The announcer knew too. He had just been putting on a show. He didn't know what to say in front of the ordinary crowd. The direct truth hit him like a slap — his smile vanished. His lips dried up. His eyes began to tremble. Pure fear now covered his face. Stammering, he said: "We have to stop this — otherwise it'll—"
Before he could finish, something crashed down in front of him. A thin girl, her entire body drenched in blood. Her slender neck had rolled across the ground, and her wide-open eyes were staring straight at the announcer. She was dead.
The crowd that had been caught up in joyful excitement moments earlier was now filled with screams. Raw, piercing screams of the people poured into Millie's ears like a flood — desperate, animalistic cries that drowned out everything else. Waves of terror swallowed the entire arena.
Millie's eyes froze at the sight. Her lips moved on their own — "How is this possible? Energy outside the battle zone… how could this happen?"
Her mind felt locked in place. The announcer himself was now paralyzed with fear.
The scene had completely changed the air of the entire place.
Millie couldn't do anything even if she wanted to. Fear was laughing loudly in every direction. Panic erupted — people ran in every direction, desperate to survive. The screams kept pouring into Millie's ears, wave after wave, a relentless cream of human terror.
In the chaos, Millie glanced at the announcer. Black, numb snakes were rushing toward him at terrifying speed. He stood frozen in the center of the arena. The snakes flew through the air, tongues flickering as they closed in on him.
Millie's eyes locked — then something happened. the air cracked. Rukmini shot forward, snatched the announcer into the air, and placed him back on the very pole where he had been sitting earlier. The announcer's senses were gone. His lips were muttering incoherently from sheer terror. The snakes veered away in another direction.
The monster was now spewing glistening snakes from all six of its mouths at once.
The screams poured into Millie's ears at full volume — endless, overlapping cries of the dying and the fleeing. She couldn't save them. She couldn't do anything. She herself was safe — she was inside the privileged yellow-pass area, the exclusive safe zone reserved for higher-status ticket holders and wielders, protected by the three-gradient barrier. But the ordinary people outside it were not.
Keave looked around at the horrifying chaos unfolding. His voice rang out: "Hey! Pretty guy, I'll handle these snakes. You call those three old geezers."
Rukmini, floating in the air, moved silently toward Millie without answering him.
At that moment Millie felt a powerful surge of green energy rise nearby. The three old men rose from their seats in perfect unison. Their bodies floated into the air together in perfect rhythm, green light radiating from all around them. Suddenly the three elders surged forward like a tidal wave toward Keave.
They spoke in unison: "No need — the old geezer are already awake!"
The burliest of the three added: "Kids, learn some manners — it'll come in handy later. Now step back."
Keve laughed and soared upward into the air. The burliest elder called out: "Get the people out of here. We'll handle this."
The words were meant for Keve, but hearing "out," Rukmini moved forward alongside him.
Suddenly a scream pierced right beside Millie's ears. Some snakes had slipped into the privileged yellow-pass area. Millie realized instantly — whatever this creature was, no barrier was stopping it.
The people sitting nearby began to flee as well. Fear had gripped everyone — prestige had melted in it like sugar in fire. In the face of death, everyone becomes the same — prestigious or commoners, everyone begs for mercy.
Millie looked at Tessa beside her. She was trembling badly, head buried between her knees. Millie quickly pulled her up and said: "We have to get out of here."
Tessa was crying. Her eyes were shaking. In a trembling voice she said: "Millie, I can't watch this… that girl…"
Before Tessa could say more, Millie cut in: "We have to leave, Tessa. If we just sit here, we'll be next."
Tessa grew even more terrified at the words. But now she would run to save her own life.
Millie looked toward Neon… and saw that she was… sleeping. Tessa shook Neon awake. Neon sat up, irritation flashing across her face. it felts like she was oblivious about everything. The snakes were already slithering toward them.
Neon started to speak, but Millie said quickly: "We have to run. This place is dangerous now."
Neon was about to reply when she felt something on her feet. She and Tessa both looked down — a black snake was coiled around Neon's leg.
Tessa screamed instantly. Millie leaned toward Neon. Millie said urgently: "We have to get it off."
Neon looked at Millie and Tessa, made a small face. The snake that had wrapped itself around her skin — she simply reached out with one hand and flicked it away like it was nothing.