Ava's lungs were on fire.
She'd been running for what felt like hours, but it was probably only twenty minutes since those things had busted into the cafeteria. Her backpack bounced against her spine with every step, the textbooks inside feeling heavier with each impact. She could hear one of those dog creatures getting closer behind her, its claws clicking on the linoleum floor.
She rounded the corner near the science wing and almost tripped over a pile of rubble. The earthquake had wrecked everything. Shattered windows let in dusty sunlight, bent lockers hung open with their contents spilled everywhere, and dark stains on the walls that she really, really didn't want to think about.
The growling behind her got louder, more aggressive.
She risked a glance back and immediately wished she hadn't. It was one of those horrible dog monsters, bigger than any dog had a right to be, with patchy fur that looked wet with something dark. Its red eyes were locked on her, and drool hung from its open mouth in thick strings.
"Shit, shit, shit," she whispered, pushing herself to run faster even though her legs felt like jelly.
She rounded another corner and saw the main hallway stretching out ahead. Maybe if she could get to the front doors, she could make it outside. Maybe someone would help her. Maybe there were adults out there who knew what to do.
The creature let out this awful howl that made her skin crawl. She could practically feel its breath on her neck now, hot and smelling like rotting meat.
Right when she was sure she was done for, something flew past her and slammed into the monster with a massive crash. The thing went flying sideways into a wall so hard the drywall cracked and caved in.
Ava stumbled to a stop, gasping for air, her chest heaving. She turned around and saw a guy standing where the monster had been just seconds ago. He was tall and skinny, wearing the same blue school uniform as everyone else, but his was completely trashed. Stained, faded, torn in places.
He had kicked it. He had actually kicked the monster hard enough to send it flying across the hallway. That was impossible. Nobody was that strong.
The monster was trying to get back up, shaking its massive head like it was dazed. The guy walked over to it casually, like he was just taking a stroll between classes. He grabbed the thing by the head with both hands and twisted.
There was a wet snap, and the creature went limp.
Ava just stared, her mouth hanging open.
She knew that face. Messy dark hair that looked like it hadn't been cut in months, pale skin, and those eyes that never seemed to care about anything. It was that weird kid from her grade, the one everyone picked on. The one who just sat in the back of class and never talked to anyone. What was his name again?
"Wait," she said, still breathing hard, her voice rough from running. "You're that kid, right? From 9A? Noah? No, that's not it. Nox?"
He looked at her then, and she saw something different in his eyes. They weren't dead anymore. There was something alive in them now, something that made her stomach feel weird.
"Yeah, that's me," he said, his voice flat but with this new edge to it. "The freak from 9A."
He had this small smile on his face, but it wasn't a happy smile. It was the kind of smile that made you want to take a step back.
"I saw what happened in the cafeteria," she said, trying to catch her breath properly. "Those things just came out of nowhere and started attacking everyone. I've been running ever since. Thank god you showed up when you did. That thing was about to—"
"Leave," he said, cutting her off.
She blinked, sure she'd heard him wrong. "What?"
"I said leave. Go find someone else to save you." He turned away from her like she wasn't even worth looking at anymore.
She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Are you serious right now? There are monsters everywhere and you're telling me to leave?"
"Pretty much, yeah." He started walking away, heading deeper into the school instead of toward the exits.
"Where are you even going?" she called after him, frustration creeping into her voice. "The exit is the other way!"
He stopped and looked back at her over his shoulder. That creepy smile was still there, and it was getting wider.
"I'm going hunting," he said. "This is the most fun I've had in years."
'Fun? He thinks this is fun? People are dying and he's having fun?'
"You're insane," she said, the words coming out before she could stop them.
"Maybe." He shrugged, the gesture casual and uncaring. "But I'm alive for the first time in forever. You know what that feels like? To actually feel something instead of just existing?"
Ava had no idea what to say to that. She'd always just seen him as that quiet, pathetic kid who got bullied all the time. She'd never been mean to him personally, but she'd never helped him either. She'd just ignored him like everyone else did, like he was part of the background.
"Look, I get that school sucked for you," she said, trying to find some way to reason with him. "But that doesn't mean you should just leave me here to die."
"Why not?" His voice was completely calm, like they were discussing the weather. "Did you ever help me when Mark and his friends were making my life hell? Did you ever say anything when they pushed me around or dumped their lunch on me?"
She opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. Because he was right. She hadn't done anything. She'd just watched it happen, day after day, and never said a word.
"I thought so," he said, apparently taking her silence as answer enough. "So why should I help you now?"
He turned around again and started walking away.
"Wait!" she called out, desperation creeping into her voice. "I'm sorry, okay? I should have done something back then. I know that now. But please don't just leave me here."
He paused but didn't turn around.
"You're sorry now," he said, his voice getting quieter but somehow more intense. "Now that your life is on the line. How convenient."
Another one of those dog things appeared at the far end of the hallway. It saw them and immediately started running, its massive paws thundering on the floor, claws leaving scratches in the linoleum.
Ava's heart started racing again. "Nox, please. There's another one coming."
He looked over his shoulder at the approaching monster, then back at her. For a second, she thought he might actually help her again.
Instead, he smiled that creepy smile one more time. "Better start running."
Then he walked into one of the classrooms and disappeared, leaving her alone in the hallway with a monster charging straight at her.
She looked at the creature, then at the empty doorway where Nox had vanished. She couldn't believe he had actually just left her there.
The monster was getting closer. Twenty feet. Fifteen. Ten.
"Son of a bitch," she muttered, her hands clenching into fists.
That's when she felt it. This weird heat spreading through her arms, starting at her shoulders and flowing down to her fingertips. It wasn't painful, but it was intense, like standing too close to a bonfire.
The monster was almost on her now, its mouth open wide, rows of teeth gleaming with saliva.
"Get away from me!" she screamed, throwing her hands out in front of her in pure instinct.
Red fire erupted from her palms.
Not regular fire. This was different, deeper red, almost burgundy, and it moved like it was alive. The stream of flames hit the creature head-on, engulfing it completely. The monster didn't even have time to make a sound. In two seconds, maybe three, it was nothing but a pile of ash on the floor.
She stood there, staring at her hands like they belonged to someone else. They were still glowing with this faint red light, little wisps of flame dancing between her fingers.
"Did I just do that?" she said out loud, her voice shaky. "What the hell did I just do?"
And behind her, from inside the classroom where he'd disappeared, she could hear Nox laughing. Actually laughing, like this was all some hilarious joke.
Maybe he really was insane. Or maybe this was just what happened when you pushed someone too far for too long. Either way, she was on her own now.
And somehow, looking at the pile of ash that used to be a monster, she realized she might actually be okay with that.