In the Evacuated Plaza - in the meanwhile
"Mommy... sniff... I'm so scared..." Groups of refugees were huddled together in a makeshift camp, hidden by monstrous magic to protect them from the attackers outside. Some had different shapes, different otherwordly forms, but they reunited and tried to comfort one another. Others trembled alone, looking outside this dark catbox anxiously.
The women and children were brought to a different camp. They were important to ensure the future of the next generation, so they couldn't come to harm. However, this only caused more unease. While the seraph and the new de facto ruler fought, their future was anything but certain.
The only thing they knew right now was their fear.
"I hope it's over soon. Today was too exhausting." A sickly woman with dark organisms as amputated appendages smiled sadly. This was a sentiment they all shared, surely. Columbia, that dark being, and now Little Russia. It didn't even matter who took the mantle, they were always the ones suffering because of it. The replaceable ones. To be killed for just existing, or exploited for just existing. They never had a damn choice.
And yet, some of them hoped. Others prayed. A woman embraced her friend for the first time in a while, after all these senseless conflicts. Maybe these new bodies weren't so bad.
"Do you think after all this, we can finally be free?"
"Yeah."
Two hands connected, and smiles glanced at each other. No matter what form, or no matter how long... they were hoping that a miracle would let them endure. Free them and bring them to a promised land, without war. With milk and honey flowing in abundance, where they could bear children and live without fear or suffering.
But what was freedom?
Could that even be attained?
The cold truth they all knew is that in this world, even if you scratched and upturned every atom, every speck of matter... you wouldn't find a single bit of this so-called freedom. Old world organism, monster, no it wouldn't change anything. But at least, touching their hands, comforting each other. Maybe this was what the world should have been like.
Even for this smallest moment, they were happy.
-crash-
Something, or perhaps someone, descended from the skies. Mud started to sprout from the clouds and drip like rain, but they paid it no mind. How could they?
Pale hands and bloody claws tear against fragile necks. Too fast for them to realize it, those who don't even have the time to panic or scream. Those who did realized what happened, but could do nothing to stop it. The hands that connected dropped to the ground in a pool of mud.
They were free.
An ancient being from another world
"Hah! I guess no matter the era or world, the sun's still a bitch. Too bad, you may taste like shit, but after centuries in the can, I can't complain." A pale hunter grimaced and spat on the ground, realizing just where he landed. It had lacked true sustenance for too long, even the blood of women and babes was fine. Unsatisfied, his grimace turned into a sardonic grin, even as he stared at the horizon.
"How long has it been? Keheheh..." He stomped on a piece of crawling mud, mocking it along with all its murdered comrades. Right, that was one of the old world organisms he just slaughtered. "Ah, being corporeal is much nicer. You filthy old world shits are wasting your time trying to grab at these bodies. I don't give a damn if you tower dwellers try to go for the dregs, but why the fuck would you assume every ancient up there would just let you hog all the fun? Worms who only exist by absorbing weaklings belong in the dirt." The apostle squeezed the last lifeform in the plaza and chuckled, draining its life like all the rest.
It was too late.
It had already been far too late.
Thus, he left. Leaving nothing more than torn carcasses behind, and the hands of two friends held connected under the fading sun. Like a prisoner who had just seen light after 10 000 years, and was absolutely going to be an upstanding paroled convict.
"Thanks for the meal, ladies."
