1 ~1. Burning Rescue~

Fire danced with malicious pleasure, casting eerie shadows against the walls of the teen's room. The flame roared eagerly, consuming everything in its path with greedy hunger.

Nora's eyes snapped open, greeted not by the gentle morning light, but by the flickering dance of flames engulfing her room. Her heart pounded in her chest as she scrambled out of bed, a choking cough escaping her lips. Smoke stung her eyes, the unpleasant smell filling her nostrils. With trembling hands, she pushed open the broken door to her room, only to be met with a scene of devastation.

"Mom? Dad?.... Bianca.... Flora?" she screamed, calling out to her family, her voice swallowed by the fire's roar. Tears streamed down her face as she stumbled through the smoke-filled hallway, each desperate step echoing the emptiness around her. She staggered out of her burning house, only to find the entire neighborhood ablaze. Her house, once a haven of warmth and laughter, was now a raging furnace.

The world seemed to be consumed by fire, a raging hell swallowing everything in its path. Buildings burned, spewing clouds of black smoke into the polluted sky. The once familiar street was unrecognizable, a desolate wasteland devoid of life. It was now a nightmare landscape of flames, engulfing houses, and trees alike. Her neighbors' homes were mere silhouettes against the backdrop of flames, and there was no sign of life anywhere. The air crackled with heat, and Nora's eyes burned with tears as she fell to her knees, overwhelmed by the horror unfolding before her. In that moment of despair, it felt as though the entire world was ablaze, and she was utterly alone.

But just when Nora thought all hope was lost, a distant sound broke through the chaos—a rumble that grew louder with each passing second. A jeep burst into view, its headlights cutting through the smoke like beacons of salvation. With a screech of tires, it came to a halt a little far from Nora, and a figure leaped out, rushing to her side.

A young man, with fiery red hair streaked with brown, leaped out of the rear door . "Hey! Come here!" he shouted; his voice hoarse but laced with stress. Nora just ignored him and looked at her burning house. "Come on! We need to go!" the man urged; his voice urgent as he reached out to her. His eyes were filled with stress as he reached out to her. "Get in, girl! We must go now!" he shouted over the roar of the flames. Without waiting for her response, he pulled her hand and dragged her to the vehicle.

Although Nora hesitated for a moment, her mind reeling with shock and disbelief, the man's urgency snapped her back to reality, and she nodded, following him towards the jeep. However, before she could climb in, something caught the corner of her eye—a small, furry figure darting through the flames.

Without a second thought, Nora broke free from the man's grasp and dashed towards the small creature. Ignoring the searing heat, she scooped it up. Cradling the frightened feline in her arms, she raced back to the waiting jeep. His soft purrs were a balm to her frantic heart.

Breathless and trembling, Nora climbed into the jeep with the help of the man, while carrying the small animal in her arms. The man, who looked young and could be in his 20s, leaned over and buckled her seatbelt. "Sorry I had to grab you like that, kid," he said, his voice gentling. "But this place ain't safe anymore." She took a moment to catch her breath still hugging the creature.

Just then, Nora noticed she wasn't alone. Crammed into the back were four other young men, their faces etched with a mixture of shock and grim determination. One cradled a small girl, no older than five, in his lap, her face buried in his shirt.

Nora glanced at them awkwardly, a sense of discomfort bothering her insides. Despite her unease, she found solace in the kind smiles of her newfound companions, their eyes reflecting the shared weight of the world's turmoil. "What a world we are leaving, sadly," one of them murmured softly, his voices tinged with sorrow. Lost in their own thoughts, the group wore expressions of observation, their rugged appearances suggesting a hasty escape from the chaos that had engulfed their lives.

Gathering her courage, Nora turned to the group, her voice uncertain yet resolute. "Do any of you know where this jeep is taking us?" she asked, her eyes searching theirs for any glimmer of understanding amid the chaos. "None of us know..." the boy seated to her left murmured, his voice heavy with uncertainty, echoing the collective fear of the unknown that gripped them all.

As silence filled the vehicle, another boy, sensing the need to break the tension, spoke up. "Hey, guys," he began tentatively, "maybe now's a good time for us to introduce ourselves to our new member. Who knows when we'll get another chance, or if we'll get separated again."

