With the four remaining students following, Kai and Tanyia left the gymnasium. The merchant said nothing and only waved at them witha smiled on his face.
As they walked through the empty halls, the group was extremely anxious. Tanyia stayed near Kai, "Hey, Kai… are you worried?" she asked quietly, her voice low so the others wouldn't hear.
Kai paused, glancing at her before offering a soft chuckle. "Worried? Yeah, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't. But worrying won't help us right now."
Tanyia seemed to think about that for a second, then nodded, her expression hardening. "Okay... Let's go."
They soon arrived in the cafeteria. Like the rest of the school, it was eerily empty. The tables and chairs had been pushed to the side, and the lights were off, leaving the room in complete darkness. A few students flicked on the flashlights from their phones, scanning the area nervously as if a monster could appear out of nowhere.
Kai glanced around, his eyes fixed on the vending machines against the far wall. They were filled with snacks and drinks—things they could easily grab to stock up. He wasn't the only one who noticed. Slowly, the other students began to gravitate toward the machines.
But as they stood there, no one moved to act.
"... Anyone has any money?" someone asked awkwardly, breaking the silence.
A few students checked their pockets, their movements slow and hesitant. One of them, a boy near the front, held up a crumpled bill. "I've got a few bucks," he muttered, feeding it into the machine. It clicked, whirred, and slowly dispensed a single snack.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"... That was all I had. Does anyone else have any cash?"
Another student glanced up at a security camera mounted in the corner. "Do you think the school's security guards are still watching us? Maybe they can help us or something. I think they got the key or something..."
Kai followed the boy's gaze. The camera was small and black, its lens pointed directly at the group. A tense silence settled over the group. Somehow, it feels like they were monitored...
Tanyia stood near the back, watching the others hesitate. She rolled her eyes, clearly impatient. Without saying a word, she stepped forward, grabbed a nearby chair, and hoisted it over her shoulder.
Before anyone could stop her, she swung it with surprising strength, smashing the vending machine's glass. The loud crash echoed through the empty cafeteria, making everyone jump.
"Problem solved," Tanyia said, brushing glass shards from her hands. She turned and gave the others a pointed look. "Now, grab what you need."
For a moment, they all stood frozen, shocked by how bold she was. Then, with a mix of relief and guilt, the students rushed forward, reaching through the broken glass to pull out snacks, drinks, and anything they could carry and stuff into their bags. Although it was a bit complicated because they still had to carry their weapon, it was still feasible.
As they gathered supplies, the group began discussing their next move. The boy in the soccer jersey, still looking anxious, spoke up. "We need to find a safe place to stay, right? Somewhere we can hide and be secure."
Everyone looked at Kai, waiting for his answer. He took a deep breath, thinking carefully.
"We shouldn't leave the school yet. We don't know what's waiting for us out there. But we should find a place to hide and wait until the first wave ends... How about the school basement?"
The others nodded, murmuring in agreement. None seemed to want to refute Kai.
Kai nodded, satisfied. "Okay, let's head to the basement then."
They gathered a bit more food from the broken vending machine, stuffing whatever they could into their bags. Bottles of water, chips, candy bars—it wasn't much, but it would have to do.
With nervous glances exchanged between them, the group made their way toward the basement. The heavy metal door of the basement was already open, which allowed them to get in without any issue. Someone seemed to have forgotten to lock it. They hurried inside and locked it from the inside with some effort.
The basement was a bit dark, as most of the lights seemed to have been damaged, but it was still better than being in the dark.
Kai and the others walked down the stairs and into the main room. The walls were lined with dusty shelves, each filled with boxes with old school supplies. In one corner, there was a stack of old gym mats.
The boy in the soccer jersey frowned, his voice low. "This place is kinda creepy. Are you sure this is a good idea?"
The girl in the band uniform shrugged, "Well, the door is pretty sturdy, so I guess?"
The group huddled, setting their bags and weapons down and silently sitting on the cold floor. Kai glanced around the group, taking note of the faces he hadn't fully noticed before.
