I opened my eyes a world bathed in soft sunlight. A narrow stone path lay before me, winding gently through an endless field of swaying grass. All around, wildflowers bloomed in a dazzling array—white daisies, tiny bluebells, and soft pink petals that fluttered in the breeze like butterflies.
The air was filled with the delicate fragrance of blooming flowers, sweet and fresh, wrapping around me like a warm hug. The grass whispered as the wind passed, carrying with it yellow petals that danced through the air. It felt as though nature itself had paused to admire its own beauty.
Above, the sky stretched wide and blue, decorated with billowing white clouds that drifted lazily. In every direction, life flourished—flowers bloomed without end, and sunlight bathed everything in a golden glow. It was peaceful. Dreamlike. A place that seemed untouched by time, where every step felt like walking through a painting come to life.
"Where am I?" I murmured, feeling an unsettling isolation in the air.
"Is this real?" I pinched myself to see if I am feeling pain or not. I pinch my cheeks with all strength.
"Ouch ,it hurts . So where am I? And is this---."
Before I could gather my thoughts, a deafening roar shattered the silence behind me. My heart skipped a beat as I turned to see monstrous wolf pack barreling out of the forest, its eyes glowing like burning embers. The wolf was chasing someone.
"Over here!" I shouted, motioning for the person to hide behind a large rock.
The boy stumbled toward me, his face pale with terror. He collapsed behind the rock, gasping for air.
"Are you okay?" I asked, keeping my voice low.
"Th-thank you," he stammered, trembling. "You saved me... I thought I was done for."
"Quiet," I hissed, pressing my finger to my lips. "It's still out there."
The wolf, distracted by the scent of the flowers, ran past us.
We waited in tense silence, listening to the growls and prowling of the beast nearby. After what felt like an eternity, the sounds faded. I turned to the boy.
"I'm Aron Yugen," I said. "And you?"
"Cain Sederith," he replied, his voice steadier now. "I... I don't know how I got here. I was just sleeping, and then I woke up in this place."
"That's the same thing that happened to me," I said, suppressing the growing unease in my chest.
Before we could move, the Wolves reappeared, its snarl echoing through the air. It locked eyes with us, and my blood ran cold.
"Run!" I shouted, grabbing Cain's arm.
We sprinted toward the forest, our breaths ragged. Cain screamed, "I don't want to die!" over and over, his panic contagious.
"The forest!" I yelled. "We can lose it in there!"
Just as we neared the tree line, a sudden scream tore through the air — sharp and desperate.
Another boy burst out of the forest, his hair wild, clothes torn, and face pale with terror. Behind him swarmed a pack of monstrous bees, each one the size of a hawk. Their wings buzzed like thunder, and their long stingers gleamed, dripping with venom.
The boy stumbled as he ran, flailing his arms in panic.
"What the hell are those?!" Cain cried, his voice cracking.
I barely had time to react — the forest had gone from bad to worse.
Cain froze. "We're done for! We're dead!"
But the wolves attacked the bees. They collided in a frenzy of claws and stingers. Seizing the opportunity, I grabbed Cain and shouted, "Follow us!" We darted into the forest, our feet pounding against the mossy ground.
After what felt like miles, the monstrous noises behind us finally faded into the distance. We collapsed behind a cluster of trees, gasping for breath, drenched in sweat, and barely able to stand.
The disheveled boy wiped his forehead and straightened his posture with forced dignity. "I am Felix Leovale," he declared, trying to sound noble despite the twigs in his hair and a giant leaf stuck to his back.
"I don't know..." he continued, glancing around in confusion.
"I know," I said flatly, still catching my breath.
Cain blinked. "Wait, how do you know?"
I pointed at the leaf awkwardly stuck to Felix's head. "Only a noble would look that serious while wearing a plant as a crown."
Felix looked confused, then reached up. His fingers brushed the leaf. He stared at it for a moment... then sighed.
"Dignity is dead, but I ain't." he muttered
Cain, surprised, said, "Leovale? The noble family from the Hero Party?"
Felix nodded. "Yes and you two should follow me. Since I'm a noble."
I knew Felix was from the Leovale family the moment I saw him , but I hadn't expect a noble to be in this place with us.
I asked, "So, does that mean we're all from Rosbert Academy?"
Felix and Cain responded in unison, "Yes, how do you know?"
"I just guessed ". But if the three of us are from Rosbert academy that means . Is it only happening to rosbert students ? "
As we three talk outside dark clouds were beginning to gather above us, dimming the light that had once warmed the field. The breeze had turned cold and sharp, carrying with it the scent of rain.
"We should find shelter first," Cain said, glancing nervously at the sky. "It's going to pour any minute."
A distant rumble of thunder answered him.
Felix nodded reluctantly. "As much as I hate the idea of hiding in some random hole, I'd rather not get soaked... or struck by lightning."
Agreeing with him, we began searching for shelter. Felix and Cain chatted along the way.
"This isn't normal," Felix said, his noble demeanor cracking. "We're in some kind of nightmare. Monsters like that don't exist back home."
Cain nodded. "I've seen wolves before, but that thing… it's not natural."
We pressed on, eventually finding a cave. The entrance was littered with human skeletons, their empty eye sockets staring back at us.
Cain recoiled. "This place is cursed! Let's get out of here!"
