YEAR 2026
With the ringing of the school bell, the final class had come to an end. Students poured out of their classrooms, making their way through the school grounds as they headed home.
I was one of them Ethan Cole.
After saying goodbye to my friends at the school gate, I turned and began walking toward home. Spring was approaching; a gentle breeze brushed against my skin. The sound of birds filled the air, bringing a sense of calm and quiet peace.
The road to my house passed through a forest. Although it was a wide asphalt road, both sides were surrounded by dense trees, giving it a strangely tranquil atmosphere.
After getting home, I was planning to finish my homework, then spend some time playing games on my computer and watching anime. Before I left the house this morning, my mom had said she'd let me order pizza in the evening.
Man… I love pizza.
But I never thought that day would be any different.As I walked along the road, I saw the black cat I always came across. Luckily, I had some cat food in my bag, so I took it out and placed it in front of the cat. As I looked around, I noticed someone behind me dressed in black, but I didn't pay much attention to it. Even though this road wasn't very crowded, it wasn't unusual to see a few people passing by.
After giving the cat its food, I decided to stay for a moment and watch it eat. But just then, out of nowhere, a strange blue light began to appear around us, accompanied by a loud, overwhelming noise. Startled by the light, the cat suddenly ran away in fear.I raised my head and looked toward the light it looked like some kind of portal. It was strange… intriguing, even. But I figured the smartest thing to do was to get away from it.
I stood up, ready to leave.
But suddenly, the portal began pulling me in with an overwhelming force. I reached out, trying to grab onto something,anything but I couldn't resist its power.
And just like that… it dragged me inside.After being pulled inside, everything around me was pitch black. The only thing I could see was the fading light from where I had come but soon, even that disappeared.
After drifting through the darkness for what felt like several minutes, another light appeared in front of me. Then, suddenly, I was thrown out of the portal.
As I hit the ground, I quickly looked around. Everywhere I turned, there were enormous trees,thick trunks, massive leaves, and tall, wild grass.
It felt like I had fallen into a jungle
Ethan - Oh man… I messed up. Where am I ? What am I even doing here?
Okay… okay, calm down.
It was obvious I was in some kind of forest. At least it was still daylight that was something. I couldn't see any signs of life around me… just me and my bag.
I opened it.
Ethan - Alright… a couple of books, a pen, some cat food, and the sandwich my mom made for me.
The only thing that came to mind was simple:
I had to keep moving forward… at least until I found a road.Even after wandering through the forest for several hours, I didn't come across anything just trees and endless grass. I was already sick of seeing nothing but green. Exhausted, I sat down at the base of a tree and took out the sandwich from my bag. I had been walking since morning, and I was starving.
As I started eating, I suddenly heard a rustling sound nearby.
I looked straight ahead and there it was.
A creature that looked like a rat… but bigger, far bigger and much more savage. It made strange noises, and foam dripped from its mouth. I tried not to move, hoping maybe it wouldn't notice me.
But it did.
And it started moving toward me.
Ethan - Um… hi. Do you want a sandwich? Here, you can have it. I'm already full.
Slowly, I stood up. I tossed the sandwich toward it, then carefully turned away and ran.
But it started chasing me.
Even though my legs were already tired, I kept running with everything I had. Still, that giant rat kept coming after me. Then, as I was running, my foot got caught on a tree root and I fell hard to the ground.
The creature rushed toward me. It was just about to pounce when suddenly, someone dropped down from above, a spear in hand, and drove it straight into the creature's back.
At the same time, two more people appeared from the sides, stabbing at its legs. The three of them didn't stop again and again, they pulled out their spears and plunged them back into the beast.
And I just lay there on the ground… watching everything unfold.After several minutes of relentless stabbing and the creature thrashing and jumping around it finally collapsed to the ground and let out its last breath.
I lay there quietly, watching them.
One of them approached me.
X- Hi there
He reached out his hand. I grabbed it, and he pulled me to my feet.
Ethan - Thank you… for saving me.
X2 - Actually, we came here to hunt that thing. We even thought about using you as bait… but the boss didn't allow it.
Ethan - Boss…?
They looked like normal people, but something about them felt different. All of them wore dark-colored clothing, made mostly from rough fabrics and leather. Each of them carried a bag on their shoulder, along with a spear and small knives.
And most importantly… they were all wearing masks.
X3 - One of you, go back and call the others from camp. There's a lot of meat here we'll need more people to carry it.
X1 - Got it, boss.
The person they called "boss" walked toward me and removed her mask.
She introduced herself.
Sophie - My name is Sophie. I'm the leader of a camp located about thirty minutes from here. And you are?
Ethan - Um… my name is Ethan. Ethan Cole. I'm 16… and I'm from New City. Also thank you again for saving me.
X2- Cole? You have two names?
Ethan - That's my surname. Don't you have surnames?
Sophie - We only have first names. I've never even heard of something like a "surname." And as for this "New City"… I know all the nearby settlements, but I've never heard of a place like that. By the way, his name is Loid.
Ethan - Nice to meet you, Loid.
Loid - …Yeah.
Sophie - We'd like to talk more, but we have work to do. We'll continue this conversation once we get back to camp.After a while, the others returned as well. Even though they all gave me strange looks, they continued with their work.
Once everything that needed to be gathered was collected
Sophie - Alright, everyone, we can move out.
She then walked up to me.
Sophie - Honestly, what you said sounded a bit suspicious. Some of my people even wanted to kill you. But for now, I've ordered them not to lay a hand on you. After staying at the camp tonight, we'll head toward the town in the morning. The town chief will decide whether you stay or not.
After walking for a while, we finally reached the camp. The place they called a "camp" was made up of several tents and a fire pit. A couple of people who stayed behind had already prepared food and were waiting for the others to return.
After everyone finished their tasks, they slowly gathered around the fire and began to eat.
I stood a little apart, trying to make sense of everything.
People… there are people here. But who are they?
Memories of my family, my friends… my home… came rushing back. My eyes filled with tears. I lowered my head, trying not to cry.
Just then
Someone suddenly hit my head.
Sophie - Here, you should eat too.
She handed me a plate of food.
Sophie - If you're going to stay with us, it's better we get to know each other. But don't worry even if you don't stay, we'll give you some food and water and send you off safely.
I wiped my tears and took the plate.
Ethan - Thank you.
Sophie - Why were you crying?
Ethan - I wasn't crying… just got a bit emotional.
Sophie - Then why did you get emotional?
Ethan - I just… miss my family and friends. Even games and anime…
Sophie - I'm sorry to hear that. May they rest in peace. But… I don't understand what "games" or "anime" are.
Ethan - Wait… you don't know what they are? How old are you anyway?
Sophie - I'm not exactly sure. My mother says I'm already a grown woman.
Ethan - That's… interesting. Not knowing your age… By the way, what time is it?
Sophie - I don't know.
Ethan - Then what about the date?
Sophie - That, I don't know either. But my grandfather says we're in the year 300 after the Great War.
Ethan - The Great War…?
Sophie - You don't know ? Even little kids know about it. The Great War was when humans, despite having everything and being highly advanced, destroyed everything… and many people died. I've heard that before the war, humans had incredibly advanced technology so advanced that they even traveled to the stars.
Ethan - Wait… technology? Having everything? Traveling to the stars? Year 300…?
I froze.
Ethan - Oh man… I definitely messed up.