It all started in an old and small apartment, nestled in the heart of a bustling city. It was 3 a.m., and after a marathon of gaming, I was finally ready to surrender to sleep. My parents, fast asleep in the next room, had no clue about the chaos swirling in my mind. I'd been spiraling for weeks—jobless, skipping college, with no reason to wake up early except for some half-hearted plans with friends later in the day. I tossed aside my controller, slipped into my pajamas, and glanced at my dog, curled up at the foot of my bed. The sight of him gave me brief comfort, as he was the only thing that seemed steady in my life right now.
I got into bed and was quickly about to drift off, already half-asleep, when something jolted me awake.
At first, I couldn't tell what it was. Just as I nestled into the sheets, the heaviness of exhaustion lifted, replaced by an eerie sensation, like something pulling me into a deeper, unnatural sleep. I tried to fight it, but before I could fully comprehend what was happening, everything went black.
Pitch black.
It felt like falling. The world dropped away, and I was suspended in a vast, suffocating darkness. My mind raced. Was I dreaming? Dying? I reached out, but there was nothing—just endless dark and silence. I could only hear my own heart and breath.
Then, suddenly, the darkness vanished. Just as quickly as I'd been swallowed, I was released.
I found myself standing in a massive hall. Its white walls stretched so high that they seemed to scrape the sky, adorned with golden patterns that glinted under the dim, flickering light. The air smelled strange—like incense mixed with something unfamiliar. Around me were hundreds of people, all wearing various clothes, some in modern streetwear, others in clothes that looked as though they'd stepped out of an old history book. Confusion and fear were etched across their faces.
I blinked, trying to process it all. Then I saw them—my family. My parents, my three cousins, my grandmother, my aunt, and my uncle—sprawled on the floor, just like everyone else. My heart hammered against my chest. Were we dead? What was this place?
I rushed to my family's side, shaking my mom's shoulder gently. "Mom, wake up."
Slowly, she stirred, groaning as she sat up. My father and the others began to wake as well, all of them groggy and disoriented. "Raphael?" my dad mumbled. "Where… where are we?"
"I don't know," I replied, my voice barely a whisper. I helped him to his feet as the others stood, exchanging bewildered glances. Before any of us could say more, a loud blast pierced the air.
I flinched as the sharp sound of trumpets echoed through the hall, reverberating off the stone walls. A murmur rippled through the crowd as we all turned toward the source of the noise. At the far end of the hall stood several men clad in medieval armor, their faces hidden beneath helmets. They held gleaming swords and spears, each looking as if they had stepped straight out of a fantasy novel.
As the trumpets fell silent, a heavy stillness settled over the hall. Then, through the ranks of armored men, a figure appeared—a man dressed in elaborate clothing, wearing a crown upon his head. His presence was commanding, almost regal. He surveyed us with cold, calculating eyes, as though we were insects beneath his feet.
"I know you are confused," the man said, his voice booming through the hall. "You have been summoned to this world."
I felt my stomach twist. Summoned? Was this some kind of joke?
The king—or whoever he was—continued. "Your families possess powers, abilities we require to strengthen our nation. "The strongest among you will be granted noble titles and tasked with using your abilities to help this nation prosper, while the rest will be assigned tasks suited to your skills."
At that moment, someone from the back of the crowd yelled, 'Where are we? What is this? And why should we believe you?"
I turned to see a robed man standing beside the king. His face was calm, almost serene, and he wore black robes. "I am Martin Irubeo," he said, his voice soft but clear, "High Priest of Aria, Goddess of Light. This is no longer your world. You are now in the Kingdom of Lostia, in the world of Mirua. We regret that we could not ask for your consent, but it was necessary to bring you here."
The air seemed to thicken as the crowd absorbed this information. My heart pounded harder. Was this real? Another world?
The priest's voice softened. "We will soon evaluate your abilities. Those who qualify will be ranked according to their power and given noble titles and holdings acorndingly. If not, monetary compensation and jobs will be offered. You will not be abandoned."
My head was spinning. What abilities? This was insane. I had to be dreaming, or I had simply lost it. I couldn't believe anything I was seeing.
Suddenly, I felt a sharp tug on my arm. "Raphael!" My dad's voice cut through my panic. "Pay attention!"
I blinked, snapping back to the present. "Sorry… I'm just trying to understand all this."
The king had stepped aside, and now the crowd was stirring, unsure of what to do. I glanced at my family, their expressions mirroring my own confusion. My oldest cousin, Noah—always the one who tried to lighten the mood and be the pillar of the family—had already started wandering off, still in his boxers, a grin spreading across his face as he made his way toward one of the maids standing at the edge of the hall, who seemed to be waving in our direction. Even now, he couldn't help but lighten the mood, but I knew he was as worried and confused as the rest of us.
I stifled a laugh. "Let's follow him," I suggested, trying to keep things calm. "We'll figure this out together."
My family hesitated, but they nodded. We didn't know what was going on, but panicking wouldn't help.
As we trailed after Noah, I looked around. Some people were panicking, others were having panic attacks, while some had already begun huddling together, whispering in frantic tones. I overheard fragments of conversations—wild theories about where we were, how to escape, or if this was some kind of twisted experiment.
When we reached the maid, Noah spoke in a friendly and confident tone, "Excuse me, but what exactly are we supposed to do now?"
The maid blinked, surprised at the man in his underwear behaving so confidently, but quickly regained her composure and put on a polite smile. "I am Dina, a maid of the Coral Palace", she said, bowing slightly. "I will guide you to the rooms where you will be staying."
I exchanged glances with my family. "Rooms?" I echoed.
Dina nodded. "Yes. You will need to rest before the trials tomorrow."
We followed her through a grand gate, stepping outside into what I can only describe as a scene from a fairy tale. The garden was alive with vibrant flowers and glowing, floating bugs that illuminated the paths with their soft light. The air felt different—lighter, crisper, almost magical.
As we walked, I caught my aunt glancing nervously at Dina. "Is there… magic in this world?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Dina paused, looking thoughtful, as if she had just been asked if water was wet. "Yes. Magic exists here, though not everyone can wield it. Tomorrow, during the trials, you will discover if you possess the capabilities to do so and if you have any abilities that benefit you in its use."
My heart skipped a beat. Magic? Everything seemed more unreal by the minute.
We reached a towering palace, its bluish walls gleaming in the moonlight. I watched as two other families entered before us—one looked visibly shaken and was behaving oddly, while the other, wearing finer clothes, looked at us with some suspicious glances. Inside, Dina led us to the third floor, explaining that the other two families occupied the floors below and that we should try to avoid contact with them for safety reasons.
"Rest well,' she said before leaving us in our rooms. "I suggest all of you relax. You are safe here, so try to rest well for tomorrow's trials."
My room was enormous, far larger than the cramped apartment I was used to. I sank onto the bed, my mind racing with everything that had happened. This was impossible. And yet… it was happening.
I glanced at the window, the garden outside still glowing softly. A sense of unease settled over me, and I couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. I reached for my glasses so I could try to sleep, but then froze.
I wasn't wearing them.
I hadn't worn them since we arrived, yet my vision was perfect.
Confusion rippled through me, but exhaustion soon overtook it. I collapsed onto the bed, my thoughts swirling in chaos. Tomorrow, we'd face the trials. Tomorrow, we'd learn what this world had in store for us.
But tonight, all I could do was sleep—and hope that this was all just some strange dream.