3 A new beginning

In the tranquillity of a seemingly normal, leafy forest, an event soon interrupted the peacefulness of it. Out of nowhere and without warning, the fabric of space and time shuddered, light seemed to escape from an expanding point, which a few moments later ejected eight distinct figures from within it.

As if they never noticed the change of scene, the figures kept running for only a second, until seven of them fell to the ground screaming and writhing in excruciating pain, a burning feeling sweeping through their bodies.

Ruka, Beep, Manin, Masaru, Stenn, Kang, Seto, and Toro, all felt a fire spreading inside them. While Syntax only paused a few meters away from them after the screams of his companions alarmed him, making him first notice the change in the surroundings.

However, even in the face of bewilderment and shock, he did not stop and approached his companions to see what was happening to them.

"Guys, what is wrong with you all? Are you all okay? We need to move!" Nervousness and apprehension encompassed his being as the situation was slowly being digested and processed by his brain. Or better said circuits.

His words seemed to be unable to reach his companions, as all they could do was to continue writh in pain. Unable to formulate a coherent phrase.

Not even their bull seemed to escape from such fate, as the animal fell to the ground and cried in pain. However, Syntax felt his brain stop. For the first time, his mechanical body felt cold and shivers. For the first time in his life, he felt goosebumps.

Horror, awe, confusion, and joy were among the many emotions that erupted in a frenzy at the image in front of him.

About two meters away from Toro, what he thought must be the lifeless, decapitated body of Ryuji, was twitching and flailing like the rest of his team.

The head he saw flying and falling, completely detached from the body, was once again in its natural place. As if what he saw only moments ago was an illusion.

Ryuji was alive.

Unable to comprehend the reality that he found himself in, his functions automatically shut down as he fell to the ground.

Meanwhile, the group continue to twitch in pain for a few more seconds until the majority started to slowly stop. A few groans and moans of relief escaped through their lips as a sudden feeling of coolness and soothing started spreading through the same places that seconds before were burning in pain.

The first one to raise from the ground, clearly buzzed and disoriented from the hellish experience was Seto, who looked around in strangeness and confusion. Not being able to completely understand her situation or where she was.

Then, she was followed by Manin, and Beep, who instantly started looking around in strangeness, more so when the last thing they recalled was running away from a horde of cannibals.

Manin quickly raised to his feet and looked around with wariness, clearly there wasn't any reassembling sound like before nor any other traces of the cannibals. What's more, they were surrounded by green, tall bushes, deep and blooming trees, flowers on the grass below, and no sight of any reddish color that they were familiar with.

"W-what happened...?" Manin in couldn't help but mutter in disbelief at the surrounding sight.

"BEEP! BEEEEEEP! BEEEEEP DON'T WANT TO FEEL PAIN AGAIN, BEEP! BEEEP!" Beep started to scream as he looked around frightened and grasping tightly his katana.

Being thrown off from his reverie, Manin quickly tried to calm down Beep as it was clear he was having another hysterical attack of his.

Meanwhile the rest of the team slowly sat on the ground while looking at each other with confused looks on their faces, each other asking if what they went through was real.

Ruka however started to sob silently soon after she recovered from her dizziness, she didn't bother looking around as the memory of Ryuji's execution was still fresh on her mind. Regret, pain and unwillingness started to overcome her mind as she begun questioning her actions and that of her teammates.

Masaru, Stenn and Kang saw her appearance but didn't said anything at her. They also lost people through their lives, yet even when they were accustomed to death, it didn't diminished the impact they felt right now. More so when Ryuji was such pillar for them, not only as a team, but individuals.

"What happened to Syntax? Did he also passed through all that we went too?" Asked Kang with a raspy voice as he pointed over with his chin towards Syntax's position.

Masaru, Stenn and Seto looked over where he pointed with frowns on their faces as they started inspecting the surrounding and trying to understand what happened to them.

Masaru couldn't help but comment "Seems like so, but wh-... T-that can't be possible!" However halfway his words he happened to glance over where Ryuji's corpse was supposed to be.

Yet all he saw was Ryuji sitting on the grass, with eyes wide open looking over them. However, when his vision met Ryuji's gaze, he couldn't help but feel worried and distressed. Far away was that youthful, innocent and even calm look that the human used to have when they met on occasion.

What Masaru saw, It was the same look that accompanied those broken men who returned and wandered the hell lands, haunted and tormented by what they had witnessed.

Luckily, and to Masaru's relief, that look only lasted a few moments, until Ryuji seemed to pull himself together. A smile soon rose on his face, lighting up his face and infecting Masaru, Stenn, Kang and Seto, who were in shock all this time without being able to say anything.

"BOSS, YOU'RE ALIVE! BUT HOW CAN THAT BE?!" Stenn's booming voice broke the tense atmosphere that was forming, while Seto staggered as she approached Ryuji.

Kang's eyes were wide as huge plates, unable to say anything, just staring at the miracle in front of them, a smile on his lips.

Ruka, hearing Stenn's shout, turned around as fast as a whip and with a desperate look finally saw the one she swore solemn allegiance to.

