Everyone's body collapsed to the ground with a single loud thud, while the desk, chairs, and everything else the youngsters had surrounding them vanished.
Logan managed to look up and inspect his new surroundings during all of this, using all the strength he still had.
What he saw didn't look good at all.
First off, there was no outside lighting; instead, only two dull orbs hovered in the air, casting a dim, eerie glow. The image they revealed was far from appealing. The entire class appeared to be in a pitch-black, spacious dungeon.
It was chilly and damp, and to make matters worse, the blue magic array that had guided them here had long since faded, revealing more than a dozen bodies lying around the edges of the once-blue circle—people who were possibly dead.
While some of the other kids were too ill to even get off the floor, others started to gather their composure to look at what Logan was examining.
Two students, unable to contain their stomach contents, hurried away from the group. One of them stumbled over one of the bodies lying around, creating a messy scene.
Logan couldn't claim he was better off; he too felt a sickening sensation that made him tightly grasp his stomach as chaos erupted around him. Individuals were sobbing, screaming, or flailing about.
He began to breathe erratically but tried to calm himself by taking deep breaths until he managed to steady his nerves.
He then ran towards one of the nearby bodies. It appeared to be a young woman in her early twenties, drenched in sweat, causing the black cloak she wore to cling to her body. Upon closer inspection, he saw that she was still breathing.
Logan sighed in relief, grateful that he wouldn't have to witness a murder scene, but his feeling of relief was fleeting. A loud bang suddenly erupted behind him.
Those who were just gathering their composure had to confront their fears as a door suddenly materialized in the room. The class huddled in fear as four bulky, heavily armored individuals loudly entered.
The students could only remain silent, waiting for what would happen next, as there was nowhere to run, and to make matters worse, more people were rushing through the door.
Everyone realized they were no longer in the same world when ten or so robed individuals rushed in and began chanting incantations in an unfamiliar language, producing more orbs of light that lit the dark room.
The class could finally see every corner of the room clearly, thanks to the newly formed orbs of light, but this didn't mean things got any better.
A group of knights in shining armor came into view, fully armed with swords, spears, and shields, all appearing to be expertly crafted from precious metals. This dispelled any notion that the whole affair was a charade.
None of the newcomers made any noise; instead, they simply took their positions and lifted one arm above their chests, each of them precisely on cue as if they had practiced it.
Once everyone was in place, three girls and a group of maids entered the room. Logan immediately felt like tilting his head to the side and furrowing his brow in confusion.
The three girls stood out in appearance among the others, who were either armored or dressed as maids.
"Sister, look! There must be at least twenty heroes, not just one!" Logan noticed that the youngest of the three had a soft but clear voice and spoke excitedly in a foreign language that the class seemed to somehow understand.
"Yes, I can see that..." The second girl, who appeared to be slightly older, raised her hand to silence the young girl.
She was likely the same age as most of the children in the class and posed a series of inquisitive questions to an armored knight in the room.
Her speech and gestures were more measured and careful. She wore a sophisticated white gown with gold accents and had beautiful short, curly golden hair and green eyes.
Each of the two girls wore an exquisitely made tiara and long dresses that seemed fit for a formal event. The younger girl wore a silver tiara adorned with emerald-like jewels that complemented her blonde, European appearance.
Her sister wore a gold tiara with numerous jade-like gems. Everyone who saw the two likely had the same impression—that they were princesses straight out of some absurd fairy tale.
A taller woman stood behind them, clad in light silver armor. Her blue hair stood out prominently, demonstrating that it wasn't just a dye job. She even emitted a blue-like aura, giving her pale complexion a faint blue tinge. Her blue sapphire pupils and blue eyebrows further enhanced her striking appearance.
The younger girl was likely the first to observe the mood of the class because she turned her gaze from the group to the nearest knight before returning her focus to the summoned.
Everyone, including Logan, was unsure of what she would do next.
She nodded in understanding and took a few steps forward but then made a poorly executed bow, causing her golden platinum hair to fall forward.
Even though she was older, the person she called her sister also panicked and lowered her stance, though not as deeply.
The younger sister didn't realize her mistake until the sound of her silver tiara falling forward reached her ears; it bounced a few times before rolling toward Logan's knee. He was still near the shrouded figure he had been studying earlier, crouching.
"Ah! I'm sorry about that!" The small girl rushed forward in an attempt to retrieve her tiara.
Logan handed back the tiny metal crown, which felt much lighter than he had expected. "Uhm, it's fine... here," he said in haste.
The young girl stared at him for a few seconds, tilting her head as if she were perplexed. Feeling uncomfortable, Logan began to cough loudly, trying to express his discomfort.
"Myrea! The heroes must be brought into the reception area, but before that, we should begin handing out potions." The older sister, after trying to pull the tiny child back, cleared her throat to regain control of the situation.
"I sincerely apologize for all this... Heroes, please accept our welcome and pardon our clumsy introduction; this is a very unusual event, even for us," the older princess said with a tone of authority.
