The desolation on earth was one of the saddest sights to behold. Some regions were directly beneath gigantic cracks of space that spanned for tens of miles.
But humans were a peculiar race that even when growth was stolen from them, they still progressed, they still had great minds that were left behind, ambitious minds that even in a world without order, they sought for the optimal ways to make order present .
They brought forth many circumstances that granted the last dregs of humanity a thread of hope.
"...So what if we can't ascend, they told us myths and expected us to base our lives on it, on a promise, a fantasy. We are condemned doesn't mean we will condemn ourselves. We are humans, and we will always grow, we will evolve and overcome. We will and must always thrive, if Earth can't accommodate us, we will make it accommodate us!!"
His speech could be said to be both heartwarming and blood boiling.
The crowd cheered and sang chants to his name as he stood on the platform with a bright smile on his face.
The surroundings could be described as a stark opposite to the world around them.
There was no gloominess, no eerie sight of devastation and desolation.
All this was achieved by one man and his cohorts.
Albert Steins, he was a man of great ambition, a man of vision. Before the end of the world, he was just one among many scientists that worked under the corporations of one of the richest men the planet could ever house.
Albert was too ordinary and too occupied to face his ambitions in his previous life, he was so occupied with his work that he failed in making a family, he was a lonely man.
On rare days when he was free he would go to a club to release his lust on dainty young girls that were seemingly too young to even be in such a place . But it wasn't surprising, Earth was rotten.
He would gamble and relax his mind, then he would return to work the next day with renewed vigour. Although he wasn't a bottom worker of the corporate, he was not at the top either, his innovative mind wasn't rare among his peers and colleagues so he wasn't really special but that was of the world before.
Right now, right here, in this region of the continent, he stood alone at the top of the pyramid of politics or what could be seen as politics in this world and he used his innovative and creative mind to bring a city to life in the midst of all the desolation.
A figure wobbled along the marble streets of the settlement. He was terribly dizzy, his thoughts a mess.
"Hey! Hey! Are you okay?"
A concerned voice sounded beside him, along the streets many eyes were on him and that made him more disoriented.
'uhh, so many people.....where is this place?...what's going on?'
He had never been in such an environment since forever, he couldn't even remember how he ended here.
"Hmm, I'm fine, thank you" he took the hand of the concerned lady off his shoulder while offering the best smile he could make in this situation before turning to go on his way.
The street was now crowded and everyone was staring at him for reasons he wasn't still aware of, it took some moments before he realised the issue.
His attire, it was what a beggar from this city wouldn't even put on. He looked like he just escaped a tribulation. Indeed the reason the lady was concerned was just because he reminded everyone of what they looked like after the tribulations.
"OUT OF THE WAY!!!" A voice sounded, followed by ordered steps of what seemed to be law enforcers.
Ten able bodied men marched towards Ragnar and he was surrounded in a blink of an eye, he was still not sure of what to make of the situation.
"Sir, you'll have to come with us." A scarred face man spoke, he was tall like the other men but he had a more ferocious aura around him. His gaze on Ragnar could only be described as heavy.
Ragnar stared around him for a moment and nodded calmly. Although he was still disoriented with the sight of tall buildings and a large number of people. He tried to remain calm and took a step forward to cooperate.
The law enforcers saw that and two men immediately moved to hold him from both sides making him freeze for a moment.
He didn't know why but he instinctively repulsed the thought of being bound, he frowned slightly and said. "I'll follow you so no bounds please". He tried to be polite but the subtle coldness laced in his tone betrayed his intention.
The men grew wary and decided to ignore his words . The scarred face man looked at his men and nodded, they moved in unison and tried to take his arm but in a split second blood shot in all directions and a dreadful scream tore through the air.
"Aarrghh!!!!"
Everyone who was watching was petrified of the scene before the them.
A screaming head was flying through the air along with an arm, blood spurting out from neck and shoulder socket. The fellow who was responsible for this was standing frozen in the distance about ten metres away from the crowd.
He was confused, he remembered clearly what had just happened.
At the moment when the men where about to touch him, he swung his hand , with the side of his palm, a chill gathered and tore through the neck of the first man and he returned the hand with a swift move he had severed the arm of the other man and did a somersault to land in his current position.
"This....how is this possible? How?..." He kept muttering .
His head a jumbled mess.
He didn't know what was wrong with him, his senses had felt heightened, way too heightened when he first arrived at the city. But he just brushed it off as him not being in crowded places for a long time.
But now, what he did was outside the concept of human capabilities.
Too absurd .
He slowly turned towards the crowd who were now a mess. The law enforcers seemed to have woken up from their shock and immediately flew into a frenzy.
"CODE RED! CODE RED! A MONSTER HAS INVADED THE CAMP! OVER!"
Their city was always peaceful, there were thugs here and but this could be said to be the first time something like this had happened and openly. The action tug at their trauma induced minds and chaos followed.
Sirens immediately blew across the whole city, everyone in sight could be seen running into their houses while hastily shutting the doors and blinds behind them.
Men armed with what seemed to be assault rifles, batons, and taser guns could be seen running towards one figure who stood with dishevelled hair and tattered clothes.
He indeed looked like a monster from a distance .
"I need to run, I need to...." His eyes darted left and right in it's sockets.
"but what is this?, aren't they too slow? " His panicking mind fell into confusion. Then cold indifference.
"Why should I even run from this weaklings? What? Why di...."
His thoughts kept changing,he switched from a thought that every normal human in this situation would think to the worst kind then came confusion.
Ragnar's head was a mess.
He suddenly closed his eyes and exhaled sharply before opening again. His once deep blue eyes was now a dull grey.
He tilted his head to look at the people coming behind him.
He stretched his hand forward with a calm face, a dark bloodied light started gathering in his palm that faced down, it accumulated for some minutes before he opened his mouth and spoke.
"It'll be a simple task for me to strip you weaklings of your will, but I will still give you all a grace to reconsider your next course of action."
His voice made the men pause in their steps, what they were seeing was something they only saw or read in stories before the fall, and during the tribulations, some of them had caught sight of the battle between the hidden families and the beasts so they knew it was a foolish move to continue their assault.
"You can all return to your businesses and I'll be on my wa...."
"SHUT UP AND PUT YOUR HANDS ON YOUR HEAD!!!!". The men turned towards the direction of the voice with wide eyes only to find a streak of blackish red icicle pierce the man between his brows , his eyes greyed over and he fell never to move again.