We rushed out of the makeshift hospital ward and into the central area of the bunker, where the other civilians were already making their way to the designated safety rooms. The sound of gunfire and explosions echoed in the distance, sending a shiver down my spine.

How had things gotten so bad so quickly? One moment we were in the middle of our high school orientation, and now we were fighting for our lives. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, and followed Albert as we made our way toward the back of the bunker.

As we ran down the hallway, I could see more and more servicemen rushing past us, shouting orders and barking into their comms. The sound of gunfire grew louder and more intense, and I could feel my heart pounding.

"Where are the fucking Knights?!" one of the soldiers with us yelled in frustration.

I felt a pang of guilt at his words. I was a Magical Knight now, but I still didn't know how to fully use my powers. I needed a breather to figure out how to transform.

Suddenly, an explosion shook the bunker, causing dust and pebbles to rain down on us. Screams echoed in the hallway as we stumbled and fell to the ground.

The shelter was tinged with red light as alarms blared and the sounds of battle grew louder. The alarms almost deafened me, their screeching so shrill I felt my eardrums throb. I struggled for breath as I tried to cover my ears, the sound of gunfire outside growing louder and more frantic. Albert helped me up as the crowd went into a full-on panic, pushing and shoving to get into the safe room. I quickly shook off the cobwebs as the alarms settled down to a constant, more manageable noise and took a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves.

Albert turned and shielded me as the crowd pushed forward, trying to force their way into the safety room. We were nearly trampled, but Albert's bulk held us steady as we regained our balance and slowly pushed toward the back of the room. The main hall contained hallways separated into eight ramps leading into underground shelters, and we followed the crowd as they moved toward the fourth ramp.

But then, I felt the hairs on my neck stand on end, and I turned my head toward the source of the feeling. That's when I saw him.

He was tall with broad shoulders and piercing blue eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness. He wore a long black coat that billowed behind him like wings and a blank expression on his face. The man was eerily calm amidst the chaos surrounding us as if he was in a world of his own.

I felt a strange sensation in the pit of my stomach, like a sudden rush of heat that made me dizzy. Shaking the feeling off, I hurried along with the crowd, glancing back over my shoulder every few seconds to make sure the man wasn't following us.

A shrill scream suddenly pierced the air, causing me to freeze in place. My eyes scanned the crowd around me, landing on a small child. It was a tiny girl with blonde hair and green eyes, no more than six or seven years old, huddled by a pillar, crying her eyes out. I could see that she was separated from her parents, and she looked absolutely terrified.

"Sienna!" Albert reached his hand after me as a man slammed into him, separating us in the crowd. I was only five feet two inches tall and ninety-eight pounds soaking wet, but I rushed over, pushing past the crowd to reach her. I couldn't just leave her there. Compared to her, though, I felt like a giant as I crouched down next to the little girl.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, sweetie," I said softly. "What's your name?"

The girl sniffled, tears streaming down her face. "M-my name is Abby," she said, her voice trembling. She had dark skin and long black hair tied up in neat, twin braids. I could see a look of confusion in her eyes as she looked up at me.

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"I can't find mommy and daddy."

I felt a pang in my chest at her words, but I tried not to let it show. "Don't worry, Abby," I said, reassuringly touching her shoulder. "We'll find them together, okay?"

I looked around to see if I could spot her parents, but the crowd was too thick. That's when I saw the man again, standing at the other end of the hall, watching us.

My heart leaped into my throat. Who was he? I was eerily reminded of the attack at the arcade over the summer. The man's blue eyes locked onto mine, and I felt a shiver run down my spine. There was something off about him that made me feel like I was in danger.

But I pushed the thought aside, focusing on the little girl in front of me. "We have to go, Abby," I said, standing up and offering her my hand. "Come on."

Abby took my hand and stood up, her grip tight and desperate. I could see the fear in her eyes as we started to move toward the safety room, but I did my best to stay calm and act brave for her.

I searched the crowd for Albert, but he was nowhere to be seen. Panic started to creep in as I realized I was alone with Abby, with no idea where to go or what to do. We pushed through the crowd, but our progress was painfully slow as the people around us jostled and shoved.

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion, and the ground shook beneath us. Abby screamed, and I stumbled, nearly losing my grip on her hand. I could feel the heat of the explosion on my face, and the acrid smell of smoke filled my nostrils.

Al, where are you?

I looked around frantically, trying to find a way through the chaos. My heart was pounding in my chest, and sweat started to bead on my forehead. Abby was crying now, her grip on my hand tightening as she buried her face in my arm.

And then, out of nowhere, a hand grabbed my other arm and pulled me to the side. I spun around, yelping in alarm, but then I saw who it was.

"Al!" I cried, relief flooding through me. "Oh, thank god."

"Are you okay?" Albert asked, his voice strained. "We need to get out of here. Now."

I nodded, and together we started pushing our way through the crowd. I held on tight to Abby's hand, trying to keep her close as we made our way toward safety. We finally reached the fourth ramp, and I led Abby and Albert down the stairs. The air grew colder as we descended, the sound of battle fading into the distance to be replaced by the murmuring of the crowd filing into the shelter.

"Hey Al..." I started. "Did you see that guy staring at us?"

"Saw who?" he asked as we pushed forward.

"That man," I said, pointing back up the stairs. "He was just standing there, watching us. He gave me the creeps and he reminded me of the guy at the arcade."

Albert stayed silent for a second, his eyes scanning the crowd.

"What guy at the arcade?" he asked, finally turning to me.

What?

I shook my head, feeling a chill run down my spine. "Never mind," I said. "It doesn't matter. We need to focus on getting out of here."

We reached the bottom of the stairs and stepped into the dimly lit shelter hallway. The air was thick with the scent of disinfectant, and the only sound was the shuffle of people's feet as they made their way toward the main room.

As we walked down the corridor, I couldn't help but feel like we were being watched. I kept glancing over my shoulder, half-expecting to see that man from upstairs following us. The hallways down here were wide, and the lights flickered as we passed them, casting shadows on the walls that made my heart race.

"Hey Albert, remember that time we got lost in Terpsichore National Park? It was so dark and the trees were so thick, we couldn't even see the stars."

Abby looked up at him with wide eyes, eager for a distraction from the tense atmosphere.

"Terpsi...chore? Let's not worry about that right now, Sienna," Albert said in response. "We just have to keep going and get to the main room. I'm sure everything will be okay once we get there."

A strange look flashed across his face as he said this, and he quickened his pace down the hallway without waiting for me to respond. I frowned, feeling my heart beating faster as I tried to make sense of what was going on. Why was Albert acting so weird? He had always been the type to crack quips to make tense situations feel less, well, tense. His sudden change in demeanor didn't make any sense.

Abby stared at me quizzically as I started to follow after him after a few seconds when a shout from behind me caused me to spin around.

"Sienna!"

I gasped as I turned and saw a familiar boy jog up to us, his eyes wild with excitement and relief.

"Thank fucking goodness. I thought I lost you back there," he shouted, tackling me in a hug. "Oh, who's this?"

Abby stared up at him, trembling in fear as I felt my stomach drop.

"...Al?" I whispered.

"Yeah, it's me. Who else?"

...

My heart felt like it had stopped beating entirely, and I grabbed Abby's hand to pull her closer.

Then, I slowly turned my head back toward the hallway up ahead.