Do or Die

"Aaaahh

"Waaaaaah!!"

The plane shook violently, and my cheek was pressed hard against the windowpane.

"...!! It hurts! What is this..."

I saw one unbelievable sight after another, sights I didn't want to believe. I couldn't breathe.

(No, no...that can't be true! It's a lie! I don't want to die!)

Other planes flying alongside them also burst into flames one after another, spiraling downwards and plummeting into the sea, trailing thick black smoke.

"It's going to fall! It's going to fall at this rate."

"Help me! Waaaaah!"

The inside of the plane became a scene of utter chaos and terror. The intense gravity of the rapid descent and the heat of the flames.

"Ahhhh! I don't want to die! Mom! Dad!"

"Aaaah—it's hot...!! Help me."

(I... I'm going to die... I'm sorry, Mom and Dad... Brother!)

Unable to withstand the intense fear and shock, Susie's consciousness sank into a deep darkness.

—When I woke up, I was on a quiet beach bathed in bright sunlight.

Under the clear sea and sky, new students are seated on white wooden chairs on a white sandy beach.

(Huh, what does that mean...?)

Susie blinked repeatedly, confirming that there wasn't a single burn mark on her black and white uniform.

Looking around, I saw that all my classmates were also sitting there in a daze.

Suddenly, I looked out at the sea and saw, on the distant horizon, an airplane spewing black smoke and stuck in the water, or the wreckage of a burning aircraft.

"Why? Didn't we just crash?"

"Huh... a dream?"

"What's going on?"

Several trembling voices broke the silence, and everyone started making noise at once.

"So, what do you think? Did you enjoy the little surprise?"

A cheerful, resonant voice rang out, cutting through the confusion.

An elegant platform adorned with a large arch of pure white flowers.

A handsome, bearded man in his forties, dressed in a well-tailored Crocs coat, stood there with a confident smile. The wrinkles around his eyes were incredibly stylish.

"Does this make you want to work your hardest, even if it kills you?"