Ryan bolted upright, gasping like a fish out of water. Disoriented and blinking away sleep crust, he took in his surroundings. Gone was the creepy alley and the bad lighting. Here, the air crackled with a clean, electric energy that made his hair stand on end. He looked up, jaw dropping like a cartoon character.
A giant golden gate, like something out of a video game cutscene, dominated the view. Crazy carvings of griffins and fire chickens (seriously, were those supposed to be phoenixes?) decorated it. Beyond the gate, a whole city sparkled like a disco ball under the sun. Tall pointy buildings stabbed the sky, their windows reflecting the light like a million broken CDs. Lawns filled with crazy, neon-colored flowers stretched out on the other side. This place looked like it belonged on Instagram, not real life.
A groan from beside him snapped him back to reality. His classmates, all 30 of them, were sprawled on the grass like they'd just fallen out of the sky. Some were moaning, some were clutching their heads – classic movie arrival scene.
Recognition dawned – Sarah, the quiet girl who sat next to him in English, was curled up like a shrimp, clutching her stomach. Mark, the class clown, was muttering about falling through a TV. Even Yuri, the resident jerkface, was sprawled unconscious a few feet away, sporting a fresh bruise on his cheek. Guess karma came knocking while he was busy being a jerk.
Scrambling to his feet, Ryan felt a mix of confusion and worry wash over him. Was everyone else sucked into the game too? Like, literally sucked in?
One by one, his classmates started to stir. Sarah was the first to blink awake, her eyes wide like a deer in headlights. Then came Dennis, Yuri's sidekick, his usual smirk replaced by a bewildered frown.
"What the…" Dennis mumbled, picking himself up like a ragdoll. He spotted Ryan and his smirk returned, but this time it was laced with meanness, like a bully who just found his favorite punching bag. "Well, well, Blox. Fancy meeting you here."
Ryan clenched his fists. Seriously? Even in a magical land filled with giant gates and sparkly cities, Dennis still had to be a jerk? He opened his mouth to fire back, but Sarah beat him to it.
"Can we not do this right now?" she said, her voice surprisingly strong. "We clearly have bigger problems, like figuring out where we are and why we're here."
Her words seemed to have a calming effect. Even Mark, who usually talked more than a broken vending machine, shut up and looked around, his eyes widening at the sight of the golden gate.
Just as things were getting a little less chaotic, a loud creaking sound cut through the air. The giant golden gate groaned open, revealing a dude in shiny silver armor, looking all serious and knightly. He had a beard that looked like it needed its own zip code and a voice that boomed like a bad sound system.
"Welcome, chosen ones," the dude boomed, his voice echoing across the field. "The King wants to see you in the palace."
A collective gasp rose from his classmates. Chosen ones? King? This was getting weirder than that time they served mystery meat in the cafeteria.
"Who are you?" Sarah called out, her voice barely a whisper.
"I am Sir Gareth, Gatekeeper of Aethel," the knight-dude replied, his voice lacking any chill. "Now, come along. Time is, like, super short."
He gestured towards the open gate, his gaze sweeping over them all. Ryan felt a shiver crawl down his spine as Sir Gareth's eyes landed on him. It felt like the dude was looking right through him, like he knew something Ryan didn't.
A chorus of groans and complaints rose from his classmates. Jessica, the girl who always looked like she stepped out of a fashion magazine, wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Are we seriously expected to walk all the way there in this dirt? Can't we, like, get a carriage or something?"
"Shut up, Jessica," Mark hissed. "This is actually kind of serious."
"Yeah," Dennis chimed in, his voice regaining its usual bravado. "Let's see what kind of trouble Blox can get us into now."
Ryan wanted to punch Dennis right in his smug face. Seriously, the guy couldn't take a hint? But something held him back. He needed to focus on figuring out what was going on, not get into a fistfight with Dennis in the middle of what looked like a fantasy land.
He glanced at Sarah, who was looking at him with a mix of curiosity and concern. He offered her a small, genuine smile, the first sign of solidarity he'd felt since arriving in this crazy place.
Sir Gareth, however, seemed unimpressed by their squabbling. He let out a frustrated sigh that sounded like a deflating balloon. "Look, time is of the essence. You can argue later, after you've met the King. Now, follow me or face the consequences."
His words held a hint of a threat, and even Jessica seemed to shrink under his gaze. With no other choice, they started towards the glistening city beyond the gate.
The walk was a surreal experience. The air buzzed with a strange energy, and the ground felt surprisingly springy under their feet. Gigantic butterflies with iridescent wings fluttered around them, and strange, chirping birds with rainbow feathers perched on the neon flowers. It was like stepping into a fever dream come to life.
As they walked, the murmurs and complaints among his classmates grew louder.
"This is insane," Mark muttered, kicking a particularly bright yellow flower. "One minute I'm playing the game, the next I'm here, in this… this…" he trailed off, gesturing at the dazzling city around them.
"This what?" Jessica snapped, her designer sandals sinking slightly into the soft ground. "This place is a total disaster area! How do they even keep these flowers alive with all this… bright… stuff?"
Ryan tuned out their bickering, his mind focused on processing everything. This wasn't a dream. He could feel the scratch on his arm from Yuri's punch, the ground beneath his feet, the sun warming his skin – it was all too real.
But what did it all mean? Why were they here? And why did Sir Gareth call them "chosen ones"?
A question formed on his lips, and before he could stop himself, he blurted it out. "Hey, Sir Gareth," he said, his voice slightly shaky, "why did you call us 'chosen ones'? And where are we exactly?"
Sir Gareth turned his head slightly, his expression unreadable. "You'll find out soon enough, young one," he rumbled. "For now, silence is appreciated."
Ryan sighed, frustration bubbling within him. They walked for what felt like hours, the vibrant city sprawling before them. They passed bustling marketplaces filled with bizarre creatures selling equally bizarre goods – talking mushrooms,glowing potions, and what looked suspiciously like miniature dragons wearing tiny hats.
The closer they got to the city center, the more opulent the buildings became. Towers of shimmering crystal reached for the sky, and walkways made of what appeared to be solid gold weaved between buildings.