The boy gasped for breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly. "Huff... huff..." He barely had time to steady himself before the ground trembled beneath him.

  A deep, guttural growl echoed through the air. A monstrous figure loomed closer.

  "I'm scared..." the boys's voice wavered as he shouted, his hands clenched into trembling fists.

  "Don't worry, we're okay! Come on, over here!" The girl called out, reaching for him. But before they could move, a deafening roar erupted from the beast.

  "Yeep!" The girl yelped.

  The boy’s eyes widened in terror. "Oh no! They made it over here!"

  Then, out of nowhere—

  "Get away from there!" a voice commanded.

  The clash of metal against flesh filled the air. A sharp, sickening stab followed.

  Then another voice—feminine, firm. "I won’t let you lay a hand on them!"

  The boy turned to see two figures standing before them: a small winged creature with bat-like wings and a glowing antenna, gripping a tiny dagger, and a tall snake-like girl wielding a thin, elegant sword. A shadowy figure loomed before them, its form shifting like smoke.

  The shadow lashed out with a vicious strike, sending the mouse-like creature tumbling.

  "Ugh... Why, I oughta—!" it grumbled, struggling to stand.

  The snake girl hissed, brandishing her blade. "Gwaar...!"

  "Nooo!" The girl cried, leaping between them. "I won’t let you harm these children any more than you already have!"

  She turned to her allies, her voice urgent. "If we can just... get to that place...!" Her gaze locked onto a swirling distortion in the air, pulsing with an eerie glow.

  But before they could move, a thick fog rolled in, swallowing everything.

  "Ah, Sister!?" The boy called out, eyes darting frantically through the mist.

  "I'm okay!" The girl reassured him. "Go! Head for that light!" She pointed toward the distortion.

  A moment later, her body lurched. "Unngh... Run, Zayn... get out of here!"

  "No way!" Zayn shouted, shaking his head. "I'm not leaving you behind! No, no, no! If I'm not with you, I—"

  "What are you doing?! Go on, HURRY!"

  A thunderous roar shook the ground.

  The snake girl faltered. "It's not good... I can't hold them back anymore!"

  "Look out!!!" The girl cried.

  In an instant, she lunged at Zayn, shoving him toward the distortion.

  "Yeep!!! What the—?! It's sucking me in!" Zayn yelped as the force of the portal pulled him in.

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  "Unngh! If anything happened to you, I'd—!" the mouse-like creature growled through gritted teeth.

  The girls's gaze softened as she turned to Zayn one last time. "You have to get back safe on your own... somehow… at least you..."

  A chilling roar split the air.

  Dark hands clawed their way out of a second distortion beneath the girl, curling around her legs like grasping shadows.

  Her eyes widened in horror. "Aaaaaaaah!!!" Her scream was raw, desperate.

  "Laylaaaaaaa!" Zayn’s voice cracked as he reached out. But his body was already being swallowed by the distortion behind him.

  He struggled, fighting against the pull, but it was useless.

  "Wait for me... I'll rescue you, Layla... no matter what!"

  As his voice faded, the portal snapped shut.

  swallowing everything.

  ?????

  The morning air was crisp, carrying the distant hum of the city below.

  "Morning!" a girl chirped, stretching her arms as she looked at her companion. "Did you get any sleep last night?"

  The boy beside her yawned. "Not much. That quake this morning? Sure woke me up."

  "Where are those ruins we're going to again?" he asked, rubbing his eyes.

  "Hold on, I’ll check the maps…" she replied, pulling out her phone.

  Before she could unlock the screen, a loud voice boomed behind them. "Gooooood mornin'!"

  They both flinched, turning sharply to see Ali grinning mischievously. The girl clutched her chest. "Ali! Don’t scare me like that! Right Sufian"

  Ali laughed heartily. "Aahahaha! Yeah, yeah, sorry. My bad."

  Sufian smirked. "Off to an early start, huh?"

  Not far from the trio, another girl sat in the same classroom, her attention fixated on her phone. The classroom buzzed with chatter as students prepared for the day ahead, the sound of honking cars rising from the busy street below.

  Meanwhile, across town, the quiet of a household contrasted sharply with the school’s energy. An older brother stepped into his younger sister’s room and called out, "Your food’s gonna get cold."

  Silence.

  He sighed and pulled back the blanket on her bed—only to find an ugly plush toy staring back at him. His heart sank. "Oh no. She went out by herself again!"

  Laughter echoed outside. His little sister was hopping from tree to tree, her feet barely touching the branches before springing to the next. She paused for a moment, glancing back at the house, a mischievous grin spreading across her face. She stuck out her tongue, pulling one eyelid down. "Nyah nyah!"

  As she giggled, something cold landed on her nose. She blinked. A snowflake? She looked up at the sky, her expression shifting. "It’s... snowing?"

  Elsewhere, a group of girls huddled together, preparing to take a selfie. "Okay, I’m taking it in one, two, three—"

  The classroom door suddenly slid open. A tall boy with slicked-back hair loomed in the doorway, his face twisted in an irritated scowl. The girls froze, staring at him.

  "Sorrrrrrrrrrrrry!" one of them blurted, before grabbing her friends and scurrying away.

  The boy scoffed, clicking his tongue in annoyance. He shoved his hands into his pockets, tilting his head slightly as he glanced toward the classroom window. His friend, still glued to her phone, smirked. "Wow. You’re such a charmer. No wonder all the girls love you."

  He pulled a chair in front of her desk and slumped into it. "Oh, shut up," he muttered.

  She ignored him, turning her attention back to the tele. The news played on the screen. "At roughly 3 AM this morning, a magnitude 3 earthquake hit Pearl City."

  Ali’s and Sufian’s friend, Malak, perked up. "Wait. Isn’t that here?"

  The news anchor continued, "It caused a landslide in parts of the region. Police and fire departments urge caution due to the risk of further seismic activity. Everyone in the area is encouraged—"

  The classroom erupted into murmurs. Students exchanged nervous glances, whispering about the morning’s quake. The annoyed boy turned to his friend. "Bayan! is it really safe for us to go on this trip?"

  Before she could respond, an older student walked in, clapping his hands to get their attention. "All right, everyone, it's time to head out. Make sure to listen to your group leaders. Remember, this isn’t a vacation. Stick to the schedule."

  Bayan sighed as she walked out of the school. "This sucks," she muttered, holding up her phone to snap a few selfies, her irritation momentarily forgotten.

  As I passed through the school gate, I hesitated. For a fleeting moment, I thought I saw someone watching me from the classroom window. I squinted, but when I focused, there was nothing there.

  "Sufian?" Malak nudged me.

  "Ah, sorry. Just got a little distracted," I mumbled.

  Meanwhile, in the now-empty classroom, Layla sat quietly, humming a tune. She gently stroked her younger brother’s head as he dozed off on the desk. Her voice was soft, almost lulling herself to sleep as well. Outside, the excited chatter of students boarding the buses filled the air, but inside, it was peaceful.

  The day was only just beginning.

  ?????