The teens were entranced by Jaïka's melodious and angelic voice, ringing in their ears like the echo of a siren using her voice to deceive men.

"Good morning, madam. I'm thrilled to have you with us on this adventure! I'm Jacob Kalis, the greatest video gamer in my world!"

"Since when did you become such a brown-noser?" Yanis shot back.

"What's wrong with showing a little politeness?"

As they playfully bickered among themselves, Jaïka approached Gwendoline with curiosity, intrigued by her unexpected presence.

"However, no one mentioned another girl in the group. Who is she?"

"She's from the same planet as the Lost Ones. Except she took her own life, and we're not quite sure how she managed to slip into our universe. Her name is Gwendoline Bourcier."

"Gwendoline Bourcier… you say."

When Jaïka's violet eyes met Gwendoline's, she regarded them with special attention. Then, with a gentle and tender gesture, she placed her hand on Gwendoline's cheek, comforting her.

"Why did you end your life, dear? Were the humans in your world too cruel to you?"

"Uh... Yes… Way too much."

"I'm so sorry for you…"

With gentleness, she held Gwendoline's face in her hands, their gaze intense. Jaïka's eyes seemed to be captivated by Gwendoline's soul, scrutinizing her meticulously.

"I will take care of you, my little Gwendoline."

"Ok, maybe this is going a bit too far?" Jacob commented awkwardly.

Jaïka, amused by Jacob's comment, gifted him with a radiant smile.

"Well... Follow me, let's test your powers, if you don't mind."

***

From the training ground, the Lost Ones were now attentive to Charnald and Jaïka's words. Jacob was so eager to use his powers he was shaking. Yanis was the only calm and disciplined one, just like Gwendoline, who still harbored some doubts.

"I believe Charnald has explained your personal powers. However, remember, these powers are unique to each individual. They are rare and regulated by the resident country's government. Understand that each power has its own limitations, primarily the use of mana. No individual can escape this, regardless of their power, type, form, race, or quantity."

"As a mage, I don't have a personal power. That's why many train in magic to make up for this. But the general limitation still applies: magical spells consume mana."

Charnald pulled out a thick tome from his jacket pocket and handed it to Gwendoline.

"This is for you."

"Thank you, Charnald."

"This grimoire contains all types of magic in this world and its spells. Feel free to learn whatever spells intrigue you."

Charnald stepped back next to Jaïka, who was about to elaborate on the power system of Trillia, their planet.

"Please note, the use of mana, magic, and personal powers is prohibited in the city and designated areas across this world's three countries. To avoid confusion, I won't go into details, but if you ever visit Argha, know that the use of magic and powers is strictly regulated by the government unless you have a permit. They are allowed only for self-defense or protection missions serving the population."

"That's interesting. I didn't expect that. In animes, overpowered characters often use their powers for no reason, often wreaking havoc."

"Excuse me? What's an 'anime'? I'm not quite following."

"Never mind… Please continue, Madam Jaïka."

"Very well. I will now show you a demonstration of my powers, and you will understand why I will be your instructor…"

In an instant, the wooden training dummy was struck by invisible forces, casting the Lost Ones into disbelief and astonishment. Except for Yanis, who remained, as ever, unflappable.

"What just happened?!" Alora exclaimed.

"Man, that dummy just got zapped!" Jacob joked.

"My power relies on the system of luck and misfortune."

"Huh? What does that have to do with the mannequin?"

"Well, it was unlucky and was hit by axioms."

"Axioms? Is that some kind of atom that only exists in this world?"

Seeing Jacob's confusion about the nature of her power, Jaïka simply smiled.

"It's more complex than that, but to put it simply, it was unlucky."

Then, activating her power again, the mannequin reassembled itself with these new unseen shapes that seemed invincible. The Lost Ones were about to showcase their full potential.

"Alright, who wants to start?"

"Me!" shouted Jacob, raising his hand.

"You may begin."

Jaïka stepped back to give him room, allowing the teen to unleash his power. Jacob stood a few meters from the mannequin, wearing an enthusiastic grin.

"Ahah, let's do this!"

Taking a deep breath, he activated his power by calling the name of an unknown entity, marking the start of his demonstration.

"Igdifir! Come forth!"

Jacob extended his hand with a swift gesture, summoning a creature with demonic attributes. Its head bore the primary colors of the four natural elements. Displaying its power through yellowish muscles and a warrior soul marked in red, it proudly wore a simple white cloth around its waist. Its glowing, fiery eyes dominated the scene, revealing unshakeable will and determination.

"It really works!"

While Jacob seemed thrilled by Igdifir's presence, the others were puzzled by the true nature of his power. They exchanged questions while observing Jacob's next moves.

"Igdifir, destroy that mannequin with your might."

In a swift motion, obeying his master's command, Igdifir vanished at light speed towards the mannequin, setting the wooden structure aflame with his hands. The demo ended as quickly as it started. Jacob deactivated his power, making Igdifir vanish, and handed the floor to Rogue:

"I'm not sure I get it, what was that?"

"I can turn a video game into reality, making it part of this world! In essence, games are my reality!"

"So, you activated a game with demons?"

"Exactly."

The mannequin reassembled itself due to Jaïka's power while she eyed Jacob warily, as if wary of his potential.

"Alora, you next?" asked Jaïka.

"My power's not really combat-ready yet. I can just put people to sleep and control their dreams. But in the future, my power will have 3 levels!"

"I see... Who's next?"

No one seemed to step up until Yanis rushed to the mannequin with a sigh.

"Uhhh... Guess it's my turn."

Unexpectedly, he teleported next to the mannequin in the blink of an eye.

"He can teleport?!" Alora wondered aloud.

With astonishing agility, he assailed the mannequin with martial arts techniques at a prodigious speed. Each strike, delivered with incredible precision, was so fast it seemed his body duplicated with every move. Fighting, all one could see were afterimages, as if animated by a supernatural force.

"Okay, wow..." murmured Jacob.

In a record time of less than six seconds, the mannequin was destroyed. Yanis halted, placing his hands in his pockets.

"To keep it simple, my strength, speed, and reflexes are enhanced. But I can also learn new techniques through training and battles. Like teleporting, and in the future, I'll gain other skills to assist in combat."

"Impressive, Yanis. I look forward to seeing you in action."

Yanis returned to the others, hands in pockets, leaving the floor to Jaïka.

"Who's next? Gwendoline? Rogue?

"I'll pass and let Rogue go. My power's just emotions, so not much use in a fight..."

"What about you, Rogue?"

"I can hack pretty much anything, allowing me to modify, create, or delete stuff. But for now, I can't go as far as altering grass or water."

"Alright... You'll be mission-ready once you fully master your powers. However, your pay rate will depend on the mission type, military forces, and its costs. So don't expect too much."

Now that everything was set, the Lost Ones set off towards their long-awaited home.

***

Jaïka, sitting against a tree, watched Jacob with concern and fear as he chatted with the others. A clear dread was evident in her eyes.

"Jaïka, are you okay?"

She snapped back to reality at Charnald's words, who had just startled her from her daydream.

"I'm fine..."

Deep down, Jaïka couldn't help but gaze at Jacob with a mix of anxiety and terror.

"I'm fine..."