Chapter 1 - The Apocalypse

*Music Playing: Bulletproof Heart by MCR*

It was lunchtime, and Ophelia was once again alone in their classroom. She is not an outcast, she was simply too drained and lazy that day, so she chose to just sit alone in the corner of the room with some of her classmates on the other side who were busy playing their own electric guitars.

The students are preparing and practicing their instruments for first day of their school festival tomorrow.

"May I excuse Ophelia?" Her friend Dev had caught the attention of her classmates, and why one of them walks up to her and politely woke her up.

However, none of their efforts succeeded in waking Ophelia, she is still sleeping soundly despite numerous attempts of gentle poking and nudging on her shoulder.

Her friend Dev, rushed in and whacked her on her back, which startled her. "Oh shi—!" He exclaimed when he realized he hit her much stronger than he thought.

"What the heck is wrong with you?!" she yelled irritably, massaging the spot she was hit.

"S-sorry! Anyway, let's talk," he said, dragging her out of the room.

She grunted, "I need to sleep, I'm tired."

"With your current demeanor, you looked like you haven't eaten anything today."

In a defensive manner she replied, "No, I've already eaten," she lied.

Still that didn't stopped him from dragging her, they arrived at her friend's classroom, they sat next to Johanne, one of their closest friends. "You didn't get her to stand up lightly, did you?" Johanne asked with a chuckle.

Dev replied, "I can't help it. She looks pitiful in their room."

"Shut up, I did what you wanted and got myself dragged here so at least, let me sleep," she said as she continued her nap.

Unfortunately today, luck is not on her side. A loud explosion was heard outside the campus before she could get any sleep.

Some pieces of broken windows have shattered on the floor, and visible cracks can be seen on the walls.

Ophelia quickly stood up in response. "What was that?"

"I'm not sure either," the two boys replied as they got up and led the way out of the room. When they noticed students fleeing and panicking, they yanked one of them aside and sought information.

"What's up?" asked Dev.

"T-there are some monsters! You guys better ran—!"

* BOOOOOOMM !! * Another loud explosion occurred, and they ducked, covering their heads in response to the threat.

"Monsters?" Ophelia wondered.

"Probably a terrorist attack," Johanne assumed, quickly drawing them back into their room.

"Let's hide here for a while; it's better to be safe than to get involved."

"Yep, let's just wait for the police to arrive and handle it."

"But we need to at least be aware. What if there are real monsters?" She objected and was about to go outside when Dev and Johanne stopped her.

"Just stay still for a little while, Lia," Johanne suggested, but she was too stubborn. Ophelia stepped outside and ran to the open corridor to see what was happening.

"Oh shit," she exclaimed in terror.

Ophelia saw two ebony black humanoids, their bodies shrouded in floating spores and ashes, with no eyes—no, they had eyes but were spherical and glowing white.

Ophelia herself confirmed it.There were truly real monsters outside. A true monster, not just a terrorist.

When one of those beings noticed her, her body immediately froze in fear. The monster then began to move slowly, step by step, and with each step closer, Ophelia's body weakened. The monster started running to where she was and climbed the walls.

"LIA!!" Dev and Johanne exclaimed. As the monster approached the balustrade, her eyes widened.

"Come here!" they yelled again. Her senses came back, and she ran towards them.

That horrifying entity, however, merely stood motionless, tilting its monstrous head in an eerily peculiar manner, the monster's gaze fixed on them as if observing their next move.

"Let's go...!" Dev said in a low tone, gesturing them to run.

They slowly backed away and started running but to their surprise, the monster sprang into action, sprinting after them and closing the gap at an alarming pace. Lia's legs, still feeling sluggish and unresponsive, that hindered her from escaping the approaching monster.

"AAHH!" screamed Ophelia as she felt it grabbed the hem of her skirt.

"Stay back!" Johanne yelled, pushing his body against the monster's arm, causing Lia to fly away and hit the wall.

