••FORTUNATE ISLES – IMMORTAL WORLD••
A strong wind whooshed through the trees, scattering golden leaves across a glowing, ethereal landscape.
The air shimmered with magic, thick and alive. Emma's scream echoed into silence as she tumbled forward, landing hard on her knees in the middle of a vast, glowing courtyard made of crystalline stone.
"Ugh…" she groaned, wincing as she rubbed her arms, blinking rapidly.
The sky was unlike anything she'd ever seen—deep purple with streaks of silver, as though dawn and dusk were merging into one.
Surrounding her were towering buildings sculpted from ivory stone, their spires glowing faintly. Strange winged creatures soared overhead, and distant voices murmured with unnatural elegance.
"Where… am I?" she whispered to herself, slowly rising to her feet. Her heart pounded. Her backpack was gone. Her books were gone. And her surroundings were definitely not Earth.
She spun around in panic, her eyes wide with disbelief.
"This isn't real. This can't be real…"
Just then, a gust of wind swept past her, and a tall figure appeared from nowhere—literally materializing out of thin air.
Her long cloak billowed behind her, her eyes glowing faintly.
"Welcome," she said in a voice that was low, powerful, and strangely calm.
Emma stumbled backward. "Who—what—who are you?!" Emma stuttered, taking careful steps backwards.
"You are safe, child. You are in Fortunate Isles—the Immortal realm." the woman stepped forward, her long, dark braided hair dancing with the wind.
She held her amor in one hand, stretching the other to Emma.
"The what?!" Emma blinked. "Immortal what-now? Is this… some weird prank?"
"No prank," said the the woman. "You were summoned. Chosen."
"Chosen for what exactly? Because I didn't sign up for any of this!" Emma snapped, panic rising in her chest.
"It is not something you sign up for," the woman said gently. "It is your destiny.
You're is the last piece of the circle," Shirlene said, her hand still stretched out to Emma. "Now, the chosen ones are complete."
"But… I'm just an ordinary girl!" Emma protested. "I don't have powers. I don't belong here. This has to be some mistake!"
"No. I want to go home. Now."
"You cannot," Master Shirlene said firmly. "Returning now would be fatal. The moment you crossed the boundary, your life as you knew it ended."
Emma's breath caught in her throat. "Fatal…?"
Shirlene nodded. "Your arrival has already caused ripples across the realms. Circe and Belphegor will sense your presence soon. You are no longer safe in the Mortal world."
At the mention of Belphegor, Emma felt a strange shiver rush down her spine.
"I didn't ask for any of this," she muttered. "I don't even know who I am anymore…"
"You will," Shirlene said quietly. "Come. The others are waiting. Your training begins now."
"No! I am going nowhere with you. Send me back to where I came!" Stubborn Emma kept protesting.
Master Shirlene sha sighed, shaking her head as she finally dropped her hand, sensing that Emma was too stubborn and wasn't going to follow her.
She turned, backing Emma now without uttering another word.
But as she began to walk away, Emma involuntarily started following her.
Her legs were moving against her will.
Emma's eyes widened, not believing what was happening to her.
Why were her legs moving when she wasn't making any effort to move them?
Her heart pounded loudly in her chest, tempting to burst out.
"Stop! Where are you taking me?!" She yelled at Master Shirlene, who was seen walking majestically, as if nothing was happening,or she wasn't aware of what she was doing.
"I told you I don't belong here. This is all a mistake. Please send me back to where I come from," Emma kept talking, her legs still moving unwillingly.
Still, Master Shirlene ignored her until they finally arrived at the hall where the other immortal students had all gathered, together with the other Masters, waiting for Master Shirlene to join them.
As soon as they arrived, Emma blinked as the blinding light faded. Her feet touched solid ground, but everything around her looked… different. Strange. Magical.
She stood in the middle of a huge hall—bigger than anything she had ever seen. The air felt warm and clean, filled with a soft, sweet scent like flowers and honey. The walls sparkled like they were made of diamonds. They changed colors slowly, glowing with shades of blue, gold, and soft pink, like a moving rainbow.
