Alex's entire body was trembling as he stared at the impossible figure before him.

"Mateo! But you died? This is impossible!"

Mateo smirked, his eyes cold and menacing. "Yeah, I kinda noticed that. Guess whose fault it is?"

Mateo then sneered, his voice dripping with malice. "Remember what I said at Maria's party? How I was gonna make you pay for all your smartass remarks? Your little friends threw me out that time," he paused, a sinister smirk spreading across his face.

"But this time, I brought some friends too."

The bushes around Alex rustled violently before exploding, unleashing a snarling wave of skeletal dog creatures. Their blazing red eyes burned like embers in the night, casting a hellish glow on their gaunt forms. Yellow saliva dripped from their gaping jaws, sizzling as it hit the ground like acid. They moved with the precision of a well-oiled nightmare, their bony limbs clicking and clattering like the keys of a macabre piano. The air was now cold and filled with the sound of rattling bones and growls that echoed like the wails of the damned, sending chills down Alex's spine.

In a horrifying instant, the skeletal horde charged towards Alex and his group of friends, their ghastly forms closing in with relentless ferocity.

Alex shouted, "Here they come!"

He dropped into a ready crouch as three of the creatures lunged at him. To his right, Andy gripped his crowbar, ready to swing.

Alvin's voice cut through the chaos.

"Andy, get the middle one! Alex, you get the left, Kimmy, get the right!"

Just then, a skeletal dog lunged at Alvin with a bone-chilling roar. Alvin smirked, his reflexes sharp as a striking snake. He caught the creature's head mid-air, and with a surge of strength, he crushed its skull, the sound of shattering bone echoing like splintering ice. As he tossed the lifeless body aside, he looked at the two remaining skeletal dogs that had him surrounded. His smirk widened.

"Do you really thought I was an easy target? Or do you want to take down the strongest first?" he taunted, his eyes gleaming with fierce determination.

On the other hand, Alex tightened his grip on the pole saw, its weight reassuring in his hands. He swung the saw at the creature on his left, the blade biting into bone and moss with a sickening crunch. The skeletal beast let out an unearthly shriek as it crumbled to the ground.

Andy met his target head-on, the crowbar connecting with a resounding thud. The creature staggered, then collapsed, its bony limbs twitching in the dirt.

Kimmy, with a fierce yell, swung her rock-filled purse at the creature on the right. The impact shattered its skull, sending shards of bone flying.

"Woo! We've got a triple threat right here!" Andy shouted in exhilaration.

Snarling, another skeletal creature charged toward Alex, its blazing red eyes fixated on him. Before he could react, Kyle abomination himself, barreled into it from the side. The impact was thunderous, and the creature was smashed to the ground with a sickening crunch that echoed through the night.

Kyle seized the creature by its spine, his bony fingers digging into the cracked bones. He shook it with ferocious strength, the sound of splintering ribs and cracking joints filling the air. The creature's movements grew erratic and then ceased altogether, its eerie red eyes dimming into lifeless orbs.

He then looked up at Alex, a ghastly grin spreading across his skeletal face, his hollow eyes gleaming with a twisted sense of pride.

Alex smiled back, "Good boy."

Through the chaos, Lucy and Leo's voices rang clear and resolute, their words cutting through the din of battle as they recited Ophelia's spell.

"Power of the earth and stone, furious wind and rushing creek," Lucy intoned.

"By right of our covenant, we bid thee," Leo continued. "Heed our words."

Just then Noah's urgent shout pierced through the incantation, "LOOK OUT!"

Two skeletal creatures had managed to dodge past Noah, their red eyes gleaming malevolently as they charged straight for Leo and Lucy. Alex's heart raced, panic clawing at him. I don't think I can reach both of them in time!

In a desperate bid to protect his friends, Alex lunged forward, his pole saw slicing through the air like a scythe. With a grim determination, he sheared clean through the spine of one of the creatures. It collapsed in a lifeless heap at Lucy's feet, its once-glowing eyes extinguishing in the dirt.

