Wanderer Ch 16: The Eye Beyond The Clouds!

(Thalassa)

I gazed down at the planet floating before me, and a smile crept across my lips. It was almost unbelievable that this was the place we'd been searching for. At first glance, it didn't seem like much—just another small, fragile world. But as I scanned the minds of a few inhabitants, I knew without a doubt that this was it. Somewhere on this tiny globe was the man I had been looking for. The answers I sought were closer than ever.

There was just one question.

"How are we going to find him?" I muttered to myself, leaning in slightly. I brought my face closer to the planet's surface, careful not to disturb the fragile ozone layer with even the smallest of breaths.

"So this is the planet we traveled so far to find?" Eclipsa floated beside me, her tone dripping with disdain. "It looks weak. And far too bright."

I rolled my eyes. Typical Eclipsa. I couldn't entirely disagree—this planet wasn't much larger than my palm—but we had more important things to focus on right now.

"We need to be careful," I said, casting a wary glance at my sister. Eclipsa had a fondness for destruction, especially when it came to delicate little planets like this. One wrong move, and she could obliterate the place with a sigh.

"Oh, hush," she said, dismissing my concern with a wave. "You know I can be careful when I want to be."

"Uh-huh," I replied, unconvinced, as I focused my vision back on the planet. My eyes swept over the inhabitants, one by one. This wasn't going to be easy. We were searching for the one being that stood out from the rest of these insignificant creatures.

"But then again," I muttered, rubbing my temple in frustration, "this might take a while."

I glanced over at Eclipsa and, despite myself, smiled. Her eyes were glowing crimson as she scanned the surface, just like I was. For all her faults, my sister was someone I could rely on when it mattered most. Destructive, chaotic, and reckless, yes—but when it came to a task like this, she was as focused as I was.

Together, we searched, our vision cutting through clouds, cities, and forests, seeking the one insect that was different from all the rest.

"Where are you?" I whispered to the planet below.

***

(Jack)

I bolted through the chaotic lab, ignoring the shouts of panic and the violent tremors rattling the building. Every step had to be precise. Electric sparks shot from the walls as high-tech wiring ripped free, hanging like deadly snakes, hissing with lethal energy. One wrong move, one brush against those wires, and I'd be nothing but ash.

"Watch out!" Ko Jaro shouted, grabbing the back of my shirt and yanking me backward.

I stumbled just in time to avoid a thick black cable that crashed to the floor where I had been standing. The ground shook beneath its weight.

"T-thanks," I gasped, glancing back at Ko Jaro, his face calm despite the chaos. He only nodded, his eyes sharp as he scanned our surroundings.

We continued through the wreckage of the lab, dodging falling debris and electrical surges. The walls were trembling, threatening to collapse at any moment, but we pressed on. Finally, we burst through the doors and out into the open air, where the sight that awaited me nearly stopped my heart.

The sky was still that eerie, unsettling shade—the color of living skin. Above us, stretching endlessly across the horizon, was a wall of flesh so vast it seemed to block out the heavens. The planet was covered in shadow, cast by this colossal being looming over us like a god.

"My god," I whispered in disbelief, staring up at the enormous, unblinking golden eye that watched us from beyond the atmosphere. It was as if the very sky had turned into flesh, its gaze piercing down at the world.

A tug on my arm brought me back to reality. Ko Jaro pulled at me urgently, his expression calm but firm. "Come," he said, voice steady despite the insanity around us.

I shook my head, trying to focus, and nodded. "Lead the way."

The ground shook beneath my feet, the violent tremors making it hard to keep my balance as I sprinted through the chaos. Everywhere I looked, destruction stretched out before me like a nightmare come to life. Massive bronze buildings, once shimmering in the daylight, now lay shattered, their proud walls reduced to rubble. The streets were cracked wide open, jagged chasms that threatened to swallow me whole with every misstep.

The air was filled with the sound of collapsing structures, the metallic groan of bronze tearing apart, and the screams of the Krugar people. Sparks from fallen electrical wires ignited fires, casting an eerie glow across the cracked ground. I barely had time to take it all in as I ran, Ko Jaro a few steps ahead of me, his pace unwavering despite the chaos.

But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw them—the Krugars. They stood frozen, scattered among the destruction, their eyes locked upward toward the sky. Each of them glowed with a strange, otherworldly light—a mix of yellow and blue that flickered across their bodies. It was like they were radiating energy, but not in a way that seemed natural.

Their whole bodies shook, trembling with a fear I could feel in the air around me. I followed their gaze, and when I looked up, I saw it. My heart nearly stopped.

A massive, glowing blue eye filled the entire sky. It wasn't just large; it was all-encompassing, stretching from horizon to horizon, staring down at the planet as if we were nothing but ants under a magnifying glass. The glow of the eye was so bright it cast a strange, ethereal light over everything, making the destruction around me look almost surreal.

"My god," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the roar of destruction. The sheer size of it... it was like the sky had been replaced with something alive, something incomprehensibly vast. And it was watching us.

I tore my eyes away from the sky and looked back at the nearest Krugar man. He stood there, shaking violently, the yellow and blue light pulsing from his skin. His eyes were wide, filled with terror. Then, without warning, his body seized up, and he collapsed to the ground, foam spilling from his mouth. The glow around him faded, leaving his body still and lifeless.

I felt a cold dread wash over me. Something deep inside told me that whatever that light was, whatever was happening to the Krugars, I couldn't let it touch me. If I did... I knew it wouldn't end well.

"Come on, Jack!" Ko Jaro called, snapping me back to reality.

I nodded, forcing myself to move, to keep running, even though my legs felt like lead. I couldn't afford to stop now. The glowing eye above us hadn't moved—it was still watching, still bearing down on us like some kind of cosmic judge.

We had to get out of here. Fast.