The hallway was empty that time but Kim knew that the shaking on the ground meant that an Even is nearby, looking for them.

"It must've felt us when I came banging at your door, or maybe the vibration of your loud music," whispered Kim as she slowly leads Pie out of the room. They were walking cautiously, trying not to make sound with every footstep.

"Maybe I should not listen to music anymore when showering," mused Pie.

Kim secretly smiled at that. "You can still listen to music, just lower down the volume a bit so you would know if something is happening outside."

"Okay. Where are we going, Kim?"

"To the Center Sanctuary. The alley is the shortest and safest way to go there."

"How come there no students around here anymore?"

"We already warned everyone in Dorm A to evacuate."

"What? So, you mean you came back for me?"

Kim stopped to look at Pie, unable to make out a word. She turned her back on Pie and continued dragging the lady silently, her face blushing. "I knew you were taking a bath and doing your routine at this time."

"Gosh. I really shouldn't listen to music anymore…"

Dorm A is a three-story building with staircases on both left and right side of the building. Kim and Pie's room is located at the center of the second floor. They started tiptoeing toward the right side of the building. Eventually, theirsteps became faster, until they are almost running, trying to make it to the staircase.

As they turned around the corner, the pair was shocked to see the monster, whom they were trying to avoid, silently waiting there.

Kim and Pie immediately stopped dead at their tracks. However, it was a wrong move as Kim's shoes squeaked on the slippery floor, making an eerie sound that alerted the creature.

"Creeeeee!"

"Eeeeeee!" Pie squealed after seeing the monster.

"! Run, Pie! Run!"

The two ran back to where they came from, with Kim dragging Pie by her hand. Kim looked back and saw the creature tailing them. Even though adrenaline has already heightened their speed, Kim knows it's no match compared to the innate ability the predator behind them possesses.

Kim tried to think of other ways they could escape. She keeps pushing her mind to think because she knows that a few seconds from now, the Even will jump at them, kill the other, and will web the other alive.

Jump from the second floor? Not a good idea.

Hide in one of the rooms? Worse than the first one. The Even will just easily crush the door and/or break the wall.

Kim's palms are getting sweaty now. It's getting more challenging to keep a hold of Pie's hand. But she doesn't know what to do yet. Her main concern is to make sure Pie will get out here alive. Should she just push Pie away and give herself in?

Kim is already entertaining the idea when a gleam of hope appeared ahead of them.

"Kim!" Conan shouted. She jumped up to get a hold of the vertical sliding gate and pulled it halfway down. "Quick! It's coming!"

This gave Kim new hope, new energy. She ran faster to set up the momentum.

Few more steps.

A little bit more of adrenaline.

They will make it.

Pie will be safe.

"Now!" shouted Conan, dragging the gate down to close it.

At the cue, Kim grabbed Pie by her waist, pulling her closer. She positioned Pie on top of her as Kim slides herself down across the floor, making it to Conan's side before the gate totally hit the floor.

BLAG!

"Creeeee!"

The creature let out a loud sound after hitting the gate.

Kim opened her eyes at the smell of Pie's hair on her face. They were still lying on the floor, with Pie hiding her face in the crook of Kim's neck. Kim didn't want to move yet but Conan disrupted the moment.

"Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks, bud. You just save us," said Kim, fist bumping Conan. But then she noticed that Pie hasn't been moving. "Pie?"

There was no immediate response from Pie until the sound of her sobs became evident. "Can we stay like this for a bit?" she asked, tightening her hug on Kim. "I feel safe like this."

Kim and Conan looked at each other, the latter giving Kim a devious smile.

"Creeeee!" The creature slammed itself on the gate repeatedly, making marks on the other side.

"Pie, we need to move now," said Conan, assisting Pie to stand up. "This Even will break the gate sooner."

Pie obeyed, and Kim stood up as well. Kim cupped Pie's face with her palms and wiped the latter's tears with her thumbs. "You're fine. You'll be safe, okay?"

Pie bit her lower lip and simply nodded.

BLAG! BLAG! BLAG!

"Oh. !" said Conan in surprise. The three of them stepped backward, with Kim hiding Pie behind her back. The creature is persistent. It keeps banging on the gate until its one arm finally penetrated the steel gate.

"Oh, my gosh!" shrieked Pie. The arm keeps on moving like it's stuck in the gate.

Kim grabbed Pie by her hand again. "Let's go!"

The three was about to run but stopped when the movement from the gate stopped too. Kim and Conan looked at each other, unsure of what happened. Not long after that, the arm fell on the ground. Conan picked it up.

"It cut its own arm?" asked Conan, observing the arm which is about the size of a shotgun.

"Maybe because it was stuck," said Kim observing the whole on the gate. "There's no way this could've cut an Even's limb."

