Yuuki's eyes fluttered open to a haze of muted blue light and the sound of running water somewhere nearby. His whole body ached, ribs burning like they'd been struck by a hammer.
"Where… the hell am I?" he croaked, his voice dry and broken.
"You're awake."
The voice above him was calm, almost casual. "Thought you'd kicked the bucket."
Yuuki forced his eyes to focus. A boy stood over him. Pale skin. At his waist, two short blades were strapped. A cracked mask dangled loosely around his neck, and a blue kimono hung neatly over his shoulders. His hair was white as snow, eyes the same cool blue as the cloth he wore. He didn't look like someone who belonged in a place like this. Angel? Yuuki couldn't tell.
He tried to sit up but pain lanced through his ribs, shoving him back down.
"Easy," the boy said without inflection. "Your ribs are bad. I did what I could, but you're still a mess."
Yuuki managed a faint grin. "Thanks. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
"No need to thank me. I only followed the noise and found you." The boy crouched, the mask swinging like a pendulum. "Name's Rene."
"I'm Yuuki." He swallowed hard. "How long was I out? Did you see anyone else?"
Rene tilted his head. "Five, maybe six hours. And no. You were the only one."
Before he could say more, a low howl echoed from somewhere in the distance.
"That's new." Rene straightened. "We should move."
He stretched, checked his gear—a bundle of herbs, a few tools—and then without ceremony bent down and hoisted Yuuki into his arms.
"H-hey! What are you—" Yuuki squirmed, wincing at the pain.
"This is how I've been carrying you since I found you," Rene said flatly, adjusting his grip. "Don't be embarrassed."
And just like that they were moving, deeper into the unknown. The path wound through a strange landscape of broken golden statues and exotic plants with curling leaves and shimmering petals—things Yuuki had never seen before.
Hours later, they stopped beside a stream. Rene built a crude shelter out of deadwood and bark. By the time he returned, Yuuki was on his feet again, shaky but upright.
"Ah, standing already," Rene remarked.
"It still hurts, but not like before," Yuuki said, stretching carefully.
"That's something." Rene sat down, set his blades aside, and for the first time his tone shifted, quieter, heavier. "Tell me… do you feel it too?"
"Feel what?" Yuuki asked, frowning.
"This test. The way everything feels like one long setup."
Yuuki blinked. "What do you mean? Our invigilator's dead. This isn't a test anymore—it's survival."
Rene shook his head. "No. It's still an exam. They just want to make it feel real. See how we react under pressure, in an unknown environment, with nothing to work with. For them, this is just a normal day."
Yuuki stared. "How do you know that?"
Rene gave a thin smile. "Just a hunch."
Yuuki glanced at the alien plants around them. "This ecosystem… these artifacts… they don't belong anywhere in our world. Either it's some simulation, or magic."
"Don't get misleaded by my information, I called this an exam doesn't mean they won't try to kill you, by the sight of it, I would say they use this exam as a feeding mechanism to feed the monsters that live here. And also these monsters does live amongst the land of man, you will see more of them when you get into the system of this job" Rene confirms
Yuuki's stomach turned. "Feed… you're saying we're trapped nothing but food?"
"Maybe. Or maybe there's a time limit, or a task. Survive long enough. Kill the ones who caused this. Something like that."
Yuuki sank down against the tree trunk. "That's… a lot to process."
Rene gave a short laugh. "Then sleep on it. I'll take the first watch."
"Sleep? In a place like this?" Yuuki tried to smile. "Two pairs of eyes are better than one."
"Fine," Rene murmured. He pulled the cracked mask up over his face and sat still as stone, head bowed, listening to the night like a hunter waiting for prey.
---
The Next Morning
Yuuki's head bobbed as he fought off the pull of sleep. Rene's hand shook his shoulder.
"Wake up. You hear that?"
"Hear what?" Yuuki rubbed at his eyes.
"Can you move?" Rene asked.
"Yeah…"
"Then follow me."
Rene slipped into the trees. Yuuki stumbled after him.
"Wait, Rene—what's going on? What did you hear?"
"A monster," Rene said simply.
Yuuki's heart lurched. "Then we're running away, right?"
"No. We're going to it."
Yuuki stopped in his tracks. "You're insane. What about surviving?"
"I know what I said. But I hear people with it—two, maybe three. I'm not sure. We need to help."
And just like that Rene was gone, a blur between the trees, blades at his side. He didn't even check if Yuuki was following.
Yuuki cursed under his breath. "Damn it… this guy."