The Reaping

Chapter 7: Lightning Strikes

Time seemed to slow down as the spear hurtled towards Mikey. I was frozen in horror, unable to move or look away.

But just as the spear was about to strike, a bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, striking Mikey with incredible force. My hair stood on end as the air was charged with electricity.

The sound of the lightning strike was deafening, and the force of it sent me stumbling backward. When I regained my balance, I saw that a cloud of smoke had enveloped Mikey.

My heart was racing as I waited for the smoke to clear. What would I see? Was Mikey...?

As the smoke slowly dissipated, I gasped in shock. Mikey was floating in mid-air, his body surrounded by a faint, shimmering aura.

But that wasn't the only shocking thing. Mikey was no longer wearing his modern clothes. Instead, he was dressed in a traditional Greek tunic, complete with intricate embroidery and a golden belt.

Mikey's eyes flickered open, and he looked around, confused. But as his gaze met mine, his expression changed. His eyes, now a brilliant blue, narrowed into slits, and his face twisted into a scowl.

For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of recognition in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a cold, hard hostility. It was like looking into the eyes of a stranger.

Mikey raised his hand, his palm facing me, and I felt a jolt of fear. But then, he turned his hand slightly, pointing it in the direction of the goblin.

A bolt of lightning shot down from the sky, striking the goblin. The goblin's body retained its rigid figure for just a second before it turned into ash, crumbling to the ground.

I stared at Mikey in shock, my mind reeling with the implications of what I had just seen.

Mikey floated towards me, his eyes fixed on mine with an unnerving intensity. As he moved, his voice spoke out, but it was unlike anything I had ever heard before. It was as if two people were speaking at the same time, their voices intertwined in a strange, discordant harmony.

One of the voices was unmistakably Mikey's, but the other...I had no idea who or what the other voice belonged to. It was deeper, more resonant, and it seemed to carry a weight of authority that made my skin crawl.

"Mere mortal," the dual voices spoke, "how dare you appear before my presence?"

I felt a shiver run down my spine as Mikey's eyes seemed to bore into my very soul. I tried to speak, but my voice caught in my throat. Who was this person, and what had happened to my friend?

Mikey's gaze seemed to hold me in place, and I couldn't look away, even as my mind screamed at me to run. I was frozen in terror, unsure of what would happen next.

Mikey slowly descended to the ground, his feet touching down softly on the earth. As he did, his Greek tunic began to dissolve into a cloud of white smoke. The smoke swirled around him, hiding his body from view.

But then, the smoke began to take shape, morphing into the familiar contours of Mikey's modern clothes. His jeans, t-shirt, and sneakers materialized out of the smoke, fitting themselves perfectly to his body.

Mikey was panting heavily, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to catch his breath.

As he opened his eyes, I saw that they had returned to normal. The brilliant blue was gone, replaced by Mikey's familiar brown eyes. He looked at me with a mixture of fear and desperation.

Mikey reached out and grasped my arm, pulling me out of the frozen earth. I stumbled, my legs numb and unresponsive, but Mikey held me steady.

"Easy, Luke," he said, his voice low and reassuring. "I've got you."

I nodded, still trying to clear my head. Mikey helped me to my feet, and I stood there, swaying slightly as I tried to regain my balance.

Mikey's eyes scanned whatever was in front of him, his brow furrowed in concentration. After a moment, he looked up at me.

"I gained a Class skill," he said, his voice firm.

I raised an eyebrow, curious. "What is it?"

Mikey's expression was serious. "It's called Possession."