Outside, panic reigned amid a huge commotion; police cars and fire trucks were waiting, ready to step in at any moment. Journalists with their cameras were also covering the event live. In the crowd, one could also make out families consumed with anguish, anxious to see whether their child would come out of this terrible ordeal.
"I'm standing here, where a terrible event took place this afternoon. A senior class unfortunately found itself trapped in a gray dungeon. According to experts at the scene of the incident, the rift may have reached rank 7 or 8. The group of students' chances of survival appear slim, despite the presence of professional awakened with them. Rescue teams are nonetheless standing by, ready to intervene," said a journalist, microphone in hand.
Of course, Kevin's family had also learned the news with horror and had immediately rushed to the scene of the incident.
POV Arthur
I managed to get out of the rift helping an injured classmate; the first thing I saw was dozens of rescue vehicles. There was no doubt they had been kept informed of the situation: the rescuers rushed over at once. Then I saw my family, my father and my horrible stepmother, waiting for me.
On my father's face, I could see that he was moved and relieved, even overwhelmed, to see me come out. Without hesitation, he came straight toward me, opening his arms wide to wrap me in a comforting embrace.
"Are you okay, Arthur?" he asked, worried.
"Yes, I'm fine, don't worry."
Right after, my eyes fell on Kevin's mother, his sister and his little brother, and I immediately saw the distress in their eyes. Without any need for words, their worry showed itself in a silent, funereal communion. Until his mother broke the silence:
"Arthur, where's Kevin?" she asked me.
"He's…"
I suddenly realized, puzzled, that Kevin should have come out long ago. He was supposed to be right behind me, and yet I didn't see him come out, while the others behind him came out one after another, making my anxiety grow.
Finally, I saw Adam's group come out, made up of Onil and Karminia.
"Where's Kevin?" I asked, worried.
"Unfortunately, he was attacked," Adam answered in a sad tone.
"No!" Kevin's mother sobbed, collapsing to the ground in tears.
An intense rage took hold of me, because Adam's words made absolutely no sense to me. Kevin should have come out quickly after me, and yet he wasn't there. Moreover, it was highly unlikely the monsters could have caught up with him. That reality left only one plausible explanation, and the little smirk that appeared on Adam's face confirmed my suspicions.
"Don't give me that bullshit! If he had been attacked, you would have been too. So stop lying!"
With anger and frustration taking over, a murderous aura began to emanate from me, in the form of a violent flood of mana released from my body.
"You sacrificed him so you could escape!"
"That's a serious accusation you're making!" said Professor Henry, who had just appeared.
"You're going to cover for what they did?"
"What did they do? What proof do you have?"
With a shrill clash, the metal of my sword met the professor's dagger, sparks flying on impact.
"What are you doing?" he said, surprised by the sudden attack.
"I'm going to slit your throat myself to avenge my friend!"
"Careful what you do. It would be a shame to ruin your future!"
"I don't give a damn!" I said, my murderous intent growing stronger.
However, before I could act, several people, including Charles, held me firmly in place, their hands clamped around my arms and shoulders.
"What are you doing? Let go of me!" I shouted, completely mad with rage.
"Calm down. Even if you accuse them, you have no proof. I know how you feel, but given the situation, there's nothing we can do."
My eyes overflowing with rage, I noticed that Charles's gaze reflected a similar anger. As a born hunter, he was driven by a keen sense of honor and loyalty, and he couldn't stand to see a comrade betrayed.
"Abandoning one of your students to save your own skin—you disgust me!" he said.
"How could you do that?" Marie cried, taking her devastated mother in her arms.
They didn't answer, preferring to leave; but their treachery and selfishness had been revealed for all to see.
I swallowed my rage, letting those filthy people walk past me. Then, naturally, I decided to stay and wait in front of the rift with my family and Kevin's, while all the others had already been taken to the hospital or had gone home. This prolonged wait, tinged with a certain anxiety, allowed us to grow closer and share the hopes and fears that assailed us.
Only the rescue teams and a few awakened, including Professor Henry, had stayed on site. Because a rule required people to remain in front of the portal as long as it hadn't closed completely. This directive was meant to ensure that, if any lost members somehow emerged, someone would be there to help them. One hour passed, then two, and the three hours—three days inside the portal—were coming to an end. The portal gradually began to close, announcing the end of this waiting period and killing all our hope of seeing Kevin come out. Kevin's mother burst into sobs, letting out cries that wrung my heart. I hugged Marie to comfort her too.
"My friend, I'm sorry," I said sadly as I watched the portal close.
