BzzzZZZzzzZZZ…

A sharp buzz of an alarm broke the silence of the early morning. Noah groaned, slapping the top of the clock to switch off the alarm.

A ray of sunlight cut through the curtains, illuminating a room that mirrored its owner's unremarkable life—a neatly made bed, a second-hand gaming console, and a desk cluttered with half-finished to-do lists and unopened mail.

Rising from his bed, he stumbled into the bathroom, staring at his reflection in the mirror. In it stood an average-looking young man of around 21 years of age.

His hair stuck out at odd angles, and his eyes carried the dull haze of someone who had never stayed up late for anything exciting.

Downstairs, the faint clatter of plates and the murmur of voices drifted up. The smell of eggs and toast filled the air.

"Noah, if you don't hurry, you'll be late!" his mother called, her voice held a faint hint of worry.

"I'm coming!" he shouted back, his tone just as predictable.

By the time he made it to the kitchen, his father was already seated, a newspaper folded neatly in his hands.

Helen Starfall flipped another egg onto a plate and set it down in front of Noah without a word. The kitchen was warm, cozy even, but so familiar it felt like a scene played on loop.

"Morning," his dad said, glancing up from the headlines. "You're looking as dead as ever, huh."

"I inherited it from you after all," Noah replied, brushing his hair back with his fingers and failing miserably.

His father's lips trembled but he ignored him and continued looking at the headlines.

He picked at his toast while his mother poured coffee, the silence between bites and sips comfortable, almost too comfortable.

"You're going to be late for work again," his mother chided, her tone half-serious.

Helen had a way of always sounding mildly concerned, even when everything was perfectly fine.

"I know, I know," Noah muttered, shoving the toast into his mouth before rushing to get ready.

He went back inside his room to dress himself before heading out the door. The same routine that he had followed more times than he could count.

Walking out of the door, he headed for his job at a local electronics store, which was just as unremarkable as the rest of his life.

"Let's see if I can sell a few smartphones or not." He stretched his arms while muttering.

Noah took a deep breath as the crisp morning air filled his lungs. He began walking towards the electronics store. The same gray buildings and familiar faces passed him by.

As he walked to work, he paused, hearing a faint hum in the air. He frowned, but the noise disappeared as quickly as it came. Shaking it off, he kept walking.

Arriving at StarTech Electronics, Noah pulled the door open, the jingle of the bell announcing his arrival.

The smell of freshly unpacked devices and the faint noises of display devices filled the air.

"Look who decided to show up on time for once," came a sarcastic voice from behind the counter.

Noah sighed, already knowing who it was. Elliot, his self-proclaimed mentor and the store's most senior employee, leaned against the counter with his signature smirk.

His hair was a little too perfectly styled, and he always seemed to have an unshakable air of smugness.

"Morning, Elliot. Don't you ever get tired of being so predictable?" Noah replied, placing his bag down behind the counter.

"Predictable? I'm the most exciting thing in this place," Elliot shot back, waving dramatically at the store, which was currently devoid of customers.

"Sure, let's go with that," Noah muttered, pulling on his employee badge.

Just then, the back door swung open, and Sophia, the store's newest hire, stepped inside.

With her bright red hair tied into a loose ponytail and a pair of thick-rimmed glasses perched on her nose, she looked perpetually enthusiastic, a stark contrast to Noah's general demeanor.

"Good morning, Noah! Good morning, Elliot!" Sophia chirped enthusiastically, balancing a tray of coffee cups.

"Morning, Sophia. Let me guess, you brought coffee for everyone again?" Noah asked, taking one of the cups from her.

"Of course! It's the least I can do for my team," she replied cheerfully, setting the rest of the drinks down on the counter.

Elliot raised an eyebrow, taking his cup. "You're way too nice for this job, Sophia. Give it a few weeks, and you'll be as jaded as the rest of us."

"I doubt that," Sophia said with a smile. "Besides, working here is fun! I mean, who wouldn't want to spend their day surrounded by all this cool tech?"

Noah glanced around the store, taking in the neatly organized shelves of smartphones, laptops, and accessories. "Yeah, it's a dream come true," he said with lifeless eyes, taking a sip of coffee.

Before Sophia could respond, the bell above the door jingled again. A middle-aged man walked in, looking slightly lost but curious. Noah straightened up, ready to approach the customer.

"Alright, Starfall," Elliot whispered with mock seriousness. "Time to prove you're worth that hefty paycheck."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Noah replied, walking over to the man.

"Good morning! Can I help you with something today?" Noah asked, his voice polite but lacking the bubbly enthusiasm Sophia always managed to exude.

The man scratched his head, glancing at a shelf of smartphones. "Yeah, I'm looking for a phone for my daughter. She's starting high school and wants something... trendy."

Noah nodded, launching into the usual speech about the store's best-selling models, his mind half on autopilot. As he helped the customer compare features, he couldn't help but overhear Elliot and Sophia behind him.

"See? He's got potential," Elliot said, chuckling.

"He's good," Sophia agreed, her voice genuinely impressed. "But he could smile more and be a little more enthusiastic."

Noah rolled his eyes but finished the sale with the customer, who left with a new phone and a satisfied smile.

"See? Another happy customer," Noah said as he returned to the counter, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"Don't let it go to your head, Starfall," Elliot teased. "There's still eight hours left in the day."

"Just another day at work," Noah replied, taking another sip of coffee.

As the day continued to pass, Noah found himself following the usual routine of his work, but Sophia's cheerful presence and Elliot's sarcastic banter added a bit of color to his otherwise monotone world.

…

"Uhm~ That was an uneventful day." Noah stretched while walking back towards his home.

"I wonder what will be for dinner today." He rubbed his chin while wondering.