"NO! JOHANNE!" she screamed as the monster grabbed her best friend.

The monster's mouth slowly opened, "Go! Save yourself—" Johanne yelled, followed by revealing several layers of the monster's sharp teeth before shoving Johanne inside. "NO—NO!!" Ophelia cried out.

"F#ck, f#ck, f#ck it! Lia! Let's go—!" Dev's panicked voice cracks, but he manages to grab her arms and pull her up. Both of them began running again, but this time Dev was leading the way.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..." she sobbed repeatedly. "Leave me alone, Dev. Just run for your life."

"Don't let Johanne's sacrifice go to waste!" exclaimed Dev. He, too, is in tears over the loss of his friend.

"My legs... they're just too weak to go on, please leave!" she yelled, pulling her arms from Dev's grip. "Just leave! I'm begging you please! I don't deserve to be alive!" Ophelia knelt and quickly accepted her fate; seconds later, she felt nothing but footsteps striding beside her and a loud pounding behind her.

Ophelia spun around to see the horrifying sight unfolding before her; Dev was tightly held in its grasp. With a strained yet determined smile, he instructed her to flee.

"Lia... I'll... I'll follow Johanne, please run for your life," he managed to croak out, his voice weak from the excruciating pain inflicted by the monster's claws piercing his stomach.

She jumped to her feet and dashed over to a door. "SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!" Ophelia screamed in rage. She saw students hiding inside, but no one dared to look, and she realized they wouldn't ever help. Her pleading for assistance is futile. 

Begging desperately, she tugged at the monster's arm, pleading, "Please, let him go! You've already had your fill, please stop!" However, the monster merely dislodged her grip, continuing to feed on Dev's unconscious body, completely disregarding her existence.

Despite her intense desire to stay and give up, she thought of her friends' sacrifices and the importance of escaping to ensure their sacrifices weren't in vain. Reluctantly, she turned and fled."

Regret coursed through her thoughts, tears welling in her eyes. She quietly whispered to herself, 'If only I had been braver and listened to them from the start, none of this would have happened.'

Ophelia stood up, swung open the restroom door, and hid inside a stall. She silently pleaded, waiting anxiously. The banging on the door grew louder, continuing for a prolonged and nerve-racking duration. She mentally urged herself not to burst into tears and patiently waited for the banging to finally subside.

Minutes passed, and the room fell silent. the only sound being the deafening silence that filled the air. Ophelia cautiously rose from her hiding spot in the stall, carefully observing her surroundings before taking a moment to listen intently for any potential danger. Once satisfied that it was safe to proceed, she quietly stepped out of the stall, her senses on high alert as she waited and listened again, ensuring that there were no lurking threats nearby.

"I have to go! She's still out there!" The man's alarmed cry resounded through the halls, creating a sense of urgency in its wake. Recognizing the voice, she realized she knew this person well, yet their relationship had long since faded.

"SHUT THE F#CK UP! YOU'LL ONLY ATTRACT THOSE MONSTERS HERE!" The other man yelled in response, his tone sharp and firm as he attempted to silence the initial cry to prevent the monsters from being drawn to their location.

Ophelia peered out the door. She noticed the revolting man outside, being held by other two men. He was the one who had previously played with her heart.

"LANA IS OUT THERE ALONE, YOU IDIOT! DON'T YOU CARE ABOUT HER AT ALL, HUH?!" he protested loudly, struggling against the grip of the two men holding him back.

As the argument escalated, the other man firmly asserted, "IF LANA'S OUT THERE, SHE'S PROBABLY ALREADY DEAD. GET A GRIP, LUCAS!" He then landed a punch on the man's face.

As Ophelia made her way out to gather her belongings from their shared room, she couldn't help but overhear a whisper from a girl passing by, 'She's alive...' This brief exchange sparked a glimmer of hope in her heart, but her rational mind reminded her that the chances of survival were slim, especially against the relentless monsters lurking nearby.