Darkness.
Not the kind when you close your eyes.
The kind that swallows you whole. No floor. No air. No time. Just an endless fall.
I couldn't breathe. I couldn't scream. I couldn't even think.
Then—Impact.
My body slammed against something solid and cold. The air rushed out of my lungs as I choked, coughing and gasping like I'd been drowning.
Then came the voices.
"Agh, what the hell—?!"
"Ow! My arm!"
"Where are we!?"
I blinked.
We weren't in the classroom anymore.
We were in some kind of stone hall. Enormous. Circular. Carved pillars surrounded us, glowing with blue light. The ceiling stretched so high it faded into shadow. Strange symbols floated in the air like dust.
And around me… were my classmates.
All of them.
Stunned. Confused. Some crying. Some yelling.
"Someone explain RIGHT NOW!" Mei shouted, her voice echoing through the hall.
"Was this some kind of prank!? Did you idiots set this up!?" Rika screamed, grabbing Toru by the collar.
"WOAH, WOAH, I DIDN'T DO THIS!" Toru flailed. "Hinata, back me up!"
"Don't look at me!" Hinata snapped. "This is WAY beyond anything we'd do!"
Ayaka helped Yui to her feet, brushing off dust from her skirt. "Yui, are you okay?"
"Yeah… yeah, just… what the hell was that?"
"Everyone SHUT UP!" Itsuki's voice cut through the chaos like a blade. "Panicking won't help. We need to figure out where we are and how we got here."
He turned to me. "Takashi… that light. That whisper… You heard it too, right?"
I nodded slowly. "It said… 'The summoning has begun.'"
Silence fell.
Then—
"You're kidding me," said Sora. "A summoning? Like in a fantasy game?"
"No. Nope. This is stupid." Riku took off his sunglasses and glared around the room. "I refuse to be part of some wannabe isekai plot. Take me back right now."
"You think any of us chose this?" Sayaka snapped.
"We were in CLASS! We had a MATH TEST today!" Yui screamed.
Reiji raised both hands calmly. "Everyone, listen. We need to stay calm and assess—"
"No!" Rika shouted. Her voice cracked. "We're not calm! We're not supposed to be here! We're just… students! I was texting five minutes ago! This isn't real!"
"I agree," said Noa, stepping forward. "This feels too calculated. Too clean. Either someone is playing a god-tier prank, or—"
A rumble shook the floor.
We all froze.
From the center of the room, the floating runes began to swirl. Light erupted in a spiral—and from it, a figure emerged.
Robed. Hooded. Ancient.
We stumbled back. A few of us screamed.
The figure raised a staff and spoke in a booming voice that shook the walls:
"Chosen ones of the other world, welcome. You have been summoned by the Kingdom of Elgrande, in its darkest hour."
"WHOA WHOA WHOA!" Daigo yelled, arms up. "Reverse that! We ain't chosen ANYTHING!"
"We didn't sign up for this!" Ayaka added. "You can't just take people from their lives!"
The robed figure ignored them and continued:
"You have been brought forth to fulfill a prophecy. This world teeters on the edge of ruin. The Demon Lord rises, and only those from beyond—the ones with untapped potential—can save us."
"We're teenagers!" Mei barked. "Half of us can't even save ourselves!"
Yui nodded furiously. "I failed biology last semester! You expect me to fight a demon!?"
"I didn't even eat breakfast!" Rika yelled, hands on her head.
Sora stared hard at the robed figure. "You kidnapped us. Without consent. That's not a prophecy. That's a crime."
Everyone turned to him.
He didn't flinch. He just kept talking.
"We have families. Siblings. Lives. You can't just pull people from their world like chess pieces."
The figure finally looked down at him.
"Your resistance is expected. But it is futile. The summoning has been sealed. The path back is closed… for now."
And just like that… the air in the room died.
We weren't dreaming.
We weren't in control.
We weren't going home.
Not anytime soon.
A Heavy Silence
For a long time, no one spoke. We just stood there, breathing, thinking, breaking.
I sat down. My legs couldn't hold me anymore.
Itsuki stood by me, arms crossed. "This isn't just a fantasy anymore."
Rika slowly walked over and sat beside me. She didn't say anything. Just leaned her head on my shoulder.
"We are really in a fantasy world," she whispered. "But not like in the stories. This… this is scary."
I wanted to tell her it'd be okay.
But I didn't believe that myself.
And Then…
Another figure stepped into the circle—this time, a young woman in armor. She looked human. Blonde, serious eyes, a long cape flowing behind her.
"I am Commander Elira of the Royal Guard. I know this is overwhelming. But please… let us explain your role in all of this."
"I'm sorry," Reiji said, stepping forward. "But first, answer one question."
Elira nodded. "Of course."
"Are we ever going home?"
Elira hesitated.
And that silence… said everything.