Oliver's sciousness drifted back amid the low hum of engines and the subtle sway of the vehicle beh him. His body ached, every muscle protesting as if he'd been through a grinder—which, sideri events, wasn't far from the truth. A pounding headache throbbed in sync with his heartbeat.

  “Hey, hey! I think he’s waking up.”

  Blinking against the harsh overhead lights, Oliver's vision slowly adjusted. Seated across from him were two figures. The first was a nky boy with pale skin and unruly brown hair, eyes sharp and observant. o him was a girl with her hair pulled bato a tight ponytail, a bright smile illuminating her face despite the surroundings.

  "Give him a break. He's probably still dazed," the girl said, gently nudging the boy bato his seat.

  "Wh-where am I?" Oliver rasped, his throat dry and scratchy.

  "You're on the fi shuttle headed straight to Earth's own version of hell—the Academy. Wele back to the nd of the living," the boy replied with heavy sarcasm. It also helped Oliver uand why he had been gagged until retly.

  Fragments of memory fshed through Oliver's mind: the chaotic csh with Orks, a glimpse of a Red Ranger. "Are we... iransport truck?" he asked, trying to piece everything together.

  "Yep," the girl firmed patiently. "Since you didn't wake up after all that otion, they loaded you in here with us. We're all en route to the Academy."

  "What happeo the Orks?" he pressed.

  "Wait, wait—that's the best part!" the girl excimed, leaping up to peer out a small window.

  Oliver glimpsed an expansive desert stretg endlessly beh a pale sky through the reinforced gss. The transport truck rumbled into a heavily fortified military base. The boy stood up to observe the driver and the front of the truck. He stretched to look through the small window between the passengers and the driver but found no one.

  "The Truck's on autopilot. Army safety rules," the boy said after seeing Oliver's curious look.

  Like their truck, other trucks also started arriving at the base. Though they slowed down, each kept moving fradually, they could see that each transport was entering a cargo pne, and soon, theirs did the same.

  "I always khe Academy wasn't anywhere nearby, but all this secrecy makes it so much more exg!" the girl beamed, her enthusiasm palpable. The boy beside her seemed less impressed, leaning his head against the metal wall with a resigned sigh.

  “Damn it. Damn it. I ’t believe I missed my ce to get out of here.” The boy rested his head in his hand while speakiedly.

  “Sorry. But I fot to ask, who are you guys?” Oliver asked, remembering that he still didn't know them.

  Finally, a question of io the three of them. The girl returo her seat, and the boy stopped grumbling.

  "o meet you! I'm Isabe from Sector 55, and just like you, I'm fifteen," she said cheerfully.

  "Name's An," the boy added with a nod.

  "Good to meet you both. I'm—" Oliver began.

  "Oliver. Height: 1.69 meters. Blood type: O positive. We know," Isabe interrupted.

  Oliver stared at her, taken aback. He wasn't even sure he knew his own blood type.

  "Rex," An chuckled. "We overheard the guards wheossed you in here."

  A brief silenveloped the trio, but this time it felt less awkward. Now that they at least knew each other's names, a superficial camaraderie began to form.

  "So let me ask again—what happened back there? Who was that guy in red?" Oliver broke the silence, his curiosity piqued.

  Isabe's eyes widened in disbelief. "What? How do you not know who the 'guy in red' is?" she excimed, her voice rising in pitch.

  "Yeah, the Ranger who showed up at the end. He seemed incredibly powerful," Oliver added, still trying to piece everything together.

  "How do you not know Liam Ryder!? Don't you waty vids or read the newsfeeds? He's the Red Ranger. Besides being..." Her voice trailed off into a whisper, but in the fined space of the truck, her fangirling was impossible to miss. A deep blush spread across her cheeks.

  The truck began to shudder again—not accelerating, but shifting. It felt like the cargo pne was finally maneuvering on the runway. The three fell silent, attuo every creak and hum as the aircraft sped up and took off into the sky.

