Consciousness returned to Aster in fragments—sensation before thought, awareness before understanding.
The first thing he noticed was the cold. Hard stone pressed against his back, leeching warmth from his body. His head throbbed with a dull ache that pulsed in rhythm with his heartbeat. Voices swirled around him, muffled and distant, as if he were hearing them through water.
What happened?
He forced his eyes open, squinting against bright light that wasn't quite sunlight. The ceiling above him was wrong—not the familiar white tiles of the school library, but ornate stone carved with intricate patterns that seemed to shift and writhe when he tried to focus on them.
"Aster? Aster, can you hear me?"
Marcus's voice, tinged with panic, cut through the fog. Aster turned his head—slowly, because the movement made the world spin—to find his best friend crouched beside him, face pale and eyes wide with barely contained fear.
"I'm... I'm okay," Aster managed, though his voice came out rough and uncertain. "What—"
A scream pierced the air, sharp and terrified.
Aster pushed himself up on his elbows, ignoring the protest of muscles that felt like they'd been torn apart and stitched back together. The scene that greeted him defied comprehension.
They were in some kind of massive chamber, the ceiling soaring at least fifty feet overhead and supported by columns that seemed carved from single pieces of white marble. But it wasn't the architecture that captured his attention—it was the glowing circle beneath them.
Luminescent lines covered the floor in an impossibly complex pattern, geometric shapes overlapping and interweaving in designs that hurt to look at directly. The entire circle had to be at least thirty feet in diameter, and at its center—right where Aster had been lying moments ago—a symbol pulsed with dying light, like embers fading to ash.
And scattered across this circle, in various states of consciousness and panic, were his classmates.
Sophie was the one who'd screamed. She clung to Claire, both girls on their knees, staring around with expressions of pure terror. Lily was already on her feet, helping Maya stand, her face set in grim determination despite the fear Aster could see in her eyes. Blake and Evan had instinctively moved back-to-back, fists raised as if ready to fight despite having no idea what they'd be fighting.
Derek stood near the edge of the circle, Jason and Troy flanking him. For once, his usual arrogance had given way to something approaching genuine alarm. Rachel and Jade huddled together, their earlier cruelty forgotten in the face of whatever had just happened to them.
Nina had her back pressed against one of the circle's edge, her book clutched to her chest like a shield. Grace was checking on others, her natural kindness overriding her own fear. Owen's jokes had died on his lips, replaced by uncharacteristic silence.
Zara looked around with calculating eyes, already trying to assess the situation. And Quinn—Quinn sat perfectly still at the circle's edge, watching everything with that same withdrawn expression, as if being transported to an unknown location was just another thing to observe.
"Is everyone here?" Cole's voice cut through the rising panic. Their teacher stood at the circle's far side, doing a quick headcount. His usual calm demeanor was strained, but he was holding it together better than most. "Sound off if you're injured!"
A chorus of voices responded—mostly variations of "I'm okay" mixed with "Where are we?" and "What the hell just happened?"
"This isn't real," Rachel said, her voice shaking. "This is a dream. It has to be a dream."
"If it's a dream, it's a shared one," Troy muttered, for once lacking his usual cynicism. He actually looked shaken.
"Guys," Blake said slowly, his athlete's instincts putting together what the others were still processing. "We're not at school anymore."
That's when Aster noticed the people.
They surrounded the glowing circle, dozens of them, all dressed in clothes that belonged in a fantasy movie or historical drama. Robes of rich fabrics, armor of gleaming metal, staffs topped with crystals that pulsed with internal light. But it was their expressions that sent ice down Aster's spine—confusion, alarm, and something that looked disturbingly like disappointment.
A woman in elaborate purple robes stepped forward, her weathered face creased with confusion. She held a staff nearly as tall as she was, topped with a crystal that swirled with violet mist. Her eyes—an unnatural shade of silver—swept across the summoned students with growing concern.
"This... this isn't right," she said, her voice carrying despite its softness. She spoke in English, which should have been impossible but somehow wasn't. "The summoning was supposed to bring the Chosen Ones, the heroes of prophecy. But these are... children?"
