Halo: Magicka

The hospital loomed in the distance, its silhouette rising above the chaos like a fragile promise of safety. Through the smoke and the fire, it was the only beacon that hadn't been consumed by the inferno yet. I knew it was our last chance, our final refuge before the walls of this city came crashing down completely.

We ran, our footsteps pounding against the cracked asphalt, hearts thundering in our chests. My body felt like it was moving on autopilot, fueled by the instinct to survive, to protect, to keep my family safe. My mind kept drifting back to my mom, the image of her blood-streaked face flashing in my mind like a cruel reminder of everything I had lost. But I couldn't afford to lose myself in grief. Not yet.

[Detect Life] hummed beneath my skin, the magical ability kicking in as I scanned the area. I focused on the immediate vicinity—there were no signs of Covenant forces close to us, but I knew that didn't mean much. The streets were filled with shadows, movements I couldn't fully trust. The Covenant's assault had torn through this place in a matter of hours. It wouldn't be long before they zeroed in on our location.

"We're almost there," Dad said, his voice strained but steady. His grip on my brother hadn't wavered, even as his own exhaustion started to show.

I could see it now: the hospital doors cracked open just enough to let us slip through. The Spartan was still leading the way, his footsteps silent, his posture rigid. I wasn't sure if he could feel the weight of our desperation or if he was simply focused on his mission. Either way, he kept his pace, eyes always scanning.

"Keep moving," he said, his voice filtered through his helmet, low and commanding. There was no time to hesitate, no time to second-guess. The hospital was our only hope, and we needed to get inside before we were spotted.

My heart skipped a beat as I detected movement ahead. A flash of something, just beyond the hospital's entrance.

"Stop!" I hissed, raising my hand in warning.

The Spartan immediately slowed, his attention snapping to the threat. For a moment, all of us froze, listening. The distant sound of boots on the ground reached our ears, sharp and heavy—Covenant foot soldiers, no doubt. They were close. Too close.

"Eli, stay low," Dad ordered, his voice cold with command. "We make it to the hospital and we stay there until reinforcements come."

"Dad, there's 12 lifeforms ahead, 5 seem to be Jackals, 4 Elites and Three Brutes," I spoke, the Spartan taking note of what I said.

"Sir, is the kid's intel good?" The spartan asked for confirmation.

"My son hasn't been wrong about this stuff before, hell it's one of the reasons that we were able to get here from the next city over," My dad confirmed.

The Spartan nodded, his posture unwavering as he turned slightly toward my father. "Sir," he said, his voice steady and commanding, "I'm going to draw them away so that you can escort your family inside. Remember, you need to head to the topmost floor and get to the helipad. Don't stop for anything. Understood?"

My father's face hardened, the weight of command falling on his shoulders as always. He gave the Spartan a quick nod, his jaw tight with determination.

"Understood. Get us that window, Spartan," my father replied, his voice low but firm. "We'll make it."

The Spartan gave him a single, curt nod before turning and disappearing into the shadows, the heavy thud of his boots a fading echo as he moved toward the front line.

"Let's go," my father said to us, his hand gripping the assault rifle tightly as he took a step forward, signalling for us to follow. He didn't wait, not even a second. Every moment was precious now, and he knew it better than anyone.

We didn't need more words. I glanced back at Jameson, who looked as unsettled as I felt. He knew we couldn't afford hesitation, either.

I turned to my family. "Stay close," I said. "We're going to make it. Just keep moving."

My father glanced at me over his shoulder and nodded once more. "We stick together, Eli. We get through this."

With that, we continued our sprint toward the hospital's entrance. The Spartan was already engaged with the Covenant, drawing attention away from us. The sound of plasma fire crackled in the distance, a constant reminder of what we were up against.

I could feel my [Detect Life] humming beneath my skin, scanning the area,

"Shit two jackals were left back," I spoke quietly to my father, "but I truly do have something that can work on them."

My father asked for details.

"I can make them fight each other," I replied quietly, his eyes widening at this knowledge, 'yes, this is why I never want to use Illusion magic. That look. I hate it.'

My father nodded slowly,

"what do you need?"

"I just need to see them."

I looked out slowly from behind the cover we had taken and muttered quietly,

[Rage]

Abruptly, their eyes began to get bloodshot as they looked at each other and snarled.

They both raised their blasters at each other.

Bang.

The sound of gunfire rang out, but it wasn't aimed at us. The two Jackals, bloodshot eyes locked in fury, fired at each other in blind aggression.

The first shot hit the second Jackal square in the chest, sending it stumbling back with a sharp screech. The second Jackal still enraged, squeezed the trigger, and its shot struck the first Jackal in the head.