Lucy looked up, her face illuminated by a mixture of relief and gratitude.

"Thanks for the save, Alex."

Alex's heart thundered in his chest as he turned to Leo. His blood ran cold when he saw the jagged jaws of a creature clamped down on his friend's arm, the beast's yellow saliva dripping onto Leo's skin. Adrenaline surged through Alex, sharpening his senses in the midst of the mayhem.

He and Lucy rushed to Leo's aid, their fingers trembling as they pried the creature's powerful jaws open. With a guttural grunt, Alex hurled the beast aside.

Lucy, her eyes blazing with fierce resolve, grabbed a jagged rock and brought it down onto the creature's head with a sickening crunch, ending its wretched life.

"Are you okay, Leo? You're bleeding," Lucy asked in concern as she looked at the crimson staining Leo's arm.

Leo gritted his teeth against the pain, his face a mask of determination despite the blood seeping from his wound.

"Probably gonna need stitches, but I'll live. Come on, we have to finish the spell," he said, his voice strained but resolute.

From across the clearing, Ava's urgent voice pierced the chaos. "Could use some help over here!"

Alex's gaze snapped to Ava, where Noah was grappling with another thrashing creature. Without a second thought, Alex sprinted towards them, his feet barely touching the ground. Ava's knife flashed in the dim light, but the creature slipped from Noah's grasp, lunging at her with terrifying speed.

Alex launched himself at Ava, knocking her out of the creature's path just in time. She was about to thank him when Noah's scream of terror sliced through the air. The creature had turned on him, its eyes wild with hunger.

Noah kicked desperately at the beast, but it snapped at his feet with relentless fury. Beside Alex, Ava scrambled to her feet, her face set in grim determination. With a swift, practiced motion, she plunged her knife into the creature's skull, silencing it forever.

Noah collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

"It chewed my ankle a little, but nothing major." he said with a weak smile at them.

Meanwhile Kevin, Dwayne, and Shoyo faced off against a horde of skeletal dog creatures. They were Armed only with wooden sticks. Their unlikely trio was about to turn the battle into an unexpected comedy show.

Kevin, with his towering physique, swung his stick with the force of a wrecking ball. Each strike was accompanied by a booming laugh.

"You call this a fight? I've seen better moves from a broken washing machine!" he roared as he sent a skeletal dog crashing into its peers. His stick cracked against another dog's ribs, sending bones scattering.

"This is what happens when you mess with the big guys! Hope you brought insurance!"

Dwayne dodged a lunging skeletal dog with a deft sidestep, then whacked it with a satisfying thud.

"Oh, look, another one bites the dust," he quipped, barely breaking a sweat.

"And they said wooden sticks were outdated. Who knew they'd be perfect for bone-crushing?"

In the midst of this chaos was Shoyo, darted between the skeletal dogs with effortless grace, his stick weaving a dizzying pattern of strikes. As a dog lunged at him, he leapt nimbly over its head, landing behind it with a flourish.

"Nice try, Sparky!" he taunted as he delivered a rapid succession of blows.

"But I think you need a bit more practice! Maybe try fetching a bone instead!"

With each swing, the skeletal dogs fell in increasingly comical ways. Kevin's mighty blows occasionally sent a dog flying directly into Dwayne's path.

Without missing a beat, Dwayne smacked the skeletal creature with a bemused shake of his head.

"Seriously, Kevin, if you're aiming to turn this into a circus act, you're doing a fantastic job!" he called out with a smirk.

Shoyo then executed a flawless roll under an attacking dog's jaws and sprang back up with a series of rapid strikes.

He dodged a particularly aggressive creature by executing a high jump and landed right on top of another skeletal creature, using it as a springboard for his next attack.

"And you thought you'd get a free snack! No way, buddy!" he laughed, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Claire, Alice, and Sofia pressed on with relentless determination against the skeletal dog creatures. Claire, with her fierce intensity, swung her wooden stick in powerful arcs, sending bone fragments scattering with each mighty blow.

