Chapter One

CHAPTER ONE

THE BEGINNING AFTER THE CRUEL END

As the clock struck seven o'clock in the morning, a young woman was out of breath rushing through the corridor that was now full of students. The girl was dressed in her complete, ironed uniform, which complemented her curvaceous figure and height. Not to mention her long, dark, wavy hair, which bounced with each step. But her face was flushed with exhaustion as she sought to avoid bumping into them. She wiped the cold sweat dripping down her temples with a genuine smile. Because it was her first day of 12th grade.

After a tough two years of pandemic, things went back to normal thanks to the remarkable people who contributed to the virus's extermination. Students can now go to school without difficulty. There are no words to express how grateful the girl was when she was bored and under online class pressure throughout those years.

Because the school grounds were wide, it took her 5 minutes to get into her classroom. Her classmates greeted her with smiles, to which she warmly returned. She then proceeded to her friends' table, where she could hear their deafening laughter. Stephanie and Caureann, her friends who seemed to have escaped from the psychiatric hospital, sat there.

"Kia has finally arrived! By the way, what took you so long? " Stephanie came to a halt when their gazes met. She made excuses, flashed an awkward smile and avoided her eyes. Kia was so eager last night that she couldn't close her eyes, but she decided not to tell Stephanie since she'd make a big fuss about it.

Thanks to Stephanie's enormous voice, Caureann diverted her gaze toward Kia. "Hey!"

"Hello!"

They exchanged greetings and began discussing the pandemic before the bell rang. As she listened to them, Kia was beaming from ear to ear, mesmerized by the memories they shared and how much they missed each other. Time didn't allow them to meet, and the internet was their sole means of communication.

"Maayong buntag! Good morning! Magandang umaga! "

Gail, her best friend and a notoriously loud person, has finally arrived. Kia grimaced as she saw her friend do something unbelievable: shout when the teacher was already there and she was late. Her classmates' gasps could be heard, and the three of them shook their heads, embarrassed in Gail's place. Mrs. Valdez, their teacher, approached her from behind, arms crossed and brows furrowed.

"I'm relieved I'm not late. Before our teacher, I guess I was the first to shower. " As she strolled to her friend's table, Gail said with a bright smile. The entire class's expression became gloomy. When Gail saw their reaction, her smile disappeared, and she became frightened.

"Who was the first to shower, Ms. Legaspina?" Mrs. Valdez asked, her face flushed with rage since her arrival. Gail giggled with a gloomy, sorrowful expression. Kia shook her head and palmed her face as she realized where the situation was going. She couldn't stand to watch her friend fooling their teacher and succeeding in her schemes.

"Please accept my sincere apologies, Mrs. Valdez. That was intended as a joke, but please accept my apologies if I offended you in any way. My mother is sick with a fever, and no one will take care of my little brother until she recovers... "

Gail continued to tell her 'touching life story,' which was obviously a lie. As a result, Mrs. Valdez, who had been frowning, burst into tears. "She should expect Fs for her grades when the teacher finds out the truth," Kia said, grimacing, and the other two agreed.

Soon after, everyone in the class and the teacher, with the exception of three of her friends, believed and sympathized with her story. As a result, the classroom was filled with grieving students. Kia sighed as she looked around the room. "Oh my gosh..." she exclaimed quietly.

Mrs. Valdez guided Gail to her seat with care, as if she were a poor, fragile child. Gail pretended to wipe her eyes and gave her thanks, but Kia could tell she was about to burst out laughing.

"Rather than going to school, you should audition for a drama TV show," Kia sarcastically suggested. Gail chuckled with an obnoxious grin. "If I do that, famous actors and actresses will lose their jobs."

Since the teacher began speaking in front of the class, Kia chose to ignore her nonsense. Her three friends, however, were not convinced to listen and remained silent for this reason. They began chattering, which annoyed her. They keep teasing her and questioning her about meaningless topics, forcing her to join them. Perhaps because of Stephanie and Gail's deep and loud voices. Mrs. Valdez's blackboard eraser flew across the room and landed on the table. It flew like paper, almost hitting Caureann in the head.

Gail screamed, "Woah, amazing!" as she applauded the teacher. Mrs. Valdez sighed, a sinister half-smile forming on her lips. Obviously, she felt ridiculed. Kia came to a halt, her mouth gaping open.

