It started as just another Saturday night.
[Nemo]: "Alright, who's up for another meme war?"
[Raz]: "Nemo, no. You lost last time. We literally proved you were recycling old memes."
[Rain_co]: "Let's be honest, Raz just finds the cursed stuff none of us want to see."
[Musashi]: "Cursed? You mean cultured. There's a difference."
[Lunaria]: "Musashi, if I see one more 'big sword' meme, I'm leaving this chat."
[Shizou_murasaki]: "You won't leave. You say it every week."
[Clearskystorm]: "Can we talk about meeting up next week? It's been a while since we did something IRL."
[Kimlong]: "Works for me. But only if Musashi promises no cosplay. That last time was… something."
[Dreadnought]: "Excuse you, Kim. That cosplay was perfection."
[Gunman]: "Perfection is not the word I'd use for Musashi in a maid outfit."
[Jason117a]: "Guys, focus. Next Saturday? Movie, maybe? And food. Lots of food."
[Jack]: "Wait, I missed the last movie night? What snacks are we talking about? I demand only the finest!"
The conversation flowed, the usual banter between friends that filled our Saturday nights. For a group of twelve people from all walks of life, we shared a lot of inside jokes, game strategies, and plans for the next meetup. ChatHaven was more than just an app—it was our shared space for everything.
[Nemo]: "Fine, Jack. I'll bring the snacks. I'll even throw in some gourmet chips to make it up to you."
[Raz]: "Gourmet chips? That's rich, Nemo."
[Rain_co]: "Jack, you better be bringing drinks, or I'm taking over the snack selection."
[Musashi]: "If it's not some weird Japanese soda, I'm out."
[Lunaria]: "Ugh, we're getting sidetracked. Can we finalize this?"
[Shizou_murasaki]: "Fine. Movie, Saturday. Snacks, drinks, and no weird cosplay."
[Clearskystorm]: "I'll bring popcorn, but only if it's buttered. No weird flavors this time."
[Kimlong]: "As long as we all agree to not ruin the movie with your weird commentary Clearskystorm …"
The laughter and joking continued as usual, everyone laying out their plans for the next Saturday. The chat felt alive, filled with energy and excitement. I checked the time.
[Nemo]: "Alright, everyone, we're getting off-topic. What movie are we watching?"
[Gunman]: "I vote for the newest action flick. Something with explosions and a plot that makes no sense."
[Jason117a]: "That's basically every movie these days."
[Jack]: "Explosions? Count me in. But only if there's a monster fight."
But then, something strange happened.
Out of nowhere, my phone screen flickered. The conversation was still going, but I felt a sudden, strange sensation—like I was losing my internet connection .
[Nemo]: "Hey, is anyone else's screen acting weird?"
[Raz]: "Yeah, I'm getting some static. What's going on?"
[Rain_co]: "I think it's the server. My app's glitching."
[Musashi]: "Don't tell me this is another ChatHaven outage. Seriously, how hard is it to keep an app running?"
[Lunaria]: "Mine's fine. Are you all just too slow with your phones?"
[Shizou_murasaki]: "No, something's… off. Everything's getting fuzzy on my end."
[Clearskystorm]: "I'm hearing a strange humming noise… is this normal?"
And then—nothing.
The brightness on my phone soared until everything around me turned to pure, blinding light. I tried to speak, but my voice vanished, consumed by the deafening silence. Panic set in, but my body felt weightless, drifting.
I didn't know what was happening, but I couldn't control it. The very reality around me twisted and dissolved. I tried to focus on the conversation, but it was gone, as if the world had swallowed it whole.
I didn't even realize I had closed my eyes.
Then the next time I open my eyes.The first thing I felt was water.
It wasn't cold or warm—just endless, infinite water, stretching in every direction. There was no up, no down, only a sensation of floating in a boundless sea.
I tried to move, but my limbs were sluggish, unresponsive. When I looked down, my body was… wrong. I still had my hair, but the rest of me was featureless. No face, no details—just smooth, empty flesh where my features should've been.
"What… what is this?" I thought, my voice echoing in the void.
Then, I heard them—voices, familiar and panicked.
"Nemo? Is that you?"
It was Raz.
"Raz? What the hell is going on?"
Rain_co's voice, sharp and trembling.
One by one, the voices of my friends joined the chorus. All eleven of them. No, not eleven—twelve. The twelfth voice was strange, unfamiliar, and yet it felt like it had always been part of us.
"We're all here," Lunaria whispered, her voice barely audible. "But… where are we?"
Before anyone could answer, the water around us began to glow. A brilliant light pierced through the darkness, and the endless sea shifted, forming ripples that converged into a single point.
From that point, she emerged.
A woman, impossibly beautiful, with flowing blonde hair and eyes as blue as the ocean itself. She didn't walk or swim; she simply existed, radiating a presence that silenced us all.
Her voice echoed through the water, soft but commanding.
"You have been summoned ."
---
We stared—or at least, we thought we did. Without faces, it was hard to tell, but her presence demanded attention.
"Summoned? For what?" Jack's voice cut through the silence, sharp and direct.
The goddess smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "You stand on the precipice of a great war. A war not of mortals, but of deities. We, the gods, have chosen our champions—souls from countless worlds, reborn into a single realm. You are my chosen, brought here to tip the scales of fate."
"Wait, hold on!" Gunman's voice rang out, frustration evident. "We didn't agree to this! We didn't even know this was happening!"
The goddess tilted her head, her expression calm but unreadable. "It is not your choice to make. The moment your souls touched the light, you became part of this."
"What does that even mean?" Jason117a asked, their tone laced with disbelief.
"It means," the goddess continued, "that you will be reincarnated in a world shaped by conflict. Other deities have also chosen their champions, souls from alternate worlds, each carrying the will of their patrons. You will fight, not just for survival, but for dominance. The victors will decide the fate of the heavens themselves."
A heavy silence followed her words.
"Wait…" Lunaria's voice wavered. "Are you saying we're part of some… death match?"
"Not death," the goddess corrected, though her tone offered no comfort. "Destiny. Rebirth. Growth. Each of you will be given a second chance, a new life in a world unlike your own. There, you will discover your purpose—and your power."
---
For a moment, no one spoke. Then, Shizou_murasaki broke the silence.
"What's the catch?"
The goddess's smile returned, faint and enigmatic. "There is always a price. In this new world, you will not begin as you were. You will start anew life—as children, unremarkable and vulnerable. Your memories, will remain, but your journey will not be easy. The other champions will not hesitate to destroy you all. This is a war, after all."
"This is insane," Clearskystorm muttered. "We didn't ask for this. We had lives, families, plans—"
"And now you have purpose," the goddess interrupted, her voice firm. "The world you knew is gone. The light has claimed you, and there is no returning. You must embrace what lies ahead, or perish."
---
The water around us began to shift again, glowing brighter with each passing moment. The goddess raised her hand, and the ripples turned into waves, circling each of us in an intricate pattern.
"Wait!" I shouted. "What's your name? Who are you?"
The goddess paused, her eyes meeting mine. "For us deities name doesn't matters . For now, you may call me Aurelthys."
Her form began to fade, dissolving into the light. Her final words echoed in the void, carrying both warning and promise.
"Prove yourselves, children of the fate. Your destiny begins now."
---
The light consumed us, and the water vanished.
When I opened my eyes, the world had changed once more. I was lying in a cradle, my tiny body weak and fragile. Around me, I heard the soft cries of infants—my friends, now reborn alongside me.
The war of the gods had begun.
---