Shinichi bolted upright.

Zero’s bleary eyes were staring straight at him. “Finally, you’re awake. Gods, that palm tree dude sleeps like a fucking log! I could be stabbing him and he won’t even bother opening one eye." 

Shinichi blinked twice. Zero’s red hair slowly focused, the tired lines of her face becoming visible. He rubbed the growing crust from his eyes and yawned. “Why’d you wake me up?” he said with a glare. “I still need my beauty sleep.” He didn’t even get a chance to hear Rinko’s reply.

“I need my beauty sleep as well,” she groaned with half open eyes. Her brows were knitted tightly together, those red eyes of hers barely visible between the gaps of her lids. “I’m exhausted, sir. Can you keep watch in my stead?”

Shinichi fixed his hair, another wave of yawns attacking him. Sir? Why’s she calling me that? He groaned into his palms, willing his sleep away. “Okay, okay, since you asked so politely.”

Zero made a small cheer and happily locked herself in her own tent. With that, Shinchi was left alone in the forest’s clearing, the sounds of the chirping crickets in the underbrush and the snores of Irish his only company. He stood up and did a quick look around. The students’ tents were still zipped up. Shinichi wondered if his being awake meant Rinko’s dream would revert back to normal. He sat down on a nearby tree, resting his aching back on it. He flexed his neck, groaning at the sharp pain from the movement. Whose bag did he sleep on? It wasn’t kind to his neck at all.

Shinichi stared at the bright moon, a sign that he was back to the mortal realm. Passing grey clouds soon covered it up, leaving only a slither of moonlight.

Maybe he should just fall asleep again? The most danger they could encounter would be if some brigand party decided to mess with them. Either way, there was Zero and Irish here. Hell, even Shinichi thinks he could handle them on his own. Nothing ever happens in Zone 1 anyways.

His sight slowly lost focus as he continued his unblinking stare. He has to make sure Rinko’s safe at least. She might still be stuck in the dream. Why does Rinko want to become a hunter anyways? Perhaps he could use her motives to his advantage…

Shinichi blinked, standing immediately as all his senses became alert. “Why?” his voice was faint. He cleared his throat and spoke more clearly. “Why are you still here?”

Her shoulders trembled, her curly blue locks jumping along with it. She was laughing but no sound came out. His mother’s eyes crinkled together as she gave a warm smile. She raised her left arm, pointing behind her.

Shinichi tilted his head, brows creased in confusion. Yet he followed.

The further he went into the woods, the colder his skin felt. Shinichi checked his surroundings, facing his left, right, and back, trying to decipher what this oddness he was feeling. He shivered as unease prickled his senses. The air felt wrong. He’s never wanted to jump away from his own skin until now. He walked on with his arms wrapped around himself when the ground turned uneven, threatening to catch him off balance.  

“Mmf!”

Shinichi managed to catch himself on a tree trunk but the position he was in now made him look down. Visible cracks marked the soil as though an earthquake had recently split the land. He gulped.

He followed the cracks, watching it part into a series of fissures. Eventually, he saw one with glowing cerulean blossoming inside its core, boasting rich mana flow.

That’s not right. Is he sleepwalking right now?

The ley lines shouldn’t be visible at all at Zone 1. Hell, they only become clear to the human eye at Zone 4. Shinichi immediately turned around, running back to their encampment. He passed through his mother’s figure at his haste, her shape tattering away into tiny clouds upon impact. Perhaps, he should have thought more clearly about Rinko’s appearance in the dream realm instead of postponing on finding the answer. Something more abnormal was going on.

At where he ran, his feet suddenly heavy as it crashed onto the softening soil; the first thing that flashed on Shinichi’s mind was, ironically, his studies. The First Collision: wherein the monolith was erected at the heart of Tairiku, which had awoken the Ability; his traversing the dream realm made him speculate that perhaps this tragic event created a crack into the veil of the world. Did Rinko’s presence cause this present abnormality? He and Rinko were like two rocks intruding that cracked glass, spreading its webs further apart.

