MTLNOVEL Chapter 5: The Silent College
Selwyn's shout echoed across the rooftop, but Cal Mandem was gone, vanishing as though he'd never been there. The words he left behind, "They're here," hung in the air, chilling and ominous. Selwyn spun around, searching for any sign of the man, but there was nothing—no trace, no sound, not even the faintest scuff of a boot. The rooftop, typically alive with the distant hum of the college below, was now eerily quiet.
"Cal?" Selwyn called again, his voice cracking with a mix of frustration and anxiety. Silence was his only answer. With a deep breath, he turned and began descending the stairs back into the building. Each step felt heavier, as though an unseen force pressed down on him.
But as he moved through the stairwell, a realization struck him—the college was silent. Unnaturally so. The muffled chatter of students, the rhythmic clatter of footsteps, and the occasional burst of laughter—all the sounds that normally marked the start of a bustling college day—were gone. Instead, an oppressive stillness filled the air, heavy and unsettling.
Heart pounding, Selwyn stepped into the corridor. The hallway, usually bustling with life, was empty. His footsteps echoed faintly against the polished floor, each sound amplifying the void around him. Panic began to claw at his chest as he moved toward the nearest classroom. Peering inside, he found rows of desks and chairs, but no students, no teachers—no one.
"This… this doesn't make sense," he muttered, his voice trembling.
He quickened his pace, checking room after room. Each one told the same story: empty, lifeless, as though the entire college had been abandoned in an instant. He turned toward the main hall, his legs carrying him faster now, propelled by growing anxiety. No one. The canteen? Empty. The coffee shop? Vacant. Selwyn's breathing grew ragged as he darted around the campus, searching for any sign of life. It was as if he'd stepped into a different world entirely, one where time had stopped and everyone had vanished.
Then he heard it—a scream, sharp and terrified, cutting through the oppressive silence. Selwyn froze, his heart lurching. The voice was familiar. It was Raven.
Without hesitation, he sprinted toward the source of the scream, his shoes skidding slightly as he rounded corners. The sound led him to the college field, and the sight that greeted him made his blood run cold.
A grotesque, distorted creature loomed in the center of the field. It resembled a massive garbage dumpster, its body a slimy, malformed mass covered in writhing eyes that blinked and darted in every direction. A foul miasma radiated from it, the air around it seeming to ripple with an oppressive, negative energy. The ground beneath it appeared scorched, the grass wilting under its touch.
Raven lay nearby, crumpled on the ground and barely conscious. The monster's many eyes fixed on her as it began to crawl forward, its movements slow but deliberate, yet filled with malevolent intent.
"Raven!" Selwyn shouted, rushing toward her. Adrenaline surged through him as he reached her side, grabbing her arm and pulling her back just as the monster slammed into the wall where she'd been moments before. The impact sent cracks spidering through the concrete, a horrifying reminder of the creature's strength.
Raven was trembling, her breaths shallow and uneven. She tried to speak, but no words came out. Selwyn's chest tightened at the sight of her like this, fear threatening to paralyze him. But something deeper stirred within him—a need to protect her, no matter the cost.
He stood, planting himself between Raven and the monster. His legs shook, but he clenched his fists, determined not to back down. "Stay back!" he shouted, though he wasn't sure who he was trying to convince—the monster or himself.
The creature paused, as if considering him. Then, with a sickening lurch, it swung one of its goopy, sludge-like limbs. Selwyn had no time to react. The impact sent him flying across the field, his body hitting the ground with a painful thud. He groaned, pain radiating through his limbs as he struggled to push himself up.
The monster advanced again, its focus returning to Raven. Selwyn watched in horror, helpless to stop it. The miasma grew thicker, the air heavy and suffocating as the creature loomed over her.
And then, in an instant, a brilliant beam of lightning struck the monster. The field lit up with a blinding flash as the creature let out a guttural, otherworldly screech. Its grotesque body began to crystallize, the slimy texture replaced by a glass-like sheen. Cracks formed across its surface, spreading rapidly until it shattered into countless fragments, which dissipated into the air like dust.
Selwyn blinked, his vision clearing to reveal Cal Mandem standing nearby, his hand still crackling with residual electricity. The man's sharp gray eyes locked onto Selwyn and Raven, his expression unreadable.
"You both need to come with me," Cal said, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Selwyn opened his mouth to protest, to demand answers, but the words caught in his throat. He looked at Raven, still trembling but alive, and then back to Cal. The weight of everything that had happened pressed down on him, leaving him with no choice but to nod.
The fire that had briefly illuminated the battlefield was gone, replaced by a heavy silence once more. Selwyn didn't know what awaited him next, but one thing was certain: his world would never be the same again.