CHAMPIONS (The Lost Chronicles of Eden, #1) [Published]

21: NOT ABOUT WHAT'S IN FRONT BUT WHAT'S BEHIND

21: NOT ABOUT WHAT'S IN FRONT, BUT WHAT'S BEHIND

When Joana screamed, all hell broke lose.

Hundreds of grown men and women started to scream as well. The sudden noise sent chills running Gabriel's spine. His heart was suddenly gripped with fear so strong, it paralyzed him.

Something dark and evil suddenly closed in on Gabriel. Something strong, something heavy. It felt sinister, like a thousand different faces and voices of terror coming together into one oppressive entity.

A scream tore out of Gabriel's throat. It was echoed by a hundred different screams, all ripped out of the hearts and souls of every Guardian in the Pass.

The mist flew into the length of the passage, slithering through every person in the Pass, carrying their screams away with it, until it stopped a few yards away from the Guardians.

Gabriel was still screaming, but no voice came out.

The mist stole his voice. The mist took his terror and merged it with the thousand different fears of his comrades.

Slowly, right in front of their eyes, the black mist carrying the cacophony of frightful screams merged together. out of the smoke grew bones, and out of the bones grew flesh. out of the flesh ran blood, thick, dark, almost black. The beast was slowly coming into being, and they could do nothing but watch in terror, their mouths open in a silent scream.

The beast was a giant bull with four horns and two faces. It had the front legs of a horse and hind legs of a dragon. It had wings spanning the entire width of the passage and claws longer than an ordinary Guardian's sword.

But none of them saw the beast.

They saw their fears coming to life, in rotting flesh and dark, crimson blood, right in front of their eyes.

No one could draw his or her weapons, for how did one draw weapon against their worst fears?

Some saw death. They saw the rotting faces of their loved ones, accusing them of failing in the mission. Some saw demons, vicious, powerful, dangerous, coming at them before they could even lift their swords. Some saw insects morphing into giant beasts, attacking villages, eating children, killing men and women.

Gabriel saw water. Dark, murky, thick, black, closing in on him, drawing him close, enveloping him in darkness, pouring into him, drowning him.

Solenn saw fire. Dancing flames burning bright and furious, scorching everything - her house, her forest, her friends, her mother, Solomon - until all that's left was ashes and embers.

Selina saw darkness. Everything was pitch black. She couldn't hear anything, see anything, feel anything, smell anything. It was just a void.

Joana saw failure. She saw the disappointed look on Gideon's face, the victorious sneers on the other Champions' faces, and the entire city of Cielos falling to Astana because she didn't bring them to Gate Pandora on time.

Solomon saw a thousand different choices, a thousand different possibilities, all of them leading to one thing - the death of his mother.

Mateo saw Cielos crumbling into a city of broken glass. The towers had collapsed and the Flaming Sword, the symbol of their duty, had died out.

Lukas saw his hands turning black, decaying, rotting, falling apart until all that's left were bones. He knew it was his punishment for not using his Triune-given power to heal Solenn fully.

"I couldn't!" Lukas said."The poison was going to transfer to me! I don't want to die!"