Markus held the cat in his arms. After it had something to eat, it had become almost like a potato, unwilling to move.

“You can’t be thinking of bringing that to your room?” Alphonse looked at the white cat in apprehension.

“Of course I am. Mifflepuff might be scary, but you won’t hurt us, right?” Markus tickled the head of the cat as she gently closed her eyes. Her tail flapped side to side.

“You like cats?” Alphonse looked at Markus. He didn't seem like someone who would have pets.

“Of course, I have four back at home.” Markus nodded, a smile on his face. “They were all rescues. My mum and I would always be on the lookout.”

“Did they not smell?” At the mention, the cat turned her head. Mifflepuff’s eyes were like sparkling pearls in the night sky. Alphonse flinched.

“Well, they did a bit, yeah, but you get used to it.” Markus laughed, his shoulders shaking.

“Do you think it eats-” The cat looked at him as if it was telling him to consider his words. “She?” Mifflepuff closed her eyes again.

Does she understand what I’m saying? Well, this is on the low end of strange things happening. Alphonse shook his head at the thought.

Alphonse tried again. “Do you think ‘she’ eats normal food?”

“I-I didn’t think of that.” Markus said, he looked to be in thought

“If she didn’t, you’d have to feed her… humans,” Alphonse watched as Markus squirmed.

“She’ll eat normal food, won’t you, Mifflepuff?” His thick sausage fingers gently raked across her soft fur.

“Alphonse Khastal.” A lazy voice popped out in front of them.

The lazy soldier, half in and out of the black hole, glanced at him and then moved to the cat. Alphonse’s acute senses noticed a shift in his posture.

“What is it?” Alphonse asked.

“Report to mission briefing.” Without waiting for a response, the lazy man disappeared within his black hole.

“What is going on?” Markus asked. “Briefing? Are they making you go on a fucking mission already?”

Alphonse shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll go see what they want.” Alphonse waved his hand as he walked towards the mission brief room.

Has it got something to do with that female officer? I knew I wouldn’t be left just like that. Alphonse mused.

It took forever to reach the briefing room, partly because it was near the top of the ship, but it was the thought of once again heading into the unknown that made time crawl.

He walked into the room, however this time there were more people. Twenty-five people sat around a large table. They all looked at Alphonse in confusion. His eyes moved to a young woman with blue hair and deep ocean-like eyes.

Maya. He thought. He didn't recognize anyone else. Many of them held more advanced badges. It was clear they were all 2nd years.

His vision then drifted towards the woman in a suit, the female officer, Cristina.

"Well soldiers, I'll get straight to the point, shall I?" Cristina said, but she paused, her head turning in Alphonse's direction. "Oh Alphonse, surprise to see you here." Her voice dripped with sarcasm.

"As I was saying… it's time for your monthly mission-"

"What do you mean, mission? I just got back from mine?" Alphonse said. Was this his punishment?

"It was the higher ups' decision, I'm afraid. Oh, and please don't interrupt me again, Alphonse." Her warm smile remained, but he could feel the frigid undertone underneath.

If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"It's a medium gateway mission. You will have already been told the details by your system." Cristina tapped her long fingernails on the table, the annoying sound rattled through the room. No one dared voice their opinions.

I've not… Alphonse shook his head.

"We have already gathered your equipment. You will leave immediately. Follow me." Cristina said, she stood up.

The others in the room all looked at each other as they shrugged.

Alphonse worries only sped up. Everything happened too fast. It gave him no time to think or even prepare. If he hadn't already gone shopping at the Guild, he would go into the gateway with nothing.

They ushered the group towards the gateway colosseum.

"What mission is it?" Alphonse caught up to Maya.

"You don't know?" Maya was at first confused but then broke into laughter. "Oh shit, you really angered them, huh?"

Alphonse couldn't help but shrug. He assumed it was because of the extreme mission.

"Although it says medium, it's easier than normal. It's a survival class mission. All you gotta do is hide until the time limit is up. That's all."

"What's the time limit?" Alphonse asked.

"Two weeks. Piece of cake."

As they entered the colosseum, they named tables full of equipment. Alphonse walked up to the table with his name; potions, armour, two cleavers, and an apron were sprawled over it.

Well, at least they stole nothing. I'm shocked. Alphonse smiled wryly. He got to putting his armour on; he tied the apron over him; it was covered in dry blood and the smell reflected that as it tickled his nose.

He strapped both of the cleavers to his waist. His new one had intricate details carved into the blade. They were pictures of a tongue with grooves carved into it. He assumed it was for the blood to trickle down.

With that, they walked up onto the platform. They had given him one day's worth of rest. His eyes looked at everyone around him. He didn't trust anyone.

The fear of returning to a mission didn't exist. Instead, it was replaced with a bubbling excitement. He could feel it in his bones; fighting, eating, adventure, he craved it.

Alphonse looked at his feet. The squirming lights underneath looked like they were attracted to their bodies. Moving from one body to the next… as if alive.

"What is the teleporter made of?" He asked Maya.

"Not sure," Maya was snacking on what looked to be a long gummy worm, her words muffled. "Some say they are the souls of the dead, paranoid bastards."

Alphonse felt his heart tighten, his legs becoming heavy. The lights underneath shimmered blue, that quickly flashed to orange.

"Oh fuck, a phantom change." Maya spat out the gummy worm. She quickly took out her sword, clasping it in her hands.

The others were the same. They immediately put their armour on and readied their weapons.

That's not the end, is it? Alphonse thought his eyes looked up. Three figures stood high in the stands. Their imposing figures looming over him. They had faint smiles on their faces as they watched the gateway change colour.

I fucking knew it. Alphonse grinned.

The gravity became even more tense. The orange underneath held a faint blood-red tint to it. Soon, the red spread further. Alphonse's head rang. The blood red was overpowering. He could feel his body being broken down to pieces, his vision blurred–then turned into nothing.

***

Alphonse’s eyes snapped open. He was expecting the worst. But the only thing that assaulted him was the sweltering heat, surging from above. He craned his neck upward as the sun raged forth. He could feel the rays already hitting his skin, it felt like he was being boiled alive.

He felt the smell of the ocean in his senses, the salty air and the faint fishy undertones greeted him. The ocean was crystal clear. He could see a manner of different fish and coral. The water was teeming with life.

“Ex-extreme… Fuck, I can’t believe it.” One man said he was approaching middle-aged. Multiple scars covered his arms. He crouched down on the floor. “We’re all going to die.” He clutched his head, sweat had already drenched his back.

“We just need to survive, that’s all. Extreme or not, we’ll just hide.” Another, younger man said. He seemed calmer than most, his eyes already looking into the treeline behind them.

Alphonse ignored them. He could see something emerge from the water in the distance, but because of the heat and sunlight reflecting off the water, it was but a blurry image.

“What’s that?” Alphonse asked, his eyes squinting. Maybe they had better eyesight than him.

Maya turned towards his focus, her eyes widened in shock. “Move!” Her body phased to the side, just as a long, barbed tendril shot forwards. Most of them weren't able to react in time. The spiked tendril smashed into the older man. The spikes were more… thorn like, as they penetrated all the way through his body.

As quickly as it shot forward, it retreated, then its enormous human-like mouth came into view. It was as if a fish head was blended into a human form. The man’s body, stuck to the tongue, disappeared into the monster’s throat.

The creature’s long spiked-mace tongue shot towards Alphonse, like a mediaeval war club.