"There's nowhere else to go," Felix snapped. "It's either this or getting torn apart by monsters."
Reluctantly, we entered the cave. The air was damp and foul, the stench of decay making my stomach churn. As we entered the dark, eerie cave, nausea almost overwhelmed me.
I asked, "Does anyone know how to use fire magic? We need to light a fire, and the weather doesn't look good."
Felix again introduced himself, "I'm a swordsman, and magic isn't my specialty."
"Same with me," I said, looking at Cain.
But Cain nodded.
"Cain," Felix asked with a angry look on his face , "if you can use magic, why didn't you fight the wolf ! ?"
"I... I panicked," Cain admitted, his face flushing with shame.
Felix scoffed. "As if you could have done any better."
"We should gather wood first," I suggested. After lighting the fire with Cain's magic, we settled in.
As we collected wood from outside we exchanged more information about ourselves.
Felix revealed that "my ancestor had a connection with the Hero Party; they were skilled in swordsmanship, and we must be, too."
Cain said, "I'm good at wind and fire magic." I mentioned that "I'm proficient in basic magic and swordsmanship."
The rain outside intensified, each drop hitting the ground like a needle. As the fire crackled, I noticed Felix staring at me.
"What about you, Aron?" he asked. "You've been quiet."
I hesitated, feeling a sharp pain in my leg. Earlier, during our escape, the wolf had managed to graze me with its claws. I had hidden the wound, not wanting to worry the others. "I'm fine," I lied, pulling my cloak tighter around me.
As the time went out the rain finally stopped, we ventured out. The air was colder now, and the forest was cloaked in a sinister fog. As we walked out of the forest. A cliff high enough to block the sun appeared . Which might be the cause of why the forest was darked.
As we looked at the cliff cain suddenly shouted, "Look! There's someone up there!"
We squinted at the cliff ahead. Three figures stood silhouetted against the dim light.
Felix corrected him, "There are three people, not one. Are you blind?"
Cain muttered, "I have poor eyesight."
We hurried toward them, only to hear a familiar roar behind us. The wolves had returned, and this time, they were doubled at size . We can clearly see that they had killed all the bees by there stings still being on there body.
Cain broke down, "We're going to die! This is it!"
Felix grabbed Cain by the collar. "Use your fire magic, Cain! Scare them off!"
Panicked, Cain unleashed a fireball, "Fireball!" but it only seemed to enrage the wolves. Just as we thought we were doomed, we realized that we were near the cliff now.
Cain freezed, " The people at the cliff aren't going to help us!"
"Don't lose hope, idiot!" Felix and I shouted in unison. "We can still fight, can't we?"
But as Felix and I tried to attack with rocks nearby, one of the figures on the cliff jumped down, a burst of lightning erupting from his hands.
"Get back!" the boy shouted, his golden eyes gleaming. He unleashed a storm of lightning that sent the wolves scattering. He looked about the same age as us.
Felix gasped. "Kael Wynthal, the lightning mage!"
Kael smirked as he approached us. "So, I don't need to introduce myself. By the way, are you three all right?"
We nodded, too stunned to speak. He asked, "So are you three going to come with me or not?"
We replied in unison, "Of course." We knew that more people meant more safety.
"Then follow me . We have made a secret path to go up ". Kael said
As we walked, I noticed a rope leading up the cliff. To my surprise, it is the secret path he talked about.
I looked at Felix and Cain, both of them with mouths a gap . "Are we going to climb this rope?"
Kael smirked. "Are you scared of heights? We have to climb quickly; the sun is going down. If you're scared, go back."
It felt like a threat, but we had no choice. We climbed and reached the top.
As I looked at the two people standing in front of me i spotted someone familiar.
"Leon!" I exclaimed, recognizing my friend.
Leon's face lit up. "Ron! You're safe!"
"How did you get here?"
But just as Leon was about to answer, a boy behind him said, "Oh, we have some friends here."
He had white hair and blue eyes, making him look like he belonged to a noble family.
"I'm Rowan Aldebrand," he said, "a noble known for their ice magic. Well you all already know me right ?"
Felix frowned. "Who needs your messy introduction?
Rowan excitedly gone to felix. " So we have leovale here too. "
Kael lightened the mood before something happen. "Let's eat and sleep for now since the sun has set."
"Yeah, we have fruits and these are edible. " Rowan said.
"We sat down and ate in silence. No one spoke during the so-called dinner."
Felix asked, "Where are we going to sleep?"
"In the open," Kael said.
Felix exploded. "What the hell? Why should a noble like me sleep outside? Are you two okay with this?" He looked at Loid and Rowan.
Rowan shrugged. "What can we do?"
"It's still a disgrace for nobles," Felix muttered.
"Okay, then, let's sleep," Kael said.
"Do you think sleeping here would take us back home." I asked. "Since we were transported here when we slept."
"Who knows?" Rowan replied.
I tried to sleep, but the things that had happened since I arrived haunted me—the wolf's fierce eyes, glaring at me.
"Are you okay?" Leon asked, his concerned eyes meeting mine.
"I'm okay"
"As I closed my eyes, the sound of the crackling fire faded… until everything turned white."
I opened my eyes, only to find myself back in my room.
"Was that a dream? " I muttered.
The light from the windows pierced through the glass, and as I stood up and left the room for a bath, I was startled.
"What's this?" I gasped.