POV: Lucas Tan
Location: West Wing, Ground Floor—Faculty Hallway
The air in the faculty hallway felt unnaturally still.
Lucas Tan gripped the fire extinguisher tighter in his hand, fingers whitening from pressure. The polished linoleum floor was smeared with dark streaks—some red, some black, some… unidentifiable. Lockers hung ajar like silent mouths, a jacket dangling from one like a corpse left behind.
He had been tasked with scouting this area with Camille, a volleyball varsity member known for her calm. But now, they were separated. Again.
"Camille? " he whispered, pushing open the door to the Economics Faculty Room.
Empty chairs. Papers scattered. One coffee cup still steaming.
He stepped in.
A groan.
Lucas froze. The groan wasn't human—it was guttural, wet, like someone drowning and choking all at once. It came from behind the filing cabinet.
He backed up, extinguisher raised—
"Lucas! "Camille's voice hissed from the door, making him jump.
He whipped around. She was panting, pointing down the hallway. "We have to go. Now."
"What happened? "
"They're inside," she said. "One of the janitors—Mr. Oca—he's… one of them now. I saw him biting—he was biting one of the PE teachers. I didn't even know who was who anymore."
Lucas nodded. "We need to regroup. This wing's not safe."
They took the long route back, moving past the Music Room, which had a busted window and a pool of blood beneath the grand piano.
Location: Library (East Wing, 2nd Floor)
POV: Maureen Diaz
"Is it true? " Maureen asked, her voice shaking.
Jun, sitting beside her, nodded grimly. "Sir Geronimo said the clinic's been overrun. No response from security. We're on our own."
The library had become a haven. The thick walls, only one entry point, and wide shelves provided decent cover. Ms. Ramos had taken charge, organizing the students, giving them tasks—stacking furniture against the windows, counting food rations from the canteen boxes they'd brought in.
Across the room, Peter and Marvin were helping bandage a student who'd twisted her ankle while fleeing from the gym. She winced in pain, but there was no screaming—everyone had grown quiet. Everyone had grown aware.
Maureen's hand trembled as she held a ruler like a weapon. It was all they had.
"They haven't even told our parents, have they? " she muttered.
Jun didn't answer.
Because they both knew the truth: the phones weren't working. Not anymore.
Location: Science Laboratory Building, West Side
POV: Alden Reyes
Alden shoved a table against the door just as something slammed against it.
"Not today, freak! " he yelled, sweat pouring down his face.
Beside him, a group of freshmen whimpered. They had gotten separated during the chaos near the admin wing, and Alden had become their reluctant protector.
He'd found an empty chem lab and ushered them inside, securing it with overturned desks and fume hoods.
One of the students, a boy named Kevin, started crying.
"Stop," Alden said, not unkindly. "They'll hear you."
Kevin clamped a hand over his mouth.
Through the vents, Alden could hear muffled screams from the hallway. Something metallic clanged to the floor.
He forced himself to breathe. He had to be strong—for now. For them.
Location: Library
POV: Marvin Cruz
"Everyone quiet! "Marvin barked.
Something had just banged on the outside wall of the library. Not the door—the wall. Something strong.
"Lights off. Stay low," Ms. Ramos ordered quickly.
They all went still. Every breath was a whisper. The overhead light flickered once, then died.
A moment passed.
Another bang.
Then nothing.
Lucas and Camille burst in a second later, panting and wide-eyed.
"They're spreading," Lucas said. "We need a central plan. We can't keep hiding in fragments."
"Where's Alden? "Marvin asked.
"West side. Science labs. He's got a few first years with him."
Marvin cursed. "Then we need to move. Group by group. We pull everyone into one place. One place we can defend."
Ms. Ramos straightened up. "Where? "
Silence.
Then Peter spoke. "What about the underground gymnasium? "
Heads turned.
"It's secure, huge, and only has two entry points. One near the rear court. One tunnel from the locker rooms," Peter said.
Jun nodded slowly. "And it's got an emergency power line. The floodlights might still work."
Camille looked to Marvin. "Your call."
Marvin's throat felt dry, but he knew they couldn't stay splintered any longer.
"Then we move. At nightfall. Quiet and together."
The students began to prepare.
And outside, the wind howled as something monstrous dragged across the concrete, looking for another way in.