(BL) Hunting The Field Guide novel Chapter 474

Chapter 474: A fever dream

Kellen stood in front of the thing that had caused all of these problems and felt an insurmountable swell of rage inside of his chest.

He tightened his grip he had on the straps of his backpack, where it dug into his shoulders and felt like he was going to start shaking with how violent his emotions were. He didn’t blame anyone. He’d had no one to blame for the unfair situation his family found themselves in.

Not until he saw it in person.

He’d never felt such violence towards something that didn’t have a body.

He couldn’t even fight the thing that was making his gut churn with emotion. He couldn’t even throw a punch, or throw violent words towards it because it was a gate. It wouldn’t understand. Kellen wondered how many other people had stood before gates like he was currently, that sick, all consuming rage in his gut as something so unfair and cruel was committed against his family.

He stared up, trying to make sure he didn’t fog up his mask as he stared up at the sick, pulsing purple colour that made up the gate. It was massive, having only grown bigger since the last explosion. The area, which had been an old world tower of some kind, had been completely swallowed up by the gate.

It wasn’t normal. There was no way this gate could be normal.

The area around that gate had been so severely altered since he’d last seen photos it didn’t feel real. The gate was pouring out into their world, and honestly, it was only a matter of time till it exploded for real. Kellen could feel it, and he hated that reality.

The thick, green, vines clung to crumbling cement, and Kellen could see how certain areas of the new area were cordoned off for safety reasons. Almost everyone who moved around this area had rope tied around their waist, in case the worst case scenario happened again.

They were their suits, big, giant flood lights illuminating the space as they shuffled around. Kellen didn’t ask why they were working. They were probably filled with guilt, unable to stop working. Several Espers stood nearby, acting as guards. Stern, serious expressions that only hardened when they laid eyes on Kellen.

They all knew why he was here. freew\ebno\vel..(c)om

The gate was giant. A pulsing, acidic purple bruise tainting the dark night sky. Kellen hated the sight of it. Puddles, almost small ponds of a similar, pinkish-purple liquid, damaged more of the area around them.

When Kellen tossed a glance in Hill’s direction, he could see how severe her expression was through the protective mask she was also wearing.

Taylor had stayed behind, as had Pamela. Just Hill accompanied him to this part of the front lines. She was his final send off. The last person he was going to see. Kellen wasn’t sure what to say to her.

"Kellen." She said after they had been standing before the gate for a long moment. Kellen turned, looking at her again as she remained staring forward. "I’m sorry I wasn’t able to protect her in the first place, and I’m sorry that you have to go in now." Hill told him, and Kellen felt his eyes widen.

"Hill, what could you have done?" Kellen asked and watched as her jaw tightened.

"It doesn’t matter. I just wanted to let you know I’m sorry. So, you better come back so that we can drink again. I’ll even drink those sweet ciders that Rhys gets for you." Hill told him, finally looking at him and raising her hand and pressing her fist gently against his shoulder. "See you around." She told him, and Kellen felt his throat tighten.

Some of the anger faded, being replaced with a heavy emotion that felt like it was choking him.

"See you around, Hill, and I’ll hold you to that. Make sure your lines connect to the city properly. I don’t want him to be under longer than he needs to be." Kellen told her, trying to sound confident even as he stared down the beast that had swallowed his sister and some of his students whole. Hill nodded.

"Understood, Field Guide Woods." She said, and Kellen’s heart squeezed. The respect she was showing him, the consideration was a lot. Nodding, Kellen turned and adjusted the suit he was wearing over his clothes.

It was thin, lightweight, and clung and molded to his body like a second skin. Kellen had to undress once he got to the front lines, after he and Taylor had their talk, to put it on. He wore the mask over it, along with his more clothes. There were zippers in certain parts of the suit which Kellen appreciated, but otherwise it was skin tight, and felt a bit like a membrane.

Kellen didn’t really want to know how Carlos came up with this, since it was nothing like the suits everyone else was wearing, but he just took it as it was.

He walked towards the gate, Hill staying a reasonable distance behind him. She had sunk her feet into the ground without Kellen noticing, as if she was bracing herself for a particular reaction. Kellen just took a deep breath in, held it, then exhaled before stepping into the mouth of the beast.

~

Kellen almost expected that something strange was going to happen as soon as he stepped into the gate. He braced himself for it, ready to move, to jump, to hold his breath. They had no information on the interior of the gate so he had no idea what to expect.

What he wasn’t expecting was how beautiful such a deadly place would be.

It was breathtaking, but not in the way he was expecting, not with the mask on.

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