In the distance, a wave of panicked shouting rose through the air.
Luna turned toward the sound and saw a crowd of men, women, and children fleeing in terror, surging down the street like a frantic tide.
Faces twisted with fear, they shoved and stumbled, desperate to escape.
A mother clutched her infant close, her cries shrill and piercing. A young man staggered forward, supporting an elderly man whose leg was wounded.
"Quickly! Everyone to the western shelter!" Several uniformed soldiers moved within the crowd, shouting orders and waving their arms to direct the evacuation.
Their helmets were smeared with dust, weapons gripped tight in their hands, sweat streaming down their grimy faces.
One of them roared until his voice cracked: "Stay in line! Don't stop!"
Suddenly, a thunderous explosion shook the ground. The panicked cries turned into shrieks as the mob pressed forward in chaos.
Luna's eyes widened, watching the tide of frightened people surge past her.
Though still young, she remained unnervingly calm. She reached out to steady a small boy who nearly fell, making sure he caught up with the adults.
"Th-thank you!" the boy stammered before being pulled away by his mother.
Luna smiled, waving him on. "Careful—stay close to her!"
A soldier rushing by spotted her standing alone. He hurried over, bending slightly as he called out urgently:
"Little girl, it's too dangerous here! Come with us, now!"
But Luna didn't immediately follow. Instead, she tilted her head and asked in a clear, steady voice:
"What's happening? Why is everyone running?"
The soldier froze, startled by her composure. He stammered:
"Monsters… monsters are attacking the town! Go, quickly!"
Even as he spoke, another explosion echoed from the distance, followed by a blood-chilling roar. The soldier had no time to explain further and rushed away, shouting new orders at the crowd.
"Monsters…?" Luna whispered. Her gaze shifted toward the rising smoke and falling rubble at the far end of the street.
From within the haze loomed a massive black silhouette, its many limbs tearing through buildings as though they were paper.
Bright beams of light shot toward it, but the creature dodged or crushed them with terrifying ease.
Her heart pounded. Cold sweat dampened her palms.
And yet—beneath the fear was something else. A spark of excitement. The thrill of challenge.
Clutching her dessert tightly, she whispered to herself:
"So this is part of the adventure… Looks like it's going to be fun."
Instead of retreating, Luna took a deep breath, steadied herself, and stepped against the tide of fleeing people.
The wind tugged at her short cloak, making her long, aqua-blue hair dance behind her. Her sapphire eyes gleamed with determination and mischief.
If fate had brought her here, then she would face it as an adventurer.
Her small figure pressed forward, straight into the heart of chaos.
A sudden blast hurled debris toward her. Luna moved with agile grace, sidestepping the flying stones. With a flick of her hand, a shimmering blue barrier spread outward, dissolving the impact into harmless light.
"Mm… attacks like this are easier than exam practice," she said lightly, her lips curling into a playful grin.
Amid the flames and dust, her childlike figure stood out. Calm, almost amused, as if the chaos were nothing more than a game.
Even as she licked cream from her fingers, another violent strike split the sky—a bolt of crimson and blue lightning crashed down, detonating the earth with a thunderous blast.
Fire, rubble, and waves of unstable energy ripped across the streets.
Soldiers barked urgent commands, pushing civilians back while mechanical constructs and cloned soldiers advanced with merciless precision.
Amid the chaos, several soldiers spotted something strange at the edge of the wreckage:
A small girl in a snow-white dress, sitting calmly, eating a slice of cake.
"You there! Kid, get over here!" one shouted, his voice breaking with disbelief. "It's dangerous—run!"
Others turned to look. In the middle of the panic, her composure drew every eye.
The smoke began to clear. Luna sat unmoved, cream dripping from her cake as though nothing around her mattered. The sweet scent of melting ice cream drifted faintly on the breeze.
The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances.
"Is she… really a child?" muttered a young soldier, gripping his rifle tighter.
"No ordinary equipment makes a shield like that," an older veteran whispered, unease flashing in his eyes.
A science officer frowned deeply, tapping at his handheld device as he scanned for traces of the barrier's energy.
"Could she be an enemy weapon? Or a high-level mage?" another soldier asked, voice hushed with suspicion.
But Luna ignored their doubts. She happily nibbled at her cake, licking her fingers without a care.
One officer, stern and arrogant, stepped forward. "This isn't a playground. Tell us—why are you here?"
Luna blinked, her big blue eyes sparkling as she gave a sweet, mischievous smile.
"I don't know either. I just ended up here somehow."
Her words left the soldiers stunned. The officer scowled, muttering to his men: "Keep her under watch. Don't let her out of your sight."
The tension thickened. Some soldiers traded uneasy glances, others tightened their grips on weapons. Whispers spread.
"Could she be a spy?" one female soldier murmured. "That barrier wasn't normal."
"Maybe an experiment," another suggested. "Or something we don't understand yet…"
Yet Luna, unfazed, lifted her cake high with a grin. "This is delicious!" she declared happily.
Her lighthearted innocence unsettled them further—was she harmless, or something far more dangerous?
The science officer's tone sharpened. "She must be monitored at all times. No exceptions."
The commanding officer gave a firm nod. "Seal the area. Don't let her slip away."
Feeling their suspicious stares, Luna only smiled, whispering to herself:
"People here get nervous so easily… but that just makes it more fun."
Her small steps carried her forward, onto the cracked stones of the ruined teleportation circle.
The adventure had only just begun.