"Where the hell are we?"
Rj blinked against the light—sunlight? Starlight? Everything shimmered and twisted like the air itself was deciding whether to burn or freeze.
He stood on… nothing. Or maybe something. A platform made of polished obsidian floated beneath his feet. All around him, endless space. Stars pulsed like heartbeats. Moons drifted lazily. Far below—or above?—a golden temple spiraled through the void, casting shadows where no sun shone.
And beside him, the jackal-headed man smiled like this was normal.
"Name's Anubis," he said, voice echoing through the cosmos.
"God of death, chaos, rebirth, and poor impulse control. Welcome to Sol Celestial Academy."
Rj's jaw tightened. "I didn't agree to anything yet."
Anubis chuckled. "You stepped through the gate, didn't you?"
"Only because you shattered reality in front of me."
"Minor detail."
The obsidian platform trembled. A portal blinked open in midair—no sound, just a ripple in existence.
From it, students emerged. Not one or two.
Hundreds.
Some wore street clothes, some armor, some robes stitched with hieroglyphs or glowing runes. A boy floated in, cloaked in purple smoke. A girl landed in a whirlwind of feathers. One walked in dragging a bloodied sword.
All of them looked confused, scared, or angry.
Except one.
She stepped through like she owned the stars.
Golden eyes. Braids down her back. A bow slung across her shoulder. Her gaze swept the crowd like a hawk measuring prey.
Rj didn't know her name.
But he knew that look.
She was a killer.
A booming voice filled the void—not Anubis this time.
It spoke in every language and none.
"YOU STAND BEFORE THE GATES OF ASCENSION."
"ONLY TEN OF YOU WILL REMAIN."
"THE REST… WILL BE ERASED."
Silence.
Rj's heart slammed in his chest. Around him, gasps. Whispers. Curses.
Ten?
Out of this many?
Anubis leaned in, whispering just loud enough for Rj to hear.
"Hope you brought more than fists, kid."
And with a blinding flash, the gate opened.
One by one, they were pulled in.
Falling toward their first trial.
Falling toward fate.