The next morning, I woke up around 5 a.m. as usual. I jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom to prepare myself. After I washed my face and brushed my teeth, I tied up my wavy brown hair and smiled at my reflection. I was almost ready for the day, so I quickly went to my bedroom to put on my sportswear. Ready to train, I dashed from my room to the front door but paused at the sight of Alaric in the kitchen.

"Alaric?" I called out, confused. "What are you doing here?"

He turned, a smile breaking across his face as he flipped an omelet. "Good morning, Bumble," he greeted cheerily. "Seems you're ready to start the day."

I nodded, though his presence in the kitchen threw off my routine. Usually, we should have started the day with what we finished yesterday, meaning I would had to run around the forest, sparred against Alaric, had breakfast, and started our theoretical lessons and physical exercises and vice versa the next day.

"Come, have a seat," he gestured to the table. As I approached and sat down, my mind buzzed with questions.

"What's going on?" I asked, unable to mask the suspicion in my voice.

"I have some news to share," he announced as he served the omelet and poured tea.

His unusually bright demeanor set me on edge. I eyed the omelet warily, noting the aromatic parsley, black pepper, and grated cheese. It looked delicious, yet a part of me feared it might be another test. I tried to ignore the delightful aroma and my grumbling stomach. I looked at Alaric, who was happily enjoying his breakfast.

"Alaric, you're scaring me," I admitted while he sipped his tea.

He sighed deeply and set his cup down with a soft clink. "Bumble, showing fear isn't wise," he said in a cold, disapproving voice. Hearing him talk like that made me feel relaxed.

"Yeah, sorry," I said with a small smile and took a bite from the omelet. It was delicious, which helped ease some of my tension.

After a moment of silence, Alaric cleared his throat.

"So, Bumble," he said as he put down his fork. I looked at him with curiosity. "I've been observing your progress and decided it's time to modify your training program to introduce some new challenges."

A chill ran down my spine. Great, more exhausting training, I thought, but I continued to eat.

"How so?" I asked as I was munching the food.

"Don't speak with your mouth full," he scolded. I nodded and quickly swallowed, then asked my question again.

"We're moving to the town below the forest this afternoon," he revealed abruptly.

I paused, my fork mid-air. I wasn't sure if I heard right.

"Did you just say we are moving?" I asked. "We're moving? As in, living with humans?"

"Yes," Alaric approved. Slowly put down my fork and took deep breaths to calm my excitement. I knew that Alaric might get mad if I showed it.

"But you always said humans are dangerous."

"That's precisely why we need to do this," he explained. Before he continued, he held my hands. "Bumble, challenging times might lie ahead of us. To survive, you must understand the dangers that surround you. Voidspawns will kill you outright, but humans are more complex; some are genuine, others deceitful. You must learn to distinguish between them to live among them in harmony."

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"Why now, though?" I pressed, my heart racing with a mix of fear and excitement. "All this time, you've said—"

"I didn't think you were ready," he interrupted. "And I am not going to lie, I thought you would never be ready. But now, watching your growth, I believe you are now. You're ready for the next step."

Joy mixed with anxiety surged within me. I stood and hugged him, overwhelmed. "I can't believe we're actually doing this!"

"Calm yourself," Alaric instructed in a firm tone. I let him go quickly and stepped back, but I saw that even though he talked to me with a serious tone, he had a little smile. He gestured for my seat, telling me to sit down. I followed his instructions and did as he wanted.

"After we finish our meal, we will get ready."

"What should I do?" I asked, excitement bubbling within me.

"Pack your belongings. We'll head to our new home this afternoon and go shopping for your school uniform and other necessities. There won't be any training today."

I nodded to him even though I had no idea what 'shopping' or 'school' was.

After breakfast, Alaric gave me a giant rectangular prism with rounded edges. He called it 'luggage'. He told me I should fold my clothes properly and showed me how to do it before leaving. After I finished, I left my room with my luggage, only to find Alaric preparing sandwiches. I wanted to help him, but he didn't let me. In the end, I just sat at the table and ate the sandwich Alaric had prepared for us.

Once we finished everything, I felt like my heart was about to burst. My legs were shaking, and my hands started to get sweaty.

"Alright then," Alaric said, holding both of our luggage. "Let's go."

I nodded to him and opened the door. When we finally stepped outside, I was stunned by the thing I saw.

"Alaric, what is that?" I asked while pointing at it. Alaric continued to move toward it without hesitation.

"It's a car, Bumble. It is going to help us to get to the town."

I looked at Alaric and then at the 'car'. Was it safe? How were we going to use it? How did it work? When did it come here? With many questions in my mind, I approached it cautiously and touched it. With fear, I quickly got away, but nothing strange happened. After that, I kicked it. With the noise of the metal and the pain in my foot, I moaned.

"What are you doing?" Alaric asked, sighing.

"I am trying to understand it."

"By kicking it?" He asked a hint of amusement in his tone. I shook my shoulders and looked at the car again.

"So, how does it work?"

Alaric smiled. "Let's start with getting in the car."

Alaric helped me to get in the car. He showed me how to strap the 'seat belt' and told me how important it is. The moment he started the 'engine', the unfamiliar vibrations startled me, causing me to grip his arm tightly.

"It's just started the engine to drive. Trust me, it's completely safe," Alaric reassured me, noticing my apprehension.

"Relax", Alaric said. "It is not dangerous. I drove it a lot."

"What does 'driving' even mean?" I asked, almost screaming. I nearly felt like my heart was about to burst.

"Take deep breaths, Bumble. I need you to be calm right now." I nodded and closed my eyes. As Alaric had told me, I felt relaxed after taking a few deep breaths. My grip on Alaric's arm also loosened.

"Good," he said and started 'driving'. A thrill mixed with anxiety surged through me. The sensation of speed was unlike anything I'd ever experienced. Trees and our home passed by in a blur, and I felt a pang of sadness as our familiar surroundings disappeared so quickly. I fought back tears, trying to focus on the exciting journey ahead.

"Will we ever see our house again?" I asked, my voice quivering slightly with emotion.

"There's no reason we can't," Alaric reassured me, his voice calm. He seemed focused on navigating the car, but I could tell he was also keeping an eye on me.

As we continued, the landscape changed rapidly. The dense forest gave way to open roads lined with various structures. Humans of all shapes, colors, and sizes started to appear. Their diverse appearances fascinated me, but my excitement was slowly replaced by a growing discomfort.

At first, it was just a slight nausea, a whisper of unease in the pit of my stomach. I tried to ignore it, concentrating on the humans outside and their bustling activities. However, the motion of the car, combined with the flood of new sights and sounds, began to overwhelm me.

"Alaric," I gagged. "I don't feel so good."

He glanced over, concern evident on his face.

"Can you hold on a few minutes?" Alaric asked with a worried tone, noticing my distress. I shook my head.

"No."

The moment the car stopped, I got out of the car and vomited. Not long after, I felt Alaric's hand on my shoulder.

"There, there. It's okay. You'll feel better soon," he soothed.

I nodded to him, then continued to vomit.

As my nausea subsided, I realized that every journey, no matter how great, has its humble and sometimes turbulent beginnings.