Halo: Magicka

In the distance, I saw the sprawling image of a city on fire. Black smoke clawed at the sky, illuminated by the eerie glow of plasma fire and the faint, violet shimmer of Covenant ships hovering above. Buildings shook, their silhouettes flickering against the infernal backdrop.

For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath.

But I couldn't.

I gripped the edge of my seat as the Warthog barreled forward, my family and what remained of Jameson's packed tightly inside. Each bounce of the rugged tyres sent tremors through my body, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the smouldering ruins ahead.

We were driving straight into hell.

Dad's knuckles were white around the steering wheel, his jaw set in grim determination. Jameson's mom clutched her son tightly in the backseat, her eyes wide with fear but her mouth set in a firm line. My little brother whimpered softly against my mom's chest, his tiny fists clutching at her shirt.

"We'll park on the outskirts and walk through the eastern sector, we'll be shot before we can even say bye if we decide to drive this thing in," Dad said over the roar of the engine. "we'll take the alleys and side streets. We stick together, no matter what."

I glanced back at Jameson. He was staring out the side of the Warthog, his pistol still clutched tightly in his hand, though I could see it trembling. I reached over and gave his shoulder a light squeeze. He flinched but nodded, understanding passing silently between us.

The air was growing thicker and hotter. The scent of burning metal and scorched concrete was beginning to sting my nose. My Magicka buzzed inside me, restless and alive. At this point, I'd managed to regenerate it back to maximum capacity.

And then, from above, a deep whump-whump-whump sound filled the air.

I craned my neck upward, spotting the silhouette of a Phantom dropship descending through the smoke. Its side doors slid open, and the faint glimmer of energy weapons prepared to rain down death from above.

"We've got incoming!" I shouted. I wanted to test myself and tried to Remotely Manipulate the entire craft, to make it shake slightly, I was gifted back with a huge headache. Stopping as I had used about half of my Magicka, I dispelled the headache.

Dad swerved the Warthog sharply, tyres screeching as we narrowly avoided a plasma bolt that scorched the asphalt where we'd just been. The smell of ozone filled the cabin as streaks of blue and purple light sliced through the air around us.

"Hold on!" Dad barked as he slammed his foot on the gas pedal, the engine roaring as we sped toward what was left of the city.

The Covenant weren't just here—they had already started ground assaults.

From afar, I heard the sound of rotary wings,

'At least the UNSC presence on this planet isn't slacking,' I thought as a UNSC aircraft came into view.

From afar, I heard the rhythmic thup-thup-thup of rotary wings cutting through the smoke-filled air.

At least the UNSC presence on this planet isn't slacking, I thought as a Pelican dropship came into view, its matte-grey hull streaked with scorch marks and its side-mounted machine guns swivelling to track targets below.

Bright streaks of plasma fire chased the Pelican, erupting into fiery blossoms as they missed their mark. The dropship veered sharply, banking low to avoid another barrage before disappearing behind a cluster of collapsing skyscrapers.

"UNSC's still in the fight!" I shouted over the roaring engine, gripping the side of the Warthog as we hit a pothole and nearly went airborne.

"They'll be setting up evac zones," Dad said, his voice strained but focused. "We just need to make it to one."

The sky was alive with chaos now. More Phantoms hovered above, their shadowy figures blotting out what little sunlight managed to pierce through the smoke. Ground fire and aerial dogfights painted streaks of red, blue, and violet across the sky like some horrific light show.

Jameson's mom clutched her son tighter, whispering something into his ear that I couldn't make out over the noise. My little brother whimpered again, but Mom kept him close, her lips pressed into a thin, determined line.

I couldn't sit still. My Magicka buzzed under my skin, the raw power practically begging me to do something—anything.

Then, the Warthog skidded to a sudden halt, tyres screeching as Dad slammed on the brakes.

In front of us, a massive Covenant Wraith tank lumbered onto the road, its bulbous, armoured hull gleaming in the dim light. Its plasma mortar began to glow ominously, energy building as it prepared to fire.

"Out! Everybody out! Now!" Dad roared.

Time slowed.

My family scrambled to unbuckle themselves, Mom shielding my little brother as she tumbled out of the Warthog. Jameson and his mom followed suit, ducking low and running for the nearest cover—a half-collapsed bus stop.

The mortar fired.

I could feel the heat as the plasma bolt screamed through the air.

Think, Eli. Think!

Magicka surged as I threw out my hand, every ounce of energy I could muster funnelled into a single desperate spell, my palm shot out,

[Steadfast Ward]

The plasma bolt was completely absorbed by the ward.

Fwoom!

The shockwave behind it though, hit me like a freight train, and I was thrown backwards, hitting the ground hard as my head smacked against concrete.

My ears were ringing. My vision swam.

But we were still alive.

"Move!" Dad's voice cut through the haze as he hauled me to my feet.

"We've got to move now, Eli!"

The Wraith's cannon began to glow again, preparing another shot.

