Chapter 3: Hungry Eyes

Chase’s P.O.V

Pain. That was all I could feel as I lay there at the base of the stairs, my head pounding, blood dripping down my face.

My vision was blurry, the edges of everything fading in and out. I blinked a few times, trying to clear it, but the dizziness only worsened. For a moment, I thought I was hallucinating, that the fall had knocked me out cold and I was trapped in some kind of nightmare.

Maybe that’s why everything felt so… off.

I could feel the weight of the eyes on me before I saw them.

The other students around me stand still, like statues, like they were waiting for order. Their laughter from before was gone, replaced by a cold, creepy silence that is really scaring me out. When I looked up, my breath caught immediately. Their faces were blank, no expression, just frozen. Their eyes were wide and not even blinking, like time stopped right there at that moment.

I blinked again, and when I looked up, I realized that the entire room had quieted. Every single student—except for a few—had stopped moving, their bodies rigid, their gazes locked on me with something strange and unsettling. My blood ran cold.

Then, as if someone had flipped a switch, they started moving towards me. Slowly. Too slowly. Their steps weren’t the hurried, panicked movements of a crowd. No. It was methodical, deliberate, like they were stalking me.

“What’s going on?” I managed to croak My mouth felt dry, and I wiped my forehead, the blood on my hand mixing with the sweat of confusion and fear. But no one answered me. Not a single word. Not even a murmur.

I try to push myself up, maybe even run, but pain shoots through me. I groan and lean back against the wall for support. I knew I wasn’t going to get away from this madness in time, everything was just falling apart and I couldn’t understand what the fuck was even going on.

The air around me was thick with tension. My heartbeat pounded in my ears, but it was drowned out by an almost… predatory sound. Hissing.

It was quiet at first, like the faintest whisper of a snake, but then it grew louder, more pronounced.

My eyes darted from one person to another, but no one looked human anymore. Their faces, pale and drawn, had turned into something twisted. Their eyes glowed, a faint red hue lighting up the dark corners of the stairwell. They weren’t just looking at me—they were staring at me, hungry, like I was prey.

I felt my breath catch in my chest as I pushed myself back against the wall, panic clawing at my throat. “What’s happening? What’s wrong with you people?” I screamed, but they just kept coming. No one stepped in to help. It was as if I were invisible, a non-entity, an inconvenience to their hunt.

More of them began moving bluntly, their heads snapping toward me with creepy and swift precision. They grin dark, sinister smiles that didn't touch their eyes. My heart dropped when I saw their eyes shining red, bright like warning lights leaving me in utmost and devastating fear.

Those crimson eyes stare at me, hungry and wild like that of a lion, like they’re ready to attack me at that moment. Their combined hissing sound filled the air, coming from all of them at once.

“What the hell…” I whispered, fear choking me up. “What’s wrong with you? Somebody… help!”

But no one came to my rescue at that moment. They started closing in, slowly at first, then faster, moving like they planned it. The hissing got louder, more threatening as they moved in all at once, like puppets on a string.

The fear was suffocating, and I could feel my chest tightening, like the walls were closing in. Was this real? Was this really happening? I tried to blink it away, but it wasn’t going away. The students were getting closer, their grins widening, their eyes glowing with that unnatural red light.

I cowered, trying to press myself further against the cold wall behind me. But there was nowhere to go. The hissing was louder now, filling the entire space, echoing in my ears.

I wanted to scream again, to beg for help, but my voice was stuck in my throat. The blood on my forehead was thick and sticky, slipping down my face like some kind of sick joke. My pulse hammered in my chest, and the air tasted metallic, as if the walls themselves had been soaked in blood.

Then I saw it. The claws.

Sharp, elongated fingers stretched out from the hands of the students, their nails gleaming in the dim light like blades. They were moving with predatory grace, curling and flexing as they came closer.

I pressed myself harder against the wall, my heart pounding so violently that hard it hurt my chest. Panic flooded through me, and I scramble for any idea to stop this nightmare, but nothing came to mind.

“This can’t be real,” I muttered, desperately. “I hit my head too hard… I’m seeing things… it’s a dream…”

But it feels too real, too real to be a nightmare: the cold wall against my back, the sharp smell of blood, the way they’re staring at me like predators.

“No,” I screamed, shaking my head hard to snap out of it. “This isn’t happening!”

Terror flooded through me, and I screamed again, this time louder, hoarse with panic. “Somebody! Anybody! Help!” But my voice was lost in the oppressive air. No one moved to help me. No one even acknowledged my plea. It was as if I were alone, completely and utterly alone, surrounded by monsters who were only getting closer with every passing second.

The first one reached me, its breath foul and heavy, like a beast. I could see its teeth now, sharp and jagged, gleaming under the flickering light. The hissing grew louder, and I could see the saliva dripping from its mouth. I flinched, but it didn’t stop. It grinned, showing its grotesque teeth, and raised one of its clawed hands toward my throat.

My whole body trembled. I shut my eyes, unable to look at the thing that was about to strike. I thought I was going to die, right here in this hellish hallway. But then, something strange happened.

A shadow moved in front of me. It was sudden, so fast that I didn’t even have time to comprehend what was happening. One second, I was staring into the predatory eyes of the creature, and the next, there was a figure standing between us, a dark silhouette. The figure hissed back at the students with a venomous growl, its eyes glowing a fierce red. The students froze, their steps halting in their tracks.

I could barely breathe as the figure—tall and imposing—stood protectively in front of me, blocking the path of the creatures. The room fell silent. The students took a step back, hesitant now, as if they were unsure whether to continue their attack. The figure didn’t move, didn’t flinch. It was as though it were daring them to come any closer.

One by one, the students/creatures began to back off, retreating from the base of the stairs. The hissing died down, replaced by an eerie silence. My heart still pounded in my chest, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the figure that had saved me. It was like some kind of force had swept through the room, dispelling whatever dark power had a hold on everyone.

I didn’t know what was happening, but in that moment, I realized I was safe. At least for now.

I slowly pushed myself up from the floor, my legs shaky, my head swimming. I was still covered in blood, but I didn’t care about that anymore. My gaze lifted to thank the person who had helped me, but when I saw who it was, my throat went dry.

It was Alex.

Standing there, between me and the monsters, Alex looked like a completely different person. My stepbrother’s usual blue eyes were gone. Now they’re glowing red, just like the others’. His face was too calm and he looked at me with a look I couldn't decipher.

His lips curled into a cunning, almost smug smile as he regarded me. It wasn’t the same Alex I had seen this morning, the one who had ignored me, the one who had let me suffer. This was someone else entirely.

“Alex…” I whispered, my voice shaking. My knees almost gave out beneath me, and I had to grab onto the railing to steady myself.