But Alice and Sofia were struggling to keep up; Alice's swift movements were occasionally interrupted by the relentless onslaught of the skeletal dogs, while Sofia's methodical strikes were hampered by the sheer number of their foes. Their struggle was evident as they fought to maintain their rhythm amid the chaos.

As Alex's friends continued their desperate battle against the skeletal creatures, a slow, sarcastic applause echoed from the edge of the clearing.

"Damn. Not bad, Alex. Maybe you nerds are tougher than I gave you credit for," Mateo sneered, his voice dripping with mockery.

Behind Mateo, Dylan's shadowy figure, seethed with barely contained fury, hovering just outside the boundary of the clearing. Its dark form seemed to pulse with malevolent energy.

Alex's mind raced. Dylan knows we're trying to trap him. He won't risk coming after us himself.

He glanced at Alvin, who with sheer physical prowess had nearly single-handedly destroyed over ten skeletal creatures using nothing but punches and kicks. Standing tall and defiant, Alvin caught Alex's eye, smirked, and then dashed in the opposite direction. The sudden movement drew many of the creatures toward him, diverting their attention and easing the burden on his friends-but placing himself in grave danger.

Alex looked at Alvin with a mixture of sadness and gratitude. Thanks, Alvin, but that put you in grave danger. We owe you one, he thought.

Alvin leapt through the woods, deftly dodging several fallen trees, his movements fluid and quick as a shadow.

He stopped after making some distance and turned around, his breath misting in the cool air. More skeletal creatures surrounded him, their eyes blazing red like molten embers. Yellow saliva dripped from their jaws, sizzling on the ground like venom.

Alvin clenched his fists, the muscles in his arms tensing like coiled steel.

"Now, I want to hear some bones cracking. Let's start the show, shall we?" he growled.

The skeletal creatures circled him like wolves, but Alvin's stance remained unwavering, ready to unleash a storm of destruction.

...

Steeling himself, Alex pointed his weapon at the creature wearing Mateo's face.

"Come over here. I'll show you how tough I am."

Dylan, reached out a clawed hand, resting it on top of Mateo's head.

Mateo grinned. "I thought you'd never ask."

Before Alex's eyes, Mateo's flesh began to warp and bulge grotesquely, like putty being molded into a nightmarish shape. His skin stretched and tore with a sickening slough, falling away in ragged shreds to reveal the dirt and stone beneath. As the transformation completed, he became a monstrous stone creature, his form a grotesque amalgamation of jagged rock and twisted sinew.

Each step the creature took toward Alex seemed to make it grow taller and more menacing, its stony exterior creaking and groaning like the tortured remnants of a crumbling edifice. The air around it thickened with a chilling aura, as if the very ground recoiled from its malignant presence.

"Wow, you're even uglier than I remember," Alex quipped, despite the fear gnawing at his insides.

With surprising speed, the stone creature lurched forward, its massive hand clamping around Alex's arm. Desperation fueled Alex's reaction as he pulled the trigger on his pole saw, the blade revving to full speed. Twisting his body, he brought the saw down on the creature's arm. The blade tore through the stone, and the creature's grip loosened as its arm crumbled off at the elbow.

The creature paused, picking up its own severed fist-a clump of rocks and dirt the size of a basketball. With a grunt, it hurled the projectile at Alex's head.

Alex instinctively raised his pole saw, the blade chewing through the projectile with ease and spraying dirt and pebbles everywhere. But his moment of relief was short-lived. He watched in horror as the creature shook its injured arm, and the stump began to grow back.

Alex's eyes widened in disbelief. It's not fair.

The creature flexed its new hand, sneering at him. "I owe you bruises, Alex, and some broken bones."

