Nox watched them take down another small pack of three Plague Hounds. It was still sloppy, sure, but definitely better than their first attempt. They were starting to work together, anticipating each other's moves.
Emilia's vines were quicker now, snaring a creature before it could even lunge. Vasa managed to coat part of the floor with ice, sending another dog sliding straight into Kendra's rock-hard fist.
Yeda even managed to bash the head of the vine-wrapped creature with her pipe, timing it perfectly with Kendra's distraction.
'They're actually learning.' It was a grudging admission, but true. 'Still weak, but not completely hopeless anymore.'
Their levels had gone up too. They were all Level Three now, except for Yeda who was still Level Two, but she fought with surprising grit for someone without active powers.
They continued clearing out sections of the school, mostly sticking to the ground floor. After another hour of this search-and-destroy routine, they found themselves near the entrance to the swimming pool area.
The doors were smashed in.
"Should we check it out?" Emilia asked, looking hesitant.
Nox just shrugged and walked in. The others followed. The place was a mess like everywhere else, but what caught his attention were the bodies.
There were dead students, yeah, but also several Plague Hounds killed in ways he didn't recognize. Some were burned to ash, others looked crushed by something incredibly strong.
"Looks like other people are fighting back too," Vasa observed, her expression neutral as she examined a scorched monster.
'So more awakened. Makes sense.' He wasn't sure if that was good or bad. More strong people meant more competition, or maybe just more chaos.
"Where should we go next?" Kendra asked, kicking at a loose tile. "This floor's pretty much cleared of those dog things."
He thought for a moment. "The teachers' office. It's central, and if anyone's managed to hold out, it'd be them. They probably barricaded themselves in."
'Wonder if these teachers are as useless as Ms. Joy was.'
"Good idea," Emilia agreed. "Maybe they know what's going on, or have a radio or something."
They started moving toward the administrative wing. He noticed Yeda walking closer to him than usual. She wasn't as jumpy as before.
She glanced at him when she thought he wasn't looking, then quickly looked away when he caught her.
They reached the hallway leading to the main teachers' office. Just as he'd predicted, there were dead Plague Hounds piled up outside the door. At least ten of them, torn apart or crushed.
'Someone strong did this. Probably multiple teachers working together.'
The office door itself was closed and looked reinforced from the inside with desks and filing cabinets.
Emilia rushed forward. "Hello? Is anyone in there?" she called out, knocking on the door. "We're students!"
There was a pause, then muffled sounds from inside. After a few seconds, the door creaked open slightly, then wider. A man stood there, looking exhausted and holding a heavy metal ruler like a weapon.
It was Mr. Owen, their math teacher. Usually pretty energetic, but now he looked like he hadn't slept in days. His eyes widened when he saw them.
"Emilia? Vasa? Kendra? Yeda?" He looked them over, then his gaze landed on Nox standing slightly behind them, arms crossed. Mr. Owen's eyes lingered on him for a moment, something unreadable flickering across his face. "And... Nox. You're all alive."
"Yeah, somehow," Kendra said. "You guys okay in there?"
He nodded slowly. "We're... managing. Come in, quickly. It's not safe out here."
Nox followed the girls inside. The office was crowded. More teachers huddled in one corner, looking pale and stressed. And then there were the students. Maybe fifteen or twenty of them, mostly faces he recognized from their grade. A few rushed toward Emilia and the girls.
"Emilia! You're okay!" a girl from their English class exclaimed, pulling Emilia into a hug. "We were so worried!"
"Kendra! Vasa! Yeda! You made it!" another boy said, voice full of relief.
Then their eyes found him, standing near the doorway, expression unreadable. The mood shifted instantly.
"What is he doing here?" a guy named Liam spat out. One of Mark's friends. Always sneering, always ready with a shove or cruel word.
"Yeah, why is that freak with you?" another girl, Chloe, asked, her voice sharp with distrust. She looked at Emilia and the others like they'd betrayed her. "You know what he did, right?"