The morning came with an uneasy stillness among the students.
It was as if the world itself held its breath. (Okay, maybe I was over-exaggerating.)
The tension had awakened, planted the night before as a seed of doubt, and now it had germinated into full-blown chaos.
Last night, we carefully reinforced the rumors—this time with undeniable proof.
Blond hair strands, unmistakably Lucian's, found hidden near the stolen supplies.
A faint trace of his perfume lingered in the air—a silent testament to betrayal.
The cafeteria, once a fragile sanctuary, became the stage for the inevitable collapse.
A group of students stepped forward, their eyes burning with suspicion and resolve.
Their voices broke the silence.
"We're done following you, Lucian," one declared, his tone sharp and accusatory.
"We're leaving this group."
Lucian's eyes narrowed slightly, but his composure never faltered as he replied smoothly,
"That is foolish. We have to work together to survive this disaster. We all have a role to play—"
"No!" another student interrupted, voice rising.
"You've been stealing food for yourself! Keeping the best for you and your team!"
"That's a lie!" Lucian countered, though his voice trembled subtly.
"I've done nothing of the sort!"
"Then explain this!" A student stepped forward, holding a small clump of blond hair between trembling fingers.
"We found this where the stolen supplies were last seen. And your perfume was all over it!"
The room erupted.
"Traitor!" someone shouted.
"Liar!"
"Slave-driver!"
"Emily is a bitch!" (Author's note: universal truth.)
The crowd, long harboring suspicion, now poured their fury openly.
"Don't you dare use us!" another accused.
"You're manipulating us like puppets!"
Lucian's voice tried to cut through the storm, measured and practiced.
"Please, listen calmly. These are baseless accusations. I was only trying to keep us organized. Without leadership, we're doomed."
But his words were drowned by sharper insults.
"You're just a selfish bastard," one spat.
"A parasite hiding behind your 'strategy'!" another jeered.
The tension thickened, suffocating.
Marcus stepped forward, flushed red, barely able to contain his anger.
"How dare you accuse me of such lies?" he growled, voice low and fierce.
Emily, already on edge, lost her temper.
"And who called me a bitch earlier?" she snapped, her face reddened with fury.
"I dare you to say that again!"
Olivia Hale remained composed, expression unreadable, though a small frown tugged at her lips.
The cacophony of accusations and insults rose louder, spilling beyond the cafeteria walls, carried by the bitter air.
I leaned against the wall, watching proudly as if tending to a seed I had nurtured for months.
Then suddenly, my passive skill activated.
[Time Instinct: Activated]
A vision flashed before my eyes—my own brutal death.
Monsters in the cafeteria, close enough to touch, their snarling faces burned into my mind.
I acted without hesitation, grabbing Clara's arm.
"We need to go. Now," I whispered, voice low but commanding.
Clara's eyes widened at first, about to question me, but then she remembered my serious tone.
She silenced her doubt and nodded wordlessly.
We left the cafeteria through the other side, unnoticed.
---
Back inside the cafeteria, chaos remained.
Then, a deafening, blood-curdling roar shattered the silence.
The noise was enough to draw monsters.
One by one, goblins and wolves emerged—stronger than any we'd faced before.
Their eyes glowed with sickly hunger, their bodies bulkier, claws sharper.
Panic spread like wildfire.
"W-what is this?!" a student screamed, confused by the goblins' unusual strength.
"They're stronger… much stronger!" another cried.
Lucian seized the opportunity. His voice rose above the din, powerful and commanding.
"Everyone, listen to me!" he bellowed, his presence undeniable.
"This isn't the time for petty quarrels or blame!
We fight together, now, or perish alone!"
"Remember why we're still breathing!" he continued, fervent.
"We survive because we are united!
Let these beasts know we will not fall without a fight!"
His words stirred something in the students.
Guilt for having accused him.
Gratitude for the momentary strength.
Fueled by renewed courage, they attacked the goblins with makeshift weapons, fists, and raw desperation.
The front line fought bravely, but I could see the cracks forming beneath their resolve.
Lucian glanced at his team, a silent understanding passing between them.
Without a second thought, they turned and ran.
They were true cowards.
They used the speech to fuel the students' false hope…
Only to use that hope as a distraction and escape.
Without hesitation, they left us.
Some smart students followed their lead, slipping into the shadows, trying to run from the madness.
But the others—those already doomed—stood their ground.
The goblins descended with brutal efficiency.
Screams echoed briefly…
Then silence.
When the dust settled, none remained.
The cafeteria, once a beacon of hope, now stood as a graveyard.