“Are we really going to believe the word of a servant?” Jack Sparrow’s voice dripped with annoyance as he stepped into the dimly lit classroom of the first-year students.
“You got a better idea?” Nyx Shadowfall’s response was laced with amusement, her lips curling into a smirk.
She couldn’t help but be entertained by the absurdity of it all…. here they were, the elite of the academy, placing their trust in a mere servant’s guidance.
[+1 AP]
“Tsk.” Jack clicked his tongue in irritation, his eyes scanning the room.
“I never imagined Victor, of all people, would stoop to being friends with a servant…” Thalia Crimsonclaw muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
Her image of Victor—a man of pride and arrogance—clashed violently with the idea of him lowering himself to befriend someone of such low status.
It didn’t make sense!
But then, nothing made sense in actions to begin!
“Didn’t you hear? That servant supposedly saved him,” Finnian Sunfire mumbled as he crouched down to peer under one of the desks.
“Yes…” Thalia nodded slowly, though her eyes were fixed on the shadows that seemed to shift just out of sight, “But still, a servant saving Victor? Someone ‘Slightly’ stronger than me? It’s… bizarre. Unbelievable. And yet…
here we are.”
Hearing that, Both Nyx and Finnian nodded, her amusement long gone.
Jack, however, knew more than he let on about Aether. He had seen things….. things that convinced him this servant was far from ordinary.
As their conversation trailed off, the oppressive silence of the room seemed to deepen. That’s when they noticed it…. a figure, barely discernible, crouched in the far corner of the classroom. It was almost as if the shadows were reluctant to release their grip on the figure, keeping it hidden from view.
“Hello,” a cold, mechanical voice suddenly echoed through the room, its tone unnatural and hollow. The sound was so unexpected, so out of place, that it sent a shiver down their spines. As the figure began to move forward, the group instinctively raised their flashlights, the beams of light cutting through the darkness and illuminating the figure.
Phwwwwwhht
Jack let out a low whistle as the light revealed the figure’s form. She was naked, her body pale and lifeless, yet somehow eerily beautiful in a twisted way, “Not bad, not bad at all… Hmm, aren’t you th—” Jack’s tone was casual as if he had forgotten the gravity of the situation.
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He began to take a step forward, intrigued by the girl’s sudden appearance.
But before he could get any closer, Nyx’s hand shot out, gripping his shoulder with surprising force. “She’s dead,” Nyx stated flatly, her voice devoid of the amusement it had carried earlier.
“Huh?” Jack blinked, confused by her words. His gaze flicked back to the girl, and that’s when he noticed the unnatural stillness of her body, the way her skin seemed almost too pale, too cold. Then his eyes locked onto hers…. empty, lifeless orbs embedded with jagged crystals that gleamed ominously in the light.
Crunch
Crunch
Suddenly, a sickening sound filled the room…. a wet, crunching noise, like flesh being torn apart. Their flashlights flickered, casting erratic beams of light that danced wildly across the walls. Eight long, metallic blades slowly extended from the girl’s back, slicing through her flesh with a nauseating precision. The blades gleamed in the dim light, dripping with blood and sinew.
“Shit!”
…
…..
“Looks like Aqualina’s servant is more genius than any of us,” Leon remarked with an amused grin, his voice carrying a hint of irony. His eyes flickered with a mix of respect and disbelief. “You must have taught him very well, Aqualina.”
Aqualina shot Leon a brief glance but remained silent as she led the group into the eerie, deserted student cafeteria.
Kai clenched his fists, his pride stinging at the thought of his slave outsmarting him.
‘How dare he!’, The resentment gnawed at him, festering in the pit of his stomach, until Vesperine leaned in close, her voice a sultry whisper in his ear. “The achievement of your servant is your achievement, Kai.”
Kai’s eyes widened as the words sank in, and he nodded vigorously. “Yeah, right! Whatever he did belongs to me!” His voice was loud, almost desperate as if trying to convince himself as much as the others. He gripped Vesperine’s hand tightly as if drawing strength from her presence.
