Asher's world tilted sideways as he stepped through the portal. One moment, he was in his bedroom, surrounded by the familiar comfort of home; the next, he was standing in the middle of an open space with the unmistakable silhouette of the Eiffel Tower towering above him. His jaw dropped. The iconic iron lattice structure loomed overhead, sparkling against the twilight sky like it was on a postcard.
"Seriously?" Asher mumbled, his eyes darting between the enormous monument and the two girls standing beside him. "Is this some kind of joke? Am I part of some twisted teleportation experiment?"
The taller girl, who had introduced herself as Luna, cast him a sharp look. The shorter one, Celeste, who was still looking remarkably cheerful, suppressed a giggle.
"This can't be real," Asher continued, more to himself than to them. "I mean, the Eiffel Tower? Did you guys steal a scientist's teleportation device just to hit on me? It's not even Valentine's Day! And who are you two anyway? What's the deal with this 'bestie goal' thing? When do two girls hit on a guy together like this?"
Celeste's laughter bubbled up uncontrollably. She slapped her thigh, her eyes twinkling with mirth. "Oh my god, you're hilarious! We're not hitting on you. And this is definitely not some kind of science experiment."
Luna, who had been watching Asher with a mixture of irritation and amusement, now drew her sword with a sharp metallic rasp. The blade gleamed ominously in the dim light. "This joker," she said, her voice dripping with disdain, "is supposed to help us. Right now, he can't even help himself."
"Hey, hey!" Asher held up his hands in a placating gesture. "I'm not trying to be difficult. It's just that you're in my bedroom one minute, and now we're standing in Paris? This is a lot to process!"
Luna's gaze was steely, but there was an undercurrent of exasperation in her voice. "We're not here to play games. We need your help. You're not part of an experiment, and we're definitely not trying to 'hit on you.'"
Celeste managed to calm her laughter, though a smile still lingered on her lips. "We're sisters, by the way. I'm Celeste, and this is Luna. We come from a place far beyond your world, and we've been searching for you."
Asher blinked, trying to make sense of it all. "Wait, you're sisters? And you're saying this isn't a science experiment? So what exactly is going on?"
Celeste took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. "Okay, look. I know this is a lot to take in. But no, this isn't some kind of experimental prank. We were sent to find you because we believe you're someone important to our world."
Asher's confusion deepened. "Important? Like how?"
"Like, really important," Luna interjected, still holding her sword. "You're supposed to help us with something critical. Something that could affect our entire world."
Asher ran a hand through his hair, trying to clear his head. "Alright, let's break this down. You're from another world, you show up in my bedroom, and now you've brought me to Paris. Why Paris, by the way? Is there some kind of significance to this place?"
Celeste shook her head, her amusement finally fading. "No, Paris is just a convenient place for us to land. It's not about Paris. It's about you. You were identified as someone we need to find, and this was the best location to do that."
Luna's grip on her sword relaxed slightly, though her expression remained stern. "We don't have time for you to process everything right now. There are urgent matters at hand."
Asher looked around, still trying to wrap his mind around the situation. "Okay, fine. I'll help. But can someone please explain to me why I'm the chosen one or whatever? And why did you think Paris was the place to bring me?"
Celeste stepped closer, her tone softer now. "We were told you might be someone called 'The Abyssborn.' It's a term for a person born under special circumstances, someone who might have abilities or a destiny linked to our world."
Asher's mind raced, trying to grasp the weight of her words. "Abyssborn? That sounds like something out of a fantasy novel."
"It does," Celeste agreed. "But it's what we've been told. And when we found you, we had to act quickly. The portal wasn't supposed to land us in Paris specifically, but it's a good enough place to start."
Luna glanced at Asher with a mixture of frustration and impatience. "We need to get moving. The situation is more complicated than we can explain in one go."
Asher looked at them, still trying to piece everything together. "Alright, alright. I get it. We need to move. But you've got to give me a bit more to go on. I mean, I'm not just going to follow you without understanding what's happening."
Luna's patience was wearing thin. "We'll explain more as we go. But right now, the priority is to get to safety and prepare for what's coming."
Celeste nodded in agreement, her eyes reflecting a seriousness that matched Luna's. "We'll fill you in on the details. But first, we need to get out of here."
Asher sighed, feeling a mix of disbelief and reluctant acceptance. He glanced at the Eiffel Tower once more, then back at the two girls who were clearly not going to budge. "Alright, let's go. Lead the way."
As they began to move, Asher couldn't shake the feeling that his life had been turned upside down in a way he never could have anticipated. With the Eiffel Tower as an unexpected backdrop to this bizarre adventure, he followed the two sisters, wondering what the next chapter of his life would bring.
