Time shattered around Sarah as the corrupted student launched himself toward her, his Academy uniform reeking of decay and malice. The sigil seared into his forehead blazed with venomous light, shadows writhing like living serpents across his twisted features.
Her ability triggered without conscious thought, the world grinding to a crawl as terror flooded her veins. She absorbed every horrifying detail with razored clarity: the student's eyes had become obsidian voids, his joints bent at unnatural angles as he moved, geometric patterns carved into his exposed flesh pulsing in rhythm with some alien heartbeat.
But even with time dilated around her, Professor Leo moved impossibly fast.
