ACADEMY OF SURVIVAL

A few hours later, as night descended and stars blanketed the clear sky, Micheal and Tohira finally emerged from the dense forest.

Ahead of them stood enormous gates, looming like silent sentinels in the night. Both of them panted heavily, their exhaustion evident.

"Looks like we made it," Micheal said, still catching his breath.

"Well, looks like we're not the only ones," Tohira remarked, his gaze fixed on other students emerging from their respective lanes and converging toward the massive gates.

The clearing soon filled with a crowd of students, some limping with injuries while others frantically yelled about monsters they had encountered in the forest.

"It seems we're not the only ones who saw the sinders," Tohira whispered, his eyes narrowing as he observed the chaotic scene. Nearby, a group of terrified students screamed, banging on the colossal gates and trying to push them open.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted as a few students sprinted out of their lanes, their faces pale with fear.

"Monsters are coming!" one of them shrieked, his voice trembling with terror.

Tohira's expression darkened, his usual playful demeanor replaced by cold determination. Micheal mirrored his intensity, his red pupils glinting faintly in the starlight.

Then, a calm yet chilling voice pierced the tension.

"Monsters? Are you sure about that?"

Micheal and Tohira turned to see a boy with stark white hair strolling nonchalantly toward them. His hands rested casually in his pockets, and his red pupils glimmered with an unsettling amusement. His lips curled into a smile, the kind that sent a shiver down Micheal's spine.

"Who is he?," Tohira muttered under his breath, his gaze sharpening.

Before anything more could be said, the massive gates—marked as Gate One through Gate Four—creaked and groaned as they began to open. The ground trembled beneath them, and the air grew heavier with each passing second.

A voice, deep and authoritative, echoed from an unseen source.

"Welcome to the second gates of the House of Crows," it announced.

"Please proceed with caution," the voice added, its tone unnervingly neutral.

Micheal's attention shifted from the gates to the dense, foreboding forest that lay beyond. The ominous energy emanating from the darkness was palpable, sending a thrill through his nerves.

A faint smile tugged at Micheal's lips.

"You ready?" Tohira asked, his gaze locked on Micheal.

Micheal glanced at his Tohira, his confidence returning despite the uncertainty ahead.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Micheal replied, his voice steady as his smile widened.

As the massive gates groaned open, chaos erupted among the students. Desperation and fear gripped the masses as they scrambled into the four colossal gates, each choosing their path in the hopes of survival. Micheal and Tohira darted toward Gate Two, their breaths quick and heavy.

The thunderous sound of massive footsteps shook the earth behind them, each step sending vibrations through the ground. Micheal's heart sank—there was no mistaking the terrifying sound.

"It's the sinders," Tohira muttered, his voice tense.

Screams of agony echoed through the night as students at the rear fell victim to the monstrous creatures. Micheal and Tohira pushed forward, sprinting with all their strength as the gate behind them began to close.

Crossing the threshold into the second gate, Micheal felt an ominous weight settle on him. The oppressive atmosphere of this new stage was suffocating, and he couldn't shake the thought gnawing at the back of his mind.

"I've come this far," Micheal thought, his fists clenched.

"I'm not giving up now!" he resolved, though unease still churned in his gut.

The ground beneath their feet trembled violently, and a deafening, guttural roar echoed through the air. Micheal froze, his eyes widening as the monstrous sound reverberated in his chest.

Then it happened—a sinder, swift and merciless, appeared out of nowhere and swallowed a student whole.

Chaos erupted. Screams filled the air as panic overtook the group.

"What the hell is happening?!" Micheal shouted, his voice barely audible over the bedlam.

Students scattered in all directions, some running aimlessly while others stood paralyzed in terror.

"Damn it!" Micheal growled, his anger rising above his fear. "What the hell is wrong with these people?"

Tohira, running beside him, responded with a chilling calmness. "I'm starting to think we're nothing more than playthings for this project."

Micheal barely had time to register Tohira's words when a sudden force yanked his leg out from under him. He crashed to the ground with a painful thud, his breath knocked out of his lungs.

Looking down, his eyes locked onto a grotesque sinder gripping his leg with its clawed added on. Fear clamped down on Micheal's chest as the creature began to drag him backward, its monstrous mouth splitting open in a sickening straight line, revealing rows of jagged teeth.

"Damn it! Get off me!" Micheal screamed, his voice cracking with terror. The gaping mouth grew closer, the rancid stench of decay overwhelming his senses.

Just as the sinder loomed over him, ready to devour its prey, its body convulsed violently. In an instant, it burst apart, its organs spraying outward in a grotesque explosion. Micheal gasped, covered in the creature's remains, his mind struggling to comprehend what had just happened.

He lay on the ground, panting and trembling, staring at the mangled remains of the sinder. The lifeless corpse was now a Deformed heap, its grip on him completely gone.