They moved deeper into the cafeteria, their footsteps growing more tentative as they failed to find anything unusual.
“Maybe there’s nothing here,” Kai muttered, a trace of relief seeping into his voice.
But it was short-lived.
“Aether marked the entire cafeteria, Kai,” Aqualina said. She pointed towards a shadowy doorway. “That includes the kitchen.”
Kai clicked his tongue in frustration, but he knew there was no turning back. They had to check. As they approached the kitchen, the oppressive silence was suddenly broken by…
Crunch
Crunch
“!!!” Vesperine flinched, her body instinctively pressing closer to Kai.
Their nostrils flared as a nauseating stench filled the air… a thick, metallic scent that clawed at their throats.
Blood!
The smell was unmistakable and overwhelming, and it only grew stronger as they neared the kitchen.
Since it was dark, they couldn’t see much.
What about light?
They were not idiots like in the horror movies!!
Everything works on Arcane energy so…..
Only a few battery-operated flashlights were available so, they pointed the flashlight to the kitchen and,
“What the fuck?” Leon squinted, his face twisting in disgust as the flashlight’s beam landed on the grotesque scene before him.
The floor was littered with chunks of flesh, torn and gnawed on as if something had feasted on the bodies of students. The walls were splattered with dark, drying blood, and the countertops were streaked with gore.
Aqualina, fighting back her revulsion, was about to step inside when—
Thud
The sound of something heavy hitting the ground echoed through the cafeteria, making the group flinch.
They spun around, flashlights whipping through the darkness, but there was nothing—just the empty, shadowy expanse of the cafeteria stretching out before them.
Vesperine’s grip on Kai’s shirt tightened, her knuckles white as she tried to steady her breathing. Kai, for all his bravado, felt a chill creeping up his spine, his fingers trembling as they clutched the hilt of his silver sword.
Thud
Another chair toppled over, clattering loudly against the floor. The group jumped, immediately training their flashlights on the source of the sound. But again, there was nothing….. nothing but a growing pool of blood spreading across the floor.
“I-It’s creepy,” Kai muttered, his voice betraying the fear he desperately tried to suppress.
“I… I think we should leave now…” Leon’s voice was shaky, his usual confidence shattered by the oppressive atmosphere. Even Aqualina, usually so composed, felt a tremor in her hands as she weighed their options. But as a princess, she couldn’t afford to show weakness.
“Fine,” Aqualina finally said, her voice strained, “Let’s leave this place.” The relief was almost palpable as the decision was made—until Kai spoke up.
“Hey, Leon!”
“Yes!”
“You’re a dragon, right? Why don’t you just use your fire breath to light the entire area?” Kai asked curiously.
Leon blinked, realization dawning on him. Breathing fire was a natural ability for him—one that didn’t require Arcane energy.
How could he have forgotten?
“I… I forgot,” he admitted, the embarrassment momentarily overshadowed by the need to take action.
Everyone shook their heads in disbelief. Leon inhaled deeply, preparing to unleash a small burst of flame to illuminate the room.
But just as the fire sparked from his lips—
Drip, Drip
Sssshhhhh
A sizzling sound hissed through the air as something wet dripped onto the flame, extinguishing it instantly.
The smell of burning blood filled the air, acrid and sharp.
Leon frowned, confusion quickly turning to dread as he slowly looked up.
“GGGGRRRRRRRRRR!!!!”
A deafening, guttural roar reverberated through the room, shaking the very walls. The group’s flashlights snapped upward, illuminating a horrific sight above them.
A creature…. half woman, half spider… clung to the ceiling, her twisted body glistening with blood. Her eyes, glowing with malevolent hunger, locked onto them, her mouth curling into a grotesque smile that revealed rows of needle-sharp teeth.
“FUCK!!!”
…..
…..
