“Find the one hidden in the shadows?”

  Krovane repeated the words written in the mission. “Shadows? Someone hiding? What is that even supposed to mean?” he asked, his face full of confusion.

  “What about your missions? Are they the same as mine?”

  “Yes, we all received the same mission,” Emily replied with a nod.

  Krovane turned to Hugo to make sure, and the boy nodded with that satisfied grin of his.

  Emily continued after that. “So, here is the situation. If I try to sum it up, we were sent to this world to complete that mission. And as for the reward, nothing is confirmed. But we can hope that finishing the mission will send us back home.”

  “But what is with the shadows?”

  “Let me explain a little about what is happening in this world to give you a picture.”

  “That is the interesting part of all this,” Krovane said.

  “So… the people in this world, not all of them, only a small number, can awaken to Mana.”

  “Mana?”

  “Yes, Mana. Simply put, Mana is a force that lets people do extraordinary things. I can use it, Hugo can too, and so can you. I’ll explain more about Mana and Magic later.”

  “Okay.”

  Emily nodded and continued, “Some people awaken special abilities. They can wield elemental magic or gain strength that makes their bodies far more powerful. Those people are the ones who hunt monsters that threaten the cities.”

  “Monsters?”

  “Those beasts you saw in the forest earlier. But there are only weak creatures that are not too dangerous.”

  “Not dangerous? That beast threw me with a blast of wind,” Krovane said with a long exhale.

  “That means, you’re even weaker than those monsters, Krov,” Hugo said with a short laugh.

  Krovane turned to him with an annoyed look. “Thanks for helping me earlier, Hugo!”

  Emily nodded and continued. “Alright, let me go on. We can say that the biggest threat to humanity is definitely the monsters. Though up to this point, Hugo and I still haven’t figured out what kind of person we’re supposed to find from the mission we received. A traitor, or whoever it might be. Simply put, we’re still not strong enough to do anything that could truly make an impact.”

  Suddenly, Hugo cut in with a loud, excited voice. “Maybe that person is the one who created the monsters to attack humans! We have to hunt that culprit down and defeat them. That sounds like the most logical thing for chosen ones like us, tasked to save this world.”

  “That sounds too big… we are only twelve-year-old kids,” Krovane replied, unsure about Hugo’s overly excited and heroic answer.

  “Well,” Emily said next, “we can think about all of this slowly while we figure out our place in this world and what we should do after this. At least now that the three of us are together.”

  “Yeah, new adventures are waiting for us,” Hugo responded, looking like the most excited one among them.

  Krovane leaned back, still trying to process everything that had happened.

  “Do you two ever miss home? Emily, you’ve been here for two months already. Your parents must be worried sick about you.”

  “I know that!” Emily replied instantly. “But if my guess is right, Krovane, time in this world doesn’t move the same way it does in ours. That’s just my theory, but it would explain how Hugo and I ended up arriving a month apart, even though we entered this world almost at the same moment.”

  Krovane frowned at that. “So, there’s a chance that if we ever go back to our world, no one will even notice we are gone?”

  Would anyone even worry if he disappeared? Would his uncle come looking for him?

  “Let’s just focus on what we can do here first,” Emily cut in, ending the conversation before it could go any further.

  Among the three of them, it was clear that both Emily and Hugo were genuinely excited about whatever challenges this world might throw at them. They had been here longer, and they knew more than Krovane did. Maybe, once he learned more, his perspective would change too.

  Saving the world? Fighting monsters?

  Krovane wasn’t exactly unenthusiastic. This felt like a grand adventure waiting to be uncovered and lived through. Yet, it also meant there was real danger involved here. This wasn’t child’s play for kids barely twelve years old.

  Could this world truly have given such a huge mission to the three of them… Who had only just been separated from their guardian?

  “Let us take you on a tour around the city,” Emily said with a smile.

  “Yeah, Krov, this world is incredible! It feels just like a real video game,” Hugo added, his voice full of excitement. “There are so many unbelievable things here, I swear you would faint just from seeing them, hahaha.”

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  A while later, Emily pulled back the carriage curtain and motioned for Krovane to look outside.

  In the distance stood a long stretch of towering walls.

  “That is the city wall,” Emily said softly.

  It looked like a sturdy barrier, standing as tall as a two-story building.

  “That wall protects the city from monster attacks,” Emily explained.

  “Oh… so the area outside the city is dangerous? Then why are there still people walking around out here?”

  “Monsters do roam outside the settled areas. But they only appear in specific regions. Those walls are mainly built to defend against large-scale assaults. It does not happen often, but when it does, a huge battle breaks out between humans and monsters.”

  “That sounds… really intense. Have you ever seen something like that yourselves?”

  “No, not yet,” Emily replied quietly. “But I’m sure we will, sooner or later. And when that time comes, we need to be ready.”

  The carriage continued its way until it reached the city gate, where the city guards stopped them for inspection. Krovane and the others stepped down for a quick check, especially since Krovane had no identification here.

  Thanks to Davon, they were allowed to pass easily and continue their journey.

  “Davon is a merchant,” Emily explained in more detail. “Because of him, I was able to enter this city when I first came here. He often travels between cities, so he has enough access to bring newcomers along.”

