Chapter 16 Bloody Halloween III

With that devastating sound those who knew this event was more than just a school's anniversary party became alert.

"Aiden should we..." Damien was about to ask but he saw Aiden had already sprung into action.

With a single mighty leap, he burst into motion. In a flash, he was midair before the woman, poised to deliver a finishing blow.

Before he could strike, two of her escorts thrust their arms forward. Their limbs morphed into massive, inhuman forms, seizing Aiden midair and halting his attack.

"DAMIEN GET THEM OUT OF HERE NOWW!" Aiden shouted his voice laced with urgency.

Everything happened so fast the guests couldn't keep up with what was happening, different tones of screams echoed throughout the ballroom as the guests panicked.

Five of the escorts convulsed violently their bones cracking and muscles stretching as their bodies morphed into monstrous forms, their skin tore and reshaped sprouting grotesque limbs and jagged claws their eyes glowing in hunger.

On beholding such ugly sight the screams got even louder, some fainted due to shock.

With immediate response Damien used one of the tables to leap high into the air, with incredible force he launched an ice spear, it moved at relentless speed piercing through one of the monsters heads.

Without hesitation, he leaped again, executing the same move with relentless determination. Meanwhile, one of the monstrous creatures lunged toward a group of helpless humans, its jaws wide open, ready to devour them.

"Shit, it'll kill them before I can—"

Before Damien could finish the thought, a thunderous crash shattered the moment. Dax burst through the glass window, both hands crossed in an X-formation. Time seemed to slow as Damien watched him emerge, his muscular body framed by the glittering shards of glass suspended in the air, reflecting the dim light like frozen stars.

Without hesitation Dax launched his fist forward with incredible speed at the monster, a shockwave formed at the point of impact the creature flew back with relentless force slamming into one of it's kind.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Freya's swords sang through the air severing the monstrous hands that restrained Aiden. The twisted men staggered their eyes widened with shock before collapsing to their knees.

"Thanks" Aiden said.

On looking up he saw the woman had vanished, he didn't have time to bother about her as his plate was already full.

Damien had slowly began evacuating the guests out of the building through the main door, they moved in a huge crowd forcing their way through the small door.

Dax had taken out two of the creatures easily. With that problem taken care of Aiden realized they had to find that woman before she escaped he didn't know where to begin looking for her his eyes scanned through the stampede of guests one after the other but still no luck. 

"Looking for me ?" she called her voice smooth yet daring, as she balanced effortlessly on the rails at the top of the stairs her gaze fixed on him with a confident smirk.

"You've lost, all your pawns have been killed, it's over" Aiden said.

"When I first saw you I thought you were smart you know, especially after listening to the speech you gave that red haired kid I must say I was truly impressed but hearing you know I'm just so disappointed.

Do you think this is the grand finale of tonight ? All this havoc was barely the opening scene, you see we planned way ahead of you guys, you think what you did now made any contributions to help stop what is about to happen ? Pathetic.

A thousand and five hundred people present today and you thought for a second that they're the ones who need protection"

Aiden's eyes rattled trying to figure out what she was trying to pull off.

"Well the plan didn't go fully well, we only got about one thousand three hundred people present to drink the potion only if that useless escort of mine didn't get caught it'd have been complete"

"What potion ?" Aiden asked his curiosity piqued.

"Good question, the ones that turn humans into monsters so keep letting them evacuate the farther they go the more havoc they'll cause when they turn into my beloved pets, the ones who are driving, the ones who are running, the ones who boarded a taxi, the ones who are home already they'll all turn" a heinous smile crept up her face before she bursted into a devious laughter.

"But I can't take all the credit though, without the five of you this brilliant plan of mine wouldn't have –"

Ryder seized the side of her face, his grip firm despite the softness of her skin. His eyes burned with ruthless intensity.

"Die!"He growled his voice raw with power.

From his palm a blazing inferno erupted as it shot straight upward. The fire roared searing through flesh in an instant, when let go her head was a charred, smoldering mass blackened and smoking, slowly her body crumpled to the ground lifeless.

Ryder leaped off the rail as he descended flames erupted beneath him cushioning his landing.

The ballroom had been completely evacuated leaving only the five of them inside.

"What was the old lady yapping about ?" Ryder inquired.

"The whole city is in danger, we didn't do anything we just helped her execute her plan" Aiden said with a sulky face.

The woman whom they taught lifeless slowly got back on her feet, her face charred black a network of crack and blistered flesh stretching across her face.

Her face began healing at unnatural pace the jagged burns and scars mending in places as though the flames had never touched her, and after a few seconds her face was completely healed up returning to her smooth face with lustrous black hair that rolled down her back.

The five of them panicked inwardly seeing the unnatural pace at which he had healed her self.

"You're really strong, for a second there I actually thought you might have killed me, you should have incinerated my whole body then maybe I'd have died" She said mockingly.

She slowly raised both of her hands into the air, her fingers trembling slightly then with a swift, fluid motion, she brought her palms together in a resounding clap. The sharp sound echoed, reverberating across every corner of the ballroom.

****

Outside the ballroom chaos erupted in every direction a handful of guests their face still marked by the remnants of the party's opulence ran frantically their footsteps pounding against the pavement. Some had already disappeared into the night disappearing into the shadows of the city while others scrambled into taxis or rushed into their cars all with the same singular frantic aim to escape.

But it was too late.