“Am I dead?” Lucian thought to himself as he came through. High up above was a blindingly pure white expanse of clear emptiness. He wondered when exactly he was in the past? And if he was too late to change anything!

  Freezing in place, Lucian furrowed his eyebrow in confusion. Where exactly did those thoughts come from? They were clearly not his, and made no sense at all…

  His introspection was interpreted as voices came from everywhere, some familiar to him and others foreign.

  “Kono basho wa doko ni aru?” he heard a voice say in Japanese.

  “Yarham Allah!” another person shouted in Arabic.

  “What’s going on?” he heard someone say in English.

  “Das ist nicht lustig.” another speaker cry out in German.

  “Blyad'! eto ne smeshno!” exclaimed someone next to him in Russian.

  Lucian rose to his feet, his gaze sweeping across the strange landscape that surrounded him. The expanse of white sky above seemed to stretch into infinity, casting an otherworldly glow down below onto them. Beneath his feet, the floor felt fragile and translucent as delicate glass, yet it held him up.

  Taking in his surroundings in greater detail, Lucian was struck by the sheer scale of the place. There truly didn’t look to be an end in sight as it stretched out endlessly in all directions. And everywhere he looked, there were people, oh boy were their people.

  A diverse tapestry of humanity from every walk of life and occupation filled the endless expanse; whether it be businessmen, college girls, monks, chefs, construction workers, nurses, farmers, and it just went on.

  Then it dawned on him all at once that this had to be the last remnants of humanity converged upon this ethereal plane, a congregation of people beyond all comprehension.

  Lucian couldn't even begin to wrap his mind around the magnitude of this, and it left him wondering who exactly could even orchestrate something on such a grand scale that went beyond any normal means?!

  As he grappled with the enormity of this situation, a commanding imperious voice called out, its harsh tone echoing across the vast white landscape.

  “SILENCE!”

  Turning around in unison everyone faced the speaker who materialized from nowhere, and it took a while for Lucian’s mind to process what he was seeing.

  Before them hovered a being of ethereal brilliance, its metallic-grey form radiating a captivating luminosity that commanded reverence and awe. The entity was as vast as a mountain with Lucian only able to take in a portion of its colossal size.

  Countless giant wings sprouted out from its body like a grand tapestry, wrapping around it like a second skin. On its feathers, there adorned a myriad of eyes that observed their every movement with unwavering scrutiny.

  Atop its majestic frame shone a great radiant halo casting down divine light that illuminated everything like a beacon on top of a lighthouse. Amidst the bushel of wings, a visage of unearthly beauty peered out, captivating in its otherworldly allure.

  Lucian was pretty sure he wasn't the only one goggling in amazement at what could only be described as a real-life, freaking angel! He blinked a couple of times, half expecting the apparition to vanish, but it remained suspended above them, a testament to the unfathomable depths he stepped into.

  [A/N: Body and Head art]

  "Good. Now that I have your attention, listen closely," the angel commanded, its voice resonating with harsh authority. "I shall speak but once, and you would do well to heed my words."

  However, instead of obeying, a tumult of discordant noises erupted among the gathered throng. Some began to mutter in disbelief or continue to stare slap jaw like him, while others started raising a multitude of questions towards the angel, and some even began to fall to their knees in worship for what was an Angel, but a sign of a higher power.

  It was a complete mad house!

  ‘Great,’ Lucian thought to himself after he got a hold of himself, it looked like at the end of the day the zealous priest on the radio turned out to be the correct one!

  At any rate, as they soon all realized, their insubordination was a huge sacrilege. The incensed angel's voice rang out, "Didn't I say, QUIET!!!" The very voice of the angel seemed to carry some sort of strange, esoteric force that at first seemed harmless passed over them. But as they quickly realized, that was far from the truth!

  Abruptly, random people in the crowd began to change, ballooning into grotesque, horrifying shapes that were plucked right out of some Lovecraftian nightmare. Before anyone could even process what was happening, the poor, unfortunate souls all exploded like ripe, juicy melons.

  Blood, flesh, muscle, sinew, and bone fragments were hurled out everywhere, and something wet and coarse slid down Lucian's face as he was completely splattered in gore by a slender Indian man a few feet in front of him.

  With robotic motions, Lucian reached out and wiped his face to try to see better, then grabbed hold of whatever was stuck to his forehead. When he did, he immediately regretted it as he stared down at the clump of hair in his hand while screams and wails started up all around him.

