Author's Note:

  Before you continue, I'm to let you know, I'm a beginner writer so for the story will be subject to change. If you have any suggestions dear reader, ill review and consider it. Hope you enjoy reading!

  The street was silent, swallowed by the kind of darkness that made streetlights feel like distant stars. He walked alone, the chill of midnight brushing against his skin like ghostly fingers. No cars. No voices. Not even the flicker of life behind windows. Just him—and the wind, whispering through the trees as if trying to tell him something he couldn't quite hear.

  He didn’t know where he was going. He only knew he didn’t want to go back.

  Then, the wind stopped.

  Completely.

  As if the world had taken a breath—and forgotten how to exhale.

  Two glowing lights pierced the pitch-bck alley behind him, racing forward like twin comets.

  He turned just in time to see them rushing toward him—too fast to run, too surreal to believe. Frozen in fear and shock, he could only stand there, his breath caught in his throat.

  Then, silence.

  He closed his eyes, bracing for impact. But it never came.

  The lights stopped—hovering just inches from him, humming softly. Slowly, they began to swirl, merging into a radiant circle suspended in the air. A portal, pulsing with otherworldly light.

  He took a step back, heart pounding, the light reflecting in his wide, uncertain eyes. The portal hovered, steady—almost patient, like it was waiting for a choice.

  But he couldn’t move. Couldn’t decide.

  Then, the light surged.

  With a low hum that turned into a roar, the circle expanded and rushed forward. In a fsh, it engulfed him, swallowing his scream—and the silent street behind him.

  When he opened his eyes, the world was on fire.

  Explosions lit up a blood-red sky. Screams echoed through the air—desperate, defiant. Around him, armored women fought tooth and nail atop ruined stone walls, their banners torn, their eyes wild with fury and fear.

  A war was raging.

  And he had nded right in the middle of it.

  Right behind him stood a girl wearing a floppy hat, two pairs of gsses perched on her nose. Her robes flowed down to her knees, cinched at the waist by a belt holding rows of red and blue vials. She was kneeling, chalk in hand, a wide grin on her face.

  "Ah, it works! I managed to summon one!" she cheered, examining him with gleaming eyes. He stared back, nervous and confused, barely registering the chaos around him. She leaned in closer, prompting him to instinctively step back.

  "Uhh... she doesn’t look anything like what the legends say about otherworldly heroes, Melwek," said a voice behind him.

  Another girl in full armor flipped up her visor, her expression unimpressed.

  "Hmmm... you’re right. Maybe our ancestors exaggerated a little," Melwek sighed, standing beside him. "Typical ancient myths," she muttered.

  He caught a whiff of her—fresh like grass—and froze, unsure what to do. One wrong move, he thought, and this could all be over.

  Melwek looked at him curiously. “Well, at least this one doesn’t have anything weird going on like the others. I’d say it’s an improvement!” she giggled.

  “Whatever, Melwek. Can she even help us win this fight?” the armored girl snapped. “She looks like a tramp… skin and bones, with that hazy hair.” Her gaze turned from disgust to pity.

  He recognized that look.

  He looked down, trembling slightly, memories surfacing.

  Melwek noticed the change in his expression. “Oi, Sindra, you’re bullying my subject,” she said with a pout. “You’re not exactly a stunner yourself—you look like a wet bitch from a brothel.”

  Sindra gasped, narrowing her eyes. “Tsk! You've got some nerve, witch!”

  “Ahem, I’m a wizard—and a royal one, thank you very much,” Melwek said, covering her mouth as she chuckled.

  “Oh right, you got promoted by that Queen…” Sindra grumbled. “Ugh… you’re lucky I spent all my mana burning those traitors.” Her voice dropped as she heard a distant trumpet. A grim expression overtook her.

  “Anyway, do what you can to prepare her,” Sindra said, gncing back at him. She noticed his watery brown eyes and hesitated. “My apologies. I’m… used to criticizing people. I’ll improve next time—but not when this idiot is around.” She turned and marched off to rejoin her comrades, watching enemy movements from behind the rubble.

  Melwek sighed. “You heard her.”

  She stepped closer, making him flinch. She patted his back.

  “Don’t worry. I’ll train you harder and faster than you’ve ever imagined. Ten minutes will change your life.” She grinned brightly. “Hehe… it’s so good to have a perfectly good specimen!”

  He gulped.

  Well… better than dying alone on some random road, I guess, he thought.