The Bullied's Waltz

A gust of unnatural wind surged through the hall, splitting the grand doors wide open. It howled through the hall, snuffing out half of the floating chandeliers in an instant.

Students shrieked as the light dimmed followed by a sudden from or temperature.

The darkness swallowed the Grand Hall, and the orchestra stopped playing abruptly. The once-charming waltz dissolved into uneasy murmurs through the students.

"What just happened?"

"It's so cold."

"Did the lights fail?"

"No way. The Academy's enchantments never malfunction."

"Then what—?"

"Shh! Do you hear that?"

"The music stopped. It's too quiet… This isn't normal."

"Tch, don't tell me this is part of the ceremony."

"If it is, they could've warned us first!"

"I swear, if something jumps out—"

The tension thickened, breaths held, as everyone waited for what would happen next.

A student near the front finally turned toward the professors' table, expecting them to be casting spells to fix whatever was happening—or at the very least, to have anticipated it.

But instead of displaying calm authority, she found them standing—tense and alert, their eyes scanning the hall warily. Some murmured among themselves, while others subtly moved their hands, readying their staves just in case.

She swallowed. "Why do the professors look… unsure?"

More students followed her gaze.

"They're not fixing it?"

"Are they—confused?"

"No, that can't be right. The professors should know what's happening."

"This isn't part of the event, is it?"

Then, from the center of the table, the Headmistress finally raised a hand.

"Stay calm." Her steady voice cut through the cold wind. "Kindly go back and remain in your seats."

The students followed.

The professors exchanged glances, still uncertain. Some spread out, scanning the corners of the hall.

A heavy silence followed.

In one corner, Ava's hands trembled as she gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles turning white.

She needed to stay calm, but she already knew what was about to unfold tonight.

She forgot something important that'll happen tonight.

Ava pushed her chair back, the screech of wood against marble cutting through the whispers.

"We need to leave—" she said, her voice firm but thin, barely masking the edge of urgency in her tone. She stood, smoothing her hands down her skirt like it would help the tremor in them. "—Through the back door. Now."

No one moved.

Some students gave her a confused glance. Others barely acknowledged her, still caught in their murmurs, debating whether this was all part of the event.

Ava's lips pressed into a thin line.

She turned to the closest student, gripping their sleeve—too tight, too desperate. "Get up," she whispered.

They flinched. "Ava…?"

Her nails dug into the fabric. "Please, we need to go, now."

The student hesitated, glancing around the room.

The professors stood rigid.

Ava let go, rubbing her arms as if she were cold.

It isn't working.

Ava's breath came quick and shallow as her fingers trembled.

"Everyone! We need to leave—use the back door!" Her voice became a bit tense than earlier as it cut through the murmurs.

Some students glanced at her in disbelief but they couldn't hide the fact that they started to panic a little.

Ava's hands clenched into fists. "I'm serious! We need to get out of here—now!"

A few students shifted uncomfortably, sensing the panic in her tone, but before they could react, a firm voice cut through the air.

"Miss Ava," one of the professors said, stepping forward, his expression composed but stern. "Calm yourself. There is no need to incite panic."

Ava whipped around, her eyes wide. "Are you serious? Something is wrong! We need to leave before—"

"Enough." Another professor raised a hand, his sharp gaze pinning her in place. "We will assess the situation. Until then, no student is to leave without instruction."

Ava's chest tightened. She turned back to the students, her eyes pleading. "Please, listen to me—"

"Miss Ava." This time, it was the Headmistress herself, her voice cool and unwavering. "I understand your concern, but I must ask you to remain in your seat."

Ava froze, her heart pounding. She knew this wasn't just a simple disruption. But with the professors standing firm, with their calm expressions keeping the students from spiraling into fear—she couldn't push it further.

Austin who's near the entrance watched Ava. Her desperation was obvious—her hands clenched, her shoulders tense, her voice growing hoarse as she pleaded with the students to leave.

Austin narrowed his eyes. The mana in the air felt wrong. It wasn't just an ordinary fluctuation—it was thick and suffocating.

He inhaled sharply and activated Mana Sense.

The moment he did, his vision shifted. The world around him dimmed, colors bleeding into a hazy blur as his senses stretched beyond the physical.

And that's when he felt it.

A dark and ominous energy.

It clung to the Grand Hall through the entrance like a heavy fog, coiling through the air, wrapping around the students and professors without them even realizing it.

His pulse quickened.

