I Became a Kindergarten Teacher for Monster Babies!-Chapter 338 Cave

The thoughts spiraled so fast that her breath hitched. If something happened to them, if even one of her babies came back hurt or scared, she wasn’t sure she could forgive herself. She loved them far too much, more than she ever expected to.

Every giggle, every tantrum, every bit of mischief, every small hand tugging at her dress, they had become precious to her in a way that made her chest ache.

She had promised herself she would protect them.

And now three were missing. Her fingers trembled as she clenched her skirt tighter.

"Dante, please.." she whispered, her voice barely a breath. "Please find them. Please bring them back safe."

For a moment Alina couldn’t even breathe properly. Everything had happened so fast.

King Corvus had rushed off himself to search, and Alina could only stand there trembling, praying nothing terrible had happened. She kept glancing back at the children gathered behind her, making sure Luna was keeping everyone together just as she asked. Her heart pounded so loudly she could hear nothing else.

Then suddenly two servants swam toward them at full speed.

"Lord Dante has found them!" one shouted, breathless.

Alina’s knees almost gave out in relief. She turned instantly, gathering the babies close to her. "Everyone come with me. Stay together, don’t wander," she said quickly, her voice still shaking a little. Drake clung to her dress, Boo floated close without spinning, Luna herded the others like a tiny alpha wolf, and they all rushed after her.

When she finally reached the edge of the fair, she saw King Corvus and Dante standing in front of what looked like an empty cave carved into a large coral cliff. The sight made her stop in her tracks. Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

"What’s happening?" she gasped as she hurried toward them, her breath uneven. Behind her, Dante’s shadows were already curling protectively around the babies, making sure they stayed together.

Up close, the cave entrance looked even worse. It shimmered with a strange heat, like waves of vapor rising underwater. The water around it trembled faintly, as if something inside was pushing against the world outside.

Dante’s expression was carved from stone, his lips pressed into a thin, hard line.

The moment she saw his face, her heart dropped. "What happened?" she asked again, panic tightening her chest.

Dante didn’t look away from the entrance. "I can sense them," he said, voice low and strained. "Inside the cave. But I wasn’t able to enter."

Her eyes widened. "Why? What’s stopping you?"

"There’s a barrier," he replied, irritation and worry flickering beneath his calm. "It repels anyone with demonic affinity. I tried forcing it, but it pushed me back."

He paused, then added in a colder tone, "And someone else is inside. A very old presence."

Alina felt a cold shiver run down her spine. "Who lives here?"

King Corvus exchanged a troubled look with an attendant before answering. His voice carried uneasiness.

"Recently," he began, "a few older species migrated from distant waters. And I believe retired Octopus General Koel resides here."

He swallowed, his usually steady voice turning faintly uneasy.

"He doesn’t like visitors," King Corvus admitted. "He is powerful, old, and extremely temperamental."

Alina’s heart seized.

Kelpie. Rocky. Felix.

Inside that cave.

Her fingers curled tightly in the fabric of her dress, fear rising like a wave ready to swallow her whole. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

She stepped closer to the shimmering entrance, her heart pounding so loudly she could barely hear anything else.

"King Corvus, you also can’t enter?" she asked, her voice barely steady.

He shook his head with a grave expression. "I wasn’t able to. The barrier repels my aura." Then he turned toward his wife, worry tightening his eyes. "Mari, maybe you should try?"

Lady Maris nodded once and stepped forward gracefully. The moment her hand touched the shimmering veil, a force slammed her back as if the water itself rejected her. King Corvus caught her immediately, panic flickering in his eyes.

"Mariiiiiiii!"

"I’m fine," she whispered, though her face had gone pale.

One by one, several high-ranked attendants approached the barrier and tried to enter, yet each one was thrown back violently, their bodies repelled by the unseen force.

Dante’s jaw tightened. "Maybe Alina should try," he said quietly.

Alina blinked in surprise but nodded with determination. If it meant reaching her babies, she would do anything. She stepped forward and pressed her palm gently to the shimmering heat.

Instantly, a painful shock ripped through her hand, shooting up her arm like a burst of electricity. Her vision swayed and dizziness crashed over her.

"Teacher!" Boo cried, spinning wildly in panic.

Before anyone could react, Boo darted forward and grabbed her shoulder with his small glowing hands, and in that exact moment, the barrier rippled and let them through.

Everyone froze.

Even Dante, who rarely showed shock, stared with wide eyes.

Boo clung to Alina’s neck shakily. "Teacher, what happened?"

Alina turned back, stunned. "It let us in."

Behind them, the others stood speechless. Dante’s expression shattered from composed to terrified in a heartbeat.

"Alina!" he called urgently, taking a step as if to follow, but the barrier burned him back instantly, forcing him to stop. "You’re human. Don’t go in alone. It’s dangerous!"

She smiled softly, though fear flickered in her eyes. "It’s okay, sir. I’ll go in and check. Don’t worry. I’ll bring them back."

"Alina," Dante’s voice cracked for the first time.

But she had already turned away. The cave swallowed her and Boo whole.

The deeper she went, the darker it grew. The water felt heavier, colder, almost pressing against her skin. The shimmering blue of the ocean faded into eerie shades of black and deep violet.

Boo increased his glow nervously, his ghostly light spreading like a small lantern across the stone walls. "Teacher, we’re going to find them, right?" he whispered, his voice trembling.

Alina tightened her hold on him and nodded. "Of course. We’ll find them. Don’t be scared."

He tucked himself against her chest, hugging her tightly. His small body trembled until he felt her arms close around him.

If her heart wasn’t beating so fast with fear, she would have smiled.

"Boo," she whispered gently, leaning close to his little ears. "If anything happens to me, you must fly outside and tell the others. Promise me."