"Stark! Matteo," Hafen gasped with relief and closed the door. He locked it. He rushed to his brothers and helped them to a chair.
Benjamin sat on the floor, and his chest heaved.
Jasper collapsed against the wall, and he slid down to the floor. He panted heavily.
Elaine rushed to Jasper's side. "Are you alright? Were you bitten," she asked with a concerned tone.
Jasper looked up at her and forced a weak smile. "No, I'll live," he replied.
"I was bitten, but I'm not changing, I don't know why," Matteo revealed without a second thought. He looked at his arm, and a puzzled look formed on his face.
Jasper and Elaine shot him wary glares, and they grew tense.
Pepe stepped forward and examined Matteo's arm. "There's no wound. It's just blood marks," he pointed out and raised Matteo's arm.
Matteo looked at his arm in disbelief. "What the... I was bitten. It felt it. It hurt," he stuttered. He flexed his arm, and a tiny shimmer of energy crackled around it.
"If he was bitten, shouldn't we take him out, then? What if he converts to a zombie? We can't risk one of us turning in here," Jasper intervened and took a defensive stance, protecting Elaine.
"He's my brother. He's not becoming one of them," Stark retorted and stepped in front of Matteo.
"Let's not act rashly, Jasper," Hafen agreed.
Matteo held a nervous look.
"He's going to become one of them. It's only a matter of time," Elaine pleaded with a skeptical tone and leaned closer to Jasper.
Pepe gulped. There was no wound, but a flicker of doubt remained. His own rival... His grip on the pistol begrudgingly tightened. He looked away with an uneasy expression and closed his eyes. The memory of his injuries surfaced.
In the memory, a silhouette with no bite wounds converted in front of him. In a bright flash, she turned into a zombie, and she ferociously attacked him without warning.
Pepe's eyes snapped open, and he took a deep breath. "No, Matteo will be fine. I'm sure of it," he declared, and he patted Matteo on the shoulder. A forced smile crept on his face.
Matteo blinked. He felt the warmth from Pepe's hand, and a wave of relief washed over him.
Ms. Lily, who had been watching the exchange with a thoughtful expression, stepped in. "Pepe's right. There's still much we don't understand about this new threat. For now, we trust Matteo. He might have a unique immunity," she asserted, and her tone left no room for argument.
Jasper grumbled under his breath. He and Elaine moved to the other side of the room.
Pepe scanned Stark's injuries. "What happened out there," he sought to know.
"We fought multiple zombies. It's an invasion of them," Stark answered in between breaths.
Ms. Lily's face paled. "An invasion," she murmured in disbelief.
Stark nodded and turned to Pepe. His eyes widened as he saw the pistol. "Where did you get that," he asked in surprise while remembering his fight against the soldiers.
Pepe looked down at the pistol in his hand. "It's Ms. Lily's. I caught her bringing it with her," he responded and gestured towards the two dead zombies on the floor.
Ms. Lily sighed, and a troubled look crossed her face. "Yes, it is, and I get in trouble for someone like me to have this," she confessed and continued, "I didn't expect this to happen. I carry it for my protection, in case of a monster attack. I never thought it would ever be used on something that used to be a child." She walked to Pepe and held out her hand. "Give me the gun," she ordered.
Pepe reluctantly handed over the pistol.
Ms. Lily took it and expertly checked the magazine. "Only a few bullets left," she noted to herself. She slipped the pistol into a holster on her pants. "We need to find a way out of this school. We can't stay here. I'll take the lead," she declared with a determined look.
The remaining students prepared themselves.
Closest to the door, Hafen readied and nodded to the others.
"How very convenient. All of my favorites are gathered in one place," a cruel and familiar voice, amplified by an unseen power, boomed across the school grounds and through the shattered windows.
"That came from outside," Hafen deduced with a scowl.
"Who is that," Jasper queried with a confused look.
Benjamin furrowed his brows and stood up.
Stark's eyes widened in recognition. "I know that voice. It's him. The one who killed my mom," he revealed.
