That Bastard!

Instantly rolling to the side, the large piece of the ceiling slammed down right next to him. He winced from the strain that single roll had put on his body, remembering the pitiful state from the after-effects of his skill.

Looking around, he noticed that dust had filled the entire room, blocking his visibility. The screams and shouts of the students nearby did not go unnoticed.

Davian was gone, nowhere was his dagger and his deranged smile. Atlas still kept his guard up, who knows what that psycho was up to? He might have well darted out from the smoke.

There was suddenly a pressure applied to Atlas' arm, a firm grip clamped onto Atlas' arm, yanking him upright. He was being dragged through the crumbling room, towards what he could make out was the gap in the walls.

It was then his benefactor spoke,

"Hurry. We need to get out of here—now,"

Atlas recognized that voice anywhere.

Kai.

Many questions flooded through his mind, What had happened while he had been out? It couldn't have been that long? He was sure the time he spent in that prison flowed differently.

Otherwise, he would have already been dead.

"Where is Davian and that woman?"

Kai tugged on Atlas' arm, flinging him slightly towards the left, barely dodging the falling pillar.

It smashed onto the ground, crumbling in pieces, blocking out some of Kai's response, "...Lost them…ceiling caved…no idea."

They came to an abrupt stop as another part of the ceiling landed right in front of him, a few feet away from getting crushed if not for Kai's attention to their surroundings.

Kai dragged Atlas along another path, dodging and barely squeezing past some of the falling objects.

"They just disappeared…ran away…cowards."

Bones- skulls, and chunks of the roof flew past Atlas' head as they ran, They eventually passed by someone who seemed unfortunate enough to not have been able to move out of the way in time.

Only their arms were visible from under the large piece of the roof.

Many more body parts that didn't belong to an owner appeared the closer they got to the opening, whether that be missing limbs or heads from bodies- and finding them further along their escape.

"What happened?" Atlas finally asked as what seemed like a finger flew past him.

Kai's breathless reply came between avoiding falling bones and rubble, "It was sudden...chaos. I was fighting Eve—that was her name. Then everything just...crumbled. There was this strange aura, spreading through the room."

It must've been from that weird card, concluded Atlas. Davian had used it earlier on Kane causing the room to slightly shake.

Using it twice one after another must've caused some issues.

He had the urge to laugh at Daivan's mistake if not for the current issue. He'll make fun of him later.

"Doesn't matter now. Here we are."

Kai had finally arrived at the gap, bringing Atlas to the other side. He looked at him before asking, "Think you can keep up running?"

"What?"

Atlas thought for a second. While his body was still breaking down it had gotten a bit better now that the strain on him from the skill had lessened with time.

He nodded.

Kai nodded back, "Tell the others I'll catch up," he requested before running back into the collapsing room.

Atlas raised an eyebrow. 'Heroic much...' he thought to himself as he stared at Kai's retreating back.

Personally, if it were him someone would have to drag him back in there, he would never willingly go back inside.

Atlas leaned on what was left of the wall for support, just a few moments to catch his breath. He had too many things running through his mind, about what this all was- what that 'consciousness' was all about, and what had happened to the card, Davian, and Eve.

This was no doubt a part of something much bigger than he initially thought was just a kidnapping scheme.

There was no doubt he had just gotten himself into something he did not initially expect nor want. This all has happened before, was this what Kai and the others faced for that week while they were gone?

Why hadn't the school said anything? What hadn't- anyone said anything? What does this mean? Did this have something to do with the demons? With the presence of Elijah that's guaranteed.

Why was Elijah here? Are they involved with the demons?

Questions. So many questions and not enough answers.

He shook his head. This was not the time.

Right, he thought to himself, he needed to pull himself together. For now, he needed to run and get out of here. Kai would join them soon, he didn't look too messed up, with that skill of his, he'd be fine.

With a groan, Atlas pushed off the wall, his legs unsteady. It was then that someone else who he hadn't noticed was there before made themselves present from the other side of the wall.

"You actually made it out," the voice said.

It was Salem.

Atlas looked at him, taking in his appearance. His hair was disheveled with a few blood stains, there was an injury on his shoulder as well as one of his arms. He didn't look good, but Atlas doubted he looked much better.

"Yep, made it out," Atlas replied with a touch of sarcasm, well aware that Salem and the others probably hoped otherwise. "Why are you still hanging around? We should leave—"

Salem cut him off, a strange intensity in his voice. "You don't get it."

Atlas scrunched up his face, confused.

What the hell was this guy's deal? If they both stayed here either one, they're both going to die, or two, Kai comes back and asks them why they are still here.

Although he preferred that none of those scenarios happen, if he had to choose one, it would be the one where Kai comes back.

"You're not the one calling the shots," Salem's voice remained eerily calm, leaning off the wall, his hair falling over his eyes.

