In the skies in front of the massive phoenix, Merlin hovered, pointing his staff toward the ground. Solomon couldn't see who Merlin was directing his enraged expression at, but he knew that whoever it was, they were in deep trouble—solely judging from the motionless woman hovering next to Merlin through some unknown magic.
With efficiency, Solomon called out to Zeke and some other Manifesters in the vicinity.
"What's happening?" Solomon asked one of the Manifesters who was running from the town center. It was clear the man had been near the floating island, judging by the broken arm he was holding as he ran.
"Fuck… I don't know. I was waiting down below the island with some friends when I heard a sudden explosion from up top. Then the next second, Ron came flying directly toward the floor in front of us. Something fucking happened between them, man. And I'm not trying to die figuring it out." The man could barely make conversation, squinting his eyes and scrunching his face every few words.
Solomon didn't inquire further. "Alright, thank you, brother."
"Jessica, gather some of your fellow healers and gather outside the city. Most who escape from here will be heading that way." Solomon switched his attention to a woman with short pink hair. She had dirt all over her body but no clear injuries.
"What? Who are you to order me around like that, you damned jellyfish?" Irked by Solomon's orders, a woman named Isabela crossed her arms and looked at Solomon with an expression of disgust.
Solomon was used to this treatment; being looked down upon was always a part of his daily life. Most of the time he'd retort with a smile—his classic sarcastic expression. But now, it was clear there was a better time for that.
"Jessica, do it instead. Her honor Isabela here would prefer to save the people inside instead, thanks to her strength." Solomon looked in the opposite direction of Isabela. A woman who was short in stature looked back at Solomon the moment she was called.
Hearing his words, Isabela's face turned even more sour. In reality, she didn't want to stay inside the city. It was clear this place was bound to turn into dust as those three fought everything from Merlin to the monsters inside. Solomon knew she was scared, which was why he had tried sending her first. But now that her ego had gotten in the way, Solomon laid a trap for her: lose honor and credibility, or lose your life. In the end, it was clear what she chose.
With a concerned yet annoyed expression, Zeke tapped Solomon's elbow.
"Sol… I think you should let me handle it for now. These fucks will cause the death of everyone here with their stupid pride."
Although he was hesitant, Solomon knew Zeke was right. "Alright…"
…
As the number of their allies increased, Zeke and the others decided to form a rescue mission: gather their injured allies while informing those who could still run. Solomon and a few other frontliners, including Ryan, were sent to the town center to try and locate those deeper inside the city. Some healers followed behind, while the rest were distributed throughout the town and the outside perimeter.
Scouts were sent ahead to alert and dodge incoming dangers, while marksmen were to support the ground team from atop the buildings. With the plan set in stone, Solomon, together with Ryan, Zeke, and a few others, made their way to the town center. The fighting was still loud as debris and magic headed in their direction.
Persevering through, they finally arrived at the center. Piles and piles of corpses lay there—from the people they had just walked with from the 1st floor to people they had just met upon arrival. Regardless, they were all too used to the sight already.
BOOM! The moment they arrived, a loud explosion took out one of the houses to their left, not giving them any chance to recuperate. Alerted by the blast, they all shifted their bodies toward the black smoke.
Woosh! Woosh!
Although it was partially covered by the screams and the fighting, a sound like a giant blowing wind from his mouth started to echo from the site of the explosion. It started quietly at first, but as time passed, it became clearly audible. Everyone knew what object could produce that sound: it was a bird flapping its wings.
WOOOSH!
With one deafening sound, the smoke and debris cleared as a massive burning bird dashed straight toward Solomon and the rest. Although it was hard to dodge a bird of that size, Zeke managed to pull most of them out of the way thanks to his vines.
CAW!
"Shit! It's coming back!" Noticing the bird turning around, the group immediately scrambled up from the ground.
"What is that agility?!" one of the people shouted. Ryan was among those still down; his leg was gravely injured, and he was struggling to manifest his power. Noticing there were people who couldn't stand, Zeke again sent out his vines to pull them.
However, as the phoenix started to descend faster and faster, everyone knew it might be too late. Seeing this, Solomon stared at the marksmen, trying to signal them to attack the bird to displace it, but it seemed everyone was too distracted supporting Ron and James, who were fighting Arthur just a hundred meters away.
"Shit…"
With no other choice, Solomon called out to Zeke. "I'll distract the bird!"
"What? Are you crazy?! Flames are your greatest weak—"
Zeke couldn't even finish his sentence as the bird screeched loudly, only a few meters away from the injured people.
Reach! Solomon screamed internally. Gathering power in his legs, he aimed to rush directly at the bird. He had to time it perfectly. With less than a second left, he exerted all the built-up force in his legs, sending himself flying.
However, a second later, just as he was face-to-face with the phoenix, all the energy in his body ceased to work. He was paralyzed.
But how? What could even paralyze him when there were multiple people surveying the surroundings? It was almost impossible for an enemy to strike without someone getting alerted. Was it some unknown magic from Merlin? An assassin from their own side?
It all felt too familiar…
With the remaining strength in his body, he looked downward only to see green vines, surrounded by violet ones, constricting his leg.
"Z…eke?"
Solomon couldn't believe it. Bursting through the ground were vines he had seen multiple times already. He knew who it was the moment he saw them. It wasn't a monster or an elven manifester—it was his friend. Zeke.
Why was he trying to pull him away? Ryan and the others will die. Was it a mistake? Is he panicking?
Disappointment and annoyance filled Solomon's head. He could've saved them. Why was Zeke worrying so much about the flames? Although Solomon would regenerate at a slower pace, he would still regenerate.
But… how come he wasn't moving?
And why was Ryan flying directly behind him, as if he were being pulled by a rope?
In the rubble in front of him, a massive store sign made of polished steel pointed directly at Solomon. He could see the reflection of the sun, the corpses littered on the ground, and himself.
As he stood still, unable to move, he couldn't help but stare at something his heart couldn't understand. Despite the distractions in the reflection, despite death flying toward him with its mouth gaping open, he couldn't tear his sight away from the devilish smile plastered on the face of the man he called his friend.
So that's why he was so eager to join… he thought, as the phoenix swallowed him whole.