"E@11n"
'What?'
"Ethan!"
Ethan's eyes flickered open, the harsh light stabbing into them like shards of glass. Instinctively, he tried to shield himself, to shut them and let the world adjust. But his body didn't respond.
"Ethan! Hurry up!"
The voice cut through the haze—a voice he knew, but couldn't place in the moment.
"Coming," he heard himself reply, his tone was sharp and irritated.
'Wait. I wasn't saying that.'
Ethan turned, finding himself facing Donald. Or at least, the version of him he remembered.
Confusion clawed at him. Wasn't he just a baby? Why was he Ethan again? No—why couldn't he control himself?
Without hesitation, Ethan's body walked forward, closing the distance to an elderly man with pointed ears, his cane tapping rhythmically against polished tiles. Lumos. One of the ones who had summoned them.
"Old man, do I have to meet the King? I mean, I traveled universes to get here…" Ethan spoke.
Lumos chuckled, the sound oddly hollow, his pale eyes unreadable. "I'm afraid not, young one. The King is eager to meet his chosen champions."
Ethan wanted to scoff, but the noise that escaped him was a sigh instead. That's when he felt it—fingers pressing against his shoulder.
"Come on, Ethan. Meeting the King might give us some clarity. We still don't know why we were summoned."
That voice. That disgusting voice. He knew it too well.
Adrian.
Ethan turned to face him, a small twitch smile playing on his face. "Thanks for the input,"
Adrian just laughed, his easy smile making Ethan grimace.
'Did I say something funny?'
"Ethan! Wait up!"
Another voice called out, and he turned to see the rest of the group hurrying to join them.
Moving through the grand hallway, Ethan looked around. The hall's towering walls lined with shifting murals, countless elves armed with polearms stationed as guards, looking at them as they walked along the red carpet.
Soon, they reached a massive door, its surface gleaming with etched runes that pulsed faintly, like a heartbeat. Lumos nodded to the guards, their polished armor reflecting the flickering torchlight, and they pushed the doors open.
A gust of air surged outward, rushing past the class as the class stepped inside.
The chamber was vast, impossibly so, the ceiling so high it faded into shadows. Rows of guards lined the hall, their eyes fixed on them—not with indifference, but with something that felt close to reverence.
Lumos came to an abrupt stop and bent over, his voice echoing through the quiet, "Greet the mighty ruler of the Aeloria Empire, King Athior!"
The guards slid down to a single knee simultaneously, their timing impeccable and matched to each other. A nudge on Ethan's shoulder broke his focus.
"It's better if we bow," Adrian murmured, "This man is a king."
Ethan hesitated, but his words—and the weight of a hundred eyes on him—forced him to follow suit. Reluctantly, he bowed, his class doing the same behind him.
As he lowered his head, Ethan stole a glance upward.
A man sat upon a gleaming golden throne. His hair was lustrous blonde, gleaming under the light, while his golden eyes burned like twin suns
Ethan's breath hitched, the air around him feeling heavier.
Then, he spoke:
"Welcome, heroes."
No one spoke. No one dared to even look at each other. It was as though an invisible weight had settled in the room, drawing one unanimous conclusion from all:
He is strong.
The King's golden eyes swept across them, appraising each one.
Ethan followed the line of sight, then the king's eyes met his, lingering on him for a moment longer.
It was as if he could see through him, peeling away every secret Ethan ever held. Then, his expression shifted—just slightly—as he looked past Ethan. His golden eyes widened for an instant before returning to their cold indifference.
He turned to a man standing beside him—a minister, judging by his formal attire—and asked in a clipped, authoritative tone, "Which Realmcaller brought this batch?"
The minister flinched, bowing hastily before excusing himself and scurrying out of the room. The King's piercing gaze returned to the class as he straightened in his throne. "You must be wondering why you were summoned here," he began, his deep voice resonating throughout the hall. "First, stand."
Everyone obeyed, standing in unison. The King cleared his throat before gazing over the lot "We need your help… in a war."
The room froze.
Before anyone could process the words, Donald punched the air dramatically, a grin spreading across his face. "Oh, this is so cliché!" he exclaimed. "What is it? Dragons? Demon Lords? Giant gates to another dimension spewing monsters? Come on, tell me! This is going to be epic!" He spun in place, miming a sword swing, utterly ignoring the gravity of the moment.
The King simply stared, unamused, as Donald continued babbling. The rest of us shot him looks ranging from confusion to outright horror.
"Humans," the King said, his voice cutting through the air like a blade.
Donald froze his punches mid-air and everyone's face went pale. "Wait, how do you expect us to help?! We are Humans ourselves!" Samantha spoke first. Others chimed in, their voices overlapping in chaotic protests:
"W-What the fuck?!"