In a sudden burst of nearly unbelievable speed, the stone creature appeared directly in front of Alex. Its rock-like eyes widened with malevolent intent as it swung its massive, jagged arm toward him. But just in time, Shoyo raced in, launching himself into the air and shoving Alex out of the path of the incoming strike. They tumbled across the ground, rolling to safety as the stone creature's colossal hand smashed into the earth, missing its intended target.

Alex scrambled to his feet and glanced at Shoyo, who lay on the ground with his left leg wounded, blood seeping through his torn clothing.

Kevin rushed over, gripping his wooden stick tightly. "Alex, I'll look after him," he said.

Alex nodded, his mind refocusing on the looming threat. He turned his gaze back to the stone creature, which was now advancing toward him with a menacing, deliberate pace. The creature's heavy steps reverberated through the ground.

His friends tried to run to his aid, but vine dog creatures surged forward, forcing them to keep fighting. Alex now knew the stone creature could heal any damage he inflicted. There had to be a way to put it down for good.

That's when he saw it-a tiny dot hidden among the rocks on the creature's chest, glowing faintly.

Steeling himself, Alex planted his feet firmly and lunged forward. As the creature's massive fist swung toward him, he ducked smoothly and drove his pole saw into its chest, targeting the glowing core. The blade sliced through the stone with a resounding crack, breaking apart the intricate carvings.

The creature's eyes widened in shock as fractures radiated from the impact point, spreading like a web across its body. It let out a guttural roar as its form began to collapse, crumbling into a cascade of shattered rock.

In the trees, Dylan let out an ear-splitting howl. "NOOOOOO!"

Eyes boiling with rage, Dylan surged forward, almost too fast to follow. His cold fingers clamped around Alex's throat, and two pits of deep red flame blazed just inches from Alex's eyes.

"YOU RUINED EVERYTHING! I HATE YOU!" Dylan screamed with mix of fury and madness.

His fingers tightened, cutting off Alex's air. Frantically, Alex looked around the clearing, searching for his friends for help.

Andy's crowbar struck out to the left and right, leaving a trail of broken enemies in its wake. "That's right! This is what you get for messing with me!" he yelled, his face twisted in determination.

Nearby, Kimmy dodged and twirled between attacking creatures, her purse a shimmering blur as it slammed through skulls. "Woo! You picked on the wrong cheerleader!" she shouted.

On the other side of the clearing, Ava and Noah brandished their weapons against another group of snarling beasts.

"I'm gonna make you bony freaks wish you were never summoned, or whatever," Ava spat, her eyes blazing with fierce determination.

Noah, gripping his weapon tightly, added, "I'm not letting it end like this... not when we're so close."

Dylan's grip tightened further, the icy touch beginning to burn against Alex's skin. He felt his strength draining away, his vision dimming around the edges.

"ARE YOU SCARED, ALEX?!" Dylan taunted, his voice a sinister whisper.

"I am not scared!" Alex shouted.

In response, Dylan threw Alex to the ground with a dismissive flick. The shadowy creature then floated unhurriedly toward Leo and Lucy, his malevolent eyes fixed on them.

Leo stepped protectively in front of Lucy, his jaw set with determination as he continued to read the incantation.

"Power of flame and shadows, keeper of darkest secrets," he intoned, despite the fear gnawing at his insides.

Lucy stared defiantly at Dylan, her voice rising with each word of the spell.

"By the right of our covenant, we bind thee."

Alex, his body aching and vision blurred, dragged himself forward. He reached into his pocket, the words of the spell echoing in his mind.

"Trouble us no more. TROUBLE US NO MORE!" His fingers, trembling with pain, finally found the lighter. Straining, he flicked the striker, igniting a tiny flame.

"NO!" Dylan shouted. He descended toward Alex, howling with rage, claws outstretched.

But... it was too late.

With a final, desperate effort, Alex touched the flame to the inside of the goblet. A line of blue fire shot out from its center, streaking toward the ruins. The fire spread rapidly, igniting the symbols etched into the ancient stones.

Dylan's body began to thin and stretch, his form distorting as if he were ink being poured down a drain.

