Chapter 13: Teachers
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?"
Emilia stepped forward, looking uncomfortable. "Look, guys, he helped us. We wouldn’t be here if—"
"Helped you?" Liam scoffed, taking a step closer. Nox didn’t even flinch. "He’s a killer! I saw him! He shot Mark! Just shot him in cold blood right in the classroom!"
A murmur went through the room. The other students who hadn’t been in Nox’s class looked shocked. The teachers looked alarmed.
"What’s this?" Mr. Owen asked, his tired face creasing with concern. "Mark? Mark Julike from 9A? What happened to him?"
"He killed him!" Chloe insisted, pointing a shaking finger at Nox. "Right after the earthquake! He just pulled out a gun and shot him!"
"And then he just left us!" another student chimed in, voice cracking. "He left us all to die with those... those things! While he ran off!"
’Idiots. They actually think their opinions matter to me.’ He found the whole scene predictable and boring.
Kendra stepped in front of him, arms crossed. "Oh, give it a rest. Mark was a first-class asshole, and you all know it. And Nox didn’t ’run off’. He jumped out a window, which was smarter than anything you idiots did."
"Kendra!" Emilia hissed, grabbing her arm. "Don’t make it worse."
"Why not? They’re the ones starting it," she shot back, shrugging off Emilia’s hand.
Vasa just watched, her eyes moving from the accusers to Nox, analytical as always. Yeda stood slightly behind Nox, looking at the floor.
Mr. Owen raised his hands. "Everyone, please! We need to stay calm. Accusations like these are very serious." He looked at Nox, expression grave. "Nox, did you... did you harm Mark?"
Nox met his gaze, face completely blank. He didn’t argue. Didn’t deny anything. Explaining himself to these people was pointless.
"Yeah," he said simply. "I did."
A collective gasp went through the students. Some stepped back. Even the teachers looked stunned.
Chloe’s face twisted with outrage. "You admit it? You monster!"
He just shrugged. Then added, voice completely flat, "And I’d do it again."
The office went dead silent. The students who’d been shouting looked terrified now. The teachers looked horrified. Liam, so bold a moment ago, now looked like he wanted to disappear.
"Please leave," Mr. Owen finally said, voice quiet but firm. "We can’t allow a killer to stay here. People are already scared enough."
"Thought you’d never ask." Nox turned and started walking out.
"Wait, what?" Kendra said, disbelief in her voice. "You’re kicking him out? After he saved our lives?"
"Kendra, he just admitted to murder," Mr. Owen said, though he looked uncomfortable. "We have to think about everyone’s safety."
"Safety?" Vasa spoke up, her calm voice cutting through the tension. "He’s the reason we’re alive. Those monsters out there are the real danger, not him."
"That doesn’t excuse—"
"We’re going with him," Emilia said suddenly, surprising everyone, including Nox. "If he goes, we go."
"Emilia, don’t be ridiculous," one of the other teachers said. "You can’t go back out there."
"Watch us," Kendra said, already moving toward the door. "Better to be with someone who can actually fight than huddle here waiting to die."
Yeda hadn’t said anything, but she quietly followed the others toward the exit.
"Girls, please," Mr. Owen tried again. "Think about what you’re doing."
"We are," Vasa said simply. "We’re choosing survival over comfort."
They filed out past Nox, who was standing in the doorway looking mildly surprised. He hadn’t expected them to follow.
"You coming or what?" Kendra asked him.
He looked back at the room full of frightened students and useless teachers, then at the four girls who’d chosen to stick with him despite knowing what he’d done.
"Yeah," he said, and walked out.
Behind them, they could hear arguing starting up again. Some students saying they should go too, others saying Nox was dangerous. Mr. Owen trying to maintain order.
"That was stupid," Nox said once they were in the hallway. "You could’ve stayed safe in there."
"Safe?" Emilia laughed, but there was no humor in it. "They’re sitting ducks. When those monsters find them, and they will, what are they going to do? Hide behind desks?"
"Besides," Kendra added, "you’re training us. We’re getting stronger. That’s more than they can offer."
"And Mark really was an asshole," Vasa said quietly. "I’m not saying killing him was right, but... I understand why you snapped."
Yeda finally spoke up, her voice small but determined. "Where you go, we go. We’re a team now."
’A team?’ Nox thought. ’When did that happen?’
But he didn’t argue. Having backup was practical, even if they were still weak. And they’d chosen him over safety, which was... unexpected.
"Fine," he said. "But we’re not going back for them when the monsters break in."
"Wouldn’t expect you to," Kendra said with a grim smile.
They walked away from the teachers’ office, leaving behind the false safety of numbers for the dangerous reality of getting stronger. Behind them, muffled through the door, they could hear someone screaming about how they were all going to die out there.
’Probably,’ Nox thought. ’But at least we’ll die fighting.’