With her heart beating like a drum and tears falling unceasingly, Ruka could only splutter and sob as a feeling of relief and happiness enveloped her. 'I'm so glad, I'm so glad, thank you Krall' She keep repeating over and over again on her mind as she tried to pull herself together and be somewhat presentable in front of him.

Meanwhile Manin was successful in calming down Beep, who was also looking over Ryuji's figure with apparent calmness.

As Seto was about to land in front of Ryuji, the latter finally said something, with a hoarse and raspy voice "...please, I would appreciate if you don't touch me for the time being...", His eyes was looking at the heiress of the Shek Kingdom with complicated feelings.

Seto stopped suddenly on her tracks, and raised her eye-bone-brow in surprise at the sudden words spoken by him, however, thinking that he might still be shocked from returning to life, she nodded her head and assured him "No problems boss, I'm just so glad you're alive." With a grin on her face.

"How can it be possible? W-we saw your head... I saw with my own eyes while trying to protect your body. How?" Kang asked, his mind unable to come up with a logical explanation.

Ryuji looked over him and shared the same lost look as he answered him "... I don't know too, I only know that I'm also here with you guys, apparently." There was a brief dull look on his eyes midway his sentence, but quickly he recovered.

"We are dead most likely, is the only explanation I can come up with, that would also explain that horrible pain before we could get up. It can also explain how boss is in front of us, don't you all think too?" Said Manin after hearing their words and trying to come up with an answer.

"Beep is not dead! Beep feels incredible strong right now, how can I be death if so?" However Beep was quickly the first to shut down his question as he answered him with firm conviction on his voice.

The rest of the group rolled their eyes, but also noticed that they didn't feel anything unusual, aside from the soaring pain first and the verdant forest around them.

"...We are not dead, that much I can assure you." Said Ryuji after taking a final glance at his companions and inspecting them.

His words caught the attention of everyone, as Toro was slowly trying to get up.

Feeling their stares on him, he continue "I've... What I went through makes me sure that we are alive, all of us, we should be worrying about this forest if anything." As he noticed Kang about to ask something, he cut him before he can formulate a question "I'll talk about me after we make sure that we aren't in a dangerous position, so I want all of you to put yourself together, wake Syntax up and start scouting the perimeter."

As he finished ordering his group, he started to get up on his feet while trying to maintain his mind calm and clear. He was glad to be alive, glad to have escaped from the grasp of hell, but mostly, glad to be around his teammates once again.

"Ya' heard boss, wake up Syntax or at least get his tin ass up in Toro, I want one of us around Toro and boss while the rest start scouting." Masaru's voice boomed over the group, making them follow his order by reflex.

As everyone started moving around and grabbing their weapons, they started looking around their position, while Manin tried to wake up Syntax. To not avail as the later was out of cold for a while.

As the rest of the group disappeared from the sight of both Manin and Ryuji, the first couldn't help but keep stealing glances at Ryuji, while the latter stayed on his feet with his eyes closed while closing his arms. Being the oldest person in the group to know Ryuji, he knew that the latter was showing a strong facade.

'Man, he seems roughed, I guess dying does take a mental hit.' Manin couldn't help but say to himself as he keep at bay his many questions.

Their situation was completely out of ordinary, and what they needed the most right now was to secure the zone before they start asking questions. Ryuji's life was the price they paid before for not being careful enough, and they didn't want to test who else in the group could put out a miracle like their boss.

As minutes started passing by, Syntax suddenly jerked up and fell from Toro to the ground, making Manin and Ryuji jump on their feet on alert at the sudden movement, with the later taking out his katana from his scabard.

Yet when they saw their skeleton friend raising on his feet as if nothing, they calmed down. When Syntax raised his head to match Ryuji's gaze, he freeze on his spot once again and remained silent for a few seconds.

Ryuji, a little bit uncomfortable for the silent and the gaze from Syntax couldn't help but say to him in an awkward manner "...Hey buddy."

"Hey buddy?... Is that something that a dead man should say after getting his head retached to his body and returning to life?" The mechanical voice of Syntax answered him back, both Manin and Ryuji recognizing the almost imperceptible hysterical tone on it.

"Well, what else could you expect? You were out cold for a whil-" Ryuji tried to answer him but was cut short by Syntax.

"It was a rethorical question. Don't bother. Now, I guess I can't expect an answer from you of what the hell happened to you, I guess I have to put my mind working on how the hell are we here and what happened to all of us."He said to them while grabbing his [Falling Sun].

Seeing that his weapon wasn't damaged nor there wasn't anything out of ordinary, he turned around towards his teammates and continue his own monologue "I guess they already went to explore. I suggest we should call every member and start controlling the most we can, we are in a different environment that could potentially get every single one of you killed in a matter of days for just breathing the air here." He opened his arms wide in order to put emphasis on his last statement.

Yet his words made both Manin and Ryuji frown at the prospect of. With the first asking "Yes, we haven't thought about that now that you mention it, I guess we need to warn the rest of them to not drink any kind of liquid nor eat anything." He turned and nodded towards Ryuji.

