Chapter 117: Second Act: Love Kills [4]
The academy was drenched in chaos, a nightmare unfolded on its once pristine grounds.
The air, once filled with the eager chatter of students, was now thick with fear and confusion.
Blood rained down from the ominous skies, soaking the white uniforms and staining the very essence of Ravenwood Magic Academy.
Students huddled together in classrooms and dormitories, fear etched on their faces as they clung to one another, desperately seeking comfort amidst the horrors outside.
In a corner of a dimly lit classroom, a group of students sat with their backs pressed against the wall, eyes wide with terror.
They whispered to one another, voices quaking as they shared their fears.
Some were shaking, tears streaming down their faces.
While others tried to maintain a facade of bravery, but the trembling hands betrayed them.
The atmosphere was heavy with dread; the walls seemed to close in, echoing the chaos outside.
"Where are the knights and professors....?"
One girl whimpered, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Please! We need to stay together!"
Another pleaded, wiping her eyes with the sleeve of her shirt.
The silence that followed was filled with the sound of muffled sobs and the occasional creak of the building settling, or perhaps it was the remnants of a crumbling world.
---
Meanwhile, in another part of the academy, Amy and Draven hurried through the hallways, their footsteps echoing against the stone walls.
They moved quickly, knowing the danger that loomed around them.
Draven's dark eyes scanned their surroundings, alert for any signs of trouble.
As they turned a corner, a loud crack echoed above them. Find exclusive stories on m_v l|e-NovelBin.net
Without warning, a section of the ceiling began to crumble, dust and debris raining down.
"Amy, look out!"
Draven shouted, instinctively pushing her away as he jumped aside.
The sound of stone and timber crashing filled the air, and the floor shook beneath them.
"Uggh!" Amy groaned as she stumbled, but Draven's quick reflexes saved her.
Dust filled the air, making it hard to see anything.
When the dust settled, Draven turned to look for Amy.
"Amy! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine! Just a scratch!"
She called back, her voice strained but defiant.
Draven squinted through the haze.
"We need to find another way around...
Let's meet on the other side of the campus."
"Right," Amy replied, her mind racing.
She knew the layout of the academy well; the circular hallways would connect them again if they could make it around the rubble.
Without wasting another moment, Draven sprinted off, determined to find a safe route.
Amy, however, paused to check her arm.
She felt a stinging pain and winced as she noticed blood seeping through her black cape, which was now caught under a large beam.
"Ugh, not my favorite attire."
She muttered, reluctantly leaving it behind.
With a quick glance back at the debris, she pushed herself forward.
"I'll catch up with you, Draven!"
She called out, though her voice was tinged with uncertainty.
As she navigated the halls, a creeping dread filled her mind.
The other council heads were likely busy helping the students, but deep down, Amy felt an unsettling sense of isolation.
She had promised Rylan and Xander that they would work together, but in this moment, all she could think of was her...
"...that bitch...?" she whispered to herself.
Just then, a strange fog rolled in, swirling around her like a serpent. It was a mix of purple and white, laced with a hint of blue.
"Poison gas?"
She gasped, instinctively covering her nose and mouth with her sleeve.
"I can't risk it!"
Things in the academy were proving more and more than to be just mere coincidences.
The memory of Liliana flickered through her mind like a candle in the dark.
She recalled their time in the academy gardens, sipping tea under the shade of flowering trees.
Liliana had been charming and enigmatic, her laughter ringing like chimes in the soft breeze.
But then, the conversation had taken a sharp turn.
"Tell me, Amy," Liliana had said, leaning closer, her green eyes glinting mischievously.
"Do you remember Constatine Bluerose...?"
Amy had felt a shiver run down her spine.
That name made her insides tighten as her eyes widened for a moment but quickly regained her posture.
"I… I don't know what you mean," she stammered, her heart racing.
"Oh, but you do..."
Liliana had replied, her tone shifting, laced with something darker.
"That little incident with your family member.
How unfortunate that they had to die, wasn't it?"
"What are you talking about?"
Amy had said, trying to maintain her composure, but the memory weighed heavily on her heart.Nôv(el)B\\jnn
Liliana leaned back, an amused smirk playing on her lips.
"It's quite disgusting, really. You were so clever to hide it.
A little slip, a little push, and there they went, all alone in their suffering....
It must have been thrilling."
