The tension at school had grown unbearable. Stories of glowing-eyed animals and violent outbursts swirled through the hallways, whispered between students who thought they were safe. Ethan knew better. The false sense of security was an illusion, and every day that passed without action only made him angrier.

“They’re still laughing,” Ethan muttered at lunch, gripping the edge of his tray until his knuckles turned white. “They still think it’s a joke.”

Mason glanced at him, adjusting the bandage on his leg from the ravine fight. “You can’t blame them. Most of them don’t want to believe it’s real.”

“That’s their problem,” Ethan growled. “But when it’s too late, I don’t want to hear them begging for help.”

Dakota, seated beside him, leaned in. “What are you planning, Ethan?”

“Nothing yet,” Ethan said, his tone cold. “But if something happens again, I’m not holding back.”

The school day dragged on until the final period, science class. Ethan sat near the back, staring out the window as the teacher lectured about ecosystems. His mind wasn’t on the lesson; it was on the growing tension, the inevitable breaking point that was coming.

A scream shattered the quiet.

The class froze as the sound echoed down the hallway, followed by a chorus of panicked shouts. Ethan was on his feet instantly, his chair clattering to the floor.

“Stay in your seats!” the teacher shouted, but no one listened. The door slammed open, and a student staggered inside, their face pale and their hands smeared with blood.

“There’s something in the hallway!” they gasped. “It—it attacked—”

Before they could finish, a guttural snarl cut through the air, loud and menacing. The classroom erupted into chaos as students screamed and scrambled away from the door.

Ethan grabbed a metal ruler from the desk, his heart pounding. He turned to Dakota, who was already standing. “Stay with them. Keep the doors closed.”

Dakota stepped forward, grabbing a heavy tripod from the corner. “Like hell I’m letting you go alone.”

Ethan didn’t argue. Together, they pushed into the hallway.

The hallway was a battlefield. Lockers were dented and scratched, backpacks and papers strewn across the blood-smeared floor. A few students lay slumped against the walls, groaning or unconscious. At the far end, a mutated raccoon the size of a wolf crouched over a fallen student, its glowing eyes blazing with a feral, otherworldly light. Blood dripped from its jaws as it snarled, its matted fur stained with gore.

Ethan’s grip tightened on the ruler. “We need to get it away from the others.”

“On it,” Dakota said, picking up a discarded textbook. With a grunt, he hurled it at the creature. The book struck its side with a dull thump, and the raccoon’s head snapped around, its glowing eyes locking onto them.

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It charged, its claws scraping against the linoleum as it bounded toward them. Its speed was horrifying, its body jerking unnaturally with each leap.

“Move!” Ethan shouted, diving to the side as the creature lunged. It skidded past him, its claws gouging deep furrows in the floor before it spun, snarling.

Dakota swung the tripod like a club, the heavy metal legs colliding with the raccoon’s ribs with a sickening crunch. The impact sent the creature sprawling, blood spraying from its mouth, but it didn’t stay down. It scrambled to its feet, its glowing eyes blazing with rage.

The raccoon lunged again, this time at Dakota. It tackled him to the ground, its claws tearing into his shoulder. Dakota roared in pain, grabbing its neck and forcing it back, but its jaws snapped inches from his face.

Ethan moved without thinking, slamming the ruler into the creature’s side. The sharp edge cut through its fur, slicing deep into its flesh. Blood spurted from the wound, painting the walls and floor, but the raccoon only snarled louder.

“Get off him!” Ethan growled, yanking the ruler free and stabbing it into the creature’s neck. The metal pierced deep, striking something vital. The raccoon let out a gurgling scream, its body convulsing violently as blood poured from the wound.

Dakota shoved the creature off him, rolling to his feet with a grimace. He picked up the tripod and swung it again, smashing the raccoon’s skull with brutal force. Bone cracked and splintered under the impact, the creature’s glowing eyes dimming as its body collapsed in a twitching heap.

For a moment, the hallway was silent except for their heavy breathing. Blood pooled beneath the raccoon, soaking into the floor.

“Is it... dead?” Dakota panted, his hands shaking.

Ethan crouched beside the creature, his hands slick with blood as he reached into its chest. With a wet squelch, he pulled out a glowing core, the faint blue light casting eerie shadows across their faces.

“It is now,” Ethan said, holding up the core.

By the time the teachers and staff arrived, the hallway was filled with shocked students. Whispers rippled through the crowd as they stared at Ethan and Dakota, bloodied and standing over the massive creature.

Principal McCall pushed through the crowd, her face pale. “What... what is going on here?”

Ethan held up the glowing core, his voice sharp and cold. “This is what I’ve been trying to warn you about.”

McCall stared at the core, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. “I... I don’t understand—”

“This thing,” Ethan said, pointing to the mangled raccoon, “almost killed someone. And it’s not the first. But sure, keep calling me crazy. Keep laughing. See how long you last when more of these show up.”

The crowd murmured uneasily. Jake Cooper, standing near the back, looked pale and shaken, his usual bravado replaced by fear.

“Graves,” Jake muttered, his voice trembling. “What the hell is going on?”

Ethan turned to him, his eyes cold. “Exactly what I said would happen. You’ve been mocking me for years, Jake. Where’s all that confidence now?”

Jake stammered, unable to respond.

Ethan stepped closer, his voice dropping to a near-growl. “If you’re too stupid to see what’s coming, then stay out of my way. Because the next time something like this happens, I won’t be saving your ass.”

Jake backed away, his face pale, while the crowd fell silent. McCall looked like she wanted to argue, but the blood-soaked floor and the glowing core in Ethan’s hand left her speechless.

Ethan turned and walked away, tossing the core to Mason as he passed. “Clean this up,” he said coldly. “And next time you want to ignore me, remember this.”

That night, the group gathered in Mason’s garage. The glowing core rested on the workbench, its faint light casting long shadows across the walls. Dakota sat nearby, his arm wrapped in a hastily applied bandage, cleaning blood off the tripod.

“That was insane,” Mason said, staring at the core. “You killed that thing in front of everyone.”

“They needed to see it,” Ethan said, his voice hard. “No more excuses. No more pretending this isn’t happening.”

Kyle leaned back, his face pale. “You think they’ll finally listen?”

“They don’t have a choice,” Ethan said, his eyes burning with determination. “But we’re not waiting for them to catch up. We keep preparing. Because this is just the beginning.”

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Time Until Cataclysm: 225 Days, 3 Hours, 14 Minutes.