Everyone became busy doing their own thing, preparing for what could happen, while Shawn was still inside the adventurers' guild. There was a profound silence prevailing inside the room, except for the ticking of the wall clock. Sitting on the counter, Shawn knew that staying calm in emergency situations was the first thing to do because panic wouldn't allow him to think of a better solution to the problem. Shawn only had half an hour to plan how to defeat the demon lord, and his time was decreasing with every second and every breath he took. He could hear the heavy footsteps of a huge chaos taking its path towards them. "Brother, aren't you going outside?" Ash asked, glimpsing through the door from outside. He noticed that Shawn seemed to be planning something, so he walked towards him. "They are waiting for you." "I guess I really have to fight that dragon by myself." Shawn stood up immediately. He was about to go out when he remembered something was lost. "My sword, where is it?
Ava woke up in a new room. The bed where she was lying was canopied with colorful, flowery sheets. The morning dewdrops outside were visible from the window of her bedroom.Ava wondered if it rained yesterday, although she had no idea where she was or what happened. All she could remember was herself carrying a drunk man back to their house when something like a portal suddenly appeared, and a very strong force sucked them in, causing her to lose consciousness.When she woke up, Ava wasn't automatically aware that she was in someone else's room. She only realized that something was wrong when she left her bed, walked towards the door, and saw her own feet. She was shocked to see that the colors of her toenails had changed, and they became purple though she haven't applied any cosmetics on her nails before."Wait, what? Am I dreaming?" Ava couldn't believe what she was seeing: her hands, her clothes, and her body weren't like this before. She was even more surprised when she saw her ow
After class, Ava went back home with a smile on her face. She could feel the butterflies fluttering in her stomach as she thought about Shawn, who invited her to hang out after school.During their break, Ava had fun talking with Shawn about different things; he told her about his favorite song, food, color, TV show, etc. However, Ava didn't tell him anything about her; she was being cautious, for he might know her true identity.After looking for the most attractive places in their city over the internet, they eventually decided to visit the newest amusement park to take a glimpse and experience the thrill of riding a ferris wheel and rollercoaster.Ava also thought that it would be the best opportunity to learn new things about this world since there were so many things she couldn't understand. She felt like she was born once again in a new world where she had to study everything.Ava opened the gate to their house and continued inside. It seemed like Charlotte wasn't there; perhaps
The next day, Shawn woke up early in the morning, excited to go to school to see his crush, who turned out to be Ava. His memories in another world were flashing back in his mind like a sequence of faded photographs, from the moment they met to the moment they parted in different ways.Shawn didn't expect that their story wouldn't end that way when he came back to this world. He really thought he was sent alone. He still remembered how they fought those dragons together and got wounded, as well as Ava's reaction every time she got annoyed.In his gray pajamas and black t-shirt with the face of an adorable kitten wearing a red headband on it, Shawn left his bed with a smile on his face and continued to the dining room. He heard his parents having a conversation about contemporary issues while having coffee.Lyon would usually check the headlines of the newest newspaper, and that would turn out to be their topic every morning. Shawn didn't really care about it, but he was thankful to ha
After having a conversation with Alice about how she got there and her current identity as a girl named Bambie Lee, Shawn continued to Jefferson High School to attend his morning class, but as he entered the gate, he was shocked to see the situation.There was a huge commotion, or a chaos, as ferocious monsters, which were commonly seen in games and movies, were attacking the teachers and students inside the campus. Everyone was running back and forth, shouting for help and begging for their lives.Shawn knew he had to help them, but he was stuck on his feet and couldn't even move, as if he were traumatized by those experiences he had with the monsters who were now running towards him and ready to kill him.Fortunately, Ava arrived on time. She tapped Shawn's shoulder, and whispered to him to let her deal with those monsters while he assisted the injured. She was actually late for their morning class again.Ava dashed towards the monsters, slashing their heads one by one with her newl
After finishing their food, Ava showed Shawn what she had learned. This time, she successfully cooked rice and chicken curry. They might not be perfect and as tasty as Shawn's cooking, but she did her best, so Shawn complimented Ava on her efforts."I can't do it without your guidance, Shawn." Ava smiled gracefully. "I'm so thankful that you teach me how to cook, and I'm feeling sorry that I've borrowed some of your precious time.""Don't worry about it, Ava. I'm just returning the favor. You've never let me alone when we were in your world, so I think it's my turn to help you from now on," Shawn replied, gazing at Ava's sparkling golden eyes with so much admiration.Outside, Charlotte had just arrived. She smelled something delicious coming from the kitchen. She wondered who was cooking there since she didn't know that her daughter didn't have class and her family wouldn't usually visit without informing her.As she entered the kitchen, Charlotte was surprised to see her daughter wit
