Josh felt a surge of excitement coursing through him at the reality unfolding before them, watching Brett effortlessly hurl firebolts and summon a shimmering magical shield stirred a mix of admiration and envy inside him. While Brett meditated, Josh took the opportunity to practice with his sword and shield, surprised at how natural the movements felt. Each swing came instinctively, the balance of power and control perfectly calibrated so he didn’t lose his footing or overextend. He adjusted his stance, shifting his weight just right to angle the shield in defence against invisible blows. He briefly considered testing his strength against a nearby tree but quickly dismissed the idea, not wanting to risk scuffing his brand-new sword or breaking the calm Brett was striving to maintain with his meditation.

  After a while, Josh eased down onto the ground, wiping the sweat dripping from his brow. It suddenly hit him, he hadn’t eaten or drunk anything since leaving the pub the night before. Deciding now was as good a time as any, he reached into his pack for a quick snack. Within minutes, he’d devoured a good portion of his jerky, cheese, and bread, and drained half his waterskin. Then the reality settled in: he had no clue where their next meal would come from. With a reluctant sigh, he paused mid-bite, carefully stashing the rest of his provisions away.

  Josh had never been much of an outdoorsman back home. His fascination with the stars had led his dad to attempt camping trips when he was a kid, but each one had ended in a series of amusing disasters. Now, though, it looked like he’d have to learn how to rough it and fast. Does this world even have running water? he wondered. I hope that town isn’t too far... and that they don’t expect gold coins instead of credit cards. The thought of navigating a strange world without basic comforts sent a small ripple of unease through him, but he pushed it aside. For now, survival was the priority.

  Josh glanced over at Brett for what felt like the tenth time, silently hoping his friend would be finished by now. More than an hour had passed, and the sun was climbing high overhead, casting dappled light through the swaying leaves. A gentle breeze rustled the trees, but the warmth of the sun was beginning to weigh on Josh - SPF50 wasn’t a thing here he assumed. If Brett didn’t stir soon, he’d have no choice but to give him a nudge. To pass the time and keep his restless energy at bay, Josh resumed swinging his sword at imaginary foes, practicing precise, controlled movements against invisible enemies.

  After another fifteen minutes, Josh heard the faint rustle of movement. Brett was stirring. With a relieved sigh, Josh hurried over, kneeling next to his friend, putting his face uncomfortably close to his friends. “I know you just woke up, but can we go now? I’m really bored,” he admitted, frustration and impatience clear in his voice.

  Brett stretched exaggeratedly, letting out an intentionally loud yawn designed to needle his larger friend. He knew how restless Josh got when stuck waiting, and he enjoyed teasing him a little. “Give me a few more minutes. I want to check everything and see how much my meditation helped.”

  Josh groaned loudly, his irritation bubbling over as he stomped away toward a nearby tree. With a satisfying clang, he struck it with the brass boss of his shield. “Okay, that was fun,” he muttered, striking the tree a few more times to pass the time while Brett finished up.

  After several minutes his friend sauntered over to him, declaring that he felt fresh as a daisy and all of his mana had been returned to him, so he felt ready to start their walk to Ashenfall. Josh wanted to sulk about Brett taking so long but the joy of finally ending the boredom of standing around shone through as he practically skipped past his friend, only for Brett to cough, nudging his head to the left whilst looking at his compass, forcing Josh to change directions.

  Josh stepped into the forest, eyes drinking in the vibrant hues of leaves and bark around him. He was struck by how many of the trees resembled familiar species from back home, their shapes and colors oddly comforting amidst the unfamiliar. The sounds of the forest deepened: birdsong echoed from above, branches creaked gently in the breeze, and somewhere in the distance, an animal caught his eye, a creature that looked remarkably like a deer. Relief washed over him when he realized it wasn’t some lurking monster ready to ambush them.

  As he continued, Josh found himself genuinely enjoying the walk. His body felt stronger than ever before, his reflexes sharper, and unlike past hikes over rough terrain, he didn’t grow winded or fatigued after sustained movement. Beside him, Brett kept pace, his shorter legs moving a little faster to keep up, but he too wore a contented expression, as if this new world was already starting to feel a little less daunting.

