Chapter 3: The Monsters
As Aeon and the group staggered out of the lecture hall, their breaths came in ragged gasps. The once-sterile corridor now resembled a war zone – a twisted, nightmarish landscape. Flames clawed at the walls, hungrily devouring everything in their path. The air crackled with malevolence, and the acrid stench of burning insulation clung to their skin.
Aeon's mind raced. What had caused this? The elevator, their lifeline to safety, lay shattered like a discarded toy. The explosion had torn through its metal frame, leaving jagged edges that mocked any hope of escape. Panic surged, a primal force that threatened to consume them all.
But it wasn't just the fire that terrorized them. Shadows danced along the walls, elongating into grotesque shapes. Whispers echoed – disembodied voices that spoke of doom and despair. Aeon's heart pounded, each beat a desperate plea for survival. Run, it urged. Flee.
They stumbled forward, their footsteps drowned out by the roar of flames. The corridor seemed to stretch infinitely, a labyrinth of horror. Behind them, the lecture hall's exit had vanished, swallowed by the inferno. Ahead, darkness beckoned – a void that promised either salvation or damnation.
And then they saw it: a few figures, wreathed in smoke, standing at the far end. Its eyes glowed like dying embers,
they were met with another chilling sight. a strange wide area barrier surrounds the university campus.
Behind the building, the figures turned out to be a group of creatures, similar to goblins from games, were surrounding injured students. There were at least ten monsters, and seven fallen students, including one tutor, lay on the ground, struggling to breathe.
The group froze, unsure of what to do. They needed to help those people, but how? Even though they had at least 25 people on their side against just 10 monsters, they were terrified. They didn't have strong weapons, and the monsters appeared to be cruel and ferocious. The monsters seemed to be enjoying the sight of the struggling humans in front of them.
Some students suggested leaving quietly, trying to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Others argued that they should try to help the injured students. Aeon didn't interfere, knowing that even with their numbers, they would be little more than meat shields, offering only a few seconds of distraction.
He kept watching the people around him, hesitating and arguing. A few other students also stayed quiet, seemingly unsure of what to do.
The tutor finally spoke up, his voice firm but calm. "For the safety of our group, let us cross quietly and avoid trouble."
Although it may have seemed cruel of him to abandon others, it wasn't due to a lack of empathy. He was grappling with guilt, yet he knew he had to remain resolute and prioritize the survival of his students.
The group was about to retreat when an alarm suddenly rang out. Everyone froze, looking in the direction of the sound. It was coming from a student in their group.
"Turn it off!" a voice shrieked, laced with panic.
"Too late! They've heard it!" another voice countered, their voice trembling.
The student who had set off the alarm looked up, eyes wide with fear. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!"
The group began to panic, scrambling to get away from the approaching monsters. Aeon grabbed his scissor as a weapon, preparing for the worst.
Just as Aeon was running alongside the group, which was retreating back randomly towards a building, Aeon's instincts kicked in, if he retreated now with the others, the Orcs chasing them may put them in lockdown, with no food and no water they would starve and die. so, he decided to go to a different way in another building and hide there. Suddenly, he noticed the storage room where there is food and water and other useful items etc... he wondered if this was his lucky day. As he began to get near the building, Aeon observed a female student nearby, her terror evident as she faced a single monster. The creature reveled in her fear, its twisted smile sending shivers down Aeon's spine. Despite his initial instinct to avoid trouble, he realized that fleeing would only lead to more encounters with goblins. This was his sole opportunity to confront a single monster, assess its weaknesses, and perhaps turn the tide.
Running away in fear was no longer an option; instead, Aeon steeled himself to face the challenge head-on.
"If I die then I'll die at least trying and fighting" Aeon mused to himself.
Without hesitation, Aeon stealthily, crept up behind the monster, his scissor at the ready. He took a deep breath, the female student noticed him, and so did the goblin turn around but then Aeon swiftly struck, aiming for the monster's eye.
The monster let out a painful scream as Aeon's scissor sank into its eye. Aeon took advantage of the momentary surprise and pain to strike again, this time aiming for the other eye. but failed as the monster stumbled backward, half-blinded and disoriented. Aeon seized the opportunity to attack, using his scissor to strike at the monster's body.
The monster swung wildly, its claws snapping wildly as it tried to defend itself. Aeon dodged and weaved, avoiding the monster's attacks as he struck back with precision.
"Tsk, it's shallow" Aeon muttered to himself.
He landed several blows, each one landing with a sickening crunch. one of them blinded his other eye which made the goblin completely blind. The goblin stumbled backward, its movements becoming more erratic as it struggled to defend itself. However, Aeon also sustained a few scratches and small injuries from the monster random's attacks.
On the other side, the female student was frightened as she watched, she attempted to offer help despite feeling exhausted and uncertain about what to do. But couldn't interfere recklessly in the fight due to the random attacks from the goblin, so she hid in a corner and watched.
Aeon's heart was pounding in his chest as he continued to fight. He could feel his breath coming in ragged gasps as he dodged and weaved around the monster's attacks.
Just as his energy began to wane, Aeon noticed a chance to turn the tables. He deftly dropped an object next to the monster, deceiving it into believing Aeon was there, making it let out a confused cry as it turned towards the sound and hit empty air.
Aeon seized the chance to strike. He jumped forward, his scissor flashing in the dim light of the hallway.
The monster let out a strangled cry as Aeon struck true, aiming for its neck. The monster stumbled backward, gasping for air as it fell to the ground.
Aeon stood over it, his chest heaving with exhaustion. He knew that he had to finish off the monster once and for all. With a final burst of energy, he leapt above the monster and delivered a powerful stab to its heart, eliciting a shrieking sound and a final feeble thrash from the creature.
As Aeon caught his breath, he realized that he had just faced a monster and had emerged victorious.
As his eyes became blurry and was about to faint due to exhaustion.
Suddenly, an unexpected event unfolded that was beyond his wildest dreams, defying all expectations and reality.
>>BEEB>>