When the World Turns Upside Down

The school bus rolled slowly along the winding country road, its tires squealing on the wet morning asphalt. Inside, the sound of the students' animated voices mingled with peals of laughter. This wasn't a special trip, just another field trip.

But for Kaito, it was a chance to escape reality for a while. A simple bus ride through the countryside, far from the pressures of school and the social interactions he hated. There, in his seat, surrounded by noises and conversations he preferred to ignore.

He had immersed himself in a large volume he had recently purchased, a book dedicated to the universe of the game he spent his nights reading. Through its pages, he discovered the founding stories, the forgotten kingdoms, and the legends of this merciless world. Each chapter meticulously described the dangers lurking in the shadows, the ruins to explore, and the secrets only an attentive player could spot. This wasn't just a manual, but a gateway to a larger adventure: an invitation to rediscover the RPG as a quest of patience, curiosity, and wonder, where every detail hid a greater truth.

"Are you sure you don't want to talk for a bit? It'd be nice to chat, you know!" said Ryo, a classmate, who had leaned back, trying to get her attention.

Kaito barely looked up from his book, making an indifferent gesture with his hand.

"Not interested."

His reply was as curt as usual, but Ryo knew it wasn't a personal rejection.

"It's really no fun being this lonely, you know?" Ryo continued, but quickly turned back to his friends, looking for a new topic of conversation. Kaito simply sighed and went back to his reading.

Professor Kentaro, up front, was talking with the driver, his words lost in the general buzz. There was nothing particularly exciting about this trip, just an ordinary day, like any other.

Then, without warning, something completely inexplicable happened.

A flash of blinding light burst through the bus windows, as if the sun had just shattered against the glass. Time seemed to stand still, and everything that had happened up to that moment seemed to freeze.

"What the...?" someone whispered from the back of the bus, but no one had time to finish their sentence.

The light became unbearably intense, filling every corner of the vehicle. The bus began to vibrate, and a strange, almost unreal sensation invaded everyone. The students jumped to their feet, some screaming, others trembling, while Kaito, his eyes wide open, felt his heart race.

"What's going on?" he thought, a lump of anxiety forming in his throat. The pages of his book, still in his hands, crumpled with tension. There was nothing logical about it. No rational explanation. Was this a dream?

 The bus began to slide, as if reality itself were warping around them. The driver, panicking, tried to maintain control of the vehicle, but he seemed powerless against this unknown force. Everything became a blur, the landscape outside the bus distorting as if time and space had been distorted.

Kaito, his eyes fixed on the bright light, suddenly found himself thrown back against his seat. All around him, the students screamed, some closing their eyes, while others were frozen in terror. But at that precise moment, a strange sensation swept through Kaito. A mixture of chills and adrenaline seized him, tensing his muscles and making his heart beat faster. He didn't know what was coming, or whether to be afraid or excited, but an irrepressible curiosity burned through his veins. It was both terrifying and fascinating, as if something great and powerful were about to reveal itself, and he would be in the front row to see it.

Then, as suddenly as it had begun, the light disappeared. The bus stopped in an eerie silence. The outside was... strange. They were in the middle of a small plain, but all around stretched immense forests, dense and silent, where the trees rose like infinitely tall green walls. A light mist floated between the trunks, erasing the outlines and giving the vegetation an unreal, almost moving appearance. Above, the sky was no longer that familiar blue, but tinged with a strange reddish hue, as if the light itself had been corrupted. Every breath of wind made the humid air shiver, and the forest seemed to hold its breath, as if watching them.

"Where are we?" " Ryo whispered, his voice trembling, but no one even had the chance to respond.

Kaito felt as if he were floating in the heart of a dream whose rules escaped him. Every detail around him seemed both familiar and strangely distorted, as if reality itself had bent to an unknown logic. And yet, despite the dizziness and incomprehension, a part of him felt strangely drawn to this dreamlike universe, as if this journey through this light was leading him exactly where he needed to be.

