Isiah paid no attention to his deteriorating physical state, drifting off to sleep while slumped in the wooden chair. Because of his core incompatibility, his vessel suffered endlessly as it attempted to adapt to the hostile realm.
The moment he opened his eyes, a sharp burning odor hit his nostrils. He turned his head frantically, trying to pinpoint the source of the smoke inside the classroom, but could see nothing caught fire indoors.
However, when he turned to face the tall window, a horrifying scene unfolded before his eyes.
The entire forest was consumed by roaring flames. Massive black shadows bounded through the inferno in the distance, the fire climbing so high into the night sky that the destruction was already absolute.
"Clearly, I slept for a long time," Isiah muttered to himself. "But for how long?"
Wild animals were fleeing the treeline in desperate droves, while flock after flock of birds took flight in erratic, panicked patterns.
