Isekais Don't Exist, You're Just Trapped in a Social Experiment

12: Not On Your Schedule

It's quiet, save for the wind which carries the sand of the desert in the air. Whichever direction you look, the scenery shifts with the scorching heat of the sun against the sands and rock, giving the illusion of water on the ground. It causes your quenched mouth to pucker. Your lips feel drier than sandpaper.

The group isn't even under the sun itself anymore, passing through canyons of sandstone that tower above the further into the shadows the sumpter beasts take you.

"...any moment now," Fatima says under her breath. It's low, and you know her words are meant for your ears only. A warning to be ready for anything. If things play out badly, you'll have to run in whatever direction best suits your escape.

"Hey," a voice calls out from back, commanding and calm. Neither you nor Fatima turn to look. The voice quickly changes in tone the next warning he gives, and you feel your heart flutter anxiously like a trapped butterfly in a web. "Hey!"

The sound of electricity from a foot behind you causes a prickling sensation to climb up your spine when you realize Cyno has made a move to retaliate, followed by echoing gunshots that bounce in the vastness of the sandstone structures. Guns that you're sure aren't normal in Sumeru.

The sumpter beast you and Fatima sit on buckles over instantly, prompting the Eremite woman to wrap her arms around your waist and leap off before you both end up underneath the falling beast.

"Did he have to aim for the sumpter beast? These animals are expensive!" She growls, pulling you along and passing you over to the man that had been sharing a sumpter beast with Cyno. You don't even see Cyno anymore, just the swift movement of violet streaks as you cling tightly to Fatima's friend. "Akeem, start moving! Go!"

You're immediately confused by her orders, looking from the man to Fatima for any sign you aren't the only one out of the loop. The Eremite nods though, and you're left stumbling along with him.

"Wait, leave? Where are we going? There's sand everywh-" you break off when sparks from Cyno's body leaks off upon landing hard on the ground a foot away- pinning a man you don't recognize on the ground.

Just with a glance, you can see the familiar pale transparent collar around the stranger's neck, persisting despite Cyno's attacks of electricity making contact with him.

It's another person being used as a pawn. Did they find a way to improve on the collars already? Or were these made in preparation?

How are they able to anticipate results so quickly?

"Run! Keep up with me!" Akeem snaps you out of your stupor, nearly dragging you along as you struggle to move in the sand. It was hard enough with your heels before you took them off, walking on it makes you unsteady even without them.

But as you're running, growing further and further away from the area where the Eremites are fighting the enemy, you have a feeling in your gut that this is also accounted for. You have a sense you're doing exactly what they want.

What exactly they want out of sending you and Cyno here alone to meet up with Eremites they would decide to infiltrate and ambush, you have no idea.

Maybe...they're trying to split me away from Cyno? Was he supposed to land here with me? Or was I the one that mistakenly got sent here with him? He's the only one that managed to counteract the shock-collars when he got his vision-thing back.

...Why give it back to him and then send me off with him?

You stop and dig your heels into the sand.

"Wait! We have to stop, this is what they want!" You blurt out to Akeem, making the gruff looking man spin around to meet your gaze with the band across his eyes.