Chapter 242: Do the right thing
The villagers stared in bewilderment as Oswald and his soldiers fended off the stampede with their firearms. The loud bangs of the guns, the sight of the wild animals being repelled, and the precision of the soldiers left the villagers in a state of shock and awe. They had never seen such technology or experienced such power in vast amount.
The number of guns easily overwhelmed them, as they didn't expect such things to exist and they started to understand why Garnt asked them to get used to these types of stuff.
Rona, Unami, and Kara had picked up some of the soldiers' spare rifles, their eyes filled with determination. They were unfamiliar with these weapons, but they quickly adapted, their natural instincts guiding their actions. Oswald couldn't help but be impressed by how quickly these primitive people had taken to the guns.
"Cover the flanks!" he shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "We need to keep the stampede away from the trucks!"
It wasn't a direct order toward the villagers, rather he wanted to make sure they stay with the crowd without going overboard with their weapon skills, after all, he had to make sure to keep his eye on them in case something bad happen.
The soldiers followed his orders, their disciplined movements contrasting sharply with the frenzied stampede. The villagers, still hesitant, began to understand that their survival depended on cooperation with everyone including primitive people.
Rona fired at a charging beast, her aim unsteady but effective. "Unami, watch your left!" she called out, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her veins.
Unami nodded, firing her own rifle at another approaching animal. Kara stood beside them, her face set in a mask of concentration as she shot at the stampede, her movements fluid and controlled.
But for some reason, which is unknown for them, most of the animals kept running ignoring them, even though they wanted to kill, as if they were running toward somewhere. Others had no idea what this behaviour meant, but this alone showed that the past was never changed greatly, rather the destiny of these two group of people were the only thing that changed.
While all of this happening, some of Oswald's soldiers glanced at the primitive women who are dressed lightly showing their chest and asses with a mix of curiosity and desire, but they quickly refocused on the task at hand, knowing that their lives depended on their concentration. The situation was too dire for distractions.
But at the same time, this was enough hint about the future conflicts that might appear among the two groups, which was obviously hard to get along with each other. The primtive men who noticed these gazes growled as if they were warning, and if not for the common enemy they are facing now, it would have been a conflict among these two parties.
"Get to the trucks! Now!" Oswald barked, signalling for the villagers to move.
Reluctantly, the villagers began to climb into the military trucks, their fear of the soldiers momentarily overshadowed by the more immediate threat of the stampede. The soldiers formed a protective perimeter, their guns trained on the wild animals.
Luckily, the numbers of vehicles were enough to carry the whole village, so they didn't have to sacrifice anyone for their safety.
As they started the engines and began to move, the ground beneath them started to shake. The sky above them darkened, and a low, menacing growl filled the air that came from the sky itself.
Suddenly, a bright red light streaked across the sky, followed by a deafening explosion in the distance. The ground trembled violently, and a shockwave rippled through the air.
Oswald's eyes widened in realization. "It's the meteor!" he shouted over the noise. "We need to get to the camp, now! And make sure to use the machine with or without Mia."
Panic set in among the soldiers and villagers alike. The trucks roared to life, and they sped away from the chaos, heading towards the relative safety of the military camp.
Meanwhile, in the void between worlds, Garnt faced Mia, who seemed to be unravelling before his eyes. Her expression was vacant, her eyes unfocused as she muttered incoherently.
"Mia," Garnt said softly, trying to reach her. "We can fix this. But you need to trust me."
He knew at this moment , she was vulnerable and decided to take advantage of that, but at the same time, he knew how risky his act was.
Mia's gaze flickered, but her words were still confused. "I... I want to be a god... to control everything..."
Eva's voice echoed in Garnt's mind, filled with urgency.
[Garnt, this is our chance. Use the meteor's power to stabilize her, to take control. You have my knowledge, you can do this. She might not even recognize you, so ask her to make the machine and make things right. If you just whisper the instruction she will do that.]
Garnt hesitated, his mind racing. He knew that what he was about to do was risky, but he had no other choice. He took a deep breath and focused, feeling the chaotic energy of the meteor pulsing around them.
"Mia, listen to me," he said, his voice firm. "I can help you, but you need to let go. You need to trust me. I won't let you down!"
Mia's eyes met his, a flicker of recognition passing through her gaze, but it quickly faded as if everything was blind to her. "You...?"
Garnt nodded, stepping closer. "Yes, Mia. I'm here. Together, we can make things right. But you need to let go of this power. It's tearing you apart."
Mia's expression softened, and for a moment, it seemed like she understood. But then, the wild light returned to her eyes, and she shook her head. "No! I can't... I need this power..."
Garnt reached out, his hand gently resting on her shoulder. "Mia, you don't need to do this alone. Let me help you. After all, I will do anything you want."
Mia kept looking at Garnt with her empty eyes, as if she was trying to make sense of everything, but soon she gave up, as she became a doll that would only do what Garnt said to her. She lost all of her energy, and started to act like a true object.
But at that time, Garnt didn't know the consequences of his words, which will eventually change everything including the fate of the universe, which was about to be decided to by two scientist and a primtive age man.
[Garnt, ask her to do this! Quick, it looks like her power is about to disintegrate this void. I don't know what will happen to us, because all of these are beyond science.]
He could feel the energy of the meteor swirling around them, chaotic and wild. He focused, drawing on the knowledge Eva had given him, and began to stabilize the power. It was a delicate process, one that required immense concentration.
Mia's resistance faltered, and she slumped forward, her body trembling. "I... I don't want to be alone..."
"You won't be," Garnt said softly. "We'll figure this out together. I'll make things right. With this power I will make an extra ordinary world for all of us."
As he worked to stabilize the meteor's power, he could feel Mia's presence growing fainter. It was as if her entire existence was unraveling. He knew he had to act quickly.
"We can't let her die. We need her body, if we want to use this power after all, things have been intregate into her body," Garnt muttered after making a calculated decision.
[Garnt, now is the time. Use the power to anchor her, to bring her back.]
Garnt nodded, his resolve firm. He focused all his energy on stabilizing the meteor's power, feeling it pulse and flow through him. He could sense Mia's essence, fragile and wavering, and he reached out, anchoring her to the energy.
"Mia, stay with me," he whispered, his voice filled with determination. "We can do this."
Mia's eyes flickered, and she seemed to regain a semblance of clarity. "I... I'm sorry..."
"It's okay," Garnt said, his voice gentle. "We'll make things right."
Slowly, he felt the chaotic energy begin to calm, the wild fluctuations stabilizing. Mia's presence grew stronger, more coherent. She looked at him, her eyes filled with gratitude and relief.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Garnt nodded, a small smile on his lips. "We still have a lot to do, but we'll figure it out together."
As the energy around them settled, Garnt felt a sense of peace wash over him. He knew that they had a long road ahead, but for the first time, he felt a glimmer of hope and a sense of freedom.
"What is this? Is this going to make things right?" Garnt questioned as he activated the power of the meteor through Mia, after stabilizing it with the help of Eva.
While this was happening in a realm where the time doesn't exist, back in the real world, Oswald and his group reached the military camp, the ground still trembling from the meteor's impact. They hurried to secure the area, knowing that the real challenge was just beginning.