Vroom Vroom
The engine roared to life as Sebastian grinned behind the wheel. Newly licensed and buzzing with pride, he'd volunteered to drive. No adults. No restrictions. Just freedom.
"We're finally going to the water park!" Lucien yelled, practically vibrating in the passenger seat. Ever since he'd wrapped up his state university entrance exam, he'd been on cloud nine.
"Yup, it's time to let loose!" Sebastian chuckled, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel to the beat of the radio.
Both boys had finished their high school exams, cleared their university entrances, and had been accepted into the colleges of their dreams. It should've been nothing but celebration—but beneath the joy lurked a bittersweet truth: college would soon take them to different cities.
"We've got two months left," Lucien said, half to himself. "Let's go wild before real life starts."
[Flashback – January]
"Let's hit that new waterpark after exams," Lucien had suggested one chilly evening.
"Sounds great," Sebastian replied. "Though it feels a million years away."
"Should we go just the two of us, or invite someone else?"
"Depends on how strict our parents feel."
"I'll be eighteen by then," Sebastian said with a smirk. "They won't say no."
The two laughed and shared nostalgic thoughts about their school days, unaware that this idle conversation would soon become the prologue to something far stranger than a summer adventure.
The car rolled into the lot. Before them stood a paradise of color and chaos: a giant arcade and a sprawling waterpark, only a hundred meters apart.
"Arcade first, then slides?" Lucien asked, practically bouncing with excitement.
"Let me ask you this: do we get another chance to come back here?"
Lucien's grin faded slightly. "Doubt it."
"Then we do it all."
They stormed the arcade like kids in a candy store—bowling, skee ball, racing sims. They fought for prize tickets like their lives depended on it, but fell short of the enormous teddy bear they'd both secretly wanted.
Back at the car, they dumped their winnings and headed into the waterpark.
Changing into their swimwear, they made a beeline for the buffet. Big mistake.
"That was the worst food I've ever eaten," Lucien muttered, rubbing his stomach.
"Those noodles tasted like lukewarm rubber bands," Sebastian agreed, grimacing.
They laughed it off and finally made their way to the waterpark's crown jewel: The Cosmic Drop.
Two transparent capsules stood side-by-side. A bored operator gestured them in.
"Fold your arms over your chest. Hands on shoulders. Legs crossed," he recited like a mantra. "Don't move."
Inside their respective chambers, Lucien and Sebastian faced each other through the clear plastic, their expressions quickly shifting from cocky to terrified.
Three.
Two.
One.
Click.
The floors vanished beneath them.
Lucien's stomach shot into his throat as he plunged into a pitch-black tube. Water slammed into his face, his eyes stung, and breathing became nearly impossible. He kept his limbs locked tight, remembering the operator's warning.
The speed was blinding. A sharp sting erupted on his shoulder as the plastic slide scraped skin.
The tunnel seemed endless.
Then—light.
A sudden drop.
Splash.
Lucien broke the surface, coughing and gasping. His heart pounded as he kicked to stay afloat in what appeared to be a deep natural lake, not the shallow chlorinated pools he'd expected.
He blinked.
The air smelled different.
Around him was a lush jungle, vines hanging from massive trees, sunlight filtering through thick canopies.
Lucien dragged himself to shore, dripping and dazed.
"...what......the......f**k........"
Was this real? A theme park ride didn't end in a rainforest.
Had he... transmigrated?
If so—where was Sebastian?
Meanwhile, Sebastian panicked mid-slide. In a desperate attempt to slow himself down, he flailed, accidentally spreading his arms. Bad move. He slammed into the side and got wedged momentarily. Park staff scrambled toward the control panels, but before they could stop anything, he slipped loose and continued tumbling through the darkness.
Light appeared ahead.
Then—impact.
A cold, muddy floor greeted him with zero grace. His head spun.
He sat up groggily, surrounded by dense brush and towering ferns. In front of him: a rabbit. Not just any rabbit—a massive, almost cartoonishly fluffy creature with red eyes, twitching ears and what seems to be a...horn ?
Sebastian blinked.
"Where... the... f**k am I?"