"It's impossible..." Kaito breathed, still in shock. But his eyes shone with a strange light.

The students huddled together, their faces marked by confusion and fear, but Kaito, though just as lost as they were, was fascinated by his new surroundings.

The silence that followed was almost palpable, heavy and eerie, as if it had frozen the air itself. Everyone remained motionless, their eyes wide, unable to break this strange stupor. The students, glued to their seats, held their breath, as if the slightest movement could awaken an invisible danger. Their faces, livid or tense, betrayed both fear and confusion, while time itself seemed to have stopped in this suspended moment.

Kaito was in the same state as his classmates, his hands clenched around his book, which he hadn't even noticed he still had in his hands. Everything seemed so unreal… A part of him refused to believe it, but another, stranger part, felt a sort of exciting thrill, as if something even bigger was about to happen.

''What the hell is this?!" cried one of the students in the back. He stood up suddenly, almost knocking over his backpack.

"Where are we?! Is this a dream?" »

The bus became increasingly agitated, with several students getting up quickly, some pushing past others to look out the windows. But the landscape outside was no longer familiar. The lush green fields had disappeared, replaced by immense vegetation, and a reddish sky enveloped the horizon, bathing the surroundings in an eerie glow.

Professor Kentaro, who until then had seemed calm and collected, stood up quickly, his hands trembling. "Everyone, stay seated! Don't move! I'm going to..."

He turned to the driver, but the latter seemed in a state of total panic.

"What did you do? Did you see that? Where are we?!" the driver shouted, agitated, pounding frantically on the steering wheel.

The students were screaming, some were crying, others seemed to want to get off the bus and escape this unknown world. But a group of friends had already formed, with their own theories and reactions.

"It's an illusion! It has to be an illusion! We're all going to wake up!" cried Haruka, one of Ryo's friends. She hugged herself tightly, visibly terrified, but tried to remain calm.

"No, it's real! Look!" Ryo replied, pointing outside the bus. "It's truly incredible!"

In the midst of the panic, another student stood up. It was Reiji, the class representative, a calm and authoritative figure. Always impeccably dressed in his uniform, he was accustomed to keeping a cool head in all situations. His gaze fell on each student, then he took a deep breath and, in a firm but reassuring tone, said,

"Everyone! Calm down."

The whispers gradually subsided. Even Professor Kentaro fell silent, and the tension in the air began to dissipate. Reiji turned to the professor, who seemed lost in thought.

"Professor, we have to stay calm. We don't know what's going on, but we have to stay together and rational to understand what's going on."

He then turned to the students.

"Listen, no one move. We have to check the situation and try to understand where we are. Stay in your seats, and don't panic."

His gaze pierced Kaito's, who was still in complete shock. Reiji gave him a small, reassuring smile, then walked to the front of the bus.

"Professor, we need to organize a search. There might be a way out somewhere. We also need to know if this bus can move again." »

Professor Kentaro nodded slowly, though he still seemed shaken. "Okay, okay... I'll see."

He hesitantly approached the door, fighting his own sense of helplessness.

The students were beginning to calm down a little, but the situation remained completely incomprehensible. A few groups of friends were forming, some trying to reassure each other.

"Are you sure we're not in a manga?" Ryo whispered to Kaito, a faint smile on his lips, but Kaito didn't respond. Kaito stared in wonder at the mysterious forest through the window.

 "It's just a nightmare..." Haruka murmured, her eyes wide.

Reiji, back near the students, spoke again.

"I know this is all scary, but we have to stay calm. There's only one way to solve this: by working together. I'll divide the groups. Each group will go to the windows and look around. Look for signs of life or anything else that might help us."

He paused for a moment and observed the students, his voice now softer.

"Don't worry. We'll find a solution, I promise. We all have to support each other, no matter what."

The students nodded slowly, some still trembling, but more inclined to follow the delegate's example. Kaito, though still disconcerted, felt a slight relief. He realized that, despite his introversion, he should probably join this group and figure out what was going on. Everything seemed unreal, but somewhere deep inside, a bit of curiosity was awakening. The fantasy world he had never stopped dreaming about... might be real.

