Chapter 56 The Last Evacuation

Chapter 56 The Last Evacuation
Rescue teams rushed inside the stabilized structure, pulling survivors from the wreckage as fast as possible.

I stood in the plaza with my arms still spread wide, every muscle screaming as I held the entire facility suspended in the air. Sweat poured down my face in heavy streams, stinging my eyes and mixing with the dust and ash. My hands trembled uncontrollably, fingers locked in position as if they might snap at any moment.

Soren stayed right beside me, his voice steady but urgent. “You’re doing it, Elias. They’re moving faster now. The teams are pulling people out from the lower levels. Just hold on a little longer.”

“I’m trying,” I gasped, my voice raw and broken. “But it’s getting harder. Every second feels like it’s tearing me apart. The Core… it doesn’t want to hold anymore. It wants to let go. It wants everything to fall.”

Rescue workers shouted inside the building, their voices carrying faintly through the broken windows. “We’ve got another group! Move! Move! Keep them moving toward the exit!”

Each passing second increased the strain on my body. My shoulders burned like fire. My spine felt like it was being crushed under the invisible weight. My vision blurred at the edges, black spots dancing in front of my eyes. I could barely feel my legs anymore.

“I’m losing feeling in my fingers,” I whispered, panic rising in my throat. “They’re going numb. Control is slipping. Soren, I don’t know how much longer I can do this. It feels like I’m disappearing. Like the Core is eating me from the inside.”

Soren’s hand stayed firm on my shoulder. “You’re still here. You’re still fighting. Focus on my voice. Focus on the people you’re saving. The last groups are almost out. You can do this, Elias. You’re stronger than you think.”

A rescue team leader’s voice crackled through Soren’s comms. “We’re clearing the medical wing now! Twenty more civilians! Keep it steady out there!”

I groaned, my arms shaking harder. “It’s too heavy. The building… it feels alive. Like it wants to fall. Like the Core is whispering to it, telling it to break. I can barely hold it anymore. My fingers… I can’t feel them. What if I drop it? What if I kill them all because I wasn’t strong enough?”

Soren leaned closer, his voice low and urgent. “Then you don’t drop it. You hold it. You’ve come this far. You stopped the building. You froze time. You can hold it for a few more minutes. For them. For the ones who are still inside.”

I kept my arms raised, tears streaming down my face. The pressure in my chest ground deeper, like rusty metal twisting inside me. The ancient presence stirred with dark frustration, pushing harder, wanting to release the weight and watch everything shatter.

The final rescue team’s voice came through the comms, exhausted but triumphant. “Last group exiting now! We’re clear! Repeat, we’re clear! All civilians accounted for!”

Soren squeezed my shoulder. “You did it, Elias. They’re out. You saved them. You can let go now. Lower it gently.”

But the building suddenly shuddered violently.

The massive structure trembled in the air above us, cracks spreading rapidly across its base. Concrete groaned and shifted. Flames roared louder from inside. The entire facility fought against my will, as if the Core itself was done playing and wanted to watch it all fall.

“No!” I cried out, pushing harder with everything I had left. “Hold! Please hold! They’re out but the building is still too close! Don’t fall yet!”

My arms dropped an inch. The building tilted dangerously. More debris rained down. Rescue teams below screamed and ran faster, pulling the last survivors clear.

Soren’s voice grew desperate. “Elias, hold it! Just a little longer! Let them get to safety!”

I screamed through the pain, forcing my arms back up. The building stabilized again, but barely. The strain was unbearable. My vision went black for a second. The system flashed violently in my sight.

\[STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY: 74%\]
\[CRITICAL FAILURE IMMINENT\]

I felt something inside me crack.

The Core roared with triumph, pushing harder than ever before.

I was losing.

And the building was starting to fall again.