The memory continued.
---
"The next morning..."
"We learned what drifters were."
Alice leaned back in her chair.
The office had become unusually quiet.
Even Andre had stopped interrupting.
For now.
"The village elder explained what little he knew."
"He said people like us were called Drifters."
"People from other worlds."
"People who occasionally appeared in the Forest of Summoning."
Alice tapped her finger against the desk.
"He also said we weren't the first."
"Far from it."
"The last recorded group before us appeared over three hundred years ago."
Kai listened carefully.
"The elder didn't know much about them."
"Only stories."
"Some became heroes."
"Some became monsters."
"Some fought each other."
"And eventually they all disappeared."
Nish crossed his arms.
"So basically the usual drifter story."
Alice nodded.
"Pretty much."
"The elder wasn't stupid."
"He knew we were strangers."
"He knew we could be dangerous."
"But he also knew throwing eight confused teenagers back into the forest would probably get us killed."
Raj nodded.
"He was a good man."
Alice continued.
"So he made a deal."
"If we wanted to stay."
"If we wanted food."
"If we wanted shelter."
"We worked."
Andre immediately groaned.
"Eww."
Alice pointed at him.
"Exactly what Brennan said."
The room laughed.
---
Days turned into weeks.
Weeks into months.
The group slowly became part of village life.
Alice smiled faintly as she remembered.
"Tchoco helped with farming."