"We're just kids!"
"How could you even ask this of us?!"
Ethan stared at the crowd in silence.
What was the point of speaking when no one was listening?
His gaze shifted to Gilbert, who was staring at the ground, muttering under his breath.
"...this is crazy, what, That is just wrong, shit, the fuc…
For a moment, Ethan bit his lip as he looked at Gilbert. After debating it over a bit, he placed a hand on his shoulder,
"Gil, you good?"
Gilbert turned to him with a pale face, "How could I be?" he asked, he opened his mouth to say something else but stopped.
Ethan pursed his lips.
He had an idea on what Gilbert was going to say though.
It would have probably said something like, "I am not an emotionally inept fuck and have atleast some loose morals unlike you so I can't help but panic." Though he may have exaggerated it, it would roughly convey the same message.
Ethan simply gave Gilbert's shoulder a reassuring pat, though he doubted it did much. "We'll figure something out," he said, though it was more out of obligation than belief.
The King raised a hand adorned with golden rings, turning to Lumos who nodded. Next moment, Lumos conjured a powerful gust of wind, washing over all of them. It was oddly soothing, like a tranquil wave that cleared away the chaos in Ethan's head.
"Don't fight it," the King said. "This is a spell to cleanse unnecessary thoughts. Focus, and listen."
However, Ethan couldn't help but put a subconscious resistance in his mind. Soon though, he relented. No point in bringing unnecessary attention. As soon as he did, a peculiar clarity settled over him as the King spoke again.
"Tell me, in your world, have there not been wars? Have your kind not killed each other for power, for land, for resources?" His gaze swept over us, challenging us to deny it. "And yet, you are here, alive, because of the sacrifices others made. Tell me, Heroes—what is your purpose here if not to fulfill the duty of those who summoned you?"
His words hung in the air like a heavy shroud.
"Do you wish to return home?" he asked. "Then surely, the divine messenger explained the terms. Eighty percent of the time, the criteria for returning is fulfilling the summoner's request. Am I wrong?"
Nervous glances darted between the class. Quiet nods confirmed his statement.
The King's lips curved into a grim smile. "Then understand this: we did not start this war. Humans pillage our lands, enslave our kin, and strike us down in cold blood. Even now, it is they who seek to destroy us. And you call us murderers for fighting back?"
Donald, who had been unnervingly quiet since the revelation, suddenly muttered, "I mean… in isekais, humans selling elf slaves is kind of a thing…" His words trailed off as everyone glared at him.
'The wind was certainly peculiar…' Ethan noted, his eyes narrowed at Donald, who, a moment ago, was in a state of shock.
'Does that wind force the user's will upon us?' He looked at all his classmates. Even he felt as if he was swaying a little.
'All of everything he said could be a lie but it looks as if everyone was accepting them as facts.'
He maintained narrowed eyes as he looked at the king.
The King ignored Donald, addressing the rest of them. "Do you not see? You are soldiers now. What is so different here? Don't soldiers kill in your world too? Why do you hesitate to protect those who summoned you?"
"Guys." Everyone turned to the familiar voice. Ethan frowned, seeing Adrian raising his hand, catching everyone's breath. "If what the King said is true, this might be our only hope of getting back home and seeing our families, I think we should comply with him for now." Everyone looked at each other and nodded firmly.
Well, most were firm.
Ethan exchanged eye contact with his friends, who all still looked a bit hesitant.
A thought entered Ethan's mind, to reassure his friends and say everything would be fine. But he knew better. And he was not going to make some false reassurances.
What bothered, however, him was Adrian. At this point, Ethan was sure. Adrian knew something. But it was peculiar how he immediately sided with the elven King.
It almost felt unnatural.
Not to mention the immediate acceptance of the class when Adrian said it.
Before Ethan could dwell on it any longer, however, the minister returned, whispering something in the King's ear.
The King's eyes widened, his calm demeanor briefly faltering before he smiled. "Now it makes sense," he said, scanning everyone with renewed interest. "No wonder you all have been so difficult."
"What the hell is he talking about?" Gilbert hissed, nudging Ethan, who simply shook his head. "No clue."
The King chuckled, a rare glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "How fortunate we are," he said, his voice tinged with reverence, "to have summoned a batch from an unidentified Realmcaller."
________
[A/N: Finally, 12 chapters. From now on, its 1 chapter a day. Also, can people comment on his chapter so that I can see how many have read up to this point. I have more stuff planned so don't worry, everything is only going to take off from here. Trust.
Also, PS will be appreciated.
(long shot but 60 collections? 👉👈)
]