Elise shifted uncomfortably where she sat, pressing her knees together. "Ava…" she whispered, leaning in slightly.
Ava turned toward her, noting the slight unease in her expression.
"I need to use the restroom," Elise admitted, her voice barely audible.
Ava exhaled through her nose. It was inevitable. They couldn't avoid it forever.
Riley, sitting cross-legged nearby, raised a brow. "We're all gonna have to go at some point."
Ava nodded, then glanced toward Liam, who was sitting a few feet away, rubbing his temples.
They had all gathered in a loose circle, some leaning against walls, others resting on the floor.
Ava cleared her throat softly. "Elise needs to use the restroom," she said, addressing the group. "And, honestly, we all do. We need to figure out how to do this safely."
Liam's brows furrowed slightly, but he nodded. "We can't just go one by one. It's too dangerous. If someone gets cornered…"
Silence.
No one needed him to finish the sentence.
Mia, who had been absentmindedly running her fingers along the edge of her sleeve, glanced up. "So what's the plan?"
Ava exchanged a look with Riley and Elise.
"We'll go first," Ava decided.
There was no hesitation in her voice.
Elise exhaled in relief. Riley simply nodded.
Liam pressed his lips together before glancing toward Jason and Eli. "We'll go after."
Jason grunted. "Yeah, yeah."
Mia, however, said nothing.
Ava caught the slight downturn of her lips before turning away.
The restroom wasn't far—just about 200 meters from the classroom, opposite to where they were. The corridor leading there was lined with shattered windows, cracks spiderwebbing across the glass like veins. The frost had crawled over them like a parasite, spreading its reach in twisted patterns.
Ava and her group moved carefully, their footsteps light, avoiding anything that could create sound.
For a school that once held so much noise—chatter, footsteps, laughter—now it was eerily silent.
Elise walked beside Ava, her arms wrapped around herself for warmth.
As they passed one of the larger windows, Elise instinctively reached out—
Ava yanked her back.
Elise let out a startled breath, looking at her with wide eyes.
Ava didn't say anything.
Instead, she pointed.
The frost on the window wasn't just frost.
It was growing.
Thin, crystalline veins spread across the glass, crawling, shifting ever so slightly.
The glass was fragile.
Too fragile.
Even a small amount of pressure could break it.
Elise swallowed hard. "Noted."
They continued on.
Finally, they reached the restroom.
Ava moved first, stepping inside cautiously.
The air was heavy with dampness, and an old, moldy scent lingered. The dim light from the cracked windows barely reached the back stalls.
Ava's first instinct was to grab something—anything—to use as a weapon.
Her eyes scanned the room quickly.
There.
A mop.
It wasn't much, but it was better than nothing.
Gripping it tightly, Ava used it to push open the stall doors—one by one.
A loud creak echoed each time.
Her muscles tensed.
Nothing.
Nobody.
Just the faint drip of water from a rusted sink.
Ava let out a breath.
"Clear," she said softly.
Riley and Elise stepped inside.
For the first time in what felt like forever, they had a moment of normalcy.
They took turns using the restroom.
Ava leaned against the doorframe, keeping her eyes on the corridor outside.
Her grip on the mop never loosened.
Just in case.
When they were finished, Ava was about to turn back when something caught her eye.
Something metallic.
A crowbar.
It was resting near the old janitor's cart, rusted but solid.
A faint whitish layer coated parts of it. Frost.
Ava's fingers curled around it.
It was cold to the touch, but sturdy.
Her eyes chimed with relief.
A weapon.
A real weapon.
Something that could actually protect them.
She tightened her grip on it, then turned back to Riley and Elise, who were watching her with curious expressions.
"Found something good?" Riley asked.
Ava nodded. "A crowbar."
Elise exhaled. "That's lucky."
Riley hummed. "Bet there's more in the boys' restroom."
Ava hesitated.
Her gaze shifted toward the opposite door.
The boys' restroom.
It was a logical assumption. If there was one useful weapon here, there might be another one there.
But going in…
Riley noticed her hesitation and nudged her. "Oh, come on, Ava. Survival over shame, right?"
Ava sighed. She knew Riley was right.
Summoning her courage, she moved toward the door.
The handle was stiff.
It felt… stuck.
Ava frowned and gave it a hard push.
The door creaked.
Then—
It swung open.
And before she could react—
A hand clamped over her mouth.
Ava's eyes widened.
Another hand grabbed her arm, yanking her backward—
Behind the door.
Ava's first instinct was to fight.
Her body reacted before her mind could fully process what was happening.
She twisted sharply, trying to free herself from the stranger's grip, but the hold was firm. Too firm.
Panic surged through her veins, but she forced herself to stay calm.
Then, without hesitation, she slammed her heel down onto the toe of the person holding her.
A muffled grunt of pain followed, and for a brief second, the grip on her loosened.
Ava didn't waste that opportunity.
She whirled around, hands clenched into fists, her heart hammering against her ribcage.
"WHO—?"
Her voice had barely left her lips before a strong, calloused hand swiftly pressed against her mouth again, soft but firm.
She was pushed against the wall with a controlled yet urgent force, not enough to hurt her, but enough to trap her in place.
Her wide, startled eyes met his.
A boy.
A boy she had never seen before.
Tall.
Well-built, with defined arms that tensed slightly from holding her still.
His hair was golden brown, lavishly tousled, the kind that looked effortlessly perfect. His features were sharp, almost chiseled, his jawline strong and his cheekbones high. There was a wild intensity in his gaze—one that flickered with anxious urgency.
But it wasn't just his appearance that took her off guard.
It was the lack of space between them.
They were too close.
Uncomfortably close.
And the way his breath came out slightly uneven, the way his fingers slightly trembled against her lips—
He wasn't trying to harm her.
He was worried, anxiousness filled his eyes.
But it wasn't about ava, his gaze seems to trying to look out for something, as he was trying to keep her quiet.
But Ava wasn't having it.
Annoyance quickly replaced her initial shock.
Her brows furrowed, her gaze turning sharp.
Let me go.
That was what her eyes told him.
And yet, before she could even say anything, it was already too late.
The damage had been done.
The single word that had escaped her mouth earlier—
"WHO—?"
It had carried.
And now, a low, guttural sound echoed from the other end of the restroom.
A sound she recognized all too well.
A deep, grumbling noise.
Followed by the unsettling crackle of ice.