Both dropped to the ground in quick succession, their bodies twitching in their final moments as the life drained from them.

I watched in silence, the satisfaction of their self-inflicted deaths fading quickly. I couldn't help but feel a little unsettled. Magic like that—it didn't sit right with me. But it had worked. They were down. They were out.

"Clear," I whispered to my father, glancing at him to see his reaction.

He didn't say anything, but the grim nod he gave me was enough. The Jackals were neutralized. But I knew the danger wasn't over. We had to keep moving.

I took a deep breath, adjusting my grip on my weapon and looking at the distant hospital.

"Let's go," I said quietly.

As we entered the hospital, the stale, antiseptic air hit me. It felt wrong—too still. The floor was eerily quiet except for the soft hum of emergency lights flickering overhead. There was a distant echo of footsteps, but it seemed far off, almost muffled.

I looked up at the elevator. It was out of order, as expected. I could almost hear my father's sigh of frustration, but he didn't voice it. There was no time to waste.

I glanced around, trying to think quickly. The stairs were our next best option, but I couldn't afford to waste any more time. I closed my eyes for a second, centring myself.

[Remote Manipulation]

With a subtle twist of my fingers, the elevator doors slid open. It wasn't much, but it was enough.

My father raised an eyebrow.

"Impressive," he muttered, keeping his voice low.

We quickly entered the elevator, my heart pounding. With the press of a button, the elevator lurched into motion, ascending rapidly toward the topmost floor, where the helipad was located.

I kept my eyes on the display as it counted up, the faint whirring of the elevator becoming more and more deafening as we rose higher. My [Detect Life] was still scanning, picking up movement on some of the floors below.

"Stay alert," I whispered. The tension in the air was palpable.

The elevator dinged, its ascent halted as we reached the top. The doors slid open with a hiss.

And that's when I saw them.

Spartans.

Two of them, both armed to the teeth, moved quickly toward the helipad. A third one, his armour scuffed and battle-worn, was already preparing the evac shuttle.

"Finally," I muttered under my breath.

Again my father introduced himself as I noted the Pelican that was parked Haphazardously on the landing pad, there was already a mother and child sitting in it.

"I'm sorry sir, but we'll only be able to take the mother and the three children on this run, you'll have to wait for the next one. But don't worry, we can get you kitted out and armed immediately," A spartan spoke to him. 

My father nodded,

"Of course, civilians first."

As he finished conversing with them, he walked over to us.

Kids, I'm so proud of you all," my father said, his voice rough with emotion but steady, as he clapped a hand on my shoulder. His eyes met mine, and for a brief moment, it felt like everything was normal again. Like we weren't surrounded by destruction and chaos, like we weren't staring at the aftermath of a war we'd been thrust into.

"You've done everything I could've asked for, and more."

I could feel my chest tighten, the weight of his words settling in. For a moment, it felt like I could breathe again, like maybe—just maybe—we had a chance. But that hope was fleeting, quickly overshadowed by the reality of the situation.

The Spartan who'd been talking to my father turned toward the Pelican, giving us a brief glance as he moved to assist with the mother and child already seated in the transport. "We're on a tight schedule, sir. We'll have to leave within minutes."

My father nodded in agreement, his expression serious as he walked over to me.

"Eli, listen to me," he said, pulling me aside from the others. "I want you to stay safe. Get everyone out of here safely. We've got one shot at this, so make it count. And make sure not to tell a soul about anything regarding...yourself. I'll see you on the other side son. I love you."

The harsh reality of his words hit me harder than I expected. But there was no time for self-pity, no time to dwell on what could happen. We had a chance to survive. We had to take it.

"I will, and I love you too Dad. I'll catch you later," I said, my voice surprisingly steady despite the storm raging inside me. 

He gave me a look—a father's look—that said everything: trust, pride, but also a quiet desperation. As if he knew this might be the last time he would see me.

"Yeah... I'll catch you later," He said as he gave me and my little brother a peck on the head, "Jon's in your care now, make sure you keep your little brother safe."

With a firm nod, he turned back toward the Spartan, who was waiting to escort the civilians onto the transport. I took a deep breath, trying to clear my mind, my thoughts shifting to the others.

Jameson and his mother were still standing nearby, but I could see that J wasn't looking at me anymore. He was staring at the helipad, his face grim as he watched the Spartan work. His mother seemed distant too, her face pale with fear.

But I couldn't let that affect me. I had to stay focused.

I moved to Jameson's side, giving him a reassuring nod.

"It's almost over," I said quietly, hoping my voice sounded more certain than I felt.

His eyes met mine, but there was no smile, no relief. Just a tired look of resignation, "I know, Eli. But I don't think it's going to be okay for everyone."

I didn't have an answer for that. Not yet.