Razen was n when he said the ritual would be exhausting. Kaede had never felt so tired in her life, for a moment she thought she would die. But ohe ritual was over, she was immediately brought to her room, or rather she walked back to her room on Razen's orders.

  The hours stretched into an unbearable haze as Kaede sat alone in the sparse room, her thoughts growing heavier with each passing moment. She leaned her head against the cool stone wall, trag the faint glowing runes with her eyes as though they might offer her some crity. But there were no answers here, only questions, and the looming sense of dread of her future.

  When the door finally opened again, it wasn’t the mages who had brought her food earlier. This time, it was Razen himself, his long robes swaying slightly as he entered. His pierg eyes studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable.

  “Get up,” he said simply, his voianding but devoid of malice.

  Kaede unwillingly obeyed. Her legs were still shaky, her movements stiff as she pushed herself to her feet. Razen watched her struggle without a word, then turned aured for her to follow.

  Two es waited in the hallway, their hands faintly glowing with protective magic. They fell into step behind her, ensuring there was no ce for escape. Not that she had the strength or the crity to try—her body still felt sluggish, weighed down by the lingering effects of the ritual they’d cast.

  The group moved through the twisting corridors of the stronghold, the dim glow of runes lighting their path. At st, they emerged into the open air, and Kaede blinked against the sudden brightness.

  A carriage awaited them in the courtyard, its dark wood polished to a dull sheen. The horses, rge and muscur, pawed at the ground impatiently, their bridles adorned with faintly glowing sigils. A small retinue of soldiers stood nearby, their armleaming in the sunlight.

  “Get in,” Razen said, motioning toward the carriage door.

  Kaede hesitated, her gaze flickering to the court mage who could incapacitate her with a sirigger word. She stepped into the carriage, her heart sinking as the door shut firmly behind her. Razen climbed in after her, taking the seat across from her with an air of calm authority.

  The interior of the carriage was surprisingly pin, with simple wooden benches and a faint smell of leather. Kaede stared out the small window as the carriage began to move, the stronghold shrinking behind them.

  The journey was long and uful, the rhythmic ctter of the wheels against the dirt road lulling her into a restless daze. Razen, for his part, said little, his attention focused on a thie he had brought with him. Occasionally, he would gnce up, his sharp eyes lingering on her for a moment before returning to his reading.

  The ndscape outside the window ged gradually, the dense forest giving way to open fields and small clusters of vilges. Kaede watched as farmers teo their crops and children chased each other through the dusty streets. It eaceful se, but it only served to deepe iomach.

  As the sun dipped low on the horizon, casting the world in hues of gold and amber, the carriage finally rolled to a stop. Kaede's breath caught as she looked out the window.

  A grand stone castle loomed before them, its towers reag toward the sky. The banners of Falmuth fluttered in the evening breeze, their golden lions gleaming against the crimson fabric.

  “Out,” Razen anded, stepping down from the carriage with a fluid grace. Kaede followed relutly, her legs trembling as they adjusted to solid ground.

  The courtyard was bustling with activity. Soldiers marched in formation, their armor king softly with each step. Servants hurried to and fro, carrying bundles of supplies and trays of food. All of them spared her a gne curious, others dismissive—before returning to their tasks.

  Razen wasted no time, leadioward the castle’s grarahe massive wooden doors swung open as they approached, revealing a vast hall illuminated by rows of deliers. The air inside was cooler, heavy with the st of polished wood and stone.

  “Escort her to the others,” Razen said curtly to the mages who had apahem. “i will announce my return to the king.”

  Kaede's eyes brighte the sound of 'others', but she forced herself to remain outwardly calm. She was led down another series of corridors, At st, they stopped before a heavy iron door. One of the mages stepped forward, pg a glowing hand against the intricate runes carved into the surface. The runes pulsed briefly before fading, and the droaned open, revealing a dimly lit chamber beyond.

  “Inside,” one of the mages ordered, gesturing sharply.

  Kaede hesitated, but a quice at their glowing hands told her she had no choice. She stepped into the room, her senses on high alert.

  The chamber was vishly furnished, a stark trast to the bleak corridors Maple had beehrough. Ornate chairs kaede velvet cushions surrounded a polished mahogany table, its surface gleaming uhe warm glow of a crystal delier overhead. Rich tapestries adorhe walls while a plush crimson carpet muffled the sound of her hesitant steps. Sitting around the table were three figures, their postures ranging from teo ht defiant. Kaede's breath caught as her gaze settled on them, reition sparking in her mind from what little she’d overheard about other summoned individuals.

  The first was a young man with spiky brown hair, his intense gaze sweeping over her like a predator sizing up prey. His lean, muscur frame practically vibrated with restrained energy, and his hands were ched tightly into fists. Shogo Taguchi—there was no mistaking him. His reputation as an impulsive and violent otherworlder had reached even her ears.

  o him sat a girl with light brown hair, her expression a mix of annoyand boredom. She leaned ba her chair, one leg crossed over the other, her delicate fiapping against the table. Her air of superiority alpable, her sharp eyes flig over Maple with a dismissive gnce before returning to her nails.

  The third figure, seated apart from the other two, was a young man with aremely light dusty brown hair tied. His calm demeanor was a stark trast to Shogo’s barely-tained aggression. He wore an easy smile, but there was something uling about the way his eyes remained closed even wheuro her. Uhe others, he looked almost amused by the situation.

