Chapter 5

Chapter Five

A my hadn't realized she'd been the one to scream as Dante disappeared before her eyes.

This had to be a trick. Right?

Her friends and brother were somehow playing a huge joke on them. Dante must be in on it. That's it. That makes sense.

But then she replayed what she'd just witnessed.

Dante's entire body had… shimmered and vanished when Brea had touched his shoulder.

Now, Brea was moving towards her.

"No!" She held up her hands. "I…" She looked towards her brother. Joe was nodding at her and had a strange smile on his lips. Then he mouthed, "Trust us."

She shook her head. "This isn't right."

Before Brea could touch her, Mia stepped forward.

"Remember who you are," she said. "It's time to wake up, Pandora." She lightly touched her fingertips to Amy's temples. Her entire world spun quickly and an odd warmth spread through her.

Memories flashed before her eyes, too quickly for any of the scenes to make sense.

Mia stood in a great hall under a dark sky filled with three moons. There were huge, intricate glass chandeliers hanging from large beams that crossed high overhead.

Before her was a single large golden chair on a pedestal. Two suns were setting directly behind the throne.

Amy was slightly shocked to see herself and Hope, Dante's sister, standing at the head of the room.

Hope was dressed in a long flowing silver and lavender gown and her dark skin practically glowed, as if it had been sprayed with tiny golden sparkles. A large sleek silver crown sat on top of her jet-black hair.

Amy was dressed in a flowing golden gown. Her paler skin appeared as if it were made of stardust, and her long golden hair held a crown of gold that gleamed brightly in the dying sunlight.

Then Hope moved forward and lifted her arms.

"Welcome, Mia Li, daughter of Malik al-Ahmar," Hope said clearly. "We are sorry for keeping you waiting so long for answers. We needed to be assured of a few things and had to get everything in order for our departure."

"We have been expecting you for a very long time," Amy added.

"I am Elpis," Hope said with a slight smile. "This is my sister Pandora." Hope turned towards Amy, who smiled in return.

Then, just as quickly as the images appeared, they were gone. Brea's hands replaced Mia's on her face, and Amy blinked a few times to focus on the other woman's silver eyes.

The world around Amy felt like it was collapsing, unraveling thread by thread. Brea's voice echoed in her head, distant and haunting, the words taking on a weight that pressed against her chest.

"You must go forward to wake and see the possibilities," Brea had said, her voice trembling with emotion as if burdened by a truth too heavy to bear. A tear slipped down her cheek, catching the faint glimmer of moonlight. "When you see him again, everything will be revealed. This is what we know. This is all we can tell you. You are the next step in saving this world."

Amy's mind reeled at the words—saving the world? How could that possibly be true? She was just... her. Ordinary, flawed, and lost in a storm that she didn't understand. But before she could protest, before she could demand answers, she felt the strangest sensation. Brea's touch seared into her skin, sending an electric pulse deep into her core. The spots where Brea had made contact began to burn, then tingle, a quick zap of electricity rushing from those points into her very bones.

It spread fast—hot, sharp, invasive—like a live wire snaking through her insides. She gasped, her body jerking involuntarily as the electric charge consumed her, ripping through muscle and tissue, a force so violent that she felt like her very atoms were being torn apart. A scream ripped from her throat, but the sound was swallowed by the air around her. It echoed only in her own mind, a chilling, hollow scream that went unanswered.

Her vision blurred as everything began to spin, the world around her becoming a kaleidoscope of lights and shadows. Her body felt weightless, as though it was unraveling, disintegrating. Her heart raced, panic setting in with a ferocity she had never experienced before.

Why? Why was this happening?

Her thoughts clashed together, wild and frantic. Is this what happened to Dante? she wondered, the thought slicing through the chaos. Is this what he felt?

Then, as quickly as it had begun, it all stopped. The spinning, the electricity, the sensation of being torn apart—it all vanished. The world fell silent.

Amy stood still, gasping for breath, her heart hammering in her chest. Slowly, cautiously, she opened her eyes. The darkness around her was thick and unnerving, an oppressive void that swallowed everything. She was in the same spot in the Anderson field above the silo as before—or so it seemed—but now, she was alone.

The clouds had blocked out the stars and moonlight, causing her to second-guess everything.

Confusion twisted her stomach into knots. She turned in slow, bewildered circles, calling out desperately. "Joe? This isn't funny," she yelled, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger. "Come on, where are you?"

But there was no answer. No laughter, no teasing voices from her friends hiding in the grass. The silence pressed in on her, thick and eerie, settling over her like a suffocating blanket.

Realizing her friends weren't there, Amy began walking back across the darkened field, the cold prickle of unease growing stronger with every step. The tall grass tugged at her legs, and she kept stumbling, her feet catching on unseen roots and rocks. The clouds blocked what little moonlight there was, barely illuminating her path.

"How did I ever think this was fun?" she muttered bitterly to herself, remembering the reckless nights she'd spent sneaking out here with friends in high school. Back then, the silo had been a playground for their drunken antics, a place to get high and let go. Now, it felt like a graveyard.

