8

**Chapter 9: The Dawn of Hunger**

Dawn brought with it the cold touch of fear as the first rays of sun caressed the imposing towers of the XCO School of Magic. The usual peace of dawn was shattered by piercing screams that broke the silence of the campus. Horror had taken shape in Leandro's zombie, who, driven by a necromantic hunger, turned against the innocents of the academy.

The students, previously enjoying the first peaceful hours of the day, suddenly find themselves face to face with a living nightmare. The creature, which Pietra had summoned under Ogram's command, retained Leandro's features, but his gestures were grotesque, his movements a distorted reflection of the vital energy that had once filled him.

Caius and Evaline, alerted by the impending chaos, rushed to the grounds, where the unthinkable confrontation was taking place. Caius, with his rune-bedecked staff, conducted a wave of power while Evaline chanted binding spells. But the monster before them was driven by a primal force that did not respond to logic or fear.

The desperate clash was tumultuous and brutal. The creature, a vessel of fel magic, claimed victims – students who had crossed its path, imbued with a fatal curiosity. Each zombie attack spread chaos, causing blood to stain the school's soil and bringing a definitive end to the promising lives that had barely begun to blossom.

As the fight unfolded, Ogram watched from a safe distance, his face a mask of cold contemplation. The escalating chaos served him well, fueling the distraction he had planned, but the death of the students flooded even his hardened heart with a wave of shock and hesitation. The creature's insatiable hunger had exceeded his expectations and intentions.

Pietra, beside her, was paralyzed by doubt and dread of what she had helped to trigger. "What have we done?" she whispered, her voice almost drowned out by the roar of the commotion. "This...this is wrong, Ogram!"

"Necessary," Ogram corrected sternly, though inside remorse began to eat away at his carefully cultivated plan. "It's a turn in the game, a move for our ultimate benefit."

Finally, after a confrontation that seemed eternal to those involved, Caius and Evaline overcame their fear and managed to subdue the parody of life that was manifesting itself in Leandro. Armed with combined power, they shut down the unholy energy that animated the body, trapping it in a web of curses that silenced the hunger and brought an end to the threat.

The sun, now fully emerged, bathed the school in clear light, revealing the truth of what had occurred on that fateful dawn. Grieving students gathered together, seeking comfort in each other's presence, while Caius and Evaline leaned over the listless heap of Leandro, vowing to discover the reason behind the abomination they had witnessed.

The dawn of hunger gave way to a day of mourning and investigation. The XCO School of Magic turned into a place where fear overcame the fascination with magic, where sighs of doubt and insecurity reverberated in the hearts of everyone – except one, who was already plotting his next move in the match that was about to die.

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With the situation becoming even more serious, the next chapter will take us deeper into the search for justice and the consequences of Ogram's actions. How far will Ogram's thirst for power take him, and how will Pietra deal with the weight of his involuntary participation? These are questions that will shape the characters' future journeys. If you want to continue with the narrative or add changes, I am available to continue this saga.