3:20 PM - Future Hope High School
At this time of day, the school bell would usually ring, signaling the end of classes, and exhausted students, after eight grueling hours of studying, would head home.
Of course, there were exceptions.
In Class A-3, a few students were still busy taking notes from the blackboard until 3:30 PM, when the bald, bespectacled physics teacher announced the end of the class.
It was almost the end of the school year, and with finalterms exams looming, the third year students were particularly anxious about their finals.
With the class dismissed, some students let out sighs of relief, beginning to pack their belongings into backpacks or handbags before leaving the classroom.
Some rushed out as if they couldn't wait to get home. Others left quietly, while a few chattered and laughed with their classmates.
Everyone was occupied with their own tasks. In the back row, on the right side closest to the window, Evan sat with a weary expression, gazing outside.
Their classroom was on the third floor, and Evan's prime seat in the last row gave him a perfect view of the school courtyard.
.....
At this hour, the sun shone directly into Evan's face, bringing warmth and a sense of calm, easing the fatigue that had built up over the day.
Like everyone else, Evan was naturally exhausted after a full day of listening to the teacher's droning. He was packing his things, eager to head home.
Books and pens were neatly placed in his handbag, and as he zipped it up, his gaze inadvertently fell on his classmates.
Besides himself, six others remained, making a total of seven people in the classroom at that moment.
To Evan's left, two classmates wearing uniforms with slightly unbuttoned collars were laughing loudly, one of them even sitting on a desk.
Arnold, a classmate standing at 6'2" with a muscular build and a rough, greasy face, was one of the school's notorious delinquents. Even in their class, few dared to talk to him.
Thanks to Arnold's open-collared uniform, Evan could see the various tattoos etched across his hairy chest.
Perhaps Evan stared too long, as Arnold suddenly turned his head and glared at him menacingly.
"What the fucking hell are you staring at?!"
"Uh… nothing, just packing my stuff," Evan stammered.
"Finish up and fuck off!"
"Sorry!" Evan muttered.
Tch, tch , how pathetic…
.....
Evan, who believed in avoiding trouble, didn't want to provoke the class bully. He quickly turned his head to avoid becoming the target of this beast.
How cowardly…
Evan silently berated himself. Maybe he shouldn't be so timid. He should've at least stood up for himself.
Why does Arnold think he can tell me not to look at him? If anyone should be worried, it's him…
Gathering his courage, Evan stole another glance at Arnold, but upon
seeing his greasy, puffed-up face—resembling a wild boar he backed off.
"Forget it… this is just a tactical retreat. I'm not lowering myself to his level. It's not cowardice…"
Convincing himself, Evan picked up his handbag and slung it over his shoulder.
Arnold seemed pleased that no one dared defy him. After glaring at Evan smugly for a few seconds, he turned away.
"Hahaha, wasting your time on that loser?" someone mocked Arnold boldly.
No one was surprised that someone had the audacity to taunt Arnold. In the entire class, if anyone dared, it was undoubtedly James.
....
If Arnold was a classic brute, James was ruthless and cunning.
People would rather provoke Arnold than make an enemy of someone as cold-hearted as James.
Though slightly annoyed at being mocked, Arnold didn't say much and instead turned his attention to two girls seated in the front row.
Anna, with her white uniform, short skirt, and long hair tied in a ponytail, and Nora, the class bookworm with rectangular-framed glasses.
Arnold had no interest in a bookworm like Nora and instead fixated on Anna.
Anna, the school's star, beautiful, wealthy, and academically excellent—had received confessions from many, including Arnold, but rejected them all.
If it were anyone else, Arnold might have tried to intimidate them with his bullying tactics. But the last time he tried to corner Anna outside school, her bodyguards beat him so badly he spent nearly a week in the hospital.
"Hahaha, still thinking about Anna? Give it up, you don't stand a chance. Have you ever looked in a mirror? You look like a roasted pig!" James mercilessly mocked Arnold, ignoring the steam practically rising from his furious face.
"You filthy bastard!" Arnold roared, raising his meaty hand to deliver a hard slap to James.
Arnold's thick, sturdy hands were even bigger than Evan's thighs. It was hard to imagine what would happen if that slap connected with James's face.
James, seemingly anticipating this, dodged the slap with agility.
Furious that James had evaded him, Arnold grew angrier. With his heavy weight and the force behind his swing, he couldn't stop the slap in time.
Evan, who had just finished packing and was about to leave, suddenly saw a massive, fleshy hand coming toward his face. Before he could react, he felt as if a train had hit him. His vision blackened, and he collapsed to the floor, knocking over a desk in his path.
*Clap!*
The sound of the slap, followed by the crash of desks and tables, echoed through the nearly empty classroom, drawing the attention of everyone who hadn't noticed the incident.
On the ground, Evan heard a ringing in his ears like a train whistle. His nose and mouth were warm with flowing blood, and a bitter, disgusting taste like fish filled his mouth.
*Spit!*
Evan coughed up blood, along with fragments of broken teeth.
"Damn it!" Despite the dizziness preventing him from standing properly, his anger surged.
He hadn't even provoked Arnold, yet this jerk had struck him in the face for no reason.
"Huh?!" Arnold finally realized his mistake, but his first reaction wasn't an apology. Instead, he wondered why someone had gotten in the way of his slap.
"What the hell are you two doing?!" someone shouted angrily at Arnold and James.
