The Gym is not safe

They were running for a while now, though the distance to the gym was more or less straight to the gym, but they had to take detor many times.

There were instance, where they barely avoided those White creatures' attention, but this was taking a toll on them, especially Liam, he was running while supporting Mia. 

Though Ava was able to hold on her own, but she wasn't athletic hence her stamina wasn't as good as Liam's

Her lungs burned with the lack of air. They had been running without even looking back for a second, jumping over the bodies and sliding over to corners.

Many of the Frostborns who were within the classrooms launched onto them the second they saw Ava and her group passing through the corridor.

But Liam handled it all swiftly, pulling Mia close whenever he sensed danger. Though there were times he instinctively tried to help Ava too, she always pulled away with a cold look in her eyes. And so, bitterly, Liam would withdraw his hand.

Ava's boots slammed against the icy tiles as she also dodged any of the attacks of the Frostborns lunging over her. Many times, she would lag behind a little, due to the lack of stamina and shortage of breath in her lungs, but she always would try to regain strength and keep running

They were just rushing, dodging, and then running back again towards the gym. Behind them, the guttural screeches of the Frostborns echoed through the hallways.

"We aren't losing them," Ava said, risking a glance over her shoulder.

"Shit." At least four of them were right at their backs—chasing them with their jerky and quick movements, which almost felt like they were just gliding over the frost-covered floor.

'How—How could they move like that? How could anybody?' Ava thought, really scared and frightened, her body trembling just at the sight of them.

Suddenly, A creepy and soul chilling breath rang too close to her ear, just when she was turning to a corner, one of the creature came from the classroom just beside her. She barely dodged it as she heard it's eerie, creepy breath, with murky white clouds coming from its mouth.

 Ava was startled, slid, and tripped over, as Liam instinctively looked back at Ava, But he wasn't able to dodge a corpse over the floor in front of him, he stumbled falling together with Mia.

The Frostborn soon turned back to Ava, its hollow, white, murky eyes locked straight onto her.

Ava immediately knew that she need to run, there was dread in her eyes, she once again gathered everybit of her strength and tried to stood up, but he leg slipped over the slippery frost onto the floor, and she stumbled again.

But it was too late, the frostborn was already too close to her, its crackling, frozen mouth gaping wide open, its white transparent teeths submerged in a dark blue liquid, which was doorling down from it.

Ava closed her eyes, she doesn't knew what to do, her mind forze up, and her body got loose like a doll without string, but just when it was about to bite a chunk of her neck.

Slam

Liam picked up the chair lying nearby and slammed it onto the frostborns head, it went sliding back and its head with a loud bam hit the wall, splattering up like a walnut

"Ava!" Liam shouted as he grabbed her and, supporting her up quickly, running straight back to Mia.

"Run!" He shouted looking at Mia.

Mia though now able to gather some strength in her legs, she also stood up quickly and began to run.

"Hurry!" He looked back a second clearly seeing more frostborn closely following them behind.

But Mia's speed was slow, although Liam was supporting Ava this time, their speed was faster then Mia.

Ava didn't totally depend on Liam, she knew that she can't, though the close to death encounter have left her body in shambles, she still mainlined the sliver of determination in her mind.

"Mia—" He again lunged at Mia's hand, pulling her with him.

"Don't shout" Ava said, softly, her face was clearly pale, but she does seems organised somehow.

"I think they are attracted to sound" She added.

And after thinking a bit, liam nodded, and didn't spoke louder again.

Ava's skin slowly regained its color, her body grained its strength and now she slowly stabilized back to normal.

There is this warmth in her body that helped her regain her composure, It came from her right hand, that was held by Liam.

Ava smiled a little, as she looked at Liam holding her hand, this scene seems too precious to her.

'How good it would have been if the world would just stop as it is now' She thought, Never in her life had she thought that she would be holding hands with Liam again after six years,

But the world was too cruel, and Ava knew it, she doesn't want to be a burden on him, although she was filled with resentment towards Liam, but she never would want to be someone who would pull him back down with her.

Ava slowly fred her hand from Liam's grip, Liam looked back at her, but she dodged it saying, "They are getting faster" 

With bitterness and a silver of regret in his eyes, Liam nodded, not trying to say anything.

They ran straight to another hallway, but Mia had started to lose it. It was getting harder as she began to slow down more.

"Keep up! It's just around the corner!" Liam said softly to both of them.