"Children?" Derek bristled at the word, taking a step forward before Jason grabbed his arm. "Who are you calling—"
He cut off abruptly as movement rippled through the crowd. The people—soldiers, Aster's mind supplied, because what else could you call the armored figures with weapons drawn—tensed. And behind them, previously hidden in the shadows, massive shapes stirred.
Sophie's second scream was cut short as Claire clamped a hand over her mouth.
They were creatures—beasts that shouldn't exist outside of fantasy games and mythology. A wolf the size of a small car, its fur midnight black and its eyes glowing with intelligent malevolence.
A scaled creature that resembled a wingless dragon, plates of armor-like hide covering its serpentine body. Something that might have been a bear if bears were twice the normal size with horns curving from their skulls.
And they were all staring at the summoned class with predatory focus.
"Oh god," Maya whimpered, pressing closer to Lily. "Oh god, oh god—"
"Everyone stay calm," Cole said, though his own voice wavered. He moved to put himself between his students and the surrounding crowd, a futile gesture but a brave one. "We mean no harm. There's been some kind of mistake—"
"Lower your weapons!"
The command rang out with absolute authority, echoing through the chamber with enough force to make several students flinch. The crowd parted immediately, soldiers snapping to attention with practiced precision. Even the beasts seemed to respond, settling back on their haunches though their eyes never left the circle.
A man strode through the opening in the crowd, and even without context, Aster knew what he was. Everything about him screamed royalty—the bearing, the clothes, the crown of gold and silver that rested on his graying hair. He was perhaps fifty, with a weathered face that spoke of long years and hard decisions, but his eyes were sharp and calculating as they swept across the summoned class.
Behind him came an entourage: more armored guards, advisors in rich robes, and a younger man who bore enough resemblance to be a son. A prince, perhaps.
The king—because what else could he be—stopped at the edge of the magic circle. His gaze lingered on each student in turn, assessment clear in his expression. When he spoke, his voice carried the weight of someone used to being obeyed.
"I am King Aldric Valerius, sovereign of the Aldric Kingdom and defender of humanity's last bastion." He paused, letting his words sink in. "And you, if the texts we found spoke true, are the Summoned Heroes we have called upon."
Silence.
Then Owen, of all people, laughed. It was a nervous, slightly hysterical sound, but it broke the tension enough that others found their voices.
"Heroes?" Marcus said, looking around at his classmates in disbelief. "Us?"
"This is insane," Nina whispered, though whether to herself or others, Aster couldn't tell.
"I knew it!" Evan pumped his fist in the air, a grin spreading across his face despite the obvious danger. "It's exactly like those isekai anime! We've been summoned to another world to defeat the demon lord or something, right?"
"You've got to be kidding me," Derek muttered, but even he looked intrigued rather than dismissive.
Zara's eyes had gone wide with a mixture of fear and excitement. "This is... this is actually happening. We're in another world."
"No way," Sophie breathed, her earlier terror transforming into something approaching wonder. "This is like... every fantasy story ever. We're going to be heroes!"
"Or we're going to die," Quinn said flatly from his corner, speaking up for perhaps the first time since they'd arrived. His words doused the rising excitement like cold water.
King Aldric watched these exchanges with growing confusion. "You speak of this as if it were fiction," he said slowly. "Do you not understand your situation? Your world—wherever you came from—is beyond your reach now. The Summoning Circle was a one-time construct, powered by artifacts gathered over centuries. There is no returning."
The words hit like a physical blow.
"What?" Grace whispered, her face going white.
"No return?" Claire's voice cracked. "But... our families..."
"My mom," Maya said, tears starting to flow. "My little brother—"
"This can't be happening," Rachel said, all her earlier mean-girl persona crumbling. "This isn't real. It can't be real."
Cole moved among his students, trying to provide comfort even though Aster could see the same horror reflected in their teacher's eyes. They were trapped. Ripped from their world with no way back.
Aster felt his own chest tighten. His parents. His future. Everything he'd worked for, every plan he'd made—gone in an instant of impossible light. The International Academic Olympics he'd qualified for would go on without him. His family would be left wondering what happened, never knowing that their son had been torn from reality itself.
Lily's hand found his, squeezing tight. When he looked at her, he saw his own fear and determination reflected back.
