Far from the Golden Globe—
An Iron Wheel tore through the sky at full speed, its metal frame humming under strain as it cut through the open air.
Inside, silence lingered. Not the kind that brought peace, nor the quiet that came before rest.
This silence was heavy.
Suffocating.
It pressed against the chest, settled into the mind, and refused to let go.
No one spoke. No one moved. The weight of everything they had just lost hung between them like something alive—fear, grief, confusion—all blending into a single, crushing presence.
Koya sat still, her hands tightly wrapped around Ikua's arm. Her gaze remained fixed ahead, unblinking. But she wasn't seeing anything.
Beside her, Anna sat with her head lowered, her usual energy gone, replaced by a quiet stillness that didn't suit her.
Cal leaned back slightly, his eyes moving from one person to another, studying them carefully. He could feel it—the tension, the silence stretching too far, sinking too deep.
Meriosa stood near the side, her posture straight, her expression calm… but distant.
Ra'an sat with his arms crossed, jaw clenched tightly, his gaze fixed somewhere far away.
Bless tried to smile. It didn't last.
Kelly remained silent, watching everything without a word.
The child sat close to Anna, trembling slightly, his small hands gripping the fabric of his clothes.
And Melly— Sat near the front. Watching all of them.
Cal exhaled slowly. This silence…
It wasn't just uncomfortable..It was dangerous.
"So…" he began, forcing a casual tone that didn't quite match the mood, "…Melly, I've been meaning to ask—how did you even end up with Ra'an and Bless?"
The question lingered in the air..A few heads lifted slightly. Not much— But enough.
Melly drew in a breath, preparing to answer—
"I saw him sneaking out." Bless spoke first.
Cal blinked.
Bless gave a small shrug, nodding toward Ra'an. "Him. He was heading straight for the battlefield."
Ra'an didn't respond.
"I thought about stopping him," Bless continued, his voice lighter than the situation deserved, "but… that would've been pointless."
A faint smile touched his lips.
"So I went with him instead."
Melly picked up from there, his tone calm, steady.
"I was heading to the Flow Star," he said. "I needed to make sure Koya was safe."
Koya's eyes shifted slightly.
Melly continued, glancing briefly toward Ra'an and Bless. "I found them already fighting. Surrounded."
He paused.
"…If I hadn't arrived when I did…"
He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't need to.
"Then… thanks," Bless said with a small grin, his eyes closing briefly. "Seriously."
Ra'an remained silent. But his hands tightened slightly.
Koya's gaze settled fully on Melly now. Something about his words— Didn't sit right.
"You needed to make sure I was safe?" she asked. Her voice was calm. But there was weight behind .
Melly looked at her. For a moment— He said nothing.
Then— A sharp sound cut through the air.
A beep. A red light flashed above them.
Then again.
Everyone looked up.
"…Why is it beeping?" Anna asked quietly.
Melly's expression changed instantly.
He turned toward the controls, his eyes scanning rapidly.
"…We've got a problem."
The Wheel shook. Hard.
"It's losing power," he said, his voice rising. "Brace yourselves!"
The structure jerked violently— Then dropped. Fast. Too fast.
"Hold on—!"
The first impact hit.
The Wheel slammed into the tops of trees, branches snapping and splintering under the force. The entire structure bounced violently, spinning sideways as wood cracked and metal groaned.
Anna grabbed onto the side.
Cal pulled the child close, shielding him as best he could.
Meriosa braced herself, steady despite the chaos.
Ra'an clenched his teeth. "We're going down!"
Another impact. Stronger. The Wheel tore through thick trunks, splitting them apart as metal screamed in protest. The structure flipped again, momentum carrying it forward— Until— The final crash.
It slammed into the ground with brutal force, dragging across the earth and tearing through soil before finally grinding to a halt.
Silence followed.
For a moment— No one moved.
Then the hatch creaked open.
Cal stepped out first. He staggered slightly before dropping to one knee, coughing.
"…Yeah," he muttered, catching his breath. "I hated that."
