Hollonent: The Gathering

Chapter 7

Frigid air crashes against my face, making my eyes tear. With a rising heart rate, I pursue after Chloe. Parisians around me hightail it out of there with eyes full of fear. This is probably reminiscent of a terrorist attack. The extremely loud bang created from my sudden strike must have alarmed the entirety of Paris. A strike I'll never be able to take back. A life that I can't give back. My hands are now forever soaked in the blood of that man. I know, I just know that he won't be the last one.

I follow Chloe, leading the way back to her home. Street after street, of which I recognize none. All I can do is blindly follow with a tormented mind, full of lurid thoughts and regret.

We reach lesser populated parts of Paris, which I recognize finally. We're close to Chloe's house. I desire to crash down and give up. To be a weak heap and let my heart be succumbed by the horror that I created. Ironically, my past self at times wished for this. Well, not this exactly. If I could go back in time, I would smack the younger me in the face.

We manage to reach the house. Chloe takes out her key and unlocks the door. We barge in and the door crashes against the wall, echoing a loud bang through the house. My dry throat and lungs fill with air, almost making me choke. The echoing ruckus alarms our parents and they burst in the hallway with mouths hanging slightly open and widened eyes.

"W-We need to go," Chloe says, between her breaths.

"Why?" dad asks.

"There were people. P-people who knew us. About Firox and all and..." Chloe says, her face slowly facing me. I can only meet her eyes with guilt. She's unsure what to say.

"I killed one of them," I say, wanting to disbelief myself.

My dad's eyes fall wide open. "You did what?"

"By accident," I add, but it doesn't matter anymore.

"We need to leave," Dad adds, repeating Chloe. He rushes back in the living room with Chloe's parents following, as do we.

"Where's Gina?" Chloe asks. Gina and her parents are nowhere to be seen.

"She's here. Maybe upstairs." Leila responds, watching my dad gather his stuff restlessly. Chloe groans annoyingly and screeches Gina downstairs like a child that is in trouble. Gina enters the living room, curious to all the ruckus and Chloe's yelling.

"What's going on?" Gina groans, while her head hangs sideways.

"Uduxis found us!" Dad yells, closing his laptop and sticking it forcefully in his bag. Gina shows little emotion to the news. She groans while shaking her head to her side.

"What's wrong with you?" Chloe asks, her voice filled with some edge.

"Took a shower and got water in my ear," Gina says annoyed like it's the worst thing in the world. Despite what just happened, I manage a chuckle for her sense of futility. I envy her at this moment. How can someone stay this cool and calm?

Things go fast if one is motivated. Packed up and ready to go in just an hour. Tickets have been booked as well. The living room is filled with backpacks and the essentials for the trip. According to Chloe's parents, our next member is located in Moscow. Chloe's parents stay in Paris though. They decided that it would be best if we have a safe place for when we gathered everyone. Honestly, looking back to everything that has happened, the organization and all. It's been a dumpster fire. Not only our travel but this entire Geno-arm program. We, the children, were given no instructions about our powers. We're expected to just figure it out and solve a war. Our parents were given no help or details on when and how they should return. To top it off, now Uduxis has found their way to the surface. It's incredibly ridiculous how Firox could think that five children with some superpowers could defeat their enemy. Chloe, the nationalistic warrior. Gina, the survivor who does anything to protect herself. And me, who doesn't even know why he's fighting. Two other people will soon join our forces. Who knows how they will be and what their motivation is. If there is any motivation. For all we know, they are not willing to join and fight.