While Izo is looking for Jin, Aiken and the other vampires head toward the fae gate where their Vampire King is. All the creatures are coming out of their hiding places. The four gates are opened. The crisis has been resolved. What is the condition of the world now?
The eyes in the crowd are fixed on the woman standing in the middle. There"s barely any place to stand. But the s.p.a.ce around the woman is empty as if she has a barrier around her that keeps anyone from going closer to her. n.o.body dares to step closer to the woman. She appears to be in her early twenties, dressed in faded green pants and a black tank top. She"s tall and lean with sunburned skin and flamboyant red braid that reaches her waistline. Her eyes are deep sapphire blue, sharp, and fiery.
It"s been weeks since the world fell into chaos.
Humans have been fighting with everything they have. Nothing would kill those pesky vampire-zombies whether it was a nuclear missile, hydrogen bombs, or biochemical weapons. Those things just wouldn"t die.
That"s when they found out about the world. There are not only vampires but other creatures that should only exist as fantasy creatures.
The otherworldly creatures, who have been hiding among humans, couldn"t hide anymore. Some neighbours turned out to be goblins. Some politicians were demons, quite literally. In one day, everything was changed.
When they were getting attacked, some creatures helped them. But there were also those who tried to take advantage of their situations. Sides were chosen. Family members were abandoned. As a result, humans lost their own technologies and powers to the otherworldly creatures. They had to hide and wait for this calamity to be over. Humans, who were the majority on this planet once, are only a minority now. Most of the humans were turned into those creatures on the very first day of the apocalypse.
Her name is Shannon Henderson. She can"t forget that night.
On the night of the apocalypse, her family gathered for a dinner to celebrate the news of her elder sister"s pregnancy. Her mother was sitting beside her elder sister, advising her what and what not to do during pregnancy. Her father was grumbling about the father of the baby. They were happy, but the father of the baby wasn"t here yet.
Her sister was married, but things were not good between her sister and her brother-in-law. n.o.body said it. Everyone felt that it would have been better if the father was here.
When the bell rang, it was her father who went to the door.
And h.e.l.l went loose.
"I saw wingmen outside." Brandon, the second in command, steps forward. He"s an ex-military man in his late twenties, dark-haired and ruddy skin. His facial features are sharp -- dark penetrating eyes, thin lips, angular jaw, and a high nose. On his right cheek, the scar starts from the corner of her lips and ends on his ear. His left earlobe is gone, leaving only half of the ear. His expression is calm and alert, matching the woman. But his voice holds a tint of respect. Shannon Henderson has proved her worth, despite being from an ordinary family.
Her facial expression doesn"t change. "What do they want?"
"They told me that the situation has been resolved," Brandon tells her solemnly. "The monsters are gone. We can come out of this place."
"Can we trust them?" Someone from the crowd shouts. "It could be a ploy to get us out of here and --"
Shannon raises her hand. The man from the crowd closes his mouth. Throughout the apocalypse, this woman has protected them. However, she"s not a kind woman. Whether it was a child or an adult, she didn"t have a second thought about killing that person after he or she was infected. If someone objects her decision, she would also kill the protester along with the infected ones.
The humans in the bunker respect her, but there"s also fear hidden in that respect.
"They call themselves "Angels"." Brandon adds, "They say that they are on humans" side. They will explain everything that has happened in this world. They guarantee our safety."
Guarantee? Shannon smiles. She doesn"t trust anyone. The apocalypse might be over. But the world would never be the same. They have lost people. Their loved ones are forever gone. She has seen and done things that have changed her, and she"s not the only one. All of them in this military bunker have lost someone.
The new world… humans have to survive among these creatures. They must take back their planets from the creatures who shouldn"t be real. "I will hear them then."
Brandon gives her a nod. "They are waiting for you outside."
Shannon walks toward the exit, ignoring the whispers among the crowd. Some are afraid for sure. There are those who are excited. Angels are real. Those with faiths sit down and sob. Hope has arrived.
There"s no hope. It"s all a game. She pulls the metallic door and walks out of the bunker. After pa.s.sing through the tunnel, she arrives at the entrance. She squeezes her eyes shut as the bright rays of sunlight hit her eyes. Annoying!
When she reopens her eyes, there are two angels in her sight. Wingmen. That word is more appropriate. The angels are different than she expected them to be. Both of them are around eight feet tall. The angel with long pale hair is wearing a white robe. His skin is nearly white, glowing under the sunlight. His lips are red as blood, thin and wide. There"s a vermillion mark between his pale brows.
The second angel is light blue-haired with pink lips and a long face. His hair is short. There"s a warm and approachable aura around him. Like the first angel, he"s also wearing a simple blue robe. There"s some colour on his skin -- a certain rosiness. She wonders if he"s blus.h.i.+ng or it"s the effect of standing under the sun for long.
Shannon is tall, but these angels are making her feel like she"s a mouse in front of them.
"Explain." Shannon"s voice is commanding. These androgynous wingmen"s beauty doesn"t have any effect on her. "What happened to our world?"