Both girls performed an elegant curtsy, drawing a small portion of their dresses up with a delicate bow that caused everyone in the room to look on in admiration.
"Now then, we had assumed that only one hero would be called... Please pardon us, as we were unaware that so many of you would be summoned to assist us this time." The older princess paused for a few seconds.
"We simply need a little of your time as we prepare for your grand entrance, so we will be handing out medication created to aid the mages who summoned you; given the current situation, these will be of greater use to you all." The princess continued.
"They will help you recover from any negative effects of your travel," she finally added with a gentle voice.
Both girls were pleased to see the group before them but also regretful of the state of the class: torn clothing, signs of some having wet themselves, others with vomit.
There wasn't anything graceful about the way they summoned the heroes, but that could have been due to a lack of knowledge about the spell, which had only been performed once before.
Even though they couldn't have predicted the outcome, it was the kingdom's responsibility to fix this disaster. Perhaps it was the number of mediums they utilized, as it was thought only one person was going to be summoned.
As the princess took in her surroundings, she was reminded of her responsibility to welcome the heroes and restore order to the chaotic scene before her.
Thank the spirits they were called upon while dressed The older princess pondered as she considered her next words.
"Now that you are aware of the circumstances, introductions are in order," Vianell began. "My younger sister, Myrea, is the second princess of the Kingdom of Elris. I am Vianell, the first princess of this kingdom.
"We will be distributing potions as I mentioned earlier, and, if you don't mind, we will also be checking on everyone's health," she continued.
The maids standing behind them all carried trays with various items, including towels and glass vials containing some sort of pink liquid. As they approached the class, the students seemed to only accept the towels.
Logan, who was the first to receive the so-called medication, didn't seem to trust the medicine and was reluctant to drink it.
"Uhm!" the little princess Myrea cried out, appearing to understand the issue yet again. She approached one of the maids who was presenting the vials. "Let me help! You see this isn't poison at all. Let me show you!"
The little girl grabbed one of the bottles, taking a small sip before swallowing a large gulp with her eyes closed, demonstrating that she had successfully consumed the beverage. She cleared her throat a few times before speaking again.
"You see, it's not that terrible; it might be a little spicy at first, but you get used to it." She smiled innocently as she handed Logan the remaining medicine, her eyes full of anticipation.
"But you've just...drank..." Logan tried to decline the offer, but the little girl nudged the bottle toward him with a sincere yet determined expression that suggested she wouldn't give up.
"Fine, I'll give it a shot." With no escape, he seized the bottle and decided to take a gulp.
Logan's mouth was immediately filled with a flavor both sweet and spicy, like honeyed cinnamon. But it didn't stop there; he felt the liquid suddenly transform into a gas and enter his lungs before even reaching his stomach.
The boy experienced a brief moment of fear due to the medication's effect. Then, relief was immediate, and his body felt incredibly light, free of any pain or other symptoms from his previous ailments.
The rest of the class suddenly rushed over to get a vial and took the medicine.
Amid the commotion, Logan was able to avoid the young girl's curious eyes and found a spot to sit down. He began cleaning his body with one of the white towels that had been handed out earlier.
Logan felt as if his fragile state from being transferred to this other world had been healed. However, no one in the classroom left the group, even though some of the youngsters started to have light conversations with the maids.
"Guards, rush the magicians to the infirmary!" Vianell ordered.
The class naturally stirred, and the youngsters made even more commotion as additional soldiers were called by the princess.
These soldiers performed some sort of spell near the fallen bodies, making them hover on bizarre disks that easily lifted each robed person.
Afterward, the older princess explained to the class that they needed to perform a quick inspection to see if anyone was still ill or suffering from any injuries, while holding something they termed a Medical Sigil.
Logan was the last student to be tested this time, simply needing to extend his palm to complete the procedure. Princess Vianell oversaw the inspection, always accompanied by her blue-haired bodyguard.
Meanwhile, her younger sister was busy chatting with a few of the girls in the class.
After inspecting his hand and nodding in approval, the princess shifted the glass towards his face. She smiled at him like a doctor who had found nothing wrong with her patient.
"Thank you for cooperating, and please accept our sincere apologies for the delay," she said graciously.
Vianell stood up and cleared her throat before moving a short distance towards the other students in the class, who were seated or standing toward the center of the room. She clapped her hands to draw their attention.
"Now then, I'm sure most of you want to change into new clothing, so we've set up bathrooms and changing areas. Any questions will be answered once this is all finished, so just follow me as we leave the room," Vianell instructed.
The older princess reunited with her younger sister and moved toward the room's sole door, beckoning the class to follow them.
Ms. Claire was busy getting everyone to form a line as she attempted to regain control of the situation.
Despite having taken the potion, she didn't seem to be doing too well. Logan decided to put himself last in line without being asked to avoid adding to her stress.
Logan sighed for what felt like the hundredth time since arriving, recalling everything that had transpired that morning.
He had already pinched himself a few times, so this time he used a little more force.
Despite this, he appeared to be fully awake and just felt the burning pain he was inflicting on his arm. He and the others had to accept the fact that this was not a dream.