  “Aah,” the angel sighed in exasperation, taking in the tiny humans making amok of everything. “Do you ever listen?” she asked no one in particular while rubbing her forehead in frustration.

  With a careless gesture of her hand, a heavy, soul-crushing pressure descended upon everyone, freezing them all in place. It was as if a predator was standing right before them, ready to devour them whole in one single bite. Everyone's breath hitched in fear, and no one could even twitch a single muscle as they stood motionless in their spot.

  "I do not know why we even have to waste our time on you insignificant creatures," the angel sneered down at them. "We all know that you will inevitably fail in the end. But who am I to get in the way of our Lord's grand master plan."

  Turning back to look at them, all rigid and silent, the vain angel smiled, apparently finding amusement in their suffering. “Wonderful! I like it so much better when you're not chattering away like a bunch of monkeys. Allow me to cut to the chase.

  First and foremost, I must welcome you all to what will be your new home for a very long time- the Ten Dimensions of the Tower! Your objective is simple: to reach the 10th floor and be welcomed into the pearly gates of heaven.

  However, this will not be an easy feat. The journey to the top will be full of trials and challenges, and in all likelihood you will outright fail.” She said letting her words sink in before continuing.

  "Now, let it not be said that your Lord and mine isn’t a benevolent master. Each and every one of you has been given the necessary tools to overcome these trials, in a form that even your tiny minds should be able to comprehend."

  With a flick of her wrist that had nearly everyone flinching back in fear, a light show erupted all around them. On everyone’s chest, an iridescent light flickered to life. He too had his own little illumination which radiated a brilliant emerald green that seemed to shine brighter than all the rest.

  "You may be wondering what I mean by 'tools,'" the angel continued. "To put it simply, you have been granted the potential to awaken your very own superpowers. This is the path of your race formed from your species' collective consciousness.

  Now go forth and at the very least try to make this as entertaining as possible," she concluded with a bored tone as if she had given this speech countless times before.

  “Off you go now,” she shooed them away as one by one they slowly began to disappear. “And don’t screw this up spectacularly!”

  -

  Lucian was getting sick and tired of being teleported around at the whim of some higher power. But then again, how could he forget how cruel and merciless angels could be? Never mind being inconsiderate!

  Pausing Lucian frowned to himself, wondering how the hell did he know those beings so intimately when until today he never met them before… or did he? This was really getting stranger and stranger.

  To distract his mind, he sought solace in surveying the new and unfamiliar place he found himself in. All around him lay complete darkness, shrouding him in an impenetrable veil. The rough, jagged texture of the ground beneath him and the cool, damp air drifting in from somewhere were the only sensations he could feel.

  Slowly standing up, he was startled by groans close at hand. As his eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness, he discerned figures—people stuck in the same predicament as him. They ranged in age, race, and sex, their expressions mirroring his own fear and confusion.

  Suddenly, a loud exclamation echoed from outside. Letting curiosity get the better of him, he decided to investigate. Navigating the cavern with trepidation, he groped his way through the passage, barely able to see a few feet ahead. He reached into his pack and retrieved a flashlight, its beam illuminating his path. Despite this, the walls felt suffocating and oppressive, as if they were closing in around him.

  This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  After what felt like an eternity, he finally emerged from the cave. The transition was overwhelming, akin to the allegory of the cave as his old world shattered. At that moment, he felt like one of Plato’s prisoners, confronted by the stark and blinding truth of reality. As his eyes adjusted to the light, a surreal and alarming sight unfolded before him, more extraordinary and unsettling than anything he had ever imagined.

  The ground was like pitch tar and oily with dark veins coursing through it. Sharp rocks and hidden crevices littered the uneven terrain, threatening to swallow up anyone careless enough to tread without caution. Gnarled, twisted trees intermittently dotted the terrain, their branches like bony fingers grasping uselessly toward the sky.

  The air itself was heavy and stagnant, making it difficult to breathe. He caught the faint whiff of something awful, which nearly made him start to cough and wheeze. Thick, black, impenetrable fog crept its way through the terrain, obscuring any landmarks or features that might be lurking beyond. The all-encompassing silence was deafening, with barely a sound daring to break the hushed stillness.

  Overhead, dark purple clouds swirled ominously, heralding an impending storm. In the center of it all was a massive, eerily smiling moon that seemed to fill the entire sky. The creepy smile of the celestial body made Lucian feel as though he was being observed closely.

  It was clear that he had stumbled upon a strange and otherworldly place - somewhere beyond the realm of his comprehension.

  As more and more people emerged from the cave hushed whispers filled the air mostly asking where they were laced with confusion and fear.

