My name is Haru Villamor, a graduating college student.
Life isn't easy — every day feels like a grind, but I manage to survive.
Part-time jobs, sleepless nights, cheap coffee — that's just how it's always been.
I'm not from a rich family.
No special talent.
No miracles.
But still... I can say I lived pretty well.
At least, that's what I thought—
until the day everything ended.
It was supposed to be an ordinary afternoon.
Graduation practice, noise, laughter, and plans for tomorrow.
and then ..
Wait… what's with this light?
I'm being surrounded—by nothing but light!
W-wait, What is this ?
---
And just like that, I found myself standing in a strange place surrounded by a lot of trees.
I sat up.
The air was heavy, the ground smooth like marble, and all around me… people.
Dozens, maybe 30 to 40,
They were all confused, just like me.
Some looked like foreigners — tall men with dark skin and golden hair, others Asian like me, and a few who looked European.
Different languages filled the air — English, Japanese, Spanish, Korean — but everyone had the same terrified look in their eyes.
"Where… are we?" someone asked.
We're surrounded by trees—maybe in a forest, or the middle of a jungle.
We were suddenly teleported here… this isn't a dream. I actually feel fine, but in the blink of an eye, I moved to a different location.
I live in the Philippines, but it seems like I'm the only Filipino here.
---
"Hey," someone called out.
I turned around and saw a tall man waving at me.
"Hey, I'm Marco. I'm from North America. Can you speak English,
"A foreigner?"
He's a Black American.
"Yeah, I can," I replied. "How long have you been here?"
"I just got here earlier," he said. "I don't know what's happening… but where are we? Did someone kidnap us?"
"I don't think so," I said. "Kidnapping us seems impossible. I didn't feel anything weird—I was just walking, blinked my eyes, and suddenly ended up here."
Marco crossed his arms. "Oh, it's a good thing you can speak English. Some people over there can't. Are you Korean? You look Asian."
"No, I'm Filipino. I'm from Southeast Asia," I replied. "I can't speak Korean, but I can speak a bit of English—and I understand it pretty well."
We just kept talking, waiting for something to happen.
---