Chaos.
That was the word that could accurately describe all that was currently unfolding.
One second, the humans were pleading for their Apex not to abandon them and fight.
The paragons of humanity, Evolari, and Nullite had all felt a wave of dread slam into them and were steeling themselves for the end when they saw the overwhelming force that was the Gardener.
The tension had spiked.
But just as it reached its peak, Whisker suddenly appeared.
First, many were shocked to discover that the Gardener was Whisker's brother. Atticus hadn't deemed that piece of news necessary, so he hadn't explained. In fact, he hadn't even told them that he got all the information from Whisker.
Many immediately became confused. If Whisker was the Gardener's brother, then shouldn't he be on the other side, standing against them?
Regardless, none of them were given a chance to comprehend the revelation before both brothers uttered one word.
"Manifest."
For a very brief second, all they felt was their will melting. It was as though their souls were shrinking, afraid to even raise their heads in the presence of the brothers' overwhelming wills.
Their bodies no longer felt like their own. Their thoughts dimmed. They felt the urge to submit…
But that feeling disappeared in a jolt, just as Atticus's crimson will enveloped them.
Their wills returned. Their bodies reawakened. The earlier dominance vanished.
'W-What was that…?'
Avalon thought with growing dread as he steadied himself mid-air.
That brief moment when Whisker and the Gardener's wills washed over them had made him feel as though life wasn't worth living. As though the only way out was death. To submit.
'Then how did it stop…?'
The pressure had almost crushed them before it suddenly faded.
As Avalon's eyes darted around, he saw Magnus and the other paragons still reeling from the earlier flood of dominance. Then his gaze landed on the scarlet light surrounding them, and his eyes widened.
His head snapped upward.
Atticus was there, hovering above them, his body wrapped in a blazing scarlet light.
He had protected them.
"Atticus!"
Avalon called out before he knew it.
Just as Atticus sent a glance back toward him, the Gardener's voice thundered across the skies.
"KILL THEM ALL!"
An overwhelming aura erupted from the distance, slamming down like a falling mountain.
The paragons turned.
Their eyes narrowed, locking onto Elderish as he rose to his feet, his figure radiating nothing but killing intent. A violent, focused intent aimed directly at them.
In the next second, he vanished.
The paragons' wide eyes shot up.
Atticus had vanished as well. Then…
BOOM!
The explosive clash of their collision echoed across the sky, rattling bones and eardrums alike.
And then came the wave.
A surge so intense, so devastating, it rendered them completely helpless. The force slammed into them, flinging them like leaves in a storm.
They were sent flying, along with the thousands of massive domes holding the humans.
Two collisions.
Two cataclysmic forces unleashed.
Each one powerful enough to nearly destroy every other person present.
It felt like a black vortex had formed at the point of impact. The air around them trembled violently, everything getting sucked in at a terrifying pace. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
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