  He glanced over at Brett, a playful smile tugging at his lips. “So, the system said there are several races in this world like elves, dwarves, beastfolk, and gnomes. What do you think they’ll look like? Like the elegant elves from the novels, or more like Santa’s little helpers?”

  Brett furrowed his brow, clearly surprised by the question. “Honestly, I hadn’t even thought about it. The system mentioned them to me too, but with everything happening, it just slipped my mind. I hope they’re like the elves from the stories. If we’re giants in this world, I don’t think that’ll be a good look.” He glanced at Josh, then added quietly, “Aren’t you freaked out by all this? You seem way too happy about it.”

  Josh stumbled slightly on his next step, caught off guard by how genuinely content he felt. He stopped and met Brett’s eyes. “Yeah, I guess I am pretty happy, actually. Back home, I was struggling, stuck in a rut with work and the gym, no real purpose, no one to come home to, and probably about to move again. Nothing ever really changed. But here… here, it feels like I have a purpose. Like I can actually do something that matters. And hey, you’re here with me. It sucks that we’ve been ripped from our home, but at least I’ve got my best friend by my side.” A broad grin spread across Josh’s face as he remembered how much Brett hated any kind of mushy affection.

  Brett scrunched up his face, discomfort flickering in his eyes. “Don’t be an arse,” he snapped, though the edge in his voice softened when Josh placed a hand over his heart, adopting a mock hurt expression. “I’m scared, if I’m honest. I don’t know where we are, what’s expected of us, hell, I don’t even know if we’ll survive the walk to this village. And how will we be welcomed there? There are too many unknowns. I’m trying not to let it all overwhelm me, but it’s hard.”

  If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  Josh felt a pang of guilt seeing his friend’s anxiety laid bare. He had always been the carefree, somewhat goofy one between them, but he took pride in being the rock when Brett needed him most. Brett was the thinker, the worrier, the one who imagined every worst-case scenario. Oddly enough, their personalities balanced perfectly: Brett’s tendency to overanalyze was tempered by Josh’s laid-back attitude, and between them they found a steady middle ground. Though Josh knew his relaxed nature sometimes made him lack the drive Brett had, always pushing himself, driven by the fear of failure.

  Catching up to Brett as he walked on, Josh tried to inject some optimism into the conversation. “Well, no matter what happens, at least we’ve got each other’s backs. From what I gathered, we’re not the first ones brought here, maybe there’s some kind of support network? Or at least people who understand what we’re going through? Either way, I’m pretty sure we’ll be fine. In all those games we used to play, there was always an adventurers guild or something where you could make money. And hey, with that fancy light spell of yours, I’m sure you could make some coin as a street lamp!”

  Brett just grunted, unsure how to respond without sounding even gloomier. “Do you think our parents will worry? Will they think we just vanished? Or maybe that we’re dead back home?”

  Josh exhaled, the weight of reality settling in. “I’m pretty sure your mum will blame me if anything happened, like I got us both killed or something. But yeah, they’ll be worried. There’s nothing we can do about it right now. Maybe we’ll find out more about why we were brought here and what it means for our world. Maybe time’s frozen back there or something?” He hoped his words sounded reassuring, though deep down he feared their families would be panicking after just a few days with no word from them.

  The pair continued on in companionable silence, the canopy above filtering sunlight into shifting patterns across the forest floor. Though it was peaceful on the surface, there was a tension simmering beneath it all, a quiet alertness in the way both boys occasionally slowed, heads tilting at the sound of cracking branches or rustling leaves. It had been over an hour since they set off, and aside from the deer they’d spotted earlier, they hadn’t encountered any other creatures. But the forest wasn’t empty.

  The ground bore signs of activity, patches of sod recently torn up near tree trunks where animals had dug for roots or grubs, and here and there, sharp three-toed tracks or deep hoofprints pressed into the damp earth. Some were small, likely harmless, but others looked more ominous. And then came the ones that made Josh’s skin crawl, vaguely human footprints, barefoot and oddly spaced, like whoever or whatever had made them, didn’t walk quite like a person should. The sight of them was a jolt. A reminder. Monsters weren’t just part of the flavor text here.

