The morning broke as they stumbled out of the forest banks, her group silent all throughout the walk. Madeline knew that they walked for hours, yet in her mind it only seemed like a moment ago that the… event happened, no, I need to be honest with what happened, I killed someone, she turned back to look at her people, Jacob, Syun, Pooja, Junko, even little Merce, oh and Tenzin who was trailing at the back, constantly looking back towards the fight, no, that’s still not right; it was an execution, a just execution, but some would say I just murdered four people, just like me, not a refugee on the BBC, not a soldier in a documentary, not even a character in a show, a real life person.

The body of the disfigured little green creature flashed in Madeline’s mind, whoever did that to another being cannot be a person, sure they were teenagers but we’re basically adults, they deserved to die, it was good of me to get rid of them. If I don’t, who will? Her chest feeling tight, her throat dry and her eyes wet, it seemed her hay fever was acting up again.

The cold, winter rain was still drizzling.

Madeline was jolted out of her thoughts by Pooja tentatively breaking the silence behind her, “So- how- “the girl took a deep breath in as everyone turned to face her, “are we just not going to speak about what happened?” Half exhilarated and half fearful she peered into the eyes of the seven around her.

Jacob, and Junko stood to the left and right respectively, slightly behind Madeline, Pooja in the middle of the circle, Syun closer to Pooja, and Tenzin and Merce directly opposite from Madeline.

“What is there to talk about?” Jacob began, “We all saw what they did to that goblin, killing in self-defence, cool, what they did though… a bullet between the eyes ain’t enough.” He finished, fingering the now empty gun.

Merce took a step closer to Tenzin, who put his hand on her shoulder, then turned to look back into the forest, some people just are not cut out for doing what needs to be done Madeline thought in the silence that followed Jacob speaking.

“Well, that’s exactly what I mean, you know a simple bullet isn’t enough, we should have made an example out of them.” Pooja responded the words flying out of her mouth.

“How?” Junko breathed.

“I know religion is fake, but an eye for an eye seems apt” Madeline spoke up now, while she didn’t like Pooja, she could admit that she was right that an example needed to be made, still the gleam in Pooja’s eye was worrying.

“Excellent, Maddy agrees as well.” I hate that name, Madeline thought as Pooja continued on, “But obviously some people are sheep, and they’re not going to like that we did what is right.”

“If this was back on Earth what Madeline did would be illegal.” Syun spoke, slowly looking between Tenzin and Merce and the rest of the group.

“Well, we’re not on Earth anymore.” Junko said her foot creating a divot in the muddy floor.

“And it wasn’t just Madeline, we were all there, we’d all be triable in the court.”

“No, I wouldn’t.” Syun stubbornly responded.

“Sure pal, why wouldn’t you?” Jacob huffed; his bouncy curls being flicked out of his face.

“Because my country has a proper legal system, that has a purpose that isn't about profit generation.”

“Of course, someone like you would say that.” Jacob spat back.

“And what’s that meant to mean.” Syun half asked, half demanded.

“Look, look.” Pooja said softly walking between the two, “at the end of the day, we’re not on Earth anymore, for all we know all those other people that woke up with us are murderers and criminals.”

“Exactly what I was thinking, we have to stick together.” Junko finished.

“Yes, we stay as one, but then do what?” Madeline asked, looking at Jacob in particular, “We all know we need to stop evil like that from ever happening again,” looking around she saw almost everyone nodding along, “but how are we going to do that, what do we need next.” Madeline had a hope for what the answer will be.

Tenzin opened his mouth to speak “The authori-“

Jacob interrupted, “You seem to have a plan, Madeline. Let’s hear it.”

The clap of Tenzin’s mouth shutting rang out across the edge of the forest.

“I do have a plan, but I want to hear all your ideas first, then I’ll decide what we’ll do.” Madeline said aiming to get everyone to recognise her role as leader.

“We should go out and start hunting down more criminals.” Pooja began, looking back into the forest.

“Patrolling wouldn’t be a bad idea, maybe in groups of two or three?” Jacob continued.

“Patrol what though. We don’t know anything about this place. I mean where even are we?” Junko spoke clearly.

Out of everyone Junko thought in a similar manner to Madeline, and she felt a smile break out on her face.

“Exactly Junko,” Madeline began looking at the girl who was smiling back, “The first thing we need to do is find out where we are, and then we can start to make things right.”

Junko and Jacob were of course nodding along while Syun just smirked and shrugged.

“Whatever sure, let’s just go on a day trip while there’s justice to be done.” Pooja rolled her eyes.

“It’s a good idea, how else are we going to know- “Junko began before being interrupted by Pooja.

“-I know, I know, I just like to complain.” The vengeful girl said laughing self depreciatingly.

Madeline looked to Tenzin, he was still to speak since they all punished the criminals, and his deep-set eyes peered into her, how dare he judge me when the coward was willing to let those murderers walk scott-free, Tenzin broke eye contact and looked towards Merce, the little girl grasping his hand, then looked once again back into the forest.

He still would not speak.

“Let us go then.” Madeline declared already walking along the floating path.

On that, the floating path was made up of some sort of hard-light construct, something that further proved they were in some sort of fantastical world, though it could have been science fiction on second thought, but the various magical phenomena and the goblin pointed towards Madeline finding herself in a fantasy world.

They climbed upon the pane of light, it was firm under her feet, firmer even than the concrete streets from home. Their footsteps clicking as they walked, creating a constant backdrop for the chatter that was going on behind Madeline.

