It occurs on an ordinary Tuesday on August 2021, right after the end of a hot summer day. An enigmatic event disrupts the daily life at the school of Kilima. The entire school awakes from a fainting spell. Students, teachers, the whole school staff – all of them awake in a strange, new body. The body of an anthropomorphic animal. One of them is 16-year-old Jordan Donovan.  Jordan, like the rest of his schoolmates, is shocked, in panic, in fear. A dream? A bad joke? It must be… But it's not. It is really him.

"Those were not his hands! Not his arms! Not his legs! His whole body was covered in black fur. He felt his face, which had mutated into a long snout, and his head, from which two pointed ears were now sticking up."

Not only did the transformation pour oil into the fire. Things also have changed outside the windows. Kilima is still standing on a familiar looking hill. But the environment has completely changed. They are no longer in England anymore. But where are they? How did they get there? And why?

The four former humans are able to reach the classroom for carpentry lessons. They arm themselves with tools and other provisional weapons and make their way to the storage room where they are being attacked by abominations. 

"Jordan tore his eyes open in horror. He stared directly into the dripping mouth of a monster that must have sprung from hell itself - with protruding, yellow gnawing teeth as long as a child's arms. The elongated creature seemed to consist almost entirely of overlapping, dirty folds of skin. Only the top layer was covered in sparse, gray-brown fur, punctuated by pus-filled, bloated boils that pushed out of the bald patches. Some had already burst open, and yellow, viscous pus oozed from the wounds like blood from a fresh wound."

The humans are able to fend off (and kill) the creatures. But in the end, it was only partly thanks to the weapons they had. Jordan killed the mole-like creature with a strange power that awoke in him. He could form and use fire from nothing. No one, not even Jordan himself, could explain what had happened. But Kilima was safe - for now. 

While investigating the situation and collecting as many information as they can, the staff of the Kilima school tries to create a form of everyday life – regular class sessions as a form of distraction and normality. A bold move. Many students are still afraid and refuse to leave their rooms. However, just like Jeremy more and more of the transformed humans are daring the first steps back into social life again. It's a slow process. But the familiar environment inside the human-made school provides a feel of safety and gives them courage; unaware that their presence in this new world had not gone unnoticed.

On a fateful day, life at Kilima School is shattered. Strange figures appear on the doorstep of the school. Just like the residents of the boarding school, these visitors are also anthropomorphic animals. However, they are very distinct in their behavior and appearance.

"Jordan counted a dozen of them. Most of them belonged to different species: Wolf-like and jackal-like, big cats and even-toed ungulates. Men and women. But there was also a bird creature among them. Some of them were clad in airy, semi-circular robes that looked like clothing from ancient times. Others wore casual clothes - pieces of leather fastened with laces and strings, showing a lot of fur and leaving little to the imagination. One of the robed men walked at the front and looked like a panther. His astral white robe accentuated the night-colored fur and yellow-green eyes. To the left and right of him walked two strikingly large animal figures that looked like personal bodyguards. The rest of the group was positioned slightly behind them."

The meeting between the fundamentally different cultures in the entrance area of the school gives the impression of a powder keg about to explode. Fortunately, it never comes to that. The panther-like man introduces himself as Krollwor, the speaker of the community of Ukoo, and he states his peaceful intentions. Despite his clearly peaceful motivations, his aura is mighty, even terrifying. Headmaster Harris Campbell treats him respectfully and convinces him that they too are no threat.

On a slightly overcast Saturday morning, 20 students and three teachers set off for the Ukoo community. They are accompanied by so-called defenders – guards of the settlement. It is the first time they have set foot outside since their arrival in Nyika. Shortly after they reach the outside of the school, the differences between the worlds become more and more clear. 

There were trees that were curved like a corkscrew. Their outer yellowish-brown bark peeled off like withered paper at the mere touch, and a layer of many-hued, orange mushrooms then instantly formed there. Some of the deciduous trees were surrounded by a ring of waist-high ferns. White tubers grew on the almost spindly leaves, the stench of which brought tears to Jordan's eyes. And then there were trees that had neither leaves nor needles, but simply a sea of bitter-smelling, black-purple flowers growing on their branches.

As exotic and varied as the flora is, the fauna was barren and desolate. The world of Nyika has unfamiliar insects. But that's all Jordan spots during his exploration. No birds chirping, no rustling in the undergrowth. It feels unnatural. But he remembers the warnings: Appearances are deceptive. This world is inhabited by dangerous creatures: Pori. Fortunately, there is no encounter and they finally reach their destination: the community of Ukoo.

The settlement is a cluster of simple huts made of wood and clay inside a protective wall. Some of the huts are adjacent to allotment gardens. There is a fireplace and a well, as well as a large watchtower that rises up in the center of the settlement. The visitors are eyed with great interest. Not fear or caution, but curiosity is reflected in the eyes of the inhabitants. 

"Three beasts - all children - stopped their game of tag around the extinguished campfire as the new arrivals passed them. Jordan estimated the two girls and the boy to be little more than six human years old. But unlike in Kilima, the children's eyes seemed more curious than cautious. All the adults who looked out of the open wooden windows or were outside were also watching the strangers with interest. Jordan noticed that all the children were wearing the same clothes, albeit slightly different colors: On their legs, a long, thin piece of cloth knotted at the waist, and no outerwear. Jordan doubted that the offspring belonged to the same household and believed that the choice of clothing was no coincidence. Although the children were all beasts, they clearly belonged to different species - two wore fur, one girl wore feathers. Jordan now suspected that the beasts' vocation could be traced back to their wardrobe. And with these children, their careers were probably not yet decided."

The visitors from the Kilima school receive a friendly welcome by Krollwor, the speaker of the Ukoo community. He shares the story of the founding of this world: Six evil creatures, the corruptors, led by a vile demon, once haunted the world. At that time, the elements roamed the world freely and unbound. Nyika was on the brink of annihilation. Four creatures, the keepers however stood up against the threat. They prevailed and ended the tyranny of the corrupters. The four elements were their forging tools with which they shaped the land according to their will. In the same moment, they breathed the gift of life into the beasts and made them into their children. The pori also saw the light of day on this day and became a natural counterpart to the Beasts. In this world of Nyika, balance was the greatest gift and the foundation of the world itself. As the heirs of the keepers, it was the beasts' responsibility to watch over this balance and not getting corrupted by lower instincts.

Jordan and the rest of the visitors get their first lesson in mastering the elements. They learn quickly and soon achieve their first positive results. They also show great creativity. Krollwor is satisfied with the interest and the  open mindedness of their visitors and promises to teach other people from the Kilima school as well and to support the school in the time of need. 

Out of a total of 300 students, twelve are selected. These twelve students have made an outstanding contribution to the well-being of the school through their achievements and become emissaries. Jordan is one of them. Also Zoey and Amy, Marc and Ricarda. Together with the rest of the emissaries, they listen to the explanations about their mission: to go out to find Marvin King or an explanation about the incident. The interest is considerable, and almost everyone is willing to take on the task, including Jordan. He and five others are heading out into the world in search of the man Marvin King. In search of answers. And in search of a way back. What will they find? Will they succeed? And what mysteries will await them? To be continued… in the full release of "Kilima – School of the Beasts".