The group of cadets stood paralyzed. Some of them shivered, while others tried to maintain a calm façade—but it was all unraveling.
Odessa, noticing the unease spreading like wildfire, turned her back to them. Her voice was flat but carried a calm authority.
"Calm down. There's nothing to rush for. It must be the Organization—coming to retrieve us."
Gemma followed suit, turning gracefully. Her cherry-red hair caught the gust of hot air that blew through the strange, hollow space. A faint smile tugged at her lips as she added, her tone light but reassuring:
"Odessa's right, guys. It can only be the Organization. I mean—why else would the portal lead us here?"
With the reassurance from the girls, the cadets gradually began to calm down. Their shoulders relaxed, breathing steadied, and for a fleeting moment, the weight of fear seemed to lift.
But before the tension could fully dissolve, a voice cut through the quiet.
It was Lucas, standing slightly apart from the others. His arms crossed, posture loose, but his tone sharp—laced with doubt and just enough arrogance to make heads turn.
"And how exactly do you know that sound was them?" he asked, his voice edged with skepticism.
He gestured toward the dense mist swirling below the platform. The heat in the air warped the view, making the fog ripple like a living thing.
"For all we know," he continued, eyes narrowing,
"We're in some unknown place—boiling hot, surrounded by mist, standing on a slab of rock. No walls. Just this… place."
The silence returned, heavier than before.
Lucas, noticing the silence that followed his words, ran his fingers through his golden hair with a slow, frustrated motion. Then, he extended his other hand toward Gemma, his expression unreadable but his voice sharp.
"You can reassure them all you want," he said,
"But even you don't sound confident in your own words. Hell—didn't your grandpa tell you anything?"
His words hit the air like a slap—loud, unexpected, and personal.
A few cadets shifted uncomfortably, glancing at the young woman.
Gemma's gaze lowered in shame, her smile fading at the same time. She tried to formulate a response, but all she could do was murmur.
On the other side, Odessa's eyes flicked with rage, her hands gripped with so much force it could break a bone like a toothpick.
She charged at Lucas, ready to put him to the ground and make him regret the things he spoke to Gemma.
But just as she was about to reach him, a piercing scream tore through the air, freezing her in place. Heads snapped toward the sound.
Near the edge of the platform, a figure had collapsed—
A noblewoman, her curled brown hair disheveled and pale skin drained of color, was pointing frantically at something beyond the ledge.
The cadets began to approach, but Odessa—already ahead—reached the petrified girl first, kneeling to comfort her.
"Hey. What happened? Why are you so scared?"
Instead of answering, the girl simply kept gesturing towards the edge. Suddenly, her chest heaved in ragged bursts, eyes wide and unfocused, as if the very air was being pulled from her lungs.
Everyone stepped back, scared by the sight they'd seen. What had happened to the girl to get her to this state? Was it the fog...
Or some kind of creature...
Unnoticed at the back, Elio watched it all unfold, heart pounding.
He couldn't understand what could've brought her to this state, but he knew one thing: whatever it was, it was too dangerous to face head-on.
'Maybe Lucious can advise about this.'
He glanced at Lucious who was at his side... but he wasn't now...
'Where is he!?'
Elio looked around, just to see Lucious running to the breathless girl.
Elio's face dropped in a mix of confusion and annoyance. Why was he running towards her? He should be running in the opposite direction!
"Hey Lucious, come back here!"
But he didn't listen... well, he listened but ignored.
He got close to the girl, who was extending her hand to the brown-skinned boy. Lucious did the same...
He gave her a high-five—like it was just another day—and strolled on.
Everybody's faces froze.
Elio slowly dragged his hand down his face, the weight of secondhand shame pressing hard.
He muttered,
"By the gods, not again…"
Gemma and Odessa, who had just arrived at his side, sighed—not surprised by Lucious's action, but also disappointed.
Reaching the border, Lucious leaned his face to it, not hiding his excitement to know the cause of the chaos.
Whatever was down there, it looked back—and Lucious instantly regretted everything.