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P5 - Chapter Forty-five

TW: The chapter contains some graphic content, so if you are not comfortable reading that, I strongly suggest you skip the first part of this chapter.

May 16th, 2021:

I held my breath as I clung to Qibli, my heart pounding. It was cramped and it felt as though the air in that small closet was running out.

"Just stay calm," Qibli murmured. That advice aged well as someone began banging on the classroom door. I was now hyperventilating.

I could hear the chairs and desks clatter as the door became closer and closer to being opened. I took a step back in that cramped closet, bumping into someone behind me.

Bang, bang, bang.

Suddenly, someone in the closet whispered, "I—I h-have claustrophobia. I need to get out of here."

"You can't," another person cried. "It'll give us away!" A third person hushed the both of them.

"Just shut up," Qibli hissed from beside me. "Stay calm and shut up."

"I—I can't," the one with claustrophobia muttered as she tried to shove past us, but it was too cramped to make any room. "Move! I need to get out! I need to get out!"

I whirled around and shoved my hand onto her mouth, trying to get her to shut the hell up. She bit my hand and I tried my best not to make a sound as I fought against her. Without warning, she shoved me back so roughly that I fell backward against the door, and the door flew open.

I fell backward and the person with claustrophobia—Fatespeaker—fell on top of me. As we hit the ground, she rolled off of me with a groan and lay on the floor beside me.

"Moon—" Qibli said, but stopped shortly after, and when I realized why, my heart dropped. I rolled onto my stomach as I stared up at the attacker, who had their gun pointing at Webs and was previously yelling at him for something. The attacker noticed everyone who was in the closet, including Fatespeaker and me, who were both on the floor.

The attacker raised their gun with what seemed to be a scoff and didn't hesitate to shoot her. Fatespeaker screamed as the bullet rang out and she got struck right in her shoulder. I cried out, scrambling backward on the floor as fast as I could.

"Fatespeaker!" Webs yelled out, but before he could move, the attacker pointed their gun back at him, threatening him not to move.

The other students cleverly stayed hidden, not daring to make a sound.

I reached for Fatespeaker but froze when the attacker turned back to me.

Oh, no.

The attacker took one step toward me and raised their gun, preparing for a lethal blow. I stared up at them, finding no reason to try and defend myself when my fate was clear. Beside me on the floor, Fatespeaker whimpered, her head buried in her arms as she curled up in a small ball.

The attacker cocked her gun and—

"Don't!" Qibli shouted, and that's when the attacker finally acknowledged him. "Don't shoot!" The attacker pointed their gun at him and Qibli took a tentative step back before walking forward anyway and helping me to my feet, ignoring the fact I could barely stand. He pushed me behind him and faced the attacker in a pleading manner.