I stand frozen, my brain still trying to process the impossible scene around us. Brooke’s hand finds mine, her fingers intertwining with mine as we face the silver-haired woman who’s now descending from her throne. The unconscious bodies scattered across the floor make me think of some bizarre cult ritual gone wrong.
The woman sitting on the throne approaches us with measured steps. Her amber eyes study us with an intensity that makes me want to hide behind Brooke.
“My apologies for the surprising welcome,” she says, her voice carrying an authority that seems to fill the entire chamber. “And for all the bodies...”
My eyes dart to the motionless figures in white. “Are they dead?”
“No, we just needed an immense amount of mana to summon you both here,” a voice answers from behind the queen. I turn to see a tall, striking woman with long black hair and vivid purple eyes. Her dark lips give her an almost supernatural appearance, and her outfit, some kind of gothic fantasy ensemble with a dramatic neckline, leaves little to the imagination.
The queen gestures to herself. “I am Queen Olyndra Vaelis, leader of the Holy Empire of Aurelis. You have been summoned to our world for a purpose of great importance.”
My head is spinning. This is actually happening. We’ve been isekai’d.
“And this,” the queen continues, gesturing to the dark-haired woman, “is Morgana Grim. She is my appointed royal mage. It was her spell casting that made your summoning possible.”
Morgana steps forward, her purple eyes locking onto mine. She gives us both this wild, assessing stare that makes me feel like she’s cataloging every flaw in my soul.
“The pleasure is entirely mine,” she says, her voice like dark velvet. “My teacher was responsible for the last three hero summonings. I’ve studied her work extensively.”
"I'm Brooke Pearson," she says, her voice ringing out clear and steady, devoid of the hesitation I’m currently drowning in. She beams at the Queen and Morgana, then gestures toward me with a squeeze of my hand. "And this is Christopher Dalton. It is an absolute honor to be here."
I manage a stiff nod. "Right. It’s... it’s a pleasure."
I feel like a kid standing next to a valedictorian, but Brooke’s confidence is a tether.
Morgana acknowledges the names with a slow nod, her gaze drifting back to the Queen. That’s when the weight of her earlier comment finally clicks in my brain.
I blink, processing her words. “Wait, so we’re not the first heroes you’ve summoned?”
Queen Olyndra shakes her head, her silver-white braids catching the light from the stained glass. “We must summon heroes approximately every five hundred years. It is our world’s cycle of protection.”
My mind races through every isekai anime I’ve ever watched. “Is this about a demon king? Is that why you need heroes?”
“Demon Queen,” the queen corrects, her expression darkening. “She hasn’t been revived yet, but last week there was a blood eclipse, and chaos has been sowing its seeds throughout our lands for years now. We believe her awakening is imminent. Possibly as early as next year.”
“Oh... my god...” I whisper, my knees suddenly feeling weak. The reality of our situation crashes down on me like a tidal wave. This isn’t just some fun adventure. We’ve been summoned to fight an actual demon queen.
But when I look at Brooke, she’s beaming at me with an expression of pure, unadulterated joy.
“Christopher. This is better than we could have ever wanted. This is real.” She grabs both my hands, practically bouncing on her toes. “I knew if we prayed for it we’d get it, but oh my god, I can’t believe it actually happened!”
Her enthusiasm is infectious, and despite my terror, I feel a smile tugging at my lips. Ever since I introduced her to isekai anime last year, she’s been obsessed with the idea. We’d lie in bed at night after a long day of classes, dreaming about escaping our crappy lives. The suffocating expectations of our families, the toxic cycles we both can’t seem to break, and the weight of being who they want us to be instead of who we are. We’d whisper about what we’d do if we were finally transported to another world.
And now it’s actually happened.
Morgana’s eyes narrow as she watches our exchange. “You seem... pleased by this development.”
“Are you kidding?” Brooke laughs, releasing my hands to gesture at the magnificent chamber around us. “This is literally everything we’ve been hoping for!”
I clear my throat, suddenly aware of how we must look to these people. “We’re... honored to be chosen.”
Queen Olyndra studies us with those penetrating amber eyes. “Your enthusiasm is... unusual. Most summoned heroes require significant convincing.”
Morgana steps forward, her purple eyes flashing with pride. “Clearly, I’m far superior at setting the parameters for the summoning spell than old Vespera ever was.”
The queen’s expression shifts slightly. “Did you change them?”
“Of course I did,” Morgana says with a dismissive wave of her hand. “Just as Vespera changed them every time she performed the ritual. Summoning is something we only get to study once every five hundred years. Would you have me waste such an opportunity?”
Queen Olyndra considers this for a moment, her amber eyes thoughtful. “True...” She claps her hands sharply, and suddenly we’re surrounded by a dozen servants in simple white tunics who appear from a doorway. “For now, I’ll have my servants show you to your rooms.”
“Rooms?” Brooke asks, her voice sharp with surprise.
The queen blinks at her. “Yes?”
“Christopher and I are together,” Brooke says, squeezing my hand possessively. “Just one room is all we need.”
“Oh...” The queen’s eyebrows rise slightly. “I didn’t know...” She pauses, thinking for a moment before nodding decisively. “Well, what’s done is done. Just one room then.” She turns to Morgana with a curious expression. “Have we ever summoned lovers before?”
Morgana shifts uncomfortably, her dark lips pressing into a thin line. “No...”
I feel my face heat up as all eyes in the chamber turn to us. Brooke, however, seems completely unfazed, standing tall with her shoulders back.
“That’s... unusual,” the queen murmurs, studying us with renewed interest.
The servants look confused, glancing between us and the queen for guidance.
“Very well,” Queen Olyndra finally says, her voice carrying through the chamber. “Prepare the largest suite in the east quarters for our heroes.”
“At once, Your Majesty,” the servants chorus, bowing deeply before hurrying away through a side door.
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