The evacuation tent was full of sound—coughing, crying, medical equipment, all blending into one noise. I sat silently in the corner, hugging my knees, not sure what to feel. The shock still hadn't worn off.
Even though I had been found and evacuated after several hours, my heart still ached with regret for my own carelessness.
In front of me, a news screen flickered with the cold voice of the anchor.
"An unidentified giant monster that emerged in downtown Shionra earlier this morning… has now spread widely, moving erratically without a clear direction."
"Not only has it devastated Shionra, the creature has reportedly reached the regions of Zepharia, Ignisora, and Thalmera. Major destruction confirmed. Mass evacuations are underway."
"Elemental wielders—of wind, fire, and water—have now appeared in their respective regions to contain the impact of the creature's rampage."
I slowly looked up.
"Elemental wielders…?"
The words left my lips without me realizing it.
"They're real…?"
My hands trembled. In my mind, that sketch reappeared—the one I saw last night. The giant monster. The ruined city. That bold headline…
"THE RISE OF THE BEHEMOTH SHOCKS THE CITY."
My eyes burned. My throat closed.
"I… should have believed it."
"What have I done…?"
---
Dominatus, the government of Shionra City.
Cigarette smoke curled slowly in the dim room. The walls were silent, as if they held too many secrets. Four old chairs, four figures who had sat in them too long. One of them placed a newspaper on the glass table—still warm from the press.
"THE RISE OF THE BEHEMOTH SHOCKS THE CITY."
He hissed under his breath. "What the hell is this…?" His hoarse voice slipped between heavy breaths.
The second figure smirked, swirling a glass of wine that no longer had the power to intoxicate them. "Ironic. We've spent over half our lives and decades managing the Elemental Wielders… controlling information… restricting territory movement… and yet something shows up beyond our awareness."
The third stared at the large screen, showing chaotic footage from Shionra City—reporter voices distorted by screams and rumbling. "This wasn't part of the plan. None of the underground scanners detected tremors before the emergence. And it happened in the city zone—the center of Shionra itself."
The fourth, the quietest of them all, finally spoke. His voice was slow, but sharp. "That creature… it isn't from our era. It's older. It came from a time before our dominion began. Maybe even before the world understood the concept of control."
His words thickened the air. Silent, yet heavy. But within that silence, it wasn't fear that grew—it was strategy. Calculation. The arrogance of those who believed they knew everything… until the world reminded them otherwise.
"So?" muttered the first. "We let our city—our power—get crushed by a nameless ancient beast?"
The third figure stood slowly. His shadow danced across the wall, stretched and warped by red light. "We'll show the world that even ancient miracles… must kneel."
No one spoke. But slow nods followed, one by one.
Finally, the figure in the lead chair tapped the table three times.
"Send her in."