The world ended with a screech of metal, a thunderous crash, and then… nothing.
Ryn opened his eyes—or rather, his mind opened first. There was no ground, no walls, no sky. Only endless, blinding white.
Around him, nineteen other students floated, stumbled, or stood frozen. Panic swirled through them.
"What… what just happened?"
"Am I… dead?"
"This isn't real. It can't be real!"
Voices overlapped, cries and frantic whispers filling the void. Ryn did not move. He observed. Every tremor, every wide-eyed glance, every flinch of fear. Each reaction was data, cataloged and analyzed.
They are blind to the truth. Perfect.
A shift in the light drew their attention. Something solid emerged from the white nothingness—a figure taller than any human, luminous, graceful, and terrifying in its stillness. Wings shimmered in and out of existence. She did not move but simply existed, and the void seemed to bend around her presence.
"Welcome, lost souls."
The students froze. Their cries and whispers died mid-breath. The Angel's silver eyes scanned them, piercing but indifferent.
"Do not be afraid," she said.
One girl collapsed to her knees. Another screamed. Some muttered frantic prayers. And then a voice, sharp and defiant, cut through the chaos.
"I'm not afraid!"
Ryn's attention flicked to her. The girl stood with her fists clenched, glaring at the Angel as if daring her to say otherwise. Red hair fell across her forehead, her eyes burning with unspoken fire. Even amidst the panic around her, she radiated determination and competitiveness.
So she's one to fight rather than flee. Ryn's thoughts were cold, detached, noting the trait for later analysis. Likely to act before thinking, but strong.
"You have died," the Angel continued, her voice steady and cold. "Your world has ended. But another calls for you. Aetherion bleeds, and its balance teeters. You are chosen to help restore it."
Chaos erupted again. Cries, protests, and frantic gasps filled the void. Ryn's eyes scanned everything—the panic, the trembling, the ways each mind tried to process the impossible.
Then a voice cut through the storm.
"Everyone, calm down! Yelling won't help!"
Sun stepped forward, hands raised, shoulders steady. The students quieted, hesitant but listening.
"I don't know what's happening either," he said. "But panicking changes nothing. Let's hear her out first."
The Angel's gaze lingered on him for a fraction of a second, then swept past the group.
"You have composure. It will serve you."
She turned her attention back to all twenty.
"Each of you shall be reborn. Your memories will remain intact. You will receive a Gift, chosen for you, though its nature will be hidden until you are ready to understand it."
Golden motes of light drifted from her hands, sinking into the chests of each student. Some gasped, some whimpered. Ryn felt two pierce him simultaneously.
Stealth.
Eye of the Creator.
He flinched slightly, but said nothing. He cataloged the sensations, the faint burning of power, the layers of perception opening in his mind. He did not reveal anything.
The girl with the fire in her eyes—the one who shouted earlier—tensed as her Gift entered her chest. A soft glow lingered there for a moment, almost defiant, almost challenging the Angel's calm authority.
Interesting, Ryn thought. She won't be quiet, even under orders. Likely volatile. High potential for action, less for patience.
"These Gifts will guide you, though only partially. The paths you walk will not be equal, nor will the burdens be shared fairly. Your choices will matter more than your ranks."
The students were paralyzed. Some tried to speak. Some cried. Some shook. Ryn's gaze swept the chaos, noting every personality, every flaw, every weakness.
"You are ready," the Angel said. Her wings shimmered. "Step forward into your new lives."
The void cracked beneath them. Brilliant light flared. Panic surged briefly, then dissolved.
Ryn floated in perfect calm, analyzing the light, the Gifts, and the reactions of everyone else.
Another world. Another game board. Let them underestimate me. That is my advantage.
The white swallowed them completely.