The moment Kana exhaled in relief at the sight of the gate, the air turned suffocatingly heavy.
Akira reacted instantly, stepping in front of her.
Beyond the gate, the road to town warped, swallowed by a fog-like darkness. The schoolyard cracked open, black tendrils slithering from the fissures.
"Anomaly escalation confirmed. Escape routes to the exterior are blocked," Akira said, his voice a calm undertone in the chaos.
Kana looked up at him, trembling. "What… You mean we can't get out?"
"Correct. Spatial distortions detected. The school is likely under a containment lockdown. Formulating internal survival strategy."
Before he could finish, the ground split wider, and grotesque creatures clawed their way up. One was a massive moth-like thing, scattering toxic dust from its tattered wings. Another, lizard-like, bristled with countless gaping mouths.
Akira's blades snapped out. He grabbed Kana's hand and bolted back toward the school. "Retreat to the building. We'll thin their numbers and plan our next move."
They dove through the entrance, slamming the door shut.
But glass shattered behind them as the moth-thing barreled inside, its dust cloud flooding the corridor.
Akira's sensors blared. "Toxic substance detected. Kana, cover your mouth and nose."
He pressed his uniform sleeve into her hands and lunged at the moth. His blade tore through its wings and pierced its body, felling it in one strike.
The lizard-thing crashed through the door next, spewing sticky venom at Akira's feet. He vaulted over it, decapitating the creature with a clean slash.
"Temporary safety secured. We move now," he said, urging Kana forward.
She nodded, coughing, and they ran down the corridor.
The school trembled, walls groaning with unnatural sounds.
Scratch, scratch.
Something skittered within the building's bones.
"Where are we going?" Kana gasped, her breath ragged.
"Second floor, science lab. We'll use its resources to fortify our defenses," Akira replied, his decision swift.
They raced up the stairs, reaching the second-floor hallway.
But new horrors awaited.
Three translucent creatures, their writhing innards visible beneath ghostly skin. Smaller than the auditorium's monstrosities but faster, more agile.
They attacked as one.
Akira shoved Kana behind him, his blade flashing. He gutted the first, but the other two flanked him. His damaged left arm slowed him, just a fraction.
One creature leaped onto his shoulder, its claws ripping through his uniform. Sparks flew as he threw it off.
"Minor damage sustained. Combat viability intact," he said.
Kana screamed. Akira spun to see another creature drop from the ceiling—a spider-like thing, spitting sticky threads to ensnare her.
As she stumbled back, Akira leaped, severing its legs. The threads fell, oozing across the floor.
"Ten meters to the science lab. Hurry," he urged.
They sprinted, bursting into the lab. Akira slammed the door shut and barricaded it with desks.
A fleeting silence settled.
Kana steadied her breathing. "How… how long is this going to last?"
"Unknown. We must identify the anomaly's source. For now, survival and mobility are paramount," Akira said, rummaging through shelves for chemicals. He began assembling a makeshift explosive. "This will buy us time to clear a path. Next, we head to the library to gather information."
But before he could finish, the window shattered with a crash.
A massive shadow slithered inside—a serpent-like creature with multiple heads, each writhing independently. One fixed its gaze on Kana, baring venomous fangs.
Akira reacted in a heartbeat, hurling a vial of chemicals. An explosion roared, blasting one head apart.
The remaining heads shrieked, thrashing in fury, tearing the lab apart.
"Evacuate!" Akira shouted, grabbing Kana's hand.
They fled the lab, the endless night of the school swallowing them once more.