The subway shot forward, as it sped through the underground tunnel. Nathan slouched in his seat, staring at his faint reflection in the window. The last few weeks had been nothing but a cycle —wake up, go to school, come home, repeat.
The train stopped suddenly. He hadn't been paying attention, but this wasn't his stop, or any station he knew. He glanced around, there was no one around.
A chill crawled up his spine. He pulled out his phone. No service.
Then, the lights died completely.
It became dark. Floating before him was a bright green orb Then, without warning, it shot forward, piercing his chest.
Nathan's breath yelped, as his hand flew to his chest. "It hurts, It burns!,"
His vision blurred. And then—
Nothing.
When he awoke again, he was on his back, staring at a sky that was too blue, too unreal. He looked at his hands, then his body. This wasn't him. Wisps of white clouds stretched endlessly across the horizon. The ground beneath him was soft, like moss, but it shimmered faintly with a light he couldn't explain.
He sat up slowly. Looking around for where he was.
Then, a voice echoed in his head.
Welcome, Traveler.
Nathan's blood ran cold. He jumped to his feet, eyes darting around the empty space, heart pounding as he searched for the voice.
You have been chosen.
"Chosen for what?" he asked, his own voice hoarse and unsteady.
Before he could get an answer, a ancient book materialized in front of him.
The book snapped opened and lines formed across the page
System Activated. Initializing Class Selection...
His heart pounded. This had to be a dream. Some kind of hallucination. But deep down, a part of him knew the truth.
He wasn't going home.