"Ahh! Eden's here!!"
The excited scream alerted the rest of the class as they all raised their heads to look at the young man entering the room.
A handsome man, 191 cm tall, with a lean build. He had medium-length black hair that matched his dark irises. A kind smile spread across his face as he noticed them watching him.
"Good morning, everyone!" he waved to the class before making his way to his seat, causing several women in the room to blush.
"Haha, man, you're gonna make Sylvia jealous again!" Before Eden could sit down, another guy ran up, throwing an arm around his shoulder and whispering in his ear while pointing his thumb at a girl approaching them with puffed cheeks.
She stood at a modest 160 cm and was quite beautiful. Her vibrant pink hair was tied into twin tails that bounced as she walked.
"Excuse me, Eric!" Sylvia arrived, moving the other boy aside.
"Muu~ Eden! Hurry up and accept my offer before one of these vixens steals you away!" She pouted as she clung to Eden's arm.
"Alright, alright, calm down, Sylvia. You know my coach would kill me if I started dating right before our big championship. Once it's over, I'll give you an answer, okay?" Eden smiled at her, and she gazed at him dreamily before a silly grin crossed her face.
She nodded and trotted back to her seat, happy.
"Damn, man, I must admit, I'm pretty jealous… How are you so good at everything?!" Eric sighed, thinking about how incredible Eden's life seemed.
"What are you talking about? You're top three on the school leaderboard for grades and number two when it comes to trophies! You have fans all over the school." Eden replied, trying to encourage his friend.
'Yeah... but who's number one?' Eric lamented.
A few minutes later, the chattering in the room increased as another popular student entered.
She was admired by everyone in the school, though she mostly kept to herself. Word had spread that her parents had died a few years ago, and their bodies were never found. Not much else was known about her background.
It was said she had trust issues, which explained why she was usually alone and cold to anyone who approached her.
"Oh god, Alycia's here!" Eric shouted, quickly fixing his hair and checking his breath.
"Attempt number 247 at asking her out... wish me luck!" Eric stood up, his heart racing as he made his way over to Alycia, taking in her breathtaking appearance.
She stood at 175 cm, her long, light purple hair flowing behind her.
Eric's heartbeat sped up as he got closer and started speaking.
"A-Alycia, hello! Uhh... I was wondering if you'd like to go out to dinner with me sometime—"
"No, thank you."
Before he could finish, her cold voice cut him off, rejecting him as she walked past him to her seat, her eyes ignoring every other student in the room.
Eric, still smiling despite the rejection, ran back to Eden, flashing two thumbs up.
"Hehe, she spoke to me!"
Eden could only smile at his friend's antics, casting a casual glance at Alycia's back before looking away.
"Where's Mike and Kei? Class is about to start soon." Eden asked, pulling out his phone and texting his two other friends.
"Don't worry, you know they're always late. Today won't be any different." Eric smirked, leaning back in his chair.
The room continued buzzing with chatter, with everyone having their own side conversations while waiting for class to officially start.
*Ding Ding Difnj*
The bell rang, signaling the start of class, but it began to sound more distorted as it continued.
*Dinfi Doour Duurr D...oor...oor..p*
The sound caused everyone to grab their heads as massive headaches struck them, the volume intensifying.
The unholy noise filled the room, instilling fear in the students, some of whom collapsed to the floor, clutching their heads in agony.
"Aagh! W-what is th-this?!" Eric dropped to his knees, trying to cover his ears.
Eden felt only slight discomfort, but seeing everyone else's extreme reactions, he decided to play along, falling to the floor.
Alycia, however, remained perfectly fine, looking around in confusion. Her gaze finally stopped on one person, concern evident in her eyes.
"Hey guys, what'd I miss—AAGHH!!"
A late arrival entered the classroom with a grin, which quickly vanished as he collapsed in pain.
"Mike!" His friend, who had been just a step behind, hurried to help but soon fell as well.
As soon as both of them were inside, the doors slammed shut, and a bright light filled the room, burning the eyes of anyone who kept them open.
A few seconds later, the bell's distorted ringing stopped, and the classroom fell silent.
All the students had vanished, leaving only their desks and bags.
Blood and vomit covered the floor, sure to horrify the teacher when they eventually walked in.
---
In a grand throne room, dozens of people gathered.
Two sat beside each other on lavish thrones, with a third sitting in a smaller throne beside them.
Countless guards lined the walls, each wielding weapons and donning armor, their shields engraved with the symbol of a dragon devouring an apple.
All eyes were focused on the center of the room, where a man in a white robe stood, muttering strange words.
"etar eht koob!"
His voice echoed throughout the room as a ringing sound began.
Upon hearing this, excitement overtook the man's face as he rejoiced.
"Success! Finally! After many attempts, we've connected!"
The man turned and bowed toward the thrones.
"King Wyster, the group will arrive shortly."
He remained bowed until the king responded.
"Good work, Languid. You may rise. Prepare the awakening room immediately; we have no time to waste!" the king ordered, turning to the woman beside him.
"Queen Faelia, do you have any thoughts on this group?"
The queen, her blonde hair framing two pointed ears, seemed lost in thought before replying.
"I just hope the sacrifices were worth it. Time is running out..."
The king nodded as the room was suddenly engulfed in bright light.
"Ow..."
Moans and groans filled the room as numerous students appeared in the center, clutching their heads and curling up on the ground.
"Fix them." Languid ordered.
A bright light fell on the group for a few seconds before fading.
"...Ahem!" The students were startled as the pain vanished, finding themselves in a strange room, surrounded by many individuals exuding powerful auras.
"Welcome to the Kingdom of Eldoria, saviors!"