Chapter 711 Trapped School I

Lee Seng led the teacher and the three scared children down the hall. He had told them to stay near them and if anything were to happen, he would deal with it. The teacher had given her name to him. She was Emory Rose. She was a kindergarten teacher.

"What haven't you tried to get out?" Lee Seng asked the teacher. Emory glanced at the children and then outside. It was early in the day. He turned to look at her when she didn't respond. Miss Emory Rose was shocked. She pointed her finger at the sky, mouth trembling as her students clutched onto their teacher.

"How is it… morning? I-It was way past afternoon when we were found…"

"Hmm?" Lee Seng turned to face her. One of the students bravely peeled off their student and turned to look at the sky. It seems like even the kid was confused. "Was it not morning when you were caught? What happened, exactly?" Emory turned, shaking in fear.

"W-what's today's date?" Emory asked Lee Seng. Lee Seng glanced at his watch.

"Saturday, April 18th." Lee Seng answered. Emory's face turned pale. She stumbled to the side, losing her strength. Lee Seng's legs moved faster than his thoughts. He caught the young teacher and her kids with the help of his power. "Miss Emory! Are you okay?"

"I-it's been weeks? H-how?" Emory stuttered. "No… It couldn't be."

"Lee Seng, status?" Olivia's voice came into his mind. Lee Seng blinked and noticed Olivia was on the first floor. The purple dot blinked while Evan's green dot blinked further north of Olivia.

"Almost there. Miss Emory and the children needed to rest for a second. We'll be there soon." Lee Seng replied. He looked over at Emory and took a steady breath. "Miss Emory, what do you mean it's been weeks?"

"We've been trapped here for weeks! Don't you understand?!? Time doesn't… Time it…" Emory began to ball. The kids started to cry, and Lee Seng was once again in an awkward position. He tried his best to calm them, but they all continued to cry. Olivia came jogging down the hall, noticing nothing.

"Where are you?" Olivia asked. "I'm on top of you on the map but I don't see anything." Lee Seng whipped around, noticing Olivia wasn't there.

'Wait, what?!?' Lee Seng stood up. 'You're near me but I don't see you!'

"Uhh, guys… There's a problem." Liz's voice came over the comms. "I can't find Manny even though I'm—I haven't been able to --- What's going ---" Static flicked over the communication device.

"Liz?" Olivia called out. "Liz. Liz, come in. Hello?" Lee Seng looked over at Emory and the children. She pulled the children into a hug and tried to brave a hopeful face.

'What did we get into?' Lee Seng wondered.

"Liz? Hello? Anyone read me?" Olivia asked.

"Liv." Lee Seng quietly spoke. He turned away from Miss Emory and took a couple steps away from the children. "It was odd I noticed something strange with the energy… Miss Emory says they've been in here for weeks. I think… I think the school's trapped."

"What do you mean? I just saw Liz a second ago!" Olivia told him. "She couldn't have just… Vanished!" Lee Seng bit his lip as he laced his fingers together. His mind was thinking of any possibilities, but it was coming up blank.

"I don't know what could've happened, but I think something, or someone is keeping us trapped in here."

"How? How could we hear each other though? You said the only time we vanish is if we go out of communication range or disappear to another… Realm. You don't think…" Olivia's eyes scanned the outside. The sun was further up into the sky. It was afternoon for her. "It was just… The sun wasn't there before… What the hell is happening?" Lee Seng turned his attention to the outside. The sun was where it should've been for him.

"Ritsuka, can you hear us?" Lee Seng asked.

"Y-yeah. What's going on? Are we really on different Realms?" Ritsuka asked.

"Is there a way for people to be in one area and never see each other?" Lee Seng whispered. "Does a power like that even exist?"

"Space manipulation?" Olivia guessed. "Could someone that powerful exist?"

"That's what I'm wondering." Lee Seng turned back to see the teacher. She had calmed down and was working to calm the others. Emory looked at Lee Seng, confused.

"Hey, kid!" Olivia shouted. The purple dot on Lee Seng's map started to move the way Lee Seng was supposed to go. "Kid! Are you okay?"

"What's going on?" Lee Seng asked.

"There's this kid who is running away."

"What do they look like?"

