Lukas Everhart had always been the observant type—the one who noticed the small details others missed. His childhood had been spent in the background, preferring the company of books and nature over loud groups or social gatherings. Growing up in a small town near a sprawling forest, Lukas often found solace in the quiet surroundings, where he could watch the world unfold without being part of the noise. His parents were both teachers—his mother an English professor, his father a history teacher—and they'd raised him with a deep respect for learning and critical thinking.
It was his father who had first introduced him to the intricacies of nature. They would spend hours in the woods, collecting rocks, identifying plant species, and discussing the patterns of the natural world. From an early age, Lukas had developed a fascination with the environment—the way it could be both beautiful and brutal, calm and chaotic. That fascination led him to study environmental sciences in college, where he eventually became a research assistant in a prominent environmental research facility.
He wasn't the bravest or the strongest person, but his sharp mind made up for it. Lukas was the type who could notice shifts in the weather before anyone else. He'd track patterns, measure changes, and piece together clues no one else seemed to care about. It was this very attention to detail that made him invaluable in his work, although he often preferred to stay behind the scenes rather than in the spotlight.
Despite his analytical nature, there was something else about Lukas—a quiet curiosity that had always lingered in the back of his mind. He would often daydream about the world beyond his studies, the mysteries that science couldn't fully explain. Maybe that's why the disappearances had affected him so deeply. They weren't just strange, they were unnatural. Something was shifting, something wrong, and Lukas couldn't shake the feeling that he was on the cusp of uncovering a truth that no one else had yet realized.
It all began with the disappearances.
At first, it was just a few cases here and there—isolated incidents. People vanishing without a trace. But soon, the reports started to pile up. It wasn't confined to his neighborhood or city anymore. It was happening everywhere. People were just… disappearing. No signs of struggle, no explanations. Just gone. Like they never existed.
Lukas tried to stay detached at first. After all, it wasn't his problem. He wasn't a detective or a cop. But the sheer scale of it started to weigh on him. He started tracking the patterns, analyzing the reports. And then, something hit him—a terrifying thought. There was no logical explanation. No connection. The missing weren't from specific areas, ages, or backgrounds. It was as if the world itself had decided to erase them.
The media, government, and scientists were all stumped. Panic started to spread. The missing count continued to rise.
And then, one evening, it happened to Lukas.
He had been sitting at his desk, sifting through the endless news reports on his computer. The weight of the disappearances was growing heavier in his chest, and he could feel the anxiety gnawing at him. Was something out there? Was he next? The thought lingered at the back of his mind, but he pushed it aside. That was just paranoia, right?
But then… the tremor.
It was so subtle at first that Lukas thought he might have imagined it. The floor beneath him felt like it shifted slightly, a faint vibration running through the air, as if the world itself was being disturbed. He blinked, disoriented. Then, it happened again, stronger this time. His chair wobbled, and the room felt oddly still.
His heart began to race. What was going on?
Before he could react, the air around him cracked—like glass breaking—and the world seemed to shatter. A strange light swirled around him, pulling him off his feet. He tried to scream, but the words didn't come. The ground beneath him buckled, and everything went black.
When Lukas opened his eyes, he was no longer in his apartment. No longer in the city he'd known.
He was in the middle of a forest—tall trees surrounding him in every direction, their twisted branches reaching for the sky like skeletal fingers. The air was thick, damp with an earthy smell, and the faint rustle of leaves in the wind sent shivers down his spine. His first instinct was to get up, to move, but his limbs felt heavy, like the very atmosphere was pressing down on him.
Lukas's breath quickened. This was not normal. There was no logical explanation for this. He blinked repeatedly, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The trees… the strange silence that followed the rustling. It all felt so alien, like a dream or a nightmare. His mind raced as his heartbeat pounded in his ears.
"What is this?" he muttered to himself. "Where am I?"
