Listening to the teacher drone on and on about math, I barely stifle a yawn. My eyes start to glaze over until something bright catches my attention.
A strange blue glow pulses from the floor.
"What the fuck…" I mutter under my breath, blinking in disbelief.
My classmates start murmuring, some rising from their seats, their voices growing louder with confusion and panic. The teacher tries to calm everyone down, but his voice is already lost beneath the growing chaos.
I'm too distracted to care. That glow it's getting brighter. Almost blinding.
No way... this looks just like one of those cliché "summoned to another world" setups, I think, heart pounding.
Then the circle beneath us erupts in a flash of blinding blue light so bright it burns itself into my vision. For a split second, I feel nothing. No ground, no body, just heat and light.
And then blackness.
I don't know how much time passes before I start to come to.
My body aches, and I feel cold stone beneath me. Groaning, I push myself up, blinking through the dizziness. Around me, my classmates are slowly regaining consciousness, dazed and just as confused as I am.
"Where the hell…?" someone whispers nearby.
Before any of us can say more, a booming voice echoes from all directions:
"Welcome, heroes!"
I look up and see a glowing golden light hovering in the air—ethereal, formless, like it wasn't meant to be perceived by mortal eyes.
One of my classmates—Brian, the popular guy—gets to his feet, frowning. "What do you mean, 'heroes'?"
A few others back him up, voices rising in alarm. "Where are we?" "What's going on?!"
"Do not be afraid, children," the golden light responds calmly, its voice vibrating in my bones. "I am a god, and my followers have summoned you to aid them with their troubles. I am simply here to bestow upon you all a gift—a power."
The class president, Aria, steps forward, arms crossed. "Some of us don't want this… sir God."
Our math teacher nods in agreement, speaking up for the first time. "They're just kids. Send us back!"
A tense silence hangs in the air before the god responds, tone unyielding:
"It is out of my hands, child. I cannot send you back."
Gasps ripple through the group. Someone curses. Someone else starts to cry.
"But let me bestow this gift upon you all," the god intones, and before anyone can protest, a brilliant golden light explodes outward, engulfing us.
I stagger, blinded, then gasp as something rushes into me—like a missing puzzle piece sliding into place. It doesn't hurt, but it doesn't feel natural either.
Is this the power he was talking about? I wonder, heart racing.
Dizziness washes over me. My eyelids grow heavy.
"I wish you all luck," the god's voice echoes one last time, just before the darkness takes me again.
My eyes crack open to the sight of polished stone and expensive carpet.
I'm lying on the floor.
A very hard, very cold, very not high school floor.
Groaning, I roll onto my side. I'm surrounded by bodies—my classmates, groggy and groaning just like me. Someone throws up nearby. Another kid is quietly sobbing.
Is he seriously puking? I think, disgusted.
The room is massive. Marble columns. Banners hanging from the ceiling. A red carpet stretches from the massive doors to a golden throne at the far end.
Yep. We're in a castle.
What the actual hell.
I push myself upright, hands trembling. A few others are already on their feet. No one helps anyone else. Everyone's too busy trying to make sense of it all.
Then the doors open.
A man in gleaming robes walks in, flanked by guards. A crown sits heavy on his head. Behind him trails a regal woman in a gown glittering like ice, and next to her walks a girl in a frilly dress with a politely blank expression.
The king, the queen, and the princess.
Of fucking course.
"Welcome, brave heroes," the king announces, spreading his arms with a benevolent smile. "You have crossed the veil between worlds to aid us in our darkest hour."
Nobody claps. No one bows. Just confused silence and a few students swaying like they're still dizzy from the summoning.
"What the hell is going on?!" Brian barks, stepping forward.
The king doesn't flinch. "You have been summoned to Elyndra, our kingdom. Our lands suffer under the threat of demons, and so the Divine God has chosen you champions from another world to save us."
His voice is dramatic. Theatrical. Like he's used to making speeches. Like he's done this before.
The queen chimes in with a soft, practiced tone: "Worry not. You will be fed, clothed, and housed. Your powers shall awaken shortly, and we shall ensure you are trained."
The princess adds, "You will not be alone."
But it sure feels like it.
The guards haven't even looked at us like people. Just livestock with a shiny new sticker.
Then the king gestures to the side of the throne room, where a glowing orb floats above a pedestal.
"This is the Orb of Invocation. It reveals the divine blessing you received. Approach, and it shall show your class and rank."
Brian, of course, marches up first. Puts his hand on the orb with zero hesitation.
It flashes.
[CLASS: Sword Saint – Rank: A]
Everyone gasps. Brian grins.
The king nods approvingly. "A fine blessing."
More students step up, eager now.
[Elemental Archer – Rank: B+][Holy Blade – Rank: A-][Stormcaller – Rank: B][Beast Tamer – Rank: C+]
Each new class gets more cheers, more whispers of admiration. Nobles mutter praise. The princess even claps politely. A few students are already soaking in the attention like they were born for this.
I wait in the back. No one calls my name. No one pushes me forward.
Fine.
I walk up on my own. Quietly. No fanfare. No crowd behind me.
I press my hand to the orb.
The glow flickers. Then pulses—deep crimson.
[CLASS: ▓▓▓▓▓ – Rank: F]
The room falls dead silent.
"What the hell is that?" someone whispers.
"Is that… redacted?"
"Wait F-rank?"
My chest tightens.
The king raises an eyebrow, but says nothing. No nod. No sympathy. No encouragement.
"Next."
I step back. No one pats me on the back. No one even looks at me twice.
I sit on the floor where I woke up. Back where I started. As if the whole thing never happened.
But I feel it. Deep down.
Something new.