She wasn't just a monster—she was something supernatural, born of the school's darkest corners. Her form shivered at the edges, shadow and bone fused, eyes burning like coals in empty sockets.
My stomach twisted, and a cold dread settled into my bones.
When she pounced, I felt the full force of her inhuman speed, but something inside me snapped awake. My legs carried me back faster than pain would allow, and I planted my feet with a solid thunk that surprised me more than her claws.
A tremor ran through me, fear flared at the edges of my mind, but beneath it, a strange thrill pulsed.
She swung again, a swirl of jagged shadows, and I met the blow head-on. My arms, stronger than they'd ever been, absorbed the impact. I staggered but didn't break. Instead, I rocketed forward, shoulder-first, driving her back into the cracked plaster of the hallway wall.
My heart thundered in my ears, fear and adrenaline warring.
The school groaned around us, as if reacting to the raw, supernatural energy we'd unleashed. She hissed, yanked free, and twisted in midair. Her body bending in ways no human spine should.
Every instinct screamed at me to run, but I stood my ground, even as my pulse rattled my skull.
But my own body had changed. I dropped low, feeling every sinew and fiber hum with power. With a single, fluid motion, I swept out her legs, sending her skidding across the floor in a tangle of blood and ragged fabric.
Fear still gripped me. An icy knot, but beneath it lay determination.
She sprang up, faster than any normal creature. But I was ready. My fist, now like a hammer, slammed into her chest. She staggered. Her scream cracked like thunder through the empty halls.
I tasted fear on my tongue, but I wielded it as fuel.
I pressed the advantage. Each strike I threw came with more force than the last, each dodge quicker than instinct alone could manage. I vaulted over upturned desks in a single bound, snatched the crowbar, and swung it in a broad arc, the metal ringing with a note that shouldn't exist in this world.
Unease prickled at the back of my mind—wondering if this power would devour me if I let it.
The blow connected, and for a heartbeat her form flickered wildly, as if the very shadows that sustained her were unraveling. She staggered back, clutching her side, and I felt that surge of power settle deeper in my bones: this was my body now, forged by some dark gift.
I shivered, excitement and dread tangled.
She let out a final, ragged roar and vanished again, leaving only a swirl of black mist that my lungs drank in like forbidden air.
My vision swam. Was I the hunter, or the hunted by my own corruption?
I stood alone in the wreckage of the hallway, chest heaving, muscles humming with energy I barely understood. The echo of her departure lingered, and I realized. I was no longer just Ethan. I was something more… something that could stand toe-to-toe with the supernatural.
But at what cost? A shadow stirred inside me, whispering promises I wasn't sure I wanted.
But strangely, I could feel a warmth spreading through me, like being held in a loving embrace—comforting, almost human, yet entirely something is wrong.
That bitch vanished again. Not even a body left behind this time, just like smoke running from the fire. I hate her. Her twisted smile, every stolen voice, burned into my mind like scars. Is she dead this time? God, I hope she is. But I don't trust it. Not for a second.
I stand up, wincing from the pain still gnawing at my ribs, and search for the flashlight. No luck—it's shattered beyond repair. Only my crowbar remains, bloodied and dented, but still solid in my grip. I clutch it like a lifeline.
With a deep exhale, I force myself toward the gate. Every step echoes with the weight of what I've been through. Hopefully, I can escape this hellhole this time. I keep walking, muttering silent prayers for the gate to be unlocked. I'd lost the keys long ago, and if this nightmare loop reset itself again… I don't even want to think about it.
As I near the gate, my breath catches. Relief flows through me like a wave crashing against the jagged rocks in my chest.
The gate is unlocked.
I step through the gate—and instantly, the familiar wave of dizziness crashes over me. The world tilts and spins, my vision blurs, and then everything goes black. When I open my eyes again, I'm lying on the cold floor of the school hallway, disoriented and breathless. Back where it all began.
But... something is wrong. Why is it still so dark? Why isn't anyone here? Did it not work? "No no no no..." My voice cracks, raw with panic. Dread tightens its grip on my chest, squeezing out every shred of hope.
I run into a familiar classroom—the one with the clock. My heart thunders as I glance up.
5:10 p.m.
A shaky relief washes over me. I'm back in the human world. And yet everything feels off. It's the same school from the second loop, the same halls I endured for nearly a day in that hell... but here, in my world, barely three hours have passed.
Without realizing it, tears streamed down my face, tears of relief, of pure, unfiltered happiness. I'm finally free. I can go home now.
But before that, I need to eat something. I'm so damn hungry. I walk to my locker, feeling grateful I left some snacks in there. I open my locker, tear open the snack packet, and devour it like a starving dog.
After I finish eating, I glance down at my clothes. My shirt is soaked in blood—if you could even call it a shirt anymore. I tear off the shredded remains and slip on the spare shirt stashed in my locker. Shame I don't have any spare trousers.
Now I just have to find the janitor or security so I can finally go home. But fate had other plans. Suddenly, dizziness hit me like a freight train. I collapsed to the ground. And then that voice again, the one I thought was just my imagination whispering in my head: "Uh-uh, you're not slipping away that quickly, sweetheart~" With that, I woke up again in that creepy hell.