She had whispered, her breath hot against Amy's ear.
"Did it feel good, Amy?
Mhmm?...Knowing you could control life and death?"
The memory made Amy's stomach turn.
How could Liliana know?
They had only met recently.
But there had been a darkness in those eyes, a sinister understanding that made her blood run cold.
It was a secret that haunted her, a burden she carried in silence, and now it was threatened to be exposed.
"What do you want from me?"
Amy had demanded, but Liliana just laughed softly, glancing away.
"Nothing. I just want to keep you close, my dear."
She had said, her gaze lingering on Amy's face as if she were appraising a piece of art.
"After all, secrets like yours are far too precious to lose."
"...."
"You're a valuable asset in this game, Amy."
That was the last thing she had said...or possibly the only words that engraved themselves in Amy's mind.
As Amy rounded another corner, the fog thickened, wrapping around her like a shroud.
Her heart raced as the memory played over and over in her mind.
Amy stumbled back into the recesses of her mind, the memory crashing over her like a wave, pulling her under into darkness.
The scene flickered before her eyes, vivid and raw, a nightmare etched in her memory that she couldn't escape.
Blood pooled on the ground, a deep crimson staining the elegant marble floors, contrasting sharply with the white walls that once adorned the Bluerose estate.
In the center of the room lay a body, motionless and cold.
Constatine Bluerose's lifeless form was sprawled on the ground, his face twisted in an expression of shock and agony.
Around him were other bodies, each one bearing the same distinctive dark hair, a telltale sign that they were all part of the same family.
The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood, a grotesque reminder of the violence that had unfolded there.
Shivers ran down her spine as she recalled the gruesome scene.
The carnage that had been unleashed, the screams that had echoed through the halls, and the chaos that ensued.
The memory twisted in her stomach, bringing bile to her throat.
She had thought she was invincible, a puppet master pulling the strings, but now, it all felt like a twisted joke, a reminder of how far she had fallen.
Just as the weight of the memory threatened to crush her, Amy jolted back to the present.
The fog swirling around her was thicker now, the strange gas filling her lungs with an oddly soothing sweetness.
It was disorienting, making her head feel heavy, as if she were drifting in and out of consciousness.
She fought against the haze, but the sensation was almost hypnotic, pulling her closer to the edge of sleep.
The darkness in Liliana's voice, the way she had whispered those horrific truths made her skin crawl.
"I need to keep her close."
Amy murmured to herself, the thought a mantra in the swirling chaos of her mind.
"She seems to have more information and knows alot…."
Her eyes glowed faintly blue in the dim light, fueled by determination and fear.
"...No..."
"...I need to kill her."
She whispered, the words barely audible as they echoed in her head.
The oppressive fog thickened around her, blurring her vision and heightening her senses.
She gritted her teeth.
As Amy moved further down the hallway, the air shifted, becoming icy and cold.
The fog that had enveloped her now felt thick and oppressive, almost like smoke curling around her body.
It wrapped around her like a vice, making it difficult to breathe.
She instinctively shivered, goosebumps prickling her skin.
Despite the terror clawing at her heart, something else caught her attention.
A trace of mana lingering in the distance.
With each cautious step, the fog thickened, swirling in on itself, and a figure began to emerge from the shadows.
Its eyes glowed, piercing through the haze, and a sinister grin stretched across its face.
In its grasp was a spear, formed from a crystalline blue ice that shimmered with an otherworldly light.
The spear appeared to be carved from a single shard of ice, sharp and jagged, reflecting the dim light of the hallway.
Frost clung to its surface, creating intricate patterns that danced along its length, while a chilling aura radiated from it, sending shivers down Amy's spine.
As the fog dissipated around the figure, it was finally revealed in full.
Amy's heart dropped at the sight before her.
The man stood tall, with an air of authority that was both terrifying and mesmerizing.
"...How-"
Amy tried to mutter something but it got caught in her breath.
His eyes, glowing like twin stars, locked onto hers, sending a wave of dread coursing through her body.
Panic surged within her as she tried to move, but a force beyond her comprehension held her in place.
It was as if an invisible hand pressed down on her shoulders, forcing her to kneel.
Amy fell to the ground, trembling, unable to tear her gaze away from the chilling figure before her.
The cold emanating from him enveloped her, making it feel as if the very essence of winter had descended into the hallway.