Matron indicates a ladder on one wall leading up to a small panel in the ceiling. "Simply climb up there, and there should be enough space for you to move across the building. Once you reach the edge, there'll be a single grating standing between you and the outside world."
You nod, thinking it through. "And the others?" you ask.
"The catacombs are accessible through the foundations," Matron replies. "They seem sturdy enough, at least according to what studies I've carried out." They hesitate, as though struggling with something. "There are…rumors of a creature that has made its home inside, but I, personally, don't believe a word of it." As though aware that they may not be inspiring confidence, they quickly add, "The hidden passage is something that I devised myself: an experiment of sorts involving the relationship between space and reality. I guarantee you, no one else will be able to gain access without my help. Certainly not a living suit of armor."
"And will we be able to get out without your help?" Sonia asks, her voice somewhat suspicious.
Matron shrugs. "There is a guardian, of sorts," they say, their own tone seeming to imply that this a security feature that any sensible person would think to employ. "But I'm sure that you will be able to handle it without much difficulty."
Sonia nods without conviction. "I bet."
After a moment, Matron checks their watch again. "Time to finish the formula," they say. "I'd have liked a little more time, but it stands a good chance of working."
They wave their arm at a large apparatus across the room: it looks like nothing so much as a chandelier, hung with large black orbs, suspended above what seems to be an old-fashioned iron cauldron, smoke rising from it.
"I would cover your eyes," Matron advises, reaching for a console nearby. "And keep them closed until the noise stops."
You have just enough time before you clamp your hands over your eyes to see a crackle of violet lightning spread over the dark bulbs, accompanied by a thrummm of electricity that vibrates through your entire body.
The…process lasts only a few moments, and then the strange burr of power dies away. You remove your hands from your eyes, and you see what appears to be a light gray vapor hovering over the cauldron. Matron is already striding forward, sliding a test tube from their lab coat, scooping up some of the mist with a single gloved hand.
Matron raises their eyes up from the test tube, looking at you once again.
"It's better than I might have hoped for," they say. "Though not as good as it might have been if I'd had more time." They hold the test tube towards you.
The container feels warm against your skin, and you can feel a tremor running through its glass body, as though the gas inside is shivering, almost with fear.
Matron looks at the vial for a moment, then they shrug.
"I hope you have a plan," they say.
"Before we decide how to get out," Max says, "it'd be a good idea if we worked out what we want to do after that. There are a few different ways we can make our way to St. Mary's, but we might be facing different opposition depending on which one we choose."
Matron nods, shutting down their machine. "I've been keeping an eye on the school's exterior," they say, gesturing at a series of screens nearby.
You and the others turn to look, gazing at each of the screens in turn. They're displaying what seems to be footage of different areas around the school grounds. They've all got one thing in common: there are plenty of students standing guard.
"Looks like the werewolves are out by the back," Max says after a few moments.
Val raises a hand, pointing. "The vampires are separated off over at the front." She glances at you. "You really didn't manage to bring us together, did you?"
"And around the sides?" Michelle asks, her eyes zooming in on the screens with a faint whirring sound.
"Looks like there's a certain amount of space between the two groups," Renault replies. "They're closer together on the left than the right: there's a bit of a gap on that side."
You think carefully, considering your options. The best choice is one that will let you get to Renzfal the fastest, but you have to be mindful of how your approach will affect your standing with the vampires, the werewolves, or even the whole student body, or the impact on whatever amity might exist between the two major species.
Admittedly, none of that's going to matter if the world comes to an end, but working on the basis that you're not going to be able to avert the apocalypse feels a bit defeatist.
"All right," you say, running it through your head. "What am I not thinking about that I should be?"
"Well," Sonia says after a moment, "you have to remember that if we get into things with either the vampires or the werewolves, it's unlikely to endear you to one half or the other of the undead collective." She flashes you a quick grin. "How do you feel about having vampires or mutts on your case? Providing we make it through this in one piece, of course."
Max nods, though not without an irritated glance at Sonia. "Speaking for the mutts, we do tend to hold grudges." He glances down at the map. "And while we don't want to lead any of our students towards St. Mary's, we don't know whether or not they might wander over there themselves if Mr. Simmons doesn't get to them." He glances at Will, Romilly, and Grace. "Could get dangerous."