Ludwig sprinted through the labyrinthine corridors of the academy, his boots pounding against the stone floor with a rhythm that matched the frantic beating of his undead heart—or what passed for one. The air was thick with tension, and every shadow seemed to twist and writhe as if alive, a testament to the lingering effects of Hoyo's Shamrack spell. The hallway to his right was a void of darkness, an abyss that seemed to swallow light itself. Ludwig didn't dare glance that way for long; the spell's eerie pull was almost hypnotic, and he couldn't afford to lose focus now.
The other path was clear, and Ludwig vaulted through it without hesitation.He pushed himself harder, faster, desperate to put distance between himself and his pursuers. Behind him, the sound of footsteps echoed like a death knell, growing louder with every passing second. Hoyo and Evan were relentless, their determination to catch him as unyielding as the stone walls of the academy.
