It was a scream that came straight from the soul.
The moment Claude felt the touch on his shoulders, his entire expression changed drastically as he turned back, his eyes widening with alarm.
"Who?!"
He immediately drove his fist in the direction of where he felt the touch, but the only thing his fist met was the empty space behind him.
"Haa... Haa..."
Claude looked around, his expression tightening.
He didn't even realize his own breathing was rough as his chest heaved up and down unevenly, the soft hum of the lights echoing within the otherwise quiet space.
Then he noticed them.
The children. The entire classroom was filled with them, every single one of them looking in his direction.
Their bodies remained seated normally behind their desks, hands resting over their books, but their heads had all turned in his direction. Empty eyes followed him from every corner of the classroom.
Claude's breathing slowed.
"What...?"
Nobody answered.