As the portal closed before our eyes, a heartbreaking feeling of sadness took hold of us all. A heavy atmosphere of despair settled in, as if hope itself were being swallowed by the movement of the portal. Exhausted, grief-stricken looks met one another, bearing witness to the distress shared within the group. Emotions mingled in a whirlwind of pain, disappointment and resignation. At that moment, our group sank into a deep sadness, as if the world itself had darkened in response to our grief.
Suddenly, a violent explosion rang out, making each of us jump and immediately grabbing our attention. The explosion had raised a wall of smoke that soon cleared, revealing a severed creature's head. It was the head of one of the horrible wolves we had struggled to fight earlier. Its grotesque, menacing appearance had been reduced to an inert, mutilated state. The most surprising and terrifying sight, however, was the frozen expression of fear on that face. It was a striking contrast to see such a monstrous creature, which had spread terror among us, itself wearing an expression of terror. This reality raised a host of disconcerting questions:
What could it have encountered that was so frightening as to leave it in such a state?
The answer to our question was soon revealed, but it only stirred an indescribable horror. A merciless flood of bloodlust and mana crashed down on us, sweeping away everything in its path. The resulting pressure was so crushing that I struggled to breathe, my lungs seeming to compress under the weight of that devastating force. All around me, people were collapsing to the ground, suffocating, unable to withstand the power bearing down on them. Their bodies seemed to weigh tons, crushed by that unimaginable pressure. Terror seized each of us, overwhelmed by this titanic power that defied all logic and understanding. Our minds reeled under the impact of this terrifying manifestation, and it became clear that we were facing a threat far more formidable and destructive than anything we could have imagined.
All eyes were riveted on the portal. Out of the gray portal, a menacing shadow slowly emerged. Little by little, it took the shape of a humanoid silhouette and revealed a man dressed in blood-soaked clothes. He held firmly in his hand a sword as black as night itself.
The eyes of this being burned with a terrifying glow that froze the blood in our veins.
With his other hand, he mercilessly threw down the head of another monster, which burst into pieces. Then he turned his menacing gaze toward one person in particular: Professor Henry.
At that moment, every hair on my body stood on end, triggering a wave of cold sweat. Because the boundless bloodlust emanating from him multiplied, darkly surpassing any notion of humanity. I was sure of it: it was inconceivable that such a creature could be human.
The man vanished from my field of vision in a flash, only to reappear exactly where the professor stood. With a relentless hand, he seized him by the neck, lifting him off the ground with disconcerting ease. A harsh crack was suddenly heard. With his other hand, he had broken the professor's arm, twisting it into an utterly impossible position.
"Argh!" Henry howled, his eyes rolling back and foam at his mouth.
The professor's piercing scream echoed through the air, like the heartrending sound of a pig being slaughtered. The other awakened, despite their fear, finally moved, surrounding him. Seeing them, the man suddenly let out a heavy sigh, as if he were tired or disillusioned.
"Pff, I don't have enough strength left to fight. Thanks for waiting for me, Arthur."
I shuddered, because that voice was Kevin's, but he was so unrecognizable, covered in blood and surrounded by that black aura, that I hadn't recognized him right away. Then he collapsed; his mother, Marie and I rushed toward him.
How had he managed to survive? I had no idea, and I didn't really care. What mattered was that he had come back, as he always had.
"Of course I was waiting for you, buddy!"
POV Kevin
All I remember is that I experienced death once again. Then suddenly, that dark, frightening voice overflowing with power made itself heard, making me an offer: power.
Swallowed up, trapped by my own hatred—a burning, visceral hatred completely beyond my control—I accepted the offer.
And an energy as dark as night, oppressive and sinister, was unleashed from the depths of my being. This devastating force caused a cataclysmic explosion inside the cavity where I had been hiding. The fragments of rock that made up my refuge were pulverized and scattered, creating a deadly rain of debris around me.
As I straightened up, I watched in fascination as a dark aura oozed out and spread over my whole body. That darkness had momentarily taken the place of my missing arm and leg. When the aura faded, my missing limbs had strangely returned, reintegrated into my body. An incredible sense of well-being took hold of me, like a state of permanent intoxication. Indeed, an immeasurable power now flowed through my veins, illuminating every inch of my being. The limits of my human condition seemed to vanish, replaced by an unsuspected, almost divine strength.
That was only the beginning: the dark energy poured out onto the ground, spreading like a fog. An electric tension filled the air, heralding the inevitable unleashing of that power.
Suddenly, in a titanic blast, the black energy reached its peak, causing a tremor of apocalyptic proportions. This spectral cataclysm bore witness to the immense power I was now imbued with. In that moment of pure devastation, I was both the witness and the instigator of this macabre dance orchestrated by forces beyond all understanding.