The boy in the soccer jersey, whose name was Mason, sat closest to the door, his leg bouncing up and down. He hadn't stopped fidgeting since they'd left the gym. He was probably very anxious.
Next to him was Ellie, the girl in the band uniform, nervously twisting a lock of her hair as she stared at the floor.
Then there was Jade, a tall girl with curly hair, and Liam, who hadn't said much since they started. They sat close together and whispered between themselves.
Tanyia was the only one who looked relatively calm. She sat back against the wall, chewing on a snack she had grabbed from the machine like it was just another normal day.
A low hum filled the air, making everyone freeze. The sound wasn't coming from inside the room. A red system window suddenly appeared in front of each of them, floating in the air.
[First attack wave has begun. Survive for 5 days!]
A countdown timer appeared beneath the message, slowly ticking down.
"Shit," Mason whispered, his voice barely audible.
No one moved, their eyes fixed on the timer. Five days. That was how long they had to survive. But from what?
Before anyone could react further, a deep rumble shook the entire school. The vibrations started low, barely noticeable, but quickly intensified, banging the walls and causing dust to rain down from the ceiling. The group looked around in confusion and fear.
"What the hell is happening?" Ellie muttered, her voice barely audible over the sound of the rumbling.
Kai's heart pounded in his chest. It felt like an earthquake but was far too rhythmic, almost like something was slamming into the ground.
Then, with a deafening crash, the entire building trembled violently, sending students tumbling to the floor. Lights flickered, and a few ceiling tiles crashed down as the ground vibrated beneath them. Another crash followed, then another, like meteors slamming into the earth.
"Is it... bombing us?" Mason shouted, struggling to keep his balance as he grabbed onto a nearby shelf.
The shaking continued for what felt like an eternity. But then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the tremors stopped, leaving behind a deathly silence. The only sound now was the creaking of the building.
For a long moment, no one moved. Everyone exchanged wide-eyed glances, too afraid to speak.
Tanyia was the first to stand, brushing dust off her clothes. "That... sounded like ... meteorites? " she muttered.
Kai swallowed hard, his mind racing. He took a deep breath, gathering his courage. He pulled out his phone with shaky hands and glanced at the notifications. His phone buzzed with messages from all social media.
Then, a new notification popped up on it—a live stream.
"...Let's see what's going on outside," Kai said, his voice tight with fear.
He tapped the notification, and the screen switched to a shaky, grainy video feed. The camera, held by a panicked female streamer, looked around wildly, showing the destruction outside. Entire buildings had been razed, debris scattered across the landscape like a war zone.
There were bodies stuck beneath the rubble. Some unfortunate people seemed to have gotten caught in the bombing.
"I-is that the city?" Ellie asked, her voice trembling.
Kai didn't answer. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the screen, his heart sinking.
Then, the camera tilted up toward one of the craters
"Oh my god… what is that?" the streamer cried, her voice trembling. The streamer zoomed in, and the group gasped at what they saw.
From the meteorites, creatures began to emerge.
The creatures seemed to come from the moon, their bodies shimmering faintly in the light. It was like something out of a nightmare. The creature stood upright like a human, but thick, matted fur covered most of its body.
Its face was twisted into something inhuman, with large, round eyes that glowed faintly in the darkness. Long, floppy ears hung down like a rabbit's, but its mouth was filled with rows of sharp teeth.
The camera shook violently as the streamer started running. "They're everywhere! Oh god, they're everywhere!" she screamed, showing more of the destruction.
One of the creatures slammed into the ground in front of the camera, its impact sending a blue shockwave that threw the streamer backward. It stood upright, towering over her.
"Oh no, no, no," the streamer whimpered as the creature's gaze fixed on her.
The creature pounced, its massive body moving with terrifying speed. It crashed into her, and the camera was knocked to the ground, now only showing the sky.
The group in the basement could only listen to the sounds of the attack—clothes being torn, the streamer's desperate, bloodcurdling screams, and the creature's low, rumbling growl as it tore into her.
"Someone, help me! Please, someone help—" Her voice cut off, replaced by the sickening crunch of bones.
The stream ended, and the screen went black.