Her frustration morphed into outright anger. What kind of sick joke was this? How had they done it? She couldn't wrap her head around what had happened, the bizarre sensation of being torn apart, the disappearance of everyone she knew. Not to mention the dragon, the dog, and the flying.

As she approached the place where Michael and Xtina's house should have been, her steps faltered. She stopped dead in her tracks.

Where the massive house once stood, there was... nothing. No house, no lights, no familiar structure. Just an empty, gaping hole where the home had once been.

Amy blinked, her legs suddenly weak beneath her. Her knees buckled, and she slid to the ground, staring in disbelief. "No... no, this can't be right," she whispered, her voice cracking. Panic surged up, hot and fast, clawing at her chest. "Joe! Anyone!" she screamed, her voice breaking into huge, heaving sobs.

The night remained silent.

Her breath came in short gasps as she looked around, trying to make sense of it. The air was warmer, unnervingly so. It had been a cool, crisp night—she remembered the breeze biting at her skin—but now it felt... wrong. Warm. Hot, even.

Then an odd light shone down on her.

Was that the sun coming up already?

She glanced towards the horizon, expecting to see the early rays of dawn creeping in, but something was off. The warmth, the stillness in the air, the unsettling quiet. It all felt... unnatural. Like the world itself was holding its breath.

Amy stumbled to her feet, her legs shaky as she continued forward, leaving the empty void where the house had once stood. She moved towards the tree line, the woods that had always been a comforting, familiar presence. But as she stepped into the clearing, something stopped her cold.

There, in the night sky, hung the moon. Or what was left of it. Large, shattered pieces of the celestial body floated in the sky, fractured and broken like a ruined puzzle, suspended in a vast and empty void of space thousands of miles above the earth.

Amy stared, wide-eyed, her heart pounding in her ears. The shattered moon cast an eerie glow over the landscape, a haunting reminder that wherever she was, it wasn't the place she'd known. This wasn't her world.

She wasn't where she belonged.

Her throat tightened as a single thought cut through the haze of her shock. What the hell had happened?

It took her a few minutes to decide what to do. With her heart pounding in her chest, she stumbled down the road leading to Hidden Creek. The town, once filled with the hum of life, was eerily silent. Her legs ached from the long walk, but she pushed forward, the unsettling quiet around her pushing her faster. She didn't know what had happened, but something was deeply wrong. The image of the shattered moon hung in her mind like a nightmare she couldn't shake. Even when the clouds covered the destruction again, she could still see it in her mind.

The town came into view, but it too was far from the place she remembered. The usually bustling streets were empty, and buildings stood dark and abandoned or destroyed. Every single window was broken, the sidewalks cracked, cars overturned or burned beyond recognition. A thick layer of dust covered everything.

As she neared what used to be the town center, she saw movement—a shadow darting behind a building. Her breath caught. She paused, unsure if it was friend or foe.

"Amy!" a hushed voice called from the other side. She whipped her head around and spotted Jess peeking out from behind a rusty pickup truck parked near the old diner.

"Jess!" Amy ran towards her, relief flooding her chest. As she neared, she saw more familiar faces hiding in the shadows—Jacob, Michael, Xtina, and a few others from the town. They all looked older, and worn, like they had been through hell.

Before she could ask a single question, Jess grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the truck.

"We don't have time. We need to move. Now!" Jess's voice was tight with urgency. "He's crossing the road."

Just then she glanced over her shoulder and saw a dark shadow slink across the road. It was roughly the size of a bear yet it had no fur.

"Run," Jess said, and Amy was pulled quickly towards another truck. She was shoved in alongside Jess.

"What the hell is going on?" Amy demanded, but the others were already piling into the truck.

The truck rumbled to life, and Jacob hit the gas, speeding them out of town and towards the outskirts, heading back in the direction she'd just come from. Back towards the silo.

"Amy." A voice caught her attention from the front seat. She turned, locking eyes with her brother. He looked different—older, harder, his face drawn with exhaustion.

"Joe? What—?" She shook her head as she took in everything about him. He was skinnier. Gone were the massive muscles he'd had most of his adult life. Instead, he looked like a man who had starved. He was still strong, yes, but instead of the lovable meathead he'd always been, he was lean, toned, and… tired.

He cut her off. "I know it's hard to wrap your mind around, but it's ten years since I last saw you. The last time we saw you was in the silo, right?"

She nodded quickly. "I… ended up in the field," she said stupidly.

"That night, ten years ago, Brea sent you here. We've been expecting you, sometime soon. We just didn't know the exact date and time or place." He shook his head.

Her breath caught in her throat. Ten years?

"Everything's changed," Joe continued, his voice grave. "More than half the population on earth is dead. When they attacked, that first night, they shattered the moon, and well, everything fell apart after that." He shrugged and glanced out the window quickly.

She glanced back and watched as the dark figure chased after them.

