"What?" I asked.

"I know, I know, it may be a little confusing at first and then shocking, but you're in a new universe," the girl explained.

The man in the red armoured sighed.

"I'm Lance of the wind; nice to meet you."

"Oh right, HA HA, I am MOGA of the sea," said the blue armoured man.

"oops, I am Anne of the sun and moon," said the young girl.

The boy beside me looks at them with a confused face.

"This is a dream, right? I will wake up soon in bed an-"

Moga slaps the guy, causing him to be flung a meter or two.

'You're not in a dream, buddy. This is as real as it can be."

Moga looks over at me.

"You need one too?"

I shake my head and back away a few steps while holding out my arms.

"I'm good, thanks."

"Listen up, just follow us; we'll fill you in on what's happening. For now, let's get you to civilization all right," Anne said cutely.

They began walking away from us. I looked over to the other guy holding his face on the ground. It's safer with them; I chased after and soon did the other guy as well.

As we walked, they started explaining the dark sky. They called it the eclipse. It's a weird phenomenon that plucks people from their universe and drops them into this one. From what they know, it usually grabs people from a different universe each time, though there have been instances where people from the same universe were grabbed on separate occasions. No one knows why it happens and why everyone is sent to the same area, but one thing's sure: no one has ever made it back to their original universe.

They talked about the first people to arrive and how monsters slaughtered them, but soon, they found power by drawing on elements and things in this world. Soon, the monsters went from being the hunters to the prey.

Now, those who share the same power formed groups called familia. They claim that sharing the same power made them come together naturally. They felt a bond between them and other familia members. Of course, each familia had its method of leadership. Some were under a king, while others had a senate or council.

"Right now, we are going towards Mistwood Hollow, The land that familias control together," said Lance.

"There, you'll get a chance to meet different famillias, learn more about each one, and eventually, you'll have to choose one." Said Anne. She was skipping along; it seemed like she was having a blast.

"So are you all a part of one familia?" I asked.

"Ahah, a no, we each are part of a different one," said Moga enthusiastically.

"I'm a part of the Sea Familia; we draw on the power of the sea."

Anne turned around and started skipping backwards.

"I'm a part of the Sun and Moon Familia; we draw on power from the day and night."

I looked at Lance, expecting him to talk. He said nothing and continued walking forward, not even glancing at me.

The guy beside hadn't talked but slowly followed quietly behind everyone. His face was still red, and a bruise was starting to form.

"So, what's your name," I asked him.

He glanced at me wary-eyed. He must be suspicious of everyone since they had slapped him and left without him.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

"My name is Dmitri," he said reluctantly.

"I am Ezra."

He still looked hurt emotionally, but it seemed like he was getting over it. I glanced at Moga, who looked normal as if he didn't care.

We walked on, and soon, over the distance, a path appeared. Groups of people were ahead of us walking along the route, most likely people who were brought here by the eclipse. As we walked and Anne skipped, golden fields of wheat appeared. Soon enough, a settlement could be seen.

It was terrible. From what could be seen, buildings were sparsely placed with no fortifications. Buildings lined the outer scape, made from a dark wood it looked like. Off to the right, a forest could be seen, a fogging and dark place where little light could be seen.

The closer we came to the settlement, the more people we saw. People of different colours, ethnicities and cultures are all around in one place. Some wore armour, while some had on regular city clothes.

"Welcome to Mistwood Hollow," said Anne.

"My job is done now soooo... goodbye," and she ran off.

Moga and Lance looked dumbfounded, but they didn't try to stop her.

"Well, this is where I head out, too. Hopefully, you find the right familia if you ever want to j-"

Lance cuts him off, "Moga, that's enough. We aren't allowed to promote our familias."

"HAHAHA! My bad, Lance; I hope to see you two again sometime, preferably on my side."

Moga turned around and walked off without looking back.

Lance looked tired.

"Ignore him and follow me; don't talk," Lance said dreadfully.

He started walking towards a huge building made from stone it looked like. As we walked, the surroundings changed; the buildings got better and were less sparse, but it wasn't a village or a town. The buildings were spread apart, having a space of 100 meters wide, sometimes even 200.

The space in between mainly had grass and some mud or natural pathways. There were some areas with a few buildings rather than one.

The stone building where we were heading was massive; it looked like something out of ancient times. Its architecture was beyond what I had thought these people were capable of.

The building was of marble, with chiselled drawings of humans fighting what looked like monsters. Underneath the pictures was a massive closed door, which was also made from marble. Pillars were in front of the door, extending the total width of the building.

"This building looks amazing," said Dimitri.

"Yeah, it does," said Lance, with a sad look.

"This is as far as I can go. This area is only for newcomers, hopefully, you'll find a familia that fits you."

Lance turned around and walked away. Slowly, he disappeared into the crowd.

He had brought us to an area filled with people, presumably like me and Dimitri. They were all in front of a stage made of marble, a little away from the immense marble building.

Dmitri wandered off into the gathering, leaving me alone.

I shouted at him, "Hey, don't just lea-"

I tried to follow him until I saw a girl with brown hair.

"Yui," I whispered.

I started to walk towards her until she turned, revealing her face. It wasn't Yui.

I had forgotten about her. Her cries started to ring in my head. The last time I saw her, she was tearing up from fear. God, I miss her.

I stopped chasing Dmitri and found a spot to sit down. I wanted to cry, but no tears would come out. Finally, a wave of emotion just came over me. I don't know how to describe what I feel. Shock, fear, loneliness... I felt dark. I had seen people die and monsters feasting on their bodies. I guess I understood why Dmitri was so cautious and wondered why it took so long to realize what was happening. I don't know Anne, Moga, or Lance, yet I don't know what to do, who to follow, who to trust. I don't want to die.

I wasn't the only person in a solemn state. Many were sulking around me, some crying. Some were smiling at this situation or laughing. Hundreds of people, all not knowing what to expect next.

"ATTENTION!"

A woman's voice rang in my ears. I couldn't see anyone, but the voice sounded like thunder.

Shortly after, she appeared on the stage. She had pink hair, something unnatural, and she wore a black dress that turned into a skirt reaching her knees.

"Welcome to Mistwood Hollow; I am Isuel of the sun and moon. This is the urban center of the Familias, where trade and business are handled. I hope your welcoming party filled you in with most of the details, as I will not."

How kind of her.

She continued, "You will be given a choice to join a familia. This is a huge decision and one not to be taken lightly, as they will be your new family and power in this new life."

I looked around. No person who wore armour was in the crowd. They were mainly near the stage and on the outer border. Many watched in the back, some with smirks and some with a nostalgic look.

"Many familias will come on stage to explain where their powers are drawn from. Then, later, you will choose a familia by going to their designated land tomorrow. We want you to sleep on this decision and choose tomorrow, as there is no going back once it is done."

A Wind came from the fields with a chill. Some started to mutter and hug themselves to keep warm.

"I hope you find the right familia, and may the eclipse bless you in your new journey."

She started to walk off stage. The Wind began to pick up. As she finally started to get off, something flew and impaled her. Her body streaked across the floor as her head flung in the air, decapitated from her body. The crowd stared silently for seconds, not registering what had just happened.

As soon as the head hit the ground, panic broke loose.

Everyone was pushing and running while the familias tried to calm everyone.

"HAHAHAHAHA"

A cold voice that caused my body to shiver. I looked to the side and saw a woman standing on the building's roof, laughing.

She looked human, but her form changed. Her hair turned blue, her skin pale white. Her clothing turned into armour, covering mainly her chest and torso. Horns grew as ice overtook the building.

"DEMON!!!!"