King Aldric raised his hand, and the chamber fell silent once more. "I understand your distress," he said, and there was genuine sympathy in his tone. "The Summoning was an act of desperation, not choice. But before you judge us too harshly, you must understand what has befallen this world—what has befallen humanity."
He gestured toward the windows, where the alien sky stretched beyond. "This continent you now stand upon is called Aetherion, and majority of its population consists of human race. For thousands of years, we thrived here—building kingdoms, advancing our civilizations, living in relative peace." His expression darkened. "Until fifty years ago, when the Dungeon appeared."
The word hung in the air like a curse. Several students exchanged confused glances, but Aster felt his stomach drop. A dungeon. The term was familiar from games and fantasy stories, but the way the king spoke of it—with reverence and terror—suggested something far more sinister.
"It manifested in the center of our continent," King Aldric continued, his voice heavy with old grief. "A tower of black stone that pierced the sky, surrounded by a void that consumed everything it touched. And from that Dungeon, monsters began to emerge."
He paused, letting his words sink in. "Not dozens. Not hundreds. Thousands upon thousands of creatures that should not exist—beasts of nightmare and legend, pouring forth like an endless tide. They swept across our lands, destroying everything in their path. Entire kingdoms fell within weeks. Millions died in the first year alone."
Maya's sobbing had grown quieter, but tears still streamed down her face. Grace had gone pale, and even Derek looked shaken by the description.
"We fought back with everything we had," the prince added, his jaw tight. "Our armies, our weapons, our most powerful warriors. But conventional means were useless. The monsters were too strong, too numerous. Humanity was being driven to extinction."
"Then something changed," King Aldric said, and for the first time, a hint of something other than despair entered his voice. "One of our soldiers—a desperate, dying man cornered by a beast—managed to kill it. And in that moment, something miraculous occurred."
The king's expression grew reverent, almost religious in its intensity. "The System that governs the Dungeon—the entity that controls the endless spawning of monsters—gave us a gift. Every human on this continent, from newborn babes to the eldest among us, received something from it in that instant."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle over the room. Several students leaned forward, captivated despite their fear.
"What that gift was, what it allowed us to do—that is a tale for another time," King Aldric said, his tone making it clear he would not elaborate further. "But know this: it gave us the power to fight back. To survive. To push the monsters back from our doorsteps, if only barely."
"The Summoning was our attempt to tip the scales further," the king continued. "The texts we found with the summoning circle spoke of heroes from another world who would arrive with the System's blessing already upon them—or perhaps something even greater. An individual among the heroes who would arrive with a gift beyond our limitations, blessed by a force even beyond our imagination."
His expression hardened with determination. "The Summoning cost us nearly everything. Artifacts of immense power, consumed in the ritual. The lives of three Grand Mages, who gave their essence to open the portal between worlds." His eyes swept across the students. "We did not call you here lightly or without understanding the cost you would bear."
"So what?" Derek said, his voice hard. "We're supposed to just accept that we've been kidnapped from our world to fight your war?"
"You will be compensated," King Aldric said firmly. "Power, wealth, status—whatever you desire, if it is within our ability to grant. You will be trained by our finest warriors and mages. With the gift the System has granted humanity, you too will be able to grow stronger. You will want for nothing."
"Except our homes," Marcus said quietly.
"Except our families," Lily added, her hand still gripping Aster's.
The king's expression tightened, but he didn't back down. "I cannot undo what has been done. The ritual is complete. Your path forward lies here, not behind you." He straightened, his voice taking on a more formal tone.
"Tomorrow, you will undergo the Talent Awakening ceremony. It will reveal your innate gifts and determine your paths as heroes. For tonight, you will be given quarters, food, and rest. I suggest you use this time to accept your circumstances."
He turned to leave, his entourage moving to follow. The soldiers began to disperse, though the beasts remained, watchful and still.
"Wait!" Cole called out. "What if we refuse? What if we don't want to be your heroes?"
King Aldric paused, looking back over his shoulder. For a moment, something dark flickered in his eyes. "Then you will find surviving in this world... difficult. The choice, such as it is, remains yours."
(END OF CHAPTER)
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