The others nodded in agreement, and Nora took a deep breath, steeling herself to speak. "I'll go first," she said softly, her voice wavering slightly. "My name is Nora, I'm nineteen, and this is my cat, Whisker."

As Nora shared her bond with Whisker, the others listened intently, understanding emerged in their eyes. "So, it was because of your pet cat that you risked everything to save it," one of them remarked softly. Nora nodded in confirmation; her gaze steady as she met their understanding looks. "Yes," she replied quietly, " He's been with me through everything . Whisker is the only family I have left now." A fleeting sadness crossed Nora's features as she spoke, but she quickly masked her emotions with a determined resolve. With a small, forced smile, she turned to the others and gestured for them to continue. "Well then," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil within her, "who's next?"

The young man who had helped Nora, cleared his throat, breaking the silence that had settled over the group. "I'll start," he said, his voice steady. "My name is Asher."

"I'm Eu-"

Before the next person could introduce himself, Nora's curiosity bubbled to the surface, prompting her to ask a question that seemed to catch the others off guard. "Your age?" she inquired; her voice curious yet steady. The boys exchanged surprised glances, taken aback by Nora's sudden change in demeanor. Asher, ever composed, quickly gathered himself and replied, "I'm twenty-five."

"Eugene, eighteen" the blonde-haired boy beside Nora added with a nod.

"Riley, twenty-one" the boy next to Eugene chimed in.

"And I'm Rio, twenty-three" the silver-haired boy in front of Nora spoke up, his gaze meeting hers with a reassuring smile. "This is my niece, Callista, and she is eight years old" he added, gently patting the little girl in his lap.

"Nolan... twenty-two" the boy seated next to Rio finished the introductions.

As Nora took in their names and the bond they shared as friends, Riley leaned forward, his expression somber. "We were on a trip together," he explained quietly, his voice tinged with sadness. "But then... everything changed. In the blink of an eye, our world was turned upside down. By the time we could process what had happened, so many lives were lost... We were ready to give up hope, but then this jeep appeared out of nowhere. The driver said he'd take us to a safe place, so we had no choice but to get in."

Nora listened, her heart heavy with empathy for their shared loss and uncertainty. But as they sat together in the jeep, their thoughts turned to the uncertain future that lay ahead.

Hours passed in tense silence as the jeep rumbled on, the landscape outside a blur of flames and destruction. As the journey stretched on, for the first time since Nora got in the jeep, the driver finally broke the silence that had settled over the group for some time. His voice, gravelly and authoritative, cut through the air, commanding their attention. "Be prepared," he warned, his words carrying a weight of seriousness. "We're approaching the barrier, and the journey ahead may be rocky."

Curiosity and anxiety mingled in the minds of the passengers as they pondered the nature of this barrier. What even is this barrier? They thought. And then, as if in response to the driver's warning, a brilliant white portal like thing materialized before them, casting an otherworldly glow over the landscape.

With their breath held, Nora and her companions watched as another jeep appeared beside them, both vehicles hurtling towards the shimmering barrier. And then, with a jolt that sent their hearts racing, both jeeps plunged into the portal at the same time, the world outside twisting and warping in a dizzying whirl of colors. Nora clutched Whisker tightly to her chest, her eyes squeezed shut as she prayed for a safe passage through the unknown.

The portal ride was turbulent and shaky, knocking the passengers inside and making it impossible for them to sit still. While passing through the portal, which proved to be a bumpy ride, a sense of calm gradually enveloped them. However, amidst the tranquility, Nora suddenly felt a weight pressing down on her. She cautiously opened her eyes, only to be met with the startling sight of a naked man seated on her lap, replacing her beloved pet cat.

Asher, stunned by the sight, moved quickly to shield Nora's eyes from any further exposure, while Rio instinctively did the same for his niece, ensuring she was spared from the unexpected scene. But Nora, having caught a glimpse of the man's upper body, and before Asher closed her eyes, shielding her from the sight, managed only to utter a shocked sentence,

"OH MAIII…"