Chapter 56 Disrupted energy.

Chapter 56: Chapter 56 Disrupted energy.

Everyone around them scampered for safety, but they quickly realized that outside wasn’t even an option. Stepping out of the lodge was nothing short of a death sentence. The creatures were everywhere, and whatever lurked beyond those walls was far worse than whatever waited inside.

In the sitting room, Noah stood behind the four Alphas as they faced the entrance, daring whatever was waiting outside to make the first move. Rose and Lamia joined them, fear written plainly across their faces as they stared at the doorway in horror.

"What we are dealing with is beyond anything we’ve ever seen. We aren’t learning enough, and I don’t know if you guys are noticing it, but one more day in this school..." Damian paused, swallowing hard. "...I can assure you we’re all going to die."

Before anyone could respond, one of the monsters suddenly lunged through the doorway like a mindless beast. It barely crossed the threshold before Sylvia flicked her fingers. A pillar of crimson fire swallowed it whole, reducing it to scorched flesh within seconds.

At the corner of the room, Sylvia walked forward with slow, elegant steps as though she were making a grand entrance instead of surviving a massacre.

Noah resisted the urge to roll his eyes.

Seriously?

People were dying, and she still found time to be dramatic.

"Really, Sylvia? We aren’t in a beauty pageant, so cut that out," Marcus shouted.

Ignoring him completely, Sylvia kept her gaze fixed on the entrance.

Noah returned his attention to the monsters gathered outside.

They still hadn’t moved.

"Okay... this isn’t normal. Why aren’t they coming inside?" Killian asked, standing protectively in front of Noah once again.

Noah bit back his annoyance.

He wasn’t some fragile porcelain doll.

Every single time danger appeared, they instinctively shielded him as though he couldn’t defend himself.

"When does anyone actually let me fight?" he muttered under his breath.

"Doesn’t it look like..." Lamia narrowed his eyes. "...they’re waiting for someone’s permission? Or maybe someone stronger than them?"

The room fell silent.

Noah’s thoughts immediately drifted toward Philip.

Could he really be controlling every single one of those creatures?

As impossible as it sounded...

It wasn’t entirely impossible anymore.

"Is there another route we can use to get everyone else out?" Eugene asked.

Killian glanced around the lodge. Since it belonged to his family, he knew every hidden passage.

"The only other way is the attic."

Everyone looked at him.

"There’s an emergency escape room beneath it that leads outside. The problem is..." his voice hardened, "...if whoever is behind this already knows about it, they’ll simply wait for us there. We’d be walking straight into a trap."

"That’s dangerous," Marcus muttered.

"It could get everyone killed."

Noah shrugged.

"So can standing here."

Every eye turned toward him.

"We’re literally waiting for whatever their leader is. Staying here is just another way of dying."

No one argued.

Moving forward was dangerous.

Remaining inside was even worse.

Trying the attic could easily become their graves.

None of the choices offered hope.

"I told everyone we shouldn’t have held this stupid party," Lamia complained, folding his arms. "But no one ever listens to the omega."

Damian instantly frowned.

"Oh, don’t start acting innocent. We were all enjoying ourselves."

Lamia scoffed.

"You especially looked like you were having the time of your life."

Damian folded his arms.

"And you? Don’t pretend to be some monk. I saw you dancing too, so don’t be a hypocrite."

Their glaring contest instantly heated the room.

Noah sighed.

Seriously?

This was the time they chose to argue?

"One of them moved."

His warning immediately snapped everyone’s attention back toward the entrance.

The monsters had shifted.

Slowly.

Deliberately.

Noah frowned.

"Don’t tell me I’m the only one who noticed that despite all of you standing at the front."

Killian was about to answer when one of the creatures suddenly let out a guttural hiss that sounded disturbingly similar to a basilisk before launching itself forward.

Damian reacted instantly.

His eyes glowed.

With nothing more than a snap of his fingers, invisible force gripped the creature.

Its body twisted violently.

Bones cracked.

Limbs bent in impossible directions.

The monster jerked uncontrollably before exploding into a gruesome pool of blood.

Noah immediately pinched his nose.

"Yep... they definitely don’t bathe."

His face twisted in disgust.

"That smell is absolutely horrible."

Judging from everyone’s expressions, he wasn’t the only one suffering.

Then it happened.

As though someone had finally given them permission...

The monsters charged.

Hundreds of them rushed toward the lodge with terrifying speed.

Behind them, even more emerged from the forest.

They formed endless lines between the trees, their twisted jaws snapping repeatedly while enormous mandibles clicked against each other.

The only thing they seemed capable of craving...

...was flesh.

Marcus slowly closed his eyes.

The ground suddenly trembled.

Lizards crawled from every corner of the lodge.

Rats burst through tiny cracks.

Birds descended from broken rooftops.

One after another they gathered around Marcus before their bodies began melting together.

Bones fused.

Flesh expanded.

Claws stretched.

Within moments, an enormous beast towered before everyone.

Noah’s eyes widened.

So this...

This was Marcus’ Beast Affinity.

He had heard about it countless times.