Noah, with short blonde hair and a handsome face that could make him the protagonist of a shonen manga, stood his ground against two of the school's most notorious students without backing down.
Though Arnold knew he was in the wrong and felt a bit ashamed, he didn't back off when Noah scolded him. Instead, he shouted back.
"I didn't mean to hit him! It's his own fault for getting in my way, the blind idiot. I'm not the only one—James can back me up!"
Arnold shamelessly deflected blame, pointing at James.
"You two think you can dodge responsibility with those excuses?" Noah retorted.
James, of course, didn't admit fault either and laughed. "Arnold's right, we didn't mean to hit him. Besides, if you're so into playing hero, why don't you take your friend to the infirmary? Honestly, I'm a bit worried about Evan, he's losing a lot of blood."
James's claim of concern for Evan was an obvious, tasteless joke, which only infuriated Noah further.
Noah glanced at Evan. Thankfully, Anna was helping him.
"Are you okay? Want me to take you to the infirmary?" Anna asked softly, holding out a tissue.
Evan slowly raised his head, seeing Anna's gentle face. "Thanks… I'm fine," he said, taking the tissue with gratitude.
Under normal circumstances, he might've been thrilled that Anna was paying attention to him, but not now.
His claim of being "fine" was nonsense. With broken teeth, how could he be fine? Fixing his teeth and jaw might cost a fortune, and the culprit, Arnold, was still arguing with Noah without a shred of remorse.
Evan swore he wouldn't let this slide. Even if he couldn't do anything himself, he'd sue Arnold in court.
Struggling to stop the bleeding with the tissue, Evan watched as Noah and Arnold's argument intensified. Nora was about to call emergency services when something extraordinary happened.
A massive, glowing circle adorned with countless intricate patterns and lines appeared suddenly on the classroom floor, walls, and ceiling.
At this unexpected event, all seven students stopped what they were doing.
Noah was gripping Arnold's collar tightly, while James, behind him, was about to join the fray.
Anna was by Evan's side, witnessing his bleeding, and Nora realized her call had suddenly lost signal.
John, Noah's close friend who had been silent the entire time, was ready to step in if Arnold and James ganged up on Noah.
But with the appearance of these strange, magical circles, everyone was forced to pause.
Even Evan, still dizzy and bleeding from his nose, stared at the scene in astonishment.
What was happening?
No one had an answer, but soon, there was no need to think.
The patterns on the circles began to glow intensely, and the entire room was engulfed in blinding light, rendering everyone unable to see.
They felt like dirty clothes tossed into a washing machine, thrown in every direction, with crushing pressure bearing down on them from all sides.
Soon, even that sensation gave way to nothingness, and they all lost consciousness.
---
Elsewhere, seven radiant figures glowing with distinct lights—white, black, orange, crimson, silver, indigo, and gold—stood in a divine palace atop vast clouds.
At the end of the hall stood a massive gate shimmering with starlight, adorned with intricate carvings that seemed to tell the stories of countless realms and histories.
The gate flickered with starlight, growing brighter and brighter, while the surrounding space became increasingly chaotic and unstable.
If an ordinary being were nearby, they would've been torn into millions of pieces by the spatial distortions. But these seven stood unaffected, as if the chaos were a mere breeze.
And indeed, it was, for these seven were no ordinary beings—they were the exalted gods of the heavens.
The crimson-glowing figure frowned while observing the gate and its chaotic surroundings, voicing their doubts to the others.
"The activation of the Gate of infinity Realms has reached its peak, but the surrounding space is highly unstable. Even so, does the summoning ritual still have a chance of success?"
"We can't say for certain. "
replied the figure shrouded in a mesmerizing black veil. "We're summoning individuals from beyond the Astral skies . Even with the Gate of infinity Realms, our chances of success are slim."
The black-veiled figure continued, addressing the white-glowing figure with a questioning tone.
"Speaking of which, this entire ritual was designed by the Lord of Wisdom from start to finish. Do you have any insight into whether it will succeed or fail?"
The white-glowing figure, known as the Lord of Wisdom, had been silent, seemingly oblivious to the conversation, staring intently at the gate and its spatial distortions.
After a long pause, he finally spoke.
"The Gate of Infinite Realms has locked onto the targets. Join me in suppressing the spatial chaos and creating a stable passage."
The others nodded in agreement, and all seven worked together.
For a time, dazzling, incomprehensible lights shone within the palace. Eventually, the spatial chaos subsided, and a massive vortex of starlight formed within the gate.
A stable gateway had finally been created, and the seven figures silently gazed at the gate—or what lay beyond it.
Moments later, the vortex of starlight rippled, and seven naked, semi-transparent humans, unconscious, were hurled out.
As they emerged, the starlight vortex collapsed, and the Gate of Infinite Realms dimmed, losing its initial brilliance. The intricate carvings on it vanished, and cracks appeared on its seemingly indestructible frame, as ancient as the universe itself.
Seeing the cracks, the seven felt Their hearts bled, but upon confirming the ritual's success, they breathed a sigh of relief and turned their attention to the seven unconscious humans on the floor.
A single glance was enough to understand everything about those lying on the ground. For a moment, silence reigned in the vast hall.
Soon, seven distinct voices echoed through the hall, each claiming a different individual.
"he is mine!"
"he is mine!"
"she is mine! "
Each of the seven made their choice, and remarkably, no two chose the same person. Each had selected differently.
Perhaps it was fate, or perhaps in that moment, it was the best choice.