Chapter 7 : Catastrophe That Shouldn't Have Happened (4)

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After Returning From Another World, My Sister Become Obsessed With Me

Genre : Phychological, Thriller, Gore, Romance, Supranatural, super power

Chapter 7 : Catastrophe That Shouldn't Have Happened (4)

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A series of violent explosions ripped through the air, one after another, from every direction. The ground beneath Frey's feet buckled and shook like an earthquake. He looked around in pure horror and realized that the engines of every single ride were exploding at the same time. The power of the blasts didn't make sense, these small machines were exploding with the force of military bombs.

The explosions were devastating. People standing near the engine rooms were instantly vaporized or blown to pieces. Metal gears and burning engine parts were launched into the air like shrapnel, slicing through the crowd.

Frey saw the "Merry-Go-Round" explode, sending the wooden horses flying like deadly projectiles. Nearby, a food stall was hit by a piece of flying metal, and the gas tanks inside ignited, creating a ball of fire that swallowed everyone standing in line.

"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!"

Frey immediately threw himself onto the dirt, covering his head as another explosion nearby shattered a nearby game booth.

Wood splinters and glass rained down on his back. He lay there, pressed against the vibrating ground, watching as the colorful lights of the carnival began to flicker and die, replaced by the orange glow of a hundred growing fires.

The screams were constant sorrow, a single, unending wall of human agony. Frey’s ears were ringing, but he forced himself to look up. He had to keep moving. He had to find Fin. But as he looked at the flaming wreckage of the place that was supposed to be a fun fair, he realized this wasn't an accident anymore. This was a Catastrophe.

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

The explosions refused to stop.

Screams of terror filled the air. From his position on the ground, Frey watched in horror as metal shards from the machines flew through the air, stabbing into the bodies of people running for their lives.

The catastrophe was so violent that the fire from the explosions was thrown everywhere, burning down game stalls and setting people on fire.

When the explosions finally died down, the power went out. But the carnival didn't go dark, it was lit by the orange glow of the fires burning across the entire fairground. Frey forced himself up. Everywhere he looked, he saw bodies lying motionless on the ground.

Frey’s breath became short and shallow. Every time he tried to inhale, the hot, smoky air burned his throat. His heart was hammering so hard against his ribs that it felt painful. He stood frozen, staring at the carnage around him. He saw a man trying to crawl with no legs, leaving a thick trail of red on the gravel. He saw a girl sitting next to a pile of clothes that used to be a person, just staring blankly. Frey couldn't move a single muscle, it felt like his boots were glued to the blood-soaked ground.

A loud, high-pitched ringing started in his ears, drowning out the screams, and his head felt so heavy that his vision began to turn black at the edges. He was seconds away from fainting.

Suddenly, a woman’s voice pierced through the ringing in his ears. It was a scream filled with pure desperation.

"FREY! FREY!"

Frey snapped his head toward the sound, his neck popping from the sudden movement. It was Hana. She was stumbling toward him, her hair messy and her face pale. She looked like she had been put through a paper shredder. Her stylish carnival clothes were ripped to pieces. Her arms were sliced open by flying glass, and dark blood was soaking into her skin, dripping from her fingertips onto the dirt.

"Hana? What happened? Where are the others?" Frey asked, his voice shaking as his mind finally forced itself back to reality. He reached out to steady her, his hands trembling.

"I... I don't matter right now," Hana gasped. She was clutching her side, her fingers soaked in blood, and her breath came in short, ragged bursts. She looked back toward the center of the carnival with eyes full of pure terror.

"Fin... we were right in the middle of the Glass Maze when the engines blew up. The entire building just... shattered," Hana started to sob, her whole body shaking.

"When the explosion happened, Fin didn't even try to run. He lunged at me and threw his body over mine. He used his back and shoulders as a shield to protect me from the blast and the flying glass."

Hana choked on her words, her shaking hand pointing toward the burning ruins. "All the jagged glass that should have hit me... it all went into him. And even more bad, a large chunk glass pierce one of his shoulders. He took the full force of it to keep me safe. He collapsed while still holding my hand, Frey! He’s still trapped inside, and... it’s much worse for him! He... he’s not moving at all! There was so much blood..."

"What!" The word hit Frey like a physical blow. The image of his best friend lying under a pile of broken glass made his blood run cold. He looked at Hana’s bleeding arms and then toward the maze.

"Hana, listen to me!" Frey barked, grabbing her shoulders to make her focus. "Go to the main entrance right now. Find Parking Block C. Anton, Luna, and Aira are there. Tell them to get help! I’m not leaving without Fin!"

Frey didn't waste another second to wait for her answer. He turned and sprinted toward the Glass Maze.