"Please leave Ms. Kia Grimaldi, Stephanie Delgado, Gail Aphelion, and Caureann la Madrid! As it is the first day of school, I will overlook this. But if you do it again during my class, I will not hesitate to contact your parents! " Mrs. Valdez shrieked, her teeth gnashing.

"Yes!" The three of them silently rejoiced, oblivious to the fact that it was planned. They rushed out of the room, dragging Kia behind them, who was still shocked.

"Guys, look what you've done!" Kia sighed. The three of them exchanged glances and smiles. Kia's face was furrowed, confused.

"Kia, you've got to be kidding me. They'll most certainly elect class officers. Let's go to the cafeteria, shall we? " Gail wore a bright grin on her face. She let out a long sigh, unable to disagree. Despite the fact that she understands their point, the guilt she felt as a result of their rudeness and Gail's deceiving of Mrs. Valdez will never go away.

"So, as I said..." Stephanie continued the story that had been stopped earlier. Gail and Kia trailed behind her and Caureann as they made their way through the cafeteria.

"Today's weather seems so horrible," Gail groaned as she gazed up at the sky. Kia agreed with her friend and nodded. Since the other day, the dazzling sun and clear skies have been covered by gray, thick clouds that appear to be preparing to rain on the land.

The four of them arrived at the crowded cafeteria, which was overflowing with students who had chosen to stay there rather than attend their classes. Kia gave them a quick glance before turning away. She felt nauseated and out of breath as she saw the crowd of students. Imagining herself entering the cafeteria was suffocating.

"See?" Gail gave a sly grin. Kia's eyes blinked twice before averting her gaze to her friend, as if she had just returned to reality. "H-Huh?"

"Are you alright?" Her friend asked, clearly concerned. Kia clung to Gail's arms as she nodded slowly. As if they were talking using telepathy, her friend understood what she meant. "Breathe in and breathe out, calm down." With a smile, she whispered.

"Hey Steph, I will stay here with Kia. Buy the food for us, we will pay. "

Kia sighed in relief as she rested her palms on her chest. Gail was unquestionably the best. They waited a few minutes longer for the two to buy before seeing them run out of the canteen, hands full of the foods they had bought. Kia chuckled at their struggling expressions, while the person next to her drooled and looked at Stephanie and Caurenn's hands. However, there was an unanticipated ruckus. The air became unexpectedly chilly, and a loud continuous sound of bombs could be heard, causing the buildings to crumble and fall down.

The school turned into chaos filled with students' painful screams and the ringing of the bell. Some ran with crying and frightened faces, while some were poorly, fell on the ground and stepped by many feet.

Gail and Kia were unable to move. Fear made their bodies shiver, and they held their breath. Fear became a tangible, living force that stole over them like a hungry beast, immobilizing them and enslaving their minds. They were nearly 7 feet tall, with small brown eyes, big mouths, and sharp fangs, and a green, massive body group of men approached Caureann and Stephanie with axes in hand. Based on their appearance, no one can even call them humans. "A creature I've seen on TV and read about in books. Those teeth, that green body, those bone axes, and that horrific appearance! It's orcs, there's no doubt about it! " Kia thought as she recognized the terrifying creatures.

Her heart was pounding, she could feel cold sweat dripping down her body, and her hands were quivering. She is terrified, but she is unable to move. "So, what should I do now?"

Kia's eyes grew wide and a tear streamed down her cheeks as she panicked. She saw a moment that neither she nor Gail would ever forget.

"Steph, Ren!" Kia shouted her lungs out. An orc dashed up to her friends, brandishing an axe. They were shocked that they couldn't even move. Everything transpired at such a breakneck pace that her head couldn't keep up. But her gaze was fixed on them while everything was moving slowly. Stephanie grabbed Caureann's hand and signaled for them to run. The orc, however, was poised to strike his axe as they were about to escape. Kia saw the orc behead her friends, as blood spilled from their necks and splashed onto the orcs' faces. She couldn't hear the students' screams nor Gail's cries, and didn't even notice the tears streaming down her face. Her feet felt sluggish, her skin turned pale, and her chest felt heavy. She wanted to scream, but she couldn't because her mouth wouldn't open.

"If only I could stop them from going into the cafeteria... I don't deserve to live, and I want to die. Sorry, it's all my fault. " Her quivering hands covered her ears as she muttered.

Gail shrieked, "Kia!" and slapped her. Kia cupped her swollen, throbbing cheeks. Gail's face was a shambles, and her swollen eyes glistened with tears. "Look, I understand you're afraid and horrified, but we need to get out of here as soon as possible."

