The Last King of Atlantis

I watched him and I feared him.

There are few things in the universe to be afraid of when the vast majority of space-faring civilisations have a magic-dominant gene. Virtually any adult you run into can produce a shield strong enough to deflect any mechanical weapon and anything but Navy-grade magical weaponry.

So, when someone holds a gun to a child's head, no one feels safe. When every single adult in a room can be rendered so completely helpless, no one feels safe.

As powerful as magic is, no one can help that child if the trigger is pulled.

No one could have felt safe, yet one man – a fellow human – walked forwards.

“Stay back!”

A gunshot cracked through the room, dust falling down from the high ceiling.

The girl flinched away, only to be yanked back with a yelp. Heck, everyone flinched, except for the man. Maybe he did and I missed it. I doubt it though.

“Be brave,,” he said, such a gentle voice that would've been lost if the room hadn't been deathly silent.

She held his gaze for a couple of seconds, and then nodded.

After giving her a smile, he looked up at the hostage-taker – another human – still with that curve to his lips.

“I'll say this once only. The moment you point that gun at her, you die. I don't want to kill you, so please don't make me.”

As preposterous as it sounded to me, he said it with such conviction. The other man stilled for a moment, the gun settling a little in front of her, before a grin that stretched his face broke out.

“That- that's a good one. You think you can kill me faster than I can pull a trigger?”

Without a gap, he replied, “Yes,” and this time loud enough to echo through the lobby.

As if to punctuate the statement, he took a step forward and the other man almost fell over trying to move back while holding the girl.

“N-no closer!”

“You don't need to hurt her, she's done nothing wrong,” he said, closing the gap between them. “She doesn't deserve this.”

Voice cracking, he replied, “You think I don't know that?” Glistening, a tear rolled down his face. “It's her mum- she's the one. Why'd she leave me?”

“I don't know, but this isn't the way to find out.”

Laughter, broken and hoarse. “I'll never know, I shot her already. And that fancy bloke she replaced me with.”

He stopped, a stride or so short. “But you didn't shoot her,” he said, holding his palm towards the girl.

“I'm crazy, not a monster,” he whispered, gun drooping in his hand. “This is my way out, you know? So long as I've got a hostage, you can't risk it, can you?”

Holding my breath, I wanted to know what this strange man could and could not gamble.

“That's why I'll kill you if I have to.”

I wanted to believe him, to believe in that conviction, but everything I knew about magic told me he tried a bluff.

The man raised the gun, bringing it back to level.

Had the bluff failed?

Gun turning closer and closer towards the girl, the two men stared at each other, unflinching.

My head began to swim as I ignored the still-held breath. Maybe that's why the seconds felt like minutes. Regardless, I don't know what happened. In a moment, the man crouched down and grabbed away the girl, holding her close, while the kidnapper crumpled to the floor.

Then the crowed erupted into chaos.