The scream of the Hollow disappeared.
For three seconds, there was complete silence.
Then—
BOOM!
The entire underground chamber shook.
Rohgah looked up.
Dust fell from the ceiling.
Seraya immediately grabbed Sofia.
"We have to leave."
Rohgah turned toward her.
"Where?"
"Ravenshade."
Machir's expression changed.
"No."
Seraya looked at him.
"What?"
"If the Hollow has started the hunt, going back to the school is exactly what it wants."
Rohgah stared at him.
"My friends are up there."
Nicole stepped forward.
"And so are thousands of students."
Bella tightened her grip on her weapon.
"We're not leaving them."
Ashbel nodded.
"Whatever is happening, we're going back."
Machir shook his head.
"You don't understand. The creatures inside Ravenshade aren't ordinary."
Rohgah looked at him.
"What are they?"
Machir's face darkened.
"Hollow-born."
A cold silence followed.
"What does that mean?" Bella asked.
"Creatures created from stolen magic. They can imitate supernatural powers."
Nicole's eyes narrowed.
"Vampire powers?"
"Yes."
Ashbel frowned.
"Mermaid powers?"
"Yes."
Bella's expression hardened.
"Warrior powers?"
Machir nodded.
"They can become whatever your fear tells them to become."
Rohgah looked toward the tunnel.
"Then they won't stop."
"No."
"Neither will we."
Rohgah started walking.
Seraya caught his arm.
"You're still powerless."
Rohgah looked down at her hand.
"I know."
"You could die."
"So could everyone else."
Seraya's eyes filled with tears.
"I already lost you once."
Rohgah gently removed her hand.
"You didn't lose me."
He smiled faintly.
"You found me."
Seraya looked at her son.
Then she nodded.
"Then I'll come with you."
Sofia immediately stepped beside them.
"Me too."
"No," Rohgah said.
She stared at him.
"You're the key."
"And you're my brother."
"Sofia—"
"No."
Her voice was firm.
"If the Hollow wants me, I'm not hiding behind everyone else."
Rohgah sighed.
"You're stubborn."
She smiled through her tears.
"You taught me."
Nicole looked at them.
"Are you two finished arguing?"
Rohgah glanced at her.
"Why?"
"Because we have a school full of monsters to save."
Bella smirked.
"Finally, something I can punch."
Ashbel laughed nervously.
"Please don't say that like you're excited."
"I am."
For the first time in hours, they laughed.
Even Rohgah smiled.
Then the tunnel behind them suddenly collapsed.
CRASH!
Everyone turned.
The way back had disappeared.
Machir stared at the fallen stones.
"We're trapped."
Rohgah looked toward the staircase leading upward.
"Then we go forward."
Above them, Ravenshade High had become a nightmare.
The halls were empty.
Lockers were ripped from the walls.
Classroom doors hung open.
Black mist crawled across the ceiling.
Students were hiding in dormitories, classrooms, and the library.
And outside the main entrance stood hundreds of creatures.
They had red eyes.
Long claws.
Black skin.
But their faces changed every few seconds.
Vampires.
Werewolves.
Mermaids.
Wizards.
Warriors.
Every supernatural race Ravenshade had ever known.
Headmaster Veyron stood at the center of the courtyard with a group of teachers.
"Protect the students!"
A Hollow-born creature charged.
A teacher raised a magical shield.
The creature copied the shield instantly.
The teacher's eyes widened.
"What—?"
The creature struck.
He flew across the courtyard.
Students screamed.
A vampire student attacked another creature.
It transformed into a vampire.
The fight became chaos.
Then every light in Ravenshade went out.
Darkness swallowed the school.
A voice whispered through the halls.
"Find the heir."
A second voice answered.
"Find the key."
Then hundreds of red eyes opened.
Far below, Rohgah felt something.
He stopped walking.
Sofia noticed.
"What?"
"Something's wrong."
Machir looked at him.
"You can feel them."
Rohgah frowned.
"I can feel the school."
Seraya stepped closer.
"That shouldn't be possible."
Rohgah looked at his palm.
The seven circles were moving.
The first.
The second.
The third.
All three were glowing faintly.
"I can hear people."
Nicole looked alarmed.
"From here?"
"Yes."
He closed his eyes.
Suddenly—
he heard screaming.
"Please!"
"Run!"
"Help!"
Rohgah opened his eyes.
"They're attacking the students."
Bella cursed.
"We need to get there."
Machir shook his head.
"Not yet."
Rohgah turned angrily.
"Not yet?"
Machir pointed toward the tunnel ahead.
"If we return without understanding what we're facing, they'll overwhelm us."
Rohgah stepped toward him.
"My classmates are dying."
"I know."
"Then why are you stopping me?"
"Because that's exactly what Vaelor wants."
Rohgah froze.
Machir continued.
"He wants you angry."
"Why?"
"Because anger makes you use the Hollow."
Rohgah looked toward the darkness.
"The Hollow is inside me?"
"No."
Machir's voice lowered.
"It is connected to you."
"What happens if I use it?"
"You may save the school."
Machir paused.
"But every time you use it, the Hollow learns more about you."
