Chapter 129: Talented Students
Calien and Erik led the way, their steps sure and measured as they moved through the debris-strewn streets of the town.
The moonlight cast long, eerie shadows across the cracked stones, and the distant sounds of the night—the low groans of the humanoid octopus creatures, the whisper of the wind through broken windows—felt far away, as if muffled by the tension hanging in the air.
The two boys moved with a purpose, their attendants close behind them, eyes wide, hands clutching their small weapons with white-knuckled grips. Chief Varros followed, his breathing slow and controlled, his mind racing with a thousand questions he didn’t voice.
They reached the town’s largest tower—a looming structure of dark stone, its roof a jagged crown against the star-swept sky. Calien paused, glancing at Erik.
"This is the one, right?" Calien whispered, barely loud enough for Varros to hear.
Erik nodded, grinning faintly. "Yeah. The big one. The one we told the others to stay away from. No one will come looking here. It’s perfect."
The boys raised their fists and bumped them together silently, a gesture of camaraderie that spoke volumes.
Varros furrowed his brow as he watched them, a flicker of disbelief in his eyes. They’re treating this like one of their teacher’s games.
And as if to confirm his thought, Calien smirked and muttered, "Just like Teacher Nolan’s exercise back in the classroom, huh? Distract the infected, sneak in, secure the spot."
Erik chuckled, his voice light despite the danger around them. "Yep. Feels just the same. Except these infected are way uglier than what we imagined back then."
Varros clenched his jaw. Teacher Nolan. That name again. He was beginning to wonder if this instructor Nolan was some kind of genius or lunatic—or maybe both.