A New Demon & Shocking Discovery

-•Tia's P.O.V-•

"We're so fucked…!" "We need a way out!" "I know, but we're literally at a dead end, Anna!" "Let me just…" Anna takes a look around, but she stops once she sees a ladder leaning against the wall. "There!" "What are we going to do with a ladder?!" "Look up!" She points at a vent on top of us.

"We literally have no time, they're gonna reach us any second now!" "We're going up that vent!" "Okay, then here, hold Damien!" I give Damien to Anna, and I place the ladder directly underneath the vent. "Okay, now we have to open it!" "Here, use this!" Anna gives me a coin, and I climb the ladder, then unscrewing the vent.

The vent opens and I jump down the ladder. "Go!" "What?!" "Take Damien, and go! We don't have much time!" "I—" "Anna, please just go up!" She starts climbing the ladder and manages to fit through. "Now, pull him up!" I help Anna pull Damien up and soon I'm the last one on the floor.

-• Anna's P.O.V •-

"Tia, you can still make it! Hurry, grab my hand!" I offer my hand to Tia but she pushes it back up, and closes the vent door, screwing it back in with the coin. "Tia?!" "We don't have time! Plus, I wouldn't be able to fit through there!" Tia looks to her side and I can hear the demons getting close. "Don't worry, I'll be back…" Tia runs away, and I hear a huge part of the school fall, then followed by silence.

"No…" I try to look back down, but I notice the screws slowly unloosing. "Tia…" I start breaking down, getting swallowed by my emotions, but I decide to move forward, dragging Damien's unconscious body with me. As I kept moving forward, I pressed my hands against a rusty part of the vent, breaking it, and making me, and Damien fall.

"Ugh…!" I caress my head and look up. Then, as I'm raising my eyes, I see people sitting down on the floor. "Ah!!" "Woah, Woah, calm down, are you okay?" A guy asks. "Uhm, yeah…Who are you guys?" "I'm Shane, this is Phil, and Janna." He points to the other two, who are also looking at me. "What about you?" "I-I'm Anna." "Wait, wait, like, Anna Baker?"

"Uhm, yeah, how'd you know?" "I've heard of you from my sibling." "Sibling?" "Yeah, do you know Sam Campbell?" "Oh, Sam? Yeah, I know him." "Wait, have you seen him ever since this all started?" "Yeah, I have." "Really?! He's alive?!" "Shane, shut up..! Those things could hear us..!" "What are you guys doing here? Where are the others?"

"The other first-years ran away when everything started…We're pretty sure we're the only first-years left in the 3rd building." "Yeah, you're the first person we met who isn't us." "Really? Are there really that few students left alive?" "Yeah, aren't there like, 500 students attending this school..?" "Huh?" I look behind me, and see Damien sitting up.

"You're awake." "Yeah, fuck, my head hurts…" "Here, lay your head on my shoulder." Phil gestured to Damien. "Uhm, what?" "Come on, don't be a baby." He laughed. "For your information, I am far away from being a baby." Damien scoffed. "Whatever you say." Phil shrugs.

"Damien continues to sit, his arms crossed." "So, is he with you?" I nod. "We should go find my group of friends." "You have people with you?" "Yeah, and Sam is a part of it." "Sam?! I can see my brother again?!" "Carter, shut the fuck up..!" Janna punches Carter's shoulder. "Ow, sorry." "It's fine, but you have to learn to keep contain your excitement."

"Yes, Ma'm." "Okay, let's go." We all stand up, and I help Damien. Closing the door we hear footsteps coming down the stairs. "Anna!" Michael hugged me. "Where's Tia?" "She's…Gone." "Gone? What do you mean she's gone?" I crossed my arms and explained everything.

"No!" Michael punched the wall, tears dripping down his face. "Michael, she'll be fine—" James tried to comfort Michael, but he is cut off when Michael, pushes him away. "I'm going to go find her!" "Michael, are you crazy?!" "Yeah, those things are still out there!" Sam yelled.

"Wow, so now that you've reunited with your little brother, you just don't care anymore?!" "That's not what I'm trying to say—" "Just shut up, for fuck's sake! I'm leaving to go find Tia, and that's final! Whoever wants to as well, you're welcome to join me!" Michael starts running away; James, and Vernon, follow him.

I try to as well, but Sam pulls me back. "They'll be fine, don't come with them." He takes a deep breath. "Okay, we have to keep moving." Sam sighed. "You're seriously going to forget what just happened?!" "We can't do anything about it!" Sam yelled at me and I scoff. "Fine, whatever." "Let's just keep moving forward. We don't have much time." "I have to agree with him, Anna." Veronica agreed, and soon, everyone did.

"Where are we supposed to go? We have no lead." "What about that?" Jessica pointed towards a mask on the floor. "A mask?" "Let's check it out." We all walked closer towards the mask, and once taking a good look at it, we realize that it's a Yin and Yang mask. "What the hell is a mask-like this doing here?"

