While inside Alexander and his group moved swiftly down the narrow, dimly lit hallway, their steps quick and deliberate, the air thick with the tension of impending danger. The walls around them seemed to creak and groan, as though the building itself was under siege, echoing the foreboding presence of something massive stirring in the distance.
Sarah's voice broke through the silence, her words quiet but urgent, a sharp edge of fear lacing her tone.
"There's a tunnel under the school," she said, eyes darting nervously over her shoulder. "It leads to the stadium. It's old… They probably don't know about it."
Six's expression hardened, her gaze never wavering as she kept her pace. "We can lure it there," she said, her voice steady, commanding. "It's an open field — better than this cramped school."
The group ready to move, the urgency rising with every step. Alexander, ever alert, paused in the middle of the room, his eyes narrowing, sensing the shift in the air. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up.
"They've released the Pikens," he said, his voice low and focused, as if confirming a grim certainty.
Before anyone could react, the ground seemed to tremble underfoot. A deafening crash reverberated through the school, followed by the shriek of bending metal and splintering stone. The wall behind them exploded into a shower of debris, and through the wreckage, the Piken emerged in a blur of violence.
The creature was massive, its muscular, gaunt body carrying a grotesque and unsettling grace. Its long, sinewy limbs rippled with raw power as it moved with a predatory fluidity, the curved claws scraping against the floor with an eerie screech. Its elongated snout, full of rows of jagged teeth, was set in a permanent, snarling rictus, ready to tear into anything that dared to cross its path.
Its small, beady eyes gleamed with a predatory intensity, deeply set into the skull, as though it was a creature not meant for mercy. Its leathery, translucent skin—a mottled mix of purples and grays—seemed to shift in the dim light, veins and discolored patches pulsing beneath the surface like some nightmarish, alien anatomy. On its bony back, there were ridged, spine-like protrusions that added to its grotesque, battle-hardened appearance.
The Piken's membranous, fin-like appendages stretched and unfurled slightly near its forelimbs, as if they were some odd, intimidating quirk of its design — alien, unnatural. They rippled with a faint translucent sheen, their purpose unclear, but their appearance only enhanced the sense that this creature was unnervingly unnatural, a thing not of this world.
It roared, the sound reverberating off the walls like an earthquake, shaking the very foundation of the school. Its head swung from side to side, the jagged teeth gleaming with hunger. The momentum of its entrance threw everyone back, dust and debris swirling around them, cutting off any escape.
But Alexander was unfazed.
For a split second, everything stood still, the shock of the attack momentarily disorienting them.
Alexander's voice cut through the chaos, sharp and commanding."Take Four and move! I'll handle this!"
Six didn't hesitate. Her gaze flickered to the others, and without a word, she grabbed John's arm, tugging him forward.
"Let's go," she said, her voice urgent but calm.
John didn't resist, trusting Six's lead. Sarah, Griffin, Freya, and Dante followed closely behind, retreating quickly down the hallway. But just as they turned the corner, another Piken appeared, crashing through the wall, its massive form blocking their path.
John's heart raced. His only thought was getting Sarah and the others to safety.
"You guys take Sarah and get to the tunnel! I'll lure it away!" he yelled, his voice carrying the weight of his decision. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to protect them.
Sarah's eyes went wide with panic, her voice desperate."No, John!"
But Six was already there, her grip firm as she pulled Sarah away."Come on, Sarah! We don't have time!" she urged, her voice a mixture of concern and command, as Griffin, Freya, and Dante followed without hesitation, the group moving as one.
The sound of the Piken's snarls echoed down the hallway as John stood tall, facing the monstrous creature, knowing the fight was only beginning.
John's heart raced, but his voice was steady as he called back to the Piken.
"Come on. Come on." His voice was a challenge, a taunt — he knew the creature would take the bait.
With a roar, the Piken launched itself forward, its immense curved claws scraping against the floor with an eerie screech as it closed in on him. John pushed harder, feeling the weight of his own exhaustion, the strain of keeping the beast at bay.
The Piken was relentless — its speed surprising for something so massive, and its fury unmistakable. John's legs burned, his breath coming faster now, but he couldn't stop. He had to lead it away.
He rounded the corner of the hallway, his pulse in overdrive as the Piken followed with terrifying speed. John ducked under a broken section of ceiling, narrowly avoiding the monster's claws as they swiped at him. He kept moving, knowing that the slightest hesitation could mean the end.
The Piken roared behind him, its guttural growl echoing down the corridor.
John sprints down the corridor, breathing hard, hands glowing with Lumen light.
Behind him, the Piken smashes through the wall, roaring.
Lockers are ripped apart as the beast tears through the hallway after him, its massive claws gouging the floors and walls.
John ducks around a corner — the Piken crashes through the lockers, relentless.
John runs down the locker-lined hallway — the monstrous Piken thundering after him, smashing everything in its path.
John skids to a stop.
He turns sharply, extends his arms out to both sides —using telekinesis, he yanks the lockers from both walls.
The lockers SLAM inward at the rushing Piken.
The beast is hit, momentarily slowed — roaring in frustration — but it powers through, shoving the twisted lockers aside like scrap metal.
