Aiden’s eyelids felt unusually heavy.
For a brief moment, he wondered if he had fainted.
Then a strange scent reached his nose.
Burning incense.
Old stone.
Molten wax.
None of it belonged to the streets of New Delhi.
His eyes slowly opened.
Instead of towering buildings and passing traffic, an enormous ceiling painted with ancient murals stretched high above him.
The artwork depicted warriors clad in shining armor standing beside dragons, giants, elves, dwarves, and countless races he had only ever seen in fantasy novels.
“…Where…”
He pushed himself up.
Cold marble greeted his hands.
The glowing golden runes beneath him were slowly fading, as though they had completed their purpose.
Around him, five other young people were beginning to wake.
The young man from Tokyo sat up first, rubbing his forehead.
“…I’m alive?”
The tall blond young man from New York looked around with wide eyes.
“Okay…
either I’m dreaming or someone drugged me.”
A young woman with long dark hair—Seo Ji-ah—hugged her knees tightly, struggling to steady her breathing.
“This can’t be real…”
Li Wei calmly adjusted his glasses before studying the runes beneath his feet.
“They’re disappearing…”
Maya slowly turned in a full circle, taking in the enormous chamber.
“…Where are we?”
Aiden didn’t answer.
Because he didn’t know.
The six of them stood together instinctively, surrounded by unfamiliar faces.
Hundreds of armored knights formed disciplined rows along both sides of the hall.
Each knight wore polished silver armor adorned with a crest depicting a soaring phoenix.
Behind them stood nobles dressed in luxurious robes of crimson, emerald, sapphire, and gold.
Some looked excited.
Others appeared relieved.
A few simply stared in disbelief.
Near the front stood dozens of elderly court mages.
Many leaned heavily on their staffs.
Several had collapsed to one knee, breathing heavily.
Dark circles rested beneath their eyes.
It looked as though they had exhausted every ounce of strength they possessed.
Then—
**Clack.**
The sound of a staff striking marble echoed throughout the chamber.
Every knight immediately knelt.
Every noble bowed.
Even the exhausted court mages lowered their heads.
The massive doors at the far end of the hall slowly opened.
A man wearing a white royal cloak walked forward.
A golden crown rested upon his head.
Despite his regal appearance, there was no arrogance in his expression.
Only exhaustion.
And hope.
He stopped several meters before the six heroes.
For a long moment, he simply looked at them.
Then—
To everyone’s astonishment—
The king lowered himself onto one knee.
The entire hall remained silent.
“My name is Aldren.”
“I am the King of the Kingdom of Aerithia.”
His voice carried throughout the chamber.
“I welcome you…”
“…Heroes from another world.”
Daniel blinked twice.
“Did he just call us heroes?”
Haruto remained cautious.
“…What exactly is going on?”
King Aldren slowly lowered his head.
“I know you are frightened.”
“I know you have been taken from your homes against your will.”
“No apology can erase that truth.”
His voice became heavier.
“But I ask you…”
“Please hear me before passing judgment.”
No one interrupted.
There was sincerity in the king’s eyes.
He was not speaking like a ruler demanding obedience.
He was speaking like a man with nowhere left to turn.
The king rose to his feet and gestured toward an enormous map displayed behind the throne.
The continent was divided into many kingdoms.
Towering mountain ranges stretched across the north.
Ancient forests covered the east.
Deserts dominated the south.
But everyone’s attention was drawn to the western half of the map.
It was stained black.
Haruto frowned.
“…What happened there?”
King Aldren slowly turned toward the map.
“Five years ago…”
“A being known only as the Demon Lord appeared.”
“He united races that had spent centuries fighting among themselves.”
“Goblins.”
“Orcs.”
“Ogres.”
“Trolls.”
“Dark Elves.”
“Wyverns.”
“And monsters beyond human understanding.”
The hall grew noticeably colder.
“Our armies resisted.”
“We fought battle after battle.”
“We reclaimed villages.”
“We defended our borders.”
“But every victory cost us thousands of lives.”
His clenched fist trembled.
“Three days ago…”
“Our Western Fortress fell.”
A heavy silence settled over the room.
“It was protected by four thousand elite soldiers.”
“Not one returned.”
Even Daniel’s casual expression disappeared.
Li Wei quietly studied the map.
“If your losses are that severe…”
“Why summon people from another world?”
The Grand Archmage stepped forward.
His face was pale from mana exhaustion, but his voice remained steady.
“Because every prophecy left by the ancient sages speaks of six heroes.”
“Heroes capable of changing fate itself.”
He looked at each of them in turn.
“The ritual did not choose you because of your nationality.”
“Nor because of your status.”
“It chose your souls.”
Seo Ji-ah finally found the courage to speak.
“…Can we go home?”
The question echoed through the hall.
King Aldren closed his eyes.
“…I do not know.”
The answer struck harder than anyone expected.
“I searched every record preserved by this kingdom.”
“None describe a method to immediately return summoned heroes to their world.”
Daniel let out a slow breath.
“So…”
“We might be stuck here.”
“I will not give up searching,” the king said firmly.
“If a path home exists, I swear upon my crown that I will find it.”
Aiden studied the king carefully.
He believed him.
Whether the promise could be fulfilled was another matter.
The Grand Archmage raised his crystal staff once more.
“There is one matter we must attend to before anything else.”
He turned toward the center of the hall.
The marble floor suddenly trembled.
Ancient runes spread outward in every direction.
From beneath the stone, a colossal crystal slowly rose into view.
It shimmered with golden light, as if countless stars had been sealed within it.
The six heroes stared in silence.
The Grand Archmage rested his hand upon its smooth surface.
“This is the **Divine Appraisal Crystal**.”
“It will reveal the class and unique blessing bestowed upon each of you.”
His gaze swept across the six young heroes.
“And from this moment onward…”
“…your destinies will begin to unfold.”