"No! I won't!"
Aeron's shout tore through the frozen hall—or at least, it should have. But there was nobody, no Vespera, in front of him.
Strangely, his body remained perfectly still, planted between Emilia and Livia like a statue, though he kept speaking while his eyes burned, twin embers of red in the darkness, unblinking.
Around him, the world had become a gallery of nightmares.
Students stood motionless, their faces slack, their irises glowing the same unnatural crimson. Some whispered to empty air. Others clutched at invisible figures, their mouths forming silent pleas or laughter.
"I won't fail again…" Emilia whispered to no one, her voice hollow. "I won't…"
Beside her, Livia's fingers twitched at her sides. "One more… just one more…"
As for the chubby boy, he was curled into a ball, sobbing into his hands. "No, don't leave me!" he wailed, though the only thing that might have "left" him was the imaginary feast he'd been devouring moments ago.
And then there was Zephyr.
