Frost-Borns..

"Arghhhh"

"Noo"

Screams echoed throughout the dark cafeteria hall.

Ava's heart pounded as she stepped back from the window. She clearly felt something moving outside through the snow as the sound of crisps followed its steps.

The cafeteria was in chaos now—people pushing, shouting, trying to understand what the hell was happening.

And then suddenly—

CRACK—the window glass behind her also shattered.

Giving Ava barely enough time to flinch, the cold air blasted into the room with a loud WHOOSH, easily stumbling some of the students standing near the window backward.

The cold, bone-chilling frost storm entered the cafeteria as if a giant hole had been broken off in an airplane. Shards of glass rained down while students ducked to shield their heads.

Some shards brushed past Ava's cheek, making a sharp, thin line of blood rain down, but before she could check on it, someone pushed past her.

Ava stumbled backward, colliding into Riley.

"What the hell was that?!" Riley gasped.

Ava couldn't answer. Her wide eyes were locked on the thing outside. Her mind and body seemed to clearly warn her about this lingering presence.

A human figure stood just beyond the broken window. It was a man—or at least, what had once been a man.

His skin was pale, almost translucent, and his veins had turned a deep, eerie blue color. Frost clung to his face and arms, his breath curling in the air like steam.

And his eyes—they were ice-white.

Its body twisted in an unnatural way as it looked at the frightened crowd of students before it.

Ava's stomach dropped, and the only word she could instinctively think of was 'RUN,' 'Run like hell and don't look back.'

She turned to run, but another scream erupted from across the cafeteria. More students were falling, clutching their arms as their fingers turned blue, then black, spreading over their bodies real fast.

"Ahhh, Save me-"

A student entered from one of the broken window screaming as some dark blue colored veins seems to spread out in his body from a wound on his neck.

His half of the body had already turned white, as if the blood has been sucked out form it, and was rapidly changing the other half of his body.

Soon those eerie blue veins ran up to his face, and covered his eyes, a white murky color swept in them, the small vein in his eyes turned blue.. and now his whole face was turning white, with blue veins bulging out from them, his palm however seems black.

Seeing this terror, all the students near him, pushed back, some even climbed up to the furnitures

Suddenly, he collapsed.

Silence etched itself into the room—seemingly for a breath, nothing moved.

Then, with a violent, jerking motion, the student twitched—his back arching unnaturally. And then he rose, a white dust seems to fell from his body whenever it jerked.

Seeing this scene scared the hell out of her soul. Ava took a step back as she whispered, "No. No-no-no."

"What the—" Riley choked out.

The student—or whatever he was now—snapped his head up, his white eyes locking onto the nearest person. His jaw unhinged, a guttural, ice-cracking SCREECH ripping from his throat.

Then he lunged, like a hyena, onto the nearest student. The cafeteria exploded into chaos.

Ava grabbed Riley's wrist and bolted. The cafeteria had turned into a stampede—students pushing, scrambling over each other, chairs and trays crashing to the ground.

More of similar creatures were charging inside from the broke windows, lunging and tearing of the muscles of anyone they got grip on, and sucking onto the blood that gushes out.

Soon the first student that was attack, stood up in same manner and started to attack those who were still fine, as if they could instinctively smell them.

Ava's breath hitched, her whole body trembled from just the sight of it.

She grabbed riley's hand and rushed with her toward the side door. But just as they reached it—

SLAM

A table crashed in front of them, blocking the exit.

"Shit!" Ava spun around, her pulse racing. "This way!" She turned back toward the main doors.

But just when she was about to run toward it, she froze.

That eerie thing—the one that had come through the window behind Ava—was right there, standing and glaring directly at her.

Ava's blood turned to ice.

The thing tilted its head, like it was studying her. Then, slowly and deliberately, it stepped forward.

The temperature around her plummeted. Chills ran down her spine as goosebumps started to race through her whole body.

As if her body was instinctively telling her that she was going to die.

Her lungs burned from the cold as air left them, her breath coming out in ragged, misty gasps, and her legs wouldn't move.