The latter nodded him back and added "We can't stop breathing so I guess if there's something wrong with it we are helpless, so we're still gonna take the other precautions until we know exactly what's going on." He then moved his gaze towards the green scenery that surrounded them and continue "At least we can say that this place looks better than Okran's Valley, or so it seems like."

His words made Manin and Syntax to look around too. Making them take everything on their sights to inspect with utmost detail.

Yet after a few seconds, Syntax throw a bomb at them "I can safely say that we are not in our world." Manin opened his mouth wide open while Ryuji frowned deeply.

"What do you mean we are not in our world?" Asked Manin unable to grasp completely the implications that Syntax said to them.

"For starters, look at the sky. There's no polution nor any of the moon's and the planet in sight. Next, this booming forest couldn't be possible in any place on our homeworld. That I can guarantee to you all. This green and that wood seems like the scenery of our own world thousands of years ago." Syntax slowly explained to him as he approached a tree and knocked it's bark.

"See? This isn't something like the trees on the swamp nor the one's in Okran Valley, it's wood, the simplest form of it. Nothing that could grow in our polluted and toxic world. Unless we were thrown back in time, which isn't possible by any chance..." He looked back at Ryuji's and added "I take that back, it can be a possibility, but I bet we are in another world, how the hell we reached here? That's the question worth to be made." He finished and moved towards Toro once again.

While Syntax started checking that everything on Toro's backpack was on place, Manin's mind tried everything on its reach to digest what his tin companion said.

Yet he remained unable to say anything while Ryuji said "In that case we really need to be careful, not only with what we ate and drink, but with any sort of animals or beast we encounter. I don't want another case of Bloody Virus within our group."

Manin shuddered at the mention of one of the nastiest and deadliest viruses that a person could catch back in their world. While Syntax nodded in approval and added "I'm going to manage our stockpile of rations so we don't starve to death in the meantime, although it's a shame that only Beep and Manin carry with them their backpacks, almost all of our food where in them."

As Syntax grieved over the fact that many of their rations, medical kits and other helpful things were lost, Manin was finally able to ask something out "W-what are we going to tell the others? For the love of Narko, this is insane!" With unstable steps he slowly sat on the grass with a shocked look on his bug face.

Ryuji looked at his fellow bug companion with amusement 'Oh man, how I missed these guys faces, they still had it on them.' He though to himself while appreciating Manin's face. Finally smiling since he woke up.

"We're just gonna tell them, Manin please save your questions if you're not gonna add anything useful with them. We don't have time for dumb things." Syntax answered at him with a monotonous tone on his voice. He then glanced back at Ryuuji and said to him "We lost half of our building materials, the circuits that were on your backpack and the totally of the Blood Rum and Witch Sticks."

Ryuji nodded at his words recognizing the damage control. He however left a chuckle after seeing Manin pale face at Syntax last words, who felt that everything that could go wrong this day, happened.

"Thought luck buddy, I guess there are worse things for Hivers than dying." Hearing Ryuji's word, Syntax let out a small laughg while Manin gazed downwards to his feet, feeling a little bit miserable.

"After everyone come's back and report their finding, we need to decided ASAP what's need to be done. If this is truly our world back in time, we're going to rely on you Syntax, however if that's not the case..." Leaving his words hanging, both Manin and Syntax understood what he meant.

They would need to improvise and hope.

They waited for a few minutes, in silence. With Syntax and Manin inspecting from head to toes at Ryuuji. Until slowly one for one the rest of their companions started to return.

Although they wanted to report as soon as they came, they were told to held back anything until everyone was on place.

Which took at least half an hour more until the last member, Ruka, came back, with a frown on her face.

Seeing her, Ryuuji cleared his voice as he spoke to the team "Before we start with the reports, there's something important that we have to tell you. Syntax, has deduced that we either came back in time or we are in another world. That's it, take a moment to digest it and talk then."

After Ryuuji's horrendous way to deliver the news, the group stayed in silent while looking at him with disbelief. Syntax however, already expecting some questions and probable hysteria from his teammates, said in hurry "We had yet to prove if my deductions are true, but we need to all of you to prepare yourselves for whatever outcome that might be."

Ryuuji nodded at his words and added shortly after "For that, we're not going to drink any liquid from this place, nor eat anything, even if any of you need to shit, you'll be careful to not use any leaf or something, we can't afford to any of you get out of commission from this foreign environment. Until either we can prove that something is safety to consume, we're going to rely on our provisions."

Hearing the news, everyone couldn't help but frown deep and worry. Although they were accustomed to harsh environments, they weren't hanging in the dark. They knew what to expect, what to touch and what to evade.

Now, in this place, they didn't know if even the air wasn't toxic for them.

"So before you all start with your reports, adjust them with the corresponding news. Because from this moment onwards, we are improvising guys." Ryuuji's words made the rest gulp down and nod, it was as he said.

It was a new start.

It was a new beginning.