I was thirsty! Thirsty for destruction and vengeance! I noticed the monsters that had attacked me earlier. Their hideous forms wavered in terror, trembling violently. Their limbs were shaken by uncontrollable spasms. The power driving me had reduced them to mere frail, vulnerable creatures, unable to match the intensity of my unleashed anger.
I turned toward them and they instinctively backed away, overwhelmed by visceral terror. I wanted to slaughter them, to tear apart every filthy shred of their miserable beings. As if in answer to my will, a black sword materialized out of a veil in the palm of my right hand. The sword gave off a sinister aura, reinforcing my sense of power and control. I could feel its weight in my hand; it was ready to serve, like an extension of my will. It was both intimidating and fascinating to see this tangible manifestation of power, a weapon that seemed to have been forged from the darkness itself.
"Looks like the prey has become the hunter!" I said, spreading an insatiable bloodlust.
I hurled myself at them like a rabid beast, with murderous fury. Like a starving predator, I shredded and carved up those monsters, reducing them to common scraps of bloody flesh. Their blood spattered my clothes and my body, staining them bright red. In this murderous frenzy, I plunged into a dark ecstasy, a perverse satisfaction flowing from every blow struck, every life mown down without mercy. And I loved it.
The terrified survivors began to flee. Unfortunately for them, I had no intention of letting them live. I spread their blood everywhere like a downpour, taking a wicked pleasure in it. If anyone had seen me, only one word would have come to their lips: demon.
"More! More! More!"
I had entered a murderous frenzy, my sword whirling with ease and madness. When I had finished slaughtering all the monsters, I came out of the rift, still in a trance.
I saw my family and Arthur, stunned, but my mind first focused on one of the people who had abandoned me to my fate. Without thinking and full of rage, I closed in on Professor Henry at extraordinary speed and grabbed him by the neck. Then, with a sick smile, I broke his arm, tearing from him screams from beyond the grave, full of unbearable pain.
I listened to those magnificent screams with delight, but men quickly surrounded me, no doubt intending to subdue me. And yet I was ready to tear their limbs off one by one. But, to my misfortune, I felt a sharp pain run through my body. In the next instant, I felt that extraordinary dark energy slowly leaving me.
I quickly understood that this state of grace was only temporary and that I had also reached my own limits. Before my vision blurred and my legs gave way, I spoke one last word, to Arthur. My knees buckled beneath me, and finally I collapsed to the ground, struck down by exhaustion.
***
I slowly opened my eyes again, welcoming a glow that seeped into my consciousness, and found a dazzling white ceiling above me. I was lying in a bed with sheets just as white. Nearby, a television was playing softly in the background.
"Ah… A hospital? Oh, right, I collapsed. Did my arm and leg really grow back?" I said, pulling off the blanket covering me.
I moved them to make sure they were really back; it was quite an extraordinary feeling, knowing they had been torn off. Then I saw my mother, sitting peacefully on a chair beside me, her eyes closed.
I moved closer to her, my heart heavy with guilt, knowing I had put her through another ordeal. Gently, my hand stroked her tender face, seeking to bring some semblance of comfort to the woman who had given me the strength to fight my own demons and who had kept me from giving in to the temptation of death and giving up the life she had given me as a mother.
She slowly woke up and met my gaze. When she saw me, she burst into sobs, then immediately hugged me.
Faced with her tears, my heart ached: seeing your own mother cry is always heartbreaking. Every tear that welled up on her face echoed a mountain of emotions and worries she had endured. I wanted to comfort her as best I could: I held her tightly against me, gently wiping away the tears running down her face.
"Everything's okay now, I'm fine, Mom. You don't have to worry anymore."
"I'm still your mother, so yes, I have plenty to worry about!" she answered firmly.
She stayed by my bedside for several more hours, during which we talked. Once she was reassured about my condition, she went home, because another workday awaited her the next day.
Once alone in my air-conditioned room, I looked at the clock, which said midnight. I remembered every detail of the events and the indescribable feeling of power. I could feel it deep in my flesh and my being, this change. A change that was going to open up entirely new possibilities for me.
After three days in the hospital, since I had no injuries, I was allowed to leave. I quickly learned from Arthur that a one-month break had been granted, because of the incident, of course. Students had tragically lost their lives in the incident, after all. The case had received a great deal of media coverage, arousing great public interest. The details of the event had been meticulously scrutinized, analyzed and dissected by the media, who sought to understand the circumstances that had led to this tragic situation. However, despite all the attention paid to the case, no one had been blamed, because the unfortunate event had been put down to simple bad luck.
Nevertheless, no one had mentioned that I had been abandoned like a common dog. Hatred took hold of me again, and I clenched my teeth. I wanted to find a way to make them pay. In my mind, there was only one way to achieve that: I had to become stronger than I was now. I went home with only one desire in mind: to train, test my new powers and see what I was capable of.