I Got Isekai'd to Another Planet

The lights flickered on with a soft mechanical hum. The gates to the individual prison cells hissed open one by one.

June blinked awake, stretching her sore limbs. She felt different.

Not healed. Not whole.

But… light.

She stepped out into the corridor just as another gate slid open across from hers.

Miguel stepped out, already dressed in his purple cargo suit, arms stretched behind his back with a yawn. He turned and smiled the moment he saw her.

"Morning," he said, his voice warm and a little groggy. "You're looking beautiful today."

June blinked, caught completely off guard.

Beautiful?

Her heart stuttered. She looked down, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear even though it was messy and uncombed.

"…Thanks," she muttered, eyes flicking up. She smiled, unable to stop it.

They fell into step together, walking side by side toward the food court.

A few seconds in, Miguel reached out, hesitant, slow and took her hand in his.

June glanced at their intertwined fingers, heart thudding. Then looked up at him.

He wasn't looking at her.

He was looking straight ahead, face red.

Blushing like crazy.

She couldn't help it. She smiled wider.

She tightened her grip just slightly.

And he smiled too.

They turned the final corner and entered the open courtyard where the food stations operated during breakfast hours. The tables were mostly full, but near the corner, June spotted familiar faces.

Alyssa. Tobi. Maeve. Hideo.

Their little group, already halfway through their rations.

Tobi spotted them first. "Yo! Lovebirds!"

June instinctively let go of Miguel's hand.

Pulled away like she'd been burned.

Her smile vanished in a flash, replaced by panic.

He's gonna be embarrassed. He's gonna deny it. They're all going to laugh...

But Miguel didn't even pause.

He just reached over.

Took her hand again.

Firm. Sure. Proud.

She blinked at him.

He gave her a small smile.

As if to say It's okay.

And suddenly… it was.

She smiled back and let herself be led forward.

They took a seat at the table together.

Tobi grinned. "Damn, you two are official now, huh?"

Maeve raised an eyebrow. "Took you long enough. I was running bets with myself."

Hideo gave a rare, soft chuckle. "You complement each other. A steady match."

June flushed under the attention, but it wasn't bad.

It was warm.

Belonging.

Alyssa stirred her food with her spoon. She didn't speak. But her eyes flicked to Miguel's hand still holding June's. Her lips tightened, just slightly.

But she said nothing.

Miguel turned to June, squeezing her hand gently. "Want me to grab you something?"

"I'll come with," she replied, her voice quiet.

They stood, together.

Still holding on.

Still smiling.

And as they walked toward the food counter with trays in hand, it wasn't a dream.

It was real.

With food in hand, nutrient blocks, synth-toast, a steaming bowl of protein porridge that didn't taste as bad as it looked, Miguel and June returned to the table.

Still hand in hand.

Still smiling.

They sat, the morning glow of synthetic skylights casting a calm light over the table. For a brief moment, it felt like they weren't prisoners on a god-run alien death world. It felt like… breakfast with friends.

Silence hung for a moment, broken only by the clink of utensils and the hum of other conversations.

Then Hideo spoke, his voice soft, distant.

"My daughter loved mornings like this."

Everyone looked at him.

He stared down at his untouched tray. "When I was home, really home, she used to sit beside me at the table every day. Even when she didn't have school. Just so she could talk to me before I went to the dojo."

Maeve leaned forward slightly, watching him.

"I used to tell her I'd always be there. Every morning."

He looked up, eyes dry but full of ghosts. "I wonder if she still sits at the table. Even now."

There was silence for a long moment.

Then Maeve cleared her throat. "I miss my brother too."

Tobi blinked, surprised. "Didn't know you had a brother."

"Older than me by ten years. When our parents died, he dropped everything to raise me. Put me through school, made my lunch, kicked my ass when I got in trouble. He was the best kind of stubborn idiot."

She smiled faintly. "I used to think he'd be better off without me. But now I'd give anything just to hear him rant about rugby again."

Tobi nodded. "I get that. My folks died when I was seven. Car crash. My gran raised me. Tough as nails. Smacked me with a slipper once because I forgot to feed the cat."

He chuckled softly. "I used to think she hated me. But when I left for varsity, she cried like a baby. I miss that crazy old woman."

Alyssa stared at her spoon, voice quieter than usual. "My parents are probably losing their minds right now. They were overprotective even when I went to the grocery store alone. I'm all they had. Only child. They always said they didn't need anyone else."

Everyone looked at her.

She didn't meet their eyes. "They probably think I'm still alive. Still out there somewhere. They don't know I'm already gone."

Silence again.

And then, almost reluctantly, Miguel spoke.

"My parents were... complicated."

He scratched the back of his neck. "They were addicts, yeah. But I still loved them. Miss them, even now. My mom used to hum this one song whenever she cooked, even if there was no food. Just to fill the silence."

He looked down, smile fading. "My older brother too. He was rough, but he kept me outta worse places. Kept me breathing long enough to meet the old man who taught me how to fight. I wonder if he's still fighting for something."

Then they all turned to June.

Quietly. Expectantly.

She hadn't said anything.

June stiffened under their eyes.

Her hand in Miguel's was suddenly cold.

Family?

She wanted to lie. She wanted to say something sweet. Safe. Normal.

But the truth clawed its way forward instead.

Her throat tightened.

She parted her lips to speak...

"ALL PARTICIPANTS, REPORT TO THE GAME AREA."

The announcement thundered through the speakers.

Sharp. Icy. Final.

"THE NEXT GAME BEGINS SHORTLY. FAILURE TO APPEAR WILL RESULT IN ELIMINATION."

The moment broke like a glass pane hit by a stone.

Trays clattered as everyone stood, pushing back their benches.

Miguel stood and offered June his hand again. She took it, numbly.

Still silent.

They joined the others, walking toward the looming steel doors that would take them to the game floor.

No more talk of family.

No more warmth.

Only survival now.

But somewhere deep in June's chest, something ached louder than fear.

What would I have even said?

My parents hated me. They looked at me like I ruined their lives. They wanted a perfect daughter. I was a stain. A burden. A mistake.

I had no friends. Not really. No one missed me when I vanished.

No one but…

Her eyes shifted sideways.

To Miguel.

To the hand holding hers so tightly.

Maybe no one had missed her.

But someone saw her now.

And maybe, just maybe, that was enough to keep walking.