On the 7th of November, in 2027, the world changed drastically. A week prior, strange blue portals had appeared worldwide, causing confusion and panic among most people. Most governments were unconcerned, authorizing research teams and investigative expeditions within the portals, but none of the researches sent ever returned, and there were no discernable traces of them left. As the week came to a close with more questions than answers, the silence was broken by the sickening sounds of the portals shattering open, monsters, demons, and untold horrors spilling out and causing havoc and death wherever there was a portal. These portals, now called gates, were constantly letting monsters into our world, and overnight over 80% of the earth's population was wiped out. Hayden Armas, a boy with tanned skin, dark brown hair, and green eyes, was only 15 when the gates shattered, and he directly witnessed the destruction and death of the city he was raised in. Hayden was terrified, running madly in an attempt to escape the terrors coming through the gates, but as he was running, a gate appeared in front of him, absorbing him into it as it did. Being forcefully transferred sent a shock through his system, causing Hayden to faint.
Waking up in an unfamiliar wooded area, Hayden found himself on the other side of a gate. However, this gate was different, white instead of blue. Hayden got up cautiously, looking around for any sign of danger, or another person. "Where... Am I?" he wondered, unsure if he was safe here. Suddenly, Hayden heard a voice coming from the woods, loud and commanding, but too far to make out what it was saying. Upon hearing another person's voice, Hayden began to run toward it, desperate for safety. After a few minutes of running, the sounds of marching could be heard, and the shouting became more clear;
"Move forward! The portal should be just ahead! If we can make it in time, we'll save lives!" Hayden's hope was at an all time high, assuming the military had figured out how the gates worked and harnessed them for a quick response, but as he broke through the tree line, his hopes were put on hold. Before him, a massive army in unfamiliar attire marched in his direction, but while they looked human on a first glance, Hayden could tell they were different. They all stood tall and proud, pale opalescent skin and pointed ears as far as the eye could see. Hayden was more concerned by the monsters than these new people, and set his apprehension aside to address them. He stepped forward, calling attention to himself and crying out, "Please! Help! The gate is this way!"
The Man at the front of the army, who had been shouting directions to the army, was the first to notice Hayden, and made his way toward him. "Who are you? How did you get here?" The man asked, his face stern, yet eerily beautiful. Hayden responded desperately, his voice breaking, "It doesn't matter! I came through the gate, it's this way! Please, you have to help!" Hayden quickly turned and ran back in the direction of the gate, not waiting for the shining man. Hayden could hear the man shouting, and the sounds of hundreds of thousands of footsteps rushing in his direction, but he just kept running towards the gate, hoping to serve as some sort of marker for the army he saw. As he reached the gate, he collapsed breathlessly on the ground, his legs weak and his lungs working hard to breathe. The huge army soon broke into the clearing behind him, the man at the front shouting to his soldiers, "There's the portal! Head through and eradicate any monsters you see!" as his soldiers charged forward and passed through the gate.
Hayden looked up at the man, who had stayed behind to ensure every soldier made it through the gate. "Who are you guys? You don't look like humans..." he asked tentatively. The opalescent man smirked, and responded clearly. "We are elves. Humans have been long gone from our world, because of the monsters, so we are coming to your world to prevent a similar tragedy from happening in a world with only one dominant species. I have no doubt the dwarves and those boorish orcs are doing the same." Hayden's eyes light up at the mention of orcs and dwarves, his mind searching for a reasonable explanation for why this is happening, but finding none. His exhaustion catching up with him and adrenaline fading, Hayden falls unconscious where he's sitting on the ground.
When Hayden opened his eyes, at first all he could see was darkness, but soon after he could pick out shapes in the darkness, and determined he was in a tent of some sort. Hayden sat up quickly, observing his surroundings and trying to figure out where he was. Suddenly, the elven commander from before entered the tent, letting in some moonlight behind him. The elf noticed that Hayden was awake, and greeted him softly, "Ah, you're up. Did you rest alright? I'm sorry we don't have nicer accommodations with us. May I ask your name?" His tone was that of a concerned doctor, or worrisome uncle. Hayden remained silent for a moment, before responding to the man in kind. "I rested fine, and my name is Hayden... are we still in the gate? What happened back on earth? What do I call you?" Hayden had so many questions, and couldn't stop himself from asking whatever came to mind. The elf chuckled softly, understanding Hayden's confusion and questions. "We're back on earth. I took you through the portal, or "gate" as you call it, after all of my people had passed through safely. Currently, we have a camp stationed in a nearby forest, as the city in which our gate led to was seemingly razed to the ground. As for what to call me, Eyvon will do."
Hayden felt sick to his stomach. The city he grew up in, raised to the ground in only a day? It didn't make sense. His mind swirled with questions and fears that clashed together, bringing him an agonizing headache. Eyvon could sense Hayden's distress, and put a gentle hand on his back to comfort him. "I will help you to find your family, no matter their state, as a favor for directing us to the portal. With the appearance of the portals in this world, things are going to start changing very rapidly for all living things, big or small, intelligent or not. I will extend to you the opportunity to train under me to help you keep your footing in this new era, should you desire it."
Hayden took a moment to calm down, collecting his thoughts and considering Eyvon's offer, before responding, his face contorted with anger and sadness at the loss of his home, "Please... Teach me how to fight the monsters!" Eyvon grinned and stood up, admiring the resolve of the young man. "Good, your training will begin tomorrow, go back to sleep until then, you'll need it." making his way out of the tent, Eyvon chuckled, already thinking of a training regimen to put Hayden through.