The air smelled different here—smoky from hearths, metallic from swordfights in the streets, and earthy from horses clopping on cobblestones. You blinked, trying to process it. One second, you were in your apartment, scrolling through news on your tablet, and the next, the world had shifted. The skyline of your city replaced by spires, battlements, and a castle perched atop a hill like it belonged in a storybook.

“Okay,” Kara said, adjusting her cape and flexing her fingers. Her usually bright smile was tight, nervous, but she radiated determination. “Not freaked out at all.”

“Yeah,” Diana added, brushing back a loose strand of her hair, her eyes scanning the horizon. Calm, confident, but alert. “Totally normal day. Just… suddenly medieval. Nothing suspicious here.”

You groaned, running a hand through your hair. “I swear, if this is some cosmic joke, it’s the least funny one ever.”

Kara’s gaze softened on you. “We’ll figure it out. We always do.” Her hand brushed yours, a small anchor in the chaos. You wanted to believe her, but the uncertainty gnawed at your stomach.

“First,” Diana said, voice firm, “we survive. Then we try to understand why we’re here. Until then… we adapt.”

The first test came quicker than you expected. A group of armored knights blocked the road, swords glinting. One shouted something in a language you didn’t understand. Your instincts screamed run, but Kara and Diana stepped forward, unflinching.

“I’ve got this,” Diana said, reaching for her sword. The movement was fluid, precise, and commanding.

Kara mirrored her stance, fists clenched, eyes glowing faintly with her heat vision’s dormant energy. “Together,” she murmured.

You stayed behind them, heart hammering, grateful for their presence. Somehow, in this strange medieval world, having them by your side made you feel like you could survive anything.

Days passed. You scavenged for food in markets, rode horses with Diana teaching you the proper way to hold reins, and Kara showing you how to leap across rooftops, fighting off bandits. Every moment was chaotic and terrifying, but also exhilarating.

One evening, after narrowly escaping a bandit ambush, the three of you huddled around a fire in a forest clearing. Kara propped her chin on her knees, staring into the flames. “We can’t just wait for a portal to appear. We need a plan. We need… strategy.”

Diana nodded, tossing a stick into the fire. Sparks floated upward. “Agreed. But strategy without acceptance of our reality is pointless. We are here, we are alive, and we must adapt. Build alliances, gather information, understand the hierarchy.”

You flopped onto the grass, exhausted. “Or we just… survive and hope someone notices we’re missing.”

Kara laughed softly, brushing her hair behind her ear. “That is part of surviving, you know. Hoping, praying, not giving up.”

“And learning to fight,” Diana added with a half-smile. “Which we all do better than we think.”

Over the following weeks, the three of you transformed from disoriented strangers into a formidable trio. You learned to wield a sword from Diana, maneuver through treacherous terrain with Kara, and combine your knowledge with theirs to outwit medieval authority and rogue mercenaries. Every day was a challenge, and every night, you grew closer.

Yet, beneath the battles and survival, there was laughter, small moments of warmth, and the quiet comfort of being together. Kara would tease you relentlessly for tripping over a horse’s reins; Diana would chuckle and correct your stance gently. And sometimes, late at night, you would sit between them, hands intertwined, and just exist—safe, for once, despite the chaos of this strange world.

Eventually, you realized it wasn’t just about surviving—it was about thriving, together, even in a world that had no reason to care about you.