Cross and Conflicts

CHAPTER XXIV: Danger

Bloog! Bloog!

Lighting flashed followed by thunder that erupted overhead, and it started to drizzle. Droplets in feeble succession crashed on his windshield. The sky had long gone dark, and Aeon needed to get home not later than what he bargained for lest he wanted his parents to be angry at him for not celebrating their wedding anniversary. He promised to be there before 5 but it was already past nine, and this made him somehow edgy. No, he isn't necessarily afraid of his parents; it's more like he doesn't want them to get more disappointed than they currently are. They had already lost their daughter years ago, and in their reason to spend time with now their only child during the twilight years of their lives, Aeon has to be there to celebrate with them their important moments. With the nature of his work, they didn't want him to be involved anymore with anything that would further compromise his life, yet as a man in uniform who swore under oath to serve and protect, he couldn't obey the will of his parents.

It had already been over a week since the baffling death of Zard, the reptilian he fought, and the disappearance of Noumenon. In both of these cases, there isn't a single lead.

While Lieutenant Aeon Ginto drove to his parents' house for dinner, the unease in his mind was abruptly overshadowed by a sudden and horrifying event. Out of nowhere, sharp raptorial forelegs pierced through the roof of his car, making a jarring sound that echoed through the confined space.

Craaaaack!

Disoriented, he struggled to comprehend what was happening. His immediate thought was that debris from the storm had struck his vehicle. However, the metallic tearing continued, and the roof above him began to buckle. Aeon craned his neck to look upward and to his shock, saw what appeared to be enormous, serrated limbs hacking through the metal. The creature responsible resembled a gigantic mantis, its dark form outlined against the flashes of lightning.

"Gah!" he exclaimed, adrenaline flooding his system. He reached for his service weapon, his fingers fumbling as he hastily drew it from his holster. With a sharp intake of breath, he aimed upwards and fired.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The bullets punctured the roof, and for a moment, the creature hesitated, but it wasn't enough to deter it. The car swerved violently as Aeon lost control of the steering wheel. The tires screeched against the wet road, and in a heart-stopping instant, the vehicle broke through the road fence.

"Grrhh!" he shouted as the car plummeted over the cliffside. The sensation of freefall gripped him with terror. The headlights illuminated the rocky descent for a brief moment before the car nosedived into the river below with a thunderous splash.

Water surged through the shattered windows, filling the cabin with icy coldness. Aeon gasped for breath, but his lungs were quickly assaulted by the frigid water. He unbuckled his seatbelt, fighting against the current that threatened to pin him down. Panic threatened to overtake him, but he forced himself to stay calm.

Kicking against the dashboard, he pushed himself towards the shattered window. The broken glass snagged on his clothes and skin, but he managed to wriggle free, his movements desperate and frantic. The weight of his uniform and the freezing water slowed him, but he didn't allow himself to stop. With every ounce of strength he could muster, he swam upwards towards the faint glimmer of moonlight on the water's surface.

His lungs burned, and his vision began to blur, but finally, he broke through the surface, gasping for air. The rain battered down on him, and the river's current pulled at his body, but he fought to keep his head above water. He spotted a large rock protruding from the water near the riverbank and swam towards it with the last of his strength.

Clinging to the rock, he pulled himself onto the riverbank, collapsing onto the muddy ground. He lay there, shivering and exhausted, staring up at the dark, stormy sky. His mind raced, trying to process the night's events and the monstrous creature that had attacked him.

In the back of his mind, a troubling realization took root: there was something far more sinister at play than he had ever imagined. The deaths of Zard and the disappearance of Noumenon were just the beginning.