"Stop… I can't run anymore," Maya gasped, collapsing to her knees. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath.
"We need to keep running… we have to find help for Claire," Liam said, his voice cracking.
"Just trust me and stand up, we can still—"
He didn't finish.
"Shh. Iron smell."
Leo's trembling voice cut him off. The boy pointed down one of the dark hallways. His legs were shaking so badly it looked like he could barely stand, but there was something in his eyes—an echo of bravery he desperately wanted to live up to.
"Let's go inside," he whispered, nodding toward a classroom door.
Both Maya and Liam nodded. They slipped inside, closing the door with painstaking slowness.
"What are you guys doing here?"
The familiar voice made all three flinch. They turned to see a few students emerging from hiding. The speaker's voice came again—sharper, more arrogant this time.
"Hey, defect. I'm talking to you. I said—what are you doing here?"
Maya's eyes narrowed.
"Shut up, Kaine," Liam snapped.
"Why don't you make me?" Kaine shot back, stepping forward. His posture screamed challenge, but a hand clamped on his shoulder before he could move any closer.
"This isn't the time for this," said the owner of the hand—a tall, blonde-haired boy with striking features. He turned to the trio, his tone softer.
"Hi. I'm Arnold. Can you tell us what's happening outside?" He gave a small, reassuring smile.
Liam was the first to answer.
"We don't know… We were trying to find a teacher, but two intruders found us. Claire… she told us to run. She's… she's still fighting."
Liam's throat tightened. His eyes glistened, but he swallowed it down. Maya and Leo were watching—he couldn't let them think Claire might have… sacrificed herself. Maybe he was trying to convince himself, too.
"I understand," Arnold said quietly, his smile faltering for a moment. "Our teacher told us to stay put while he checked the situation."
Then—SCREEECH.
The sound was metallic, nails-on-glass sharp, like someone dragging a massive sheet of iron across the floor. It echoed through the hallway outside, slow at first, then drawing closer… and closer… until it stopped right outside the classroom.
Every breath in the room stilled.
"Is anyone there…?"
The voice was female. Too calm. Too sweet.
"It's not polite to ignore your elders…"
The screech returned, this time moving away. The sound faded into the distance.
"She must have left," Liam whispered.
No one moved.
"Still," Kaine muttered from the back, "someone should check. Could be she's just waiting."
"Yeah," he added, smirking, "let's send the defect and that asshole's sister. They were the last to come in."
Liam's jaw tightened. "Stop acting tough. If you want to check, do it yourself. Or are you still sore about the time Senior Isaac beat you?"
"Wait—did you say Isaac?" Arnold asked suddenly, brows rising.
"Isaac as in… black hair, gold eyes, dead-eye stare—uh, I mean… lovely smile?" He glanced at Maya.
"Yes. He's my brother. Have you seen him?"
The twins in the corner whispered to each other.
"He was gonna say creepy smile."
"Yeah, definitely creepy smile."
Arnold fought to keep a straight face after overhearing them. "Sorry. Haven't seen him today. But I know him—your brother's strong. You don't need to worry about him."
"WHO CARES ABOUT THAT?" Kaine suddenly shouted. "Send them out to check!"
The door exploded before anyone could answer.
An axe, chained to a long iron link, punched through the wood, splintering it apart. The chain rattled as it was yanked back, the weapon snapping into the hand of a hunched-backed woman who stepped inside.
Her grin was all teeth.
"Naughty, naughty kids… You should have answered when I called."
With a slow, deliberate tug, she swung the chain, the axe spinning lazily in the air.
"Now… time to teach you all some manners."