The fluorescent lights continued their erratic flicker, bathing the conference room in broken intervals of pale, stuttering illumination. I stood near the center of the half-ruined space, panting quietly while gripping the battered chair leg I’d claimed in the first wave. Trevor was beside me, his mop handle nicked and dented from smacking more Lumic Beetles than should be legally required in any office job.

  The portal still roiled with dark energy at the far end of the room, casting everything in an unearthly glow. An uneasy hush had taken hold of us all. The last wave of our fight ended on that tense note: a swirl of crackling static from the portal, a faint hum that set every nerve on edge, and the System’s not-so-subtle hint that more was coming.

  It looked like “more” had finally arrived.

  Claire paced near the portal, her gaze level but undeniably anxious. Barry kept himself anchored nearby, arms flexing around a new makeshift weapon: a thicker metal rod from the broken table. Ned hovered in the background, hugging a scuffed file drawer to his chest like a shield, while Izzy clutched the first-aid kit. Gerald was a few steps behind me, silent and watchful, as if deciding whether to sprint or pretend unwavering confidence.

  Jacob stood off to my left, his expression taut with an apprehension I hadn’t seen from him before. He had been oddly calm at first—maybe in denial—but as soon as the portal started to crackle with renewed life, his face fell. Now, tension radiated off him in waves.

  I tried to slow my breathing, but the air felt thick with dread. I glanced at Trevor, who must have caught my eye, because he managed a shaky grin. “So, boss,” he murmured, “you think we get hazard pay for round two?”

  Before I could respond, a fresh surge of energy hissed from the vortex. Bolts of greenish light danced across the swirling darkness, and the entire conference room seemed to vibrate under our feet. We all braced. There was no waiting for calm this time; the second wave had arrived.

  The portal’s swirling gloom warped, then spat out over half a dozen Lumic Beetles in rapid succession. My stomach tightened. This wave was bigger—eight, nine, ten? I could barely keep count as more of them scuttled out, each one clicking with that eerie, crystalline rattle.

  “Positions!” Claire barked, her voice cutting through the rising panic. “Don’t let them break our formation.” She glanced around swiftly. “Barry, left flank. Ethan, center. Trevor, right. Ned, Izzy—stay back unless you see an opening to help. Gerald—”

  She paused, noticing Gerald had taken a wary step behind me. He looked paler than usual, sweat glistening on his brow. The mention of his name caused him to straighten. “Yes?” he managed, swallowing hard.

  “Be ready to fight,” she finished, eyeing the wave of beetles that scurried closer. “We need every hand.”

  The Lumic Beetles advanced in a disconcerting line, their crystalline shells reflecting the stuttering light in shifting patterns. I could practically feel Jacob’s growing terror at my side. Earlier, he’d handled the tension better—maybe it was denial, maybe less direct involvement. But now, confronted with a horde that looked larger, more relentless, he was trembling like a man on the edge of a cliff.

  “We can take them,” Barry said, his voice a low rumble. “Just stay calm.”

  I exhaled, nodding. “Yeah, calm. Easier said than done.” My heart pounded against my ribs, but I tightened my grip on the chair leg. The memory of having survived the first wave lent me a shred of confidence.

  Trevor stood to my right, mop handle raised with a forced grin on his face. “Round two, fight,” he muttered like a ring announcer. Then he flinched as the first Beetle lunged, mandibles snapping.

  I swung out of pure reflex, catching one of the advancing Beetles in its glimmering shell. The impact jostled my arms, but I kept my footing. The creature skittered sideways, hissing in that unnerving, high-pitched tone.

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  A burst of bright light flared from another Beetle across the room—one of their defensive flashes. I heard Ned yelp in alarm as his vision was momentarily seared. Izzy grabbed him by the elbow, pulling him aside before a second Beetle could pounce.

  Barry slammed his rod against a beetle’s shell, cracking it with ruthless efficiency. He moved with calculated force, every swing purposeful. I could see his eyes flicker over before his face—no doubt the System awarding him XP again. Meanwhile, Trevor took a wide defensive stance, batting away a creeping Beetle that came too close to his ankles.

  “Gerald, watch out!” I shouted, spotting a Beetle skirting around the edge of the fight, heading straight for him. Gerald stumbled backward, nearly tripping over a discarded metal rod. The Beetle hissed, lunging for his leg.