Jacob, Junko, and Pooja threw ideas and theories out about where they were, ranging from being in a video game world, an anime, even a social experiment run by a secret society of lizard people.

Syun by himself waltzed along, his hands deep within his red pockets, sometimes adding in a comment as the three in front of him chatted.

They were slowly approaching the castle in front of them, it stood tall, taller than even Big Ben, maybe even the shard, and twice as thick. The castle glittered in the morning light, the sun was to their backs, yet it hurt more to look towards the almost glowing castle.

“It’s a bit too much isn’t it.” Madeline thought aloud.

“What, the beautiful castle?” Joseph asked.

“Beautiful,” Syun laughed, “It’s a waste of valuable resources and time. They could have built housing for thousands at least, and that’s not even thinking about how this was built from exploitative labour.”

“How is building a truly beautiful palace, exploitative?” Pooja asked.

“Do you think the people who gathered the pearls, quarried the stone, even forged the very gold that aligns the walls, do you think any of them live here, do you think any of those hard-working people, honest people have even ever stepped foot inside the product of their labour.”

“Well sure I guess, but this is art you know, like it’s so European.” Jacob said pointing at the spire on the west side of the castle, twirling around the very air, almost as if the spire had job in which it had to hold the sky up in its place, “and I’m sure those people got paid a wage, you know if I had someone build me something it wouldn’t give me them the right to come inside.”

Syun hummed and they continued on.

“The people in the castle are probably royalty, and we don’t even look good enough for school.” Junko filled the silence.

“Yeah, very scruffy.” Pooja added on, brushing her black outfit down, cargo pants and a top with a stylized, fat, black man wearing a gold crown on the front of it.

Madeline could admit that they did not look the best, their clothes soaked through, mud caking their legs, and splotches of thick blood on Madeline blouse, though the others did have a few flecks on their clothing.

“I say we leave it on.” Madeline spoke turning back to face her group.

The others questioned her but she Syun guessed what she was thinking about.

“I agree.” The lanky boy smiled. “I wouldn’t say scruffy Pooja, more so we look,” he paused as if tasting the next word on his tongue, “dangerous.”

“Really dangerous? I mean look at us, you’re all pretty much kids and I’m barley a college freshman.”

“We’re not kids, we’re all teenagers, basically adults, well except that little girl over there.” Junko protested.

“That’s just proving my point, do you ever hear adults saying there an adult?” Jacob finished running his hands through his hair.

“Listen that’s not the point, think back to who we saw when we first woke up. Don’t remember any adults?” Seeing that the main members of the group were nodding, Syun carried on, “Exactly, now think about this way, we stroll in all confident, after all the little kids came in panicking,” he said pointing the tracks of mud on the path, and the slurry from a stampede below the floating path., “sure we’re a bit messy, but the blood adds to the whole-“ he paused rolling hands in a circular motion as he thought for a word.

“Atmosphere.” Madeline gave him one.

“Yes, our atmosphere,” Syun continued on as he pointed towards the castle, “we walk in there, not as lost kids, but as badass heroes arriving from another world.”

“But we’re not heroes though.” Tenzin finally spoke, his eyes locked onto to Madeline.

“We don’t have to be. All we have to do is make them believe we are.” Syun smiled now, his crooked teeth standing firm in the morning light.

The others looked apprehensive and unsure, whether that was because of the act of lying or even Syun’s delivery, Madeline could not tell, but she could tell that they needed something more to convince them, so she spoke.

“There’s many reasons for why we should lie, though we should only need one.” She paused waiting for the expected response.

“And what’s that?” Junko asked though bitten lips.

“For justice in an unjust world, for that is what we find ourselves in. Tell me honestly if something like that could ever happen on Earth.” She looked around as she caught her breath, apart from Tenzin and strangely Syun, everyone was nodding along. It doesn’t matter anyway, Syun already supports me, and Tenzin has probably never left his peaceful little mountain country.

Madeline now pointing back towards the forest, “I would do anything to stop atrocities like that from happening again; I cannot even describe what they did, all I know is that something like that won’t be happening again, and if we become ‘heroes’ it will be at least a good start.”

“I always wanted to be a hero.” Jacob said smiling, as Syun reached down wrapped his arm around his shoulders.

“I already got my hero name sorted.” Pooja posed, her hands on her hips and her chest puffed out.

Madeline turned to Tenzin and Merce, Tenzin was moving away from Merce pinching the outside of his thigh, the freak probably tried to do something to the little girl, Madeline thought as Merce stood near Tenzin.

“Y-Yes we both agree.” Tenzin said for the both of them after looking at Merce.

“She can speak for herself.” Madeline responded her voice low once again, “Merce come here.” Madeline held her hand out for the girl to grab.

A moment passed as Madeline looked into Merce’s eyes, wide and fearful, she then looked down to the locked hands of Merce and Tenzin, who squeezed her hand back softly.

Madeline let her hand drop.

Before she could start thinking about what she would do about this Junko opened her mouth.

“What are we going to tell the people if they ask about who we killed?”

“There were some monsters when we woke up, we saw them doing monstrous acts, and when we left there were no more monsters.” Syun his voice quick yet smooth.

Even with his response they still turned to see what Madeline would say.

“So, we tell them the truth.”

Syun’s wide smile shone in Madeline’s mind's eye as she turned to walk towards the giant castle.