Finn sprinted down the school hallway, his backpack bouncing behind him. He glanced at his watch for the tenth time, cursing himself for oversleeping.
"Not today, of all days," he muttered, picking up speed.
The semester's final exam was about to start, and missing it wasn't an option. Finn burst through the classroom door, out of breath.
Mrs. Thompson, his teacher, raised an eyebrow. "Glad you decided to join us, Finn."
Finn slid into his seat, exchanging apologetic glances with his friends, Emma and Ryan.
The test began, and Finn focused on the questions, his mind racing.
Two hours flew by, and the students finished their exams. As they packed up, chatter filled the room.
Suddenly, a blinding flash enveloped the classroom. Finn shielded his eyes.
"What's happening?" Emma cried.
The room began to shake, and Finn stumbled. The walls, once sturdy, now dissolved into a swirling vortex.
Finn's classmates screamed as they were sucked into the whirlpool.
When the chaos subsided, Finn found himself standing amidst a desolate landscape. Ruins stretched as far as the eye could see, and twisted creatures lurched in the distance.
"Where are we?" Ryan whispered, clinging to Emma.
Finn scanned their surroundings, his heart racing. "I don't know, but we need to find shelter."
A guttural roar echoed through the wasteland, sending shivers down Finn's spine.
"Monsters," Emma breathed.
As they watched, a horde of creatures emerged, their ranks eerily organized:
Goblins, small and vicious.
Trolls, hulking and brutal.
Dragons, soaring overhead, their scales glinting.
Finn's eyes locked onto his classmates. "We need to stick together if we want to survive."
The group nodded, determination etched on their faces.
They huddled together, scanning their surroundings. The ruins stretched endlessly, with twisted metal and crumbling concrete. The air reeked of decay and smoke.
"We need to move," Finn suddenly said, his voice firm. "Find shelter and figure out what's going on."
Emma nodded, her eyes wide with fear. "But where?"
Ryan pointed to a cluster of buildings in the distance. "Those structures look intact. Maybe we can find supplies or information."
As they ventured toward the buildings, the group encountered scattered goblins. Finn and his friends fought them off with makeshift weapons – broken pipes, rocks, and wooden planks.
After what felt like hours, they reached the buildings. The entrance was a massive steel door, partially ajar.
Finn pushed the door open, revealing a dimly lit hallway. "Stay close."
The group crept inside, finding themselves in an abandoned school. Desks overturned, chairs shattered, and broken glass crunched beneath their feet.
Emma gasped, clinging to Ryan. "This looks just like our school..."
Finn's eyes narrowed. "Coincidence? Or is something more going on?"
As they explored, they discovered: A makeshift infirmary with basic medical supplies, a library with ancient tomes and cryptic scrolls, and a map room with a large illustrated map of the ravaged world.
Ryan studied the map. "Guys, look! This symbol here – it's our school's emblem."
Finn's eyes widened. "We're not just random victims. We're here for a reason."
Suddenly, a deafening roar shook the building. The group exchanged fearful glances.
"What was that?" Emma whispered.
Finn's grip on his pipe tightened. "Sounds like a dragon. We need to get out of here – now."
As they fled the building, the dragon burst through the roof, its scales glinting in the fading light.
The group sprinted across the ruins, the dragon's fiery breath scorching the ground behind them.
As the group fled from the dragon, a figure emerged from the shadows. He wore a long coat, with a scarf covering his face.
"Follow me!" he shouted, gesturing toward a nearby alley.
The group hesitated, unsure if they should trust this stranger.
"Come on!" Emma urged. "We can't outrun that dragon!"
They dashed into the alley, the stranger leading the way. He expertly navigated the narrow passages, finally stopping at a hidden entrance.
"Inside, quickly!" he urged.
The group entered a secret underground bunker, filled with makeshift equipment and strange devices.
The stranger removed his scarf, revealing a young man with piercing blue eyes.
"I'm Arin," he said. "I've been watching you. You're from... the other world, aren't you?"
Finn nodded cautiously. "How did you know?"
Arin smiled. "I've been searching for survivors from your world. You're the first ones I've found."
Ryan's eyes narrowed. "What do you want from us?"
Arin's expression turned serious. "I want to help you survive this world. Since going back is no longer an option, surviving it should be the main point."
Emma stepped forward. "Why would you help us?"
Arin's gaze drifted to a nearby photo. "My sister was taken by the monsters. I've been searching for her ever since. If I can help you, maybe you can help me find her."
Finn exchanged glances with his friends. Arin's story resonated with them.
"Okay," Finn said. "We accept your help. But we need answers. What is this world? What are those creatures?"
Arin nodded. "This world is called Helios. The creatures are the Devourers – monsters born from darkness and chaos."
As Arin began explaining Helios's history and the Devourers' ranks, Finn's group realized their arrival was more than coincidence.
"So you are saying that the highest rank in monster is the SSS rank?" Ryan asked the young man.
"Exactly. But like I said, that rank of monster has yet to appear. For now, the rank of monsters we are dealing with is the D rank, the C rank, B rank, A rank, and the S rank. These ones are the strongest rank of monsters we are facing, the rest are fairly strong or completely weak."
"You know," Finn said. "I don't really understand everything you are saying but I guess with time, we will be able to fully understand this world and how things work here."
Arin didn't argue back, he understood Finn's point clearly because who wouldn't be confused? A second ago you were in your world, and another second, you find yourself in a completely different and strange world — anyone would be confused.
After Arin had finished explaining some things to them, he led the group to a hidden entrance. "Welcome to Eves Academy," he said, gesturing to a sprawling structure.
Finn's eyes widened as they entered the academy. It was just as familiar as their previous school, the only difference was the structure of the buildings.
"Guys," Emma muttered to her friends. She wanted to know if she was the only one seeing things or perhaps her friends were also seeing what she was seeing.
"Yes," Ryan mumbled.
"Everything is the same. The only difference is the buildings and the people inside," Finn noted.
The group was greeted by Director Lyra, a tall kind woman.
"Welcome, young travellers," she said. "You are now part of us, part of the Eves Academy. We will help you unlock your potentials and make you fit for the upcoming war."
She led then to a hall and when they were all seated, she explained many things to them.
"I believe Arin here must have told you a thing or two about this world but I want to tell you more — there are a lot you kids need to know," she began. "Naturally, Helios was once a peaceful world. Humans were able to coexist with beasts and creatures of different kinds and forms because that was the natural law of this world but some years ago, everything changed. No one knew what happened or what exactly caused this horrible change but the once peaceful world became a nightmare after the beasts and creatures began to attack us. We lived our lives in fear, hoping and praying that we don't die. We were no longer the hunters, we became the preys while the beasts became the hunters... Hunting us down and feeding on us — it was so terrible.
Yet, miraculously, our first humans came upon an object, and that object gave them the power to tame beasts, in the end, they were called the beast masters or beast tamers. With the help of their abilities, humans took over once more but the world was no longer the same — it had been damaged.
We lost many of our families, properties, and purpose of existence but we didn't give up. According to the information we have gathered, there is the possibility that the beasts will once again rise to take over the world so that is why we built this Academy — We must train outstanding students who will protect the future of Helios."
"In addition to what Lyra has said, you must train exceptionally hard for the task ahead of you. The future of this world is in your hands and we hope that you help us," Arin said after Director Lyra had finished.
Finn and his friends glanced at each other. The task ahead of them was definitely not going to be an easy one, yet, for the sake of the peace of the world, they had to try.
"We agree!"