"We have to lose him before we go back," Jacob said. "Everyone hang on."

"They're fast but stupid," Joe explained.

"Who? What?" She shook her head but then held in a scream as Jacob turned the truck quickly down a back alley.

"Harpies," Jess answered as they held on. "They've been working with the other gods."

Amy's stomach twisted with dread. "Gods? Who? Who attacked?" Were they in danger now? What were Harpies? Were they chasing them? She glanced behind them and could still only see darkness.

No one answered her as Jacob weaved through what remained of the town.

"We're clear," Jess said, closing her eyes.

The truck slowed and took the turn that would lead them back out of town.

Amy wanted to scream, to demand more answers, but there was something in the silence of the truck that made her stay quiet. Instead, she gripped the seat tightly as her mind raced to keep up with the whirlwind of information.

"What about everyone? The town? Our family?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.

Joe's expression darkened, and for a moment, he didn't answer. Then, with a sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the world, he said, "Liz didn't make it. She died during the first wave of attacks."

Amy's chest constricted. "Liz? No..." She felt her body tense.

"But the triplets survived," Joe added quickly. "Luna, Stella, and Orion. They're with us. They've been with us since... since everything went to hell."

Amy swallowed hard, trying to process it all. Her sister-in-law was gone, but her nieces and nephew had survived. Triplets? Shit. Liz had been pregnant with triplets. They hadn't told anyone there were three of them. Had it been a secret they'd hoped to surprise everyone with?

Joe continued, "We've been hiding out at the silo. It's the only safe place. It's become a fortress we have to protect twenty-four-seven. There's a whole group of us now, nearly a hundred people. We've made it our home. It's not much, but it's safe. For now. We are the protectors. We do what we can using what we have." He glanced over at Jacob. "We're stronger together. They can't break through that."

The truck sped along the abandoned roads, the dark landscape blurring past them. The closer they got to the silo, the more her fear gnawed at her. What had happened to the world? Who had done this? Gods? What gods?

As they pulled up to the cave entrance of the silo, Amy saw that the thick rock walls were now fortified. There were guards stationed all around it with several on the hillside. They were all dressed in full camo and scanned the surroundings with scoped guns and night-vision goggles.

She'd always gone into the silo using the old doorway in the field, taking the staircase down into the heart of it. She'd never really known of the cave entrance until someone told her about it a few years back. She knew it was easier to get lost using the long narrow tunnels when going in this way.

They were let in without a word, and the truck rumbled down into the underground complex, stopping a few feet into a large low-lit tunnel.

Once they were inside, Joe helped her out of the truck and hugged her, holding on for a long moment before stepping back. He felt so different. Smelled different too. Musty. Sweaty. Raw.

Gone was her goofy meathead brother. He'd been replaced by a frail man who had lost… everything.

From there, they walked in silence through the dimly lit tunnels that narrowed as they wound further into the massive complex.

When they finally stepped into the large silo area, Amy looked around, her eyes wide as she took in the sight.

The silo had been transformed into an underground refuge. It was like a small hidden city. People moved about, cooking, working, trying to survive. Makeshift homes lined the walls, and boxes and crates of supplies were stacked neatly in corners. There was a strange sense of calm, but also of constant vigilance, like everyone was waiting for the next disaster to strike.

As they made their way through the compound, someone came running towards them—Brea. She looked frantic, her eyes wide with guilt and relief as she reached her.

"Amy!" Brea threw her arms around her, pulling her into a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry for sending you here."

Amy pulled back, confused. "I… don't understand."

Brea nodded, tears welling up in her eyes. "It was the only way... to save all of us. I didn't want you to see this place, this possible future. But in order for it to change, I had no choice."

"Save us from this?" Amy asked, confused. "How?"

Brea took a deep breath, her expression grim. "You had to see this, in order to save us all from the gods."

Amy blinked several times. Everyone kept saying that. "The gods?"

Brea nodded, her face pale. "The gods destroyed our world. They shattered the moon, decimated our population, and now they use the Harpies to hunt us. We've been hiding here ever since. This place is our only shelter." She glanced around. "We use our powers, the ones you saw that night, to protect it, to hide it from them. At least for now. But... you're the only one who can actually stop all of this from happening in the first place. You're the only one who can save us from this fate."

Amy staggered back, her mind reeling. "Me? How? I don't understand."

"It's your destiny," Mia said softly as she stepped forward. "This was fated long before any of us were born. You and Dante... the two of you are the key to stopping all this from happening." She hugged Amy. When she stepped back, she added. "I showed you my memories that we shared. Remember?"

Amy's blood ran cold as she remembered the vision she'd had when Mia had touched her.

"Pandora must wake," Mia said with a sigh.

"Let me get this right." She felt her chest tighten. She had been thrown into a future where everything she knew was gone, where half the world was dead, and now she was being told that she was supposed to save them from the wrath of the gods. It was too much. "I... I can't... save everyone."

Mia took her hands, squeezing them tightly. "You can. You have to. Our entire future depends on it."