The creature looked straight at Ava, its eyes glaring, fixed on hers, and slowly raised its hand.

Its fingers cracked, bending unnaturally, and slowly reached for her throat.

Not a single voice came out of her mouth.

Ava couldn't even scream.

The Frostborn's fingers reached onto her neck, creeping as they slowly gripped tight, strangling Ava. Its fingernails dug into her skin as if they would just tear it any minute.

"Get down!"

Suddenly, a familiar sound rang through Ava's ears.

Something crashed into her—or more so, it seemed like she got swept along with something crashing onto the Frostborn.

The world spun as she hit the ground, but a warm shadow covered her.

Though there was a blur of movement, the sound of something slamming against the cafeteria tables was clear.

Ava slowly opened her eyes as she gasped, trying to regain her breath. She felt ease around her neck as it got released from the Frostborn's grip, and it was gone.

Though the world still seemed blurry, Ava tried to stand up, her hands gripping onto something solid—

The sight left her in shock.

The warm shadow was Liam's.

He was covering her with his body.

Ava could barely process anything past this warm shock. His body was hot, unlike the chilling atmosphere, his skin flushed from buffed muscles that could easily make most girls faint from just the sight of them.

Her heart hammered like crazy. Liam was just too close to her.

He grabbed her wrist and yanked her up. "We have to go. Now."

Still dazed, Ava let him pull her to her feet. She barely had time to register Riley screaming behind them—

This was the first time in the past 6 years, Liam had ever spoke to her.

He dragged her with him into the hallway, but it was worse than the cafeteria.

Students were screaming, running in every direction. Some had already collapsed, shivering violently as their bodies began to turn blue—and then blackish.

They jumped over the bodies and the mess spread over the corridor. While doing so, Ava tripped, but Liam caught her, his grip remaining tight and steady over her.

At a sharp turn, they saw a group of students rushing out of the class, followed by the same frost-like creatures. One of the boys, who was running without looking back, toppled over the railing and fell to the floor below.

While another girl barely stopped at the railing, before she could do anything, the Frostborn lunged at her, sinking its black frost-like teeth into her neck, sucking her blood out.

Just when Ava and Liam noticed this scene, they immediately changed their direction to the other side, Liam still firmly holding her.

He didn't let go.

"Where—where are we going?" Ava said, gasping and flustered.

"The gym," Liam said, determined. "We can barricade it."

Ava didn't argue. She didn't even think of doing so. She could barely think past the terror clawing at her throat.

Soon, they rounded a corner, and Liam was just about to collide with someone, but Ava pulled him back.

"Mia?" Liam asked, a mix of shock and relief in his voice.

Her face was pale, her arms wrapped around herself for warmth, but she didn't seem injured. "Liam!" she gasped, eyes wide. "Thank—thank God!"

Her gaze went upto Liam holding Ava's hand, something cold flashed in them and just a second later, her legs buckled beneath her as her knees gave out.

"I—I can't run anymore," Mia said, gasping for air.

"Come on, we have to keep moving." Liam barely hesitated as he urged her forward.

Mia tried to get up, but her lower body seemed to be devoid of any strength, her legs buckling again.

But before she could fell, liam left Ava's hand, and caught her instantly.

Seeing this Ava's heart trembled, it was as if someone had backstabbed her again, her eyes became red and wet again and she took a few steps back from liam.

"Mia, get up. You can do this." He said

Mia whimpered, shaking her head. "I—I don't think I can."

But they need to run, they were being chased, the frostborns were getting close at every second that past.

Clenching his teeth, Liam bent down, grabbing Mia and pulling her up. "Hold onto me," he ordered mia, and with another hand he grabbed Ava's hand.

But Ava yanked it back, "I can run on my own, I don't need your support" She said coldly, maintaining a few steps distance from him.

Liam's gaze flickered over Ava, but the screech of Frostborns quickly drew his attention. Without hesitation or a second thought, he turned away.

Then, they ran straight toward the gym.