The first few seconds passed in heavy silence. Then, one by one, the students sprang into action, each following Reiji's orders, with varying degrees of conviction. Kaito, his heart pounding, slowly stood up and walked to one of the seats in the back. He took one last look at the window.

A foreign place is another world... He couldn't believe this was reality.

 Reiji stood in front of the center aisle of the bus, like a captain on the deck of a ship stranded in an unknown sea. His gaze was grave, but his gestures betrayed a newfound determination. He took a deep breath, then gestured for Teacher Kentaro to approach.

"Teacher, we need to take roll call. We need to make sure no one is injured or missing. But first, we need to take roll call to see if everyone is present?"

Mr. Kentaro, still a little shaky but gathering his wits, took a notebook from his satchel. He quickly consulted the list, then nodded.

"We have 27 students, two teachers, and the driver. Thirty people in total. I'll help you count them."

Reiji nodded. He raised his voice confidently, over the murmur of the still-shocked students.

"Everyone, listen to me!" We're going to hold roll call. Stay in your seats if you can, raise your hand when called. If anyone is unwell or injured, report it immediately."

The students obeyed without question. The atmosphere had grown tense, but Reiji's firm voice provided a kind of anchor.

Professor Kentaro took a quiet breath and unrolled the roll call, as he would have done on an ordinary morning in the classroom. But this time, each name resonated differently: a tenuous thread connecting his students to reality, a familiar ritual in a world that was no longer so.

The responses came one after another. Some voices came out clear and confident, almost bravado, as if to mask fear. Others trembled, barely audible, wrenched from throats tight with anxiety. A few students simply raised their hands, unable to form a word. Amid this mixture of timidity, panic, and forced courage, one thing was certain: they were there, together.

Little by little, the roll call took stock of their condition. Most seemed unharmed, if not shaken by shock. A few had scratches on their faces, superficial wounds on their arms, or complained of minor pain. One or two had torn clothes, stained with dried blood or dust, but nothing life-threatening. It was a relief, almost unexpected, given what they had just been through.

When the last name was called, a heavy silence fell. All eyes turned momentarily towards Kentaro, as if waiting for him to give them some certainty, a direction to follow. Behind them, the purple mist still billowed above an unreal horizon, a reminder that, despite the relative comfort of this call, they remained trapped in a world that wasn't theirs.

Reiji spoke again once the list was finished.

"Perfect, we're all here. Is anyone seriously injured? Any pain or discomfort?"

A few students reported aches and pains, a slight headache, or fear, but nothing critical.

"Now we need to organize the reconnaissance groups. But first, let's take a few minutes to settle down. Breathe. We're together. And we'll get through this."

He turned to Kaito, whose gaze was still fixed on the ruins through the window.

"Kaito? When you're ready... you'll come with me. I'll need you."

Kaito finally looked at him, a moment of surprise crossing his face. This wasn't a trivial request. It was an invitation to get involved, to break one's silence.

He nodded gently.

Kaito moved slowly between the rows of seats, his eyes shifting, as if trying to avoid the gaze of his classmates. The heavy silence of the bus made his every step echo.

At the front, Reiji stood straight, his gaze fixed on the edge of the forest. His shoulders, tense like a bow, betrayed the pressure he'd been carrying since the strange disappearance of their world.

"You wanted to see me?" Kaito asked, his tone stiffer than he would have liked.

"I'd like, if you don't mind, to give you a task. We need to reconnoiter the surroundings... and you, of all of us, are the one who moves most easily in the forest."

A sincere smile softened his features.

"I know I'm asking a little abruptly, but I'd be reassured if you accepted." »

His voice wasn't imperative. He wasn't ordering anything—he was asking. Kaito's help wasn't absolutely necessary, but Reiji knew that with him, their chances would be much better.

Kaito was silent for a moment. Memories flooded back, blurring the lines between past and present. The long walks, the familiar trees, the afternoons spent purposefully getting lost so they could find each other again.

