Afirlin

Lukas

This is a prologue of sorts, it does have significance to the later parts of the story. Also, this happens the day the aliens take over planet Veliv. Thank you!

-LisAsh

Lukas was late. He didn't like being late. It was an inexcusable and terrible thing to be late for Ms. Harthern's class. He'd get detention for sure. As he raced down the street towards the school, he couldn't help but notice the people on the street. They were whispering in huddles. He paused, noticing the small, kind woman from down the street at 117, Alca Fitz. She normally had a smile on and was always cheerful, but now she looked downright sinister. It was nerve-wracking and unsettling, but he had to get to class. He'd figure out what was happening later. Shaking a bit of his sandy hair out of his face, he continued on his way.

As he raced down the sidewalk, the central area of the city came into view. Lukas stopped, breathless at the sight. Even though he'd lived here his entire life, he still found that Astrille, a city of harsh edges and looming towers, was breathtakingly beautiful. Dirty metal met jagged sides, sheer walls were cleverly disguised one-way windows. Yes, this was his city. And he would stay here until he died. Shaking himself out of the trance Astrille had put him in, he ran to the box-like steel structure that was Astrille Prep, a private school for the children of the elite. Now, Lukas wasn't the son of anyone important, but he was incredibly smart, some of the adults thought he could be in the Unity Party someday. To be honest, he doubted that, but a boy could dream.

Lukas braced himself for punishment as he slowly entered the classroom, but none came. No-one had noticed him come in. They were all fixated on the wall. The screen that was normally reserved for teaching was playing the news. Focusing on the screen, he went to his seat. He slowly lowered himself down into his seat, keeping his eyes on the screen. He couldn't believe his eyes. What...what were those things? The things swooped in from the sky, bringing terror like the angels of death from the Xens legends. Fires blazed upon the city below, a city he recognized as the capital city of Nira, Oa'an City. That was across the world, thousands of miles away. Lukas felt himself relax, just a bit. Focusing back on the screen, Lukas watched in terrified fascination as wave after wave of the creatures fell from the sky. How...how were they doing that? Why were they doing this? Oa'an was the second most populated city in the world, he hated to think about it, but the casualties would be astronomic.

Taking a shaky breath in, he looked around the classroom. The children of the smartest and strongest in the world were white with fear and shaking in their seats. He noticed to twins of Olma Santinaz clutching each other as the younger of the two sobbed in the elder's shoulder. Lukas remembered that their mother was supposed to be in Oa'an for a conference. Pity surged forth, but he quickly shoved it down. These were elite children, they hated pity. Even more so than Lukas himself, and that was saying something.

A  boom sounded from outside somewhere. Turning to the window, he gasped in surprise as Unity Tower collapsed. Wails of despair erupted all over the classroom, the parents of many of the children had been in there. They were most likely all dead, though he wouldn't say that out loud. He noticed dark shapes in the clouds. What? His eyes widened in realization. Those were...the things. The things that had been attacking Oa'an. But...how? Turning back towards the screen, he blanched. Oa'an was in ruins. There were no more creatures coming from the sky, but there were some on the ground. How...he gulped. If those things were here in Astrille, it would end up just like Oa'an, gone, destroyed. Fear crept up his spine, paralyzing him as he watched these creatures bring forth destruction so easily. He had to get out of here.

Mustering up all of his strength and courage, he bolted out of the classroom, out of the school and onto the street. Lukas wasn't going to lie and say he wasn't terrified, because he was terrified. So terrified he could hardly move, hardly breathe, hardly think. Where would he be safe? Just like that, the awful truth hit him. He wouldn't be safe anywhere. These... these monsters could find you wherever you went. You would only survive if they wanted you to survive, and Lukas wasn't sure that they wanted anyone to survive.

He looked back at the city, his city. His eyes widened as his eyes took in the violence in the center of Astrille. Screams erupted from wherever the creatures went and the air practically boiled people alive. He was just about to turn and try his best to get out of the city when his eyes caught on something. Was that...no, it couldn't be. However, it was. From a distance Lukas could see, the sides of the steel buildings were melting. That should be next to impossible! But somehow, these creatures had done it. He felt sick to his stomach as he looked on to the mass murder that these things were committing. Those people...they would be burning alive. Their flesh would be boiling on their skeletons and their blood would be like lava. He wondered what it looked like. In a bout of morbid curiosity, he took a step towards the center. Another step. Another. It was another couple of steps before he could snap out of it. What in the name of Vua was he doing? He had to get out of the chaos and bloodshed, not go towards it! To go to the center was to have a death wish. Whirling around, he sprinted towards the exit of the city. He wouldn't stop for anyone. At this moment in time, it was strong against the weak, and Lukas would be strong.

Something flew over him and landed a few yards away. A giant figure approached him. Lukas scrambled away from the figure, but it was no use. Fear gripped him as he began to make out the figure's features. Tall, thin, eerily silent in its steps. Not a sound came from it. In fact, as the thing came closer, the sounds of chaos seemed to fade away. The world was silent except for his harsh breathing and the constant thudding of his heart. The figure came to a stop, just a mere two feet away, Lukas could see its eyes. Completely black. Soulless and dead, but so very alive. Bursting with intelligence, and fury, a fury so deep and painful, that even Lukas felt it. The only word to describe the thing came to mind.  He said it so softly, barely a murmur, but the thing heard. It offered a... Smile? That's what it looked like at least. A smile with sharp teeth. It reached out its hand. Darkness washed over him, his last words echoing in his head. 

              "Alien...you're-"

Thanks for reading the first part of Afirlin! I hope you enjoyed! The next part should come out soon.

              -LisAsh