Journey to Become the Zenith

The Silence Before Death

While Shawn was thinking of what to do with Victor, the nobles who wanted to get Amura were now heading back to the inns that they had rented. They figured that they would be staying here for quite some time, so most of them booked a whole inn to stay at, while others had villas placed in this town.

Out there, the roads of Fantom City ran straight and still, almost holding their breath. Silence clung too tight.

At first, none of them noticed.

Elsewhere lived their thoughts.

Frustration.

Humiliation.

Greed.

"How dare that girl speak to us like that..."

"We should have acted sooner..."

"That sword... that power..."

Whispers slipped from one to another while stepping forward, draped in soft cloth, watched over by warriors wearing steel and spellwork. Footsteps tapped quiet on rock trails, yet somehow those taps vanished into a silence too deep to be real. Stillness held everything tight.

No merchants.

No townsfolk.

No wandering guards.

Just empty streets.

A noble eased his pace a touch, forehead creasing with thought.

"...Is it just me, or is it too quiet?"

Another scoffed lightly. "You’re overthinking. People probably don’t want to get involved after what happened at the academy."

"...Maybe."

But even then -

It felt off. A quiet wrongness lingered, uninvited.

A breeze passed.

Soft.

Cold.

Nothing clung to it, not even a hint of smell.

No life.

And then -

It began.

A faint whistle.

Barely audible.

Then -

Thud.

A mage dropped.

No warning.

No chant.

No spell.

Just -

Gone.

A thud marked the fall, his gaze frozen skyward. Through bone it pierced - one straight shot. Stillness followed.

"...What - ?"

Another whistle.

Another thud.

A figure cloaked in robes crumpled to the ground. Another one down.

Then a third.

Panic erupted instantly.

"AMBUSH!"

"Protect the nobles!"

"Shields - !"

By then, nothing could change what had begun.

Flying darts appeared out of empty air.

Silent.

Precise.

Merciless.

Mid-spell, the mages fell. Anyone attempting magic was struck before power built, words dying in their throat.

"Where are they?!"

"I can’t see - !"

They couldn’t.

Nothing appeared, so sight failed. Stillness held every view.

Hidden, the attackers waited. They stayed out of sight. Quietly they remained, unseen by others.

Perfectly.

And then -

The air changed.

Mana surged.

Not wild.

Not chaotic.

Controlled.

Bolts from afar fell heavy across the land.

Out of nowhere, gusts cut like knives, tearing metal as though it was paper. Heat gathered itself into sharp explosions, landing without error. Beneath their feet, the earth split open - not slowly - jolting both combatants sideways.

The swordsmen tried to respond.

High up they stood in status.

Experienced.

Trained.

Still, none of that made a difference.

Out of reach, the enemy stayed beyond their grasp.

Every step forward -

Met by death.

One by one -

They fell.

Clean.

Efficient.

Hopeless.

This wasn’t combat... it felt more like standing before a storm. A hush fell over the man holding his sword up, fingers shaking. His words slipped out low, unsteady, caught between breaths.

Nothing survived. That moment simply erased everything.

Blood pooled beneath the fallen men while noble eyes widened. Silence cracked when another sword bit flesh - no honor left in the killing. A lord turned away first, boots stuck to the mud floor.

Their protection -

Their pride -

Their strength -

Crushed.

A cry rang out - "Fight back!" - when one man snatched up a tool, hands shaking, voice cracking under the weight.

He charged forward.

Desperate.

Blind.

A sudden magic hit just as he moved forward.

Just silence fell. Not a sound came out.

Some made attempts to keep pace.

Some raised swords.

Few gave spellcasting a try.

One after another, they flickered out fast. Each held on just long enough to be noticed - then gone.

Crimson streaks soaked into the pavement.

Bodies collapsed.

The silence returned -

Just today it felt more weighty.

Thicker.

Fleeing began among the last of the nobles.

"Run!"

"Run!"

They fled.

No formation.

No dignity.

No pride.

Just fear.

But the streets -

Stopped their getaway cold.

From hidden spots, arrows flew - each hitting its mark too perfectly. When people darted into narrow lanes, magic sealed the way ahead. Running forward meant falling behind, one after another. A hail of shafts always found them.

"HELP!"

"GUARDS - !"

"ANYONE - !"

Fear poured out in shrieks across the vacant streets.

Yet nobody showed up.

No guards.

No knights.

No civilians.

Nothing.

Just like the streets forgot their names. The buildings looked away slow. Silence grew where voices used to walk. Shadows stretched longer than before. Even the air felt colder between blocks.

Why...?

Breath shaking, a noble lurched ahead, eyes clouding under rising fear.

What is happening...?

Who... is doing this...?

Could it be the others of noble birth...?

He couldn’t think.

Couldn’t understand.

What counted stood alone.

Run.

Burning legs wouldn’t stop him - each breath sharper, each footfall slower, yet he moved. The weight in his muscles grew, air thinning, but motion stayed. Tightness filled his ribs, steps dragged more now, still onward. He carried on, even when breathing hurt most.

Then -

He saw it.

The north gate.

Open.

Freedom.

Hope.

His eyes widened.

"...I made it..."

Relief flooded him.

Too early.

A sharp sound split the silence.

Sharp.

Final.

A sudden strike sent a shaft deep pain into his skull.

Down fell his body without delay.

Darkness swallowed everything before his body reached the earth.

His last idea lingered just beyond words.

Strange how this place feels different now.

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Authors Notes: Dear Readers, Thanks so much for joining me on this adventure! Your enthusiasm, feedback, and encouragement really keep me motivated to keep bringing *Journey to Become the Zenith* into existence. If you’re loving the Chapters, I’d love it if you supported my book with a Powerstone, review, or even a Golden Ticket—it helps me develop as a writer and lets more readers enjoy the story. I look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts, so please don’t hesitate to share!

With love,

Scorpio_saturn777

Creator of Journey to Become the Zenith

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