The Maws of Death or The Whispers of Despair

The sun hung high in the sky, casting dappled light through the thinning canopy as Harry and the others continued their journey. They had been walking for nearly an hour since leaving the forest behind, the dense trees giving way to a wide expanse of open land. In the distance, they could see the circular base or town that marked their destination—a beacon of hope and safety amidst the uncertainty.

As they neared the base, the tension that had gripped the group for so long began to fade.

The students, exhausted but relieved, started to pick up their pace, eager to reach the safety of the walls ahead. Some even broke into a run, their excitement getting the better of them.

"We reached it! Let's go!"

"Finally! We are out of this damn forest!"

"Run! Let's reach that place before those monsters catch up!"

A wry smile crept onto Harry's face as he watched his classmates race toward the base. For a moment, it felt like everything was going to be okay.

They had made it through the forest, faced the unknown, and now they were almost home. But deep down, a knot of worry twisted in his stomach. Something didn't feel right.

"Wait, everyone!" Harry called out, his voice straining against the wind. "I-It's dangerous!"

"Be careful! Stay together! Don't run off!" 

"Hey, don't break from the crowd!"

The teachers also shouted. 

A few students glanced back at them, confusion etched on their faces, but the majority kept running. The teachers, caught between maintaining order and their own relief, hesitated. The group began to spread out, a few brave—or perhaps foolish—students leading the charge toward the base.

"Crack-!"

"!"

"A-An earthquake-!?"

Then, just as Harry feared, the ground beneath them began to tremble.

A low rumble echoed through the air, growing louder with each passing second. Before anyone could react, the earth erupted with a violent force, sending chunks of dirt and stone flying in all directions.

From beneath the surface, monstrous shapes burst forth, their maws snapping shut around the legs of the unsuspecting students. The creatures moved with terrifying speed, emerging from the ground and swallowing their prey whole in a matter of seconds.

"ARGHH..."

"My L-Leg-"

"H-Hel..."

Unended screams filled the air as the students were yanked off their feet and pulled beneath the ground. The earth seemed to close around them, leaving no trace of their existence.

"..."

For a moment, there was only silence—an eerie, deathly quiet that settled over the group like a shroud.

Then, chaos erupted. The girls and some of the weaker-willed boys began to scream, their voices high and panicked. Some clutched at each other, while others fell to their knees, tears streaming down their faces.

"T-They d-died!"

"Hick... Hick..."

"We'll die... there's no hope..."

Harry stood frozen, clutching his chest, his heart hammering against his ribs.

He knew what had happened—he had anticipated it, feared it—but seeing it unfold before his eyes was something else entirely. He was just a human, after all, and the reality of the situation hit him like a punch to the gut.

"Shit… no, no, damn it!" Harry muttered, his voice trembling.

He wanted to do something, to help, but he couldn't move. His legs felt like lead, his body locked in place by fear and disbelief.

"Rrooooarrrr!"

"Graaaaahhh!"

Suddenly, screaming sounds pierced the chaos— haunting whispers that seemed to come from all directions at once.

"!" Harry's eyes widened in shock and realization.

The whispers were back, the same eerie voices they had heard at the beginning, the Whispers of the Endwalkers.

The effect was immediate and devastating.

Nearly everyone in the group fell to their knees, clutching their heads as the whispers clawed at their minds. Fear and despair spread like wildfire, the students succumbing to the overpowering sense of hopelessness that accompanied the whispers.

Harry was a bit late to react, he felt the darkness creeping in his mind, threatening to overwhelm him. He fought to keep his thoughts clear, to push back against the despair, but it was like trying to hold back a tidal wave with his bare hands. His vision blurred, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps.

'You didn't stop them!'

'You killed them!'

'You are the one who is at fault!'

Strange voices began to cloud his mind as if trying to guilt-trip him for what just happened.

Maybe Harry was exactly thinking about those things, he struggled to fight against them. His heart and mind started to hurt, a lot.

But he couldn't give up. Not now, not ever.

He had to stay alive, survive.

With the last bit of effort, Harry managed to push back against the whispers, forcing himself to stand tall. He blinked, clearing his vision, and looked around.

Then he saw those familiar red names - Endwalkers, not far from them walking slowly as before, cornering them from behind.

'Shit!' His heart sank as he realized the full extent of their situation. They were surrounded. The Endwalkers were closing in from the back, their dark, hulking shapes moving through the shadows like wraiths. The path to the base was also cut off because of those unknown underground monsters, the forest behind them was no longer an option.

'Damn it, there's no way we can survive now!'

'It's over!'

For a moment, Harry felt a flicker of despair, a tiny voice in the back of his mind whispering that it was over, that they were doomed.

'Damn it all!'

But he shoved it aside, gritting his teeth. He wouldn't let fear control him.

'T-There has to be a way... There's always a way!'

Harry's eyes moved quickly, noticing Mr. Thompson, Mr. Avery and two boys and girls not being affected by the Endwalker's spell or skill.

Just as his eyes moved to the base's side, they were widened once more.

'T-There are some alive?' He muttered in surprise. Because, there were still many students who ran off standing frozen but... alive!

'Could it be...?' Harry had a strange but plausible hypothesis.

'S-Should I try it?' He grinned foolishly as he looked toward the base.