A young man walked through the streets with a deadpan expression. After walking through the familiar routes, he approached an ice cream vendor.
Licking the ice cream, the young man sighed. "It's too damn hot here."
After finishing the ice cream, he walked back home. Opening the familiar door every single day, the young man couldn't help but lament life's simplicity.
While walking upstairs, he met his younger sister on the way. She was still in her pajamas, and her stern expression made the young man twitch his lips.
"Stell, did you buy another ice cream?" Her cute, high-pitched voice harrumphed. If it was anyone else, Stell might have felt like he did something wrong, but he just couldn't take his sister seriously when she acted like that.
"Does it matter? I'm not sick anymore." He complained. His little sister's nagging left him speechless. 'Since when did this twelve-year-old start bossing me around?'
"I can still hear your hoarse throat!" His sister pointed out, showing obvious suspicion about his condition.
"It's your imagination." Stell waved her away as he entered his house. "Don't bother me, Mia."
After entering his room, Stell started reading novels. One of his favorites was 'Shadowy Unwilling'.
In that world, the protagonist had no last name, and he journeyed with his friends, fighting dangerous abominations and forging tales of friendships and betrayal.
"I wish I could do the same." He sighed as he read the book. Stell lived in Key City, one of the smaller cities in Phoenix Country. Due to various reasons, his parents left him to live alone with his sister, Mia.
Because of the generous allowance, freedom, and the fact that he wouldn't have to deal with them anymore, Stell didn't complain.
Next to Stell were numerous books. Some of them were 'Shadowy Unwilling' continuations, while some were books about psychology.
Yes, in addition to fantasy and action, Stell's next favorite thing was reading seemingly dull psychology books. Because of his recent discovery of his love for psychology, he couldn't read too many books.
That didn't stop him from collecting them, though.
After a while, he heard his alarm ring. It was time to walk to school. Although he enjoyed walking, he didn't really love it. Or rather, his wish was never to walk. If he could, he would fly to school.
The world was too monotone for Stell. His naggy little sister complained every day, the same ice cream, the same walk to school, and the same school classes. Sure, he may enjoy them sometimes, but he would trade them for every fantasy book he could.
Fantasy was his favorite genre simply because he could explore new worlds, new characters, and new powers. It was as simple as that. Some called it escapism, but he didn't care.
He loved new things, but his life had none. While walking, he passed by a tavern. He didn't hate them, nor did he avoid them, but he couldn't help but frown every time he saw people indulging in alcohol.
At least he was sober. At least he tried enjoying life. His ice cream love was the proof.
'Everything is so boring. When I finish school, I will spend a third of my life sleeping, a third working the same job so that another person will benefit, and a third coping because of the job.' He sighed. At times, he even had dangerous thoughts.
One of those thoughts appeared as he saw a truck passing by. Trucks were special in his eyes. It was a secret only people with the same boredom as him knew about.
'Are those Karu and the rest?' He saw high-school youngsters bullying another, weaker youngster. With a sigh, he ignored them. He was quick to adapt, and his unnatural calmness in such a boring life made him have fewer friends than he would have wanted.
"Even if I die, no one will feel sorry for me. Maybe Mia." He bitterly chuckled.
With a sigh, he entered his classroom. The same people, again. Even the stupid jokes are the same. Sure, he might laugh at some of them, but he would never love this life. At most, he could enjoy it.
After taking a seat, he looked out of the window, expecting to see the same boring teenagers smoking. A basketball court and the girls who changed their boyfriends faster than he walked from his house to the classroom.
He saw none of that. What greeted his sight was a pitch-black void.
Shocked, he started looking around, but even the window itself changed. Then, he saw that he wasn't sitting in a classroom anymore. In front of him was a desk still, but it was much longer than his usual one.
It was an amphitheater!
The amphitheater was big enough to contain hundreds of people. In fact, it already did. Thankfully, it didn't feel cramped as everyone was seated in their seats.
"What's going on?"
"Where am I?"
"Holy Lord, I didn't cheat, I swear!"
Shouts and screams were heard. As panic ensued, Stell started panicking himself.
'Where am I? What's happening?' His panicked mind didn't let him calm down.
Following the panic, a person entered the amphitheater. He had a pointy hat and a wizard's robe. With no beard and clear blue eyes, the person looked at Stell and the rest of the people who appeared in the amphitheater.
"Hello, my name is BY704. I am the professor that works in Exiles Ministry." The professor paused, letting people process his words.
Somehow, as if by magic, the calm voice made most people calm down. Stell noticed his chaotic thoughts gradually calming down. With a deep breath, he glanced around, trying to understand what was going on
There was a professor with a strange name and even more strange attire behind the professor's desk. Behind him was a hologram of some sort that didn't display anything.
Noting the situation, he glanced next to him. His deskmate had red hair, brown skin, and strange red eyes. Just as the panic was about to overwhelm him once again, he noticed his thoughts unnaturally calming down.
'So the professor is calming us down.' He concluded. Working on his panic, Stell made sure that he wouldn't randomly start panicking again. Or, at least, he tried to.
'Wait, why did no one stand up?' Stell tried standing up but noticed that he was unable to. 'So some invisible force doesn't let us stand up. Got it.'
Then, he began actually processing the professor's words.
'Exiles?' Stell murmured. What was that? Where was he exiled from? Earth?
After an unusually long pause, the professor continued.
"Now, now, I know that you have many questions, but the clock is ticking, and my next class starts soon. Let's be efficient here. I talk, and you ask when I give you the permission. Is that clear?"
Many people wanted to stand up or reply, but they couldn't do either of these actions. Noticing that, Stell concluded that either the professor was extremely powerful or the environment they were in was.
Either way, he realized he had no control over his life or death.
Sighing, he relaxed. He had always been the type of person who didn't worry about unnecessary things. How could he enjoy that boring world if he didn't live in the moment?
On the other hand, most people started panicking again. As Stell scanned the classroom again, he only found a few relaxed individuals. Taking note of them, he continued listening to the professor.
'It seems like the calming effect isn't that powerful.' He noted as he saw people struggling to suppress their panic.
"You are currently inside the Treat Kingdom. As exiles, your fate was to face a swift and painful death. Thankfully, the Treat Kingdom decided to take you in and help you." the professor introduced with a smile.