the real Silbon 2
The group felt fear tighten their throats the instant they saw El Silbón.
He was not just another monster. There was a dense presence about him, as if the air grew heavier around his figure. His power was unknown, yes, but the truth was obvious even before anyone dared to say it aloud: none of those present was in a position to face him as an equal.
At that instant, Arcadio knew it.
If they didn't take that thing down, they wouldn't all get out alive.
His gaze searched for Sue and Chia, almost by reflex. They were frightened, yes... but firm. Their bodies were tense and their eyes were alight, ready to fight despite the terror that was biting them inside. That determination gave him a thread of calm, even if it was brief.
Arcadio was still fresh from the moment they had destroyed Ley's object so quickly.
The impact had left him unresponsive for a second. A single second. And yet, that flicker had cost them dearly. He barely managed to hear the change: the monsters around him, previously contained as if waiting for an order, were suddenly unleashed, as if someone had ripped off their brakes.
Then came the second surprise.
Sue and Chia threw themselves against them with a tenacity that Arcadius had rarely seen, even among gifted ones. It wasn't just courage. It was sheer stubbornness. It was that fierce resolve not to give in, even if the world came biting down on them.
But no matter how hard he watched them struggle, one thought kept sticking in his head, stinging and unbearable.
They were still children.
Their bodies were small, fragile, too light to carry so much pressure. Arcadio didn't know how old they were, but he was sure they were still younger.
This should not be happening.
As an adult, he could not allow it.
The decision settled in his chest, heavy and final.
He had to save them.
But it wasn't just Sue. It wasn't just Chia, but also the civilians and children he left behind, whose hope-which he once saw fading away-now returned.
That's why she had joined the volunteer corps.
She wouldn't let anyone die.
Not again.
He would never lose someone in front of his eyes again...not now that he had the power to stop it.
He had to open a way out for them.
Let them escape, safe and sound.
Arcadius stepped in front of the group without a word.
His right hand rose, and the air around him began to swirl with a skin-cutting intensity.
In an instant, he unleashed a powerful concentrated wind attack to the left of The Whistler.
The monster didn't see it coming.
The impact caught it off guard, throwing it violently to the right side. The creature's body smashed through the stairwell wall with a deafening roar, leaving debris and dust floating in the air.
Arcadio allowed himself a brief, almost imperceptible smile.
He barely turned back to the group.
-I'll be right back. Leave El Silbón with me.
And without waiting for an answer, he ran towards the rubble.
As he walked away, he heard Sue and Chia's voices behind him.
-You idiot! You can't go alone!
-He's going to kill you!
Their screams echoed down the hallway, charged with frustration and fear.
But just before the sound was completely lost, Arcadio heard something else.
The voices of both, lower, almost a shared whisper:
-...Come back alive.
Arcadio smiled at those words of concern.
It was a small smile, almost imperceptible, but genuine. Something in his chest loosened for a second before tightening again.
He didn't look back. He couldn't afford to.
He continued on his way to the rubble, where The Whistler was already beginning to move through the ruins of the shattered wall.
Dust still hung in the air as the monster's figure slowly emerged, shaking off the concrete fragments as if they were dry leaves.
Its yellowish eyes glowed in the gloom, fixed on Arcadio.
The low, chilling hiss echoed again.
Arcadio clenched his fists. The wind around him began to swirl again, more intense this time.
-You and I
he muttered, more to himself than to the creature.
-- No one else.
The Whistler bowed his head, as if he understood.
And then, without warning, it launched itself at him.
After Arcadius left, Sue and Chia stood for a moment pinned in front of the hole in the wall. The dust was still falling in thin threads, and through the opening came, intermittently, the icy whistle of El Silbón, like a promise of death.
Arcadio was strong; strong enough to survive too many difficult situations. They knew that. But fighting El Silbón was something else. A thing that obeyed no rules.
Sue swallowed hard and looked away from the gap. The sea of monsters was still caked at the entrance to the stairs, blocking the exit and breathing as one beast. In that narrow corridor, every extra body was a wall.
-Chia... let's concentrate
he said, his voice barely trembling.
-- We have to trust Arcadio. He's going to come back alive.
Chia nodded. Frost appeared on her fingers with no moisture to explain it, and the shadow around her body thickened like a coat.
Behind them, other gifted ones huddled on the steps, too close, too silent.
Sue turned her face just enough to see them.
-Hey…
Sue said, and was disturbed by how broken her voice sounded.
-- We haven't talked hardly at all since this started. No names, no nothing.
The light in her palm flickered, not from fear, but from exhaustion. Still, he held it high to see their faces.
-If we're going to die here, I at least want to know who I'm fighting.
A nervous shriek answered from the right side. A girl with slicked-back hair, freckles and dark circles under her eyes from not sleeping, lifted her chin like someone mocking terror so it wouldn't bite her.