"Small. Darkness seems to clump around them. H-hey kid! Stay with me! You'll only get—" Olivia groaned. "They're gone." Lee Seng's mind replayed the scene. He had teleported as the darkness was distorting the space around him. He managed to tackle the person and caught a quick glimpse of them. A small girl donning the words 'Maus High School' on her shirt.

"It couldn't be." Lee Seng whispered.

"Argh! She got away." Olivia groaned in frustration. "Do I chase after her?"

"Miss Emory." Lee Seng looked at Emory. "Have you ever seen a high school girl about yay tall?" He gave a rough height estimate. "Black bob hair, maybe?"

"Mmmm, no I don't think I have. Why? Is someone else stuck here?" Emory asked.

"My friends and I can talk through our communication devices, somewhat, but one of my friends saw a student run past here earlier."

"Wh-where's your friend? I-it's just us." Emory looked around nervously.

"That's the strangest part." Lee Seng sighed. "We all exist in the school, but we're all separated. It's like whoever is doing this, doesn't want us to see each other."

"H-how are we gonna get out?" Miss Emory asked. "I've tried to get out with the kids but those flaming skulls show up!"

"They were outside?" Lee Seng asked. "The skulls?"

"Yeah." Emory nodded.

"I saw them enter through a broken window." Ritsuka added.

'If they exist outside and are trying to keep us in, why didn't we see any of them when we landed here?' Lee Seng thought

"Maybe a strange coincidence?" Ritsuka guessed.

"Oh, crap." Olivia gasped.

"What?" Ritsuka asked. "You see more skulls?"

"No… Worst… My friends are coming."

"Where?" Lee Seng asked. He noticed the purple dot near the window and rushed over to the window. He couldn't see anything Oliva was seeing. "I don't see anything. Ritsuka, you see anything?" Lee Seng flicked his map to the third floor and noticed Ritsuka's blue dot was moving to the nearest window.

"Flaming skulls." Ritsuka answered, ducking. "They almost saw me, too. Great. Windows aren't good. Maybe I should try to find one of you guys? Maybe space will distort, and I'll find you?"

"Could be possible but what if you vanish?" Olivia asked.

"We know there's people here, so how bad could it be?"

"that's what people say before they die."

"We came here to look for disappearing people. Many of those were reported missing after school. They just vanished, right?"

"Yeah." Lee Seng replied. "Why?"

"Well," Ritsuka sighed. "What if they never went missing? What if your theory is correct, Lee Seng? Someone's behind the space manipulation? That means there could be others here and no one has been lucky to collide with someone else."

"Even if that's the case, there's still one big problem…" Olivia whispered. "My friends are coming into this place and if they see any of us, they might… do more harm than help."

"Let them in." Lee Seng spun on his heel. He leaned against the window, soaking in the sunlight. The three children were playing with each other as Miss Emory focused on Lee Seng. "We'll assume space works differently here. We'll figure out how we got caught. If we see anyone, we'll try to keep them safe in one of the nearby areas near the first-floor staircase. Just be on the lookout for our other friends and try to gather information until then, alright?"

"That's a better idea than what I have." Ritsuka sighed. "I'll try to find Manny and Liz."

"I'm going to try to find that high schooler." Olivia told them. "Maybe she knows what's going on."

"I'll take Miss Emory and the kids to one of the nearby rooms for now. I'll play sitting duck in case I come across one of you." Lee Seng told them.

"Sounds like a plan." Ritsuka and Olivia spoke in unison.

"Don't get killed." Lee Seng told them. "We need to figure out what happened here and then figure out the other situation."

"One problem first." Ritsuka reminded Lee Seng. "We won't die. We're all good on our own. You, me, Olivia and Evan did well on the solo entrance exam test. Manny and Liz were mercs. We'll be fine."

"Mmm." Lee Seng nodded. "Keep comms on."

"Okay, Chaebol's son." Olivia smirked. Lee Seng turned his attention to Miss Emory and the children.

"What's going on? I-I got bits and pieces, but I don't quite understand. Someone distorted the space here and we're all separated?" Emory asked.

"Yeah." Lee Seng nodded. Emory's expression grew dark as Lee Seng stuck his hand out. "My friends are looking for clues. I will protect you and the children in one of the rooms over by the staircase. That way if one of my friends comes and enters the room, if we exist in the same space, maybe we'll see each other."