(The action takes place during the attack on the school for the awakened)

The dormitory corridor is plunged into semi-darkness, and the silence around us seems louder with each passing moment. Everyone else from the special class has gathered in my room. I sit on the bed, trying to ignore everything around me. I try not to think about the fact that Lucy, Cornelius, and Isaac haven't returned. That we don't know where they are or what is happening to them.

But my thoughts keep circling around him. Isaac. His goofy smile, the confidence that sometimes irritated me. And now? Has something happened to him? Is he even alive? I can't think about him lying somewhere injured or… no, I can't think about that. I clench my hands on my knees, trying to calm my breath, but my heart is pounding wildly.

Why did he have to go there? Why does he always have to get involved in things that are beyond him? Or maybe I'm underestimating how strong he is? Maybe he doesn't need anyone to save him. But if that's the case… why am I more scared than ever before?

I can't stop thinking about those times when he didn't yet know who I was. When I belonged to the gang and wore a mask, keeping everyone at a distance. Even when I thought no one cared about me, his presence was different. As if his confidence could pierce the walls I'd built around myself. Even if he wasn't aware of what he meant to me then, I knew. And now… now I'm afraid I'll never have the chance to tell him that.

I try to focus on something else, but it's pointless. I still see his face, his smile, hear his voice. Every thought leads me back to the question that won't let me rest. Is he even still alive?

Anna paces the room like a child lost in a dark forest. Her crying is irritating, but I can't blame her. Not everyone has the same strength, right?

"Why haven't they come back?" she asks once again, her voice trembling like a little bird's. "What if something happened to them?"

I clench my hands on my knees to keep from exploding. Anna has no idea what kind of lives others had. She probably had an ideal childhood, with everyone supporting her, where she didn't have to fight for her place. Even now, she looks as if she has no worries. Just crying and naive questions. Even her appearance annoys me – those big, innocent eyes, the cute smile, and… a big bust. As if she needed another reason to draw attention.

And me? I had to give up my dreams to satisfy my family. I always wanted to sing, but no, the Moniuszkos had to have an awakened one in the family. There was no choice.

Tommy sits on the bed with his phone in his hands. He pretends to play, but I see him glancing at the door every now and then. There's a nervousness in his movements, as if he's afraid something is about to happen.

Makoto, as usual, pretends to be the hero. He sits on the windowsill, leaning his back against the wall. His gaze is fixed on the darkness outside the window.

"I've had enough," he suddenly says. His voice is cold and confident. "We can't just sit here like cowards. We should do something."

"We can't," Tommy speaks up without even looking away from the screen. "They told us to stay here. If you go out, they'll catch you, and you'll end up like the rest."

Anna looks at Makoto with hope, as if waiting for him to come up with something. And I sit in silence. I know we won't do anything, and that kills me. I hate this helplessness.

Suddenly, the light goes out, and then I hear the sound of glass breaking. We all freeze. The faint rustling of footsteps in the corridor makes my heart beat faster.

"What was that?" Anna whispers, moving closer to me.

I don't answer. I stare at the door, which suddenly bursts open. Two figures rush in. They aren't wearing school uniforms. They're intruders.

I throw myself to the floor but see Makoto draw his katana. He always carries it with him, even when he's in pajamas. Tommy hides behind the bed, and Anna just screams.

I try to concentrate. I know I have the power within me, but can I use it? I focus on my hands, on the energy flowing through my body. Suddenly, I feel something happening. Scissors appear in my hands. My spiritual weapon.

image [https://i.postimg.cc/L8Mr7kwt/471996673-1138919874290829-6485362809845677523-n.jpg]

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"I've got it!" I shout, but the weapon starts to tremble and then disintegrates into glowing dust.

"Maya, get down!" I hear Makoto's voice. His katana cuts through the air, and I crawl to the corner of the room.

Makoto takes a step forward, his hand firmly gripping the katana's hilt. Before the intruder can react, Makoto makes a smooth, precise cut. The blade slices through the man's body with terrifying ease, as if it were just a sheet of paper.

Blood sprays into the air, staining the floor and walls with dark red splatters. The intruder stands for a split second longer, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief, before his body collapses to its knees. His head, severed from the rest, rolls to the side, leaving a gruesome trail behind.

