Chapter 28 Gate of monsters

Chapter 28: Chapter 28 Gate of monsters

Lamia and Rose watched as Noah approached and took his seat, with Killian doing the same. The alpha turned briefly to stare at Eugene, but without any hint of pity, he shifted his focus back to Noah.

"Can I at least sit? I’m harmless, I promise." Killian raised his hands while flashing a smile. The combination of his glasses, easy facial expression, and dimples hit Noah harder than expected. He froze for a moment, staring into Killian’s bright emerald eyes. It took several seconds before he snapped out of it, prompted by Rose clearing her throat with a deliberate cough.

"This is a public space and the teachers are already here, so sit your ass down. It’s not like Ashton owns the place." She nudged Noah gently.

"Stop pretending you don’t want him here. After last night, I think I kind of like him more than the rest anyway, so he gets a pass for that." Noah hadn’t even realized he was smiling until it happened. Killian settled in beside them while Eugene, who had been watching the exchange, frowned deeply.

He had been rejected right away, yet Killian faced no such resistance. What was the difference now?

"Sit down, everyone." A firm female voice echoed through the hall as she marched onto the stage. Noah glanced around and realized they weren’t in a standard assembly hall but a repurposed film theater. The school had apparently chosen the space to accommodate the situation.

Once everyone had settled, two more figures appeared at the entrance. From their commanding aura alone, Noah knew they were the two remaining Alphas. It seemed they could go wherever they pleased, walking into any space as if it belonged to them and arriving at any time without question. While everyone pretended not to fear them—especially the staff—Noah could see through the masks. The terror was evident in their postures and glances.

"Take your seats, you two. We have important matters that require serious discussion." Just as expected, nothing happened to the two Alphas. They made their way directly toward Noah’s row, which immediately made him nervous.

Noah turned to Killian and whispered urgently, "I don’t want problems with the staff. Why the heck are your brothers trying to bring attention to me?" Both Killian and Lamia signaled for him to stay quiet, but he couldn’t help himself. Despite the warnings written on their faces, the Alphas kept coming closer.

Killian stared at the approaching figures and rolled his eyes. "They aren’t my brothers. If you don’t want them here, I won’t let them sit." His tone suggested he was ready to get physical and violent if needed, which was the last thing the tense gathering required.

"Okay, okay, just calm down. They can come, but all of you need to behave. I beg you." Noah heaved a deep sigh and watched as they smirked in that familiar way Marcus often did. Damian, on the other hand, remained unusually serious and had barely spoken. The events of the previous night had clearly taken a heavy toll on him, and he hadn’t recovered yet.

"Please, everyone keep quiet so we can get through this awkward gathering." The two newcomers nodded in agreement. Rose shot them a silent, threatening glare, warning them not to cause any trouble.

Marcus glanced at her expression and nearly laughed, but Killian shut it down with his next words. "Just make sure you don’t get on her nerves. In case you don’t know, she’s a witch—and not an ordinary one. She’s a Phoenix witch." That made both Damian and Marcus freeze in place.

"You’re not serious," Marcus said, seeking confirmation. But Noah stayed quiet. He was tired of talking and simply wanted the meeting to end so he could return to his bed.

His eyes drifted to the stage as the main proceedings began. He felt overwhelmingly sleepy, the kind of exhaustion that came from being jolted awake by an alarm for this emergency assembly. All he wanted was for everything to wrap up quickly.

"You all know me, right? Well, Mrs. Marie Langford is dead." Her words caused half the hall to gasp. The school’s population had already shrunk noticeably, but plenty of terrified students remained—many of them still feeling like children caught in something far beyond their control.

"So I was called upon to make this announcement. I’m Danielle Winifred, and from henceforth, nobody is allowed to leave the school grounds. We are implementing a total lockdown." Murmurs erupted immediately. Holidays had been drawing near, with plans for students to visit their parents at the end of the semester. Now it seemed none of that would happen.

"What is this? Is something bigger going on?" Noah asked Killian quietly. The alpha turned to him and shook his head.

"I actually don’t know. Although as school president, I should. My mind has been occupied with you, so I haven’t done much digging." Here he was casually flirting during such a serious moment.