Asher followed Luna and Celeste into the safe house, his mind spinning with a mix of disbelief and dread. The interior was dimly lit, filled with odd trinkets, and symbols that seemed to glow faintly on the walls. It was as though the place had been plucked straight out of a nightmare, making Asher's skin crawl.
Celeste gestured for Asher to sit in a small, candle-lit room at the back of the house. The air was heavy with the scent of incense, and the shadows cast by the flickering flames danced eerily on the walls. Luna was already at a large table in the center, her movements deliberate as she arranged a variety of strange, ancient objects.
Asher stood awkwardly, his eyes darting between the sisters. "Okay, so…what now?" he asked, trying to sound casual but hearing the tremor in his voice. "You said something about tests. What are we testing for?"
Luna didn't look up from her work, her tone as cold as ever. "We need to determine if you are the Abyssborn, the one foretold in our world's prophecy. These tests will help us figure that out."
Asher blinked, trying to make sense of her words. "Abyssborn? Prophecy? That's…that's not exactly clearing things up for me." His attempt at humor fell flat, the tension in the room sucking the air from his lungs.
Celeste stepped closer, her expression more gentle than her sister's. "The Abyssborn is someone born under very specific, very rare circumstances. You might be this person, but we won't know until we complete the tests."
Asher let out a nervous laugh. "Right. Sure. Just your average day, being told you might be some kind of mythical figure. No big deal."
Celeste smiled sympathetically, but Luna shot him a look that silenced any further attempts at jokes. "This is serious," she said sharply. "The fate of our world may depend on it. We don't have time for games."
The weight of her words hit Asher like a ton of bricks. He suddenly felt very small, very vulnerable. "Okay, but…what if I'm not this Abyssborn? What if you've got the wrong guy?" He was grasping at straws now, his usual confidence completely shaken.
Luna paused in her preparations to look at him, her gaze as cold as steel. "If you're not the Abyssborn, we'll deal with that when the time comes. But right now, you need to prepare yourself. This isn't something you can just walk away from."
Asher swallowed hard, the fear he'd been trying to suppress clawing its way to the surface. "Prepare myself? For what? I don't even know what's happening! You guys just showed up out of nowhere, pulled me through a portal, and now you're talking about prophecies and tests like I'm supposed to know what any of this means!"
Celeste placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, her touch warm and reassuring. "We understand that this is overwhelming, Asher. We didn't mean to throw you into this without explanation. But we're running out of time. The tests are necessary to determine if you can help us."
Asher shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "Help you with what? I'm just a guy who goes to school and practices swordsmanship in his spare time. I'm not some chosen one or whatever you think I am."
Luna's expression softened slightly, though her tone remained firm. "You may not understand your significance yet, but there are forces at work that go beyond anything you've experienced. We believe you might be connected to this prophecy, and we need to find out how."
Asher felt a lump forming in his throat. "And if I'm not? What happens then?"
Celeste sighed softly. "If you're not, then we'll have to find another way. But we need to try, Asher. Our world is in danger, and we're running out of options."
Asher nodded slowly, feeling more helpless than ever. "So, what exactly do these tests involve? Do I have to fight something, or…?"
Luna shook her head. "Not yet. The tests we have in mind will reveal your connection to the Abyssborn prophecy. They're not physical trials, but they'll test your spirit, your mind, and your will."
Asher's anxiety spiked. "My spirit? My mind? This is sounding worse by the minute."
Celeste smiled reassuringly. "We'll guide you through it. You won't be alone in this."
Asher tried to take comfort in her words, but his thoughts were racing. He was completely out of his depth, caught up in something he couldn't begin to understand. His mind kept circling back to the same question: why him?
"Alright," he finally said, his voice shaky. "Let's just…let's get this over with. The sooner we start, the sooner we find out if you've got the wrong guy."
Luna and Celeste exchanged a look, then nodded. "We'll start the preparations," Luna said. "In the meantime, try to stay calm. The tests will require focus."
Asher watched as they continued their preparations, feeling like he was in the middle of some surreal dream. The room was filled with a strange energy, a tangible sense of the unknown pressing in from all sides. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself, but the fear wouldn't go away.
For a moment, he wondered if he should just make a run for it. But where would he go? How could he possibly escape whatever this was? The reality was, he couldn't. He was in too deep now, and all he could do was ride it out and hope for the best.
Asher standing alone in the eerie room, the weight of the unknown pressing down on him. The tests were still to come, and with them, the answers he both dreaded and needed.
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