This wasn't just some disturbance. Something—or someone—had already taken hold of the entire place.

He exhaled slowly, then took a step forward. "Everyone, get to the back door," he said. "Now."

The Headmistress turned to him. Her expression is asking for an explaination.

Some students stared, startled by his sudden command. A few hesitated, unsure whether to take his words seriously. But before the tension could shift, Aidan scoffed loudly, stepping into the center of attention.

"Look at this," Aidan sneered, crossing his arms. "The 'Saintling' suddenly giving orders. How cute." He let out a laugh, turning to the crowd.

A few students chuckled nervously, nodding in agreement.

Austin didn't flinch. His gaze stayed steady. "If you really believe that, then use Mana Sense. Now!" He wasn't speaking to Aidan—his eyes were on the Headmistress.

The Headmistress did as he said. The moment she did, panic flickered across her once-calm expression.

Upon seeing this, the professors followed suit, their own Mana Sense activating in unison.

Aidan opened his mouth to reply—but then he noticed it.

The professors, who had been standing in quiet observation, were no longer at ease. Their brows furrowed. Hands tensed at their sides. Their eyes flickered toward the far end of the grand hall entrance.

"Okay—up we go everyone." The first student who agreed to escape through the back door was Alaric, the Valdoris' Archon.

Other students started to question the situation.

"What's going on?"

"Can anyone please explain?"

One of the senior professors narrowed his eyes. "Students," he said carefully, his voice lowering, "we have no time to ask questions. Quickly, follow us through the back door. Now."

Murmurs erupted, a ripple of unease spreading through the crowd as students hesitantly rose from their seats, inching toward the back door.

Ava, seeing her chance, stepped in to help, reaching out to usher some of the other students forward. But the moment her fingers brushed their sleeves, they flinched away.

"Don't touch me!" one student snapped, shrinking back.

Another muttered, "Why is she acting so weird?"

And then, he appeared.

A lone student from outside stepped inside, his movements slow as he stopped at the entrance. His disheveled uniform and wild, unfocused eyes betrayed the turmoil within him.

Mana crackled around his form—unstable, violent, seething with unrestrained energy. His breaths came in ragged gasps, each one laced with resentment.

"Y-you all..." His voice wavered, but the fury beneath it was unmistakable. "You look so... happy. So untouched."

The whispers in the crowd grew louder.

"Wait, isn't that—"

"That fourth-year? The one who—"

"He was supposed to be expelled!"

From the crowd, Alaric narrowed his eyes. He recognized the student.

A fourth-year Scholar who had been the target of relentless bullying, mocked for his lack of talent despite his noble lineage.

Once youthful and radiant, his face now showed deep lines, his eyes dull and weary. His hair hung in uneven strands, and his once-pristine clothes were now wrinkled.

"Tonight, I make my own mark." His voice trembled, but the twisted smile on his face was full of resolve

The unstable mana around him surged outward, lashing out in invisible waves.

The wooden floor beneath him cracked, the chandeliers above groaned, and the very air shook.

"Let's see how perfect your lives remain... after I tear this place apart!"

With a sweep of his arm, a wave of violent wind erupted from his body, shattering glass and sending a forceful gust through the grand hall.

Everyone flinched.

"O tenebrarum dominator, ex umbris antiquissimis te voco..." He started his unknown chant as his eyes turned completely black.

The air grew cold. A chilling stillness settled over the Grand Hall as the uninvited guest continued his chant.

The professors' composure finally cracked.

"Listen everyone, escape through the back door! Now!"

"Students! Listen carefully!—"

Panic surfaced in their voices as they yelled for everyone to escape.

Panic started to spread among the students. Whispers turned to frantic murmurs when someone pointed toward the entrance.

"What's that?"

"...Audi preces meas et responde mihi.

Per sanguinem et verbum, vincula rumpantur..."

A human figure had stepped inside. The dim lighting made it hard to see, but something was wrong with its movement. it's an unnatural, jerking gait.

"...Revela te, spiritus abscondite, et ostende potentiam tuam..."

Then another appeared. And another.

"...Venias nunc, sicut pactum decretum est, et imple votum meum..."

"Are they… guests?" someone asked, their voice uneasy.

"...Fiat voluntas mea per flammas aeternas."

"EVERYONE, RUN!" Professor Fuchs' desperate shout ripped through the air.

But it was too late.

One of the figures lunged toward a nearby student, its ragged nails digging into a student's shoulders before its rotting jaws clamped down on his throat.