One by one, the others stepped out. No one laughed. No one replied.
Cal noticed immediately.
He looked up— And froze.
They were all staring ahead.
He stood slowly, walking toward them— And then he saw it too.
The world beyond the Golden Globe. It wasn't what they expected. Not dark. Not lifeless. Not filled with endless horror.
The sky stretched endlessly above them, clear and bright, a deep blue that seemed almost unreal after everything they had just witnessed.
The air felt… clean. Fresh. Alive.
Before them, a vast forest extended as far as the eye could see, filled with towering trees unlike anything they had ever known. Their leaves shimmered softly as the wind moved through them, carrying the distant sound of birds—strange, unfamiliar species that flew freely across the open sky.
It was peaceful. Too peaceful.
"…This…" Bless whispered, his voice barely audible, "…this is the outside world?"
No one answered.
Even Ra'an— Remained silent.
Meriosa's expression softened slightly, her gaze taking in the scene.
"…Are you sure this place is ruled by an evil tyrant?" Bless added quietly.
Still— No response.
Behind them, Melly stepped back. His expression hadn't changed. He placed a hand against the Iron Wheel. Heat surged through the metal— And then it exploded.
The blast forced everyone to turn sharply, flames rising instantly from the wreckage.
"What the—?!" Cal spun around.
The fire roared— Then stopped.
Melly snapped his fingers..The flames froze. Turned to ice. Then faded into nothing, leaving no trace behind. As if it had never existed.
"We can't let them track us," he said calmly.
No one argued.
He reached into his coat, pulling out a folded map before tossing it into the air. With another snap, ice formed along its edges, suspending it upright.
The surface cleared. Readable. Everyone stepped closer.
"Is that a map?" Kelly asked.
"Yes."
Melly studied it briefly.
Everyone quietly stared at him for a moment longer.
Koya stepped forward.
"You didn't answer me," she said.
No response.
She moved closer, grabbing his arm and turning him toward her.
"Answer me." Her voice was sharper now.
Melly held her gaze for a moment before exhaling.
"…You're important."
A pause.
"More than you understand." His expression hardened slightly. "And you nearly threw that away… for someone you don't even know."
Anna stepped in immediately.
"Hey—no." Her voice cut through the tension. "We're not doing that."
She positioned herself between them, her expression firm.
"That 'someone' is right here," she said, pointing toward the child. "So don't act like his life doesn't matter."
Silence followed.
Melly closed his eyes briefly. Then stepped forward. He knelt in front of the boy.
"…What's your name?"
The child hesitated.
"…Josh."
Melly nodded, placing a hand gently on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry about everything. Please forgive me for what I said."
The boy looked up at him.
"…It's okay."
Melly stood again and turned back to the map.
"…Listen carefully," he said.
Everyone focused.
"We lost."
There was no hesitation. No comfort.
"Everything we knew is gone."
The silence deepened.
"But we're alive." He pointed to the map.
"We're here." Then his finger moved across it— Far. "This is where we need to go."
A pause.
"Peacock Peak."
The name lingered.
"That's where the survivors are heading."
"…How far?" Cal asked.
Melly didn't hesitate.
"…Months."
The word hit hard.
"Months?!" Bless's eyes widened.
"Yes."
No emotion.
"No shortcuts. No safety."
The weight of it settled over them.
"This place may look peaceful…"
His gaze lifted slightly, scanning the forest.
"…but it's not."
A beat passed.
"The only way we survive this is by becoming a unit. Let's put our differences aside, the only thing important now is survival."
Koya's grip tightened.
"…Then we survive it," Meriosa said calmly, stepping forward.
A faint smile touched her lips.
"Why are we standing around?"
For a moment— No one moved.
Then— They did. Not as students. Not as citizens. But as survivors.
Melly closed the map, the ice melting away as it fell into his hand.
"Stay close," he said.
And they began moving. Into the forest. Unaware— That far behind them… Something moved. Watching. Waiting.
And then— Hunting.
To Be Continued.