Chapter 6

• The classroom was quiet, but the tension in the air made it feel like the walls themselves were holding their breath. I glanced at Lyric, her tiny frame rigid, hair spiking in every direction as if daring the world to notice her. “We’re on our own,” she murmured, voice tight.
• I shrugged, trying to hide how exposed I felt. “Doesn’t mean we have to stay alone,” I said softly, though my chest felt heavy with the memory of earlier; the claws, the teeth, the sheer panic.
• Before I could think any further, Mr. Thorn appeared in the doorway. His presence filled the room, like the air had been sucked out and replaced with authority. His eyes scanned the students, sharp, calculating.
• “Ayla,” he said, voice low but firm. “You’ll need someone by your side. Strength matters tonight.”
• My stomach tightened. I didn’t want anyone’s help. I had survived, hadn’t I? But as I saw the concern etched into his face, I knew it wasn’t about courage. It was about survival.
• Zane and Jace, twin shadows of power, shifted under his gaze. There was no questioning who he meant. My heart thudded against my ribs, a mix of fear and something else I didn’t want to name.
• Lyric stepped closer, a small smirk playing at the corner of her lips. “Don’t get used to feeling safe,” she teased, though her eyes were sharp, protective. Her little rebellion against Brooke made me smile despite the weight pressing down on my shoulders.
• Brooke, of course, was perfect as always, polished, poised, a storm waiting to erupt. I could feel her eyes on me like knives, and I hated that part of me that flinched under her scrutiny.
• The classroom became a flurry of movement. Tables slid against walls, chairs stacked into barricades, sleeping mats rolled out. Everyone had a place, everyone but me felt in control. I wandered through the chaos, hands lingering on the soft fabric of my bag, mind racing with every shadow, every sound beyond the windows.
• Zane planted himself near the edge of the group, shoulders broad, eyes darting toward every flicker of movement outside. Jace mirrored him, silent and watchful, a dark sentinel. I told myself they were just looking after everyone, not me, but part of me couldn’t help the tiny pulse of reassurance it brought.
• Darren leaned back against a wall, arms crossed, smirking, clearly finding some twisted amusement in my unease. I shot him a glare, but he only chuckled and shook his head. Some people thrived on tension, and apparently, he was one of them.
• The monsters were still out there, their shapes writhing like nightmares made real. Mr. Thorn’s voice cut through the room again, calm but unyielding. “No one moves without company. Hallways are death traps. Stay where you’re supposed to be.”
• As night deepened, the room grew colder, and the small clusters of sleeping bags began to feel like islands in a sea of danger. I found myself near the twins, too close to ignore, too far to feel safe. Their presence was a silent promise, and I fought the urge to lean too close, to rely on them more than I should.
• Brooke slid her sleeping mat near theirs, perfectly calculated, and I stiffened. Lyric nudged me lightly, whispering something sharp and sarcastic that made me grin despite the dread. It wasn’t much, but it was enough a reminder that I wasn’t completely alone.
• Hours stretched thin. The sounds of restless students and distant howls pressed in from all sides. I tried to focus on my own breathing, the rhythm of my heartbeat, anything to keep from thinking about what was waiting beyond these walls.
• And yet, even in the dark, I felt the twins’ attention. Unspoken, a tether I couldn’t quite define. My eyes kept flicking toward them, trying not to hope for anything beyond protection, trying not to care that part of me did.
• The night felt endless, but for the first time since the attack, I felt the faintest spark of something I hadn’t dared feel before: that maybe I wasn’t entirely powerless here. That maybe, just maybe, I could survive this with them and maybe even stand tall while doing it.