  Gerald let out a startled curse and flailed the short chair leg in his hand. By sheer dumb luck—maybe reflex, maybe panic—he connected with the Beetle’s midsection. The shell cracked, and the creature collapsed in a brief glimmer of fractal light. Gerald froze, eyes wide as the Beetle disintegrated. He stared at the dust and then at the makeshift weapon, disbelief etched into every line of his face.

  He had actually killed one.

  Barry, pivoting away from his own downed foe, caught Gerald’s eyes and gave a curt nod. “Good work,” he said under his breath.

  Gerald, still tense, muttered something like “Yeah… synergy,” but the fear never left his expression.

  In the midst of the chaos, I caught sight of Jacob hovering near the door, eyes darting frantically between us and the swarm. Another flash from a Beetle pulsed, causing him to shield his face. Two more Beetles skittered close, forcing me to dash forward and intercept them. My makeshift weapon slammed into the first, staggering it. The second hissed, snapping at my heels, but a swift kick sent it reeling.

  Jacob shouted, “I can’t do this!” His voice cracked, raw with terror. “I can’t—”

  He backpedaled, narrowly avoiding a Beetle that zipped past. He nearly collided with Ned, who was half-blinded from that earlier flash. A wave of pity surged through me; Jacob had seemed steady before, but maybe he was never truly okay. The savage reality of this second wave had finally shredded his denial.

  “We’re going to survive,” Claire called out, her voice carrying over the Beetles’ clicks. She was busy fending off a pair with lethal precision, splintering shells under crisp blows. But even she looked worried, eyes flicking to Jacob. “Stay with us, Jacob.”

  He shook his head violently, choking on a sob. “No… no. This is—this is insane. I have to get out. I’m not dying in here!”

  I saw the moment he decided. The fear twisted his features, and he bolted, pushing away from the main cluster of us. His sudden movement drew the attention of three Beetles, their antennae swiveling as if sensing weaker prey.

  “Jacob!” I shouted. My protest was lost in the clash of chitin and weapons.

  Jacob broke into a frantic run, heading for the corridor doors. The Beetles pursued him in a coordinated flurry of glimmering shells and snapping mandibles. One scuttled across the floor with alarming speed, closing in on his retreating ankles.

  “Don’t—!” Claire yelled, her voice laced with both command and desperation. She tried to break free from the melee to intercept, but a lunging Beetle blocked her path.

  Barry swung his rod to clear a route, but the press of the swarm was too thick. Trevor, panting, tried to angle himself toward Jacob, only to be forced back by another frenzied Beetle rearing up.

  Jacob slammed against the heavy conference room’s double doors, throwing them open in a panic. He glanced back, eyes filled with sheer terror. I caught a glimpse of him mouthing something—maybe sorry or help—before he tumbled out into the hallway. A wave of Beetles followed, their crystalline shells gleaming under the corridor’s fluorescent lights.

  My heart lurched. He was heading directly into the open corridor, alone, with a cluster of monstrous insects on his heels. No matter how dire it was in here, it had to be worse alone out there.

  “Jacob!” I roared, legs already moving. But it was too late to stop him.

  The doors slammed shut behind him. The last we saw was a swirl of small but deadly forms hurtling after him in a macabre chase. The sound of his frantic footsteps echoed for an instant, then melded with the snapping, chittering noise of Beetles in pursuit.

  A chill settled in my gut. We had told him to stick with us, that we’d fight together. Instead, fear had made his choice. And as the corridor devoured him, I could only hope he wouldn’t pay the ultimate price for that split-second decision.

  I braced myself, hearing Claire shout orders behind me, hearing Trevor grunt as he battered another creeping Beetle. Part of me wanted to sprint after Jacob, but the fight still raged here. My knuckles tightened around the chair leg, sweat dripping into my eyes. Why, Jacob?

  A harsh luminescent flash exploded from a nearby Beetle, forcing me to shield my face. By the time the spots faded from my vision, Jacob’s footsteps were gone.

  We were left with a final horrifying thought: the corridor was no safer than this room. And we all knew how quickly these Trials punished inaction—or in Jacob’s case, a desperate flight.

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