Chapter 3: The Calling

Chapter 3: The Calling

There were thirty-one students in total.

Thirty-one ordinary teenagers ripped from their world and thrown into one ruled by magic.

The atmosphere inside the summoning chamber had grown heavier after Seraphine and Darius finished

explaining their situation.

At first, the students had been shocked.

Then fascinated.

Then came the inevitable question.

A boy near the front raised his trembling hand.

“How do we get back home?”

The chamber fell silent.

Darius’ expression tightened.

Seraphine lowered her gaze for a brief moment before speaking.

“We... do not know.”

The words hit harder than anyone expected.

“What?”

“What do you mean, you don’t know?!”

“You brought us here!”

Panic spread instantly.

Students began shouting over one another.

“This has to be a joke!”

“You can’t just kidnap us!”

“I have family back home!”

Darius raised his hands, trying to calm them.

“The summoning ritual used to bring you here is an ancient forbidden spell.”

His voice was grim.

“The royal mages who conducted it exhausted their life force to complete the process.”

Seraphine finished for him.

“They are dead.”

Silence.

The room seemed to freeze.

“Their bodies could not withstand the strain. There was nothing left to save.”

The truth crashed over the students like cold water.

Some stared blankly.

Others trembled.

A girl near the back started crying.

“No... no, I want to go home…”

Then a voice broke through the tension.

A boy leaning casually against one of the pillars

chuckled.

“Well, I know the best way.”

Several students turned toward him.

He wore a smug grin, arms crossed.

“In anime, whenever people get summoned to another world, they usually kill the person who summoned them to return home.”

A few nervous laughs escaped.

Others stared at him in disbelief.

“Dude, what the hell?”

“Seriously?”

Even Ashton, standing silently near the back, glanced toward him.

The joke was tasteless.

And the timing made it worse.

Seraphine’s silver eyes sharpened.

“That will not work.”

Her cold voice silenced the room instantly.

“The summoners are already dead.”

The smug boy’s grin faded.

Darius stepped forward quickly.

“We understand your fear.”

He looked across all thirty-one students.

“And we will do everything in our power to find a way to return you home.”

He hesitated.

“But we cannot promise success.”

Murmurs spread.

“For now,” Seraphine said, “the kingdom’s survival must come first. Once stability is restored, we will dedicate every available resource to researching a return method.”

It wasn’t the answer they wanted.

But it was the only one they had.

And deep down, everyone knew it.

Not long after, the students were escorted through marble hallways toward another chamber inside the academy.

This room was far smaller than the summoning hall.

At its center stood a crystal pedestal glowing with soft blue light.

Floating symbols orbited around it.

“This is the Resonance Chamber,” Darius explained.

“Here, your magical affinity will awaken.”

The tension in the group shifted immediately.

Fear was gradually replaced by anticipation.

After all—

This was the moment everyone had secretly been waiting for.

Magic.

Actual magic.

One by one, the students stepped forward and placed their hands on the crystal.

The results varied.

“Earth Magic. Two-Star.”

“Water Magic. One-Star.”

“Air Magic. Two-Star.”

Each awakening caused gasps, cheers, or disappointed groans.

Some students practically bounced with excitement after receiving their element.

Others looked visibly crushed.

“What?! One star?! That’s trash!”

“This sucks…”

Darius sighed.

“Be grateful.”

The room quieted.

“There are countless people in this world who are born without magical affinity.”

He looked at them seriously.

“To possess magic at all is a blessing.”

Seraphine nodded.

“Magic is difficult to master. Talent alone means little without discipline.”

A student raised his hand.

“What do the stars mean?”

Darius gestured toward the glowing crystal.

“Stars represent your innate magical capacity and potential mastery.”

A chart of ten glowing stars appeared in the air.

“One Star indicates basic affinity.”

“Five Stars marks exceptional talent.”

“Ten Stars…”

His expression grew solemn.

“…is mastery. The highest known level.”

The room buzzed with whispers.

“Has anyone ever reached ten?”

“Very few,” Seraphine answered.

“The strongest mages in history were capable of wielding multiple spells simultaneously and shaping entire battlefields alone.”

The students looked awestruck.

Another boy frowned.

“So we only get one element?”

Disappointment spread across several faces.

Many had clearly expected overpowered fantasy abilities.

Darius gave a small smile.

“This is reality, not fiction.”

A few awkward chuckles followed.

“However,” he added, “those with extraordinary talent may awaken dual affinities.”

That instantly reignited everyone’s excitement.

The testing continued.

Then—

“Milvore Crest.”

A quiet, composed boy stepped forward.

Milvore had always been one of the calmer students back on Earth.

Not exactly mysterious like Ashton, but reserved.

He placed his hand on the crystal.

It erupted in blazing scarlet light.

“Fire Magic.”

Three bright stars appeared overhead.

The chamber gasped.

“Three-Star Fire Affinity.”

Murmurs spread instantly.

“That’s strong…”

“No way…”

Even Seraphine looked impressed.

Milvore simply nodded and stepped back, his expression unreadable.

Then came another name.

“Fiona Vale.”

The room shifted.

Several students exchanged glances.

Fiona was known back at school for being quiet, awkward, and often bullied.

Many considered her strange.

Some openly mocked her.

She hesitated before stepping forward.

Her trembling hand touched the crystal.

For a moment—

Nothing happened.

Then a burst of radiant golden light exploded through the chamber.

Brighter than anything before it.

The room froze.

“Light Magic.”

Though only one star appeared—

It was enough.

Gasps filled the chamber.

“No way…”

“She got Light Magic?!”

The jealousy was immediate.

Students who once ignored or mocked Fiona now

stared at her with disbelief.

Fiona herself looked stunned.

Seraphine’s eyes widened slightly.

Hope flickered across her usually emotionless face.

Light Magic.

Even weak, it was a miracle.

And incredibly valuable.

For the first time, Fiona stood taller.

The very students who once looked down on her now looked at her differently.

And she knew it.

Eventually, nearly everyone had been tested.

Excitement, envy, disappointment, and pride filled the room.

But amidst the chaos—

No one noticed Ashton quietly slipping away.

He moved through the academy halls unnoticed.

Something was calling him.

A faint whisper.

Soft.

Persistent.

Like a voice carried through the wind.

It had started the moment Fiona awakened.

And now it was stronger.

The sound drew him outside toward the academy

grounds.

Beyond the polished stone pathways.

Past the towering walls.

Toward the dark forest bordering the campus.

The deeper he walked, the thicker the mist became.

Ancient trees towered overhead, their twisted branches blotting out the moonlight.

Yet Ashton kept moving.

The whisper grew louder.

Clearer.

Calling his name.

Ashton…

He stopped.

His heartbeat quickened.

“Who are you?” he asked into the darkness.

No answer.

Only silence.

Then—

The mist ahead began to move.

It twisted unnaturally, parting to reveal a narrow path cloaked in shadow.

And from deep within that darkness—

A pair of crimson eyes slowly opened.

To be continued...

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