THOSE reverberating statements skinned what was left of repose there is, eclipsed by the daunting blast of the siren and instilling irremediable fear. Ryeld and Cazzie looked at each other, the drastic shock unwiped from their pale expressions, confirming if their ears had not deceived them.
"Seek shelter immediately and barricade yourselves in any rooms near you. Staff, council members, and authorized students will spearhead your safety circles. Steel yourselves upon engaging in combat!" the speaker behind the megaphones added before the system had shut down along with the lights, devouring the whole room into indiscernible darkness, sipping the warmth that came with and streaming in the cold.
"Stay close," warned Ryeld.
The surfacing conundrum erupted. "Everyone, please calm yourselves. Do not panic. The doors are sealed with the activation of the emergency alert system." Mrs. Emberlaine attempted to impede the dismay. Breaths were hollow. Feet refusing to budge. Both juniors and seniors had their hearts clutched at their throats, pumping wildly, filling the soundless room with the drumming beats in their chests apart from the hysterical exclaims of those who already succumbed to the dread.
Possibly worst yet, despair consumed them when they discovered that no devices had been sparking to life.
"I-I can't with the dark. I'm scared."
"Mommy!"
"I want to go home."
Phone screens were immobile as cold pieces of bars. The electrical lights were as dead, unresponsive to the repetitive fidgets of switches. No one was getting out. And there is not but an eerie silence from the other side of the entrance. Seconds passed, yet nothing. The open stillness has yet to come to relieve their nerves.
"Ryeld, what's happening?" Cazzie asked as if he can answer her at all. The coils of inexorable fear evident in her voice.
"Calm down." Ryeld fought against the obscurity, scouring for the outlines of movements that may be slinking within the dark, hoisting a protective arm in front of Cazzie. "I can't say for sure." He produced a ball of electricity, the others began kindling lights out of their own magic too. "It's common for the school to activate the system without notice as an alert exercise. It should reactivate by the next several minutes ... But these drills do not occur on a Sixth Peak."
"Maybe it's a test?" One of the students said.
"Perhaps. It's not like there's a secondary warning."
The old woman seemed as equally puzzled. "If it were then we would have conducted a meeting for it for this due weekend."
It took a moment too long for the inaudible murmurs to filter in. The unrest endured to linger ... until the surprise was cut short when a sudden outburst boomed amid the broad room. A sea of dust washed all over, glistening into the ridged spacious puncture on the wall. Hunks of debris were thrown on the befouled floor.
What emerged from it drained the color from every onlooker.
A creature, forged in the clad of the darkest matter weaved into the manifestation of malevolence itself. Humanoid from the trunk to the head, though, the lower portion of their frame revealed the root of their monstrosity--strings of tentacles complemented their physique, hovering closely above the ground. A reminder of existence antithetical to human. Its limbs were bony thin, yet impeccably stretched into long incisive claws half its body. It had a pair of eyes carved in rings of dazzling nuggets embedded in its skull head. Its sight choked the urge out of anyone who would dare to let out a single yelp.
But it was already too late, as a sequence of horrified shrieks broke out.
The monster launched at one of the screaming juniors, claws a few inches away from the girl's face when a streak of object threw it off its stance. It toppled over the row of tables, arising in an instant as if the hit was no more than a nudge. It surged toward Mrs. Emberlaine, who flicked her wrist, emitting soundwaves. The monster did not flinch, ceaselessly reaching for her only to be eluded by her quick reflexes, a ghost of disbelief washing over her. Cazzie and Ryeld were just as stumped.
Did it just pass through her attack?
The elderly woman slapped her hands all together in a bold collision, ensuing a resounding shockwave of defeaning resonance all over the library, compelling the students to tuck their ears. But the attack made no move on the enemy who countered with a barrage of tendrils shooting out. The woman somersaulted while throwing vibrating neon purple disks at it. It was as if age was no more than a number for her. Furthermore, her pegged skirt was no obstacle in performing those impossibly vivacious feats.
In the air, one of its tentacles slashed her legs, dismantling her balance to land on her feet. Another tentacle grabbed her by the neck, throwing the woman into the bookshelves which tumbled over another. The entity followed at an incomprehensible speed as if driven by hunger.
