Leaves snapped sharply under their feet.
The boy tore through the hillside, branches slashing at his arms, his lungs burning hot. He held the girl's wrist as he dragged her behind him. She stumbled, choking on her sob, but he didn't dare slow—each breath felt like it carried their last seconds away.
"Keep—keep going," he panted, voice cracking. He looked back for only a heartbeat. His eyes widened. "It's still there."
The girl cried harder, nearly losing her footing as they scrambled up the slope. Dirt slipped. The hill dropped off abruptly—
—and as they pitched forward, the ground caved.
A monster burst out behind them— towering, wrongly shaped, and fast.
She broke.
The moment the monster screeched, her knees buckled and she erupted into panicked, unfiltered terror.
"I can't do it! I can't!" she cried, clawing at her own face as if to hold herself together.
"Rae—move!" he begged, pulling her backward, dragging her as the monster shrieked from every direction.
Another root caught at her foot.
She tripped—hard.
Her scream tore the air as she tumbled over the cliff's edge. He lunged, fingers closing around her wrist.
"I've got you! Don't—"
A blur of claws and teeth surged upward from the darkness.
The monster snatched her mid-fall and swallowed her whole, jaws snapping shut with a wet, final crunch—taking the boy's hand with it.
The world stopped.
He stared at the bleeding stump, uncomprehending, breath trapped in his throat.
Then he realized—
He was still kneeling on the cliff's edge.
And she was gone.
**SURVIVE:**
Year: 1907
World: 56687 middle realm
Realm: Vaelorth
<< A few hours ago.
"...Humans are not the only civilizations in existence, but only a defiant spark found in realms; for they flourish in realms and cannot survive outside it. Realms are..."
"Ruled by The divine...blah, blah—mother!" Lioraen's voice cut through his mother's words. "You have read this to me every day since I was born. We need a change of book."
His mother chuckled, her stool creaking under her weight. "It has not been that long."
He grabbed his bag from the old bed and flung it over his shoulder, brushing his blonde hair with his fingers.
"You have been blind since I was born, so it meant that you had that book for over twenty years. You even memorised the content."
"Your father gave it to me."
Lioraen paused to stare at his mother, hugging the old book.
"That quack priest."
"Your father is not a quack!" She sprang up.
"And he left you with blindness and a year-old son to live in a shrine atop a hill," Lioraen scoffed. "I'm going to school."
He opened the door, when his mother called out.
"Lioraen—"
"Yes?"
"Remember Lio, natural would..."
"Always fulfil its cause, I know."
He waved.
"Bye mother! Love you!"
Serathiel reached for her stick as her ear followed the sound of her son racing down the hill. She sighed.
"I hope he gets it."
> >
Lioraen got to the slope of the hill in less than a minute. He stopped to breathe in the morning air and observe his surroundings.
Like Serathiel would always say.
"Observe the air to react to a problem."
*What a ridiculous saying.*
He glanced around. People were having a conversation as they go to work. Children running to school. Even the grumpy old man on the roadside **was** smiling.
"Good day, it is."
He began to walk to school, his step unhurried. He barely took ten steps when a loud voice cut through the air.
"Are you not going to wait for me?!"
"I would have gotten to school if I weren't waiting, Rae." He shrugged. He stopped for the girl to catch up.
"Good morning Lio," she beamed. "Slept well?"
"I did." He began moving.
"Aren't you going to ask me if I slept well?" She skipped after him.
"You sleep like you're hibernating, do I need to ask?"
She pouted and smacked his arm.
"Not fair!"
"Do you both get something out of a daily fight?"
They both glanced at one of their schoolmates.
"Morning..." he yawned.
"Good morning Imyn!" She waved.
"Your smile is infectious." Imyn hissed as he walked ahead of them.
She giggled and ran after him.
"Lio! Caught up!"
Together, their walk to school took fifteen minutes.
The building stood large and proud. The only study house in the small town of Solars. Students poured in from different angles, walking to their department.
Rae waved at Imyn.
"See you later!"
He groaned in response, going to his department.
"I wish he loved business like us." She sighed.
"I wish you would choose wildlife and leave me alone." Lioraen brushed past her. She sighed and ran after him.
"Does it hurt you to treat me nice for once? We have been friends since one!"
"All the more reason I need a change of friends." He rolled his eyes.
"No one wants a priest son as a friend." She stuck out her tongue at him.
"Neither does anyone want a bun seller's child as a friend."
Her face flushed.
"My father doesn't sell buns! He's an officer in the wildlife department!"
"For the seven hundred and sixth time, I have heard you." He groaned.
"Isn't it weird..." She began to walk backwards.
"That your father sells bun?"
"No, not that," she pointed. "All securities are not stationed at their posts today."
He glanced.
*She's right.*
As they got to class, it was normal. Students bickered till the instructor arrived.
"Everyone has a seat!"
Slowly the noise dissipated. Lioraen and Rae sat side by side, pulling out their textbooks.
"Today on business management," the instructor began. "We will be reading from page **thirty-five**. What's the heading?"
"Resources!" The class chorused.
"My dear Rae, could you read the first paragraph?"
She eagerly stood up, grinning at Lioraen who just huffed.
"Resources—" she began. "are the materials or support systems, that help individuals, groups, or societies achieve goals or meet needs. They can include physical items like water or tools, human abilities like skills, knowledge, financial means, time, or assets."
"Thank you Rae!" The instructor beamed, watching her take a seat.
"Could the shaman boy read the second paragraph?"
The class giggled as Lioraen grabbed his textbook, glaring at the instructor.
"In essence, resources are anything that can be drawn upon to create value, solve problems, or drive progress."
The class glanced at him, as he took a seat.
"Is that all you want to read?"
"That's all sir."
"This would not happen if you hadn't introduced yourself as a shaman that day." Rae silently giggled.
"I did not!"
"That's odd. I clearly remember you saying, 'I'm Lioraen! A shaman! Nice to meet you!' on your first day."
He gritted his teeth and looked away.
As the instructor made to call another student, he was paged.
"Excuse me class. I'll be right back."
The instructor left the class and soon it became a haven of discussions. Lioraen dozed off, **lay** his head on the table. When he woke up, it was an hour past closing time, but all the students were still present in class, murmuring.
He cleared his eyes.
"Rae, what's up?"
She raced to him, from the side of the door.
"An emergency evacuation was issued."
His drowsiness vanished.
"Evacuation?!" He sprang up, going to the window. The building was empty. Slowly, he turned his gaze to her.
"Why are we still here?"
TBC…