I woke up choking on air that wasn't mine.
The scent of damp earth and something ancient filled my lungs as I jolted upright. My back scraped against rough, cold soil, and my eyes were greeted by a sky I didn't recognize—starless, black, endless. There was no moon, only a faint glow like the world itself was alive… watching.
Where the hell am I?
Just seconds ago, I was in my dorm room. Dim monitor light flickering. Half-finished code for my game dev project glowing on screen. An energy drink sweating on my desk. I had class in the morning. A test. Life was annoying—but normal.
Now? I was in a forest. But not the kind you see on hikes or documentaries.
These trees were monstrous, ancient. Twisted limbs clawed the sky like they were hungry. The air buzzed with energy—electric, unnatural. Every instinct in my body screamed that something was wrong. And yet... something about this place felt right.
I stood slowly. My legs felt heavier. My body... stronger? Like I was wearing armor beneath my skin.
A breeze whispered through the trees, carrying a voice—low, patient, and somehow… already tired of waiting.
"Not where, Aiden, but when."
My name.
I spun around. Shadows moved. A figure stepped forward—tall, robed in black, face hidden beneath a hood. His presence was heavy. Ancient. Like he'd been waiting centuries for me.
"Who are you?" I asked, trying to steady my voice. My fists clenched, but even that felt foreign—my muscles tighter, more responsive. "What is this place?"
The figure didn't answer right away. He tilted his head, amused.
"You're not the first," he said. "But maybe you'll be the last."
I took a step back. "I think there's been a mistake. I'm just—just a student. I didn't sign up for this. I have a life. A world."
He laughed. It echoed through the forest like thunder.
"A world? That shadow you crawled from isn't a world. It's a waiting room." He stepped closer. I could feel the weight of his words. "This is the true world. And you, Aiden Kuro… you have been chosen."
Suddenly, pain exploded in my chest.
I cried out, dropping to one knee as heat tore through me. Something beneath my skin moved—glowed. I ripped open my shirt. Right in the center of my chest, a symbol burned itself into me: sharp lines, ancient curves—glowing red like molten steel.
The pain was unbearable. But underneath it… power.Raw. Unfiltered. Alive.
Energy surged through my veins. My fingertips crackled with black lightning. The forest dimmed around me, as if the world itself was afraid of what I was becoming.
I looked at my hands. What the hell am I turning into?
The cloaked figure watched silently, then finally spoke.
"The Mark of Ascension has awakened. The System has chosen you to rise."
"The System?" I forced the words through gritted teeth. "Why me? I didn't ask for this!"
"No one asks. But the Forgotten never stay buried."
The pain dulled, replaced by a deep hum inside my body—like something locked away had finally been set free. I felt different. Faster. Sharper. Stronger.
This isn't human. This is… something else.
"What happens now?" I asked, standing again. I wasn't shaking anymore.
The figure extended a hand toward the darkness. Beyond him, I saw the landscape shift—mountains floating in the sky, broken castles, storms of fire twisting in the clouds.
"You walk the path of the Ascended. Trials will come. Power will tempt. And monsters—inside and out—will hunt you. But you must rise."
I hesitated.
I had friends. A future. But the truth hit me like a gut punch.
None of it would ever feel real again. Not after this. Not after feeling this power.
I clenched my fists. The mark on my chest pulsed in sync with my heartbeat.
"I'll stay," I said. "I'll fight. I'll become whatever I have to."
The figure smiled—just barely.
"Then let the Ascension begin."
The forest around me shattered like glass. Light swallowed everything.
And just like that, the trial began.