He then started to slowly approach Atlas with an insane kind of expression on his face, as if he wasn't sure what he himself was doing.

He continued to advance, his behavior verging on the erratic. "There's no one to witness. No one will ever know what happened."

Atlas took a step back.

What the hell was he doing?

He moved closer, an unsettling smile tugging at his lips. "If Atlas Silverthorne never made it back—if he never reconnected with the rescue team—then..."

Atlas found himself pinned against the wall, Salem's words sinking in. "You're saying... you want me dead, using this as a cover up? Make it seem like I never made it out?"

Salem's eyes held a mix of bitterness and a foreign emotion Atlas couldn't quite grasp. It was as though Salem was battling with himself, unsure of his own motives.

"None will know. They'll assume it was all part of the incident," Salem's words trembled, his desperation palpable.

Atlas, however, was growing increasingly infuriated himself. He had no connection to whatever had transpired between Salem's family and his own. He had no interest in or responsibility for the mess his father supposedly caused.

"I have nothing to do with your family's issues, your vendetta," Atlas retorted, his patience wearing thin. He couldn't tell if this was his own anger or fueled by that untamed aura. For god's sake he was aruing with a child! "I'm just a Silverthorne by name. This isn't about me. We can discuss this later, if you're still alive by then."

He honestly didn't understand, why was this person still hung up on something that happened years ago? What did he have against him?

Salem stopped his frantic movements, and finally looked Atlas in the eye, "Later? You think we can just talk it out later?" Salem's voice quivered, his struggle to maintain composure evident.

Salem's laugh held a trace of pain. "You guys never cared, did you? Never once did you bother to respond. Do you know how many times we tried to reach your family, to communicate?"

Each word was like a dam breaking, years of pent-up emotions pouring out. Salem's resentment and anger were directed at Atlas, as a funnel for the rest of his family, and he emphasized every syllable to convey his deep-rooted source of fury.

"Listen- I don't know because I'm not-"

Salem laughed to himself, as if the very memory pained him, "Not once did you make any effort to answer us– now even pay us a single sliver of your attention. Did you…Did you have to see my father collapsing onto his desk every night with such a pained expression? D-id you? Did you have to experience your father explaining to you of all the responsibilities you now wore?"

His voice wavered and shook mid-sentence- a desperate attempt to keep everything together.

Every word seemed like a damn that had just broken through– something that he had kept to himself for years. He emphasized every word, to let Atlas know of where this anger of his had sprouted from.

Atlas, however, remained largely indifferent. He was tired of Salem's accusations. He had nothing to do with any of it.

"Because of you- of your family, my brother still hasn't awakened, so- don't you agree? Don't you agree that if- if I make your father suffer the same pain as mine then it'll be equal- it'll be right? Right? Show him what it's like to lose someone close?"

"My father wouldn't give a damn," Atlas shot back, his frustration boiling over.

Atlas was just about to open his mouth again and go on about how and why his father would most likely not give a flying fuck about what happened to his disappointment of a son when Salem grabbed both of his shoulders, causing him to wince.

Atlas met Salem's gaze, now noticing the odd shade of his magenta eyes. It was probably just the lighting in the hallway.

"Remember what I said? About dragging you down, Atlas?" He leaned next to his ear, "You and your family will get what's coming for you. It just so happens to be today."

A shaky laugh escaped Salem's lips, his grip pushing Atlas toward the collapsing room's gap, "It seems the heavens finally found time to favor me."

Using his grip on Atlas' shoulders, he then shoved him back towards the gap and into the collapsing room.

Atlas tried to grasp at anything, desperate to hold on, but there was nothing.

He rolled roughly–stopping only a few feet from the exit.

"I'll see you in hell, Atlas," Salem muttered as he disappeared from his sight.

– Cough!

'Damn it,' he thought as he suddenly coughed out another portion of blood. It was then that the room shook again– violently as if there was an earthquake happening.

Atlas could feel the floor move side to side as more of the ceiling started to cave in.

He tried to get up but was forced to cling to the ground for support as the room shook again.

Atlas looked up and saw that the ceiling portion above him seemed unstable as if it were mere seconds away from crushing him. Atlas got up and leaped to the side, further away from the exit, managing to dodge the falling ceiling as it slammed onto the floor.

The rest of what seemed like the ceiling followed; bits of pieces of the ceiling and pillars seemed to rain down on him as he barely avoided each one, only allowing the smaller bits to hit him when he couldn't move as much.

– Cough!

He coughed again, laying on the ground as everything fell around him, a promise to bury him within this place.

He tried reaching out towards the direction of the exit, picturing the face Salem made as he bid him farewell after shoving him to his death.

'That bastard!'

Atlas felt his head become very light as the view before him became in and out of focus.

He doesn't remember when, but eventually he felt himself losing consciousness.