"You didn’t have to be that specific, you know." But Killian simply blushed in response. Meanwhile, Sylvia paid no attention to the actual announcements. She had transformed into a professional monitor, staring intently in Noah’s direction with such focus that it started to exhaust him.

"Murmur all you want. I am doing this to protect you all because the situation is severe. Starting today, each class will select its five strongest students to join the school elite team. That team will be responsible for fighting the monsters." She didn’t sugarcoat anything, delivering the news plain and direct: they would be fighting monsters.

Hands shot up immediately across the hall. She waited patiently, though she wasn’t finished. More bad news waited, but she chose to release it one piece at a time.

"Okay, you." She pointed to a brunette girl who swallowed hard before speaking.

"They are monsters now? Where are they coming from, and aren’t we too young to stop them?" The question prompted nods throughout the crowd. Of course they didn’t want this. The woman on stage laughed at their collective reaction.

"What is that look for? Don’t tell me you expected me to fight those things myself. Isn’t that why we train all of you? To preserve our kingdom and stop the terrors. How is that supposed to happen with a bunch of useless, terrified kids running around?" Her harsh words landed heavily, forcing everyone to pause and absorb the reality.

Noah’s mind raced. Monsters. That meant the full moon night had unlocked something dangerous.

"The full moon last night was not ordinary. It occurs only once every hundred years. When it does, it tears open spiritually powerful places, creating pathways for abominations to crawl through. Unfortunately, this school sits on the most powerfully charged ground. That means every night from now on, you should expect monsters. We need capable people to clear them out." Danielle’s eyes held no pity like Marie’s might have, nor any softness. Noah could tell the responsibility would weigh on her heavily, possibly even destroy her in the end, just as it had Marie.

"This is insane. We’re not prepared. That full moon event couldn’t have happened for no reason—something must have triggered it." Rose tried to find logic, but Killian countered her gently.

"It’s natural, once every hundred years. We are simply the unlucky generation it happened to hit right away. We have no choice but to deal with it." His words carried a deep, resigned edge that left Noah feeling nauseous. They were now fighting for their lives, and the threats surrounding him had intensified dramatically.

"Oh, are you scared, Ash?" Marcus asked with a dumb grin. Noah facepalmed at the question. Who wouldn’t be scared? This was terrifying. He had finally found something resembling a good life, only to be thrown into a disaster where death loomed constantly. How was any of this supposed to feel okay?

With a sharp glare from Noah, Marcus shut up quickly.

"You know, in a situation this bad, frowning doesn’t help. At least being a little happy creates some good memories."

Noah refused to entertain the logic. It sounded plain stupid—smile now when he might die any night.

"So you all know what you’re getting into. And if these creatures leave the academy, the homes you’re desperate to run to for protection during holidays? Those places won’t exist anymore. This will tear everything apart." The staff members beside Danielle flinched at her blunt, unapologetic delivery.

Students around the hall had begun to break. Some cried softly while others continued shivering. For a school that once felt safe and promising, the change was shocking and devastating.

"Tonight, the first portal opens. I will need to select people to help contain it. Tomorrow, we will officially begin lectures on the matter. The old curriculum you had been following was filled with irrelevant things. These lessons should have been the main focus all along." She scoffed.

Noah nodded internally, agreeing with her assessment. Then she continued.

"All the Moonlight Alphas are going, along with some from your class. We need eight powerful individuals for tonight. This is it." Eyes across the hall immediately turned toward Noah’s row, where the Moonlight Alphas sat—except for Eugene. When Noah leaned over to speak with Rose, Sylvia suddenly raised her hand and stood up.

"There is something I want to say. We have a threat among us. Someone here is a dangerous monster—the same one that attacked the school last night. If nothing is done, we are all dead." Noah’s eyes widened in shock. Damian and Marcus stared at him as well, tension crackling between them.

"I don’t know what she’s talking about. I didn’t say anything," Noah protested. Killian had noticed the sudden shift in expressions and the way eyes locked onto Noah. His own gaze narrowed suspiciously at the group.