(The Old Knights Pub Incident)
"Alright fellas see ya next week!" A overweight business man let out a deep laugh while stumbling out the back of his favourite pub with booze staining his white shirt.
As he slowly made his way out of the alleyway he suddenly knocked his forehead against something hard and glared up at a floating bronze door blocking off the alleyway.
"Damn homeless bastards messing up this fine city!" He snarled as this wasn't the first time he was inconvenienced with makeshift housing.
As he dashed forward to dismantle the bedding, the abrupt transition from hard pavement to soft snow caused him to stumble and fall onto his hands and knees. The random shift in location seemed to instantly clear his head as he looked back at the door leading to the city.
In a frantic rush toward the door, the snow beneath his feet collapsed, sending him sliding down from the mountain peak to land on an outcropping of the cliffside a few feet below.
"Ah, my back! Where on earth am I?" he groaned, struggling to his feet and retrieving his phone, only to discover the screen was shattered and it was snapping pictures at random intervals.
Before he could curse his bad luck or toss his phone in anger, an arrow struck his right knee with such force that it twisted and broke the leg.
His screams echoed as he writhed on the ground while the arrow itself let off a sinister dark blue glow before rapidly freezing the limb solid in a matter of seconds.
Laughter drew his gaze to the dark cave. Through his blurred vision, he saw a rusty chain inscribed with faint blue runes shoot out and coil tightly around his plump neck.
"This is merely a nightmare, nothing more."
Tears fell silently as he was forcefully pulled into the cave by a sharp tug on the chain.
As his eyes grew accustomed to the dim light, he found himself gazing up at a group of slender beings with curved ears, icy blue skin, and long white hair, all clad in fur garments.
They looked down upon him, their purple eyes gleaming with hunger as they licked their lips with lengthy, slimy purple tongues.
One began to utter unintelligible sounds that sounded like gibberish to the man. Meanwhile, another creature drew a dagger and carved a chunk from his plump cheek, swiftly consuming the bloody morsel.
The others watched as their brethren formed a large grin while chewing.
With a sharp whistle, the chain tightened, and his body rapidly chilled to the point where his left pinkie finger snapped off before he was pulled deeper into the cave.
His screams of terror echoed out, only to be swallowed by the raging blizzard and the endless mountain peaks. A smaller icy blue creature observed the hunters dash down the tunnel with their catch, while faint whispers infiltrated his mind.
He climbed the mountain effortlessly and approached the bronze door. It swung open, allowing the creature to peer through at the strange sounds and flickering lights that seemed to beckon him.
Instinctively, he extended a clawed finger, only to be halted by a shimmering barrier.
"Fourteen days before the hunt begins," a calm and clear voice echoed in the young creature's mind, prompting a wide, sinister grin to spread across his face.
"From that event, we understood that it's possible to capture and retrieve audio and images from within the doors. We also became aware of the existence of hostile entities, now known as frost elves, who, after a two week delay, launched an invasion on England, bringing with them an unrelenting ice storm and a voracious hunting expedition," explained Miss Summers, the senior teacher positioned behind a vast white desk, while her class observed the holographic displays, each student reflecting a spectrum of emotions.
Emotions like fear, disgust, and sadness were palpable as the holograms displayed a sanitized glimpse of the devastation in various regions, before transitioning to a global view showcasing a multitude of dire situations unfolding across the planet.
"The incident was just one of many; a month later, hordes of the undead overran Scotland, and the following year, dragons of all sizes and might made Wales their battlefield and home.
"These occurrences have sadly become commonplace in our existence," she said, her eyes reflecting sorrow. "Now, who can recount the three miracles that altered everything, for better or for worse?"
All the children shot their hands up and called for her attention, which brought a smile to her face.
"Scott, please start with the first event," she directed, pointing at a sixteen-year-old boy with curly brown hair, pale skin, red eyes, and a four-clawed scar running across his right cheek.
"The year was 2000 when a wave of monsters emerged from mystical doors all over the planet," he growled, anger evident on his face. "The survivors call it Devastation Day, as thousands lost their lives in the ensuing chaos."
"Very good, now Nina," Miss Summers said, pointing to a fifteen-year-old girl with scaly bright green skin, snakes for hair, and orange eyes behind pitch-black glasses.
"Fifty years later, the surviving members of humanity witnessed a massive white door appear in the sky. It engulfed the entire planet in multicolored glowing energy, forcing the monsters to retreat back through the door," she explained with a broad smile, clasping her hands together. "After this glorious moment, many people transformed into mystical creatures akin to those in folktales, an event known as the Sanctification Spark."
"Very well spoken, Cyrus, continue," Miss Summers directed her attention to a fourteen-year-old boy with dark brown skin, a small black afro, golden eyes behind thick-rimmed glasses, and a necklace with a silver ring.
"After the Spark Event, humanity realized that all doors remained closed for another fifty years. During that time, they prepared and organized themselves," Cyrus said, his face taking on a determined expression. "That event is known as Humanity's Counterattack, where those monsters learned that we will fight back and win!"
"Someone has been doing their homework, I see," Miss Summers said with a proud smile.
"After the counterattack, non-transformed humans were rewarded with the gift of mystical powers to help keep themselves safe!" a thirteen-year-old girl with olive skin, light green eyes, and black pigtails exclaimed as she raised her hand, creating a small ball of white fire.
"Love your enthusiasm, Jasmine," she chuckled softly as the other children demonstrated their innate magical abilities.
"The world leaders and governments harnessed the knowledge from the miracles to establish the three powerhouses essential for maintaining the security and safety of the new world," she explained. As she spoke, three holograms materialized, displaying the logos of the influential corporations to the students.
The Everlasting Path Assembly
The infinity symbol is inside a eye.
The EPA handles the economic side of the world and deal with the endless plans for construction, agriculture and everything else needed in order to keep the new mystical world and way of living moving forward and thriving.
The Global Slayer League
A tower shield with the earth in the middle.
The GSL keeps and updates the records of all the people both awakened and transformed while giving them licenses that allow them to use their powers for ordinary jobs. And for those who are willing to battle the monsters from beyond the doors will receive special treatment for making the ultimate sacrifice in protecting humanity as a whole.
The Founding Forge House
A great anvil with a ouroboros.
The FFH secures the otherworldly artifacts/creatures that are recovered from the mystical doors, dissects the corpses of the slain monsters, studies the strange material gained from both the doors and our own magical environment while using all of it to help humanity become stronger.
"Now, children, it's time to write an essay on which of the great three you will join when you grow up," Miss Summers announced as she conjured a rock golem to distribute papers to the eager students. The students buzzed with excitement, discussing their favorite companies and their future aspirations.
(The Endless Void)
Cyrus is currently lying battered and broken in a pool of his own blood while staring up and a tall creature cloaked in shadows.
The cold look in its red eyes forced him not to move a single muscle. The creature walked forward and pressed a large foot down on his face and slowly pressed down.
As the pain got more and more intense the creature's mouth turned into the shape of disappontment while Cyrus's right eye popped from his skull making him want to cry out but his mangled throat only allowed him to spew out blood.
"Weak so weak" The creature spoke with utter annoyance as shattered Cyrus's skull to a bloody mess before walking away into the endless darkness.
Damn it, I'll beat that creature!
That single thought echoed in his mind as everything turned dark, a recurring nightmare that had become a frustrating experience for the young slayer in training.