好的,我已将故事中的角色名字替
The final school bell, usually a sound of liberation, felt different today—tense, like a starting pistol for a race no one wanted to run. Colton shoved his textbook into his backpack, the zipper grating in the sudden classroom silence.
"Hey, slowpoke! Dreaming about your next art project?" A familiar, cheerful voice cut through the tension. It was Evander, his best friend, already leaning against the doorframe with a grin. Evander playfully jabbed a fist at Colton's shoulder.
Colton swung his backpack over one shoulder, swatting back at Evander with a mock scowl. "Maybe. At least I have hobbies beyond beating the final boss for the tenth time."
Evander just laughed, easily dodging the half-hearted swing. He slung a casual arm around Colton's neck, pulling him into a light headlock as they spilled out into the crowded hallway. "Games build character! Now, move those artistic feet. I swear I can already smell my mom's pork buns."
They joined the river of students flowing toward the main gate. Just ahead, they spotted their friends, Atlas and Ignis, waving at them from near the school's entrance. Atlas, broad-shouldered and impatient, was already gesturing for them to hurry up, while Ignis stood slightly behind him, scanning the crowd with a calm, analytical expression. Evander, still holding Colton in a loose headlock, waved back enthusiastically with his free hand.
It was in that exact moment, with the school gate just steps away, that the world broke.
The air itself seemed to curdle. A deep, resonant hum vibrated through their bones, and the clear afternoon sky was blotted out by a rolling, silent wave of absolute blackness that smothered the sun.
"What the—" Evander's grip on Colton loosened in shock.
A scream ripped through the air from behind them. They spun around. Near the flagpole, a skinny, usually inconspicuous boy named Liam was convulsing. His body twisted at impossible angles, and with a sickening, wet crackle, shards of gleaming black crystal erupted from his back and shoulders.
But that was just the beginning.
All across the school grounds, the phenomenon repeated. Students, teachers—anyone gripped by a sudden surge of terror or despair—became living catalysts for the corruption. Their bodies snapped and twisted, becoming grotesque, crystalline puppets. And from the encroaching black fog that now surrounded the school, from the very shadows that deepened unnaturally, legions of the gaunt, humanoid monsters materialized. They weren't just appearing in ones or twos; they were swarming, their numbers growing by the second. Their forms, woven from solid darkness, moved with a jerky, unnatural grace, and a chorus of low, guttural growls now rose from the horde, their piercing crimson eyes lighting up the gloom like a field of malevolent stars.
Panic erupted, absolute and total.
"The gate! Run for the gate!" someone shrieked.
Evander grabbed Colton's arm, his earlier playfulness gone. "Colton, come on!"
They surged forward with the crowd, but as they reached the threshold, the world warped. The space beyond the school gate stretched and melted. The short flight of stairs down to the sidewalk now seemed like a colossal cliff, each step towering as tall as a person. Escape was impossible.
"It's no use! Back! Go back!" Colton yelled, pulling Evander against the current.
Their eyes met Atlas and Ignis's in the chaos. Atlas immediately started shoving his way toward them, but a stampeding group of students, fleeing from a fresh wave of the shadowy humanoids, swept between them, forcing him and Ignis back toward the old gymnasium. Ignis shot Colton a sharp, meaningful look – 'We'll find you!' – before he was swallowed by the crowd and the advancing tide of monsters.
"The Arts Building! Now!" Evander shouted, pointing to the nearest structure. They broke away, sprinting across the courtyard as the world crumbled around them. They had to dodge not just panicked people, but the grasping, crystalline claws of the infected and the swift, dark limbs of the humanoids that seemed to multiply with every passing second. Evander slammed his shoulder into the heavy door of the Arts Building, and they tumbled into the relative quiet of the entrance hall.
They didn't stop. They took the stairs two at a time, their breath coming in ragged gasps. The building groaned around them. The walls seemed to breathe, the once-short hallway stretching into a long, dark gallery. A low, guttural growl—too close for comfort—echoed from the end of it.
"Split up! We'll meet at the top floor!" Evander urged, his voice tight with fear. "Just go!"
Colton nodded, too breathless to speak, and veered off into a side corridor. He ran, his heart hammering against his ribs, until he saw a familiar, heavy double door. The school auditorium. He slipped inside, letting the door swing shut behind him with a soft, final click.
The vast, empty space was eerily silent. Rows of velvet seats sloped down towards the dark stage. For a single, precious moment, Colton leaned against the door, his forehead pressed against the cool wood, trying to catch his breath. A sliver of relief began to seep into his veins.
Thud.
A heavy, scraping sound came from the other side of the door. Then another. It was followed by the distinct, chilling sound of multiple, shuffling footsteps. Something was out there. More than one something. They were dragging themselves, or perhaps climbing the now-gigantic staircase right outside the auditorium.
Colton froze, his blood turning to ice. The handle of the door began to rattle, then shook violently, as if being tested by multiple, unseen hands.