We lunged towards Ellis, our minds focused on getting the artifact back. The zombies pressed in, their growls filling the chamber. Every second counted.
"Ellis, give it back!" Mr. Alex shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Ellis backed away, clutching the artifact tightly. "I didn't mean for this to happen," he stammered, his eyes wide with fear.
"We can fix this, but you need to trust us," Kaori pleaded, her voice steady despite the terror in her eyes.
Before Ellis could respond, a zombie lunged at him. He screamed and stumbled, dropping the artifact. It rolled across the floor, stopping at my feet. I grabbed it quickly, feeling the energy pulse through my hands.
"Get back to the pedestal!" Mr. Alex yelled, swinging a piece of broken wood at an approaching zombie.
We fought our way back to the pedestal, the zombies growing more frantic as we got closer. I placed the artifact back in its, and the glow immediately returned. The room hummed with energy, the light from the artifacts growing brighter.
The zombies recoiled from the light, their snarls turning to screams. The air felt charged with electricity, the power of the artifacts filling the chamber.
"We need to complete the ritual!" Mr. Alex said, his voice filled with urgency. "Everyone, gather around and hold onto the artifacts."
We formed a circle around the pedestal, each of us gripping an artifact. The glow intensified, enveloping us in a warm, protective light. The symbols on the pedestal began to glow, and the ground shook beneath us.
A low, ominous sound filled the chamber, growing louder with each passing second. The zombies clawed at the light, their twisted forms writhing in pain. The air felt heavy, the energy in the room almost overwhelming.
"Focus!" Mr. Alex shouted. "We need to concentrate on sealing the darkness."
We closed our eyes, our minds focused on the task at hand. The light from the artifacts grew brighter, the energy building to a peak. The zombies screamed, their bodies disintegrating in the intense glow.
The symbols on the pedestal pulsed with light, and a deep, resonant hum filled the room. The ground shook violently, and the walls seemed to close in around us. The energy reached a crescendo, and with a blinding flash, the room was filled with light.
When the light faded, the chamber was silent. The zombies were gone, their remains reduced to ash. The artifacts lay on the pedestal, their glow slowly dimming. The air was still, the oppressive feeling of darkness gone.
"We did it," Mr. Alex said, his voice filled with relief. "We stopped the darkness."
We stood there, breathing heavily, the weight of our victory settling over us. The artifacts had saved us, but we knew that this was only the beginning. There were still many questions unanswered, and the threat of the darkness was never truly gone.
As we gathered our breath and tended to our wounds, the sense of victory was tempered by the knowledge that our fight was far from over. We had unlocked the power of the artifacts, but the true source of the school's dark secrets still lay hidden. And with Ellis's betrayal still fresh in our minds, we knew that trust was a fragile thing in this new, terrifying world.
With the artifacts in hand, we prepared to delve deeper into the mysteries of the school, determined to uncover the truth and protect each other from the horrors that awaited us. The battle was far from over, but with the power of the artifacts and our unyielding resolve, we knew we had a fighting chance.