  “So I don’t need to have any kind of ID here?” Krovane asked.

  “You will, later. We’ll get you registered, but don’t worry,” Emily replied confidently, crossing her arms. “I’ve already dealt with all the troublesome things in this world. You two are lucky to have me around!”

  “That’s... kind of expected,” Hugo said with a teasing grin. “You’re the one who got us stuck here in the first place. Don’t act like you’re our savior.”

  Emily frowned and kicked his leg. “You talk too much.”

  Hugo just laughed, completely unfazed. “Come on, you both should be thankful I’m here. Without me, you’d be in even more trouble.”

  “It would be so much easier without a burden, Hugo!” Emily shot back sharply.

  Hugo chuckled. “More heads are always better, you know.”

  “Yes, but it’s worse when not all those heads actually work properly.”

  Krovane could only watch as the two of them argued. He couldn’t imagine how they had survived an entire month here without him. Did they really spend every day bickering like this?

  After some time, the carriage came to a stop at the edge of the city’s main street. The three of them stepped down and waved to Davon.

  “Take care of yourselves, and stop by my place anytime you need to,” he said with his usual calm and reassuring smile.

  “I’ll definitely visit soon, Davon,” Emily replied, waving back warmly.

  Krovane and Hugo each said their goodbyes as well before the carriage rolled away.

  Once Davon was gone, the three of them set off again, with Emily leading the way like a tour guide, while Hugo took the rear, grinning at Krovane every time he looked back.

  “I’ll protect you both,” Hugo declared proudly, his face full of confidence.

  Krovane let out a small sigh and kept walking, occasionally glancing to his left and right to take in the city around him.

  How should he even describe it? The buildings looked neat and sturdy, with polished walls and glass-fronted shops. It felt like an old European city with a classic, elegant design.

  Even the people didn’t look as old-fashioned as he had imagined. They wore clean, well-made clothes that seemed perfectly normal. Though every now and then, he spotted someone dressed in armor, looking very much like a fighter or an adventurer.

  What stood out most, however, were the vehicles moving along the streets. They looked like the carriage Davon had used, except there were no beasts pulling them.

  Emily glanced back and noticed Krovane’s puzzled expression.

  “That’s a car… Let’s just call it a car. They run on Mana Cores,” she explained.

  “Mana Cores?” Krovane repeated.

  “Yes. Something found inside the bodies of monsters. A Mana Core is where a monster stores its mana, and when it dies, the core can be used as… well, simply put, as a power source or fuel.”

  “Interesting… so people here don’t need gasoline like in our world?” Krovane said, grinning at her. “That means we could make money by hunting monsters, right?”

  “Yes, sure,” Emily replied with a slight laugh. “But keep your expectations low for now. It’s not that easy. I’ll show you soon enough.”

  “All right, Emily the all-knowing, I’m ready!” he said with a playful grin.

  “Don’t start acting like Hugo and become another annoying person!” she protested.

  Krovane only chuckled and flashed her a peace sign.

  Emily quickened her pace, and Krovane followed right behind her, moving lightly as he weaved through the people walking along the street. His eyes darted everywhere, trying to take in every single detail of this new world.

  What were those merchants selling? Weapons? Swords and bows, perhaps. Some stalls displayed jewelry, while others sold food that smelled delicious enough to make his stomach growl.

  That was when he realized. He had not eaten since his uncle woke him up earlier. He was starving.

  After a while, they arrived at a small inn. The building stood about four stories tall, painted mostly in dark brown tones, simple but neat.

  Emily headed straight to the front desk and spoke with the receptionist. After a short exchange and a few transactions, she led the group upstairs.

  They climbed up three sets of stairs before Emily opened a door to a modest room inside. It had a single bed, just big enough for one person, a long couch along one wall, and a small wooden wardrobe in the corner.

  “We’ll be staying here for now,” she said, stepping inside first.

  Hugo and Krovane followed her inside, and the moment they stepped in, Hugo headed straight for the bed.

  “Stop!” Emily shouted, making both of them freeze and turn toward her.

  “No one touches the bed. You two are sleeping on the couch and the floor,” she declared firmly.

  “Emily? I was just going to sit down,” Hugo protested.

  “Would you rather sleep out on the streets?” she shot back.

  “Alright, alright,” Hugo finally gave in and threw himself onto the couch at the side of the room.

  Krovane, meanwhile, stayed by the door and quietly closed it, leaving only the soft light from the window, spilling into the room.

  Emily sat on the bed, crossing her legs neatly.

  “We’ll stay here until we have enough money for your own rooms. For now, we’ll have to be careful with our expenses,” she said, her tone decisive as she glanced at Krovane.

  She frowned. “What? Why are you just standing there?”

  Krovane swallowed hard.

  “What’s wrong? Are you uncomfortable sharing a room with a beautiful girl like me? Think of this as my generosity. Since neither of you has any money yet.”

  “Why, Krov? You feeling sick or something?” Hugo asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “Yes,” Krovane muttered.

  “You need to use the bathroom?” Hugo pressed.

  “No… I’m starving!” Krovane finally blurted out.