He stood up shakily, his knees buckling for a moment as the dizziness faded. His stomach churned with a mix of nerves and confusion. Was this… a dream? No, it didn't feel like one. It felt real—too real. His surroundings were vivid and detailed, the rough bark of the trees beneath his fingers, the cool air against his skin. There was no mistaking it—he was somewhere else. Somewhere completely unknown.
And then, it came—the voice.
[Welcome to the Nexus Realm]
Lukas froze. His body tensed, every muscle stiffening as the disembodied voice echoed in the air, seemingly from all around him. It wasn't loud, but it was there. Persistent. An unsettling calm settled over him. He felt his breath catch in his throat.
[System Initialized]
Before he could comprehend the voice, a glowing screen materialized in front of his vision, its words and symbols floating in midair. Lukas blinked and rubbed his eyes—this had to be some kind of hallucination, right?
But the screen was still there. The words lingered, waiting for him.
[Choose Your Class]
A set of options appeared, each one strange and impossible. He stared at them, unsure if he could trust his eyes.
Geomancer: Command the earth, summon golems, shape the terrain.
Necromancer: Control life and death, raise the dead to fight for you.
Cryomancer: Wield ice and frost, freeze enemies and control the cold.
Lukas's heart pounded as he processed the options. A class? A system? Was this some kind of game or a cruel joke? But as the panic bubbled inside him, a new reality began to set in. This wasn't a dream. This wasn't a trick. Something far more real was happening, and he had no idea what it was.
His gaze shifted to the Geomancer option. The idea of controlling the earth appealed to him. He had always been fascinated by the natural world—the way the earth moved, the way rocks and soil could be shaped and formed. This class made sense to him in a way that the others didn't.
He hesitated for a moment, fingers hovering over the choices. Then, he made the decision.
[Class Selected: Geomancer]
[Skills Unlocked: Golem Summon]
The system beeped, confirming his selection, and as it did, Lukas felt an unfamiliar surge of energy flood through him. It started in his chest, spreading outward, and he felt the earth beneath him respond—alive, as though it were listening to him. His heartbeat quickened, a sense of power rising in him, but also confusion. What was this?
The system didn't leave him with just skills. A new interface appeared, more detailed this time, showing his physical and mental attributes.
[Name: Lukas Everhart]
[Title: Unchosen Traveler]
[Class: Geomancer]
[Level: 1]
[Experience: 0/100]
[Stat Points: 5]
[Skill Points: 1]
*Physical Stats
Strength: 10
Agility: 8
Endurance: 12
Stamina: 10
*Armor Stats
Physical Defense: 5
Magic Resistance: 5
*Intelligence
Base Intelligence: 15
Earth Affinity: 30
*Mana
Mana Pool: 50
Mana Regeneration: 1 per minute
[Body Representation: This interface visually represents your body and current stats. It resembles a human form, similar to the Vitruvian Man, but it's functional, not artistic. Each body part is displayed with a focus on your physical, mental, and energy levels. If an injury or abnormality occurs, that specific body part will turn red to signify the issue.]
For example, if Lukas's foot were to be injured or bleeding, that foot would turn red on the display. A small annotation would also appear, explaining the issue: [Status: Poison] or [Status: Bleeding].
Lukas took a deep breath, trying to make sense of it all. His mind was racing, but beneath the confusion, there was a strange sense of purpose. This wasn't a dream. He was here for a reason. And whatever this world was, he had to survive.
[Experience Points]
He had none yet. But the system had confirmed that experience would come. That meant challenges. Growth. Progress. A way to level up.
[Stat Points]
He had 5 Stat Points to allocate, and 1 Skill Point to use.
Lukas was faced with a decision: How would he shape his character? Should he increase his physical stats to become stronger or focus on his intellect to better control his skills? The world was unpredictable. He needed to be prepared for whatever might come next.
"Okay," Lukas whispered to himself, still not fully believing what was happening. "Let's see what this world has in store for me."