The Archons' Influence

A wet, sickening crunch echoed through the silent Grand Hall.

Flesh tore.

Blood sprayed in an arc, splattering across the polished floor.

The attacked student let out a gurgled scream, his eyes wide with terror as he reached for help, blood bubbling at his lips. His trembling hands pushed weakly against the creature, but it only latched on harder—teeth sinking deeper, tearing, chewing.

For a single heartbeat, the entire hall stood paralyzed in horror.

Then, a nearby student finally broke, her scream ripping through the silence—raw, desperate—frozen in fear.

And then there was panic.

Screams erupted as students bolted in every direction.

"Run!" Ava's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and urgent.

Some shoved past their peers, others tripped and fell, only to be dragged down by the monstrous figures surging forward.

The frozen student barely had time to react before another creature lunged at her, its teeth sinking deep into her throat.

She choked, hands clawing weakly at the air. But within moments, her cries faded into a sickening gurgle as she was dragged down, torn apart amidst the madness.

More of the creatures emerged from the entrance, their hollow eyes gleaming with unnatural hunger. Their skin hung in loose, decayed sheets, revealing sinew and bone beneath. Their mouths—stained dark with blood.

The mad student who had summoned the undead let out a chilling, unnatural laugh.

A professor, sweat beading on his forehead, raised his hand and began weaving a spell to close the doors, his voice steady despite the terror in his eyes.

But before the spell could take hold, with a single flick of his wrist, a violent wind destroyed the doors to pieces. The mad student's laughter grew louder

"You think you can shut them out?" he sneered in a guttural voice. It sounded like a deep and rumbling voice that did not came from a human throat. "No one leaves until they've had their fill."

A girl stumbled, slipping on the growing pool of blood, and before she could crawl away, hands clawed into her legs, yanking her back into the writhing mass of the undead.

Panic turned to primal terror. The air reeked of copper and decay. The Grand Hall was no longer a place of celebration.

It was a slaughterhouse.

The Headmistress's voice rang out over the chaos. "Professors, protect the students! Is there a cleric or a priest among you? Anyone?!"

No one could even register her words—everyone was too busy screaming, shoving, and scrambling toward the back door.

The Grand Hall erupted into chaos. Bodies collided, chairs toppled, and desperate footsteps thundered against the marble floor.

"Don't panic!" a professor commanded, stepping in front of a group of terrified students. "Don't scatter!"

His staff flared with light, and an earth barrier rose between them and the advancing creatures. But before relief could set in, the mad student at the entrance flicked his finger—mana surging violently.

The barrier shattered instantly. Jagged debris blasted backward, striking students and sending them crashing to the ground with pained cries.

The professor, caught in the shockwave, collapsed unconscious.

A shriek cut through the air as a student tripped, falling dangerously close to the grasping hands of an undead.

Professor Schafer reacted instantly, his staff glowing as he slammed it against the marble floor.

A burst of force sent the creature reeling back, giving another professor just enough time to pull the student to safety.

"This is a mess." Professor Schafer said.

Another professor swung his staff in an arc, fire erupting from its tip and forming a blazing wall between the students and the creatures. "Move! Use the back exit!" he shouted. "Don't stop for anything!"

But before his flames could spread, a powerful gust of wind roared through the hall, snuffing them out instantly.

"He's countering all our spells!" the professor shouted, his voice laced with frustration.

An undead lurched forward, yanking him by the arm and sinking its rotting teeth into his ribs. A bloodcurdling scream tore from his throat as he crumpled to the ground.

Near the stage, another professor raised both hands, his voice low and steady as he chanted under his breath, weaving a desperate spell.

The ground near the entrance suddenly shifted, the once-solid marble warping and sinking into itself. In mere seconds, it became a pit of writhing quicksand, swallowing the feet of the advancing undead.

Their sluggish movements became even more strained as they struggled against the sinking ground, their rotting limbs clawing desperately at the air.

Some managed to pull themselves forward, but their progress was agonizingly slow, giving the students and professors precious moments to regroup.

"Keep moving!" a professor shouted, using the opportunity to push more students toward the back exit.

The undead groaned and thrashed, their decayed limbs clawing desperately at the sinking ground.

But even as the quicksand swallowed some whole, the others did not stop. Instead, they clambered over the bodies of their fallen, using them as a grotesque bridge to crawl forward.

