The barrel of Garrison's rifle smoked, its glowing chamber still hot from the blast that had toppled the monster. His eyes, however, weren't on the beast. They were fixed on the empty space where his brother had been, seconds before being dragged into the abyss.
"Leventis…" His voice cracked as he said the name, barely audible beneath the ringing alarms and the panicked screams of students. He wanted to believe his shot had saved him, but the truth was crueler. The Gashadokuro had swallowed him whole.
"Captain!" one of his squadmates shouted. "The perimeter is collapsing—orders?"
Garrison clenched his teeth, forcing his trembling hands to steady on the rifle. He was their commanding officer here. If he broke, the unit broke. But inside, his thoughts spiraled—how could he explain this to their mother, to anyone? He was the one who promised to protect Leventis, yet he had failed before his very eyes.
"Form a barrier!" Garrison barked. "Lock down the wounded. I'll—" his voice caught, then hardened, "—I'll handle the rest."
The skeletal giant thrashed against the electromagnetic chains, its shriek like glass splitting in the air. Garrison raised his weapon, not out of duty, but rage. Each movement of the monster mocked him, reminded him that his brother was gone because of this war.
But as he lined up his sights, a thought cut through his fury like a blade: What if he's still alive in there?
The question rooted itself in his chest, making the trigger feel heavier. He lowered the rifle. For the first time in years, the soldier in Garrison gave way to the brother.
Around him, chaos tore through the academy. Students were scattered, some crying, some frozen in fear. Yet three stood out in the storm of panic—Chino, Angelina, and Adam.
Chino writhed against the rubble pinning his legs, sparks of raw energy bursting from his palms like unstable fireworks. His face twisted in fury and pain. "That thing took him! That level-less bastard—he can't be gone before me!" His voice was broken, more desperation than hatred now. The energy in his hands exploded outward, searing cracks into the floor as he tried to blast the rubble off his body.
Nearby, Angelina crouched low, her trembling hands extended. The air bent subtly around her fingertips as lockers and debris shifted. She pushed at the wreckage with her ability, with a lift of her finger the rubble began to lift with her mind, straining to free Chino even as tears streaked down her cheeks. "Stop talking and let me help you!" she snapped, voice quivering. "You'll bleed out if you keep moving."
Adam, on the other hand, wasn't panicking. His body pulsed faintly with a soft green glow as he overclocked his senses, his breath steady while everyone else gasped in panic. Tiny fragments of shattered electronics—phones, tablets, even pieces of the school's PA system—hovered around him, rearranging themselves into crude, jagged constructs. "I've got the comms back online," he muttered, his tone sharp but calm. "But if this thing breaks free again, none of us are walking out alive."
Garrison's gaze swept across them, his heart tightening. These weren't soldiers. They were kids, trapped in a war they never asked for. He lowered his rifle slightly, moving closer to the three.
"You—Chino," Garrison barked, kneeling to shove aside chunks of stone with brute force. "Save your energy for the enemy, not yourself."
Chino spat, glaring up at him through clenched teeth. "Shut up and get me out of here!" His words cut like knives, but Garrison didn't flinch.
"I don't have the luxury of breaking down right now," Garrison leered coldly. "Neither do you." He turned to Angelina. "Good work with your ability. Keep his vitals stable. Don't let him pass out."
Angelina's eyes widened at being addressed, her lips trembling as she nodded quickly. "Y-yes, sir…"
Finally, Garrison's eyes fell on Adam. The boy's creations buzzed faintly with energy, pieces locking into place like puzzle parts. "What are you building?" Garrison demanded.
Adam didn't look up. "A containment unit—I hope that holds. The skeleton's energy is unstable, like corrupted code. I can patch it, at least temporarily. But I'll need cover while I finish."
Garrison's lips pressed into a thin line. This boy thought like a soldier. He almost reminded him of Leventis—focused, stubborn, and far too willing to throw himself in harm's way.
"Then you'll have it" Garrison said.
The Gashadokuro wailed again, straining against its bindings. Chains groaned, sparks snapping as if they'd break at any moment.
Garrison planted his rifle firmly against his shoulder, channeling the searing weight of his grief into pure resolve. "Listen up. We're not just surviving this fight—we're ending it. None of you die here. Not on my watch."
Angelina's hands steadied. Adam's constructs locked together with a sharper hum. Even Chino, despite his pain, gritted his teeth and focused the energy in his palms into a controlled glow.
And for a brief moment, amid the crumbling academy walls, four lives intertwined in the shadow of a monster.
Garrison thought of his brother again, swallowed into darkness. Hold on, Leventis. If you're still alive in there… I'll find you.
Then the Gashadokuro's chains creaked under pressure.
And the battle began anew.