All Chapters of The Last Howl: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

The iron bar on the staircase door above was already screaming under the sheer weight of the horde. Every frantic BOOM rattling down the stone spiral shaft felt like a hammer striking the inside of my skull. Dust rained down from the ancient vaulted ceilings, mixing with the thick, suffocating reek of stagnant water and old iron."Stand back!" Atlas’s deep, thunderous command cut through Susan’s hysterical sobbing and the shivering gasps of the surviving freshmen.At the end of the dungeon corridor, the heavy oak door leading to the boiler room stood locked from the inside, its thick iron studs rusted into the frame. Atlas didn't waste time searching for a second key on the ring. He braced his massive brass shield against his forearm, planted his greaves against the slick cobblestones, and hurled his entire weight forward.

The silence inside the greenhouse was heavy and freezing cold.The loud pounding on the iron doors had finally stopped, leaving behind an unbearable quiet. The daylight coming through the cracked glass roof looked pale and dull. Dust floated slowly in the air above our dirty, blood-stained armor.Nobody smiled. Nobody talked. Just staying alive felt like a terrible nightmare.Captain Julian’s rough breathing had finally slowed down. He had passed out from pain and exhaustion, leaning heavily against a stone plant box. His face looked completely gray, but Vanya had managed to tie the torn bandages tight enough to stop the heavy bleeding. Vanya sat quietly beside him on the cold floor, staring at her blood-stained hands with wide, empty eyes.Suddenly, a loud growl came from someone’s stomach.

The mud felt cold, wet, and heavy against my skin, drying into a tight mask that made every movement feel stiff.It's just dirt, I kept telling myself, pushing down the wave of nausea that threatened to choke me. It's just wet soil and herbs. It's the only thing keeping us invisible.We had covered every inch of ourselves in the thick, bitter plant mixture. It reeked strongly of wet earth and crushed leaves, completely drowning out our scent. In the pitch-black night, we looked like terrifying ghosts sculpted from black clay."Remember," Alexander whispered, his voice barely carrying past his own lips as he looked at each of us. "No talking. No fast movements. If you step on a dry branch, do not run. Just stop."Atlas an

"Are you alright?"Alexander’s soft question hung in the warm, dimly lit air between us, competing only with the crackle of dry logs in the hearth.I stared into the dancing orange flames, my reflection flickering faintly against the dirty glass of a lantern nearby. I wanted to give him a simple answer. I wanted to nod, to smile, to offer a brave lie like I had done for Kenny and Lena back in the greenhouse.But the words died in my throat."I don't know," I whispered, my voice barely a thread.I don't know. Because how could I? Yes, my lungs were drawing air. Yes, my heart was beating beneath my mud-soaked tunic. Yes, I was physically alive. But inside? Inside, I felt like a hollow shell filled with ash.

"There is no help coming," Alexander repeated, his voice cutting through the small dining room like an icy blade. He set his hands flat on the wooden tabletop, his silver eyes sweeping over the pale, hopeful faces staring back at him. "The capital fell before the Keep did. If there were organized military units left to send, they would have secured the central roads forty-eight hours ago."Silence descended upon the room, heavy and suffocating.Vanya looked down at her hands, her lower lip trembling. "So... we just die out here?""No," Captain Julian spoke up from the armchair where Atlas had carefully propped him up. Though his face was still pale and his shoulder remained tightly bandaged, his voice had regained some of its old authority. "We don't die. We adapt."He gestured toward the small window facing the forest. "Look wh