"NOOOOOOOO!" he screamed with mix of anger and despair. Within seconds, he vanished entirely into the flames, his howls of rage echoing one last time before silence fell.

All around, the skeletal creatures collapsed to the ground, the eerie lights in their eyes winking out. The clearing was suddenly still, the oppressive darkness lifting as the dawn's light began to break through the trees.

Kyle, sniffed curiously at the piles of bones, then trotted over to stand by Alex's side, still grinning.

"We did it," Alex said, his voice trembling with exhaustion as he slowly got to his feet. The flames inside the goblet flared high, casting an eerie glow across the clearing before vanishing.

Noah, still in shock, looked around.

"Wait... really? It actually worked?"

"It would appear so," Leo replied, his eyes scanning the area with cautious optimism.

Kevin extended a hand to Shoyo, who was still on the ground. With a firm grip, he helped Shoyo to his feet, offering support as he struggled to stand. Shoyo looked at Kevin with gratitude and said, "Thanks."

Lucy, her brow furrowed with uncertainty said. "Are we sure? Is he actually gone for forever?"

Ava, walking over to retrieve Ophelia's goblet, nodded grimly. "Only one way to find out."

But just then Alice's scream pierced the air, cutting through the chaos and catching everyone's attention.

"Alvin!" she cried out.

Dwayne spun around, eyes wide with alarm.

"Damn, where is he?" he muttered, before shouting louder, "Alvin, where are you?"

Alex then recalled Alvin's earlier actions, where he had distracted the other skeletal creatures. He pointed off to the right. "I think he might be over there."

The group followed Alex's lead, their footsteps quickening as they ventured deeper into the shadowy path. The darkness seemed to close in around them until they finally spotted Alvin lying on the ground. Alice gasped, both hands flying to her face as tears welled up in her eyes and streamed down her cheeks.

Alex sprinted towards Alvin, but Alice, driven by a surge of emotion, raced past him and reached Alvin first. She dropped to her knees beside him, shaking his body frantically before rolling him over to see his face. His eyes were wide open, a thin trickle of blood running from a scratch on his forehead.

Relief washed over Alice as she saw that the injury was superficial. Alex knelt down beside her, and together they gently helped Alvin to sit up.

Alice immediately wrapped her arms around Alvin in a tight hug, causing him to wince.

"Easy, it's hurting," Alvin murmured.

Alice pulled back gently, her hands instinctively cupping his cheeks.

"I was so worried, I thought you had..." Her voice trailed off as fresh tears spilled from her eyes.

Alvin managed a small, reassuring smile. "Hey, I'm okay now," he said softly.

Alice's tears continued to flow, but a tentative smile broke through her fear. The tension of the moment lingered, but the sight of Alvin alive and speaking brought a fragile sense of relief to the group.

Dwayne knelt down beside Alvin and gently touched his arm, causing Alvin to wince in pain. Alvin shot him a look of frustration.

"See, you're hurt," Dwayne said with concern.

Alvin remained silent, the pain evident in his expression.

Leo, his voice filled with worry said, "Did the wound open up again, or did one of those skeletal dogs get you on the head? Damn, I wish I had been there to lend a hand."

Alvin looked away, embarrassed. "Actually, it's complicated," he admitted.

"I was destroying those skeletal dogs easily, but then they all just suddenly disappeared. I ran towards you guys, trying to get back as soon as possible. In my hurry, I accidentally bumped into this tree."

He glanced at Alex, whose eyes were brimming with tears.

"So, let me guess, is it over?" Alvin asked.

Alex nodded slightly, his relief palpable.

Alvin sighed deeply. "So what are we waiting for? Let's go home."

Ava glanced at Alex before turning to Alvin.

"Actually, we're not entirely sure if the ritual worked or not. We're thinking about heading to the ruins to make sure."

Alvin sighed again, resignation settling over him. "Well, let's go then," he said, pushing himself to his feet with Alice and Alex's help.

