Chapter 7: What Next?
The main office door swung open with a creak—no monsters, no illusions, just dust covering every surface and the faint smell of old coffee. Kaito rushed to the radio console in the corner, his hands moving fast as he flipped switches and adjusted dials. Static crackled through the speakers, then—a clear voice cut through.
"…any survivors? This is Emergency Response Team Alpha-7, do you copy?"
Mika let out a breath she didn't know she was holding, slumping against a desk. "We copy! We're in the main office at Roxy High—five survivors, minor injuries!"
"Copy that. Evac team is en route—ETA 20 minutes. But listen closely—there are reports of new creatures moving through the area. They're faster, smarter… and they seem to be drawn to radio signals. You need to shut it down and find a secure spot to hide until we arrive."
The radio went silent. The group exchanged looks—relief warring with fresh fear.
Ema gripped her katana tighter, her red eyes scanning the windows. "20 minutes is a long time. We need to fortify this room."
Hiro nodded, already moving to drag heavy filing cabinets in front of the door. "Kaito—can you disable the radio without leaving a trace? If they're drawn to the signal, we can't risk it."
"On it," Kaito said, pulling out his toolkit. As he worked, Kenji spotted something on the principal's desk—a locked drawer, slightly ajar. He pried it open and froze, holding up a thick folder. "Guys… look at this."
Inside were documents—blueprints of the school, research notes, and photos of strange symbols carved into the basement walls. One page was circled in red ink: "Subject 001 – The 'Lock' – Activates when fear threshold is met. All subjects will be… reconfigured."
"This is why it happened," Mika whispered, her face pale. "The school wasn't just attacked—it was designed for this."
A loud crash echoed from the hallway outside. Something heavy was slamming against the walls, and this time, they could hear voices—human voices, screaming and snarling.
"The new creatures," Ema said quietly, moving to stand beside Hiro. "They used to be people—like the others, but more… complete."
The door shuddered as something hit it. The filing cabinets held, but wood splintered from the frame. Kaito finished disabling the radio and looked up, his eyes wide. "There's a panic room behind the bookshelf—reinforced steel walls. It's our only chance."
They scrambled to move the shelf, revealing a small metal door. Hiro helped Kenji and Mika inside first, then turned to Ema—but she was already moving toward the main door, her katana glowing bright gold.
"Ema, what are you doing?"
She looked back at him, a sad smile on her face. "They'll follow me if I lead them away. Buy you more time until the evac arrives. I told you—I won't let anything hurt you."
Before he could stop her, she pulled open the door and charged into the hallway. A roar rang out, followed by the sound of metal clashing against something hard.
Hiro grabbed the door handle, ready to follow, but Kaito pulled him back. "She knows what she's doing. Let's get inside—we can't let her sacrifice be for nothing."
They locked the panic room door behind them, plunging into darkness save for the faint glow of Kaito's phone. Through the thick walls, they could hear fighting—then silence.
Mika leaned her head against the door, tears in her eyes. "What do we do now? What comes next?"
Hiro clenched his fist, his mind made up. "We survive. And when we get out of here, we find out who did this. Ema didn't fight for us to just walk away and forget."
In the distance, sirens wailed. Evac was close—but for Hiro and the others, the question wasn't just about surviving the lockdown anymore. It was about what they'd do once they were free.