We all keep looking at the mask, but Kyle decides to go pick it up. "Are you sure it's safe to do that?" "It's just a mask. What harm could it do?" Kyle turns his attention back to the mask and picks it up, but he immediately drops it. "Shit!" "Are you okay?!" "It burned me!" "The mask?" "No shit, Sherlock!" Kyle continues to wince, but in the corner of my eye, I notice a shadow.

"Huh?" When I turned around no one was there, but I could still hear something. "Guys?" "Yeah?" "I think there's something with us." "What do you mean—" Before Jessica could finish her sentence, she is cut off when the mask starts to float up. "What the hell is happening?" As we kept watching, we see a shadow-like creature enter the mask, and it then starts to form into a physical body.

"Everyone, back off!" We all start backing away from the thing, but once it fully formed, it didn't move. "What the hell is that?!" Damien turned to us. As I observed it, I realized it wore a samurai's outfit with a thief's hood on top, also equipped with a long spear, and wearing the Yin and Yang mask.

The thing disappears into smoke, flying towards us, then appearing in front of us. "Hello, I am the Riddler. It's nice to meet you." He reaches out his hand, but we hesitate. "It's okay, nothing will happen." The Riddler further extends his hand.

I pause, but I decide to shake its hand. "Well, now that we're properly introduced. I think it would be a great idea to do some riddles." The demon clapped, interlocking his hands, and leaving the spear floating beside him. "Riddle? What riddle?" "Riddle number 1. People buy me to eat, but I'm never close to the mouth. What am I? You have 3 minutes to decide."

The riddler turns back into smoke and enters the mask. "People buy me to eat, but I'm never close to the mouth…" "Come on, guys, it's so obvious." A third-year rolls his eyes, walking forward and calling out for the Riddler. The mask floats up and the riddler comes out.

"Are you ready to answer?" "Yes, I am now ready to answer, Mr. weird…Mask dude…" "That is not my name, but oh well. Tell me your answer." As the guy is about to say his answer, Sam stops him. "Are you sure about your answer? We still have a few more minutes." "Don't you trust me, Sam?"

"It's just that, you're not really the smart type…" "Wow, that's not what I wanted to hear, bro." "Okay, hurry up and say it then." "Wait." I step up to the front. "What if you get wrong? What will happen?" I asked the Riddler, but it kept still, soon answering after a few minutes.

"I will have to kill you." The third-year immediately turns around, his eyes widened. "I-I don't wanna answer anymore." "It is prohibited to refuse to answer once you are about to." The Riddler replied. "It's okay, calm down, we can just help you with the answer," Sam said to the third-year. "Receiving help from others once you are about to answer is also prohibited."

The Riddler replied once again. "Hurry up, you don't have much time!" Kyle yelled. "I-I…Is it a spoon?" "No!" Veronica's eyes widened, knowing that the guy got it wrong, but before she could help the guy, The Riddler says something. "Wrong answer." The Riddler's spear starts floating behind it, then before we could react, the spear starts soaring towards the third-year, piercing him in the chest.

"Ahh!!!" "What the fuck?!" Everyone starts freaking out, but The Riddler immediately gives its attention to Veronica. "For that he could not answer the riddle, you must complete it. Riddle number 1. People buy me to eat but I'm never close to the mouth. What am I? 15 Seconds left."

"It's a plate!" Veronica yelled, her body shaking uncontrollably. "Correct. Until next time, dear students." The Riddler goes back into the mask, and then it starts flying away into the second building. "Oh my god…" Phil's breathing starts to become faster and heavier. "Phil, are you okay?" I ask. "This is bad," Janna said as she helped Phil. "Why? What wrong?"

"Phil has Hemophobia." "Shane…Janna…I feel really…Dizzy…" Phil faints, but I manage to catch him. "We need to bring him to the nurse's office." "Okay, I'll come with you." "Me too." Janna and Shane agreed. "Okay. Let's go—" As we're about to start walking, I feel a hand touch my shoulder. "Huh?" "Anna, we need you to see this…" Sam said, his face splattered with fear, and worry.

"Uhm, I need to help Phil to the nurse's office first." "No, let me do it." "Are you sure?" Sam nods, and I give him Phil. "Where do I have to go?" "The first classroom to your right." "Okay." Once I replied, Sam starts his walk to the nurse's office with Shane, and Janna. I enter the classroom and immediately see James, sat down on the floor, his back against the wall, and his whole body covered in blood.

"James!" I run up to him and kneel down. "Are you okay?!" James coughs up blood, and replies with. "I…I couldn't do…Anything…" "What do you mean?" "Michael…and Vernon…Are in danger…" "What danger? James, keeps those eyes open. Stay with us." He takes a deep breath, and says. "Those things…Took them."