On the first-floor stone balconies of Nevermore, which wrapped around the entire quad, the Nightshades—Xavier, Ajax, Bianca, and a handful of others—stood frozen at the railing.
Below them, the monster tore through the quad, ripping benches straight out of the ground and hurling them aside like toys as students fled in every direction.
Only moments earlier, they had been in the middle of an important Nightshade meeting—important in the sense that absolutely nothing vital was being discussed.
The agenda had revolved around rooftop party schedules and whether full moons were becoming overdone. Someone had even suggested changing things up.
Then the noise started.
Curiosity got the better of them.
They had crept out, drawn by the chaos, and the moment they reached the balcony, the scene below had stopped them cold.
That was how they ended up here—silent, staring, and suddenly very aware that this was no longer just another Nevermore disturbance.
Ajax squinted down at the chaos. "Okay, so… does anyone know if our school has scheduled some kind of extreme horror showcase tonight?"
That earned him a round of glares. No one answered. No one needed to. Benches were flying. Students were screaming. This was very clearly not a prank.
Xavier didn't look away from the creature. His face had gone tight, color draining. The shape, the proportions—every jagged line of it matched the sketches he'd sworn were just visions. Seeing it move, breathing, destroying things, made his stomach drop.
Bianca's grip tightened on the stone railing. "Guys," she said quietly. "I think it noticed us."
Below, the monster stopped.
Slowly, deliberately, it lifted its head and locked onto the balcony.
For half a second, everything went still.
Then it crouched—and leapt.
Stone cracked as it launched upward, claws scraping against the balcony edge. The Nightshades staggered back in unison, panic finally breaking loose as the monster hauled itself toward them, eyes blazing, jaws snapping.
"Run," Bianca said.
No one argued.
The Nightshades scattered, boots pounding against stone as they bolted along the balcony.
"Why is it chasing us?" Ajax yelled, nearly tripping over his own feet.
Behind them, claws scraped stone—too close.
Bianca glanced back, eyes wide. "It's gaining on us!"
Someone—Xavier, breathless and panicked—shouted, "Ajax! Your gaze! Use it!"
Ajax skidded to a stop. "Now?! You want me to make eye contact with that?"
The monster lunged again, roaring.
"YES, NOW," Bianca snapped.
Ajax swallowed hard and spun around in a rush, yanking off his cap.
The gorgon snakes on his head burst free, hissing, writhing—dozens of sharp tongues flicking as they locked onto the monster. Their eyes met.
For a split second, everything held.
"Okay—uh—chill?" Ajax said weakly.
The creature stuttered mid-stride.
Its movement jerked, unnatural, like a corrupted video frame skipping. One massive claw came down a beat too late, smashing into stone instead of flesh, the impact cracking the floor.
It wasn't fully petrified. Just slowed—enough to matter.
"That worked!" Ajax yelled, half-disbelieving. "I think I—oh nope—losing it—"
The snakes faltered. Ajax's focus wavered.
The monster snapped out of it.
It roared, fury doubling as the gorgon's hold broke. Muscles surged, rage pouring back into its limbs as it shook off the effect like water.
"RUN!" someone screamed.
They didn't need to be told twice.
As they sprinted away, the monster roared behind them, fury boiling over—clearly enraged by the gorgon's gaze.
And faster than before.
One of them tripped.
A sharp gasp cut through the chaos as the member hit the balcony hard, sliding to the edge. The monster was on them instantly—towering, shadow swallowing light.
Its claws rose up. Time has stalled.
Someone screamed. Someone else shut their eyes.
Then—
Something fell from the sky.
Not a person.
A bat.
It dropped fast, wings slicing through the smoky air, a black blur plunging straight toward the monster. For half a second it made no sense—
—and then it changed.
Mid-air, the bat twisted, smoke tearing off it in violent spirals. Wings collapsed inward, bones shifting, form stretching—
A man took shape before he hit the ground.
Ethan finished the transformation in motion.
His body snapped fully human just as his leg came around, momentum carrying everything into a single, brutal strike—
BAM.
His kick slammed straight into the monster's face, the impact cracking across the quad like a cannon shot. The monster was ripped off its feet, hurled backwards, claws flailing as it smashed into a stone pillar.
Ethan landed cleanly, boots skidding half a step before he steadied, smoke still bleeding off his shoulders. He straightened slowly, eyes glowing red, utterly calm.
Tyler shook his head hard, trying to clear the ringing in his skull. He straightened—and froze when he saw who had dared to kick him in the face.
Ethan.
His eyes widened despite himself.
This was the man he had shot. Point-blank. The one he had watched fall. Tyler was certain of it. No one survives a wound like that.
Ethan lifted his hand and tapped two fingers against the torn fabric on his chest, right where the shotgun had hit. No blood. No wound. Just ruined cloth.
A faint, smug smile curved his mouth.
"Yeah," he said evenly. "Didn't see that coming, did you?"
Something ugly and uncertain flickered across Tyler's face—fear bleeding through the rage—as the impossible stood there, very much alive.
Ajax skidded to a halt, staring. "Where the heck did this guy come from?"
"I didn't see him at all," Xavier said, eyes wide. "He just—appeared."
Ethan didn't look back at them. His attention stayed locked onto Tyler.
"Now, Tyler," he said, rolling his shoulders, joints popping one by one as he cracked his knuckles. "Why don't we settle this?"
He took a step forward.
"I'm still pretty annoyed about the shotgun incident," he added mildly. "So I'm going to beat you until you can't stand."
Tyler snarled, claws digging into stone.
Ethan smiled wider.
"Your move."
*****
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