  "This sure isn't Kansas anymore." Remarked a man who stood next to him.

  Before any of them could put more stock into their situation, or for that matter come to grasp where this was. They heard a blood-curdling screech pierce the air, causing everyone to freeze in place. The tension in the group was palpable as the silence stretched on.

  Someone was kind enough to break the silence and ask the obvious. “W-what was that?”

  A gruff, older man with biceps as large as his head and a thick white beard spoke up. "We should leave this place. Now."

  Not needing to be told the obvious, Lucian scrambled down the small hill they were on with the rest of the group, their feet pounding on the broken, barren landscape.

  The sounds of more high-pitched screeches followed them, growing louder with each passing moment as whatever was on their heels was closing in fast. The very thought of whatever ghastly thing making those noises catching up to them spurred everyone onward.

  With the day they were having it could be just about anything, and nobody wanted to stick around to find out.

  “Is that a light over there?” somebody shouted from amongst the group.

  Peering in the direction the person pointed, Lucian had to squint his eyes to make out a faint glow coming from far away in the black fog.

  “Good eye,” the same gruff older man said. “Come on everyone, let’s go check it out.” He declared, already establishing himself as the leader of their small merry band

  “A-are you sure?” asked a middle-aged man, his face red with the excursion of running.

  “Would you rather want to find out what’s chasing us?” a hard-looking young woman in a hoodie asked.

  Coming to a silent consensus at the same time, everyone proceeded towards the light. In the end, what other option did they really have?

  They carried on as a group with everyone pushing forward, however, the air quickly grew thicker and more foul with each step, causing some people to start coughing in fits. But no one stopped or hesitated to move forward as they didn’t want to get left behind by the group.

  “Oh my God,” someone exclaimed in alarm, drawing Lucian's attention.

  Turning to see what had caused the commotion, Lucian was horrified by what he saw. Behind them, a pack of strange, grotesque creatures loomed on top of the rise they had just come down. There were at least 3 to 4 dozen of them, each one a twisted, grotesque canine-looking creature.

  Their gray, ashen skin was stretched taut over their muscular frames, and their faces were featureless except for two slits for nostrils and a wide, gaping mouth filled with razor-sharp teeth. The sight was enough to send shivers down anyone's spine.

  Then they let out nightmarish screeches and began to descend upon them.

  “What in the actual hell!” Lucian swore under his breath as his heart raced in fear and panic.

  “RUN!!!” someone shouted. Lucian didn’t need to be told twice as he ran for all he was worth. The monstrous things were closing in fast as they ate up ground much quicker than any of them.

  Despite the fear that threatened to overwhelm him, he put that out of his mind and pushed on even harder leading the group with the other forerunners. He focused all his attention on making sure he had even footing on the treacherous terrain while also keeping an eye out for the lights which weren't as stationary as he first thought, somehow it was coming closer and closer.

  Then right out of nowhere, a handful of the same creatures appeared right in front of them, cutting them off from their only path forward. Lucian came to a skidding halt along with everyone else and wearily took them in. This wasn’t good not at all. He didn’t need to look back to see that the much larger pack was closing in fast.

  The fear among the group was palpable and the creatures picked up on it, growling and advancing towards them as they huddled together in terror.

  Lucian knew they would be in even more dire straits if they were surrounded by the creatures. Hardening his resolve, he drew the hunting rifle that he had been lugging around this whole time. Thankful he hadn't discarded it in his haste to flee and now he could finally get some use out of it.

  With a steady hand, he took aim at the nearest creature that was ready to pounce. His breathing slowed, and a sense of serenity settled over him as he pulled the trigger, hitting his mark and causing the creature's head to exploded.

  Not stopping for a single moment, Lucian continued firing, creating an opening for the others. The older man, who had been leading the group, seized the opportunity and pulled out thick brass knuckles from his belt. He expertly swung at one creature after another, bashing into their bodies and making them retreat.

  "GO, GO, GO!" the older man shouted, holding the line. He kicked one creature aside and battered another in the head, and even the hard-eyed looking young woman joined in, using a shiv she drew from her sleeve to repeatedly stab one of the creatures over and over again until it was dead.

  Lucian stood his ground expertly picking off any of the beasts that approached the group as they made their escape. He quickly surveyed the situation, seeing the large pack of monsters where almost here, and knew that it was time for him to make himself scarce.

  “Come on, let’s go,” he called out as he prepared himself to make a run for it.

  “You go on ahead, son,” the older man smiled, giving him a thumbs up. “I'll be right behind you."

