The air was heavy with the stench of decay.
As the sound of clinking armor and hurried footsteps echoed through the misty graveyard.
The knights and school guards had arrived at the scene.
Their faces grim under the pale moonlight.
Their polished armor glinted dully, and their drawn weapons reflected their readiness for battle.
In the midst of the chaos stood the three students—Draven Lockwood, Ariana Snow, Roselyn, and Elias—
Each with varying expressions of defiance, fear, and determination.
The captain of the knights, Sir Calder, a burly man with a commanding voice, pointed his sword at the students.
His tone was sharp, like the edge of his blade.
"What in the Emperor's name are you doing here?
You were supposed to be confined to the dormitories!
Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out here?!"
Ariana stepped forward, her usually calm demeanor slightly shaken but her voice steady.
"We were the only ones outside when the disturbance began.
We couldn't ignore it.
There was an ominous energy near the cemetery—"
"That doesn't justify disobeying orders!"
Another knight interjected, a younger but equally stern soldier named Dame Fiona.
"You're students, not soldiers.
Your duty is to stay safe so we can do our job!"
Roselyn, who had been nervously clutching a small satchel of potions, piped up hesitantly.
"W-We couldn't just wait while the undead were causing havoc.
Someone had to investigate...
Isn't that what Ravenwood teaches us?..."
Sir Calder pinched the bridge of his nose, clearly torn between anger and understanding.
"Your actions were reckless...
But sending you back to the dormitories now would be even more dangerous.
The cemetery is swarming with these abominations, and I can't spare anyone to escort you."
Draven, who had been silent up to this point, spoke up, his tone calm but laced with authority.
"Then let us fight alongside you.
We've already faced them.
We know how to handle ourselves."
The knights exchanged doubtful glances, but there was no time for further debate.
A chilling screech split the air, and the undead soldiers began to emerge once more from the fog.
Their skeletal forms illuminated by the eerie green glow of their eyes.
She muttered to herself.
"...but I can still fight."
Ariana stood slightly apart from the melee, her hands glowing with a soft, ethereal light.
She closed her eyes, her voice barely audible as she chanted an incantation.
A gust of wind swept through the battlefield, carrying with it the faint whispers of elemental spirits.
The spirits, invisible to most, manifested as bursts of elemental magic.
A spirit of fire ignited a group of undead soldiers, their bones turning to ash as flames consumed them.
A spirit of water summoned a torrential wave, washing away another group and scattering their remains.
Arianna's connection to the spirits was palpable, her every movement guided by their energy.
She directed them with precision, using their powers to support the knights and guards while keeping the undead at bay.
Despite their efforts, the undead soldiers kept coming, their numbers seemingly endless.
For every one that was destroyed, another rose to take its place.
The knights were growing weary, their movements slowing as exhaustion began to take its toll.
"This is futile!"
Dame Fiona shouted, her voice strained.
"They just keep reforming!"
Draven paused for a brief moment, his chest heaving as he surveyed the battlefield.
His eyes narrowed as he noticed something peculiar—
The undead soldiers were reforming around a central point, their bones gravitating toward a dark, pulsing energy at their chests.
"Hey junior...." he called out.
"Do you see that?"
Read the latest on empire
Roselyn, who had been preparing another vial, looked up.
"Did senior Draven just look in my direction...and called my name?..."
Roselyn muttered clutching her mouth.
Her eyes lighting up.
"...I don't think he called your name..."
Elias who heard her said with an uninterested look said to Roselyn.
Her sharp mind quickly pieced together the puzzle.
"Of course!"
Roselyn exclaimed.
"It's that glowing organ in their ribcages!
That's what's keeping them alive!...or undead?"
She turned to the others, her voice rising above the clamor of battle.
"Aim for their chests!
Destroy the black smoky hearts—they won't be able to reform!"