Rohgah's expression hardened.
"So I don't use it."
"Exactly."
A loud roar came from ahead.
Everyone prepared themselves.
Something emerged from the darkness.
It was enormous.
Its body looked like a wolf, but its face constantly changed.
Vampire.
Mermaid.
Wizard.
Warrior.
Then—
Rohgah's face.
Sofia gasped.
The creature smiled.
"Brother."
Rohgah stared at it.
It had copied him perfectly.
The creature attacked.
Bella stepped forward.
"My turn."
She struck it with her weapon.
The creature blocked.
Bella's eyes widened.
"It copied my strength."
Nicole attacked from the side.
It copied her speed.
Ashbel launched a wave.
It copied her water magic.
The creature grew stronger with every attack.
"Stop!" Rohgah shouted.
Everyone froze.
The creature turned toward him.
Rohgah stared at it.
"That's what it wants."
Machir nodded.
"Exactly."
The creature smiled.
"Smart heir."
Rohgah's expression changed.
"You can talk."
The creature tilted its head.
"We can all talk."
Its body shifted.
Suddenly, it became Sofia.
Nicole stepped backward.
Sofia stared at the creature.
"That's not me."
The creature smiled.
Then it became Seraya.
"Rohgah."
Seraya's face went pale.
The creature changed again.
Kael.
Rohgah stopped breathing.
"Dad?"
Machir grabbed his shoulder.
"Don't."
Kael's image smiled.
"My son."
Rohgah stared.
The creature extended its hand.
"Come home."
Rohgah's eyes filled with tears.
"You're not him."
The creature's smile disappeared.
"What makes you so sure?"
Rohgah stepped forward.
"My father never called me king."
The creature froze.
Rohgah's voice became stronger.
"He called me his son."
The creature screamed.
Its disguise shattered.
Black smoke exploded from its body.
Bella struck it.
Nicole followed.
Ashbel trapped it in water.
The creature collapsed.
Silence.
Then Rohgah heard a whisper.
"One down."
He looked up.
"What?"
Machir's face changed.
"What did you hear?"
Rohgah stared toward the tunnel behind them.
"The Hollow."
"What did it say?"
"One down."
Seraya looked frightened.
"One?"
Before anyone could respond—
a bell rang.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then every magical symbol in the tunnel lit up.
Seven symbols.
The first was black.
The second was cracked.
The third was glowing red.
The remaining four were dark.
Machir stared.
"It has begun."
Rohgah looked at him.
"What?"
"The Seven Seal Hunt."
"What is that?"
Machir's voice trembled.
"When a seal breaks, the Hollow sends its creatures after the bloodlines connected to the remaining seals."
Sofia looked at the symbols.
"Which means?"
"Each kingdom is going to be attacked."
Seraya's eyes widened.
"The Vampire Empire."
"Then the Mermaid World."
"The Kingdom of Babylon."
"And the wizard territories."
Rohgah looked at the final four symbols.
"What about the last three?"
Machir shook his head.
"We don't know."
A sudden flash of light appeared above them.
A message formed in the air.
FIRST SEAL — BROKEN.
SECOND SEAL — OPENING.
THIRD SEAL — CHOSEN.
FOURTH SEAL — HIDDEN.
FIFTH SEAL — FORGOTTEN.
SIXTH SEAL — BETRAYED.
SEVENTH SEAL — BLOOD.
Everyone stared.
Sofia whispered:
"Blood?"
Seraya's expression changed.
She looked at Rohgah.
Then at Sofia.
"No."
Rohgah noticed.
"Mother?"
Seraya didn't answer.
"Mother, what does the seventh seal mean?"
She finally whispered:
"It means the final seal is connected to our family."
Rohgah's heart sank.
"How?"
Seraya looked at the black stone hanging around her neck.
"Because Kael's blood created it."
Rohgah stared.
"And my blood?"
Seraya nodded.
"And yours."
Sofia stepped forward.
"So the final seal belongs to both of us."
"No," Seraya said.
Her voice trembled.
"It belongs to one of you."
Rohgah and Sofia exchanged a look.
"Which one?" Rohgah asked.
Seraya looked at them with tears in her eyes.
"I don't know."
A violent explosion shook the tunnel.
Above them, Ravenshade's main tower collapsed.
Rohgah immediately turned toward the sound.
"They're losing."
Machir nodded.
"Then we move."
The group raced toward the staircase.
But before Rohgah reached it, his palm burned.
He stopped.
The third circle turned completely red.
Then a fourth circle appeared.
It began glowing.
Rohgah stared in disbelief.
"There are four now."
Machir's face went white.
"No."
"What?"
Machir looked toward the ceiling.
"The third seal isn't just chosen."
He swallowed.
"It's breaking."
Rohgah looked up.
Somewhere beneath the school, something enormous began to wake.
And then every student in Ravenshade heard the same whisper.
"THE THIRD SEAL HAS CHOSEN ITS VESSEL."
A pause.
Then—
"ROHGAH."
Rohgah's eyes widened.
The school went completely silent.
And from the darkness above them…
something answered.
"COME."