Victor entered the meeting room for the third time. This time, only a few people were present — the others had probably gone to rest or simply to clear their heads.
Only the principal, the nurse, Lucie, and three other teachers Victor barely knew were there.
About thirty students followed him inside, silent.
Lucie nodded in his direction before turning her attention back to the principal.
« As I've already told you, we need to get our asses moving. Waiting for the situation to calm down won't fix anything — and if you think someone's coming to save you, forget it. I'm willing to bet everyone out there is too busy trying to save their own skin. »
The man with salt-and-pepper hair and a dark gray suit frowned, clearly deep in thought.
« None of you have actually gone outside yet — you don't know how bad it is out there. »
The principal still didn't say a word.
But that was understandable.
This whole situation was beyond what any normal human could handle — especially the older ones, who had grown used to life on Earth as it was.
Only a few people had a mind flexible enough to adapt quickly when catastrophe struck.
Of course, given enough time, everyone would adjust — no matter how bad things got.
But time was something they didn't have.
Especially from Victor's perspective. He understood all too well that even if the giant skeleton couldn't reach them now, that didn't mean it wouldn't be able to later.
And although its territory kept other creatures from approaching the school, that same barrier also prevented Victor from growing stronger.
That was unacceptable.
« Alright then. »
He turned to the three teachers still in the room.
« Go wake everyone up. Tell them it's urgent. »
Without a word, they left, showing how much autority and respect the principal carried around.
Nobody spoke much after that. Most were lost in thoughts of their families and friends — people they would probably never see again. Others thought of death, when it might come, how it might happen, and what might await them afterward.
With all the supernatural events lately, even the staunchest atheists had begun to wonder if Heaven, Hell, or even God might actually exist.
Victor approached Lucie and the principal, his cane tapping rhythmically on the floor.
« I brought everyone I could find. I think the rest are dead. »
He said it with a chilling calmness — talking about life and death as if it were nothing.
The principal couldn't help but be astonished by the boy's composure.
Only Lucie knew that such detachment had nothing to do with maturity — those were the words of someone whose scars had never healed.
Victor glanced at her, his expression softening almost imperceptibly.
« After this, I'm going to sleep. »
She nodded absently, wanting nothing more than to do the same. After all, she hadn't rested once during Victor's recovery. She was far more exhausted than he was.
Across the room, the students were staring at them strangely — torn between amusement, curiosity, and deep disgust.
Victor's eyes flicked toward the nurse — the only man he actually respected.
The only one who didn't make him feel like a monster.
« Sorry for the extra work. »
He was referring, of course, to the broken arm the nurse had probably had to set in a cast.
Naturally, he didn't mean it.
Apologies meant nothing to him — they were just words like any other. But he knew people tended to like hearing them.
The man in the white coat waved it off lazily.
« Don't worry about it, kid. Just remember, I hate working — so don't make a habit of it. »
That was true. Nearly every time Victor had visited him for one reason or another, he'd had to wait several minutes for the man to finish his break — no matter the time of day.
« Speaking of which, about your arm— »
« It's fine. »
Victor had replied a bit too quickly, drawing a suspicious look from Lucie.
But what could he do? He wasn't good at lying.
The nurse frowned as well, clearly aware of the truth.
The panther hadn't just broken Victor's arm — it had shattered both his radius and ulna into tiny fragments.
The kind of injury that could leave a person permanently disabled.
But seeing the boy's sharp, cold gaze, the nurse decided not to push.
If there was one thing he'd mastered over the years, it was minding his own business.
A sort of professional reflex.
A few minutes later, around twenty people arrived, making the room feel far too small.
The principal took position in the center of the tables, with Victor to his right and Lucie to his left.
A shrill voice suddenly rang out.
« What the hell is that freak doing here?! Get him out of here! »
It was, of course, the woman whose arm Victor had accidentally broken.
The principal quickly intervened, afraid the situation would spiral out of control again.
Though he didn't particularly like Victor either, he was rational — unlike her.
He knew that Victor and Lucie were their best chance of surviving this nightmare.
After all, he had seen the young girl's inhuman speed with his own eyes.
