Fallen University: Year One

“Sorry, guys. Claustrophobia’s a bitch. If I don’t see the sun in the next ten minutes, I’m gonna lose my shit.”

“I understand that, brother. This way.” Kai slapped Jayce on the shoulder and picked up the pace, leading us through the maze of narrow, low-ceilinged corridors. Jayce was starting to panic.

“It’s all good, man,” Xero told him reassuringly. “You’re gonna make it.”

“Yeah.” I tried to keep my tone light. “It’s not like we’re trapped underground or anything.”

But that prickle of dread wouldn’t leave my spine. Something was very wrong, and it wasn’t just Jayce who felt it. Kingston’s eyes were glowing red, like he was ready to spring back into his dragon form at any moment. Tension rose as we started climbing the stairs into the main basement. Then all of us, without saying a word, started to run.

As we reached the gyms, we heard the screaming. Something was very, very wrong upstairs. The whole school had erupted into chaos again.

But… why? Owen was gone

. And he’d been the one causing all the disruptions and problems all year.

“We’re sure he’s dead?” Jayce’s voice was strained.

“Yes. He couldn’t have survived that,” Kingston said firmly.

We stopped talking and sprinted faster, all of our energy focused on getting up the last flight of stairs as quickly as possible. When we burst out into the main hall, the full force of the pandemonium hit me square in the face. People were sobbing hysterically, clinging to one another. Others were standing in horrified silence, just staring.

“Shit. Hannah! We have to find Hannah!” I blurted, finally succumbing to my own panic.

Like magic, she was there when we turned the corner. Her face was streaked with tears, her hair was a mess, and she was shaking like a leaf.

“Hannah! What happened?”

“Something’s wrong,” she gasped. “Something’s really, really wrong. We all… we couldn’t have all… I didn’t even finish my exams. How could I have failed? How could we—”

I grabbed her and shook her shoulders, fear clawing at my chest. “Hannah. What are you talking about?”

She blinked at me but didn’t seem capable of speech. Then opened and closed her mouth, then licked her lips and took my hand. I shot an anxious glance back at the guys, who trailed close behind us.

Without a word, Hannah led us through the school, past clusters of students huddled close together. The air stank of terror. Hannah was trembling so hard she almost stumbled, and I wrapped an arm around her waist. She’d always been sensitive, but I had never seen her like this. Whatever was going on here, it was a whole new level of trauma.

She brought us into the main hall, and my first thought was to wonder how long we’d been downstairs. All of the lights were on, and I couldn’t see any daylight at all.

“What time is it?” I asked.

My friend just shook her head. Gripping my hand so hard it hurt, she led me to the windows and pointed. I looked out, expecting moonlight at the very least.

But there wasn’t any.

A red glow lit up a foreign terrain, all sharp edges and blackness. I rubbed my eyes and looked again.

A cave? An endless cave. Stalactites kissed stalagmites, making it feel like I was looking through the teeth of some massive monster. Lava bubbled out of a crack, forming a glowing red stream which snaked across the black ground.

Xero took a sharp breath beside me. I looked up at him and was terrified to see silver tears trickling down his cheeks.

“I don’t think we’re on Mönkh Saridag anymore,” I breathed, my voice catching.

“You think?” Kingston said sharply.

Kai took a shuddering breath. “Xero. Is this—are we—?”

“The underworld.” The fire demon’s voice was stark. “Everything. All of us. The whole school.”

Hannah wailed. I held her close to me as she sobbed.