The next day, Shawn decided to visit his one and only best friend, not to blame him for what he did but to apologize for his bad behavior instead, as he didn't want such a trivial thing to destroy their friendship, which he struggled to build for a very long time. He knew that understanding each other's struggles was crucial for every friendship to last longer.Before heading to Justin's house, Shawn asked for his parents' permission since he didn't want them to worry about him again as he did last time, especially because the number of monsters was increasing recently. He knew it wouldn't be easy or safe for him to stay outside.Shiela and Lyon allowed Shawn to go out but told him to be back as soon as possible if he didn't want to be slain by those monsters. Even though his parents had already warned him, Shawn wasn't that easily swayed since he had already faced those monsters before.Just after a while of getting outside of their house, Shawn already encountered those hungry zombi
Ava found out that her brother and the old man were staying at a boarding house and had to pay for monthly rent, which was why they needed money, and that was also the reason why they were doing some crime as they were about to hold up Shawn if they didn't recognize him."What?" Ava screamed in surprise. "How long have you been doing such a crime, and why would you even try to rob an innocent boy like Shawn?""Stay calm, Ava," Shawn reminded her kindly. "They didn't really hurt me. Besides, they even saved me from those zombies. I think they have some reasons to rob.""But still, even if they had reasons, it was still a crime, and they would be sent to jail if they got caught," Ava argued worriedly. "You can't just go outside and take people's purses and escape because you can use magic. Magic should be used to help people, not to cause trouble."The room suddenly became silent after Ava said those words. Ava seemed like a teacher lecturing her students about being a human, despite th
After an hour or two, the teacher named Selene Franca finally opened her eyes, and the first person she saw was a girl with curly black hair and golden eyes, sitting beside her. She slowly stood up and started asking a lot of questions."Who are you? Where am I? What happened? What time is it?" Selene asked continuously."Calm down, ma'am. Let's answer your questions one by one. I'm Ava, your student. You've fainted in the morning, and you've been asleep for almost five hours," Ava replied kindly."Did I?" Selene asked, showing a confused face, as she had no idea what really happened, as if she had amnesia and forgot even her own name.Selene held her head firmly. Her face contorted in discomfort, and her brows furrowed deeply as she clenched her jaw, fighting against the throbbing pain radiating from her temples."Are you okay, ma'am?" Ava asked worriedly, although she could already see the answer in her facial expression. "You shouldn't force yourself for now. Just rest for a while.
Regular classes have resumed right after the disappearance of the monsters. As usual, Shawn woke up early in the morning to prepare for school. He did his casual routine: taking a bath, wearing his uniform, combing his hair, having breakfast, and he was finally ready to go."Good luck, son! Do your best at school!" Shiela said, seeing her son off. "Don't stay outside late at night, okay?" Although she wanted to be a little loose with her son because the monsters were already gone, she couldn't be complacent."Don't worry, mom. Rest assured, I won't stay outside at night," Shawn replied, showing his charming smile.Shiela thought that Shawn looked like his father when he was young, especially their facial features—his high nose, black hair, brown eyes, and the shape of his face were all inherited from his father."You should go now before you'll be late," Shiela said.Shawn smiled at his mother before leaving, as he wasn't that young anymore to kiss her. Shiela watched him walk away, w
Ava was in a hurry when she heard from Shawn that Emma and Leo were coming tonight. She wanted to prepare the most delicious food she could cook in order to celebrate their victory and also to thank them for saving the life of someone she loved. It wouldn't be good if they couldn't show any hospitality, especially if their visitors traveled from far away."Oh! Where are you going?" The old man asked curiously when he saw Ava rushing outside the house with a basket.Ava stopped at the porch and told the old man about Emma and Leo coming tonight, and she was going to the market to buy some ingredients to cook something delicious since their fridge was empty."Do you need help?" The old man asked. "You can bring Ash with you if you need help. He's just playing games on your phone anyway.""Okay. Where is he?" Ava asked. She remembered the day when Shawn carried all those things they brought from the market. Sometimes, she would suddenly laugh when she remembered those moments that turned