"N-No," Kia murmured. She seemed deaf to what her friend was saying, and she was completely unaware that the monsters were coming for them. Gail shushed her and took her hand in hers to escape. Kia took notice of her cold, trembling hand. Gail was puzzled by the situation, but she knew they had to stay alive.

Both of them were sprinting, but Kia's tears had clouded her vision, and she couldn't see where she was going.

"Gail."

"What's the matter? Run faster. "

"Let me die," Kia replied, smiling. Gail's expression became gloomy. She fell silent, and their pace quickened as she took the lead. "Just shut up and listen."

Kia's body suddenly felt light and her eyesight blurred, as if she were floating in space. There was no sound that could be heard, yet the silence was so painful to her ears. The agony in her chest went away, her heart rate returned to normal, and the tears in her eyes ceased. But, before she could process what was going on, she was brought back into reality. She found herself sitting in a chair in their classroom next to her friend. All of the windows and doors were shut, and some of their classmates were lying on the floor, uncertain if they were dead or merely unconscious, and others were trembling and silently crying.

"We were shocked when we heard a loud explosion coming from the other buildings. Thankfully, the STE class building was too far away, but a rabbit with a horn entered the room and suddenly let out a smoke. As soon as they inhaled the smoke, they died. We immediately closed the doors so the rabbits and other monsters couldn't enter, " Makaella, the class secretary, explained. She was also Gail's close friend. Since they entered the room, they have been talking to each other. Makaella was pecking at the outside of the window.

"Uhm..." As Kia regained consciousness and realized where they were, she murmured. They both turned their attention to her.

Gail's brows were knotted and her eyes were filled with worry. Kia looked down, fist clenched, to try to hide the tears that were starting to fall down her cheeks.

"What is going on?" Gail groaned furiously. She pinched her skin and ruffled her hair. Makella, who had been staring at her, scowled.

"Obviously, monsters are attacking us. I'm not sure what they're called, but I've been keeping an eye on them for a long time, " Makella replied. Hearing that, Kia scratched her chin and thought deeply. She was familiar with those monsters as a fantasy nerd. Orcs have a huge, powerful physique, but they aren't particularly fast. Goblins are cunning thieves who move as quickly as the wind. Despite their small size, horned rabbits can emit poisonous smoke. "But hold on! How... "

"Mak, by the way, how did you manage to stay alive in the poisonous smoke? " Gail questioned Makaella before Kia could say anything.

"We've got a runny nose."

"What?" Gail raised her voice, "it's not the right time to joke, Makaella."

Makaella shrugged as she chuckled, "You think so?"

"Stop it both of you." Kia said. They turned their eyes on her. She could see the concerned eyes of Gail while Makaella was expressionless as usual.

Kia gasped, "Just as I thought, it's the scent of the smoke they let out!" They can still inhale the smoke even if their nose is runny. They will, however, lose their sense of smell, and the scent of the horned rabbit's smoke is toxic. Gail and Makaella stared at her puzzled, so she told them what she knew, which made them nod their heads. Everyone in their glass is aware of Kia's fantasy novel addiction, especially Gail, who has been influenced a little.

"Now the question is, what are we going to do?" She continued as she looked around the room and observed that just five of them were still alive. Angelina, Kia, Makaella, Gail, and Kenneth. Their other two students seemed to be lifeless. They were quietly grieving as they stared at the void. Kia's wrath grew stronger, and she tightened her fists while looking down and closing her eyes. "How did the world come to be this way? Why did so many of us suffer and die? Why did a weakling like me survive? Or will I be able to make it? "

"Calm down, Kia. You're having a mental breakdown again. Don't be afraid, I'm still here. " As she held Kia's hand, Gail's mouth curved up into a smile. But gazing at her eyes shimmered with tears. Without a doubt, she was in pain as well. "Damn, being a powerless person in times like this was unfair. My friend shouldn't die if only we had the power to fight these monsters. "

She smiled half-heartedly. "Thank yo-"

Before she could finish her sentence, she was interrupted. Her eyelids grew heavy all of a sudden. She feels as if her life is being sucked out of her. Her eyes were closing on their own as the weight became heavier. "Will I die? No, I don't want to. I'd want to avenge my friends as well as humanity. I want to survive. That is solely my wish. My desire and aim. If only I had the strength... "

(❕) ALARM

WELCOME, PLAYER!

"W-What is th-that?" She murmured before she lost consciousness.