He tried to spot Liam and Mia through the shifting mass of students but the crowd surged around him, blocking his view.
The hallway was a frenzy of panicked crowd with students jostling and bumping into each other as they rushed toward the basement. The principal led the way with face that set in a grim expression as he urged everyone to keep moving.The noise and the pressure of the crowd were overwhelming, and Erik felt himself being pushed along with the flow.He stumbled as someone accidentally elbowed him, nearly losing his balance. But he managd to pushed forward after overpowering the student.The howl seemed to grow louder, more menacing, as if... as if it was closing in on them.The chaos of the hallway reached a fever pitch as the students neared the basement door. Just as they were about to reach safety a deafening boom shook the entire building, followed by a violent crashing sound and the unmistakable vibrations of a wall being demolished.BOOM!BOOM!BOOM!The noise was so loud it nearly drowned out the howl that had been echoing through the school. The floor beneath Erik's feet trembled and the force of the impact sent a wave of more panic through the crowd. The students' cries of fear mingled with the sound of rubble falling, adding to the cacophony of terror.Stronger students shoved their way forward, pushing aside those who were slower or weaker. The crowd's momentum became a crushing force, and Erik found himself swept along.He saw a few students fall. Erik's instincts drove him to reach out to one of them, a smaller girl who had been trampled in the rush. He tried to maneuver through the chaos to offer aid but the crowd was too dense, and the pushing and shoving made it impossible for him to get close."Help! Somebody help!" the girl's voice cried out, but Erik could do nothing but reach out helplessly.The crowd's force pushed him away, and he was carried further from the fallen student. He felt a surge of frustration and helplessness as he was buffeted by the crowd.In the midst of the turmoil, Erik's thoughts were consumed by worry for Liam and Mia. He hoped they were safe and that they had managed to avoid being caught in the crush of panic.Erik's breaths came in ragged gasps as he was pushed closer to the basement door, still desperately searching for a glimpse of his friends.Finally the crowd reached the basement entrance, and Erik was thrust into the dimly lit space where the students huddled together, their faces etched with fear.Erik stumbled inside, his mind racing with worry and his heart heavy with the weight of uncertainty.As the basement door began to close, Erik's eyes caught a glimpse of a girl trapped outside. Panic surged through Erik as he saw her helplessly reaching out, her pleas barely audible over the cacophony.Without a second thought, Erik pushed through the crowd, ignoring the desperate shouts from everyone around him, urging him to stay back.He barreled past them with pounding heart as he fought his way back toward the door."Let me through! I have to help her!" Erik shouted, though his voice was nearly lost in the noise.He reached the door just in time to see it begin to close, the gap shrinking rapidly. With a final burst of strength he managed to wedge his body through the narrowing space and stumbled into the hallway.The girl, a young student he vaguely recognized, was standing by the door, her eyes wide with terror. Erik moved quickly, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her. As he helped her to her feet, a deep, rumbling crash echoed from behind them.When he turned his head, Erik saw a wall shatter into rubble and through the debris, he glimpsed the snout of a massive black wolf. Its eyes glowed with a cold fierce light, and its enormous jaws gaped open as if ready to consume everything in its path. The sight was enough to freeze Erik's blood in his veins."Run!" Erik shouted, his voice urgent and raw.He pushed the girl toward the door. The girl scrambled toward the entrance, her movements frantic as she tried to get through the narrowing slit.Erik's heart ached as he saw her finally slip through, disappearing into the relative safety of the basement. As he turned to follow, he realized the door was closing fast, the gap shrinking rapidly. He lunged forward but it was too late-the door slammed shut with a heavy thud, trapping him outside."Great, now see where is your heroic act get you?" Erik cursed himself inside his mind. He turned his head and see the giant wolf approaching.---