SYSTEM ASCENSION

The tournament was abruptly cut off as Kael dived through the audience, with wings so majestic that everyone stared in awe. He looked around and located the direction the royal family had occupied. He didn’t even get to Elias before he tossed Carlel like a rag doll.

”No, wait —Aaaaarrrrrgggggghhhhh!” She came flying, yelling at the top of her lungs.

Elias caught the sound and tilted his head. ”Brin.”

His sister burst out from behind him, jumping up in the air and caught Carlel. The crowd were already bickering in confusion.

Richard sighed. His eyes roamed the arena, or perhaps he was looking furthur than he appeared to. He slowly stood up. ”They didn’t even wait for the tournament to reach its peak.” He sighed. ”Where’s little Arthur?”

”Left him with some really jobless.” Elias said. Then he stood up and walked away.

”Someone really—” Richard’s was saying , but he stopped when he spotted the leading family of salvador empire. Rowen was carrying the child.

”Did they come here to babysit?”

He began walking. ”Brin and Jordan, protect the girl.”

”Yes father.” Brin replied, tightening her hand on Carlel who was still whimpering.

Jordan just continued to stare at the confused fighters.

Elias met up with Kael who had landed. ”Tell everyone to lock their vital energies around themselves.”

Kael squinted his brows. ”But they are already doing that!”

”They might wanna squeeze out every last drop.”

An explosion suddenly occurred in the distance. A mountain top was carved out. Stones rain down on the buildings.

Elias glanced at Kael. ”Go.”

Kael took flight again and returned to the fortress.

Jordan landed beside Elias. ”I think this is the time where we send those nuisances back.”

Elias raised a brow. ”You think?” He began to walk above. ”Get people to prepare the portal and sound the bell.”

Jordan turned around.

”Sound the bell!”

All the congregation rose up immediately. They began to gather the children. Even with the massive explosion, they were all coordinated, moving in haste and silence. A massive bell rang out on the edge of the city, and almost immediately another one followed.

Bells began to ring all around, as the guards led the people out.

___

The leading family had already moved as soon as the explosion happened. Since Rowen couldn’t locate the Authur’s family in the crowd, he ended up going to the fortress with the child in his arm.

When they arrived, the students were coating themselves in multiple layers of energy.

”Everyone alright?” He inquired.

”Yes sir!”

He noticed the overflowing energy and narrowed his eyes.

”Elias instructed it.” Kael said.

Lady Hinger looked at the city. ”For now, let’s find somewhere safe to—”

The ground began to vibrate beneath them. Stones and tiles rattled and pulled out.

They glanced around.

”What’s going on?”

The shaking increased, and they had to grab on to themselves to stay upright.

”Are we dying?!” Bora was the first to break into tears. ”I want to go home!”

”Gald we’re on the same page.” A voice replied.

They all turned. A massive number of gryphons had approached them, and Jordan was leading them.

”Get on!”

They automatically picked one and mounted it. The creatures took flight above the houses, then Jordan flew away from them. Once he had given them a gap, he released his energy into the air.

Even with the distance, the students felt it. But it wasn’t just him — a whole lot of Black Empire residents were releasing their energy into the air. Not just adults, but children. The energy in the air increased drastically.

”Look!” Kael pointed to a bridge. ”It’s Elias.”

They all frowned at him. ”We can’t see that far!”

”Um, guys,” Tiana called. ”The water level is dropping.”

They all looked down.

”No, the ground is rising.” Tyler narrowed his eyes.

They looked around, mouths dropping.

”The island is going afloat?!” They exclaimed.

They watched as the pointy edges drove into the sky. Bridges, chains clanged as they struck themselves. Monsters roared at the sudden movement. The bells rang louder.

The whole island left the ground and settled in the sky.

They were speechless.

One student forgot himself, and the energy around him dispersed. He was instantly hit with a backlash so great he convulsed midair and fell out of the gryphon.

He headed down and fell fast for the ground before Kael quickly caught him.

”What’s going on?” The rest began to panic.

”Anyone who’s not a Black Empire citizen would face a backlash if the island is off the ground,” A gryphon flew to them and Rory was riding it. ”You’ll lose breath, start hallucinating, and then your core will crack.”

They all flinched.

”Come with me. Trip is over!” She turned the gryphon.

”Yaall!”

The rest followed her own to the main palace. They drove fast through the moving structures and entered the palace through the palace window. All the gryphons landed. She dismounted and then waved at them to follow. She led them underground.

They walked for three minutes until they finally got to a room. Something that looked like a teleportation device sat in the middle. She spinned it and inserted a code. The portal swirled into life.

”Trip ends here. Go!”

The words barely landed before the students began to stumble through, pushing themselves and bickering.

”Get out of the way!”

”Me first.”

She rolled her eyes. ”Pathetic.”

Kael tossed the unconscious boy in.

When most of them had already gone through, she glanced at the rest of them.

”Not leaving?” she glanced around. ”Where are the adults?”

Apparently, the leading family were already halfway through the city, running to the edge of the floating city and diving down.

”Buckle up people,” Tyler yawned. ”Don’t shit your pants.”

”Language, your highness.” Davon rolled his eyes.

”Don’t start bickering.” Fayera smiled.

”We can help with evacuation at least.” Lane shrugged.

”I wish I had followed.” Anya cried.

”The portal is still open.” Tiana pointed.

Claude laughed. ”C’mon, let’s go.”