They pulled her back just in time as Sera's claw sliced the air where her face had been.
Sera threw her head back and laughed. Loudly. Wildly.
"Oh dear Elshienne," she said, straightening her back, her eyes glowing brighter. "No one forced me. This was my plan. From the very beginning. Everything… all of it."
The machine lights suddenly went dark. A hiss sounded as the restraints released. Mirae and Junhee's bodies fell forward and hit the cold floor.
"Mirae!" Elshienne cried, rushing to her side.
"Junhee!" Nathan and Sion helped the boy up, both of them trembling as they checked for signs of life.
They were unconscious. Breathing—but weakly.
Elshienne held Mirae close, her hands shaking as she touched her forehead, brushing her damp hair away. She looked back up at Sera, pain written all over her face.
"What are you?" she asked quietly. "Why… Why would you do this? Why, Professor?"
Sera tilted her head, still smiling, and stepped forward. Then she reached behind her, grabbed one of the half-human monsters by its hair, and dragged her into the light.
"Look at her closely, Elshienne," Sera said with a cruel smile. "Don't you think… she's familiar?"
Elshienne's heart skipped.
Nathan and Sion narrowed their eyes—then widened in shock.
"She's… she's from the other section," Sion whispered.
Nathan stood protectively in front of Elshienne and shouted, "What did you do to her, Professor?!"
Sera giggled and spun the monster like a puppet. "She expected to awaken. Just like Junhee. Just like Mirae. I gave them what they wanted. Power. Strength. But I added a little extra credit just for me."
She tapped her temple with her long claw. "Something special…"
Nathan's face darkened. "You… you brainwashed them, didn't you? You hypnotized them to obey you."
Sera smiled wider. "Oh, it's more than just hypnosis, Nathan. I rewrote their minds—bit by bit—while they were asleep, while they trained, while they ate the food I gave them. That's why they seemed so normal… until now."
Elshienne looked down at Mirae, her hands tightening into fists. "You used them… You turned them into monsters…"
"Yes," Sera whispered, crouching low, "and now it's your turn."
The monsters started moving.
One of them jumped forward with a loud screech, claws raised to attack.
Sion didn't hesitate. His eyes darted around quickly and spotted a broken metal pole near one of the machines. He dashed to it, grabbed it, then spun around and yelled, "Catch!"
He threw two smaller metal rods toward Nathan and Elshienne.
Nathan caught his with one hand and spun it like a short staff. Elshienne grabbed hers with both hands, holding it tightly in front of her like a sword, her legs bent slightly—ready.
"Stay close!" Sion shouted.
The first monster lunged toward Nathan. It swung a long, sharp arm like a whip, but Nathan ducked low, slid across the floor, and jabbed the metal rod into the creature's knee. The monster let out a shriek and stumbled back.
Nathan stood quickly, breathing hard. "They're fast, but they have weak points!"
Another monster came from the side—this one going after Elshienne.
She stood her ground, fear shaking in her chest but her grip strong. As the monster swung its arm at her, she raised the rod and blocked it, sparks flying as metal scraped against sharp nails. The impact pushed her back, but she didn't fall.
With a short scream, she swung the rod and hit the creature on the shoulder, then quickly turned her body and slammed it again in the side. "Back off!"
Meanwhile, Sion faced two at once.
He dodged the first one's claws by ducking and rolling to the side. Then, using both hands, he stabbed the pointed end of his rod into the second one's chest. It pierced a little, and black liquid spilled out—but the monster wasn't down yet.
One of the monsters clawed at him again, ripping Sion's sleeve. He hissed in pain but spun and kicked the monster in the chest, knocking it into the wall.
Their moves weren't clean or perfect, but every motion was full of survival and instinct.
They weren't Awakened.
They didn't have powers.
But they were fighting with everything they had.
Professor Sera stood in the back, arms crossed, her eyes glowing softly as she watched the chaos unfold, She took a step closer, "You all have strong wills. That's why brainwashing wouldn't work on you. It's always the stubborn ones that make things exciting."
Nathan swung his rod again, smacking the side of a creature's face. He used the momentum to flip backward, landing beside Elshienne. "You okay?"
"I'm not okay!" Elshienne shouted back, tears in her eyes, but she still stood up straight.
Another monster leapt at them. Sion threw a broken chair, hitting it mid-air and knocking it off course. "Don't let them surround us!"
Nathan's arms were shaking. His rod was now bent from blocking too many strikes.
Sion's shoulder was bleeding, and he had a cut on his forehead. He wiped the blood away, panting. "Damn it… they're not slowing down."
Just then—three monsters charged all at once.
Nathan gritted his teeth and shouted, swinging his rod. He knocked one back, but the second monster dodged and slashed across his side. Blood splattered, and Nathan fell to one knee.
"Sion!" Elshienne shouted.
Sion blocked one monster with his rod, but another came from behind and slammed him into the wall. The impact made him cough, his body slumping.
She grabbed a loose table and flipped it forward, using it like a big shield to cover both Nathan and Sion. The monsters tried to strike, but the metal table blocked most of the hit. It shook, bending under the pressure—but it held.
Elshienne stood in front of the table, arms out wide, protecting both boys. Her chest was rising and falling fast.
"Get back!" she yelled at the monsters.
One of them hissed and slashed.
The sharp claws sliced through her shoulder.
She cried out but didn't move back.
Another claw came for her face, and she turned just in time—it scratched her cheek instead.
"Elshienne, move!" Sion shouted, trying to get up.
"No!" she shouted back, tears in her voice. "I won't let you get hurt anymore!"
With all her strength, she kicked the table forward and swung her rod. She hit the monster in the jaw so hard it stumbled back, black blood dripping from its mouth.
Nathan, breathing hard, pushed himself up. "Elshienne…"
She looked over her shoulder, blood dripping from her arm and face.
"I'm okay," she said, forcing a small smile. "I'm still standing."