"What was that?" one of the girls, Emily, squeaked, clutching Sophia's arm for support.
"I don't know," Sophia said.
The voice spoke again, this time louder, as if whoever—or whatever—it was could sense their fear.
"You have been chosen, Othworlders, to bring hope to a dying world. Please… heed our call."
Ian's heart raced, his mind struggling to process the impossible situation. He glanced at Sophia, who met his gaze with wide, uncertain eyes.
"Chosen?" Ian whispered, his words barely audible over the hum of the floating castle.
And then, as if in response to his question, a beam of golden light erupted from the sky, striking the ground in front of them. When the light faded, a figure stood there—a tall, cloaked woman with glowing blue eyes, her face obscured by a veil, but her eyes shone through.
"Welcome," the woman said, her voice calm. "You are now in the realm of Astrithal. I am Goddess Ellarion, Keeper of the Veil. And you… are the last hope of this world."
"Summoned heroes."
Ian's breath caught in his throat, a thousand questions tumbling through his mind. But one thought rose above the rest.
'Wait... Isn't this basically how every one of those cliché Isekai stories start?'
'Is this really happening, or am I the one dreaming...? Did I sleep off in class without noticing...? I was exhausted from my last night shift at the convenience store.'
As Ian watched the scene unfold, his thoughts began to shift. The awe and fear gripping his chest were joined by a flickering spark of hope.
'But... What if this is real?'
He wondered, his eyes drifting to the others—especially Marcus, standing confidently at the front of the group, arms crossed. Ian's fists clenched.
In all those Isekai stories he'd read or watched, it was always the weak one, the underdog, who became the strongest. The ones who were mocked and trampled turned into heroes, earning the respect—and sometimes fear—of those who once looked down on them.
'Maybe this is my chance,' Ian thought. 'Maybe… when I get my power… I'll show Marcus I'm not someone to be pushed around anymore.'
Before Ian could dwell further, Goddess Ellarion clapped her hands, the sound echoing like thunder in the quiet field.
A golden circle of light enveloped the group, and the world around them dissolved into a visual of sparkling energy.
The group materialized within the vast halls of the floating castle. The ceiling stretched high above, glowing softly as if the stars themselves were embedded in its structure.
Rows of guards—tall, radiant beings with feathered wings... angels wearing gleaming silver armor—stood silently at attention. Their presence gave off both beauty and menace, the very picture of divine warriors.
"This… this is insane," Emily whispered, gripping Sophia's sleeve tightly.
Sophia, though trying to appear calm, took a cautious step closer to Ian. She was clearly uneasy.
Ian couldn't stop staring at the angelic guards. He felt small, insignificant, but the fire of hope flickered again.
At the center of the grand hall was a massive orb, swirling with light and shadow, like a miniature cosmos.
Goddess Ellarion strode gracefully toward it, turning to face the group with an almost serene smile.
She the pointed as the projection of the ravaged world hovering above the orb.
"Our world, Astrithal, is under siege..."
"A darkness unlike any you have ever known is spreading across this realm. It is led by the Dark Lord, a being of unimaginable power and malice, who seeks to corrupt and consume all life."
She paused, her glowing blue eyes locking with each of them, as if measuring the weight of her words.
"His forces have already ravaged the northern kingdoms, turning once-thriving cities into ruins. They leave nothing but despair in their wake. The skies are darkened by his shadow, and the lands are plagued with creatures born of darkness itself. No one is safe."
A shiver ran down Ian's spine. The picture she painted was one of utter devastation. As he glanced at the others, he saw the fear in their eyes.
Emily was biting her lip nervously, while Sophia gripped Ian's arm tighter. Even Marcus, though outwardly indifferent, seemed to be processing the gravity of her words.
The goddess continued, her voice didn't waver despite the grim nature of her tale.
"The Dark Lord, who was once a ruler of Astrithal's most powerful kingdom, was consumed by his lust for power. He turned to forbidden magics, seeking immortality and dominion over all realms. He betrayed the gods themselves, and as punishment, he was cast into the abyss—only to return now, stronger than ever."
"You, chosen heroes, are the last hope this world has. You have been summoned not by chance, but by necessity. Only with your help can we stop the Dark Lord and his forces from completing their conquest."
The goddess finally paused, then pointed to the orb behind her.
"This..."
"...is the Orb of Awakening. It will draw forth your unique skills and magical abilities... gifts that are yours alone. With them, you will fight the forces threatening to consume Astrithal."
Ian's heart pounded.
'A dark lord? Creatures born of shadow?Unique skills? Magic?'
It sounded like something straight out of a epic fantasy. Ian's wondered further.
'This is really happening?'
Before he could process further, Marcus spoke up, his voice filled with sarcasm.
"Oh, great. Let me guess. We touch the orb, it lights up, and we get some overpowered ability that makes us the Chosen Ones."
His expression turned serious as he crossed his arms and glanced around at the others. "If this is one of those cliché Isekai RPG stories, then this is gonna be boring as hell."
A few nervous chuckles rippled through the group, but Ian stayed silent, his gaze locked on the orb.
'Boring?' Ian thought, looking at Marcus with resentment. 'Maybe for you, but not for me. When I get my power… let's see who's laughing then.'
Marcus stepped forward, his words filled with sarcasm but sharp with anger.
"Alright, I've got a question. What's next? We risk our lives, some of us probably die in the end, and all for a bunch of people we don't even know? Why should our lives be used to secure their lives?"
He pointed at the projection of the ravaged world hovering above with a dismissive wave, his voice rising.
"What about the lives we had before this? Are you saying the futures we had ahead of us don't matter? Because that's what it sounds like to me. This doesn't feel like playing hero—it feels like being a sacrifice."
A ripple of murmurs passed through the group. Ian noticed Cody and Derek nodding in agreement, their faces grim. Even Sophia, usually calm and composed, looked uneasy, her brow furrowed in thought.
Marcus didn't stop. He pointed a finger toward one of the angelic guards, who stood silently.
"And another thing. Isn't this world already filled with warriors? You've got armies, right? Heck, I bet one of these angel dudes could handle the job no problem. Why drag a bunch of young adults with no skill or experience into this? It doesn't make sense!"
The goddess's gaze became slightly intense, but Marcus wasn't finished.
"If you really want our help, then you'd better start explaining what's in it for us. And it better be good…"
"Because there's no way I'm just going along with being kidnapped and asked to be a sacrifice. So you either send us back or start talking, because I'm this close to being pissed."
A tense silence filled the grand hall. Ian's heart raced as he watched the scene unfold, half expecting the goddess to smite Marcus on the spot.
This was the sort of action that warranted divine punishment—at least in those isekais.
The murmurs from the other students grew louder, voices of agreement spreading through the group.
"The big man's got a point," Cody said. "We're not soldiers. This isn't our war."
"Yeah," Derek said, rubbing the back of his neck. "We're practically a bunch of high school kids."
Ian's mind churned with conflicting emotions. On one hand, he couldn't deny that Marcus had a point... none of this made sense.
But on the other hand, a small part of him whispered that this was his chance. If they were here… if this was real… then maybe there was something in it for him. He didn't really have a life to look forward to in the old world like Marcus did.
Even if he graduated with straight A's and landed a good job, his late father had left him with debt... An unrealistically huge one at that, and before that, his mother had already divorced and hooked up with some rich guy.
His future there was grim... At least to him it was.
The goddess then cleared her throat and said, "Alright, this is my promise to you..."