[Attempting to Fix Error]

  [Restarting System]

  [Resyncing Database]

  [Error Patched]

  [Tutorial Ready]

  —-

  Sam just sat in shock as he tried to explain what was happening in front of him.

  What am I witnessing? How are there twelve Vice-Captain Rush’s standing in front of me right now? I know that the power of the moon fragments is great, but this does not seem to stem from the fragments as a power source. Some sort of mass hallucination, or maybe some really effective cloning technology. Maybe some-

  Rush, the original Rush, coughed, startling Sam out of his thoughts.

  “I would explain, but since you guys haven’t even heard of the estuary, there’s literally no point in trying to explain the concept of my power. Just know this. You are no match for a Beta User and the benefits being one provides- even if my role is not one of combat. Even if one of you eventually awakens combat potential, I doubt that you would be able to defeat me.”

  He paused, looking up into the sky.

  Far above the N.E. Sacrifice, a small dot had appeared. The Rush’s all looked up to the original Rush.

  “Shit, I didn’t expect to have company so soon.”

  The dot got closer, and Sam was able to gather an idea of what was happening.

  Someone is coming. They have some sort of flight capabilities. But how in the world is a human flying?

  Since he was paying attention to the ever growing dot- that wasn’t any normal dot- falling through the sky, he failed to notice what Rush was up to. A strange token has formed from sparks in Rush’s hand. As the figure flew ever closer to the N.E. Sacrifice, a strange sound resounded on the deck of the ship.

  A sound that Sam could only describe as a castle made entirely of glass being shattered.

  Above the deck of the N.E. Sacrifice, a black gateway appeared. It was quite big, easily encompassing enough area to fit everyone on board inside of it.

  Immediately, a perilous feeling of dread took a hold on Sam.

  I need to get away from here.

  Sam immediately started moving away, and several others did as well, while the rest stood there, their fear rooting them in place. Sam didn’t look around, but if he would have, he would have noticed that Mantis had a slight mischievous grin on his face. Mantis was also running away from the gateway, but not in a panicked hurry like everyone else was. He led his group a few steps back and then turned around to face the blackened gate.

  Mo was also running away, and was trying his best to catch up to Sam, but even though Sam was stuck in his wheelchair, he had gotten a significant head start compared to everyone else, and was zeroed in on getting away from the gate as fast as possible.

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  However, it didn’t matter.

  A dark pulse escaped the void-like gate, vaporizing about half of the people on board the ship who had failed to start moving away from the gate in time. Shortly after, strange whip-like constructs came out of the gateway, and started grasping people and dragging them towards the gateway, like a chameleon pulling insects in with its sticky tongue. Everyone besides Rush and its doppelgangers was latched onto, and pulled towards the looming gateway.

  Everyone remaining was slowly dragged towards the gateway, their screams dying out as they were pulled through. Mantis and his group were some of the first through, along with a few others who had only just started running away from the gateway. Those who had left earlier, or were more physically fit were dragged along next, still screaming and trying to escape the inescapable. Besides Sam, Mo was the farthest away, so after everyone else had been pulled through, he shouted to Sam.

  “Don’t worry about me Sam, just focus on yourself. I don’t want you to take on more than you can handle.”

  Struggling against the constructs as much as a half-paralyzed person could, Sam shouted back.

  “Mo I swear, if you die, I'm killing you myself.”

  Hearing those words gave Mo a burst of energy and adrenaline.

  Enough to do what no one else had.

  Using his formidable muscles that he had obtained from years of weight training and coaching boxing, along with the surge of strange energy he was feeling, Mo resisted the constructs and pulled himself away from the gateway. He delivered a swift punch to the construct pulling Sam in, and pulling off something no one else had, he severed the construct completely. The limb fell to the deck.

  Looking up to Sam, Mo shouted.

  “Go on. Get away from this. I took someone else’s place on this ship so I could protect you, so please. Get the fuck away from here.”

  As he was screaming, more constructs manifested, wrapping around Mo like a spider wraps webs around its prey, and a new, bulkier and stronger construct pierced the air towards Sam.

  Without saying a word, Sam turned around and started wheeling away as fast as he could, but his efforts were futile. The construct easily caught up to him, wrapping itself around his waist and pulling him from his wheelchair, so even if he managed to escape again he would be immobilized.

  As Sam was being pulled in, he saw Mo’s struggle against the constructs. He had managed to sever a few others, but they just kept manifesting and wrapping themselves around him, overwhelming him with numbers. Eventually, he was pulled into the gateway as well.

  Now alone, Sam had nothing to do except wait patiently as he was dragged towards the gateway. That was until he remembered the “dot” that was rapidly approaching the ship.

  Looking up, Sam was startled by what he saw. Moving towards the ship, at breakneck speeds, was a human. A human with wings growing out of their back, reminding Sam of the wings that the mythical creatures griffins had. Sam was unable to fully comprehend what was happening before the person reached the deck of the ship and crashed into Rush and his doppelgangers.

  Before Sam was even able to react, the figure, now clearly identifiable as a young woman, rushed away from where she had crash landed. She quickly ran towards the construct holding Sam in place, severing it even with its bulky nature.

  Turning towards Sam, she spoke in an even tone.

  “I’ll explain everything once you’re through. Please just trust me.”

  Manifesting a token similar to the one that Rush had, she clenched her fist and broke it. This time, what happened next was silent. The gateway that Rush had opened was closed, and a new, sky blue rift appeared in front of the woman.

  “Come on let’s g-”

  Rush screeched out, obviously still reeling from his impact with the winged woman.

  “NO. I cannot let you take him. He is the one of most importance to my God. Do you wish to make an enemy out of the Vanished?”

  Without even turning to face him, the woman responded.

  “If I was worried about that, I wouldn’t be here now would I.”

  Without skipping a beat, the woman walked towards Sam and picked him up. Carrying him with inhuman strength, she made her way towards the new gateway.

  “Alright, bye bye sweetcheeks. I’ll see you when I’m finished with my business on this side, ok?.”

  Before he even had a chance to respond, Sam was unceremoniously shoved through the gateway.

  Stripped of all of his senses, Sam was struggling to gather his thoughts and make sense of the situation. Then, a neutral voice resounded throughout his head.

  [Welcome to The Estuary, Sam Thorn.]