Narrow Escape

"Come on, come on!" Mr. Thompson urged, his voice tight with urgency. "We need to move faster!"

Mr. Greene had reached the top of the wall now, pulling himself up with a grunt. He immediately turned around, reaching down to help Lily as she neared the top. "I've got you!" he called down, grabbing her hand and pulling her up the last few feet.

Harry felt a surge of relief as Lily reached the top. "Next!" he shouted, turning to help the next girl, Sarah, as she started to climb.

The process feeled slow, each person taking precious seconds to reach the top. Harry's hands were raw from gripping the rough rock, but he kept going, helping one person up after another.

Behind them, the Endwalkers were getting closer. Harry could see the glint of their eyes, the way their massive hands reached out as if to grab them. He could hear the rustling of the archers, moving through the underbrush, closing in from all sides.

"We're running out of time!" Mr. Avery called out, his voice tight with fear. "We need to move faster!"

Harry nodded, his heart racing. He could feel the panic rising, but he forced it down, focusing on the next person, and then the next. Each second felt like an eternity, but they kept moving, inching closer to safety.

As the last of the girls finished climbing the rock face, Harry felt a brief moment of relief.

But like always, that relief was short-lived.

"Shit!"

"Careful!"

Suddenly, one of the smaller creatures leaped from the underbrush, lunging at the group from behind.

Before anyone could react, Mr. Thompson, the PE teacher, moved with lightning speed. With a single, powerful punch, he sent the creature flying backward, slamming it into a tree. The force of the impact left the creature dazed and motionless.

The sight was shocking.

The creature, which had seemed so threatening with its agility and arrows, was dispatched so easily.

It dawned on Harry why the creatures had been attacking from a distance—they were weak and had low defenses. The only real danger they posed was their ability to attack from afar.

Maybe realizing their vulnerability, the small monsters let out a series of shrill, panicked cries and quickly retreated back towards the looming Endwalkers. Once they reached the safety of the larger creatures, they resumed their assault, firing arrows with renewed urgency.

"Go! Weaker boys, up the wall now!" Mr. Thompson barked, snapping everyone back to action.

Though they were embarrassed to be called like that, some of the boys started climbing, moving as fast as they could. Their life was on the line after all. While Harry, knowing he was in better shape thanks to his regular exercise, held back, waiting until the others were up before he began his ascent.

He watched as another teacher and Mr. Avery helped the boys up the rock face, each second stretching out as the Endwalkers closed in, their massive forms advancing with terrifying purpose.

Harry began his climb just as the last of the weaker boys reached the top. He moved quickly, using every bit of strength and agility he had to scale the wall. As he reached the top, he glanced back down and his heart pounded—only the stronger boys and the three male teachers were left at the bottom, and the Endwalkers were now only about seven or eight meters away.

"Everyone, start climbing now!" Mr. Thompson shouted, urgency clear in his voice.

Mr. Thompson and another teacher Harry didn't recognize, a tall man with glasses, were among the last to start climbing. The PE teacher was helping the boys while keeping an eye on the approaching monsters, but as he turned to climb, an arrow whizzed past and struck him in the shoulder. He grunted in pain but didn't stop.

The teacher with glasses wasn't so lucky. As he began his climb, he was hit by two arrows, one in the thigh and another in the side. He let out a pained cry but gritted his teeth, forcing himself to keep moving.

'Damn, at this rate they won't be able to finish... Think, think-!"

"We need to distract them!" Harry shouted from the top of the wall, suddenly filled with a good yet foolish idea. "Throw anything you can find! Rocks, sticks—anything! Now!"

Everyone at the top quickly scrambled to gather whatever they could. Rocks, sticks, even handfuls of hard dirt—anything that could be thrown was hurled down at the Endwalkers and the smaller creatures. The barrage was chaotic, but it served its purpose.

The Endwalkers hesitated, momentarily confused by the sudden hail of objects. The smaller creatures, who had been preparing to shoot more arrows, flinched back, dodging the oncoming projectiles. For a brief, precious moment, the monsters' attack halted.

"Keep throwing! Don't stop!" Harry and Mr. Greene who realized it was effective shouted, their voice raw.

Harry heard a system's voice in his head and saw a window on the corner of his eyes, but he was too busy to pay attention right now.

With the enemies distracted, Mr. Thompson, despite his injury, pushed himself up the wall with sheer force of will. The teacher with glasses, grimacing with every movement, managed to follow, though his progress was a bit slower.

Finally, with a last heave, Mr. Thompson and the other teacher reached the top, their faces pale from pain but determined to keep moving.

The remaining boys and Mr. Avery quickly followed, climbing as fast as they could. The Endwalkers, realizing the distraction for what it was, roared in frustration and resumed their advance, but they were just a few seconds too late.

Harry and the others grabbed onto the hands of the last boys, pulling them up with a final burst of strength.

Everyone lay on the ground for a moment, catching their breath. The situation was dire, but they were alive, and they were together.

But some cool-headed and smart people like Mr. Thompson, Avery, and Harry kept a close eye on the monsters below. In case they tried to attack again.

"Come on, we need to move,"