  From the corner of his eye, Lucian noticed a shadow leap up behind the older man, its mouth unhinged to an abnormal degree. Then before he knew it, he watched as a spray of blood erupted from where the man’s head used to be.

  All he could do was stare at the grisly sight as the perpetrator crunched down on the skull with a sickening wet crunch.

  Lucian didn't have time to process the horror of what had just happened. He was pushed from behind by someone and forced to move, leaving the headless corpse behind.

  Closing his eyes shut, all Lucian could do was run for his life, and from behind him he heard the man’s body being savaged by the hideous creatures.

  Up ahead, someone was able to run ahead of the group and towards the light while shouting and waving his hands frantically. “HEY, HEY, HEY!!!”

  Lucian wasn’t sure if that was a good idea, who knew what they might draw in, but at this point, he didn’t even care.

  In everyone’s mad haste to get away a small, little form was accidentally pushed to the ground with none the wiser. Hearing a cry, Lucian turned around and saw a little girl balling her eyes out on the ground. Simultaneously, he noticed that the monsters were done ripping into the downed older man’s remains and were now hungering for more.

  Lucian didn’t know why he suddenly froze up when he was so close to the finish line. Though deep down he knew why as the image of his little sister came to the surface of his mind overlapping with the young girl.

  In truth, they didn’t even resemble each other, but he couldn’t shake off the feeling of what if that had been her lying there helpless?

  Before he even knew what he was doing, his legs were carrying him in the opposite direction he wanted to be, right towards the danger! Coasting up to the little girl, Lucian shouted for her to get up, and tried to drag her to her feet.

  “Come on get up. Hurry!” he urged her. But as Lucian turned to make their escape, he saw that it was already too late! The pack of monsters was already upon them.

  Closing his eyes, he knew that it would be futile fighting against the whole horde of creatures. Ultimately, they would be ripped apart into pieces and devoured like tiny morsels.

  So much for trying to be the hero, he thought to himself, when in the end he would be just joining the person he was trying to save.

  Then Lucian heard the sounds of slamming doors and someone shouting, “GET DOWN!”

  Instinctively, doing as told, Lucian used his body to cover the young girl as he heard the sounds of open gunfire fill the air.

  The bright flash of muzzle fire illuminated the desolate plain as round after round was fired into the creatures which continued to come on. The screams of their dying death throes echoed across the landscape while he tried to make himself as small as possible, hoping to somehow survive this till the end.

  After what felt like an eternity, Lucian felt a hand pat him on the back. He opened his eyes to see a stranger standing over him. "It's alright now. You can get up," the speaker said, offering a hand to help him up.

  Slowly disentangling himself from the little girl, and taking the proffered hand, Lucian faced a man dressed in army fatigues, complete with a gas mask and a strange metallic protective frame covering his body. "Hurry up," the soldier said urgently. "We need to get out of here. There will be more of them here soon."

  “Fucking Death Prowlers,” another soldier cursed out loud as he removed his gas mask and lit a cigarette.

  “What about that man?” Lucian asked, hoping against hope.

  "He's a goner," the first soldier replied, his tone matter-of-fact. "And he won't be coming back in the state he's in." Despite the strange statement, Lucian didn't have time to ponder its meaning as he saw that the other survivors were being loaded into army trucks one by one.

  Slowly standing up along with the young girl, Lucian glanced at the dead corpses which was only a couple meters away from him. The slow realization of how close he had come to death sent a chill down his spine.

  The soldier, who had just cursed the monsters, patted Lucian on the back. "That was foolish, but also brave. We need more people like you in the army."

  Lucian managed a weak smile. "Thank you, I guess." Despite his gratitude, he still felt frazzled from his close run-in with death and all that he went through today.

  His mind was racing with questions, and he felt overwhelmed by the surreal events of the day. It was like he was living in some sick twisted nightmare with no end in sight.

  Calming down, Lucian decided to put his head on straight. At long last, he had met people who seemed to be familiar with what was going on, and they must have all the answers he was looking for. As if the dam had burst, Lucian broke into with a torrent of unanswered doubts and inquiries.

  “Where are we even?”

  “Do you know what’s going on?”

  “Did we just meet an angel?”

  “What were those things?”

  “Don’t worry, young man,” the soldier smiled, cutting him off. “Everything will be explained in the new arrival briefing when we get to the Sanctuary.”

  As if on cue, sounds of more screeching echoed from the distance. "Come on, let's roll out,” the soldier waved him onward as they hopped into the trucks and drove away.