He looked down, took a deep breath, then looked up.

"Well... it's been a while since I've gone on these kinds of excursions."

A smirk tugged at his lips, and his gaze met theirs with a mixture of lightness and assurance.

"But very well... I'm not promising anything extraordinary, but I'll do my best to be of service... Just like back then, if you like."

Reiji nodded slowly, relieved. He hadn't forced the issue. Kaito had chosen. And somehow, that mattered more than anything.

As the few minutes of respite drew to a close, a spirit of rebellion rose in the heavy air of the bus. The back door flew open, and Aoi, one of the students, jumped to her feet.

"Wait!" she called out in a clear voice that cut through the last murmurs. All eyes turned toward her.

"Are we really going to embark on this adventure as if nothing had happened? Do you really want to go for a walk?"

A defiant grimace on her perfect face, Aoi leaned back against a seat and crossed her arms. Beside her, half a dozen classmates nodded in agreement.

Reiji straightened, frowning.

"Aoi, this isn't a fun outing; We're looking for clues to get going again!"

"Clues?" Aoi laughed, scanning the misty clearing.

"All I see are rocks and a forest with probably deadly dangers."

She paused, gathering her followers.

"I say we stay here and wait for help to come and get us. It's better if we don't scatter!"

A murmur of approval rippled through the ranks of her supporters: the shy Mai, the burly Riku, and even the usually quiet Haruto rallied to her side.

Reiji inhaled slowly, searching for the right tone.

"Aoi, your proposal—staying still—is paralyzing everyone. And if the bus gets stuck, we could die of inactivity."

Tension rose, the two camps facing each other in the center aisle. Aoi locked eyes with Reiji, defiance shining in her eyes. "So it's your decision that the bus moves?" she sneered.

Reiji crossed her arms, frowning, as Aoi, proud of her small group of allies, hammered home her point: stay still and wait. The atmosphere in the center aisle of the bus was electrified, the students divided into two tacitly opposing camps.

 Suddenly, Professor Kentaro cleared his throat, placing his heavy hand on the back of a chair. "Enough," he said sharply but calmly. Everyone fell silent instantly. "We are here as responsible adults. Neither I nor Miss Sakura will tolerate behavior that endangers any of you."

Professor Sakura, still trembling but determined, took a few steps forward. "Aoi, Reiji, your arguments each have merit," she said calmly.

"But this debate is holding us back. We need to make a collective decision, based on real information, not fear or defiance."

Reiji nodded. "Miss Sakura is right. And we also lack visibility of our surroundings." If we stay put, we'll let the situation worsen—a stuck bus, nightfall…”

Aoi looked up, tense, and opened her mouth to reply, but Mr. Kentaro spoke first.

“Miss Aoi, your recommendation shows great prudence; I grant you that. However, inaction is a risky choice.”

He turned to the students.

“I propose a compromise. A very small reconnaissance group: three students, two teachers, and the driver. The rest stay here, safe. We will set out cautiously, armed with flashlights.”

A momentary tension swept through the assembly, then heads nodded. Reiji was the first to volunteer, followed by Aoi, who closed the debate with a hint of restrained pride.

“Very well. However, I will only leave if we have a clear plan for our return.” »

Professor Kentaro took an old compass, which he always carried, out of his satchel. He showed it to his students, but to their astonishment, the needle kept spinning, seeming to find its own way. After a moment of chaotic oscillation, it finally stopped and pointed in a clear direction. Curiously, this orientation had no relation to the true north that the sun's position at that time of day allowed us to determine.

Despite this strange situation, Kentaro showed no sign of surprise. He shrugged, as if it were perfectly normal, and declared confidently:

"This is our starting point. We will use it to orient our route."

He displayed the compass as a symbol of authority and scientific competence, convinced his students that this unexpected deviation was merely a trivial curiosity.

 The driver, still shaken, cleared his throat.

