A brilliant, blinding light was the first thing Aiden saw.
For a moment, he thought he was still dreaming—until he felt the cold, rough stone beneath his hands and knees. Blinking furiously, he lifted his head and found himself kneeling on a vast, worn floor of cracked stone, strange symbols glowing under him in flickering blue. The air around him felt thick and heavy, filled with the scent of something like smoldering incense.
"Where am I?" he murmured, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the light.
Around him, people clad in cloaks of deep blue and gold lined the edges of the room, watching him with curious, expectant expressions. In their hands, they held wooden staffs, carved with strange, twisting patterns and crowned with small stones that seemed to hum with a faint energy.
"Aiden Callahan," a voice called out, sharp and commanding. He turned and saw an older man with silver hair and piercing blue eyes standing above him. The man wore robes more elaborate than the others, embroidered with symbols that seemed to shift and shimmer as the man moved.
Aiden opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a shout from his side.
"Let me go!" A girl's voice, fierce and defiant.
Aiden whipped his head around to see a girl around his age, maybe sixteen or seventeen, struggling against the grip of two of the robed figures. Her dark hair fell wildly around her face, and her eyes flashed with anger.
"Release her," the silver-haired man ordered, and the robed figures let her go. The girl stumbled but quickly regained her footing, glaring up at the man defiantly.
"And you are…" The man paused, scanning a piece of parchment in his hand. "Elara Rin."
The girl, Elara, crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes. "Care to explain what's going on?"
The man nodded, barely fazed by her attitude. "You have been summoned to this world as warriors, destined to serve in our battle against the demon scourge that plagues our lands."
Aiden and Elara exchanged bewildered glances.
"Summoned?" Aiden echoed, trying to wrap his head around it. One minute, he'd been walking home from his evening shift, and now… this. His pulse quickened, and he looked back up at the man. "How…? And what do you mean, 'warriors'?"
The silver-haired man's expression softened, but there was an intensity in his gaze. "You were chosen for a reason. Both of you possess latent powers, powers we need to protect our world."
Elara snorted, crossing her arms even tighter. "Latent powers? I don't know what kind of joke this is, but I don't have any powers."
A murmur rippled through the robed figures surrounding them, and Aiden felt a pang of doubt. He was just a regular kid with no real talents, let alone powers. And yet… there was something in the air here, a strange thrumming that seemed to pull at the edges of his awareness.
The man raised a hand, silencing the crowd. "I am Lord Kael, the Head Summoner. In our world, we possess magic—elemental magic that draws power from the forces of nature. Some can wield fire, others water, air, or earth. But rarely—very rarely—a human possesses the unique ability to exorcise demons, to banish them completely."
Aiden listened, both intrigued and skeptical. "And you think… that's us?"
Lord Kael nodded. "That is why we summoned you. There is no mistake. Both of you possess the mark of exorcists."
Aiden glanced at Elara, who looked as dubious as he felt.
One of the robed figures stepped forward, holding out two long, silver staves adorned with blue gemstones at the top. The stones shimmered, casting a faint glow over the room.
"Take these," Lord Kael instructed. "They will help you channel your powers."
Aiden hesitated but took one of the staves. The metal was cool and surprisingly heavy in his grip. Beside him, Elara accepted the other one, though she seemed ready to drop it at the first sign of trouble.
Lord Kael stepped back, gesturing for the two of them to stand.
"We will begin with a demonstration," he announced. "A minor summoning—a captured demon. Let us see what you can do."
At his signal, two guards pushed open a massive wooden door at the far end of the room. From the darkness beyond, a figure emerged, shackled in chains that glowed faintly, keeping it bound. The creature looked humanoid, but its skin was a deep, bruised blue, and its eyes glowed a fiery red. A pair of twisted horns curled from its head, and its hands ended in sharp, blackened claws.
Aiden felt his heart pound as the demon snarled and strained against its bindings, eyeing him and Elara with an almost feral hatred.
"Now," Lord Kael said, his voice calm but watchful. "Channel your power through the staffs. Focus on the creature and let your exorcism ability flow."
Aiden tightened his grip on the staff, feeling ridiculous. He had no idea how to "channel" anything, let alone exorcise a demon. But he tried to focus, staring hard at the demon, willing something—anything—to happen.
Beside him, Elara was doing the same, though her face was twisted in frustration. They stood there, both squinting and concentrating, but the staff stayed dull and lifeless in his hands.
Lord Kael's expression darkened slightly. He watched for a few more moments before finally raising a hand. "Enough."
The guards quickly re-shackled the demon, dragging it back into the darkness. Lord Kael's face was unreadable as he looked at the two of them, his initial confidence replaced with a hint of something sharper—disappointment.
"It seems," he said slowly, "that your powers are… underdeveloped."
Aiden's face burned with embarrassment, and he could see the faint smirk on a few of the other robed figures. Elara looked away, her cheeks flushed as well.
Lord Kael gave a long sigh. "Perhaps you are not as prepared as we thought. Without the power to exorcise demons, you are of little use to us."
The words hit Aiden like a slap. He had barely processed the idea that he might have a purpose in this world, and now it was being dismissed just as quickly.
"What do you mean, 'of little use'?" Elara demanded, her voice rising with indignation.
Lord Kael met her gaze, unflinching. "We needed exorcists, warriors with the rare ability to banish demons. Ordinary humans cannot wield this power, and if you cannot perform exorcisms, then we have no reason to keep you."
Aiden felt a pit form in his stomach. They'd been dragged into a strange world, given an impossible task, and now they were being cast aside like broken tools. It was both humiliating and infuriating.
"But you brought us here!" Aiden protested. "You can't just throw us out."
Lord Kael's gaze softened, if only slightly. "I understand your frustration, but our needs are urgent. Without the ability to perform exorcisms, you will only endanger yourselves and others. You may stay in our realm, but you are on your own."
With that, he turned away, his robes sweeping behind him as he walked out of the chamber. The other figures followed him, leaving Aiden and Elara standing alone in the cold, empty hall.
For a moment, they stood in silence, the weight of rejection settling over them.
"Well, that was great," Elara muttered, finally breaking the silence. "Summoned into a strange world, told we're supposed to be heroes, and then tossed out before we can even try."
Aiden sighed, slumping against the wall. "I don't get it. If they thought we had these powers, why wouldn't they help us figure them out?"
"Maybe they just don't care," Elara replied, her voice tinged with bitterness. "We're just two more people to them, and if we can't do what they want, we're worthless."
The emptiness of the hall pressed in around them, the dim light flickering ominously. But as Aiden looked at Elara, he felt a flicker of determination rising within him.
"Maybe we can't use their magic," he said slowly, "but that doesn't mean we're useless. There's got to be something we can do, even if it's just surviving on our own."
Elara raised an eyebrow, a hint of a grin playing on her lips. "So, what, you want to be adventurers now? Just wander around this world and see what happens?"
Aiden shrugged, a faint smile on his face. "Why not? If they won't help us, then we'll help ourselves."
For the first time since their summoning, they shared a look that wasn't of confusion or fear, but of tentative hope.