Ducking into a side alley, I took note of everyone being okay. Mum and Little Bro, check, J and his Mum, check, and father was okay. We all made it this far.

Thinking about How I could deal with the wraith, I had an idea. If I reduced the Elite's resistance and then used Flash Bolt-

"No, Eli. Not right now."

Dad's firm voice cut through my thoughts, his sharp eyes locking onto mine, "Right now, we're finding UNSC personnel. They'll have an evac point. You hear me?"

I obliged. He was right. Okay, 45% of my reserves left.

I swallowed hard, clenching my fists as the hum of power faded back into a simmer beneath my skin. Dad wasn't wrong—if I miscalculated, if I acted on impulse, someone would get hurt.

"Understood," I said, my voice tight.

Dad nodded once before smashing a nearby window with the butt of his pistol. Glass shattered, and he quickly cleared away the jagged edges with his sleeve before climbing through the frame.

"Come on!" he whispered urgently, motioning for us to follow.

One by one, we climbed into the house. The air inside was stale, filled with the faint scent of smoke and something else—fear, maybe. Furniture was overturned, and belongings scattered as though whoever lived here had left in a hurry.

I helped Mum through the window, my little brother clutching tightly to her chest, his small face pressed against her shoulder. Jameson scrambled in after me, his mom pulling him close the second they were both inside.

Dad took point, his pistol aimed steadily as he crept through the living room, "Stay quiet. Stay low."

The house groaned around us, the distant echoes of plasma fire and distant explosions serving as a grim soundtrack. Shadows danced across the walls as alien lights from the sky filtered through the curtains.

I followed closely behind, eyes darting to every corner, every shadow. My senses felt heightened—every creak of the floorboards beneath my boots, every drip of water from a leaky pipe, every muffled sound outside.

We moved as one unit through the house, heading for the back door.

"Eli," Dad whispered as he turned back to me. "Keep an eye on the others. If something happens…"

"I know," I replied softly as I flared another use of [Detect Life]...

"Shit."

A faint noise made us all freeze in place.

Tap... tap... tap...

The sound of something sharp tapping against the glass.

Slowly, I turned my head toward the kitchen window which wasn't even 10m away.

There, just beyond the thin curtain, was a silhouette. A tall, hunched figure with sharp angles and glowing amber eyes.

A Jackal.

It was staring right at us.

I extended my hand and without hesitation shot a destruction school spell out at it.

[Shock]

The bolt broke through the glass and pierced directly through the Jackal's eye. The Jackal's body crumpled to the ground, its screeching, screeching death rattle fading into a deathly silence. I couldn't tell if it was a lucky shot or if the power behind the Flash Bolt had done the work. Either way, I wasn't about to waste time figuring it out.

I felt the familiar hum of Magicka swirl around my core. My hand trembled slightly, but I steadied myself. The [Detect life] scan had already been completed—nothing else moving in a 120-meter radius.

"Threat neutralized," I muttered, my voice a little too steady for how my pulse was racing, "I can scan lifeforms within approximately a 120-meter radius. This street is clear."

Dad gave me a sharp nod.

"Good," he said, then motioned for everyone to move, "We don't have time to waste. Let's get to the back of the house and head out the rear."

I glanced back at the window, where the Jackal's body now lay motionless in the yard. It had been a clean hit, but the reality of what we were facing crept in like a chill. They were everywhere. The Covenant were here, and I had no illusions about the future.

Jameson was looking at me, his expression unreadable. It was hard to say whether he was grateful for the quick action or just stunned by how close we'd come to being caught.

His mom placed a hand on his shoulder, her eyes wide with worry but her voice steady. "We need to stay close. Don't wander."

"I won't," he promised softly, but his gaze kept flicking back to the shattered window.

Mum was holding Little Bro tightly against her, whispering soft reassurances to him. But I could see the strain in her eyes. She was strong, but the pressure of what was happening was wearing on all of us.

We moved swiftly but cautiously through the kitchen and out the back door. The alley behind the house was dark, littered with debris from the earlier firefights. I kept my scan going, eyes constantly flicking to every shadow, every movement. The feeling of being hunted hung thick in the air.

As we continued down the alley, I caught sight of something in the distance: a silhouette against the burning horizon. A figure moving swiftly, yet silently, with purpose, putting a hole in the head of a grunt at the end of the street.

A Spartan.

I froze, my breath catching in my throat. The outline was unmistakable. The reinforced armor. The towering presence. A Spartan.

"Is that…" Dad started, his voice low.

"UNSC," I said, trying to push down the wild hope swelling in my chest. "That's our ticket out of here."

Without another word, Dad signalled for us to follow, and we broke into a low sprint toward the Spartan figure. My heart pounded, my thoughts racing. Could we make it? Would we be able to find safety? Would the Spartan have enough firepower to protect us?

The answer couldn't come soon enough.

"SPARTAN! I am Commander Aldrich Howl of the UNSC! Please Help me get these families to safety!" My Father yelled.

Wait what? My father was a Commander?