"I know a little about mechanics. I can check the engine before we leave. If it's possible to restart the bus, I'll let you know."

In a matter of moments, the reconnaissance group formed: Kaito, Reiji, Aoi, Miss Sakura (who had timidly accepted the invitation), Mr. Kentaro, and the driver, Mr. Kobayashi. The other students remained on board, the door locked, their eyes wide, whispering among themselves.

The sixth grade formed an incongruous procession. Aoi held the compass, Reiji had retrieved a flashlight from the first aid kit, and Kaito carried his precious book—just in case literary self-comfort proved beneficial. The teachers, living signs of serenity, walked past, scrutinizing every detail of the landscape.

 Kobayashi pushed open the hood of the bus. Under the driver's careful hands, the engine hummed faintly.

"Maybe we can start it," he indicated, moving a cable aside. But the hum remained hesitant. The driver shook his head. "Not today. I think the reality here doesn't follow our laws."

Outside, the reddish mist danced between the crumbled stone pillars, while a dense, almost impenetrable forest surrounded the ruins. The trees, with gnarled trunks and twisted branches, formed a natural barrier, making progress difficult. The six scouts advanced across ground strewn with shifting debris, winding between the eroded walls of ancient buildings. The teachers walked side by side, exchanging in low voices:

"Keep an eye out for signs of vegetation," advised Miss Sakura. "If this forest is as dense as I think, there should be a watering hole nearby, where the erosion is less advanced."

"Exactly," replied Mr. Kentaro, scanning the horizon, his eyes fixed on the strange glow filtering through the trees. And if the light truly comes from within the forest, it could indicate local activity, perhaps a village hidden amidst these woods. »

Aoi, attentive to every sound, squinted her eyes.

"I hear hair... or is it my imagination?"

Reiji leaned forward, his ears pricked, drawn by the discreet rustling of dead leaves and the gentle crackling of small pebbles under his feet. A distant, rhythmic chime soon added to this fragile symphony of sounds. The lamps he held revealed, through an arched passage with damp, cracked walls, a ruined cobblestone road, seemingly abandoned for years, perhaps even centuries, its worn, cracked stones testifying to a time when no one had trodden it for a long time.

They advanced along this path, or at least what remained of it, forming a small, silent snake through the densely packed trees of the forest. The rustling of leaves and the discreet cracking of branches accompanied each of their steps. Gradually, the vegetation thinned, revealing a barely visible path beneath the roots and moss. They followed it in silence, until they emerged into a clearing bathed in a strange light, where tall purple torches burned without wind.

And there they appeared: a group of knights in shining armor, caparisoned in white tunics adorned with golden symbols. Their faces were hidden beneath engraved helmets, revealing only piercing gazes. At their head stood the silhouette of a taller man. In his right hand, he held a scepter topped with a glowing crystal.

The six arrivals froze. A solemn silence stifled the wind and silenced the distant echo of the abandoned bus. Before them stood a man dressed in religious robes, simple but imposing in his posture. He had just dismounted from his horse, whose hooves had left imprints in the soft earth. Slowly, he raised his head, his eyes sweeping over the group with quiet gravity.

Then, in a deep, measured voice, he spoke a foreign word, strangely musical, which seemed to vibrate against the stones of the clearing and resonate in the air like the echo of an ancient time:

"Welcome to you, my brothers and sisters from another world."

At that moment, everyone felt a shiver run through their skin. The word, though mysterious, carried a warmth and power that seemed to touch something older, buried within them. The clearing, until then ordinary, suddenly took on the appearance of a sacred place, forgotten by the world, where time and space seemed suspended.

The clearing, until then frozen in expectation, suddenly vibrated with a sacred energy. The tunics parted, forming a guard of honor. The torches flickered, casting dancing shadows on the anxious faces of Reiji, Aoi, Kaito, Hiroshi, Kentaro, and Kobayashi.

The priest took a few steps forward, his scepter flashing red in the mist. The six explorers, held back by the authority it emanated, understood that this first contact would change their destiny forever...