-I am Valeria
she said, and electricity danced through her fingers like a tic. But they call me Vale.
-- My power is electricity.
A taller woman, with wide hands, had her palms pressed to the concrete as if she were praying. As she spoke, she seemed to measure every word so as not to wear herself out.
-Yuliana. I run the land, so if you need a good shield just tell me and I'll protect you.
From some empty spot, a short laugh, almost an exhalation.
-Shield?... but I can't see a damn thing
said the voice.
-- There is dust here, even in the soul.
The air moved at his side as if someone was passing his arm through the smoke.
-Camilo**.** Invisible. If you hear me say "oops," it's because I almost got eaten.
A big man, broad-shouldered, with scarred forearms and dark tattoos climbing up his neck like vines. He had a clenched jaw and a way of looking that was pure calculation, as if everything was a problem.
-Damien. Telekinesis. If something moves, I stop it. If something falls, I hold it... as long as my head doesn't pop off. And if you see me shaking, it's not fear... it's just that I'm using my powers with the air.
Sue looked at him for a second too long. It wasn't panic, but it was that slight discomfort of feeling someone too big next to her, as if their shadow was taking up part of the hallway.
At the height of the second step, a restless figure swayed on the tips of her toes. He had a radiant smile and a desire to fight the monsters.
-Santiago. Speed. I'm in and out. Don't ask me to hold the front line, I doubt I can handle that much.
Sue looked at them one by one, keeping those names as lucky charms.
Chia took a step forward, and the frost on her hands spread a little more, as if the cold was part of her breath.
-I am Chia. I wield barriers, ice and shadows.
Her voice was calm, but there was an edge to it.
Sue raised the hand with the golden flame, letting the light flicker between her fingers.
-Sue. Light and fire. And I can also heal them if I need to.
She paused, looking at the others with determination.
-But most of all, I want us all to get out of here alive.
The group was silent for a moment, taking in the names, the faces, the powers.
They were no longer just strangers huddled in a dark hallway.
Now they were something more: a makeshift team, united by the need to survive.
The monsters, as if they had been waiting for an invisible signal, began to move.
The collective growl became a roar, and the misshapen mass of writhing bodies lunged toward the group with blind ferocity.
-Now!
Sue shouted, and the flame in her hand burst into an arc of golden light that illuminated the entire hallway.
Valeria reacted first. Electricity coursed through her arms and she shot a bolt of lightning forward, striking three creatures that twisted and fell smoking.
-Yes! I hit them!
he celebrated, but his distraction cost him dearly.
A monster slithered in from the side and nearly clawed his arm off. Camilo, invisible, pushed it away just in time.
-Be more careful!
he shouted from somewhere nearby.
-Sorry, sorry!
Yuliana hit the ground with both hands. The concrete rose to form a jagged wall that blocked the advance of a dozen creatures. But the effort made her stagger.
-I can't hold it for long!
-Then don't!
Damien bellowed, stretching out his arms.
The earthen wall crumbled, but before the monsters advanced, Damien stopped them in mid-air with telekinesis. His hands were shaking, and a trickle of blood ran down his nose.
-Shit... someone... finish them off...!
Santiago appeared as a blur. He ran between the suspended bodies, stabbing knives into throats and eyes. But he miscalculated.
As he turned to dodge, he collided with Chia, who was just throwing a blast of frost.
The ice grazed his shoulder and tripped him.
-Watch out!
shouted Chia.
-You watch where you're shooting!
-You stay out of my line of fire!
A monster took advantage of the chaos and leaped toward the civilians huddled against the wall behind.
Sue didn't think about it.
She launched a sphere of white fire that exploded against the creature's body, incinerating it before it hit the ground.
Then she turned to the group, her voice firm but not shouting.
-Enough! Listen to me, all of you!
The tone was not authoritative. It was warm, but with a weight that made the words go deep.
Santiago and Chia stopped, still on edge. Damián let go of the suspended bodies, which fell like sacks. Valeria lowered her hands, breathing heavily.
Sue looked at them one by one, that white flame still burning in her palm.
-I know we don't know each other. I know this is a mess. But if we keep this up, we're going to end up killing each other before they do.
He paused, letting the silence weigh in.
-We need to get organized. Now.
Yuliana nodded, wiping the sweat from her brow.
-You're right. Tell me what to do.
Sue took a deep breath and began to point out positions.
-Yuliana, you and Damien in front. You put up walls, he holds them up or uses them as projectiles. You work together, understood?
They both nodded.
-Valeria, Chia, you go to the sides. Valeria, if Chia freezes something, you break it with electricity. Chia, if Valeria stuns something, you finish it off with ice. Don't get in each other's way, you complement each other.
The two looked at each other for a second, then nodded.
-Santiago, you are our wild card. You come and go. If someone's in trouble, you get there first. But don't jump in alone. Warn before you move.
