Thob. Thob. Thob.
For one terrifying second, the only thing he heard was his own heartbeat. The world slowed, colors softened, and a lazy warmth spread through his chest. No fear. No danger. Just the sweet, stupid thought that everything was finally okay.
*Yes… we're safe now.*
*No, it's not!*
Reality slammed back in, loud and jagged. He blinked hard and swept his gaze across the crowd. And he was shocked by what he had witnessed.
*What the f...?*
Everyone stood frozen, eyes glazed, faces slack with the same dreamy calm. The sobbing girls, the fake-tough guys, the professors—every single one of them wore the same vacant, peaceful smile. Two, maybe three seconds at most, but it had happened.
Then he saw her. The silver-haired soldier wasn't looking at him anymore. She was smiling at the crowd, gentle and serene, like a mother soothing children after a nightmare.
*What the hell just happened? Did she… do that to them? Or am I losing it?*
*Whatever that is... I must prepare and observe everything from now on.*
*This world is not normal, nor are these people.*
The young woman spoke again, her voice soft as silk sliding over skin.
"I know you're all exhausted and scared. But as long as we're here, you're safe. You already know you were summoned to this world without your consent. That wasn't our doing. Three years ago, some of us were dragged here the exact same way. The hardest truth? No one has found a way home. This is your world now."
A ripple of murmurs swept through the students. The girl beside him—the one with the generous chest—clapped a hand over her mouth. Some looked stunned, others curious, but most just… accepted it. Like the words had slipped past their defenses and settled in without a fight.
*Unknown world equals danger, then they came as security, and now it's sympathy?*
*Next must be promises.*
*A perfect situation to tame the herd of scared sheep.* The young man concluded while observing all the people around him who had started to trust these people. And from what was happening now, everyone started to believe that these soldiers weren't enemies. They were fellow victims who had also come to this world before and now were helping everyone to survive.
"Ahem." The young woman cleared her throat once, delicate but firm. Silence fell instantly.
"This area isn't safe. Dangers are everywhere. We're taking you to a safe place where you can rest and figure out your next step." She gestured toward the waiting trucks.
*As expected, everything was planned from the very beginning.*
*What a very lucky day to be scammed by these people.*
*What can I do? My body betrayed me the moment I thought about escaping.*
Hours later, they were rolling.
Inside the armored truck, gloom hung thick. Some stared at the floor, others whispered about monsters and food and whether they'd ever see their families again.
The girl with the blessed chest dropped onto the bench beside him, close enough that her shoulder brushed his.
"So," she said quietly, "what's your plan?"
He was startled. Earlier she'd barely glanced at him—like his skinny frame was an insult to her eyesight. Now here she was, starting a conversation.
"Dunno," he answered, giving her the same easy smile he always used when he had no clue what to say. "I'll think about it when we get there. You?"
She sighed, her eyes suddenly tired. "Same."
*Girl, please. I'm the one who should be panicking. This noodle body couldn't fight a house cat. All those years glued to screens chasing pixel waifus… Will there even be food? Will I starve before something eats me?*
His gaze drifted to her chest, then lower, then snapped back up.
*Relax, princess. Just jiggle a little for one of those soldiers and you'll have a personal bodyguard and three meals a day.*
"What?" she asked, catching him staring.
"Nothing," he said quickly.
***
Up front, in the lead truck.
The sheep fairy's lips curved into a tiny, private smirk. A faint blush dusted her cheeks. The older soldier behind the wheel noticed immediately.
"Someone catch your eye, young miss?"
"Nah. Just thinking." Her face slid back into that perfect gentle mask—innocent, harmless, nothing like a soldier who'd seen combat.
"Speaking of," the man continued casually, "how many of this batch look promising?"
"There are a few with potential," she said, her voice soft again. "But survival's a different story."
"True. Kids like the young master are one in a million."
"Yeah…" She leaned her head against the window, silver hair spilling over the glass. Outside stretched an endless red desert littered with boulders and jagged rock spires. Not a blade of grass, not a drop of water—just ancient stone baked under a merciless sun.
Zoom!
Everything felt almost peaceful until her eyes narrowed.
"Uncle," she said, sitting up straighter, "those boulders ahead… don't they look wrong?"
She pointed at a cluster maybe a kilometer out. The driver's pupils contracted, zooming like camera lenses.
"Shit!" he barked.
Screech! Zoom!
Sand exploded into the air as the lead armored truck braked hard, tires carving deep scars into the red desert. The trucks behind followed suit, one after another, until everything stopped.
Then came silence—broken only by the hot, dry wind whispering across the endless scorching desert and brushing against the ears of the soldiers riding on the outside.
"What is it, Uncle?" the beautiful silver-haired young woman asked.
Uncle didn't answer right away. His goggles zoomed in on a strange formation of boulders about a kilometer ahead.
"Something's not right," he muttered.
"Those rocks… they look man-made," the silver-haired woman said softly. The moment those words left her mouth, something clicked in Uncle's head.
"Tsk—map!" he barked.
A soldier instantly handed him a rolled map. Uncle snapped it open with urgent fingers. Sweat rolled down his forehead, but the heat didn't seem to bother him anymore. He jabbed a finger at the map.
"We're here. Five days away from home if we follow the planned route. But…" He paused, jaw tight. "We're taking a detour this way."
He traced a new path with his finger toward the edge of gray, jagged mountains to the north.
"Wait… isn't that—" the silver-haired woman started to say, then stopped herself. She understood immediately. Looking around, she saw exhaustion written on every soldier's face. They had spent months waiting in the ruined city for the students they were now escorting. And now, because of those suspicious boulders that screamed danger, they had to change course.
"We don't have a choice. Your safety is more important, young miss," Uncle said, voice heavy with the burden he tried to hide from his men. "And our supplies are almost gone. If we fight… a lot of us won't make it back."
"As long as we remain careful, nothing dangerous will happen to us," Uncle assured. Then he turned to the convoy and raised his voice. "Listen up! New route—left, toward the mountains! Move out!"
Engines growled again. Everyone started rolling, praying the detour would be kinder than the road behind.