The classroom was alive with muted noise —the kind that came from restless college students waiting for time to crawl forward.
Pens clicked, chairs creaked, and quiet whispers filled the air as the professor droned on about medieval history.
Ethan sat by the window, half-listening, half-daydreaming.
His notebook was open, though mostly untouched, save for a few lazy doodles in the corner.
Outside, the setting sun cast streaks of orange and pink across the campus, its glow far more captivating than the lecture.
"Ethan," a voice hissed from behind.
He turned to see Max, his best friend, smirking at him. "You alive over there? Or did medieval knights bore you to death?"
Ethan rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, Max. What do you want?"
"Basketball game tonight. You in?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow. "When have I ever been into basketball?"
"Since never," Max said with a shrug. "But come on, man. It's senior year. Loosen up a little."
Before Ethan could reply, a soft but sharp crack echoed through the room. Everyone froze.
The professor stopped mid-sentence, his brow furrowed. "What was that?"
No one answered. They didn't know what to say.
The lights flickered, and a strange unease settled over the room.
Outside, the brilliant colors of the sunset seemed to bleed away, replaced by an ominous, unnatural gray.
"Is it a power outage?" someone murmured.
Ethan's pulse quickened as the air grew heavy.
A second crack — fsr louder this time — made the floor shudder beneath them.
The walls of the classroom shimmered faintly, the brickwork rippling as though it were liquid.
"What's going on?" Max whispered.
Ethan didn't respond. His eyes were fixed on the walls as they began to glow brighter, their edges fading into an otherworldly haze.
Then came the light — a blinding, all-consuming brightness that swallowed the room whole.
Ethan shut his eyes tightly, his heart pounding.
When the light faded, everything had changed.
Ethan found himself sprawled on cold, smooth stone. Groaning, he pushed himself upright, blinking as his vision adjusted.
The classroom was gone.
The air was cool, and the room around him was massive — far larger than any lecture hall. The ceiling arched impossibly high, its surface carved with strange symbols that seemed to shimmer faintly.
The walls were made of pale, polished stone, and at the far end of the room stood a pair of enormous golden doors.
"What the hell…" Ethan muttered, his voice echoing in the vast space.
"Ethan?" Max's voice came from somewhere nearby. Ethan turned to see him lying a few feet away, looking equally dazed.
"Max, where are we?"
Max sat up, wincing. "I was hoping you could tell me."
Ethan scanned the room again, his pulse racing. There were no familiar landmarks, no windows, no desks — just endless stone and those looming golden doors.
"This has to be a dream," Max said, shaking his head. "Right? Like, we fell asleep in class or something."
"I don't think so," Ethan replied, his throat dry.
Before either of them could say more, a deep, resonant voice filled the hall.
"Welcome, chosen one."
Ethan froze.
The voice was rich and commanding, echoing from every corner of the space.
Slowly, he and Max turned toward the center of the room, where a figure now stood.
He was tall — impossibly so — with robes that shimmered like molten gold.
His face was sharp and almost inhuman, his glowing eyes fixed on Ethan with unsettling intensity.
"Who… who are you?" Ethan stammered.
The figure smiled faintly. "I am Eltharion, High Sage of the Celestial Council. And you, young man, have been summoned to Eldralis… the other one well got caught in the summoning ritual."
"Summoned?" Max repeated, his voice tinged with disbelief. "Summoned for what?"
"To save this world," Eltharion said simply.
Ethan exchanged a bewildered glance with Max. "I think you've got the wrong guy."
"There is no mistake," Eltharion replied. "You were chosen by the ancient rites of summoning — a ritual that has not failed in over a thousand years."
Ethan shook his head. "I don't even know where I am! How am I supposed to save anything?"
Eltharion's gaze didn't waver. "This realm, Eldralis, is on the brink of destruction. A great darkness threatens to consume us, and you have been called to wield the power necessary to stop it."
"This is insane," Max muttered, stepping closer to Ethan.
Ethan's hands curled into fists. "Why me? I'm just a college student. I can't fight a 'great darkness' or whatever this is."
Eltharion raised a hand, and a faint glow surrounded Ethan.
He flinched as warmth spread through his chest, a strange energy buzzing beneath his skin.
"The power lies within you," Eltharion said, his voice steady. "You may not understand it yet, but you will."
The glow faded, leaving Ethan standing there, his heart racing.
"I didn't ask for this," he said quietly.
"No hero ever does," Eltharion replied. "But the fate of Eldralis depends on you. There is no turning back now."
The golden doors at the far end of the hall began to creak open, revealing a vast, blinding light beyond them.
Ethan glanced at Max, who gave him a weak shrug.
"Well," Max said, trying to sound casual. "Guess we're doing this."
Ethan swallowed hard and stepped toward the light.