My ears rang as I hit the haystack, and I landed hard on my back. I couldn't breathe for a few seconds. My eyes flicked open, and I found Kevin and Salina lying next to me. We were in a dimly lit barn, and I heard animals around us. I stood up and looked around. The barn was old and musty, with wooden planks holding the roof. The cows and chickens ran around, making a ruckus.

"Where are we?" I asked, trying to calm myself.

Kevin stood up and dusted off his shirt. "I have no idea."

Salina looked around, her eyes wide. "I think we time traveled."

I frowned at her. "What? That's crazy. That can't be possible."

"Then how do you explain this?" Kevin said, pointing at the vortex that was slowly disappearing.

I opened my mouth to argue, but I couldn't find any words. My mind was in a fog, and I couldn't process what was happening.

"We need to find a way back," Salina said, standing up. "But first, we need to figure out where and when we are."

I nodded in agreement, and we left the barn. We walked outside and found ourselves in a small village.

I looked around in awe, taking in the sights and sounds of the medieval village. The buildings were made of stone, with thatched roofs and wooden shutters covering the windows. The streets were unpaved and dusty, and there were chickens and pigs running around freely. I noticed a group of women hanging clothes on a line while men were working in the fields.

Kevin's voice brought me back to reality as he spoke about the time period. "We might be in England in the 1300s. Based on what the people are wearing," he said.

I felt embarrassed for not knowing enough about history as Salina nodded in agreement. I looked at the villagers, hoping to gather some more information.

Kevin approached a peasant man. "Excuse me, sir. Can you tell us where we are?"

The man hissed at him and walked away, clarifying that he didn't want to talk to outsiders.

I sighed in frustration, feeling lost and unsure of what to do next. This was completely surreal, and I couldn't believe we were actually in the medieval times.

I heard a loud scream that made me shiver. Suddenly, villagers ran past Kevin, Salina, and me in a hurry. The people were frightened and their faces were pale.

"The bandits are coming! The bandits are coming!" one of the villagers yelled, warning others.

Moments later, I saw the bandits on horses charging into the village, wielding weapons and causing chaos. The bandits set the houses on fire and attacked helpless people who were running around trying to escape.

Kevin, Salina, and I hid behind a cart and watched the brutal attack. Fear and anger boiled up inside me as I watched the villagers suffer. "We need to help them!" I cried out, feeling desperate.

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"How?" Kevin asked, his eyes wide with fear.

I glanced up at the dark sky and noticed something strange happening. My hands and feet tingled, and I felt an energy coursing through my veins. I smiled and jumped from my cover, ready to face the bandits.

As I closed my eyes, I could feel the power surging through me. My body began to shake and vibrate as my bones cracked and my muscles bulged. I felt a jolt of electricity run through me as my body changed.

I opened my eyes and saw my hands transforming into sharp claws. My teeth began to grow and sharpen, and my nose elongated into a wolf's snout. My hair grew long and white, and my clothes stretched as my body grew in size.

I could feel the beast within me taking over as I completed my transformation into a white humanoid werewolf. The power was exhilarating and almost overwhelming. I felt invincible, and I knew I had to use this power to help the villagers.

I let out a fierce howl, and the bandits turned their attention towards me. I charged at them with all my might, claws bared and ready to fight.

The first bandit swung his sword at me, but I dodged it with ease. I swiped my claws at him, tearing through his armor and sending him flying off his horse.

The other bandits circled around me, trying to catch me off guard. But I was quick and nimble, leaping and dodging their attacks. With each swipe of my claws, I took down another bandit.

One of them landed a hit on me, and I stumbled back, but I quickly regained my balance. I let out another howl, and with a burst of energy, I charged at the remaining bandits.

The bandits were no match for me in my werewolf form. I fought with all my strength and agility, and soon, the last of the bandits fell to the ground.

I stood there, panting and covered in blood, adrenaline still coursing through my veins. I felt powerful, invincible even. But as I looked around at the destruction and suffering that surrounded me, I knew that there was still much work to be done.

I heard another scream and spun around. Another bandit caught a woman and held a knife against her throat.

Salina rushed towards the last bandit. She chanted a spell in Latin, causing the ground beneath the bandit to turn into quicksand. The bandit struggled and thrashed around, but the more he moved, the deeper he sank.

Salina quickly grabbed the woman and pulled her to safety.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

The woman widened her eyes and screamed, "Witch! Witch!"

Her frightened eyes even turned to me in shock. "Beast! Beast!"

I opened my lips, but only my growl came out. I wanted to say we totally come in peace. Too bad I couldn't return to my normal form quickly.

The woman pulled herself from Salina's arms and ran off, screaming.

"Well, that was rude," said Salina with a frown.

"We better get out of here before the villagers come back," said Kevin. "If they have a grudge against witches and werewolves, they won't be friendly."

I nodded to agree with him.

*****

As we walked through the forest, I felt my body change back to its human form. It was a strange feeling, like my bones were shrinking and my fur was receding into my skin. Kevin handed me back my sandals, and I slipped them on with a smile.

"Thanks, Kevin," I said gratefully.

Salina chimed in, "That was amazing, Jessica! You were incredible out there."

I smiled, feeling proud of myself for being able to protect the villagers. But as we continued to walk, my mind kept drifting back to how the people chased us away. We had just saved their lives, and yet they treated us like criminals.

"I can't believe they chased us away," I said, my frustration evident in my voice. "If it weren't for us, the bandits would have killed them all."

Kevin nodded in agreement. "Yeah."

Salina shrugged. "Well, maybe they're just scared of what they don't understand."

I sighed, knowing that Salina was probably right. But it still didn't feel fair. As we continued to walk, I couldn't help but wonder what other dangers lay ahead in this strange, medieval world we found ourselves in.

I turned to Salina, my heart pounding in my chest. "Can you read the time spell so we can totally go back home?" I asked, desperation lacing my voice.

Salina's face twisted with uncertainty. "I can, but it is risky. I don't know how to send us back to a specific time period. If we travel now, we might appear in another random time period."

"But it's better to try than do nothing, right?" I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

Salina glared at me. "Do you have any idea what kind of consequences time travel could have? We could cause irreparable damage to the timeline."

Kevin spoke up. "Let's find a shelter first before Salina can-"

I held up my hand. "Quiet! I hear something."

My ears perked up as the sound of galloping hooves drew closer. A group of knights on horses emerged from the trees, their armor gleaming in the sunlight.

"There they are!" one of the knights bellowed as they charged toward us.

Panic gripped my chest as we tried to run, but the knights quickly surrounded us. We were no match for them, and soon they threw nets on us to capture us. Kevin, Salina, and I struggled, but we couldn't free ourselves. What were the knights going to do?