Limbs snapped under the weight, torsos crushed into the sand, but the horde kept coming relentlessly. Their eyes fixed hungrily on the living.

"Damn it!" a professor cursed.

The Headmistress clenched her jaw, her gaze scanning the chaos. If no one could purify the creatures, they had no choice but to hold the line.

"Professors, form a perimeter! Make way for the students to escape."

One by one, the faculty stepped forward, their staff illuminating the dim hall. Barriers of different elements shimmered, flames roared, gusts of wind sent corpses flying, but for every creature that fell, another took its place.

"Go!" a professor roared as he deflected a lunging corpse. "Run while you still can and don't look back!"

A professor swung his staff, sending a spear of stone through the chest of one of the shambling corpses. It staggered back—but didn't fall.

Another professor launched a bolt of fire, engulfing an undead in flames, but the thing kept moving, its charred hands still reaching for the nearest student.

"They won't die!" a professor shouted in horror as a corpse with a gaping stomach lunged at him.

One of the creatures had already lost an arm, another had gaping wounds that should've killed them twice over—yet they kept coming, undeterred.

"THE HEAD!" Professor Schafer's voice boomed over the chaos. "DESTROY THE HEAD!"

His staff cracked against the skull of an approaching corpse. There was a sickening crunch, and the creature collapsed instantly, its body twitching before going still.

"How did you know, professor?"

Realization spread among the faculty.

A professor transformed his staff into a greatsword and swung with all his strength, severing a corpse's head from its shoulders. It collapsed.

Another professor formed a blade of water drove it straight through a creature's skull, the water bursting outward as the monster crumpled to the floor.

"Go for the head!" another professor bellowed. "That's the only way to kill them!"

But the creatures were relentless, and the students weren't moving fast enough.

"MOVE!" the Headmistress roared, casting a wave of fire that blocked a corpse from reaching a frozen student. "RUN THROUGH THE BACK EXIT—NOW!"

A commanding voice cut through the chaos.

"Valdoris Archeon, with me!" Alaric stepped forward, his blade gleaming under the dim light.

"Be careful!" The Headmistress called him out but he didn't listen.

Without hesitation, the Valdoris followed, forming a line between the professors and the undead, cutting down the advancing corpses with swift, calculated strikes to the head.

"Keep your formations tight!" Alaric barked. "Do not let them break through!"

Beside them, Caelum and the Cressarion Archeon moved in unison.

Blades of fire, water, wind, and earth tore through the advancing undead, cutting them down with precision. Simultaneously, shimmering elemental barriers surged, shielding the fleeing students from falling debris and stray attacks.

Every movement was calculated—offense and defense perfectly balanced as they fought to hold the line.

"Watch the flanks! Protect the injured!" Caelum commanded, his eyes sharp with focus.

His Archeons moved through the chaos, defending those too weak or afraid to move.

"Professors, we need you to conserve your mana for now!" Caelum called out, his voice steady amidst the panic. "We'll take turns holding the front. We'll give you a signal once our stamina runs low."

The professors exchanged brief glances before nodding in agreement.

Though they stepped back, they remained vigilant, ready to intervene at a moment's notice. They focused on supporting the Valdoris and Cressarion Archeons where needed.

Meanwhile, Evelyne and the Erynior Archeon took charge of the retreating students.

"Stay together! Do not break formation!" Evelyne called out, her voice steady despite the surrounding horror. She moved swiftly, guiding the terrified students through the safest route while providing insight on where to move.

Her group acted as a barrier, preventing panic from turning into a stampede. "No one gets left behind!" she assured them. "We will get through this—keep moving!"

Among the chaos, one figure remained seated.

At one of the untouched tables, Krieran leaned back in his chair, a smirk stretching across his face as he watched the carnage unfold like a spectator at a play.

"Tch." He exhaled through his nose before waving a hand dismissively. "Solvian Archeon, scram. No point dying here." His voice was laced with amusement.

The Solvian Archeon hesitated, glancing at each other uncertainly before some reluctantly began retreating.

The other Archons turned toward him, their expressions darkening.

"You're abandoning everyone?" Evelyne snapped.

Krieran only chuckled, resting his chin on his palm. "Oh please, the weak will always be weeded out. I'm just saving my people from a pointless struggle."

Alaric's grip on his sword tightened, but now wasn't the time to argue. The undead kept coming, and the Archons had a battle to fight.

"Forget him," Caelum muttered, turning away. "The Professor needs us."