...

They moved cautiously into the clearing, which now seemed eerily serene. "It's so peaceful," Alex murmured, his gaze sweeping over the once-foreboding space.

Ava approached the ruins, quickly snatching up the other Ophelia's goblet which Alvin had placed before backing away.

"Ugh. I can definitely sense something in there. And it is pissed."

Andy, a wry grin on his face, commented, "Can you blame him? Who'd wanna spend eternity trapped in that creepy place?"

Lucy's eyes narrowed. "This could be a trick."

Leo nodded in agreement. "How do we know the spell did what it was supposed to do?"

Alex's gaze lingered on the old ruins, a memory surfacing of the first time he and his friends, June, Alvin, and Alice, had been here. They'd thrown a stone into the ruins, and it had floated. He remembered Alvin's mischievous grin, especially when Alvin had tried to throw Alex into the ruins to see if he would float too.

Alex then crouched down, picked up a small pebble, and tossed it at the ruins. The pebble sailed straight over the threshold, then stopped mid-air.

Kimmy's eyes widened in surprise. "No way!"

The pebble hung suspended for a moment, then dropped straight down. Alex's knees buckled, and he sank to the ground, tears welling in his eyes as laughter bubbled up from deep within.

"IT'S OVER!"

His friends, except for Alice, Claire, Alvin, Kevin and Shoyo knelt beside him, pulling Alex into a warm embrace. They huddled together in a group hug, their relief and joy palpable.

Alice stayed close to Alvin, holding him tightly, his one arm around her shoulder for support. As they stood there, Alvin's face was etched with pain, yet he managed a small, encouraging smile, trying to reassure her. Claire, standing nearby and noticing Alvin's discomfort, said nothing but gently patted his back, her touch filled with quiet empathy.

Shoyo, with his injured leg, leaned heavily on Kevin for support. Despite the pain and exhaustion evident in his expression, Shoyo managed a grateful smile, which Kevin returned with equal warmth.

Alex looked around at his friends, their faces lit with smiles and tears of their own.

"What the hell do we do next?"

Kimmy, squeezing Alex tighter and laughed, "Seriously? The next thing is the most important of all."

Leo raised an eyebrow. "The SATs?"

Kimmy shook her head, her grin widening. "No, dummy! It's homecoming!"

Suddenly, Dwayne's stomach let out a thunderous growl that seemed to reverberate through the air. He clutched his midsection with one hand and dropped to his knees, his face contorting in exaggerated agony. The group turned to him, their expressions shifting from confusion to concern.

"Bro? What's wrong? Did those dogs get you there?" Andy asked in concern.

Dwayne, barely able to suppress a grin despite his dramatic display, looked up with a pained yet resolute expression.

"Okay, I am officially hungry. I want some food ASAP!"

The absurdity of the situation was underlined by the way his stomach rumbled again, a deep, growling protest that seemed to punctuate his words. The group burst into laughter, the dramatic flair of Dwayne's hunger striking a hilarious chord.

The intensity of their predicament momentarily forgotten, they shared a moment of levity as Dwayne's stomach made its demands known once more.

Alex smiled as he turned his gaze to the horizon, where the first light of dawn was unfurling. The sun, emerging from beneath a veil of lingering clouds, cast a soft, golden hue across the landscape. Its rays gently brushed away the shadows of night, painting the sky with delicate shades of pink and amber. The group joined him, their eyes captivated by the breathtaking scene.

The heavens above transitioned from a deep, inky blue to a tranquil canvas of pastel colors, as the sun ascended with serene majesty. The light, like molten gold, spilled across the rolling hills and shimmering dew, igniting the world in a gentle glow. The air was crisp and fresh, imbued with the promise of a new day.

As the sun's radiant fingers reached upward, dispelling the last remnants of darkness, the group stood in silent awe, united in their appreciation of nature's resplendent dawn.

Alex's smile broadened, and he murmured to himself, "Now it's time for the homecoming."