A cool wind swept across Ethan''s face as he woke to find himself lying on rough cobblestones under a brilliant morning sun. The gray office was gone. Above him, he saw a stone building''s slanted roof against a clear, blue sky, wisps of clouds drifting lazily by. Disoriented, he propped himself up on his elbows, only to see Ashley groaning awake beside him.


    "Ms. Briar?" he whispered. His voice sounded strange here, as if the very air held an unfamiliar weight.


    She sat up slowly, eyes narrowing against the sunlight. "This... isn''t campus." She glanced around, taking in the cobblestone square, the bustling streets, and the villagers in simple tunics, cloaks, and wide-brimmed hats. Her voice softened to a whisper. "Professor, where are we?"


    He had no answers, all he worries about are the unchecked papers of class 5-E, and the pending grades yet to be uploaded to the school''s database.


    What bugged him more are the pending requirements he had to do for his clearance (there was a lot to do), and now it doesn''t look like he can pen his resignation letter anytime soon.


    "That should be the least of my worries, more importantly, all this feels surreal. Like physically living in a dream. I should wake up soon..."


    We pan out from the characters'' perspective to the picturesque town square before them. It felt like a scene pulled straight from a fantasy novel. The populace moved with purpose, tending to their business, the gentle clinking of metal, the smell of dried leather mingling with the scent of roasted meat and the tang of citrus fruits. Wooden stalls lined the streets, displaying weird trinkets, jars and vials of herbs with all colors and sizes, and freshly baked delicious bread. No matter what fantasy world you live in, freshly baked bread is a luxury.


    The diversity of races could immediately be seen all around, a situation most common in literature bearing the fantasy genre. Bipedal races in varying heights, some taller than the average human height, others having a short and stocky build. Their skin and hair colors are commonplace in cosplay conventions.


    "Did we have a comic-con scheduled for this month?" Ethan asked Ashley.


    "None that I heard of, besides even some of their languages do not sound familiar. I don''t think a comic-con would have this kind of budget, the aspect of realism for this is through the roof!" Ashley replied in disbelief.


    "Well, I guess it wouldn''t hurt to look around, get a sense of our new environment?"


    "Indeed. That would be best."


    While maintaining a sense of caution, they become excited over the impossible sight in front of them. They took a stroll at the town in order to get a better understanding of their situation. When they saw an establishment bustling with people and activity, they decided to see what''s up.


    A young man approached breaking their trance, his curt smile only half hiding his curiosity. "Lost, are ya? Not from around here ey?" he asked, squinting at their mismatched clothing. "Here for Adventurers'' Day, I take it?"


    Ethan and Ashley exchanged glances, both speechless. The young man chuckled as he noticed their expression and pointed down the cobbled street. "All new adventurers need to check in at the guild," he said, gesturing toward a large wooden building with a banner depicting a crossed sword and staff over a huge tome. "Better get registered, ya don''t wanna miss yer first quest."


    Suddenly plunged in an unknown world, they decided to leave it all behind and cross the threshold. The paperworks, the unfinished grades, even the break up will be left in the past where it belongs. After all, it''s not like they can go back even if they wanted to.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ...


    The Adventurers'' Guild was as bustling inside as it was imposing outside. As they step inside they are greeted a menagerie men and women in armor, robes, and cloaks. They come in all species and sizes, but all share a semblance of a humanoid form. Several thick, wooden columns supported the high ceiling, which bore faction banners in dark colors marked with strange symbols and glyphs.


    "New adventurers?" came a deep voice from behind the counter. A tall, broad-shouldered man in leather armor with a stern face looked down at them with thinly veiled curiosity. "Names?"


    "Ethan Erstellen," he replied cautiously, then glanced at Ashley, who gave her name a bit more confidently. The man nodded, marking their names in a large, yellowed ledger.


    "Unusual names," he muttered, scratching his chin as he sized them up. "Not often we get... scholars looking to join."


    Ethan tried not to look as out of place as he felt. "Scholars?"


    "Yes," the man replied slowly, as if still assessing them. "New adventurers are often eager to test their strength. But you two have a look about you…" He paused, then handed them two small bronze rings, each stamped with a number and a symbol. "You may need a little guidance, you know my momma used to say, don''t put your eggs in one basket, last time she did a birdman took it all away!"


    "Pretty sure that''s not how you''re supposed to use that idiom", Ashley retorts.


    "You''re calling me an idiot?!" The man started to stand up, the runes on this arms started to glow red.


    "LET''s just all calm down shall we? Clearly we are having a misunderstanding here. My friend is a little reckless you see", Ethan diffuses the tension. "We''re new around these parts, we come from a faraway land and clearly failed to comprehend the customs."


    "I see, a man of reason. I guess you and I will get along, great minds think alike! you know what they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away", the man laughs as if the earlier altercation did not transpire at all.


    Ethan looks Ashley in the eye right before she starts to speak, "Not. Another. Word." Ethan says sternly.


    The man gestured toward the shelves of books along the back wall. "Adventuring isn''t just swinging a swords or flinging spells. It is as my dad used to say, the elephant is in the room. You''ll find we use something a bit more finesse here when compared with the brute force you use in the boonies. We call it Quillmancy—the study of magically encoded script. Get acquainted."


    They took his suggestion, moving toward the bookshelves, where Ethan''s fingers ran across the tomes, his fingers fiddling with the spines, a familiar comfort in this strange new world. Quillmancy? The word alone intrigued him, igniting a spark of excitement he hadn''t felt in a long time.


    Looking at the flame reigniting in Ethan''s eyes Ashley recalled how they met each other. It was one of those nights she cried in the library. You see, her parents wanted her to be a Physician even though she has clear aptitude for creative writing. It was during one of these nights when she saw a professor climbing up the library window with an unopened soda can in hand. It took him one glance to realize the book she was reading, he interjects– "I don''t get what the tears are for, can''t believe a book like that would bring someone to bawl her eyes out. What a silly kid," he says as he went over a desk to grab his keys.


    "You know nothing about it, you''re just some loser who can''t use the front door"


    "That''s Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carol. In my MOST professional opinion it''s just a random kid on drugs, nothing to cry about. Unless you feel stuck in a predestined fate and jealous of Alice, who, even when she had to face all kinds of unfortunate events ultimately gets to freely decide what to do."


    "How did you-"


    "It''s a stereotype among kids your age, where do you think stereotypes come from? They perpetuate because they prove true for most people, and trust me, I''ve had enough students with the same case, you are not in a unique situation."


    "Harsh."


    "I don''t recall owing kindness to random girl in a library. But for what it''s worth, I left my soda on the table. You can have it when you''re done crying. Also, the front doors are closed, it''s passed reading hours, luckily the window isn''t that high from the ground."


    It was at this moment she decided to apply as his student assistant. He wasn''t someone who gave him the usual advice to tough it out or that things are gonna be okay, he was someone who gave her an honest, unfiltered opinion. A far cry from the usual script most people use to console her. He may not have solved her problems, but at the very least, she felt understood.


    To Ethan, transmigration might be his call to adventure, but to Ashley she may have already crossed the threshold way beforehand; and now that both are in a new world, -to a point of no return.