The room, once tense, suddenly turned ominous. Silence fell, yet the air grew heavy, and every student's eyes focused on Mr. Kim, now standing with a different aura. His face, once resembling the familiar Mr. Kim Joo, now reflected another side of him. His right hand trembled as the atmosphere around them shifted.
Mr. Kim raised his hand and touched the air before him with a practiced motion. "Listen closely," his voice echoed, firmer than before. "This world isn't the one you know. This world is called AESTRA."
Immediately, the students fell silent. Ahreum stared at him in confusion. Renji, usually calm, now looked shaken.
"AESTRA?" Ahreum asked, trying to comprehend Erav's words.
"Yes," Mr. Kim replied in a more serious tone. "The world you come from is different. I was born here, but due to a dimensional rift, I entered your world and got trapped there. I became intrigued by the powers within it, and now this world has brought all of you here. You may know me as Kim Joo, but in this world, I have another name—my real name is Erav Solan."
Erav paused, his gaze sharp and wary. "You are now in a world that knows no mercy. There is no place for the weak."
Tension thickened in the air. Yenara, ever cautious, asked, "What do we do now? Are we… stuck here? There's no way back?"
Erav shook his head slowly. "Returning to your original world is not easy. This world is full of threats. You must survive. Adapt or die. The choice is yours."
Silence hung in the room. Students looked at one another, some whispering. Suddenly, a strange noise echoed—a harsh creaking from the ventilation in the corner of the room.
"W-what's that?" Jihwan asked, eyes narrowing in alert.
Erav raised his hand, calming them. "Get ready," he said, his voice heavy and firm. "You don't know what's coming."
Ahreum felt uneasy, her heart pounding. Something was wrong. Suddenly, a creature emerged from the vent—a monster with a horse-like body, a spider's head, glowing red eyes, and jet-black fur. It let out a ferocious roar, shaking the room's walls.
"What is that?!" Aubrey screamed in panic.
Erav raised his hand, flames igniting on his palm. "Everyone, get back!" he shouted. "This is a fight for your lives! You must survive!"
Without hesitation, Erav dashed forward, unleashing a massive burst of fire that engulfed the monster. The creature let out a horrific scream but remained standing, seemingly unfazed by the flames licking its body.
"It's not working?!" Renji cried out, shocked by the creature's resilience.
Erav growled. "This isn't the strongest thing you'll face here. You need to be ready for worse."
The monster suddenly lunged toward the students at the back, causing them to fall. Some began to flee in terror, tripping and getting injured.
Erav didn't wait. He attacked again with even greater firepower. With swift movements, he dodged the monster's strikes and drove fiery spikes into its body. The creature finally collapsed with an agonized shriek.
Breathing heavily, sweat dripping down his forehead, Erav stood over the fallen monster. "This is only the beginning," he said, turning to the stunned students. "You must always be ready. The Mark you'll gain will be the key to your survival."
Ahreum stood still. "The Mark?" she asked, still confused.
Erav sighed deeply and explained. "Mark is a sign of power in this world. Everyone who receives a Mark is granted a special ability. But it's not a gift. You must control it to survive. And in some cases, the Mark will awaken power even you can't control."
"Sounds charming," Dae muttered sarcastically, frowning. "So we have to become monsters to survive?"
Erav stared at Dae, eyes sharp, but kept his tone calm. "Not monsters. But this world doesn't offer many choices. You'll see for yourselves when the time comes."
Tension thickened again. Some students began whispering anxiously, while others grew angrier.
"Why do we have to stay here?!" shouted Bugof, a student who had been irritated from the beginning. "We have families, friends back home! Why aren't you trying to send us back?!"
"Do you want to die here, then?" Erav answered coldly, his voice cutting. "If death is what you want, it's your choice. But this world offers no mercy. Want to go back? There's no easy path. Even if there is, the price is steep."
He stepped forward, scanning the remaining students. "There is no safe place. Even in your world, everything could end in an instant. You can only survive with your own strength. This world will test you—the more you run, the harder you'll fall."
The room grew more tense. Some students began shouting.
"We don't want to stay here!" Gery also joined the outcry. "You can't force us to stay! This isn't fair! We want to go home!"
"Shut up!" Agri shouted, barely holding back his anger. "Yelling won't help us. No one knows how to get out, and if we keep being scared, we'll all die. We have to focus on surviving, not screaming."
Ahreum, who had been quiet all this time, finally spoke, her voice calm, trying to bring order. "There's no point in arguing. What we can do now is survive. Mr. Erav is right. This world is different, and we don't know what lies ahead. What matters now is finding a way to endure or escape. Getting angry won't solve anything."
Bugof, still frustrated, looked at Ahreum in confusion. "But why do we have to go along with this? Why do we have to fight here? We just want to go back!"
Erav raised his hand, drawing their attention. "I know you want to go back. I know you're angry. But this world isn't a place for uncontrolled emotions. You must learn to accept this reality."
Before he could continue, a loud rumble echoed from outside. Everyone went quiet and turned as the ground beneath their feet trembled violently.
"What was that?" Yena asked, her face growing pale.
"Brace yourselves," Erav replied grimly. "It's a sign that something bigger is coming."
Suddenly, the walls shook, and cracks formed. A massive creature burst through—a giant beast with a muscular frame, towering antlers, and glowing red eyes. It was a horned wolf, far larger and more terrifying than the previous monster. Its horrific howl filled the air.
The monster glared at them with eyes full of fury and stepped forward, its presence alone sending waves of fear through the students.
"Don't think you can just run away," Erav said coldly. "This is your trial."
There was no time for more words. The monster lunged at them with incredible speed. Some students fell in panic, others fled toward the doors, seeking shelter.
"To the combat training hall!" Erav shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "There are weapons there! You must survive! Now, move!"
Ahreum, Renji, Yena, and the others ran, following Erav as he held the monster back with larger blasts of fire. The monster roared, swinging its deadly claws.
Once inside the combat hall, they frantically searched for weapons—swords, knives, training arms. They picked them up, hands trembling.
But the monster didn't stop. Erav stood behind them, shouting commands. "Keep your distance! I'll hold it off—run!"
Behind them, Erav began unleashing stronger bursts of fire, holding back the stag-horned wolf so the students could reach safety. Ahreum felt an overwhelming pressure, her heart pounding wildly, but she knew one thing: survival was their only option now.