I'm speechless. My legs feel heavier than ever before, and the air is filled with the sharp, metallic scent of blood. I try to look away, but I can't – the sight of the intruder's body, dead and mutilated, is like a curse I can't escape.

The second intruder, seeing this, bolts for the exit, his footsteps echoing down the corridor. Makoto doesn't move from his spot, simply lowering his weapon, glancing at me with a slight smile.

"Next time, leave it to me," he says calmly, wiping the blade in one smooth motion. "Scissors, huh? That's… creative."

I don't answer. I feel tears welling up in my eyes. I didn't want to be here. I didn't want this school, this fight, this life. I just wanted to sing, to immerse myself in music, not blood and a fight for survival. But now it doesn't matter. I have to survive.

The blood hadn't yet dried on the floor when the dormitory door swung open again. In the doorway stood Bob Zulu, the history teacher, tall and broad-shouldered, with a face that showed both worry and determination. His thick, round glasses scanned the room, stopping on the bloody traces and the severed head of the intruder.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, though his voice revealed he knew perfectly well that nothing was alright.

Makoto, still holding the katana, took a step forward. His stance was sure, and his voice calm.

"Yes, we are students of the special class," he replied.

Bob frowned and nodded, as if that explained everything. His gaze swept over the remaining people in the room. Tommy, who had curled up on the bed, Anna, wiping away tears, and me… still standing frozen, staring at the severed head of the intruder lying on the floor like a grotesque decoration.

"Who's in charge here?" the teacher asked, looking around at the gathered students.

Makoto, without hesitation, pointed at me.

"Maya Moniuszko," he announced.

I couldn't say anything. My mouth was slightly open, but no words wanted to come out. I was staring at the bloody traces leading from the body to the severed head of the intruder. Everything in my head was spinning – the smell of iron in the air, the sight of blood, and the cold look of the intruder in his last moments. I didn't want to see this, I didn't want to be here.

Bob Zulu looked at me intently, raising an eyebrow.

"Is everyone here?" he asked. "And did you kill him?"

I didn't answer. My legs felt like stone, and my hands, though empty, seemed heavier than ever. I couldn't even lift my gaze to look at the teacher. I felt Makoto's gaze on me, who finally gently nudged my arm.

"Maya, speak up," he said softly, his voice strangely gentle.

That snapped me out of my trance. I blinked a few times, as if the world was coming back into focus.

"Three people are missing," I finally said, my voice quiet and tense. "Lucy, Cornelius, and Isaac. And… " I glanced at Makoto's katana. "Makoto killed him."

Bob Zulu nodded, as if he had expected that. He pulled a communicator from his coat pocket and sent a short message, but the words blurred into an indistinct hum for me.

"Stay here. Don't go out. I'll go look for the others," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

He turned and left, leaving us alone in the dead silence, broken only by the sound of blood dripping from Makoto's blade onto the floor.

Makoto took a deep breath and sheathed his katana, which always hung at his waist.

"It'll be better if we all stay here, as he said," he said, looking around at the others. Tommy nodded, clearly frightened, and Anna was still wiping away tears. But I couldn't move. I still felt the weight of the events that had just unfolded.

Time passed slowly, seconds stretching into hours. Each of us sat tensely, waiting for any news. No one spoke. No one knew what to say.

After a few hours, the dormitory door opened again. Bob Zulu entered the room again, looking exhausted. His clothes were slightly dirty, and his eyes showed a mix of relief and fatigue.

"It's over," he said briefly. "Go back to your rooms and rest."

I looked at him, trying to find an answer to the question burning inside me.

"And what about… " I started, but my voice broke. "What about Isaac, Cornelius, and Lucy?"

Bob hesitated for a moment before answering.

"They're in the hospital. That's all we know for now. Their condition is stable, but the details… " he paused and sighed heavily. "We still don't know what happened to them."

That one sentence was enough to make the weight in my chest even more overwhelming. Nothing else mattered. We didn't know what had happened to them or what would happen next. I could only pray that everything would turn out well.

Bob Zulu disappeared down the corridor. The silence was now even more terrifying. When I closed the door, I collapsed onto the bed, trying with all my might to control my thoughts. But deep down, I knew this night would stay with us forever.