The sun shimmered against the blue expanse. High above, tiny dots drifted across the sky. At first glance, you might have mistaken them for birds.

  They weren't.

  They were heroes, soaring through the clouds on enchanted flying carpets. A scene straight out of a dream... or a fantasy novel.

  Welcome to the World of Grangutan.

  It’s a strange name for a world, I know. The inhabitants look human enough, though you’ll occasionally run into a monster or a "half-and-half."

  In the Holy Empire of Moniyans, the atmosphere was thick with desperation. Inside the Great Church, aristocrats and nobles knelt before the Almighty King, their voices rising in a frantic prayer for salvation from the encroaching Demon Continent.

  But in another world—our world—no one knew anything about holy wars or demon kings. We were just careless teenagers, blissfully unaware of the gears of fate turning beneath our feet.

  The bus groaned as it navigated the mountain passes. Below us, lush valleys stretched out until we finally reached our destination: a scenic riverbank tucked between the peaks.

  It was... breathtaking. Like a slice of heaven had been carved into the earth. A massive waterfall roared in the distance, nestled between a thick forest and a small, quiet village.

  The bus came to a halt. For the students of Class 9, the mundane world was finally behind them.

  "Damn, bro," Chirag muttered, stepping off the bus and shielding his eyes from the sun. "Not bad for a 350-rupee trip."

  Anush nodded solemnly, looking at the waterfall. "Hear me out... this place is peak."

  Their awe didn't last long.

  "STAY WITHIN THE PERIMETER!" the teacher screamed from the background.

  The "heavenly" vibe took a hit when they handed out lunch: three dry pieces of bread, one egg, and a single banana. The collective mood of Class 9 dropped faster than a lead weight.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  After an hour of moping, the students were allowed to disperse. While most stayed by the river, a small group wandered toward the treeline. A strange, sweet scent filled the air, accompanied by a faint, rhythmic glow emanating from the shadows.

  "What the heck is this place?" Sandhya whispered, her eyes wide.

  "Guys, we shouldn't be here," Sahani added, her voice trembling.

  Sneha stepped forward, reaching toward the light. "I think we should—"

  CRACK.

  The earth didn't just shake; it roared. A violent tremor ripped through the ground, sending cracks spider-webbing across the nearby rock faces. Stone shattered like glass.

  "We need to get the others!" Sandhya shouted over the rumbling. "Now!"

  Meanwhile...

  Anush and Chirag were busy exploring the outskirts of the village when a cloud of dust caught their attention. Several buses—belonging to a different school—were pulling into the lot.

  By the time they made it back to their own camp, the "explorers" had already returned. They were pale, their breath coming in ragged gasps.

  "Was that... an earthquake?" Sohoni asked, looking around for an explanation.

  "We need to ask someone who stayed outside," Sandhya said, her eyes scanning the crowd. "Oi! Anjal!"

  Anjal looked up, confused. "What's the matter?"

  They tried to explain the cave, the glowing light, and the tremors that felt "wrong," but no one believed them. To the rest of the class, it was just a minor geological hiccup.

  Chirag and Anush approached the group, noticing the girls were visibly shaken.

  "What happened?" Anush asked, a playful smirk on his face. "Did you all see your own faces in a mirror or something?"

  Anjal didn't laugh. "No time for your nonsense. They found something in the woods."

  "A cave," Varsha added. "The air around it... it was different. Mysterious."

  Chirag’s eyes lit up. "A mysterious cave? Let's go."

  Varsha stared at him. "Are you serious? It literally just tried to swallow us."

  "New place, mysterious vibes... I'm going," Chirag shrugged, already heading toward the treeline.

  After fifteen minutes of arguing, curiosity won out. The group gathered at the mouth of the cavern. While Varsha and Anjal whispered nervously in the back, Chirag and Anush stood at the very front, staring into the abyss.

  Beside the entrance, an ancient, weathered board was staked into the ground.

  "Hey, look at this," Chirag said, brushing dirt off the wood. "It says: Danger. Do not enter. 3800 years old."

  The words had barely left his lips when a silhouette moved in the darkness.

  A figure emerged from the depths of the cave—familiar, yet out of place. The group froze.

  "Rehan...?" Chirag and Anush shouted in unison.

  The boy looked up, his eyes meeting theirs. But before he could speak, a blinding, white-hot light erupted from the cave’s throat, erasing the world.

  For one terrifying heartbeat, they felt it—the sensation of being torn away from reality and cast out of the universe itself.

  Then... everything went black.

  — To be continued