“I never thought Drunken Aether was so bold,” Lia muttered, her voice tinged with shock as she walked briskly toward the laboratories. Her wide eyes betrayed the disbelief she still felt from witnessing Aether’s audacity.
“Me too… I’m practically stunned,” Aria added, her voice laced with both shock and a hint of amusement. Aether’s antics had always been unpredictable, but this time, he’d gone beyond anything she could have imagined.
“Anyway, we need to find that damn thing before it blows up in our faces!” Lia’s voice was firm, her determination clear as she quickened her pace.
Selene’s eyes narrowed as she glanced at Ashara, who was trailing behind them.
“Aren’t you a little too close with Victor?” she asked, her tone deceptively casual but her gaze sharp, almost predatory.
“Yes, why are you so close with him?” Aria’s voice was low, almost dangerous, as she turned her attention to Ashara.
Ashara flinched, the sudden scrutiny catching her off guard. Why were they discussing this now, of all times?
“I-It’s because… he’s my friend,” she stammered, her voice trembling slightly.
“Friend?” Selene’s eyes seemed to darken as she moved in closer.
“Y-Yes–”
“That’s all?” Aria’s voice was a whisper, as she moved in closer.
“Y-Ye–”
“Forever?” Selene cut her off, stepping even closer, her voice cold as ice… almost her face an inch away from Ashara.
“Wh–”
“Right?” Aria zoomed in.
“….”
Ashara’s face paled, her breath hitching in her throat. She felt trapped, like a deer in the headlights, knowing that one wrong word could spell her doom.
Lia, sensing the rising tension, started to intervene. “Guys, please stop it, you ar—”
Tang!!
The sudden metallic clang echoed through the room, making the group jump in unison. Their flashlights whipped around, the beams converging on a small, shadowy corner where the curtains hung limply.
It was the exact spot where Victor had almost lost his nerve earlier.
The group moved cautiously toward the curtain, their hearts pounding in their chests… They braced themselves, preparing for the inevitable as Lia reached out to pull the curtain back.
The group slowly moved towards that curtain, while everyone readied themself for anything inevitable and was just about to move the curtain when,
THUNDER!!!
“!!!!!!”
The deafening roar of thunder exploded overhead, making everyone flinch violently. Their breaths caught in their throats as the sound reverberated everywhere.
“Fuck that!!” Lia cursed under her breath, her heart racing as she cursed the thunder for its impeccable timing. She wasted no time, yanking the curtain back with a sharp motion, revealing—
Nothing!
“Sigh”
A collective sigh of relief escaped their lips….. But as their eyes lowered, they noticed something on the floor.
A severed head with eight spindly legs was staring up at them, its lips curled into an eerie, amused grin. The eyes gleamed with a sinister intelligence.
“KYAAAAAAAAA!!!!”
…
….
Meanwhile,
Aether was in his own little world, oblivious to the terror unfolding elsewhere. His mind was a hazy mix of drunken confidence and sheer delight as if the chaos around him was nothing more than his play game!
“KYYAAAAAA!!!”
He looked down at Helena, who was clinging to him with all her might, her slender arms wrapped around his torso as if he were the only thing keeping her stay to reality.
“Don’t worry, Helena,” Aether cooed, his voice dripping with feigned gallantry as he gently patted her head, “I will protect you~”
Helena’s whole body trembled, and she looked up at him with wide, tear-brimmed eyes, “Y-You will?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper, every ounce of her fear showing through.
“Of course,” Aether whispered back, his tone turning soft and reassuring, yet with an undercurrent of mischievous charm. He leaned down, brushing his lips against her forehead in a tender kiss. “Anything for my love~”
[+500–]
Helena’s face flushed a deep, crimson red, so intense that even the ripest tomato would pale in comparison. She tried to hide her face against his chest, but it only made her blush more fiercely.
“How cute~”
[+500–]
Aether then looked at a few severed heads moving faster with spider legs attached to them and both Raven and Victor fighting it!