Every step was a struggle. He had to jump over a collapsed tent that was slowly catching fire. He had to swerve to avoid stepping on a severed arm that lay in the middle of the path. He forced his eyes to stay fixed on the burning structure of the maze, desperately trying to ignore the bodies scattered on the ground like broken dolls. The smell of burnt plastic and copper filled his nose, making his stomach turn, but he didn't stop. He couldn't stop.

Frey finally reached the Glass Maze, and the sight was devastating. The beautiful glass building had turned into a graveyard of sharp shards and fire. Most of the roof had collapsed, and half of the glass house was swallowed by roaring orange flames. Frey out his phone, turned on the flashlight, and stepped inside through a jagged hole in the wall.

"Fin! Fin! Where are you?!" Frey shouted.

Inside, the maze was a deathtrap. The flashlight from his phone hit thousands of broken mirrors, creating a dizzying hall of reflections. Everywhere he looked, he saw his own panicked face reflected in a thousand pieces of glass. The smoke was thick and black, filling his lungs and making him cough so violently his chest hurt.

"Answer me, Fin!" Frey screamed again. He pushed deeper into the smoke, his shoes crunching loudly on the broken glass. He had to use his jacket to cover his mouth just to breathe. As he turned a corner, he saw a trail of thick, dark blood smeared across a mirror. He followed the trail, stumbling over fallen metal beams.

Finally, in the far right corner, he spotted a body.

Fin was lying face down in a massive pool of blood. His back was a mess of shredded fabric and skin. A large piece of glass, as wide as three fingers, was stabbed deep into his right shoulder, sticking out like a jagged wing. Hundreds of smaller glass shards were stuck in his skin—he had taken the full force of the blast to save Hana.

"DAMN IT! DAMN IT! FIN!" Frey’s voice broke.

He gripped his phone between his teeth, the bright light shining directly on Fin’s pale face. He checked for a pulse.

It was weak, frighteningly weak. Frey grabbed Fin’s limp body and pulled him into a carry. Fin was heavy, and the smell of blood was overwhelming.

"No! This isn't happening! You have to survive!" Frey cried out, his voice muffled by the phone in his mouth.

As he began to run back through the maze, a sharp, burning pain shot through his right thigh and left arm. It was his old injury, the one from the accident that killed his parents. His muscles felt like they were being torn apart. He had already carried Aira before, and now his body was screaming at him to stop. But he couldn't.

Suddenly, the floor beneath him shifted. Frey stumbled. To keep Fin’s head from hitting a sharp metal beam, Frey twisted his body and took the full force of the fall. He slammed onto the ground, and hundreds of jagged glass shards sliced into his own hands and knees. He felt the cold glass cut through his jeans and sink into his skin.

"I can do this! I have to do this!" he screamed in his heart. He forced his shaking legs to stand back up, ignoring the agonizing pain in his bones.

The fire was moving so fast, the heat melting the remaining glass and making it rain down like burning needles. The structure groaned, a deep, metallic sound that meant the whole building was about to go collapse. Frey gave one last, desperate sprint, his lungs burning and his legs bleeding.

He barely made it through the exit before the entire Glass Maze collapsed behind them with a deafening crash. The heat licked at his back, but he didn't stop until he was far enough away. As soon as he reached the grass, his strength finally vanished. He set Fin down gently and collapsed beside him, his vision blurring into darkness as he listened to the distant sound of sirens. But, there's another voice, that familiar voices calling his name. It was Teru and Anton.

"Frey! Frey! Are you okay?" Teru asked, rushing over to help him up.

"I-I’m fine... just my old wounds acting up. Anton, look at Fin! He’s in bad shape!"

Anton didn't hesitate. He took Fin’s body.

"Don't worry, the police and ambulances are already here. Hana, Luna, Aira, and Maya are already in one of the trucks," Anton said, moving as fast as he could toward the sirens.

"Yeah, the ambulance is waiting for us. Hana told them Fin was badly hurt," Teru added, supporting Frey.

"Good... let's go. Hurry."

The four of them rushed toward the waiting ambulance. Everyone piled inside, and the paramedics immediately began working on Fin, laying him on an emergency bed in the center.

Frey was the last one to climb in. But just as he was about to step inside, a strange feeling washed over him. He felt like he had to look back. He followed his instinct and turned his head.

There, standing perfectly still in the middle of the chaos, was a familiar figure. While everyone else was running, screaming, and covered in panic, she stood there watching him. The fires roared around her, but she looked as calm as a summer morning.

"Ri... Rika?" Frey whispered in shock.

›› TO BE CONTINUE ‹‹

— KS