There were a lot of things that Shawn wanted to ask Leo and Emma, such as how's their life in this world, if they were already married, and if they were planning to have children, but it seemed like they were in a hurry, so he let them go and decided to go back too.Walking down the road, Shawn was looking down on his feet, as if he were counting his steps, while his mind was wandering. All this time, he has been dreaming of having a safe and peaceful life with Ava. However, even though those monsters were already gone, there was another problem, as Ava was acting weird recently.Shawn's thoughts shattered when he heard someone calling his name. As he raised his head, he saw an angel smiling ahead of him. It was none other than his beloved girl."Ava?" Shawn whispered beneath his breath."Shawn!" Ava shouted while running towards Shawn. She stopped in front of him, gasped for breath, and suddenly hugged him. "I'm glad you're okay. I'm so worried about you.""Oh yeah," Shawn replied no
When they arrived at Charlotte's house, Ava realized something. She shouldn't have let Shawn fight those monsters alone. How selfish of her to hate him despite the truth that he was always helping her. She knew she wouldn't survive in this world without his help."Please bring me back, master!" Ava requested. "I don't want to leave Shawn. It will be my mistake if he dies, and I will regret it for the rest of my life if that happens.""I'm sorry, Ava," the old man apologized. "But I can't bring you back because my mana is low. Shawn also told me to keep you safe here, so you should rest and recharge.""But master—" Ava was about to argue, but the old man interrupted."You don't have to worry too much, Ava. Shawn is the strongest among us. He even defeated the demon lord, remember? So, you better go to bed and rest." The old man tried his best to convince Ava so that she wouldn't go back impulsively like a rebellious girl.Despite what the old man told her, Ava still couldn't relax as s
The sight of the ocean waves was quite relaxing. There were a lot of people around, doing aquatic activities such as swimming, surfing, kayaking, snorkeling, rafting, and many more. Everyone was busy doing their own thing and enjoying their lives at the moment.Some people were just sitting and lying on the seashore, covering themselves with white sand, and wearing sunglasses and sun protection to avoid sunburn. Others were playing games, both passive and active, such as chess inside their tents and beach volleyball outside.The old man, on the other hand, was lying under the shade of a huge umbrella, covering him from the scorching sunlight, with a bottle of beer beside him. He was glad that he joined them, for he realized that he would never get the same moment twice."What a breathtaking view!" Ava exclaimed as she walked towards Shawn, who was waiting for her. "This is such a wonderful place to relax and take a break from our mundane routine and stress of everyday life. I wouldn't
Shawn, Alice, Ava, Ash, and the old man arrived right in front of the forest, where those portals were located. This place looked familiar to them, as if they had seen this forest before. Then they remembered the forbidden forest in another world."It's impossible that not only us but also places that belonged to our world are also transported here. It could take a lot of power to transport an entire place to another world, and there could be a lot of side effects as well," the old man said."Our enemy or enemies must be very powerful, like a god who could create an entire planet," Alice added."But we don't have time to worry about that now," Shawn said. "Let us do what we can and stop worrying about things that are out of our control. Let's do our best until the rest!""Shawn is right," Ava agreed. "We are sent into this world together with these monsters, so it's our responsibility to restore peace and bring things back to where they were supposed to be.""You surely have big burde
Ava and the old man appeared in a forest where nothing else could be heard except for the chirping of the birds and falling leaves, but that peace disappeared and was replaced by the loud sounds of monsters marching towards the city."It seems like you're right, master. Those monsters are coming from here," Ava said, hiding behind a huge tree with the old man while peeking at the monsters."Do you see that thing?" The old man pointed at the shining hole set in the bushes. "There are probably more than that.""What do you mean by 'more than that', master?" Ava asked curiously. "Are you telling me that there are other portals in this forest?""I'm not so sure, but seeing so many monsters coming out of this forest, it's possible that there are more than this. It's dangerous if they see us, so we better go back before they could sense our presence. We can only fight them by using heavy damage equipment, and I'm still trying to find out where I can buy those equipments," the old man said.
Inside the living room, Shiela and Lyon were having a conversation about the giants that attacked their city, as well as those heroes who came to save the people. The television, the radio, the newspaper, and social media platforms' content were all about the same thing."You hear that, darling?" Shiela asked when she heard Shawn screaming from inside his room. "Something might be happening to our son. Let me check on him."Shiela stood up and walked towards Shawn's room, while Lyon stayed on the couch, drinking his coffee. As she opened the door, Shiela's eyes turned wide to find her son lying on his bed while trying to smother himself with his pillow."Shawn, wake up! You're dreaming!" Shiela shouted as she tried to take the pillow from Shawn, but he was too strong to let go, so she just shook his body to wake him up instead."Mom!" Shawn suddenly jolted up on his bed, awakened from his nightmares. He spread his arms around his mother, hugging her tightly, thankful that it was all j