The high ceiling stretched far above her head, painted with tiny stars that twinkled like the real sky. Beautiful glass lanterns floated in the air, glowing gently, casting soft lights everywhere. Each light had a different color—green, gold, purple—and they danced like fireflies.
The floor was smooth like a mirror, made of white marble that shone beneath her shoes. Golden designs shaped like leaves and birds covered the edges of the floor. In the middle of the hall, there was a large fountain that sparkled with silver water. It flowed upward like magic, then fell gently back into the round pool below.
Tall, crystal pillars stood all around, reaching up to the ceiling. They were clear, like frozen water, and inside them swirled soft lights that looked alive.
Emma stood there, frozen in place, her eyes wide with wonder.
"W-Where… am I?" she whispered, her voice echoing softly in the giant hall.
It was the most beautiful place she had ever seen.
Like something out of her wildest dreams.
Emma slowly took a step forward, still trying to believe what she was seeing.
But then, she felt it.
Eyes.
All around her. Watching. Whispering.
She turned her head and finally noticed them—people. Lots of them. Some looked young like her, dressed in long flowing robes of silver and blue. Others were older, standing tall with glowing staffs or swords hanging at their sides. Their skin shimmered slightly, some with glowing marks on their faces or eyes that sparkled like stars.
They stood in small groups along the edges of the hall, whispering behind their hands. Some tilted their heads. Others looked at her as if she didn't belong there at all.
"She's a mortal…"
"A human? Here?"
"She looks so plain…"
"But how did she even get into the Immortal World?"
Emma's heart started racing. Her hands trembled slightly as she hugged herself, feeling so out of place. Their voices were low, but the words reached her ears. It was like the entire hall had gone quiet just to watch her.
A few students pointed, eyes wide in disbelief.
"She doesn't have any aura…"
"No powers at all."
"But they said she's the one…"
The Masters weren't left out in the murmurs, but they weren't as surprised to see Emma as the students were.
One of the masters, an older man with silver eyes and a long dark robe, narrowed his gaze at Emma. "Is this truly the child of fate?" he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
Emma took a shaky breath.
What were they talking about?
Why were they all staring like that?
What prophecy?
She wanted to speak, but no words came out. All she could do was stand there, feeling smaller and smaller as the whispers grew louder, like a wave ready to crash over her.
"Since the students are complete now, I think it's time they introduced themselves and the kind of powers they possess." Master Levi said.
The other Masters nodded, but Master Shirlene remained silent.
The students began to file out one after the other, introducing themselves and showcasing the kind of powers they have.
They all introduced themselves until the last person left in the line was Emma.
All eyes fell on her, and she frowned.
Wait, what were these people expecting from her?
To also introduce herself and her powers?
Were they crazy or what?
Didn't they know she was an ordinary girl with no single power, and she still hadn't understood why she was even here!
"Why are you all looking at me?!" Emma snapped stubbornly, pushing her fear aside. "You don't expect me to showcase the powers I don't have. I told her I don't belong here. Send me back!" Emma was already fed up with all that was going on.
She had screamed and screamed but they wouldn't listen.
"She's not even going to last a day here. Someone with no single power? Tsk, she's going to die soon," Avalon, one of the students whispered, laughing mockingly at Emma.
"You all are crazy!" Emma snapped. "And you're the one who's going to die soon." Emma turned to Avalon and barked.
"Oh...oh! She's got no power, but I think she's feisty! I think I like her" Elektra, another girl whispered to a fellow student who chuckled.
"What did you?" Avalon asked, menacingly as she walked closer to Emma with ominous steps.
"I said you're the one who's going to....."
Emma couldn't complete her statement as she was instantly frozen into an ice crystal.
All eyes widened.
Avalon smirked, but the moment she turned to leave, she saw Tempest, a male student glaring at her.
Tempest was one of the male students, and all his life, he hated bullies.
So far, he had noticed Avalon's behavior and it was that of a bully.
"Unfreeze her!" Tempest growled, his eyes glowing as his hands began to produce fire.
"Make me," Avalon challenged him, smirking even more.