65. The Approaching Calamity Part 4

"Do you really need to leave, young miss? Things aren't safe outside".

The atmosphere suddenly changed to an uncomfortable one, Cleo turned to look at the one who asked her that, but everyone was trying to hide from her stares, she didn't realize how intimidating she was, and she can't even get used to it because... It's weird and new. Everyone used to confront her but those people? They were afraid of her because she was the descendant of the first dark mana master.

"I need to go" she mumbled before she turned to look around searching for anything to get her out of this weird place, "I'll find a way to visit you guys again, I just- I want to go home and rest for now"

Everyone looked at each other and sighed, "sure! We know you'll come to visit us, young miss! After all, no one has the answers you need except us~" The man in fancy clothes nudged her arm and winked. Cleo giggled and nodded her head.

"Of course. I already look forward to our next meeting, haha" she smiled and walked a few miles away from them, her body started shivering and her senses kept warning her to not turn around. She did as it told her and kept moving forward until she was out of their sight.

They all tilted their heads before their smiles turned wide and creepy, "oh our young miss~ It seems you had swallowed down the wrong pills so let us help you recover" in sync they all said, and in a terrifying tone they finished.

Cleo's body shivered and her senses started sending her alarms to move faster and plan for a plan to protect herself before they reach her.

Her steps got faster, and her breathing got heavier. Fear moved through her veins, and her body started getting colder and colder because of the sweat forming on her flinching skin. Her senses almost exploded from the approaching danger and begs to run faster without looking back.

Curiosity ate the cat, that's what everyone would say to children who want to discover something too dangerous for them. In Cleo's case, the dangerous situation she's in requires her to never look back to not get consumed by darkness, which is way worse than getting eaten by the boggy man for not sleeping early.

Her head slowly turned to look back and see why her senses are terrified like that but the moment she did so, regret ran through every fabric of her body, her breathing hitched for a moment and the only things she was able to do are running faster and gasping from shock.

The view that got her to that state was the darkness but in tens of forms, there were beasts, wild animals, and even more horrifying things that normal humans wouldn't be able to live with just from looking at them.

The darkness was moving faster and getting closer to Cleo while eating everything on its way. Everything was the same in her nightmare, with reality being the only difference between them. Cleo rushed to any close cliff planning to fly assuming the black thing behind her won't be able to follow her, but another shocking thing had to occur and get Cleo hopeless.

Once she reached a cliff, she jumped and flew using Horus's ability, when she looked back, she saw the black thing looking back and forth at the cliff below and her. In a second, the black thing formed into a huge bird and spread its wings before it screeched, "phoenix" she mumbled in terror watching the black flames growing from each feather.

She started flying higher and already set a plan to action but all she can do is pray she won't lose her life because of that.

Back on Earth, everything was getting worse and worse with each passing minute.

Nature tried to finish the new version of System 0, while Earth was busy balancing the planet and protecting it from outsiders. As for the warriors and their ancestors, they were working according to the orders received from Earth so they don't ruin the balance they were trying to maintain.

What's the cause of all this mess?

The state Cleo is in, this was the cause.

When a dark mana master's emotions get conflicted, the effects show up on the world outside so it'd be clear that someone who mustn't be mad is actually, literally, terribly mad! By the look of it, Cleo seemed to be in a very terrible state to cause this much destruction starting from heavy rains to tsunamis, and from earthquakes to purple-colored bolts of lightning cracking the ground open and releasing black fire and some weird types of mana.

Everyone was very busy dealing with the disasters going on while Cleo was trying to survive.

Her wings helped her reach high into the clouds, she tried to hide between them, but the black creature was fast to catch up with her getting her anger to reach its limit, "stop. Following. Me!!" She yelled before she blew strong wind using Nekhakha with Horus's second stage ability.

The black creature flew a few miles away, but it then came back angrier than before. She flinched before she called her black mana for help, but it didn't come out, "the hell is wrong with you?!" She yelled at the dark mana within her.

'You don't need me' it replied coldly making Cleo gasp in shock, "where the fuck did that came from?! When did I ever say I don't darn need you?!"

'Because you only remember my existence when you are in danger or in dire need to end things quickly. Do I get a thank you? No!'

"Wait, wait. You're mad because I didn't 'thank you' or 'show my appreciation' for everything you've done for me?" The dark mana remained silent and didn't utter a word. Cleo tried to think of a way to make it work with it for this time then they can talk about whatever they wanted, but the dark mana wasn't helpful at all.

'I won't help someone who doesn't appreciate my hard works' Cleo wanted to reply but a strong punch hit her right in the face dropping her from the sky. Gravity was very strong and the wind blowing was comforting in a very weird way, the coldness coming and moving through her felt too real reminding her there was something she needs to do and that dying in a place like this was a disgrace not only for her but for the first dark mana master too!

She turned to face the ground that she was still far from reaching, she sighed and closed her eyes when poisonous blades stabbed her making her bleed and cough blood.

She hissed and held in her already dying breathes, "you're really dumb-" she mumbled making the dark mana flinch and turn to look at her, "- I never expected something like you would behave like a child"

'What do y-'

"If you fucking- Want something!" When she turned to face the black creature, her eyes were already black with thin lines of bright white, Cleo gritted her teeth and gulped before she bit her tongue, "just goddamn say it!!" She yelled before dark mana came out of her mouth taking the form of an enormous serpent.

Her body turned black and everything around the black creature was horrifyingly dark, no glimpse of light was seen getting the creature to tremble in horror, it looked around but found no way out. Cleo saved time and energy to search for her and showed up in front of it with her wide and scary stitched smile.