Chapter 10: The Blur

The sight of the woman collapsing, the visible drain of life force, galvanized Elias into action. There was no more time for hesitation, no more room for doubt. He had to use his abilities, and he had to do it now.

He took a deep breath, focusing his energy, and then he moved.

It wasn’t running. It was something else entirely. His muscles contracted and expanded with a speed and efficiency that felt almost alien, his movements blurring into a white and black streak. He was a force of motion, a whirlwind of controlled energy.

He swept through the crowd of onlookers, his voice a low, amplified rumble that seemed to resonate in their chests. “Everyone, move back! Get to your cars! This is not safe!”

He didn’t wait for them to process. He physically guided them, his hands gently but firmly directing them away from the affected area. He moved with impossible speed, appearing in multiple places at once, his trench coat billowing behind him like a dark shroud.

Panic gave way to confusion, then to a hesitant cooperation. People stared at him in awe and disbelief, their fear momentarily overshadowed by the sheer spectacle of his movement. He was a blur of motion, a guardian angel in black and white, herding them away from the danger.

He worked quickly and efficiently, his enhanced awareness allowing him to anticipate their movements, to avoid collisions, to ensure everyone was moving towards safety. Within moments, the immediate area around the object was clear, the crowd of onlookers safely behind a hastily established perimeter of emergency vehicles.

With the immediate threat to the civilians neutralized, Elias turned his attention to the hovering object. It continued to pulse and drain, the energy tendrils now visibly glowing with a faint, malevolent light.

He knew he couldn’t fight it with brute force. He didn’t understand its technology, its energy source, or its purpose. But perhaps, just perhaps, he could try to communicate.

He approached the edge of the affected area, his senses screaming at him to stay back. The static in the air was intense here, the whine in his head almost deafening.

He stopped a safe distance away, his gaze fixed on the pulsating light. He tried to project his thoughts, his intentions, outwards, towards the object. It wasn’t telepathy, not exactly, but a focused attempt to convey a sense of peace, a plea for understanding.

“We don’t understand what you are,” he projected, his voice a silent whisper in his mind. “But you’re hurting us. Please stop.”

He held out his hands, palms open, a gesture of peace and vulnerability. He tried to radiate calm, to suppress the fear and anger that threatened to overwhelm him.

The object pulsed in response, the light within it flickering erratically. The energy tendrils writhed and twisted, their glow intensifying.

It was unclear if it was understanding him, if it was even capable of understanding. But it was definitely reacting.