The sky above Earth darkened as if some unseen hand had drawn a veil over the heavens. Then came the flash—a blinding, searing light that split the air like a thunderclap, echoing across continents. For those who saw it, it was the last thing they would ever witness before the world went silent.
In the span of a heartbeat, everything changed. The bustle of human life—the noise of cities, the hum of industry, the countless little moments that made up the fabric of existence—stopped as if time itself had been severed. Every phone, every device, every screen blinked out in unison. Buildings quivered, the earth groaned, and the familiar world was swallowed by a vast, consuming force, as though reality itself had been undone.
Humanity had no time to comprehend the nature of the force that had brought them to this moment. No time to understand that Earth was no longer their home.
In an instant, people found themselves torn from the lives they knew, from the places they loved. Some were at work, some in the comfort of their homes, others caught in the middle of travel. And then—nothing.
The void was not dark; it was a churning swirl of colors and energies that defied comprehension, an endless expanse that felt both endless and suffocating. And through it, humanity was transported.
Eterna. The name came unbidden to the minds of every person who arrived in the world. A realm of infinite size, stretching from horizon to horizon in ways that defied human understanding. The landscape was alien, raw, and untamed—mountains that scraped the skies, forests dense with ancient trees, seas of boiling lava, and oceans that glittered like glass. The air itself was thick with magic, an energy that hummed beneath the surface of everything.
But what struck the humans most was the profound sense of power in the air. It was as if the entire world, the very land beneath their feet, was a living, breathing thing—crushingly powerful, yet eerily silent.
And then the rules became clear. They were not here to explore. They were not here to build a new life. No, they were here to fight. Eterna was a world that did not welcome them, and they were now nothing more than another set of players in a cosmic game.
The humans, scattered across the vast land of Eterna, each became Lords of their own small territories. Their homes were little more than patches of barren land—desolate, unprotected, and vulnerable to the endless dangers of the world. They were left with only the hope that they could survive long enough to claim power.
But the Lords were not left empty-handed. Every one of them was granted a gift—a random ability bestowed upon them by the very forces that had brought them here. Some abilities were simple: the power to summon flames, to control the wind, to heal wounds with a touch. Others were far more complex, the kind of abilities that would take lifetimes to fully understand. And some abilities were downright bizarre—like the power to communicate with animals, or the ability to twist reality for brief moments, warping the flow of time.
The abilities were entirely random. No one could predict what power they would receive. Some were fortunate, granted powers that made them nearly invincible; others were less so, their gifts more mundane, less immediately useful. But all were crucial to their survival.
In the midst of this chaos, Ethan Vale awoke. He had been among the last to be transported, but when his vision cleared, he found himself lying in a small, barren field, the dirt beneath him cold and unfamiliar. His first instinct was to move, to take stock of his surroundings, but as his body rose, the overwhelming strangeness of it all hit him.
This wasn't Earth. This wasn't even close.
The sky above was an unnatural shade of violet, streaked with drifting clouds that twisted unnaturally. There were no cities, no roads, no signs of human civilization. Only vast stretches of wild land, untamed and hostile. And in the distance, shadows moved—creatures, he assumed, that would only add to his growing sense of dread.
Ethan had always considered himself ordinary. He hadn't been a warrior, a leader, or a particularly ambitious man. He had lived his life in a quiet town, working a regular office job, attending family dinners, and spending his weekends in front of the television. He had no special talents, no extraordinary abilities.
That was before Eterna.
As he tried to collect his bearings, he noticed something strange. At the back of his mind, there was an undeniable sense of knowledge—a strange awareness that surged through him, as if something within him was waking up. He felt… powerful. He felt different.
Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind, though no one spoke aloud.
"You have been granted your power. Choose wisely."
The voice faded as quickly as it had come, leaving Ethan in stunned silence. He didn't know what to think—what had just happened? Was he hallucinating? Was this part of some sick game?
No. This was real.
The strange sense of awareness intensified, and then, it hit him—the ability he had been granted. His gift, unlike any other, was simple, yet profound.
He could simulate his life.
The mechanics of the power weren't entirely clear, but Ethan's heart raced as the realization sank in. Once every week, he could experience an entirely new life within this realm, starting from his current age. He could live out a life of a warrior, a king, a master of magic, or any number of paths—and whatever he learned, whatever skills he mastered in that life, he could take back with him. If he died within the simulation, the experience would end—but he would gain something in return.
One reward—a skill, a power, an item from that simulated life—could be brought into the real world of Eterna. The cost? Simulation Points (SP), a currency earned by surviving, by pushing the boundaries of his simulated lives. If he was smart, if he was patient, Ethan could shape himself into a figure of unimaginable power. But every life came with a risk. One wrong move, one mistake, and he would lose everything. He would die, and the simulation would reset.
And there was another aspect he quickly realized—his ability to convert real coins from Eterna into SP. Coins were a commodity in this new world, but more importantly, they could be used to enhance his simulations. By spending the coins earned through exploration, combat, or trade, he could fuel even more dangerous and rewarding simulations, learning from countless lives and gaining unimaginable power in return. But coin wasn't infinite, and neither was time.
Ethan stood on the edge of his new domain, looking over the desolate land that had become his home. Behind him, the winds howled, and in the distance, the silhouettes of monstrous creatures moved through the landscape. His heart raced, not just from fear, but from something else. Hope. Ambition. The desire to survive.
There was no other choice now. The world of Eterna was a battleground, and Ethan would need to fight to survive, to thrive, to forge a future for humanity. He was no longer a mere man—he was a Lord. And in this world, that title meant everything.
But there was one thing Ethan knew for sure—he was not the only one. He was not alone in this vast, terrifying realm. Each Lord, each human transported here, had been granted a gift. Some of them would be weak. Some would be powerful. But there was only one certainty in Eterna: only the strongest would survive.
Ethan wasn't sure what his future held. But one thing was clear: he would no longer be an ordinary man.
And no matter the odds, no matter the dangers, he would rise.
Eterna awaited.