Chapter 5

Patricio hissed through his teeth as he gripped his torn sleeve. With a sharp tug, he ripped a long strip of fabric from his own shirt, wrapping it tightly around the bleeding claw mark. Lyka helped him knot it securely, her eyes full of worry, but Patricio just gave her a weak, reassuring smile to show he was fine.

Kenan checked his rifle one last time and slowly pushed open the main exit doors of the gymnasium.

"Stay behind me," he ordered in a low whisper.

"Keep your eyes open." As the group stepped out of the stage area, Charis, Norie, and Trixie finally emerged from the fitting room.

The moment they looked upon the gym floor, Charis gagged, covering her mouth in sheer disgust. The scenery was completely stomach-churning.

There were no Hallows left in the room, but the floor was a graveyard of broken barricades, pools of dark blood, and torn limbs from the students who hadn't made it out.

Oh God," Norie whimpered, her face turning pale as she averted her eyes. "This is a nightmare."

"Don't look at the floor," Lyka whispered urgently, tightening her grip on her bow. "Just focus on moving forward."

"We need to get to the rooftop stairs, fast," Nicay said, keeping her fencing sword raised as she scanned the exit.

"But which hallway leads to the main stairwell? This school is a maze."

Trixie stepped forward, trembling but determined.

"I know the way," she said, her voice shaking slightly.

"I remember the school map guide from the orientation hallway. If we go through the left corridor and past the science lab, it will lead us straight to the central stairwell."

"Good memory, kid," Kenan muttered, gesturing for her to lead.

"Move out. Quietly."

They slipped into the left corridor, the sound of the pouring rain echoing loudly against the building's concrete walls. As they neared the science lab, a soft rustling sound from behind a row of lockers made Kenan halt, raising his rifle.

"Wait! Don't shoot!" a panicked voice whispered.

Two heads popped out from behind a large storage bin. It was Azer and CJ, two of their other classmates, looking completely terrified.

"Azer? CJ?" Patricio breathed with relief. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We hid when the announcement happened," CJ explained, his eyes wide as he looked at Kenan’s tactical gear.

"The hallways are full of those... those things. What is the plan? Where are you guys going?"

"Support is on the roof," Lyka told them quickly.

"There's a helicopter waiting for us. You need to come with us right now."

"A helicopter?" Azer muttered, hope flashing in his eyes.

"Okay. Lead the way." With Azer and CJ joining the line, the group hurried toward the central stairwell.

 But the moment Trixie pushed open the heavy stairwell doors, the gruesome reality of the outbreak hit them again. The stairs were slick with blood, and the walls were covered in bloody handprints where people had tried to crawl away.

As they began their frantic climb upward, a sudden, wet click... snap... pop echoed from the landing above.

Two Hallows stepped into view at the top of the stairs. Their milky white eyes locked onto the group instantly, and they let out a unified, screeching howl that echoed down the concrete stairwell.

"They saw us!" Nicay shouted.

The moment Nicay’s shout echoed through the concrete stairwell, Lyka’s muscle memory kicked in. She pulled an arrow from her quiver, notched it, and drew the bowstring back to her jawline in one fluid motion.

"Get down!" Lyka yelled.

The two Hallows sprinted down the steps, their limbs moving with a terrifying, spider like agility. Lyka released the string.

Thwack!

The arrow flew true, striking the lead monster squarely in the shoulder. But the creature barely even flinched. Its mutated skin was incredibly tough, dense enough to absorb the impact. The Hallow tore the arrow out of its flesh with a wet snarl and kept charging.

"They're too fast! The skin is too thick!" CJ panicked, backing up against Azer.

"Shoot again, Lyka!" Patricio urged, clutching his bleeding forearm as a wave of sudden dizziness washed over him.

Lyka didn't hesitate. She notched a second arrow, breathed out, and fired. This time, the arrow pierced the second monster deeply in the thigh, slowing its frantic descent, but it still dragged itself forward, snapping its jaws wildly.

"I've got the front!" Nicay shouted.Showing off the incredible agility and speed from her fencing training, Nicay bolted up the bloody steps. She ducked underneath the first monster's swinging claws, using her flexibility to slide past its guard. With a sharp, precise thrust, she drove her metallic fencing sword straight into the creature's left eye socket.The Hallow let out a deafening, agonizing screech as the blade pierced its brain.

Without breaking her momentum, Nicay ripped her sword free, spun around the falling corpse, and jumped behind the second injured monster. With a fierce battle cry, she stabbed it brutally in the back, piercing its spine. The second monster stiffened, its milky white eyes rolling back as it tumbled down the stairs, lifeless.

The dying screeches of the two mosnter echoed violently throughout the entire concrete corridor, bouncing off the walls.

"Good job, Nicay!" Azer breathed, staring at her in awe.

"Don't celebrate yet," Kenan barked, his face grim inside his helmet.

"Listen." From the hallways below and the landings above, a chorus of answering shrieks erupted. The dying screams of the two monsters had alerted the entire school.

The terrifying sound of dozens of bones clicking and snapping click... snap... pop filled the building as a massive wave of monsters came rushing toward the central stairwell.

"They heard them!" Trixie cried out, covering her ears.

"They're coming from everywhere!"

"Move! Move! Up the stairs now!" Patricio yelled, his voice strained as he shoved Azer and CJ toward the upper landing.

"We're going to get trapped!" Lyka caught up to Nicay, her bow raised and ready as they sprinted up the bloody concrete steps, the monstrous roars growing closer and closer behind them.

They burst onto the final landing, gasping for air as the thumping roar of the helicopter blades vibrated through the heavy concrete ceiling. But their relief was instantly cut short.

"The door is locked!" Trixie cried out, rattling the heavy steel handle with all her might.

"It won't budge!"

"Get back!" Kenan ordered, shoving his way to the front. He reversed his rifle, using the heavy stock of his weapon to violently smash the lock.

CLANG! CLANG!

"Hurry, Kenan!" Norie shrieked, looking back down the stairwell.

"They're right behind us!" From the shadows of the stairs below, three monsters suddenly erupted onto the landing, their limbs twisting unnaturally as they bared their bloody teeth.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***