Lancelot couldn't believe his eyes.
"Are we seeing things, or is that *Mad Scholar* inside a dome—and you don't know how it happened?" he asked, his tone sharp, disbelief leaking through every word.
Russel didn't answer. Her expression was tight, fingers trembling slightly as she turned to Bowman. "Don't lose sight of them. Tell the other students to evacuate, now."
Bowman swallowed hard and nodded. "What about Kevin's group, ma'am?"
"I'll handle them myself." She was already striding toward the door.
…
Kevin's gut twisted. Every breath felt heavier as he stared at the thing standing before them—humanoid, skin dull and cracked, eyes lifelessly white. It wasn't emitting any killing intent, yet his instincts screamed louder than ever.
"What do we do, Kevin?" Natalie asked, shield raised, her voice trembling.
He clenched his teeth. "We wait for the teachers."
Joseph shifted uneasily, hammers ready but hands slick with sweat. "And if he doesn't let us?"