"Anyway, we should keep going. I'm sure it's finding another way to get to us." Conan carried the arm as she leads Kim and Pie to the stairs going down. "!" She stopped after spotting another Even waiting for them below. She turned to Kim and Pie. "Up! Up! Up!"

They went to the third floor this time and run to the right side of the building, aiming to take the stairs down. But as they reach the mid part, the Even with a missing arm appeared from the terrace and jumped right into them.

Pie screamed.

The attack separated Conan from Kim and Pie.

"Conan! Rooftop!" Kim shouted. Because of that, the Even turned its attention to them. They run up quickly, the Even following them.

Reaching the rooftop, Kim looked around the edges to see if there's an escape they could do. She can't find anything.

"Creeeeeee!"

Kim immediately hid Pie behind her. They are stepping backward as the Even slowly takes steps towards them. Pie's grip on Kim's shirt tightened. They keep on stepping backward until somebody shouted.

"Ahh!" Conan jumped up the back of the Even and stabbed its arm on its head.

The monster started going berserk. Kim immediately hugged Pie and led her to the corner. Conan, who's on the back of the monster was holding tight for her dear life. The decapitated arm was thrown on the other side of the rooftop.

The Even stood up on its hind legs, making Conan fall on the ground, instantly knocking her down.

Kim knew that Conan's life is already in danger but she doesn't know what to do yet because she wants to protect Pie as well.

"Kim. Distract it. I'm going to get Conan away from there," said Pie.

Kim looked at Pie, making sure that the latter is serious.

"There's no time, Kim," said Pie, letting go of Kim's hand. She pointed on the left side of the rooftop. "The arm's over there."

Kim nodded quickly and dashed into the arm, grabbing it within a roll. Then she shouted, "Hey, ! I'm here!"

The Even turned to Kim right away. It was mad and was running this time now.

Kim, run with all her might towards the wall. She ran up the wall and flipped, landing at the back of the Even. With all her might, she stabbed the monster’s head with the arm she's holding repeatedly, causing the Even to go berserk again.

Kim fell on the floor and was nauseous for a bit. The Even is now frantically stabbing the floor with its remaining arm. Kim keeps on rolling her body away to avoid getting hit. However, due to the frantic movement of the monster, Kim's leg was hit.

"Ahhh!" screamed Kim. She felt her bones crushing at the impact.

"Kim!" Pie was about to stand up bit Kim gestured her hands, signaling Pie to stop.

"Stay right there," whispered Kim, as if Pie could hear her. But the latter was able to get the information and stayed with Conan instead.

Luckily, the Even was too distracted to focus on killing them. It continued berserking towards other direction, a sign that it’s close to dying now.

"Please..." said Kim looking at the monster, hoping it'll die now.

The monster stopped moving. Slowly, it turned to Pie and Conan's direction. Seeing that, Kim crawled towards the two in an attempt to still protect them even in her current state.

The Even, who's now weakened by the multiple stabs on its head is now walking towards its prey like a drunken person. The steps are slower and heavier. Kim, with her last strength, stood up in front of Pie and Conan on one foot, making sure that the two will be safe in case this monster still tries to capture one of them.

The Even took one step.

Another step.

Kim is feeling more nervous now, thinking if this is how she'll die.

Pie is crying hard now as she hugs the unconscious Conan.

One more step.

"Blag!"

The Even finally fell lifeless on the ground, just a few meters away from Kim.

Kim was finally able to breathe after that. All the strength she used for standing up was now washed away by relief. She lay back on the ground, looking at Pie who's got a relieved face like hers. But before they could even celebrate, the ground moved again. From the stairs, another Even showed up.

"Ah. ." Kim was too exhausted to move now. She looked for the arm she used to kill the other Even and found it already destroyed too.

Kim took a deep breath. She knows that's the end of her capability. But she won't let Pie or Conan die. She's ready to sacrifice herself to save her friends. Although she somehow regrets not living her life fully, sacrificing it for the ones who truly cared for her is all worth it.

Kim closed her eyes. Her heart beating faster now.

"Captain! We found them!"

"Commence attack, now!"

Kim opened her eyes and saw shadows of people dancing around the Even. They weren't really dancing, they were merely gliding through the air faster than a human eye could even comprehend. Kim knew that it was the effect of the booster.

Seconds after that, the Even went down lifeless. There were three people visible in front of them now. The shortest one of them approached Kim and held her face.

"Kim, are you okay...?"

"C-Captain Taliw...?"

"Yes, it's me. You're safe now."

Kim's body is shaking uncontrollably. She used her last strength to look over Pie and Conan who are now being assisted by the other two SAU members.

"We're safe now..." whispered Kim. After that, she collapsed.