  Uncomfortable silence settled in until Josh, ever one to chase away unease with distraction, spoke up. “So… I was looking at my skills earlier. A bunch of them had ‘Basic’ written next to them. What do you think that means?”

  Brett, who had been walking a little ahead, glanced back with interest. “Yeah, I noticed that too,” he said, visibly perking up at the change of topic. “I think it’s like a tier system, ‘Basic’ is probably the lowest level of mastery. You remember how in RPGs or MMOs, skills would level up the more you used them? You’d start at novice or beginner, then eventually unlock stronger versions or passive effects as you improved?”

  Josh nodded. “Yeah, makes sense. Kind of like muscle memory, but for magic and sword stuff.” He swung his arms a little as he walked, miming a sword slash. “I just wish there were numbers or progress bars or something. It’s hard to know if you’re getting better when the system’s this vague.”

  “I’m hoping it’ll become clearer the more we use it,” Brett said thoughtfully. “It might be that spells don’t show their mastery in the same way. Mine didn’t have ‘Basic’ listed next to them, but I assume the logic still applies. The more I cast Light or whatever else I learn, the more effective it’ll get, or maybe I’ll unlock upgraded versions later. Or do I just need to learn better spells?”

  Josh scratched his chin, brow furrowing. “Yeah. I mean, the system seems too deliberate to not track that stuff somehow. I just hope we run into someone soon who actually knows what they’re doing. If everyone here’s got access to the system, there’s gotta be trainers or mentors or something, right?”

  He paused mid-step, eyes suddenly widening as a thought struck him. “Oh! Speaking of the system, uh, you’re still human, right?”

  Brett came to a stop and turned slowly, one brow arched. “No. Are you?” he said, completely deadpan.

  Josh blinked. “Wait, seriously?”

  “I’m actually a celestial being now,” Brett said, completely deadpan. “Wings, radiant glow, a divine purpose... but sadly, no idea how to fly yet.”

  Josh squinted at him. “Really?”

  Brett let the silence hang for a second before smirking. “Still human, mate. Although I wouldn’t say no to glowing a little, might help us find our way in the dark. Don’t I look human?”

  Josh grinned right back. “Did you ever?” he shot back, and before Brett could respond, he darted forward in a quick jog to dodge the inevitable retaliatory punch.

  Brett chased after him a few paces before giving up with a shake of his head, laughing under his breath. Moments like this made the strangeness of the world feel a little less overwhelming, just two friends messing around like they always had, even if they were surrounded by monsters and ancient trees instead of corner shops and bus stops.

  —

  The pair had been walking for another twenty minutes when a faint shuffling sound drifted through the trees ahead. Both froze instinctively, their senses sharpening. Josh’s easygoing expression vanished, replaced by a look of focus. Brett’s anxious scanning finally had a purpose.

  Without a word, they slipped behind the nearest thick tree trunk, backs pressed to the bark. Josh glanced at Brett, his eyes wide but calm, silently weighing their options.

  A twig snapped.

  The sound was close, too close.

  Josh dropped into a crouch, dragging Brett down beside him. The tree was wide enough to shield them both, though just barely. Josh drew his sword in one fluid motion while Brett raised his staff, gripping it awkwardly like a makeshift rifle.

  Josh tapped Brett’s arm and gestured with two fingers toward the forest, then mimed the words “stay here” as best he could. Brett nodded stiffly.

  Josh leaned out, just enough to peek around the edge of the trunk.

  At first, he relaxed, it was a deer. But then he saw the rest.

  The animal was sprawled on the forest floor, unmoving, its belly torn open. Crouched over the carcass was a squat, sickly green creature, its long arms buried in the deer's chest. Blood slicked its lower jaw, and beside the body lay a crude stone axe.

  Josh’s stomach turned.

  Then the creature’s head jerked up, its sunken yellow eyes locking directly onto his.

  Josh sucked in a sharp breath.

  “Oh, crap,” he muttered, tightening his grip on his sword.

  The chapter ends, the fire burns low, and our heroes rest…

  But the story’s fate lies in your hands, traveler.

  A review or follow is like tossing another log on the fire —

  and keeping the tale alive through the long night.