"The Exalted One," Hafen, Matteo, and Stark whispered in unison, and a wave of fury washed over them.
Jasper and Elaine exchanged confused but terrified glances.
Pepe narrowed his eyes and pondered what to do.
Ms. Lily's face hardened. She walked to the window and peered out.
A tall figure in a dark cloak stood in the center of the chaos' fallout.
The Exalted One began in a chilling broadcast that reached every terrified soul trapped within, "Let me introduce myself. I am The Exalted One, and I am your salvation. I have come to liberate this forest from its false peace. This invasion is but a small taste of the chaos that awaits this forest and the outside world."
Benjamin stared out the window and frowned.
Matteo and Stark joined him.
"Is he here for us," Matteo questioned and glanced at his brother.
Stark clenched his fists. "I'm not sure, but this is our opportunity for some payback," he declared.
The Exalted One gestured towards the shuffling zombies and explained, "These mindless creatures are a plague, a creation of a former ally who wishes to claim what is mine. Even so, they became useful nuisances. They have served their purpose by weeding out the unworthy and by revealing the true potential hidden within some of you." His chilling laughter echoed in the minds of the survivors, and he offered, "To those of you who still stand, I offer you a choice. Continue to hide in this crumbling school, and wait for a rescue that will never come. Or, embrace your true nature. Join me, and you will be the harbingers of a new age. You will be powerful beyond your wildest dreams."
Ms. Lily clutched her pistol and aimed it toward The Exalted One. "Kids, stand back. That man is dangerous," she warned and fired.
The bullet shattered the window and tore through the air. However, it stopped mid-flight and a few inches from The Exalted One's forehead.
The Exalted One didn't even flinch. He held up a single finger, and the bullet hovered away. "Futile attempt," he taunted and flicked his finger.
The bullet flew back. It ricocheted off the window frame and embedded itself in the ceiling with a dull thud.
Ms. Lily stepped back, and her eyes widened in shock. "That's impossible," she blurted out.
The Exalted One chuckled with a sneer.
Suddenly, the classroom door burst open with a deafening crash. It flew across the room and smashed into a row of desks.
Hafen fell to the ground and coughed as smoke covered the room.
Everyone in the room turned around and froze.
As the smoke cleared, Brad, a hulking figure, stood in the ruined doorway. He was larger, and his muscles bulged with a dark, vicious energy. He was no longer the disgraced guard they knew.
"Brad? But I thought... I thought we killed him," Jasper stammered with disbelief.
"Well, well. Look what we have here," Brad groaned, and a wicked grin stretched across his face.
Brad's gaze landed on Hafen, Stark, and Matteo. "You three. You're the ones who did this to me," he accused and growled. His body tensed, and he proclaimed, "I'll start with you!" He charged towards Hafen, the nearest one.
"Get back," Ms. Lily yelled. She raised the pistol and fired without hesitation.
The bullet struck Brad in the shoulder.
Brad flinched, and his shoulder rocked back. He glanced at the wound with a flicker of annoyance. His thick blood oozed from the hole. "Is that all you've got," he taunted and lunged forward.
Ms. Lily's eyes widened in horror. She lunged in front of Hafen and protected him. "No, stop," she pleaded.
Brad snarled, and his massive fist slammed into Ms. Lily's face.
The force sent her flying back and crashing through a row of desks. Books flew into the air.
"Ms. Lily," Elaine screamed. She scrambled towards her teacher.
However, Jasper held her back. "Don't get close to him," he demanded and pulled her behind him.
Brad turned his attention back to Hafen, who checked on Ms. Lily. "It's over," he declared and raised a foot to crush them both.
Suddenly, a blur shot past.
Matteo appeared between Brad and Hafen. "It's not over," he alleged.
Stark appeared next to Matteo. "You'll have to go through us, Brad," he declared. He crouched and got ready to fight.
Stark and Matteo stand united against the monstrous guard. Can they defeat this new, empowered Brad? What is Ms. Lily's condition? What does The Exalted One have planned for them?