Then, as his eyes were slowly magnetised to the night sky, his mind drifted to the records of the Second Collision that implemented the Danger Zone. 

With the night sky and its dark heavy clouds, it was hard to not notice the tiny silver drop entering the atmosphere. As it reached the biosphere, it shattered. The clouds were washed away, leaving a blank white canvas. A smoke of debris rose into the air.

Irish’s eyes were wide open. He flipped himself over onto his knees, instincts taking over his body. He planted both hands and feet on the ground and his eyes scrunched together in concentration. Sparks alight his limbs, the smell of heat invaded his nostrils as he created a dome of fire at their encampment.

A gust of wind slammed at Shinichi’s chest and before he knew it, he was staring at the sky without his assent as the ground was swept out from under him. The night sky was glowing white. It was very bright.  He was tossed to a nearby tree, neck twisting unnaturally.

Blood trickled down Irish’s nose as he poured mana after mana into the dome. His muscles locked into position as pain spiked throughout his body. His heart jolted each time the heavy waves slammed into the field. When it was gone, he fell forward, collapsing from the overuse of his mana.

The blast itself had already woken Zero and the students. Zero stumbled towards Irish’s unconscious figure, the ringing in her ears slowly softening. She flipped the man over and poured a healing vial over his lips. A shadow cast over her blank eyes. Harsh breaths emitted out of her open lips.

Nokori stared at the scene, watching a bright plume at the distance--watching as it rose and rose, watching as it pierced through clouds, disappearing from his eyes. Yet he knew it was still there, reaching heights unknowable to him. His hand slapped onto his face and collapsed on the ground as he suddenly felt nauseous.

Henkei Forest had collapsed into each other. Fallen trees surround their encampment, crushing each other at contact. Flames caught the thickets and leaves, crumbling the forest further into the ground. Wood turned into ashes, ashes turned into dust, and this dust was carried into the air. Rinko's eyes sting as they darted over her surroundings, seeing all trees and plants now covered by a thick grey smoke. She choked at her breath, feeling the smoke entering her lungs, stinging her throat and lungs. 

Breathing was hard. 

With her dazed mind, the falling debris reminded Rinko of the wisps in the dream realm. Balls of dust languidly sinking, the sky like a heavy ocean. Her legs gave out, dropping down with a thud.

It fell into her open palms, painting dark grime on it. "Am I still dreaming?" she whispered. She felt as though all the working thoughts in her mind had been blown away.

Two surviving butterflies fluttered over Nahashi, seeking shelter on her dark hair. "Oh my god," Nahashi said. She placed a hand over her mouth, tears welling up her eyes. "What happened?”

“...whatever it was,” Rinko’s soft voice came. “That guy protected us.”

Nokori’s lips were set in a solemn line, his dazed eyes finally lifting up to gift their savior a fleeting glance. The last drops of the healing vial were gone yet Irish was still unmoving.

“And is that—is that an Instance? In Zone 1??"

They all follow Nahashi’s gaze.

Beyond their encampment, a swirling blue portal kindled into existence, a flat plane of energy spinning endlessly with eldritch power, a tear in the fabric of the world drifting in the air: the Gateway to an Instance Area. It was a wide circle; its size able to accommodate a whole company of men. Brilliant shades of blue illuminated the ruined forest and underneath the portal were glowing ley lines that connected it to the Danger  Zone’s centre.

“There’s no visible lock so that has to be a two-way gate,” despite her shaking body, Nahashi still willed her mind to think. “So, a dungeon?”

Zero pounded her hand on the ground, soil scattering at the impact. The students’ jumped at the sound. "Gods, I just want to sleep!" she shouted. Her hand ran through her hair, dirt clumping into the strands. “Where’s the janitor?”

The air they breathe in felt oppressive and tasted bitter in their dry tongues.

“Is…” Nahashi swallowed thickly. “Is he dead?”