Prologue: Coward

The situation looked grim for the trio.

Even if the rats didn't call for reinforcements, they had no chance against even one of them, let alone three.

One of them could act as bait, but how long before the rats caught on?

We might have to turn back… hide somewhere. The authorities must be on their way. I just hope my sister isn't anywhere near this mess. Ash clenched his fists, anxiety twisting in his gut.

"How's it look outside the school? What if more of those things are out there?" Leo whispered, his voice tight with unease.

Ash shifted to get a better view. "Hard to say… I can only see a bit from the entrance."

The school was surrounded by a high wall, except for the car park and student entrance. It was meant for security—to keep unauthorized people out. Now, it was a prison.

Leo exhaled sharply. "We might be better off hiding inside."

Ash sighed. "Yeah… I hate it, but—"

"CHARGE!"

A battle cry split the air before he could finish.

Ash snapped his head around and saw a group of twenty students, along with three teachers, charging toward the entrance.

They wielded makeshift weapons—bats, helmets, and rugby tackle suits. Their faces were a mix of fear and reckless determination.

The rats screeched in response, their sharp claws scraping against the pavement as they turned to face the attackers.

Ash's breath caught. He recognized a few of the students. Even his homeroom teacher was among them. This might be our chance…

Iris and Leo peeked over as well. Leo's eyes gleamed. "We should take this opportunity. They're distracted."

Ash frowned. He didn't like using them as bait—but there wasn't a choice. Even Iris, who usually argued against such tactics, said nothing.

A scream tore through the air.

"Okay, let's go!" Ash hissed. No more hesitation. The three of them sprinted toward the entrance while chaos erupted to their left.

A student was the first to fall, his shoulder crushed in a rat's maw, the rugby suit offering little resistance.

He screamed as blood spurted from the wound. The others swung their bats, but the blows barely left a scratch. Three of the weapons snapped on impact.

"No! AHHH!"

Another student was taken down, their body vanishing under the weight of a lunging rat. The remaining students faltered, fear breaking their momentum.

Ash's group was halfway to the exit now. His heart pounded as the original twenty dwindled to sixteen in mere seconds.

The rat that had first struck pounced again, dragging down another student. Then, from the school building, three more rats charged forward, joining the fray.

"HELP!" A girl fell, her pleading eyes locking onto her teacher—the same man who had encouraged them to fight.

But the teacher didn't look back. He turned and bolted toward the entrance.

The girl's face crumpled in betrayal, her hope snuffed out as a rat's claws slashed through her throat.

The rest of the group broke. They no longer fought—they ran. The plan to kill the rats was abandoned. Survival was all that mattered now.

But the rats weren't merciful. They pounced, dragging their prey down one by one, tearing flesh, crushing bones. Screams filled the air, blending into a cacophony of horror.

"Ash! Help us!"

Ash didn't turn. His teacher's desperate voice rang in his ears, but he kept running. Slowing down meant death.

He'd known from the start that the charge would fail. That was why he hadn't argued when Leo suggested using them as a distraction. But knowing didn't make it easier.

Guilt clawed at him. He was abandoning his classmates. His teacher. People he saw every day, who once scolded him for not paying attention in class. But he wasn't a hero. He couldn't save them.

"I—I can't run anymo—AHHH!"

"PLEASE! NO!"

"Teacher! TEACHER!"

The cries rang behind them, growing fainter as their numbers thinned. From twenty, only four remained—his homeroom teacher and three students, running for their lives.

Ash and his group broke through the entrance, officially leaving the school grounds. But what greeted them outside made them stop short.

The streets were a wasteland of death. Bodies littered the asphalt, torn and twisted. Blood pooled in gutters. Buildings had gaping holes, windows shattered, cars overturned. Smoke rose in the distance.

Then something moved.

Before Ash could react, a blur of grey fur crashed into him, slamming him to the ground. A heavy weight pressed onto his chest, knocking the air from his lungs.

A hyena. But not a normal one.

It loomed over him, taller than any natural beast, its fur matted with blood. A single, jagged horn jutted from its head, its yellow eyes gleaming with hunger.

Ash struggled, but the beast's paw pinned him down. He gasped for breath, panic seizing his body as the creature raised its other paw—ready to crush his skull.

Move! MOVE! But he couldn't.

Then—

A fist slammed into the hyena's head.

Iris.

Her knuckles connected, forcing its head slightly to the side. But her hand trembled from the impact. The beast barely flinched. And Ash was still trapped.

He tried to push its paw off, but it was like a boulder pressing against his ribs.

The hyena turned, snarling at Iris.

She froze.

Leo ran.

"Leo!!!" Ash roared, fury and betrayal burning in his chest as their so-called friend bolted without looking back.

The hyena turned back to Ash, its lips curling into something almost like a grin. Its weight pressed down harder.

Ash gasped, vision blurring at the edges.

He couldn't breathe.

He was going to die.