ANGEL'S LANDING | BL

CHAPTER 3 | THE INVASION

"The demons are attacking Earth!"

"Run!! Run for your lives!"

"Somebody, save us!!"

Shouts of horror sounded throughout the streets as people began fleeing the sudden warzone.

"They're going for the Transport Tower!"

"Hades is invading!"

Axel's breathing intensified as his gaze was drawn back to the boy in his arms. Warmth soaked through his uniform as Jay's blood covered his hands and arms. "Jay..."

Jay's eyes fluttered as he fought to keep them open. "Run, Axel..." His voice was weak, but he clung to Axel as he pleaded for his friend to leave. "You gotta...you gotta get out of here."

"I-I can't leave you." Axel shook his head in protest. Getting a strong grip on his friend, Axel stood to his feet and cradled Jay in his arms as he stumbled toward a building awning.

"Listen to me, Axel. It's not...it's not safe...please...go..."

Tears entered Axel's eyes when he felt Jay's grip on him loosen. Stopping and dropping to one knee, Axel cradled Jay's head as his friend coughed up yet another clot of blood. "Jay...Jay!"

Feeling his lifeline slipping from him, Jay mustered up the remainder of his strength to say something that he had been meaning to tell Axel. "Thank you...for being...my...friend..."

Axel filled with despair when Jay's hand dropped to his side, and his eyes fell closed. "Jay...Jay?!!" Tears flooded Axel's vision as he held Jay's lifeless body in his arms. "No, no, no...Jay...!"

Bodies lay strewn out across the streets as demons swarmed the city, massacring everyone in their path. Buildings tumbled to the ground after being shattered by bomb after bomb. Dust and fire consumed Harlim as it morphed into a battlefield of concrete, steel, and glass. The military soon began to confront the demons sweeping the city, and all forces from the Heavens present in the city at that time gave their all to protect the citizens of Harlim.

A massive explosion sounded from the city's center. Axel looked up from Jay's body to see the Transport Tower engulfed in flames. Taking down the Transport Tower connecting Earth to the Heavens seemed to be the demons' primary goal in the attack. Cutting off Earth's connection to the Heavens would prevent any extra forces from being immediately sent down to aid in the planet's defense.

A sudden rush of strangers fleeing a group of demons raced by Axel as he continued to hold Jay in his arms. "Help, please!" Axel began grasping at those passing by him, desperate for someone to save Jay. "My friend...my friend. Please, help!"

Most did not even bother to look at Axel as he pleaded for help. Some shrugged him off while others scorned him for trying to harm them. However, a pair of hands underneath his arms brought Axel to his feet, startling him.

"Pull yourself together, kid! Your friend is dead. It's time to save yourself, now," a man said as he began leading Axel away from Jay.

"No, my friend...I can't leave him," Axel protested and began fighting against the man.

"Student, listen to me," the man said, wrapping his arms around Axel's chest, keeping him from running back to the body on the ground. "Your friend would want you to live. Trust me."

The man's words caused Axel to stop struggling against him. "You gotta get out of here." Jay's words echoed through Axel's mind as he let the man lead him away from the body.

"There's nothing you can do for him right now. If you must take the body, come back in a few days once this district has been cleared."

"Jay..." Turning, Axel looked behind to see Jay's body being trampled by those fleeing from the horde of demons. No matter how much he knew the man's words were right — that he needed to flee, to run away — Axel could not stop himself from jerking his wrist out of the man's grasp and running back to Jay.