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The University
**Chapter 16: Title: *Shadows of Despair***
Mira remained unconscious, trapped in her vivid and haunting dream. She watched helplessly as the figure dragged Sonia’s limp body out of the garden. She called out, her voice breaking as she cried, "Ryan! Nora! Matthew! Ann! Yasmine! Someone, help me!" But her desperate cries echoed back in silence.
Mira dropped to her knees on the soft green grass of her dream and began to sob uncontrollably. The weight of helplessness crushed her, and she whispered, "Someone, please. I’m trapped. I can’t do this alone."
In reality, Mira’s unconscious body was being dragged by the same figure she was watching in her dream. Its rough hands gripped her arms tightly, leaving marks as it pulled her through the darkened halls of the university. The faint sound of her mumbling reached no one, her pleas blending with the eerie silence.
---
**Elsewhere in the university, Ann regained consciousness.**
Her head throbbed with sharp pain as she slowly opened her eyes. Her surroundings were dimly lit by flickering fire torches mounted on ancient stone walls. Dead leaves crunched beneath her as she shifted, and she felt something wet and sticky on her hand. Looking down, she saw blood smeared on her clothes and palms. Panic surged through her as she screamed, the sound echoing ominously through the cavernous space.
"What is this place?" she whispered, her voice trembling. She noticed a large stone slab in the center of the room, illuminated by a single beam of moonlight streaming through a crack in the ceiling. Surrounding her were massive, weathered pillars etched with strange, ancient symbols.
"This isn’t the university… How did I get here?" she murmured, trying to steady herself. Using one of the pillars for support, she pulled herself to her feet. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she noticed other figures sprawled on the ground.
Her heart sank as she recognized them. "Matthew! Yasmine! Nora!" she cried out, limping toward them. She crouched beside Yasmine and shook her gently.
"Yasmine, wake up! Please wake up!" Ann pleaded, her voice cracking.
Yasmine stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She let out a terrified scream, "What? What’s happening? Ann?!" Her gaze darted around the eerie space. Tears streamed down her face as she clutched Ann’s arm. "Where are we? This… this isn’t real. It can’t be real!"
"I don’t know," Ann admitted, her voice heavy with fear. "But we have to stay calm. We need to wake up the others and get out of here."
Ann helped Yasmine to her feet, but their relief was short-lived. Yasmine touched the back of her head and winced in pain. She pulled her hand away and saw blood on her fingers.
"I’m bleeding, Ann!" Yasmine cried, her panic intensifying. "And so are you. What’s happening to us?"
"Shh!" Ann hissed, grabbing Yasmine’s shoulders. "You need to stay quiet. We don’t know who or what brought us here. Just focus on waking the others."
Yasmine nodded, her hands trembling. She knelt beside Mira and began shaking her gently. "Mira, wake up! Come on, Mira, please!"
---
**Inside Mira’s dream,** the ground beneath her began to tremble. The whispers grew louder, echoing from all directions. "Wake up, Mira… Wake up… Come back to us…"
She shot to her feet,...
Mira remained unconscious, trapped in her vivid and haunting dream. She watched helplessly as the figure dragged Sonia’s limp body out of the garden. She called out, her voice breaking as she cried, "Ryan! Nora! Matthew! Ann! Yasmine! Someone, help me!" But her desperate cries echoed back in silence.
Mira dropped to her knees on the soft green grass of her dream and began to sob uncontrollably. The weight of helplessness crushed her, and she whispered, "Someone, please. I’m trapped. I can’t do this alone."
In reality, Mira’s unconscious body was being dragged by the same figure she was watching in her dream. Its rough hands gripped her arms tightly, leaving marks as it pulled her through the darkened halls of the university. The faint sound of her mumbling reached no one, her pleas blending with the eerie silence.
---
**Elsewhere in the university, Ann regained consciousness.**
Her head throbbed with sharp pain as she slowly opened her eyes. Her surroundings were dimly lit by flickering fire torches mounted on ancient stone walls. Dead leaves crunched beneath her as she shifted, and she felt something wet and sticky on her hand. Looking down, she saw blood smeared on her clothes and palms. Panic surged through her as she screamed, the sound echoing ominously through the cavernous space.
"What is this place?" she whispered, her voice trembling. She noticed a large stone slab in the center of the room, illuminated by a single beam of moonlight streaming through a crack in the ceiling. Surrounding her were massive, weathered pillars etched with strange, ancient symbols.
"This isn’t the university… How did I get here?" she murmured, trying to steady herself. Using one of the pillars for support, she pulled herself to her feet. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she noticed other figures sprawled on the ground.
Her heart sank as she recognized them. "Matthew! Yasmine! Nora!" she cried out, limping toward them. She crouched beside Yasmine and shook her gently.
"Yasmine, wake up! Please wake up!" Ann pleaded, her voice cracking.
Yasmine stirred, her eyes fluttering open. She let out a terrified scream, "What? What’s happening? Ann?!" Her gaze darted around the eerie space. Tears streamed down her face as she clutched Ann’s arm. "Where are we? This… this isn’t real. It can’t be real!"
"I don’t know," Ann admitted, her voice heavy with fear. "But we have to stay calm. We need to wake up the others and get out of here."
Ann helped Yasmine to her feet, but their relief was short-lived. Yasmine touched the back of her head and winced in pain. She pulled her hand away and saw blood on her fingers.
"I’m bleeding, Ann!" Yasmine cried, her panic intensifying. "And so are you. What’s happening to us?"
"Shh!" Ann hissed, grabbing Yasmine’s shoulders. "You need to stay quiet. We don’t know who or what brought us here. Just focus on waking the others."
Yasmine nodded, her hands trembling. She knelt beside Mira and began shaking her gently. "Mira, wake up! Come on, Mira, please!"
---
**Inside Mira’s dream,** the ground beneath her began to tremble. The whispers grew louder, echoing from all directions. "Wake up, Mira… Wake up… Come back to us…"
She shot to her feet,...
