Shadow's Cure: The Saga of Najia

In the Shadow's Grasp: My Awakening in the Vampire Apocalypse

As I scrolled through my TikTok For You page during sixth period, snippets of laughter and dance filled the air around me. Amidst the sea of viral challenges and memes, a news outlet video caught my eye, but I quickly swiped past it. Outbreaks were just sensationalized fake news, right? That's what everyone said.

Little did I know, the world outside our school walls was about to shatter our illusion of safety.

The intercom crackled to life, and Principal Johnson's voice boomed through the classrooms, interrupting our mundane afternoon routine. "Attention students and staff," he announced, his tone grave. "Due to an outbreak of an unknown illness, classes will be dismissed early today. Please proceed to your designated exit points calmly and swiftly."

A wave of excitement rippled through the room as my classmates erupted into cheers. No more classes? It was like a dream come true for them. They scrambled to pack their bags, eager to escape the confines of the school building. Some dashed out of the classroom, bidding farewell to teachers, while others lingered, waiting for rides or plotting their newfound freedom.

But for me, there was an unsettling knot forming in the pit of my stomach. Something didn't feel right.

Days passed, and the once-bustling halls of our school fell silent. The streets outside grew eerily quiet as rumors swirled about the mysterious outbreak. I tried to push the nagging sense of unease to the back of my mind as I drifted off to sleep each night.

Then, one fateful morning—or was it still night?—I awoke to the sound of commotion outside my bedroom window. Groggy and disoriented, I stumbled out of bed and crept downstairs, the hardwood floors cold beneath my feet.

As I entered my parents' room, my heart pounded in my chest. "Mom, Dad, do you hear that?" I whispered, shaking them gently.

Before they could respond, the door burst open, and a group of militants stormed into our home, their weapons glinting in the dim light. My parents jolted awake, their eyes wide with fear mirroring my own.

"What's going on?" My mom's voice trembled as she fired off questions, but the men in uniform remained stoic, their expressions unreadable.

"Evacuate immediately," one of them barked, his tone brooking no argument. "There's no time to waste."

Confusion and fear gripped me as I clung to my parents, our world unraveling before our eyes. Little did I know, this was just the beginning of our journey into the heart of darkness.