Soon, he reached his home. Sweet aroma drifted from the kitchen as he smiled and went to eat food with his family.

Later at night, "Ugh, what should I do? Doomscroll on MyTube or play some game?"

He thought aloud before spending his night on his usual routine.

…

His weekends weren't much different. Occasionally, his friends would drag him out to a bar or a movie, but even those moments were his usual routine.

Nothing ever changed in his life. And for the most part, Noah was fine with that.

His parents were average, hardworking people who had never achieved anything extraordinary, but they had always been there for him.

Their love was simple and unwavering, a constant presence that Noah had never thought to question.

His younger sister, Mia, was just starting college, equally unremarkable in her studies and social life.

The only thing not normal about them was their family name, which they had no idea where it came from.

And together, they formed a family that was happy in its simplicity, a bubble of normalcy in an otherwise chaotic world.

During one of the ordinary evenings, Noah was lying on the couch, lazily flipping through TV channels.

Beside him on the other couch, his younger sister Mia was scrolling through her phone, the blue light reflecting off her glasses.

Their father sat in his usual armchair, turning the pages of a thick book with the kind of deliberate slowness that suggested he was savoring every word. From the kitchen, the comforting smell of dinner drifted into the living room.

"Are you even watching anything, Bro?" Mia teased, glancing up from her phone.

"It's called 'channel surfing,' Mia. Look it up," Noah shot back, his tone filled with mock sophistication.

Before Mia could retort, a sudden Boom reverberated through the house, loud enough to rattle the windows and send books tumbling from the shelves.

"What the hell was that?" Noah blurted, sitting upright as the remote slipped from his fingers.

His father stood abruptly, his book falling to the floor. "An explosion? Maybe a gas leak?"

From the kitchen, Helen, their mother, stepped into the doorway, clutching a dish towel. "Was it an earthquake? Are you two okay?"

"I'm fine!" Mia called, though her voice trembled. She slid her phone into her pocket and stood up, her wide eyes darting toward the windows.

Before anyone could think about it further, the lights flickered and went out. The once-cozy hum of the house fell into an eerie silence.

Even the faint sounds of city life—the distant noise of cars—were gone.

"I don't like this," Mia whispered, moving closer to Noah.

Thomas walked to the window, pulling aside the curtain. His jaw dropped. "You've got to see this."

"What is it?" Helen asked, hurrying over with their kids close behind. Mia peeked out cautiously from behind Noah.

The sky had transformed. Blood-red clouds churned violently overhead, streaked with black lightning that illuminated the eerie sky.

At the center of the chaos, a massive figure descended slowly, its form glowing with an ominous energy.

And then he saw it.

A scene which will forever be etched in his memories.

A massive, towering figure descended from the heavens, its twelve wings split between six snow-white and six jet-black spreading out like a shadow that blanketed the earth.

"Is that... a person?" Mia whispered as she instinctively raised her phone, trying to focus on the figure in the sky. Her hands shook as she saw the being's face, and she nearly dropped it as the first beam of crimson light struck nearby.

"No, it's something else," Noah said, his voice barely above a whisper.

The Seraph's glowing crimson eyes swept over the Earth as if it were looking at ants.

The sheer weight of its presence pressed down on everything, making the air heavy and hard to breathe.

Then it spoke.

[One billion humans shall ascend to the Eternal Bloodlands. This is your reckoning and your opportunity. Fight, grow, or perish. The choice is no longer yours.]

The voice wasn't just sound—it was a force that resonated deep in their bones, rattling their entire bodies, being impossible to ignore.

"What is it saying?" Mia asked, her voice trembling.

Noah stepped back from the window, his heart pounding in his chest. "I don't know. But it doesn't sound good."

Their father grabbed Noah's arm, his face pale. "We need to stay inside. Lock the doors and—"

Before he could finish, the sky erupted. Beams of crimson light shot down, striking random locations across the world.

Each impact was accompanied by an explosion that shook the house and sent tremors through the ground. In the distance, screams rang out, mingling with the sound of crumbling buildings and shattering glass.

Mia clung to Noah's arm, her face pale with terror. "Brother, what's happening? Are we going to die?"

"No one's dying," Noah said firmly, though his voice wavered. "Just stay close."

Another beam of crimson light slammed into the street outside their house. The ground cracked open with a deafening roar, revealing a jagged rift that seemed to stretch endlessly downward.

Helen pulled Mia close, her voice trembling. "Stay together. Don't go near the windows."

Their father grabbed Noah's shoulder. "We have to move. Get to the basement or—"

Before he could finish, a blinding light filled the room, forcing them to shield their eyes.

A searing pain shot through Noah's chest, making him cry out. He looked down, expecting to see blood, but instead, an intricate sigil was carving itself into his skin, glowing with an ominous red hue.

"Noah!" Mia screamed, grabbing his arm. "What's wrong?!"

Noah fell to his knees, clutching at the mark. "I don't know! It burns!"

Mia's eyes filled with tears as she kneeled beside her brother, "Brother, Brother, don't leave me!"

Noah turned to his sister, forcing a weak smile through the pain. "Don't cry, Mia. It'll be okay—"

But before Helen and Thomas could look at their son, the Seraph's voice returned, louder than before, echoing through their minds.

[The chosen have been marked. Ten million of you shall ascend. Prepare yourselves for the Eternal Bloodlands. Your trials begin now.]

Before anyone could react, a crimson pillar formed around Noah, engulfing his entire body as his body vaporized from the spot, all he could hear before it were the screams of his family which soon faded.

As the crimson light swallowed him, Noah felt weightless, his body dissolving into the void. His last thought wasn't of fear—it was of Mia's tear-streaked face, burned into his memory as everything else faded.