And as for the boy — the fact that he stood beside her was proof enough that he was atleast as skillful.
« Calm down, Simone. Let's hear what they have to say before you start screaming. »
But she didn't listen, continuing to shout hysterically — until a deep, tired voice cut through the noise like a gong.
« You don't want to lose your other arm, do you? »
Just that one sentence was enough to silence the entire room.
« I hate repeating myself, so I'll make this quick. For the second fucking time — don't pick fights with people for no reason. Depending on their mood, those might be the last words you ever say. »
« I'm telling you this for your own good, not mine — because if things get ugly, I'll be the one to end your lives. Justice vanished with our hypocritical society. Morality will soon follow. You'd better start getting used to that. »
Honestly, Victor didn't even know why he bothered speaking instead of just breaking the woman's other arm.
The nurse, sitting lazily in the front row, gave him a grateful look for saving him a few hours of extra work.
« Most of you probably know this phrase — 'There are only nine meals between humanity and anarchy.' You're all about to find out how true that really is. But enough of that. Let's get back to why we're here. »
He turned the floor over to the man beside him — he'd already said more than enough for one day, and exhaustion was starting to weigh on him.
The principal took over.
« I know we're all exhausted, scared, anxious, even terrified. We can all agree this situation is insane, unreal. We wish it were just a nightmare we could wake up from. »
Despite his obvious fatigue, the man's eloquence was impressive.
« But unfortunately, this isn't a dream. It's our reality now. Our new reality. »
He paused, gauging everyone's expressions.
« And if we want to survive — if we want even the slightest chance at salvation — we need to move. We need to act. We can't sit around waiting for a savior who's never coming. »
Whispers rippled through the room like sparks through dry grass — a reaction to the principal's blunt words.
« If we want a chance to survive, we have to make that chance ourselves! Things are stable now, yes — but what happens when we run out of food? When someone gets sick and we have no medicine? Or when those things outside decide they're hungry enough to storm this place? »
He raised his voice, his tone growing firmer with every word.
« And what about when the power goes out, when there's no more running water? That will be the end — and it won't be a peaceful one. »
The room grew dark and heavy with dread.
That, of course, was intentional. The deeper the despair, the stronger the impact of hope that followed.
Some would call that manipulation.
Victor preferred to call it psychology — or politics.
Speech, after all, was an art.
« So, what if I told you these two young people managed to slaughter dozens of those creatures? What would you think then? »
Heads lifted, eyes sharp and alert.
« They took up arms and fought without hesitation. They cleansed an entire building, wiped out a panther that moved faster than the eye could follow! I didn't believe it myself — until I saw the corpse at the entrance. »
He gestured toward Lucie.
« This young girl moves like lightning! »
In a flash, she vanished from her spot and reappeared on top of a table, then back again before anyone could even blink. Gasps filled the room — especially from those who hadn't seen her fight, including Mickaël, whose face turned green with jealousy.
« We can make it. We can escape that cage of ours. But only if we work together, if we stop clinging to what's gone and embrace this new world before it devours us whole! Don't you want to see your friends again? Your families? They might still be out there — waiting for you — while you're in here doing nothing but waiting to die! »
A genuine smile appeared on the principal's tired face. He had gotten exactly the reaction he wanted.
Victor was quietly impressed — this man's charisma was frighteningly effective.
It was almost terrifying how easy it was to move a crowd.
But Victor didn't envy it.
If he ever needed to command others, he'd do it not with words — but with strength.
A strength so absolute that words would be meaningless.
« So then… »
The principal raised his voice once more.
« Raise your hand if you're done rotting here like larvae — and ready to fight your way out of this goddamn nightmare. »
Always glorify the choice you want people to make while degrading the alternative.
This man would've really made an excellent politician.
Or Strawman.
A large majority of hands shot up instantly, eyes burning with newfound resolve.
« Perfect. Now, I'll let this young woman speak. »
Using someone who had already displayed her power and competence as a spokesperson — it was the perfect tactic. It added credibility, increased morale, and made the plan feel achievable.
And, of course, it distanced the principal from responsibility should things go wrong.
A masterful performance.
This man was an artist.