[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/251202/5b4b5cd4874e0421dbb24c7f1f9de10b.png[/img]
Location: Gateway
Skills/Items Used: None[/center]

Noel had just finished making dinner.

Well… prepping dinner. His parents were still at the clinic with Clara. It was another long treatment day, maybe even an overnight stay if things didn’t stabilize, and Noel had slipped into the familiar habit of keeping the house warm and running in their absence.

The kitchen was quiet. Noel had just set a pot on the stove when something strange tugged at him. A prickle at the base of his skull. A pressure that made his eyes blur for a second too long.

[color=gold]“Okay… that’s weird,”[/color] he murmured to nobody.

He stepped into the hallway, just a few feet away, just to steady himself, and the world exploded into white.

A roar drowned out every thought. His stomach lurched violently, like he’d been spun and dropped and launched all at once. He barely had time to gasp.

And then he hit stone. Cold, smooth stone pressed against his cheek. Noel inhaled sharply. His head throbbed. His legs felt like overcooked noodles. For a moment, he just stayed still, trying not to revisit anything he’d eaten in the past twelve hours.

When his eyes focused, he saw… creatures. Dozens of them. Some adorable, some unsettling, some that could only be classified as a “weird little guy”. And in the center… An angel. Not a metaphorical angel. A literal angel. Wings, armor, the whole nine yards. Noel blinked. Then blinked again. This was real.

Noel pushed himself upright. As he steadied himself, a soft jingle caught his attention. A gold charm bracelet was on his wrist, and a feather charm was attached to it.

When Dominimon addressed the group, Noel looked around automatically, scanning other faces, checking who was shaking, who needed help standing, who looked scared. Old habits. Even dizzy and nauseous, his first instinct is to check on everyone else.

A girl, Yuki, spoke first.

Noel swallowed and forced his legs beneath him. His first attempt at standing… did not go well, and he fell on his face. The second one worked better. Even dizzy, he managed a small, warm smile.[color=gold]“I…I’m Noel,”[/color] he said softly. [color=gold]“I think I’m okay. Just… a bit shaken.”[/color] He hesitated, then looked around the chamber again, eyes lingering on the less steady arrivals. [color=gold]“Is everyone else alright?”[/color]