The waitress placed the plate on the table with a warm smile. It was a simple meal—roasted meat with two slices of bread and some pickled vegetables. Not exactly my favourite, but I’d never been a picky eater. I remembered the days when I was so poor that I’d experiment with weird combinations of food just to break the monotony, like putting chocolate on cheese. Maybe that’s why my taste buds were all messed up now.

As I chewed the meat, my gaze drifted back to the school uniform on the wall. The story James told me about how all those people from the school went missing that evening—it wasn’t just a myth. They didn’t just vanish; they were teleported here, just like I was.

“So… it’s possible that others were teleported here as well?” I muttered under my breath, staring at my plate. “The people from my class, and our biology teacher.”

"Did you hear about the elf they just hung? I was there to see it," a voice drifted over from a nearby table, catching my attention.

"Yeah, I heard," his friend replied. "I wish I'd been there to watch."

"They deserve every bit of suffering after what they did to us in the past."

"You're right," the first voice agreed, his tone darkening. "We should make them pay—do even worse than what they did to us."

"Exactly," the friend said with a nod. "I would've loved to see that elf hang. Can’t believe I missed it.”

“They caught him, then hung him like five minutes after. They sure do work fast, huh?”

“Yeah. The guards know what they’re doing.”

I took another bite, leaning back in my chair as I sipped the water. I needed to focus on gathering those two weird flowers and completing the quest. I had to stay on track—otherwise, I might end up without a roof over my head tonight. The night air was cold, and I definitely didn’t want to be sleeping on the streets.

My eyes wandered around the room while I took another bite of the meat. A staircase led up to the rooms for rent, and with the four gold and nine silver coins in my pocket, I wondered if I could afford one for the night. My mind kept drifting back to the darkness outside, and the more I thought about it, the less appealing the idea of venturing out seemed.

“No choice,” I whispered to myself, trying to muster up some courage. “Come on, Ax. Finish your meal and get moving.”

“Hey, mister,” a young voice piped up beside me. I looked down to see a kid standing there, his eyes wide with curiosity. “What happened to the side of your head?”

I blinked, caught off guard. "Oh..." My hand instinctively went to the scar on the left side of my head—a bullet wound that prevented hair from growing there.

It was a small reminder of my past, a wound caused by my mom. One night, when she was drunk, she showed me a gun she'd gotten from a friend, and it accidentally went off. The bullet just grazed me, but it was enough to leave a scar. That incident was a turning point for her; she quit drinking and got clean.

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“A monster attacked,” I said with a dull tone. “A big one.”

The kid's eyes lit up in amazement. "Wow! So cool! I want a scar like that!"

“Trust me, you don’t,” I replied. “It hurt like crazy.”

“How did it happen?”

“This monster was actually a gentle one.” I said. “But sometimes, when she got light-headed, she’d do weird stuff. Hurt the people she loved the most.”

“She?”

“Yeah.” I replied with a monotonous tone. “She.”

“Gabriel!” A girl's voice called out as she hurried over. She gently pulled the boy away from my table. “What did I tell you about talking to strangers? You never listen to me, I swear!”

“Sorry, sister,” the boy mumbled, looking a bit sheepish.

The girl turned to me with an apologetic smile. “I’m so sorry for my brother,” she said, her blue eyes shining with embarrassment. Her blond hair fell in soft waves around her face, giving her a gentle yet, strangely, a determined look. “He’s way too friendly for his own good. I hope he didn’t bother you.”

I shook my head, offering her a reassuring smile. “It’s alright. He didn’t bother me at all.”

“Bye-bye, mister!” Gabriel said, waving as they walked away.

“Take care, kid,” I replied with a nod, watching them leave.

Turning back to my meal, I noticed a light drizzle outside, the raindrops tapping against the window. A few people who had been outside were now rushing into the tavern, seeking shelter from the weather.

With a sigh, I finished my last bite, placed my fork on the plate, and stood up. I put on my hoodie and took my school uniform, readying myself to step back into the night.

“Alright,” I muttered, bracing myself. “Let’s do this.”

As I opened the door, a powerful gust of wind hit me square in the face, forcing the door to slam shut with a loud thud. I flinched, my reflexes betraying me as I nearly jumped in surprise. Trying to act casual, I straightened up and looked around, only to hear a few chuckles from the women behind me. Shoulders slumping slightly, I turned back and slouched into my chair, propping my elbow on the table and resting my chin on my palm.

The waitress returned to clear the table, her hands deftly collecting the empty plate and glass. “Pretty windy out there, huh?” she remarked with a knowing smile.

“Hmm.”

“Planning on staying here for the night?” she asked, glancing at me with a hint of concern. “It’s a long way from the school. You should head to the city when the weather clears.”

“Oh, I don’t go to school,” I said casually.

She raised her eyebrows in surprise. “What? It’s the law here for kids your age to attend school. How else are you going to learn magic?”

“It’s the law?” I repeated, frowning.

“Yes, it is,” she nodded firmly. “You didn’t know that?”

“I… I’m not from around here,” I said, scratching the back of my neck. “I’m still getting used to the laws and customs.”

“Well, now you know,” she said, her voice softening. “You should check out Redwood Academy first thing in the morning.”

“Sure,” I muttered, giving a half-hearted nod. “Thanks for letting me know.”

I had no intention of attending school here; my plan was to return to my own world, even if I had no idea how. There had to be a way, right? Just as I had been teleported to this wretched place, surely there must be a path back… there had to be. It simply had to exist.

As the waitress walked away, I stared out at the rain intensifying outside. The wind howled, making the windows rattle slightly, a low hum echoing through the tavern.

“Great,” I muttered to myself, leaning back in my chair. “Looks like I’m stuck here for the night…”