The air shifted. Every scream, every whisper, every movement across the endless pale expanse froze.
Astra stayed crouched, hood low, heart hammering. He barely breathed, watching as a figure appeared.
He looked human. Tall, lean, and impossibly calm. A soft halo floated above his head, and a faint aura of light shimmered around him, pulsing gently. His eyes were amber, steady, carrying the weight of centuries.
Dragons stiffened, wings folding slightly. Elves whispered under their breath. Angels hovered tensely. None of them had ever seen anything like this.
"I am not the god of your traditions," the figure said, voice calm yet resonant, echoing directly in minds. "Not the one your people worship, nor the one whose name echoes in your prayers. I am… Aelys."
Murmurs spread. Dragons lowered their heads instinctively. Elves glanced at each other in confusion. Angels' wings twitched.
"I am a god," Aelys continued, "but not alone. We are a race, a people who dwell on a plane beyond your world. A realm apart, where life, consciousness, and power stretch beyond your comprehension. And yet… even we are losing."
Images appeared in the void: mountains collapsing, cities swallowed by darkness, armies of indescribable creatures clashing with divine forces. The other races gasped, fear and awe mingling on their faces.
"We have brought you here because your races—Dragon, Elf, Angel—are the strongest known. Your abilities can resist the corruption, wield powers beyond ordinary limits. You are the champions' foundation," Aelys said, gesturing toward three glowing silhouettes forming in the distance: the dragon champion, the elf champion, the angel champion.
Astra's pulse quickened. He crouched lower, hood shadowing his face. Human. Unchosen. Exposed, yet invisible.
"You may have been torn from your homes, confused, frightened—but even the smallest action can tip the balance," Aelys continued. "Refusal or hesitation will not be tolerated. The enemy consumes weakness. The survival of all worlds—and of my people—depends on your actions."
Astra clenched his fists beneath the cloak. I'm human. I don't belong here.
Aelys lifted his hand, halo glowing brighter, aura pulsing. "The powers you have always known—magic, strength, flight—are fragments of a greater force. That force is the system. Through it, you may act beyond your natural limits, shape reality, and defend what is threatened."
The gathered crowd murmured nervously. Dragons flexed claws, some growling low. Elves flicked fingers, testing magic they could not yet feel. Angels hovered tensely.
"Many of you do not yet understand," Aelys said. "That is why I have prepared a trial—a tutorial, a preparation. It will link you to the system, awaken your abilities, and help you learn to wield the powers that the war demands. You will face challenges, yes, but through them you will grow. The system is not merely a tool—it is the power of the gods themselves. To survive, you must link to it."
Astra tried again to call the system, to log out, to open the interface he had expected as a player. Nothing. No response. No menu. No acknowledgment.
It's not listening… it may never respond to me.
Aelys' amber gaze swept the crowd. "Step forward into the portals. Each of you will enter a space crafted to awaken your connection. Some will find it easy. Others will struggle. But all will learn. The champions will need your strength, and you will need the system to survive the war ahead."
Portals began to form across the void, shimmering faintly. Each pulsed with light, inviting yet intimidating.
"You may not understand everything now," Aelys added, his voice softening slightly. "But in the trial, the system will guide you. Learn. Adapt. Fight. Become what you are meant to be. The enemy waits for no one, and the war cannot be delayed."
Astra's fingers clenched beneath his cloak. Human. Alone. Hidden among dragons, elves, angels who had never witnessed a living god—and certainly never a god revealing that his entire race lived on another plane.
He stayed crouched, hood low, heart racing.
If the system is the power of the gods… what does that mean for me?
The void pulsed around him. The portals beckoned. The trial—the tutorial of the game—was about to begin.
And Astra, the unchosen, the only human, took a breath.
He was about to face the system of the gods itself.