NOVEL NEXT Chapter 369: Say Your Last Wish!
Central City.
Nightfall. The streets shimmered with brilliance, filled with people.
Not far from the Central Science and Technology Plaza, outdoor seating was packed. Couples leaned close to each other, whispering sweet nothings.
"My God, what is that!"
A sudden shriek came from a girl sitting on a man's lap. Her wide-eyed, panicked scream startled everyone nearby.
In the center of the plaza, a vortex the size of a fist had formed out of thin air, twisting the surrounding light and air in a strange, slow rotation.
It was a dark, bottomless void, radiating an indescribably terrifying aura.
Within seconds, under the gaze of countless bystanders, the vortex expanded sharply. A massive shockwave erupted, its kinetic energy surging like a tsunami, knocking people off their feet.
"The devil! The devil! A devil has appeared!!"
"Run!"
"God, what the hell is that?!"
"Get out of here..."
...
S.T.A.R. Labs.
A blaring alarm echoed.
"Barry, there's an abnormal energy spike at Midtown Science and Technology Plaza!"
Cisco, seated in the control room, slid his chair toward the main console and began tapping commands. The satellite analyzed the energy properties. His expression turned strange.
A gust of wind burst in, along with a yellow lightning arc. Papers scattered across the table, hair blown back. In the next moment, the yellow arc vanished.
"Careful, Barry. That's Speed Force energy."
Cisco added with a shrug, knowing Barry likely couldn't hear him anymore.
The night sky over Central City was lit brilliantly. From the darkness above, a yellow lightning arc streaked through the air. It raced past S.T.A.R. Labs, across Seventh Avenue, down dark alleys, and over the bustling pedestrian streets. Street traffic shook, alarms blared. The arc rocketed toward Central Science and Technology Plaza.
"What is this?"
With a flash and a crackle, lightning struck the concrete. The surrounding streetlights flickered and dimmed. The Flash's figure appeared amidst the yellow arc.
The surrounding couples stared, watching as the Flash appeared and turned to the vortex. Upon his warning, they quickly evacuated the area.
After escorting them to safety, he returned and stared at the vortex. The aura it emitted was familiar. It shocked him.
"Barry, be careful. The energy signature resembles the Speed Force."
"I know. I can feel it. But this isn't a time-travel vortex."
Barry pressed his earpiece and stared at the swirling mass.
He had traveled through time and space many times before. Vortexes like this usually indicated a time corridor, but this one felt different. It wasn't a time tunnel at all.
Pong!
A powerful airburst struck Barry in the face. Trees rustled violently. The streetlights across the plaza flickered, flashing like lightning. Pale light fell across the lower half of Barry's face.
Suddenly, from deep within the black vortex, a pair of dazzling silver eyes appeared, gleaming like cosmic starlight through the abyss. Cold and terrifying.
Barry's expression changed. He instinctively stepped back.
What is that?
And soon, he saw it.
A grotesque armored helmet emerged from the vortex. The piercing silver glow in its eyes was indifferent, sending a chill through Barry's heart.
"What are you?"
Barry's expression darkened. He felt that the armored being had the same speed as him. As the cold, barbed helmet and those merciless eyes swept over him, it was like being sliced by a blade of winter ice. His skin crawled. Goosebumps rose. His heart went cold.
Savitar.
He tore through the black sludge of the vortex, shattering the restraints that held him. Step by step, he emerged. The full suit of dark, barbed armor gleamed with cold arcs of lightning. Thunder crackled around him like a storm god walking from the abyss. A demon born of purgatory.
"What time is it now?"
Savitar's voice was calm as he asked.
Silver lightning crackled across his armor, reflecting off the thorns and barbs. He stood in the night like an unstoppable force, his presence shaking the very air. It felt as though the stars in the sky bowed behind him, his form grim and majestic.
"July 24th. Seven-fifty in the evening."
Barry felt like he was standing before a vast, roaring ocean. The overwhelming pressure bore down like a tsunami. He hesitated, then answered.
The figure before him radiated immense threat. Barry's heart pounded with dread.
"The timing is just right."
Savitar's armored head gave a slight nod. His silver eyes flicked coldly at Barry. In an instant, silver lightning burst from his feet, and he vanished, leaving only crackling dust in his wake.
The silver light vanished from Barry's vision.
Barry's heart clenched. His face twisted in shock. In a split second, he activated the Speed Force. Yellow lightning flashed in his eyes as he entered Speed Force vision.
In that realm, everything slowed to a crawl. Even a drop of water falling took minutes.
Yet, he saw nothing.
No trace of Savitar. No silhouette. No motion path. Nothing.
Even within the heightened perception of the Speed Force, Savitar had left no trail. Only a few streaks of silver lightning remained, hitting the ground, stirring dust, and generating static.
"Everyone... Cisco... I don't know who he is. He's gone..."
Barry turned his head, trying to track Savitar. But there was nothing. This sudden appearance was definitely a threat.
He pressed the comm device again, trying to contact S.T.A.R. Labs.
But before he could finish.
He got no response.
And then, that terrifying armor returned before his eyes.
Barry froze. Horror twisted his face. His eyes were full of fear.
Savitar, wreathed in thunder and lightning, stood like a demonic god. One sharp claw gripped Iris by the neck. On the other hand, metal claws clenched into a fist, and with a clang, a sharp steel spike extended from the back of his gauntlet.
An emotionless voice echoed from within the helmet.
"Say your last wish!"
(To be continued.)