Avalon Academy, a school for the gifted, was a prestigious institution with strict requirements for enrollment.
Funded by the upper echelon of society and the government itself, the academy carried the solemn duty of grooming the country's most elite assets.
Geniuses in war, combat, manipulation — you name it, Avalon had it.
While ordinary students studied English, these elites mastered the premium arts of social engineering. Instead of PHE classes, they were drilled in weapon mastery and martial arts.
Avalon didn't breed mediocrity. They had expectations to uphold, and they did.
So yes, the school trained its students to overcome almost anything.
Handling mutated classmates, teachers, and even a principal that sought to eat them? Easy.
But this? This was too much.
Seth's eyes constricted at the sight before him, his heart pounding as he dove out of the way. The others braced themselves.
The already shattered windows crumbled to pieces as a monster rammed into the building, sending debris and dust everywhere.
Creeeeeeee!
The horrifying screech stung their ears, nearly rupturing their eardrums. Everyone covered their ears, wincing from pain.
Seth scrambled backward in terror until his back hit the wall, panting heavily as he observed the creature.
It was a crow — an oversized, grotesque crow. Its feathers undulated sinisterly like a cloak of shadows.
Beneath it, obsidian talons glinted, sinking deep into the school's reinforced concrete outer walls to support its monstrous mass as it poked its head into the classroom.
Its head was different from its body, as though carved from bone — a hollow skull stretching to a dangerously sharp pointed beak.
As monstrous as it was, this wasn't the worst part about the dire situation...
It had company.
Boom!!!
The second window exploded as another abomination ripped through.
This one even more frenzied than the first, struggling to squeeze inside the small classroom for a snack.
Seth shivered. "What the hell are you guys gawking for?!" he screamed, snapping the others out of their fear paralysis.
Even the ever-cool Uriel bolted after Seth, abandoning his cool composure In an instant.
They rushed straight through the barricades their classmates had set up earlier, not even bothering to move them aside.
The others followed without hesitation.
Seth winced as he rammed through desks and a locker. Did it hurt like hell? Yes.
But was it far better than becoming a meal? Definitely.
Fortunately, adrenaline did it's job numbing the pain.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The building shuddered consecutively as more crows ripped into it.
Craaaash!!!
A heavy wind tore through the hallway as a crow finally forced its way inside.
Caaaawwww! It cried triumphantly.
Seth, nearly at the stairs, scowled at the sight before him. Now they were trapped between a rock and a hard place he sighed.
An unhealthy number of rabid mutants rushed toward them from both above and below the stairs, screeching frenziedly.
"Fucking bitches!" Seth cursed. They had no weapons — how could they fight this many?
And behind them, the abomination struggled, scrambling unsteadily through the narrow hallway, hot on their heels.
For the first time, Seth felt death certain. He froze, almost ready to give up.
After all, how many could they kill? Before either becoming infected or ending up in the belly of the abomination behind.
A mutant's claw swung just a breath away from pricking right into his nostrils, when suddenly—
A sharp buzz hummed through the air. A burst of wind rushed past, whipping Seth's silver hair into a mess.
He instinctively closed his eyes for a split second. And when he opened them…
Gone. The congested mob of feral mutants blocking their path was gone.
Only a billowing haze of ash and a few charred corpses remained.
"What are you waiting for? Get moving!"
Seth turned to the voice. Uriel stood in the blackened path, his body cloaked in cackling currents of bright blue sparks.
Seth's eyes widened. 'He killed them all… was that a gene skill? Wait, why is mine locked?'
"Guys, go ahead! I'll buy us more time!" a voice called from the back.
Seth turned around as the others whizzed past him.
Brandon stood at the rear, sleeves rolled up, unfazed by the abomination scrambling toward them.
'Is he stupid? He's going to die!' Seth was just about to voice this thought, but the word got stuck in his throat as Brandon raised his palm with a smirk.
His eyes glinted. Suddenly, his palm glowed an intense bright blue, the temperature of the air rising in an instant as a rush of hot air washed over Seth.
Suddenly a torrent of flames burst forth from the outstretched palms. Engulfing the monster and the hallway.
The sea of fire scorched everything in its path leaving nothing unburnt.
By the time Brandon was done, the crow-like monster had been reduced to nothing but cinders.
Smirking, he turned and picked up the pace. Though he tried to hide it, his pale complexion betrayed exhaustion. That ability came at a cost for sure.
"Heh, don't gawk too long," Brandon chuckled, patting Seth's shoulder as he rushed past.
Seth remained alone in the blackened hallway, his heart aching with envy.
One question rang in his head:
Why the fuck are my skills locked?!
Who wouldn't want to zap enemies to ash?
Who wouldn't want to torch monsters with a wave of their hand?
Well he did!
Craaaash!!!
Creeeeee!!! A crash followed by a sharp screech alerted him.
Another crow had forced its way in. Seth shoved his frustration aside. Lamenting could wait — but survival came first.
He sprinted down the stairs, catching up with the rest.
Uriel and Victor led the front, cutting down the feral mutants.
"Where are we heading?" Seth asked Brandon, who was closest.
Brandon's lips were still faintly blue from exhaustion. "Miss Lysa said there's a safety bunker under the auditorium hall. Once we get there, we should be safe."
He added, "She also said we'll have better chances of finding other survivors there."
Seth nodded, and was about to ask about Brandon's ability when something flashed in his vision getting his attention:
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