-I understand.
-Camilo, you are our eyes. Invisible means you can see what we can't. If something comes from behind, from above, from wherever, you warn us. You're our alarm.
-I like that. I can handle that.
Sue looked at them all again, with that quiet determination that made even fear seem manageable.
-And I go downtown. I light up, burn anything that gets too close, and cover the blind spots. The civilians stay in the middle, protected by all of us. We moved forward slowly, but together.
No one objected.
Sue raised her hand with the white flame.
-Ready?
A chorus of voices responded, some trembling, some firm:
-Ready.
The monsters attacked again.
But this time, the group was no longer a mess.
Yuliana erected a low wall. Damian pushed it with telekinesis, crushing four creatures against the wall.
Chia froze the legs of a group trying to flank. Valeria launched a bolt of lightning that blasted the ice into sharp shards that pierced bodies.
Santiago appeared behind a monster sneaking through a gap, stabbed it in the back of the neck and disappeared before it fell.
Camilo shouted from somewhere invisible:
-Three from the right, up!
Sue spun, threw a sphere of golden fire that exploded against the ceiling, incinerating the creatures before they jumped.
The civilians, entrenched in the center, began to move slowly, guided by the group's rhythm.
It was not perfect, but they advanced slowly.
The group advanced bit by bit, fighting each wave of monsters that got in their way.
But it was working.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they reached a staircase.
-Up! Everybody up!
Sue shouted, throwing another sphere of fire to cover the retreat.
Up they trooped, pushing each other, with the monsters at their heels.
At the bottom of the stairs was a splintered wooden door.
Damien pushed it open with a telekinetic shove, and the group spilled out the other side.
It was the house. The same house where Chia and Sue had passed through when the monster dragged them through.
-Keep going, don't stop!
Sue ordered, pointing toward the exit.
They sped through the house, knocking over rotting furniture and dodging the remains of what had once been a home.
When they emerged, the fresh air outside hit them like a slap in the face.
But there was no relief. In front of them stretched the abandoned town. Collapsed houses, empty streets, and in the distance, more monsters.
Not as many as before, but enough to be a problem.
-Don't stop!
shouted Valeria, launching a bolt of lightning towards a creature approaching from an alleyway.
The group advanced in formation, keeping the civilians in the center.
Monsters were coming from different directions, but in smaller numbers. They were manageable.
-Does anyone know where the exit is?
Yuliana asked, panting as she raised another wall to block a side attack.
One of the gifted opened his mouth, but it was a civilian who answered.
An older man, his face marked by fear but his voice firm.
-I know where the gate is.
-Are you sure?
Santiago asked, appearing at his side.
-I'm sure. As they brought me to this place, they carried me in my arms. I pretended to be unconscious, so I took the opportunity to see which way I was coming.
Sue nodded.
-Then lead the way. Quickly.
The man took the lead, pointing out streets and turns as the group followed.
Monsters kept appearing, but the group already knew how to deal with them.
They moved forward with determination, leaving behind writhing bodies and battle smoke.
They were close.
So close that they could already feel the energy of the portal vibrating in the air.
And then they heard it.
A roar.
Long, deep, inhuman.
A sound that chilled the blood and made the ground tremble beneath their feet.
They all stopped in their tracks.
-No…
Chia whispered, her eyes wide open.
Sue clenched her fists, and the flame in her hand trembled.
-It's The Whistle.
The roar echoed again, closer this time.
It was coming from the opposite direction of the portal.
From where they had left Arcadio.
Chia and Sue looked at each other.
There was no need to say anything. They both knew.
-We have to go back.
Chia said, her voice tense but determined.
-What?
Valeria took a step forward, incredulous.
-Are you crazy? We just got out of there!
-Arcadio is still inside.
Sue said, looking her in the eyes.
-We can't leave him.
-But they're going to die!
Santiago shouted.
Chia shook her head.
-Maybe. But we're not going to leave him.
Sue looked at the rest of the group, with that calmness that characterized her even in the midst of the chaos.
-You follow the portal. Get out of here. We'll get him.
-Sue…
Yuliana began, but Sue interrupted her with a small smile.
-We'll be fine. Trust me.
Before anyone could object, Sue was surrounded by golden fire.
The flames wrapped around her body like wings, and her feet lifted off the ground.
Chia raised her hands, and a bubble of translucent ice formed around her, glowing with a bluish light.
The bubble lifted her off the ground, floating next to Sue.
-Watch out for the civilians!
Sue shouted, and without waiting for a response, they both shot skyward.
The group stared at them, their voices caught in their throats.
Valeria looked down, gritting her teeth.
-They're crazy…
-But they're right.
Camilo said, becoming visible for a moment.
-We go on. They're going to rescue Arcadio.
Damian nodded, wiping blood from his nose.
-Let's go. We can't waste what they did for us.
