The ground shook, and the sky trembled. Lightning arced through the sky, even though there was no visible storm for miles. Floods swept across the land, even though not a single drop of rain fell. The ambient mana, which normally brought with it the breath of life, now whispered death in the ears of many. 

Two great powers clashed under the gaze of a bright red star. On one side our soldiers chanted, their voices in unison, their heads held high. They glorified the name of our empire, singing its praises to bolster themselves and their morale. 

On the other side was a sea of frenzied beasts, or at least that’s what I could hope to describe them as. 

They fell from rifts formed in the sky and devoured anything they came in contact with. Eventually, they transform into stomach churning amalgamations of all they have consumed. 

I stood at the rear, overseeing the battle from a nearby hill. Even though I lead in the war chants, the words could not feel more bittersweet.

After all, this has been a calamity of our making.

Even with all our scholars and academics, strategists and diviners, did we really not see this coming? 

Maybe we did, but chose to ignore the warning signs.

To make a deal with the devil and hope the price won’t be too severe.

“Commander.” A young scout shouted from my side. “They have broken through to the 5th battalion’s barrier.”

They were gaining ground. The inhuman things broke through our strategies and planning with sheer numbers alone. After years of battling, they seemed to have gained sentience and now followed the command of their more evolved kin. Walking calamities that could squash entire cities with a single footfall.

“Hold the line,” I replied. “Request backup from the other troop commanders and organize a pincer attack. We cannot let them get to this gate, no matter what.” 

“But sir, they are also short on men.” 

“Just do it. This takes priority. This is an important choke point. If we lose it, defending the gate would be significantly more difficult.”

I turned to the east, expecting a separate battle, one even more ferocious than this one. Instead, I found nothing but an empty sky.

I turned to the shivering scout and pulled him closer.

“Where are our Demigods?” 

He closed his eyes, and his mana shot out into seven different directions. He then opened his eyes, a forlorn look on his face.

“Five are still engaged with our enemy’s elites.” 

“And the one to the east?”

“I could not establish contact.”

“Damn it.”

I turned once again to look at the battlefield and watched in horrified awe as a large crack split the earth in two, swallowing all unfortunate enough to stand in its path. 

Is this world even worth saving?

With the constant use of large-scale magic, the ambient mana had become warped and twisted. Even if we win this war, this planet would remain uninhabitable for decades to come. 

An angelic being with two pairs of white wings descended. Her pale face was covered in cuts and dried blood. Her half white, half black hair, matted and torn in some places. Two of her four wings were left broken and battered. Her expression remained emotionless, but her intense gaze burned holes through my skull.

One we considered being a demigod, a being that stood at the pinnacle of the mortal realm, chosen by a god to command as their avatar.

“Commander Altair, my goddess, has spoken. Take your troops, return to the gate, and leave this planet.”

“Your excellency, Astera, for what reason?”

Her face devolved into an irritated scowl, and her hand reached for my throat. Her slender arm hoisted me into the air, leaving me gasping for breath.

“Don’t question me. Despite your kind’s betrayal, the gods have shown you mercy. Now leave my sight.”

She threw me to the side and watched as I struggled to get to my feet. 

I looked into her eyes and took in a breath.

“We can still—”

The red star released a pulse of sickening energy, causing me to fall back to my knees. I looked up and witnessed thousands more of these entities pour out from a newly formed rift.

Astera, on the other hand, remained on her two feet, unfazed by the sudden burst of energy.

“The elder god will wipe this entire planetary system from existence. Unless you wish to join us in the afterlife. I suggest you go now.” 

She then flew off without saying another word.

Unable to voice my concerns, I commanded my soldiers to retreat.

Surrounded by enemies on all sides, we fought our way back to the planetary gate. 

Out of the ten thousand men entrusted to me, only a few hundred made it back to the gate.

“We shall enter the gate.” I said. “What coordinates are they set to?”

“I don’t know,” the scout replied. “It won’t let me access the exit point.”

“We have no choice then.”

After my entire company entered the portal, I alone stood near the entrance. I wanted to have one last look at my home world before I left. 

How did it come to this?

A second flash of light pulsed through the sky. This time it wasn’t the red star, but our very own. It expanded rapidly, washing away the red light, and leaving nothing but a brilliant white. I felt my skin sizzle under the heat, and the smell of burnt hair wafted into my nostrils.

How could I have prevented this?

I walked towards the gate, ignoring the pain that spread over my body. If mana wasn’t protecting me, I would have become a charred husk. 

In the distance, the ground exploded, liquefying as divine retribution rained from above.

I was nothing but a cog in the machine, but even a single rebellious cog could halt an entire system.

I gritted my teeth, holding back the tears as I entered the gate.

If only I tried to convince them otherwise.

If only I were stronger.

If only I had taken that first step.

Maybe this would have never happened.