Atticus's Odyssey: Reincarnated Into A Playground

Coming out of the alleyway, Zoey glanced around, gazing at a group of dwarven men and women gathered nearby, their faces stricken with fear as they stared toward the alleyway.

As their eyes turned to her, they each bowed deeply.

"T-thank you!"

Zoey sighed softly, nodding her head. She turned to the side, looking at the dwarven boy they had just saved.

He was crying in his parents' arms, soaking their clothes with tears. But the parents weren't faring any better, loud wails escaped their mouths as they clung to their boy, unable to keep their composure while still trying to comfort him.

Zoey didn't say anything. It would be wrong to say she felt compassion. In truth, the advent of the apocalypse had taught Zoey something about herself, something that changed how she saw the world. The people.

From the outset, she had wanted to be Eldoralth's savior. She had always believed she was doing this for its people, to be the hero they needed. But only now did Zoey see the truth.

When the world was on the brink, she hadn't felt a shred of compassion. She had realized that even if they all died… she wouldn't care.

Her dream of saving Eldoralth hadn't been for them, it had always been for herself. To give her life meaning. To give herself a purpose.

'You're broken,' Zoey said to herself, shaking her head. She was a person with far more issues than she'd ever like to admit.

'Don't be too hard on yourself, Zoey,' came the petite voice of Lumindra, but Zoey wasn't having it.

She ignored the hateful looks the crowd threw toward the alleyway and broke into a sprint.

There was every likelihood that the dwarven folk would enter the alleyway to kill the unconscious youths who had bullied their kind, but she didn't care.

Her reason for stopping Aurora from killing them earlier wasn't because she cared. Quite the opposite.

If Aurora had killed those vampyros, it would have opened a Pandora's box they weren't ready to deal with.

Though hateful, they were all trapped in this domain. Starting a war in the streets, especially with Zorvan tension boiling, was nothing short of stupid.

And beyond that, the main reason she had stopped Aurora was because of a certain white-haired boy.

Going down that path, especially in rage with her mind clearly not in the right place, would do more harm than good.

Zoey caught up to the storming Aurora and Kael after a few seconds, stopping beside her.

"I'm sorry about before," she said.

Aurora paused, sending her a glare. Her body still radiated heat, still clearly pissed.

She sharply turned away, taking in a deep breath to calm her nerves. She began walking at a slower pace, a bit more composed. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

Zoey smiled faintly and began walking with her. "It's fine. I unde—"

She caught herself before making the same mistake again. "I won't claim to understand what you're going through. But I want you to know, we're all going through the same."

Zoey's eyes dropped to see Aurora suddenly clenching her fists. During the apocalypse, she had come to realize that Aurora was one of the few people she could relate to. At least, the one she could see.

They both felt powerless. Both felt useless. Both wanted to be of some help to… him.

This was why they were doing this. The higher-ups only cared about the outside world, the Zorvan threat and keeping the aegis shield intact. No one was paying attention to the chaos within. The brutality.

Neither of them had the power to join the battles outside, but sitting idle wasn't an option either. That helplessness would destroy them.

That's why they were in the streets, trying their best to stop the chaos from eating them alive. Thrusting people from different societal classes into the same space was bound to end in blood.

Neither of them spoke after that.

Kael had never been one for words. He followed silently behind the two breathtaking women, but his hardened gaze and clenched fists told a different story, one that said exactly how he was feeling.

The trio continued their walk, ignoring the gloom around them.

Thirteen races living in one domain had turned many homeless. People begged for food on the streets, makeshift tents and crude living spaces now littering the paved roads that were once meant for vehicles.

Doors were shut tight; none of the Evolari, or the lucky few who had secured living spaces, had any intention of helping.

Still, as people fought to fill their stomachs, their fear-stricken eyes occasionally lifted to the blue dome that had become their world, praying, hoping that somehow, everything would be alright.

Then, the sound of battle reached their ears.

They met each other's eyes before breaking into a sprint.

Moments later, they arrived at another alleyway, just in time to see a girl who looked every bit the part of an ice goddess slam her fist into the chin of a demon youth, knocking him out cold.

But she wasn't alone.

A buff boy and a more toned youth moved alongside her, unleashing brutal strikes in perfect rhythm, rendering their opponents unconscious within seconds.

Their eyes shifted past the brawl to see a young human girl sprawled on the ground, bruised, bleeding, crying. Another victim.

As the demon perpetrators collapsed one after the other, a familiar, excited voice rang out.

"Damn, bro! How strong are you? You lifted that demon with one hand!"

It was Caldor, still somehow unaffected by the gloom of the apocalypse. He jogged toward the buff boy, Nate, gawking at his massive frame like a fanboy.

But Nate didn't react. Zoey noted it immediately. He was the type of person who normally would've gotten along with Caldor just fine, but something had changed since the military camp incident.

He'd lost that usual vigor, that bubbly spark. He was quieter now. Composed. Focused. Like a child suddenly burdened with a purpose too heavy for his age.

"Hey!" Aurora called out, catching their attention.

"Oh, it's you guys. What's good?" Caldor greeted with a grin.

"We were just passing by," Aurora said as they walked up. "Heard the sound of battle and thought we should check it out."

"Oh," Caldor shrugged with a smile. "We were just handling some demon bullies. How's your day been? Any fights?"

Just as Aurora was about to answer, a low voice cut through the alley.

"Hey."

It was Ember. She didn't stop, didn't wait, just walked past them with a curt nod. "Let's go," she said flatly, already heading out.

Caldor scratched his head with a helpless smile. "We've got work to do. We'll talk later." He shot a glance at Nate, who followed him without a word.

Aurora didn't reply. She just stared at Ember's back, silent.

Zoey could claim that she understood Aurora, but reverse wasn't the case. Instead, Aurora felt Ember. Both had stood in Atticus's shadow the longest.

"Let's go."

At Kael's voice, Aurora sighed, then turned to follow. Zoey and Kael moved alongside her.

They walked just a few meters behind Ember and the others, eyes scanning the streets for any sign of violence. This part of the domain was filled with the lower class, one whose strength they could manage.

Each of them was lost in their own thoughts as they walked.

This was their new reality. Their new world.

But that too… was coming to an end.

Without warning, a blackness swept across the domain, halting them in their tracks.

Their eyes shot upward, and their hearts dropped.

An abyssal darkness had engulfed the skies.

And in the next instant… the dome that had become their world, shattered.