Ballad of the Bloodcurdling Monsters

Chapter IV - Ballet of the Faceless Ballerinas

After witnessing those horrifying incidents, they let out a heavy sigh, their hearts filled with despair, and they were left speechless as they sank into their seats.

Kae and Lia sat side by side, their faces etched with pain and weariness. Kae, mustering up a shred of hope amidst the overwhelming darkness, turned to Lia and softly whispered, "We're in this together, right? Don't worry, he'll be fine. He's tougher than you think he is."

Those words, though tinged with uncertainty, carried a glimmer of solace, a fragile reassurance that they would face whatever trials awaited them united. Lia found a sliver of comfort in Kae's unwavering support, but the weight of their collective anguish still pressed heavily upon them.

Xion and Lia had been inseparable friends since childhood, their bond unbreakable. It was Xion who had introduced Lia to the world of archery.

Xion's grandfather, a renowned animal hunter, owned a secluded island. Every summer, she would be invited by Xion's grandfather to visit the island. These visits were not mere leisure trips; they were intense training sessions, aimed at honing their hunting skills and sharpening their survival instincts.

But now, as she sat there, the weight of their experiences bore down on her heavily. The once thrilling adventures had become tainted by tragedy and loss. The echoes of those fateful hunts reverberated through their souls, haunting her every thought.

They did reach the city, it appeared to be deserted, almost like a ghost town. There's no sign of life and the street is a chaos, and some buildings are destroyed.

The bus screeched to a halt outside the abandoned mall, its windows covered in grime and darkness. The group of teenage students, hearts pounding with fear and adrenaline, looked out at the eerie sight before them. The once bustling shopping center now stood desolate and decrepit, with an aura of unspeakable horror hanging in the air.

They cautiously stepped off the bus, feeling the weight of their escape from the bloodcurdling monsters that had overrun their campus.

They lifted the rolling steel door and entered. As they entered the mall, the scent of decay mingled with the eerie ballet music echoing through the place. Their eyes widened seeing the spacious area that once housed bustling shops was transformed into a nightmarish stage. Soft moonlight streamed in through broken skylights, illuminating a group of ballerinas with no faces. Instead, each dancer had a gaping mouth lined with razor-sharp teeth, stretching from ear to ear.

Ballet music drifted hauntingly through the air, the notes entwined with an otherworldly resonance. The ballerinas moved with a fluid grace, their bodies contorting and twisting in unnatural ways. The combination of beauty and horror mesmerized the students, freezing them in both fear and fascination.

Just as they were caught in the spell of the macabre performance, a cool short-haired girl appeared from the shadows. She's a fierce looking girl, probably just a few years older than them, sucking a lollipop. She's wearing a black leather jacket, a black long skirt, and a pair of boots. Her piercing gaze met theirs. Without a word, she motioned for them to follow her.

They exchanged glances, their instinct to trust this mysterious girl overriding their fear. They followed her through the labyrinthine hallways. They entered the elevator and the girl pressed the fourth floor button.

Finally, they arrived at the fourth floor, their footsteps heavy with trepidation. Abbi led them to the office, where a figure in a lab gown sat in an office chair, his eyes fixated on the glowing monitors.

"Hey, Four-eyes, you have your visitors."

At first, a glimmer of recognition flickered in their eyes as they laid sight upon the man. It became evident that they knew him as his gaze snapped back at them. It was Professor Damian, their science teacher. But the sight that greeted them now sent shockwaves through their beings.

Professor Damian rose from his chair, a troubled expression etching his face. He mustered a smile, attempting to mask the distress that lingered within him. "I'm glad you guys are safe," he said, his voice filled with a mixture of relief and concern.

"Sir, what's happening?" Riven mustered the courage to ask, though fear still gripped their heart.

With a heavy sigh, the professor began to explain. He spoke of a sinister parasite that could transform humans into ravenous monsters. There were three classifications of these parasites. The "Class threes" preyed on human flesh, they are brainless, just like wild animals hunting for preys, the "Class twos" sought human brains to absorb knowledge. The more they consume brains, the more intelligence they gain. And then there was the "Class ones," the most insidious of them all, there are only few of them but they are not just human-preying creatures, they have supernatural abilities. But they have only one weakness—music.Their reactions were dependent on the melodies that reached their ears. He added that there was also a Class one on the loose, a monster that's capable of manipulating people, the whole military is under its control.

As the professor spoke, he deftly changed the ballet music playing in the background to a thunderous rock anthem. The monitors before them displayed a scene that froze them in horror. The faceless ballerina monsters, once graceful and elegant, now behave with malicious frenzy, their movements savage and violent. The professor swiftly reverted the music back to its original state, the haunting ballet notes once again filling the room.

Gavin, an acquaintance of the professor, abruptly reached out and demanded their phones. Startled, they hesitated, but Gavin's commanding tone brooked no argument. "If you don't want to be tracked down by those military," he warned, his voice laced with urgency, "give me your fucking phones."

Gavin possessed a magnetic allure, his striking appearance capturing their attention despite the tense situation. He has a HK416 on his back holster.

Seeking answers, they turned to Professor Damian, beseeching him to shed light on the identities of Gavin and Abbi. The professor's weary gaze met theirs, his voice tinged with resignation as he began to explain.

"Gavin and Abbi, they are assassins," the professor revealed, the words hanging heavily in the air. It became clear that the professor had fallen prey to the monstrous beings and was imprisoned by them to feed him off to the Class twos. However, he managed to break free, seeking refuge in the unlikely alliance with Gavin and Abbi, believing that these individuals possessed the skills necessary to aid his escape from this nightmarish ordeal.

"Will everything be back to normal?" Kae asked.

"As of the moment, I have no clue if someone are taking actions, or if everything will soon be back to normal," he said, and silence followed.

Out of nowhere, the professor's voice pierced the air, startling them with his unexpected question. "Have you ever tried shoplifting?" His words hung in the tense silence, their eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"I-I'm sorry?" Seilah stammered, her voice laced with bewilderment and uncertainty.

The professor, his expression a mix of mischief and desperation, reiterated his audacious statement. "You heard it right? Go ahead and take whatever you want from the shops. Consider it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," he added, his tone tinged with half-hearted humor.

Their minds whirled with a maelstrom of conflicting thoughts. The professor's suggestion, although seemingly absurd and morally questionable, held a tempting allure. In this chaotic world overrun by monsters, where survival hung by a thread, the boundaries of right and wrong began to blur.