The Conspiracy of the Elites

Chapter 254: sorrow and devastation

As soon as the 5 soldiers all emerged outside the tunnel, they reflexively looked back down with different emotions flickering in their eyes.

They were still in shock at what just happened, it was too abrupt. Though they already prepared for such a scenario when the plan was drafted, when it finally happened, they could not take it calmly at all.

Clark and Diana felt all strength seep away from their body. Clark was still dazed, looking at the scene in disbelief, but Diana directly broke down in tears, crying bitterly.

At the last moment, Dickson and Josh were the ones who saved both of them. Josh reacted extremely fast. As soon as Benny died, he knew that both Diana and Clark would be undoubtedly affected.

He went for Clark immediately while Dickson went for Diana.

Though he felt sorry and really wanted to let both soldiers mourn properly, he knew that this was not the time for it. Not only was the alpha ape still coming for them, but the situation up here was not optimistic either.

Clark, death is an irreversible occurrence of nature. Please get a hold of yourself, we need you now. If you remain like this, there is a high tendency that well all die today.

Benny sacrificed himself so that we could escape, we cannot let him down. He shook Clark to snap him out of his daze.

Feeling the hand that was shaking him, Clark turned to look at him with his emotionally dead eyes.

Josh winced slightly at the sight but he did not let up. Clark, please, well all die without your help. Think up something, you always said that your mission is paramount. Have you forgotten what you said so soon?

Yes, yes, I know. Clark tried to incline his head to look back at the tunnel but Josh ruthlessly slapped him on the face, making his mind become fully alert again.

Seeing Clark and Dianas state, Anna felt lost all of a sudden. She felt devastated thinking of the fact that she caused all this, she didnt know how to react at all to the sudden situation.

In the end, she bit her lips as tears slowly streaked down her face.

After getting a temporary grip on his emotions, Clark finally inclined his head to survey the whole battlefield.

Though they already crossed a great distance from the heart of the animal kingdom, they could still clearly see the soldiers struggling to escape and the relentlessly pursuing beasts.

Some beasts already sighted them and started running in their direction, but he didnt pay attention to them.

Under his watch, he saw how his subordinates succumbed every second to the attack of the beasts, how they were continually being turned to bunches of mangled flesh by the beasts.

The sight was completely bloody and pitiful.

He winced slightly on witnessing any new death. This was when he was looking, so how many soldiers already died before now when they were in the tunnel?

I doomed my subordinates, and now I even doomed my friend. He muttered softly as all motivation to continue the mission left him, all the light in his eyes dimmed in resignation.

Clark, what is the plan? Josh asked anxiously.

Clark turned to look at him blankly. I dont know, Im out of options. Im sorry for leading you into this. A teardrop streaked down his eye but he wiped it away.

Im sorry. He repeated.

Hearing this, Joshs heart sank. He looked at the tunnel again where the ape was already before the entrance that he drilled out, only a leap and it would get them.

I bit more than I could chew this time. He laughed self-mockingly.

Dickson stroked his fiances smooth face. I guess its not too bad to die together in action. He muttered.

Im sorry. Anna broke into tears in his arms.

Seeing the head of the ape poking out of the tunnel, Diana finally regained light in her eyes. She already lost the will to live, dying to the same animal that killed her boyfriend was not a completely bad idea.

As all these negative emotions filled the air, diluting it, a change finally happened.

With a loud sound like a cannon being shot, 6 small objects that looked like grenades started dropping from the air. The objects passed them, going straight for the tunnel entrance.

Seeing the 6 objects, the apes eyes constricted in recognition before it exploded in rage. Its rage didnt matter though, they quickly fell on its head.

Boom!! Boom!!

The king of demolition arrived at the most desperate moment as his bombs pushed the ape back down into the tunnel, he fell from the sky and stood before the 5 soldiers.

Clark, you guys should escape now. I cannot hold Grey Fur for long, use this opportunity to escape.

Ok. Josh answered on Clarks behalf immediately.