Seeing it firsthand was something entirely different.

The giant beast roared before crashing into the first wave.

Massive claws tore through monsters.

Gigantic jaws crushed bodies whole.

Its powerful arms swept dozens away with every strike.

Outside the lodge, mutated creatures fought desperately to keep the monsters from crossing into the building.

For a brief moment...

Hope returned.

"They’re actually pushing them back," Eugene whispered.

Noah almost smiled.

Maybe...

Just maybe...

Marcus had saved everyone.

Then the beast staggered.

Its roar became weaker.

Everyone froze.

Dark crimson blood dripped onto the ground.

Something invisible was eating away at its flesh.

Like acid.

The monster’s enormous body began melting before their eyes.

Chunks of flesh slid from its bones.

Skin dissolved.

Muscle liquefied.

Within seconds, Marcus’ beast collapsed into nothing more than a disgusting pile of bloody flesh.

Noah felt his heart sink.

One of the monsters slipped through the broken defense.

Then another.

Then ten more.

Killian stepped forward.

His eyes became completely black.

Smoke poured endlessly from them until they resembled two endless abysses.

He raised his head.

Every creature rushing toward them suddenly stopped.

The monsters began screaming.

No one had touched them.

Yet they clutched their heads in agony as though something had invaded their minds.

One after another they collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.

Noah stared in disbelief.

Nightmare Affinity...

He knew Killian could manipulate dreams and consciousness.

But attacking corpses?

That shouldn’t have been possible.

"Killian..." Rose stepped forward nervously.

"That’s enough."

He ignored her.

"Every affinity has a price. If you keep forcing your magic, it’ll destroy you."

Still...

Killian refused to stop.

"This is my domain."

His voice echoed unnaturally.

"They entered my territory."

His black eyes never left the battlefield.

"I won’t let anyone hurt my guests."

"And Ashton..."

His voice became colder.

"No one dies anymore."

The darkness surrounding him thickened until it resembled a living abyss capable of swallowing everything nearby.

Noah’s stomach tightened.

That wasn’t Killian anymore.

Something about him felt...

Wrong.

"Someone do something!" Noah shouted.

His heart pounded violently inside his chest.

Marcus’ beast had completely dissolved now.

Nothing remained except steaming flesh.

Even Sylvia’s expression stiffened.

The monsters stopped advancing.

Killian also halted.

His consciousness had already entered the Dream Realm.

Then...

He saw her.

A familiar female figure.

The same girl Sylvia had recently been spending time with.

She smiled.

Coldly.

"You don’t get to ruin my plans."

Her voice echoed through the dream itself.

"You Alphas are going to pay."

"It’s time the Omegas reclaimed what was stolen from them."

"You are all the same."

"Evil."

"When I’m done..."

"...not a single entitled brat like you will remain alive."

Before Killian could react—

"AAAAAHHHHHHH!!"

A deafening scream exploded from his mouth.

Blood streamed from both eyes.

His body crashed onto the floor before convulsing violently.

"Shit! What’s happening?" Noah shouted, dropping beside him.

He grabbed Killian’s shoulders.

"Killian!"

"Please..."

"Talk to me."

Rose rushed over and immediately sniffed the air surrounding his body.

Her expression changed.

"Something..."

She froze.

"Something interrupted his magic."

Every Alpha stared at her.

"You mean..." Eugene swallowed.

"...someone can actually turn off an affinity just like that?"

Rose slowly nodded.

"I’ve never seen it before..."

"...but yes."

Silence swallowed the room.

Even Sylvia looked shaken.

She slowly turned toward the entrance.

Her eyes widened.

"The sun..."

Everyone followed her gaze.

Golden rays stretched across the horizon.

Morning had arrived.

Yet...

The monsters were still coming.

"That shouldn’t be possible."

Noah’s heartbeat quickened.

Damian immediately tried activating his affinity.

Nothing happened.

His expression paled.

"Oh, shit."

He looked at everyone.

"I can’t use my affinity anymore."

"Someone else try."

Lamia immediately cast an incantation.

Rose joined him.

Dark clouds gathered.

Thunder answered.

Lightning descended—

—but instead of striking the monsters...

It slammed directly into the lodge.

The explosion threw everyone backward.

Two students died instantly.

Rose stared at the burned bodies.

"What..."

Her lips trembled.

"I’ve..."

"I’ve never missed before."

The guilt shattered her composure.

No one knew what to say.

Then...

Someone clapped.

Once.

The sound echoed unnaturally through the ruined lodge.

A figure wearing crimson robes stood beyond the doorway.

Noah couldn’t see the person’s face.

Only the smile.

Cold.

Satisfied.

"For every Omega that was hunted..."

"For every Omega that was used..."

"From this day onward..."

"Every Alpha."

"Every Beta."

"Will die one after another."

"No one will know what killed them."

"And when this night is over..."

"...not even a single soul will remember it."

The figure looked directly at Noah.

"Sleep well, Ashton."

The world suddenly became heavy.

Noah’s eyelids dropped.

Darkness swallowed his vision.

Then everything disappeared.