  “Well, well,” The dusty haired boy said, his voice smooth and unhurried. “Looks like I'm not aloer all.”

  Shogo scoffed, leaning forward with a sneer. “Another one, huh?”

  Taking her eyes from her nails, the girl smiled. “At least she's a girl, 't imagine what I'd do if i was surrounded by boys.”

  Before anyone could speak further, one of the mages stepped inside, his voice cold and impassive. “You’ll remain here until summoned. Do not cause trouble.”

  The door smmed shut behind him, the heavy lock clig into pce.

  Shogo snorted, crossing his arms. “Who does the bastard think he is? Low life like him, just wait.”

  Kaede moved cautiously toward one of the empty chairs, keeping her distance from the others. The room fell into a tense silence, broken only by the occasional tapping of Kirara’s nails against the table.

  The dusy haired boy was the first to break it. “You look exhausted.” he said, leaning back with a curious smile. “I thought it was just me.”

  Kaede hesitated. She didn’t trust them, but there was no point in lying. “Yeah.” she said quietly. “I haven't really eaten much.”

  Shogo let out a harsh ugh. “Well you better. This world sucks but get strong enough and yolden.”

  The girl smirked. “Leave her alone muscle head, like, she's adorable. The name's Kirara, that's Shogo and he's Kyoya. What year are you from?” She gave Kaede a once-over. “Your clothes are like, cute.”

  Kaede shifted unfortably under Kirara’s gaze, tugging at the hem of her shirt out of habit. “Uh… 2023,” she replied cautiously, her voice barely above a whisper. The weight of three pairs of eyes on her made her stomach .

  Kirara raised an eyebrow, her smirk widening. “Oh, that's like, amazing. No wonder you look so lost.” She flicked her hair over her shoulder with an exaggerated flourish. “We’re from way earlier than that. Shogo’s from, like, 2012 or something. I’m from 2010 myself. Kyoya’s… what, early 2000s?”

  Kyoya chuckled softly, the sound both disarming and unnerving. “Close enough. 2002, to be exact. And I ’t say I envy the times we’ve missed out on. 2023 sounds… iing.”

  Shogo leaned ba his chair, his arms crossed. His sharp eyes sed Kaede like a hawk watg prey. “Doesn’t matter what year you’re from. You’re stuck here now. A me tell you, it’s not getting aer.” He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a low growl. “You get in my way, you get crushed.”

  Kaede swallowed hard, her hands clutg the edges of her chair. She felt the overwhelming pressure of their presence, each of them radiating a fidehat came from experience—whether it was survival, manipution, or brute strength.

  Kirara rolled her eyes dramatically, her tone dripping with faux sympathy. “Don’t scare her off already, Shogo. You’re so barbaric. Like, not everything has to be about power, you know?”

  Shogo shot her a gre but didn’t respond, instead muttering something under his breath.

  “So,” Kyoya said smoothly, cutting through the tension like a knife. His smile was calm, but his tone carried an uone of sharp curiosity. “What’s your story? How'd they summon you?”

  “I… I don’t know,” Kaede admitted, her voice shaking slightly. “I didn't ask for this. One minute I was home, and the …” She gestured vaguely, her eyes dropping to the polished table. “I don’t even know what they want from me.”

  “Same old story,” Shogo muttered, tapping his fingers against the arm of his chair. “They call us ‘heroes’ but don’t tell us a damn thing until they’ve got us trapped. Theoss us out like pawns. Let them try.” He growled.

  Kirara scoffed, her lips twisting into a wry grin. “Speak for yourself. I think I’m doing just fine.” She tilted her head at Kaede, her voice ced with mock sweetness. “Don’t worry, though. You’ll figure it out. Or not.”

  Kyoya’s smile didn’t waver, but his tone grew softer, almost pitying. “I don't think it's all that bad, from what I hear, we'll basically be living like kings.” He let the thought hang, his closed eyes tilting toward her as though gauging her rea.

  Kaede ched her fists uhe table, a mix of fear and anger swirling in her chest. “Why are you all okay with this?” she asked, her voice strohan she expected. “Don’t you want to get bae?”

  Shogo barked out a harsh ugh. “Home? There’s nothing waiting for me back there. This world might be crap, but at least here, I be someone.”

  Kirara shrugged, iing her nails as if the versation bored her. “The magic’s cool, and the food’s det. But, cute girl is right, there's no i here, home is way better than this dump."

  Kyoya tilted his head thoughtfully, his smile faint but still present. “Home is… a plicated cept,” he said vaguely, his words trailing off as if he didn’t io expin further. “What matters is making the best of where we are now.”

  The room fell silent again, the weight of their words pressing down on Kaede like a suffog b. She realized then that they had all, in their own ways, accepted their situation—or at least vihemselves they had. And that terrified her more than anything else.

  Before she could dwell further, the door creaked open, and a guard stepped in. “Razen has requested all of you to remain here until further notice,” he announced. His tone was cold and dismissive, as though addressing cattle rather than people.

  As the door smmed shut again, Shogo stretched and yawned, crag his neck with a satisfied grin. “Well, guess we’re stuck with each other for now. Fun times.”

  Kirara smirked, leaning ba her chair. “Oh, don’t be so grumpy, Shogo. By the way, we didn't get your name.”

  SaberGlory