Lets move. He grabbed Clark on the hand, turned around, dragging him along as he started sprinting away immediately.

Dickson did not think too much, he quickly yanked Diana into his arms and also started running away. Anna ran closely behind him; they were not going to waste this opportunity that presented itself before them.

They had a lot of questions for King, especially to know why he abandoned them in the beginning.

But not now, they would escape first and ask questions later.

Under the background of chaotic battle sounds, exploding bombs, flying red blood, and mutilated flesh, they ran away, squeezing every remaining juice in them to run faster.

Before they completely disappeared, the last thing that appeared in Clarks vision was the screaming soldiers, dying soldiers, and the attacking beasts.

He felt something like a sharp knife cutting through his heart. He really let his soldiers down.

Due to Clarks unstable state, Josh took over as the temporary leader as he led them deep inside the mountain to find a hiding place.

After checking and poking around, they finally found an underground cave where they took refuge immediately. He led Clark to sit down on the floor before giving him space.

He located his own space to sit down, rest, and think about what just transpired.

After the adrenaline of the battle and the escape faded, this was when he found out that his left hand was fractured. The bone broke, making the hand bend to an impossible angle.

From its look, he deduced that normal first-aid could not take care of it.

He sighed and suppressed the pain before leaning back on the cave wall. Everywhere was dark, presenting them the best atmosphere to think.

As soon as Dickson dropped Diana, he dragged his exhausted body to another spot before also sitting down alone.

Thinking of the fact that he left his soldiers survival to fate, he felt crushed. He knew that it was for the mission, but he just couldnt wrap his head around it. His conscience was against the step that he took.

Perhaps, none of his soldiers would be able to survive today.

Inclining his head to steal a glance at Clark and Diana, he felt even more weak and frustrated. He still couldnt believe that Benny died just like that, he felt guilty knowing that it was caused by his fiance.

He knew that Benny and Diana were already in a relationship, this was what made him feel even more guilty.

Back in her corner, Diana sobbed silently amid chokes as she relived the moment when her boyfriend died.

I pushed him too much. I pushed him too much. She muttered, feeling out of place, devastated, and lonely. It felt to her like the whole world had forsaken her.

Because she was stronger than Benny, she always pushed him to work harder if he wanted their relationship to last. Now she felt extremely guilty, maybe he did that to prove himself to her.

She buried her head in her hands and cried her heart out.

In the corner where Clark sat, unlike her, he was not crying but he just gazed at the cave wall listlessly like a zombie with no soul. His eyes felt dead, it was horrifying to look at.

A lot of memories kept on spamming his brain, making it lag and perform below normal.

He thought of back in the day when they were just captured. Did Benny predict that such a thing would happen? Is that why he shared so much time with me?

He felt clueless. Losing a friend was more painful than he thought.

He knew that as soldiers, it was inevitable to experience casualties when out for missions. But when it finally happened, he felt cheated by death, he felt cheated by the world.

Why? Why?

As he wallowed in his sorrow, he suddenly felt someone sit beside him. Turning his head, he saw a teary Anna looking at him with trembling eyes.

Im sorry, Clark. Im sorry, I didnt mean it. I dont know what came over me, I dont know what to say, Im sorry. She started sobbing again.

Clark just stared at her for about a minute in silence. In the end, he said nothing, he just turned his head back before looking at the cave wall listlessly again. He didnt know what to say.

Seeing this, Anna felt even more devastated. Her sobbing soon turned into a full-fledged muffled wail.

A gloomy aura of sorrow filled the cave, making it seem like a haunted cave. But none of the people currently taking refuge in it cared, they had various thoughts going through their minds.

They didnt know what to do next. They were devastated, so they vented their sorrow in different ways of their choices.

Losing a loved one or a close friend is a traumatic experience that no human should undergo. They all cursed death.

[Thank you for reading this chapter, I really appreciate it. I don't know about you but when I edited this chapter, I really felt a pang of sorrow strike me. I had to rest to calm down my mind, I hope you enjoy it also.]