The ward was silent, save for the steady rasp of Alex's shallow breathing. He lay motionless on the infirmary bed, his skin pale and damp with sweat. Black veins crept like ink across his neck, pulsing faintly as though alive.Beside him, Derek, Kelvin, and the nurse stood in grim silence. Each wore a mask of worry, but none more than Kelvin, who clasped Alex's hand tightly, unwilling to let go."This is… unexpected," Derek muttered, his brows furrowed. His voice was low, but his unease was plain. Though he tried to remain composed, the weight of responsibility pressed down on him. It was his order that sent Alex into danger. His choice. And now the boy's life was slipping away before his eyes.The nurse's expression darkened as she examined Alex's condition. "The demonic poison in him is acting faster than I feared," she whispered. Her hands trembled. "If nothing is done, it will consume his vitals. He won't survive the night."Kelvin's head snapped up. "Die? No—there must be somethi

The dining hall was filled with the clatter of trays and low chatter when the first BOOM rolled through the air. Plates rattled, spoons clinked to the floor, and dozens of startled eyes shot upward."What was that?" a boy whispered, his fork hovering midair."An accident? Construction?" another muttered nervously.But when no second sound followed, the tension bled away. Conversations resumed. Students bent back over their food, forcing themselves to believe it was nothing.Then came the second noise.A deafening CRASH! directly behind the hall — this time so close the walls shook. Cups toppled, soup spilled, and panicked gasps broke out. Before anyone could speak, the back wall of the dining hall exploded inward, bricks and splinters raining down on the terrified first-years.Out of the rubble crawled monsters.They were abominations of flesh and eyes — too many eyes, each blinking wetly, staring in every direction at once. Some bore twisted human legs grafted onto their grotesque to