Aeron's blade carved through the last ice wolf, its body collapsing into the snow with a final whimper. Around him, the courtyard lay littered with monster corpses, their dark blood steaming in the cold air.
Livia lowered her staff, her breathing slightly ragged.
Emilia's fingers trembled as she loosened her grip on the bowstring—both girls had held the line, covering Aeron's blind spots with fire and arrows.
"Clear," Aeron panted, wiping his sword on his sleeve.
"Let's follow after them, there might be more."
The three of them sprinted back toward the fleeing students, their boots crunching through crimson-stained snow.
The Grand Assembly Hall loomed ahead, its massive doors glowing with protective runes. At the entrance stood a slender figure with silver-rimmed glasses—Miss Luna, the academy's top-ranked student and librarian, waving urgently.
"Hurry!" she called, her voice cutting through the chaos.
The students surged forward with renewed hope, their terrified gasps turning to relieved sobs as safety came within reach.
Aeron, however, didn't relax.
His golden eyes scanned the surroundings, his grip tightening on his sword.
Too quiet.
The monsters had been relentless—why had it gotten so quiet now?
Then—
BOOM.
The ground quaked, violent enough to send students tumbling into the snow. Aeron barely kept his footing, his heart suddenly pounding like a war drum.
Something's wrong.
The tremors stopped as abruptly as they'd begun. For a breathless second, there was only silence.
Then—
CRACK!
The earth exploded.
A massive, segmented thing burst from the ground—a gargantuan worm-like monstrosity with a circular maw lined with rows of rotating teeth. Before anyone could scream, it lunged, its maw aimed at the small group of fallen students.
The world seemed to freeze.
Terror locked limbs in place. Even Aeron stood paralyzed, his blood turning to ice—
—until a voice echoed in his mind, sharp and familiar:
[Use me!]
But he clenched his teeth.
No.
Not again. Not ever!
If he gave in now, if he let that out...
He would become something worse than the monster before them.
Just then—movement.
A flicker at the edge of his vision.
His golden eyes widened, his breath catching.
There, streaking toward the worm like shadows given form—
Zephyr.
And—
Aman?!
_____ ___ _
[ Flashback: Moments Earlier ]
The air shimmered with energy as the green portal pulsed at the edge of the barrier, crackling with instability.
Zephyr stood before it, tall and silent. His silver hair fluttered in the cold wind, cloak billowing behind him like a banner of twilight. One hand gripped the edge of the portal, the other resting loosely at his side.
Behind him, Luna stood at the threshold of the Grand Assembly Hall, her usually determined, cute face taut with worry. Her glasses reflected the portal's eerie glow.
Zephyr looked back over his shoulder, and their eyes met.
A quiet beat passed.
Then—he gave a small nod.
"I'll be back soon," he said softly, his voice steady. "Stay safe."
It was only a whisper. But it cut through the chaos like a blade through smoke.
Luna's lips parted slightly—there were so many things she wanted to say. Don't go. Be careful. I'm sorry. But her throat clenched around the words, and none of them came out.
So she only nodded, weakly.
Zephyr held her gaze for a moment longer, then turned and stepped into the portal.
The light rippled—and he was gone.
Luna stood frozen, her arms wrapped tightly around her chest as if to hold herself together. Her fingers curled into her sleeves until her knuckles turned white.
He's going to fight again.
He's going to get hurt again.
All because of me.
She bit her lip as the guilt rose like a tide, her chest aching.
It's all my fault.
It's all because of me…
The roars of monsters echoed in the near distance, mingling with the screams of panicked students. Luna didn't move, didn't breathe.
Everyone's going to suffer again.
Because of me.
Zephyr's going to bleed again. Get injured...
Because of me.
She stared at the space where the portal was a moment ago, its light faded into the wind.
And I can't do anything to stop it.
Just like always…
Her nails dug into her palms. She hated this helplessness. Hated herself for being weak. For putting Zephyr in danger. For always causing trouble, never preventing it and never protecting.
A few tears slipped down her cheeks—silent, shimmering lines of sorrow. She didn't wipe them away.
They carried the weight of everything she couldn't say.
Then—
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The sound of footsteps.
She turned toward the noise—and her eyes widened.
A mass of students was charging toward the Grand Assembly Hall. Dozens of them, maybe more, streaked with dread and sweat, panic etched on every face. Some were crying, others holding one another up.
...This.
They were running toward her.
No, they were running toward safety.
Her heart lurched. The sound of hope.
She blinked away the tears, straightened up, and stepped forward.
She couldn't fight like Zephyr.
But she could at least do this.
"Come on!" she shouted, voice cracking. "This way! Get inside, now!"
The students surged forward at her call, and Luna opened her arms, guiding them in through the glowing gates of the Grand Assembly Hall—the one place left that might still hold.
The place Zephyr left her behind was to make sure she would be safe.
And somewhere, deep inside, her voice whispered:
Please come back.
Please...
"!"
Just then, she spotted another group in the distance—stumbling through the snow, their silhouettes barely visible through the mist of dread and frost.
She squinted—eyes scanning—then her breath hitched.
That was—
Sir Aeron.
And beside him—those were her new friends. The ones she could open her heart to, even only for small things.
She waved frantically, her voice hoarse from shouting. "Over here! Hurry!"
Then—
The ground split.
A monstrous worm erupted from beneath the snow, its gaping maw lined with rows of rotating teeth. It lunged for the students, its massive body casting a shadow over them.
Luna's instincts screamed at her to look away—to shut her eyes against the horror—but she fought it.
P-please...
She clenched her fists and screamed with everything she had left:
"ZEPHYR!"
_____
(A/N: Sorry, due to some issues, the chapter was released as a draft. It's fully edited now. Thank you for your understanding!)