  "Even I, who don't follow that stuff, know who he is. Have you been living under a rock?" An asked, his tone dripping with sarcasm as they settled into the flight.

  "Hey! I had to work, and I don’t usually watch vids frers. They are so cliché," Oliver retorted. It artially true; he did not watch vids, however, for a different reason. Accessing the was difficult without a personal device. He had no puter, holo-s, or any kind of phone.

  Being a Ranger was the most on dream among children. Besides the mohere was guaranteed fame. Rangers were always featured in TV shows; most even had their own el. The petition to bee a Ranger was so fierce that numerous anized bets on which recruits would make it.

  Of course, there were other paths to being a Ranger besides the Academy, but those were voluted and often required signifit political clout from corporations or Houses. Even heirs of iial families often chose to test their mettle at the Academy.

  "But you at least know where we're headed, right?" Isabe asked, studying him closely. If he didn't know abers, perhaps he was equally unaware of the Academy's true nature.

  "Of course! Hmph, at fifteen, everyone has to do their mandatory service—training at the Academy to serve in the h Army," Oliver replied with a touch of wounded pride. He might not be up-to-date on popur culture, but he wasn't clueless.

  "Yes, but you realize that's how you bee a Ranger?" Isabe said gently, a slight smile tugging at her lips.

  "Oh... I didn't knoart," Oliver admitted, a bit embarrassed. He scratched his head, avoiding their gazes.

  "Are you sure you're human?" Isabe whispered, half-joking.

  Oliver raised an eyebrow at her. Deep down, he wasirely sure. The time he'd spent i had left him questioning what, if anything, had ged within him.

  "Of course I am. I just don't follers much. Anyway, how long until we reach the Academy?" he asked, eager to shift the versation.

  "Sorry, but on Academy Airlines, you'll never know where yoing or when you'll arrive," An interjected. "You really think they'd give us any info?" He seemed to speak only when there portunity for sarcasm.

  They psed into silence agaie sharing this jourhey knew little about one ahe atmosphere remaiense and tinged with nerves—except perhaps for Isabe, whose excitement alpable.

  Restless, Oliver stood and paced the small passenger area, peering out each window to glimpse the cargo hold. After several minutes, slivers of light pierced through, revealing their truck lined up i rows among dozens of others.

  For a fleeting moment, Oliver sidered opening the door but thought better of it. If escape were that easy, An would have already attempted. The others joined him at the windows, hoping to catch a glimpse of anything that might hint at their destination.

  After what felt like hours but was likely only mihey sehe pne beginning its dest.

  Without warning, the cargo bay doors yawned open, but that wasn't the worst of it. Their truck lurched backward, ing toward the edge of the pne.

  "D-do they know we're still in here?" Isabe stammered, her eyes wide with fear.

  The two boys exged a gheir faces pale. Their throats tightened, and they were unsure whether to shout or stay silent.

  Oliver dashed to the front of the truck, trying to see through the small window into the driver's .

  ‘ I get to the trols?’ he thought frantically. But the window was too narrow for any of them to squeeze through.

  Before he could devise a pn, the trucks ahead began to roll off the pne, oer another, unched into the sky. Their turn was immi.

  "Shit! Shit! Shit!" Oliver yelled as their vehicle edged backward.

  "I 't die yet—I haven't eve a Ranger!" Isabe cried, tears welling in her eyes.

  "I knew ing here was a mistake. I should've run when I had the ce..." An murmured, his voice a broken record ret.

  Their screams melded into a collective howl as gravity took hold. The truck plummeted, and they g to their seats, desperately trying not to be tossed around like rag dolls.

  Then, a sudden jolt.

  The sound of parachutes deploying filled the air as the truck's dest slowed. Their grips loosened, and they cautiously peered out the windows.

  Outside, hundreds of transport trucks desded beh massive opies, floating like meized dandeliooward a sprawling plex below.

  As they broke through a yer of clouds, the Academy came into view.