Frightened gazes awaited the catastrophic mess. Some rushed over to aid, however, before they could cast a glance at the presumed incapacitated old woman, a ghastly image made their hearts sink further down their throat.
"M-Mrs. Emberlaine?" A girl muttered.
But this was not Mrs. Emblerlaine.
No longer does she resemble the soft, wrinkled eyes that reflected authority and compassion, replaced instead with a wrathful, yellow lour that erased what was left of her humanity. Her skin lost its caramel tone, transforming into a shade of dark grey. Moreover, her veins protruded out of the surface of her skin in trails of purple and black as her whole body gave off haze, highlighting the inky tendrils deviously coiling from her back.
The depraved librarian released a grueling cry, causing the room to quake and books to fall. Panic washed over. The children scurried to make their way for the doors as screams overwhelmed the crowd.
"Cazzie, run!"
The two hurried along the bustling stampede. Ryeld glanced at the tail of the crowd. In the gaps between the flashes of blurs, he could see several students skirmishing with the deranged librarian.
Spells of rocks, water, and levitating objects, among others were visible. Frolicking along with the spells in the air was the perceivable shape of Mrs. Emberlaine. She seemed no less of herself; Mrs. Emberlaine was swerving the onslaught of blazing enchantments catapulted at her, prancing and skirting around attacks like a slick fly. The nimble old lady was untouchable.
Landing over a tall bookshelf, Mrs. Emberlaine swayed her arms, cavorting into a dance that called upon a mass of parallel waves. They swooped down at her foes, whomping into the students and knocking most of them down. Before anyone can glance back at the woman, she dove at one of the fallen students, grabbing her by the shoulder with gluttony eyes, starved on carrying out heaven knows what.
"We have to help them!" Cazzie shouted from ahead.
The boy looked in between her and the unconscious girl, thoughts running across his mind as jumbled as the stampede around them. After all, it was these people who remained to fight and allow their fellow mates to flee, aware of the cost that may result in a brutal end. But then again, life, of all those who chose to be courageous when most had chosen the easier option to run away, is at stake. Too precious for a youth who have yet so much to see, only to be swiped out by a choice of a noble cause.
"Allie!" A female voice cried out. Her scream shrouded the room in anguish.
As if on cue, a throng of people entered the room. Boys and girls in shrewd white uniforms had weapons drawn out, skirmished with spears and daggers, while others did with bows and slings. Blue laces ran along the folds of their collars, passing to the edges of their elbows to the end of the sleeves, continuing down to the hems of their buttoned coats. Their pants were ornately weaved with blue threads that drew graceful curves and strings of flowers and leaves. They wore boots crafted of the finest leather dyed in winter white.
One of them outstood among the others; his uniform's laces were rather pigmented with gold, an epaulet hung over his shoulders that carried the epitome of a distinguished character only offered to the keenest of the group. A blue cape flowed behind his broad back. A platinum badge was pinned over his left chest.
A streak of silver whistled across the room, striking through Mrs. Emberlaine, grazing her blouse.
The mad woman turned to the group, dropping the girl, venting out a ringing shriek of rage, jaws disturbingly stretching far longer than normal.
"Unit Verhound, maneuver from the left and shut her into the wall! Saudor, intercept from the right and snare her limbs but try not to hurt Mrs. Emberlaine! Ecija and Mercai, get your casts ready with me! Do not let her escape! Captain Bryce and Markov help the students to evacuate!" The men acted with sheer steadfastness, their movements superior to an average scholar.
"They got it covered. Come on!"
Minds ran through a series of what could have become of the outside world as they pushed their heels despite the burning pain in their feet.
Once out, the variety of the chaos unfolded before them: pieces of rubble were tossed from flying shrapnels of windows, pots, and porcelain, reduced to mere scraps and shards. Drifting their eyes further around, their vocals twisted into a knot, rendering them speechless of what to describe the chaos. The surfacing fear had finally caught up to them, petrifying their bodies like clumps of stones upon beholding a grievous view. Thick, black clouds flew over the air as they leave trails of ashen smoke, and yet, these objects were not lifeless. Individuals and creatures grappled against each other as tides of magical energy danced in the air in multitudes of colors and sizes. Leaves, lightning, ice, fire, and swords flew between and over heads as the humans fended off the creatures. While many had already gone to suffer the same fate as poor Mrs. Emberlaine.
