey suit had said.

Lina shivered.

She tried to fall back asleep, but the cold night air and the vivid memories of her nightmare kept her restless. The constant barrage of gunfire, artillery blasts, and the occasional whistling of missiles overhead made it impossible to find peace. Resigned to her insomnia, she decided to step outside. The early morning sky was still dark, and the sounds of the battlefield had an almost rhythmic pattern to them. She walked across the village square and found a military truck handing out combat rations to the troops. After grabbing a meal, Lina made her way towards the bell tower, where Foundation snipers and observers had set up positions.

The climb up the tower was steep, but when she reached the top, the view was breathtaking in a grim sort of way. She could see the entire defensive perimeter stretching out into the distance, dotted with flashes of muzzle fire and the distant glow of explosions. Lina sat down next to one of the snipers, a young man who was focused on scanning the horizon through his scope. Without a word, she tore through her meal, the bland taste of the ration not bothering her in the least. She noticed an extra cereal bar in her pack and offered it to the sniper.

"Thanks," he muttered, taking it without looking away from his rifle. They sat in silence for a few minutes, both watching the unfolding battle in the distance. 

Lina glanced down at her watch. Only 20 minutes left until the operation was set to begin. With a sigh, she made her way down the tower, navigating the winding staircase with ease. Back in the main hall of the village church, it was a flurry of activity. Soldiers from various MTF units were making final preparations, checking gear, reloading ammunition, and steeling themselves for the fight ahead. 

As Lina entered, she spotted the commander of Alpha-6. He was a tall man around his thirties, but he moved with the fluidity of someone much younger. If she remembers correctly, his name should be Tobias Vale. He tossed her an apple as she approached.

"Better eat up," he said with a slight grin. "The next few hours are going to be exhausting."

Lina caught the apple and sat down next to him. She bit into the fruit, its tartness momentarily distracting her from the knot in her stomach. For a few moments, they sat together in silence, the air filled with the murmurs of soldiers preparing for battle.

After some time, Lina turned to Tobias, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Why are you so kind to me?" she asked. "You saw me attack the Administrator with your own eyes. You were there." 

Tobias chuckled softly, as if the memory amused him more than anything. "Well," he began, leaning back against the wall, "the Administrator ordered us to forget your little… incident. So, we did. It's not like we had a choice in the matter."

Lina raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's it?"

The commander shrugged. "More or less. Resh-1, though… now they've got a different take on things. They still want to see you dead, but I wouldn't take it personally. They're loyal to a fault. Can't say I'm surprised."

Tobias paused for a moment, his gaze distant. Then, almost out of nowhere, he added, "You know, if I had my way, I'd have settled down by now. Had a family, some kids, maybe even a nice warm home to come back to after all this." He motioned to the chaos outside the church. "But duty comes first. Duty to the Foundation, to humanity. Even now, after everything, we've still got a job to do. After we got called in to help you all during those disastrous first hours, the Administrator promised us a week or two of rest once this is all over. So yeah, we're motivated. Right, team?"

His voice rose as he turned to face his squad, who responded with an enthusiastic "YEAH!" and raised their fists in unison.

The commander turned back to Lina, his face softening just a little. "Every day we're out here, our lives are on the line. But someone's gotta do the dirty work. It's just the way it is."

Lina nodded slowly, her admiration for Tobias growing with every word. For all his authority, for all his strength, there was a humanity to him, a longing for the simple things that war had stolen from him. The weight of the world rested on his shoulders, and yet, he carried it with grace.

Before she could respond, Black Eagle's voice echoed through the church over the intercom.

"To all teams, gather your squads and report in. We move out in ten minutes."

Lina stood up, her heart pounding. The time had come.

Lina and Cain were the only two representatives of Omega-7, standing shoulder to shoulder with the thaumaturgists of Alpha-6 and the ever-stoic soldiers of Resh-1. As they climbed into their assigned armored vehicles, the weight of the coming mission pressed heavily on Lina's mind. The convoy rumbled to life, the engines groaning as they began to move across the rough terrain, passing through various checkpoints along the front lines. Occasional gunfire punctuated the otherwise tense silence, and the vehicles rocked slightly as their turrets opened fire, gunning down lone demons soaring across the sky, scouting out the human defenses.

The lead vehicle eventually rolled to a stop in a small village just beyond the reach of the main battlefield. A Foundation lieutenant, the commanding officer stationed at the village, stood waiting for them. He gave Black Eagle a respectful nod before speaking.

"Commander, your escort team is ready to move. We're fully prepared to guide you through to the river crossing."

Black Eagle returned the salute, his gaze sharp and focused. "Good. We move out shortly. Keep everything tight. No unnecessary risks."

Lina glanced around, noticing the heavy presence of armor stationed nearby. Several columns of tanks lined the banks of the river, their engines rumbling quietly as they awaited orders. The tanks stood guard over a small fleet of open-topped jeeps, each one equipped with mounted machine guns and rocket launchers. The contrast between the massive hulking tanks and the nimble, exposed jeeps was stark.

The team made their way towards the rocky riverbank, the ground uneven beneath their boots. As they approached, a French officer stepped forward, his face tense. 

"Sir," he began, addressing Black Eagle but glancing at the rest of the group, "whatever you're planning, you need to be back here by 5:00 pm. The high tide's coming in, and if you're not back by then, you'll be cut off, submerged. You'll have no chance of retreat."

Black Eagle nodded, absorbing the information with a grim look. "Understood."

Lina felt the growing tension around her. The idea of getting trapped by the rising tide was another obstacle they didn't need, but there was no time for doubt. She tightened her grip on her rifle, mentally preparing herself for whatever lay ahead.

Soon, they were all in place, each squad settling into the armored vehicles. Black Eagle stood at the front of the convoy, his imposing figure casting a long shadow over the rest of the group. He raised his arm high, his voice booming through the comms with the clarity of a seasoned leader.

"For humanity!" he shouted, his voice carrying above the rumble of the engines. "Joint Task Force Crusaders, move out!"

The vehicles roared to life in unison, their heavy tires grinding against the rocky terrain. As Black Eagle pointed forward, the convoy began to move, snaking its way towards the river crossing, ready to confront the horrors that awaited on the other side.