The broken lockers are hurled toward John.
John dives out of the way just in time, the debris crashing behind him.
He rolls across the floor — now laying on his back — just as the Piken lunges.
The Piken's massive claws stab downward —
John twists, dodging — the claws pierce the floor inches from his body.
The Piken slashes again — John dodges — claw strikes missing him by a hair.
In a burst of speed, John rolls sideways — a fast bankroll —and springs to his feet.
The Piken lunges forward, jaws open wide to bite.
John thrusts out both hands —using telekinesis, the air around their hands begins to distort ever so slightly. A faint shimmer ripples across the space. He stops the Piken's head mid-air, its massive snapping jaws frozen inches away from him.
With a surge of energy, John slams the Piken sideways —the beast is hurled into the nearby wall, smashing through it with a deafening crash.
The Piken, slightly dazed from being slammed into the wall, pulls itself free from the wreckage.
It roars in fury and charges again — claws raised — ready to impale John.
John plants his feet firmly, arms extended forward.
He summons his strength —
telekinesis slamming into the Piken mid-charge.
The Piken's momentum is halted —
its claws mere feet from John.
John's hands shake violently from the effort.
Sweat beads on his forehead —
his muscles trembling from the immense strain of holding back something so massive and powerful.
The Piken pushes against the invisible force, snarling.
John grits his teeth, pushing harder, struggling to keep it contained.
John, hands shaking, summons every ounce of strength he has.The distortion grows larger around his hands as he pushes against the Piken.
With a loud shout of effort, he thrusts his hands forward.
A massive surge of telekinetic force blasts into the Piken.
The beast is hurled backward, its huge body smashing upward —
— its head slams violently into the ceiling, cracking the plaster and sending debris raining down.
The Piken, furious, shakes off the debris and lunges at John.
It swipes with a massive claw.
John backflips, narrowly dodging the strike.
The Piken roars and snaps its jaws, trying to bite him.
John tucks and rolls across the floor, avoiding the deadly teeth by inches.
He scrambles up — but the Piken is faster this time.
It lashes out with its claws, grabbing John mid-move.
With a savage jerk, it slams him brutally into the lockers along the wall.
Metal crunches.
John groans in pain, slumping slightly, momentarily dazed.
The Piken rears back, raising its claws for the killing blow.
Just as it strikes—
Bernie Kosar, in his monstrous Chimæra form, charges down the hallway with a feral roar.His muscles ripple beneath the bloody fur, bones contorting as his body begins to grow—expanding, swelling with immense power. His back arches as his frame stretches and thickens, his legs lengthening with a brutal, predatory grace.
Bernie Kosar's size multiplies. In a moment of sheer will, he grows to a massive, towering figure, his form now reminiscent of a panther's sleek yet muscular build. His once small and nimble frame now stands as a colossal beast—nearly four times the size of a human, his posture hunching forward in a way that suggests an apex predator on the prowl.
His limbs—long, muscular, and capable of lightning-fast strikes—are built for both raw power and agility. His entire body radiates a dangerous, undeniable force, every movement carrying a sense of fluidity and intimidation.
The transformation is not just physical. His skin shifts, shedding its fur to reveal a dense, leathery hide. The texture is a rough combination of reptilian scales mixed with patches of bristle-like fur, each segment overlapping with chitinous armor plating.
His head undergoes a similarly grotesque change. His skull expands, becoming angular and bestial, taking on an unmistakably predatory shape, a dangerous mix of feline, canine, and demonic influences. His brow furrows, casting deep shadows over his sharp cheekbones, heightening the menacing look in his eyes.
His eyes—once warm and familiar—now burn with an intense amber glow, glowing with a predatory intelligence that could freeze anyone in their tracks. As his rage intensifies, his pupils narrow into razor-thin slits, heightening his animalistic nature and making him look more like a creature from a nightmare than the dog-like companion he once was.
As his jaws stretch wider, Bernie's mouth reveals multiple rows of jagged, razor-sharp teeth, perfectly designed to rip and tear into flesh. But it's not just his primary set of fangs that are the most terrifying. Two secondary sets of needle-like fangs appear at the sides of his mouth, which snap open when he snarls, designed to grip and pierce with a terrifying precision. These additional fangs work in unison with his primary set, making his bite force even more devastating.
His jaw unhinges slightly, creating a more formidable and monstrous maw, giving him the ability to bite with a strength that would obliterate any opponent who dares challenge him. The hidden secondary fangs spring forward when the flaps around his mouth open, adding an even more terrifying dimension to his form. When he snaps his mouth shut, the appendages fold back, concealing the deadly fangs once more, only to reveal them again at will.
He rams into the Piken at full speed, slamming it sideways.
The Piken is knocked off balance, crashing through more lockers with a thunderous impact.
John slumps to the ground, gasping for air, watching as Bernie Kosar snarls and squares off against the beast.
Although he didn't know the creature was, but he felt a link with the it and understood it was his pet beagle Bernie Kosar.
Bernie Kosar who was holding thr Piken down looked at John, as if he was giving him a nod. John smiled back, as Bernie Kosar and Piken restart there fight.