They rounded another corner. He barely slowed down, shoving open the double doors to the gym, he supported both of them, and pulling them back into the gym,

Ava stumbled inside, her legs shaking. The moment they were through, Liam slammed the doors shut, throwing his weight against them.

"Help me!" he pressed more unto the gates as Frostborns, one after another, lunged over to the gate to force it open.

Ava snapped out of it again, rushing to press her shoulder against the door, while Mia had given up and fainted the second she got into the gym.

"Mia, get something to block the door!" Ava yelled, not knowing that Mia had already fainted. She glanced back, noticing Mia lying on the floor.

"Ugh." She darted her eyes through the gym. "The bleachers—perfect."

"Move on three," she gasped. "I'll pull the bleachers down."

Liam nodded, his breath coming fast.

"One—two—THREE!"

Ava jumped back, sprinting to the side and yanking the lever. With a screech of metal, the retractable bleachers came crashing forward, slamming against the gym doors.

The Frostborn pounded against them from the other side. The doors rattled, Liam and Ava hoping it wouldn't get breached. And thankfully, the bleachers held. For now.

Silence settled.

Ava didn't realize how hard she was breathing until the sound of it filled the space. Her entire body ached.

Liam bent forward, hands on his knees, and Mia had already slumped to the floor, shaking.

For a moment, no one spoke.

Then—

"Thank god" Mia said, speaking in a faint voice, with short bursts of breath.

Ava looked at her, her eyes seems cold, there was something about Mia that she never understand, to her Mia doesn't seems to what she shows, but she chose to ignore it for now.

The first thing she needed to think about was herself, she was shaking, she tried to stop it but her body refused to cooperate. The cold was seeping in, making her body more vulnerable.

Her arms wrapped around herself as she sat near the wall, her breath coming out in visible puffs. The cold was sweeping indoors.

Liam glanced over at her, frowning.

She looked away. The last thing she needed was for Liam to see her weak.

But a few seconds later, something warm and heavy dropped over her shoulders.

Ava blinked.

Liam had shrugged off his jacket and draped it over her.

She turned her head sharply toward him. "What are you—?"

"You're freezing," Liam muttered, his voice softer now. "Just take it."

Ava opened her mouth to argue but chose to swallow the words back. He was already pulling his sweatshirt sleeves down, clearly not taking it back.

She hesitated a bit, then wrapped the jacket tighter around herself. It was warm. It smelled like him.

Her ears flushed red as her heart began to beat even faster and louder than before, flustering her even more.

 She placed her face onto her arms, her arms on her knees, clearly hiding her blushing face. She really hoped he didn't notice how fast her heart was beating.

Time went by, and nobody spoke. Mia was clearly looking at her coldly, her gaze seems piercing through her, but still, she doesn't say anything.

Ava wasn't sure how long they sat there. The gym was eerily quiet except for their breathing.

Liam was next to her, his knee barely an inch from hers. The warmth of his body cut through the cold, reaching straight to Ava's.

Ava felt herself unknowingly relaxing into this soft warmth.

But then—she felt a sharp tug.

Mia had grabbed Liam's arm, pulling him toward her.

"Liam," she whispered, her voice small but insistent. "Are you okay?"

Liam's posture stiffened, but he didn't pull away.

Ava swallowed. Her throat suddenly felt dry while Mia glared back at the jacket around Ava's shoulders.

Noticing Mia's gaze, Ava clung even tighter to Liam's jacket, clearly igniting Mia's fumes.

But still, seeing Liam and Mia so close to each other, Ava's stomach twisted.

'It's just the cold,' she reassured herself. 'That's only why my chest feels tight.'

Her fist clenched onto the jacket as she suddenly wanted to throw it back at Liam and storm off.

But she didn't. Instead, she pressed her lips together and looked away.

'His own girlfriend is shivering. Why did he give his jacket to me?' she thought.

'And if he did give it to me, why is he being so touchy with her in front of me?'

Her mind had started to filled with such questions, as she start to dart her eyes around the gym.

The gym felt too big. Even with the barricaded door, the air was thick with tension.

"Okay," Liam exhaled, pushing himself up. His voice had that calm and commanding tone that made people listen. "We need to figure out what we're doing next-"

But suddenly, a sharp clatter interrupted her.

They all froze.

Ava's pulse spiked high.

Someone was in the gym with them.

She barely had time to register movement before a group of shadows stepped out of the darkness.

Five of them.