It felt impossible to move, not when the horrendous sight before Cazzie made her feel as if she were in a living nightmare. Too real, yet at the same time, so much so as inconceivable to watch.
"Amaerys! Pull yourself together!"
Ryeld's voice snapped her out of the brief apprehension. The ice holding her feet melting as she prods to run.
Along the shambles, three girls stood terrified in the hallway, throwing blazes of magic against two students who had submitted to the control, but the targets were as quick to evade as to snatch Brenevieve's companions by the throat. The lead girl forced every ounce of energy out of her, doubling the blasts of poisonous blights raging from her palms, releasing a piercing cry. Her nerves pulsed with each exhausting blow at the enemies, unaware of the impending figure behind like an eagle about to scoop up a chick, then one of the brigades swooped in on the beast, sparing Brenevieve the exploit to unshackle her two confidants.
At least she had a bit of sympathy for her pets, Ryeld thought.
Reaching the glass-enclosed skywalk, they had only to pass through the pristine halls and climb a set of stairs, slithering a few more turns through the atriums. The glass passage gave them a greater view of the battle. Below on the main ground, joining in on the battle: Mrs. Keaye from Linguistic lessons, Ms. Aisendale, the young Chemistry teacher, Instructor Korvic from Technologies, and ultimately, old Head Master Theodeus, brandishing their defense circle by the powers of Metal, Water, Lightning, and Summonry, respectively. Human-sized hawks, copper-striped cougars, a pair of bears coated in exoskeletons, and a blazing manticore ran amok the field. Their vitality steered undoubtedly by the Head Master himself who rarely displayed a fraction of his power, in which he, once again, unleashed it to be seen in the light of the day.
The elite students' movements were acrobatic in style, tumbling over obstacles and racing through the air on hovering swords, their blades slicing through the creatures with fatal precision. Arrows pierced into either of their mouths or eyes, protruding out of their heads. The disheveled remains of the enemies dropped dead on the ground. From a brief exchange of triumphant gloats proceeded over the fighters turned into a twisted churn of shock, disgust, and discouragement. Spilled black "blood" oscillated into thick tendrils, coming into meshes that stitched the pieces of the creatures' bodies altogether. Their hollow eyes kindled into golden specks once again, hungrier and more monstrous than ever.
What are these? How can they still be alive after that?
They continued sprinting, banishing any inkling of a thought to halt, when a vague shape passed through their peripheral.
"Hurry!"
Cazzie was clasping her mouth, swallowing the scream that fought to make it out. Ryeld's voice was a mere whisper in the storm inside her brain. "S-someone ... f-fell. Did you see that?"
Ryeld pressed down the angst that threatened to clog his mind. "I know. But right now, we have to get to a safe place."
She nodded. They gulped the dread and conviction of not being able to even look over the fence and see if the person had, hopefully, not yet come to the light.
A loud cry captured the two's attention. They steered their heads to the preceding level of the balcony and there, a combatant was struggling against one of the brutes who was seizing the upper hand. Tentacles wrapped around the young boy, but no matter how much he wriggled, his efforts were as futile as grappling against metal binds.
They knew it was far too late before anyone could try to save him; the monster narrowed the gap between it and its captive. It leaned its head, then proceeded to pour in streams of black haze into his mouth, eyes, ears, and nostrils as desperation cloaked his face, sobbing as he accepted his impending fortune. The monster wore into his convulsing body; he had been reborn into one of those puppets who had lost all sense of conscience.
Cazzie averted her eyes away this time, allowing her imagination to picture the tragedy instead. The time to reckon must be brushed aside. For now, they had to make it out without becoming one of them.
Arriving at the dormitory section, their destination was a mere curve to the left of the following wall. Ryeld burst out a startling holler as a gut-wrenching terror met them on the other side,
"HIRO!"
💀
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NEXT on Youngblood World:
Monsters are unleashed everywhere as chaos ensues...
Who will survive?
Find out in the next chapter,
What Is To Come
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