The day started like any other. A high school classroom. The dull hum of a projector. The soft scratching of pencils against paper.
Seated near the back of the room, Lucas Hayes slouched in his chair, staring blankly at the board as equations blurred together into meaningless symbols. Seventeen years old, with messy blond hair that refused to stay in place and a permanent hint of sleepiness in his blue eyes, he was the kind of student teachers forgot to call on — not out of mercy, but because he looked perpetually lost in his own thoughts.
At around five foot ten, he wasn't particularly tall or short. His frame was lean, the kind that suggested he moved more out of habit than athleticism. Right now, he was motionless, chin resting on his hand, counting the seconds until the final bell.
Then it happened.
A shimmer of light rippled through the air — faint at first, then sharp enough to make everyone blink. In the middle of the classroom, a holographic screen materialized, suspended above the teacher's desk. Gasps rippled through the room as glowing letters formed, one by one, across the screen:
"The people of Earth have become illegible for progression."
No one moved. Someone laughed nervously. Others whispered. Lucas's heart thudded in his chest — the words made no sense, and yet some instinct told him this wasn't a prank.
And then, with no sound, no warning — just a flash of white light — the world vanished.
When Lucas opened his eyes, the classroom was gone. He was standing in a vast stone plaza, the air cool and smelling faintly of rain. Towering spires surrounded him — architecture unlike anything he'd ever seen, carved with symbols that glowed faintly like embers. A massive fountain stood at the square's center, water cascading from the hands of a winged statue.
All around him, thousands of people were appearing, one after another — students, teachers, strangers — their voices rising in panic.
Then, above the fountain, the statue moved. Its stone wings unfolded with a sound like thunder, and a figure — radiant, angelic, impossibly real — emerged in a blaze of light.
When she spoke, her voice echoed across the city:
"The world you knew has been judged. Humanity has been transported to a higher realm — the trial of progression begins now."
The angel's glow dimmed slightly as her gaze swept over the terrified crowd. She opened her mouth to speak—
—but a voice cut through the air.
"Send us back!" a man shouted from somewhere near the front. His face was red with panic. "Whatever this is, stop it right now!"
He kept yelling, his words turning uglier with every breath. The angel's expression hardened. "Be silent," she said, her voice echoing through the square like a chorus.
He didn't stop.
With a soft snap of her fingers, the man's body went rigid. For a moment, he stood frozen—then crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
The crowd gasped. A wave of horror rippled through the square as everyone backed away from the fallen man. Lucas's stomach twisted; he could still feel the echo of the snap ringing in his ears.
The angel looked down at the body without emotion. "Those who defy the order will be erased," she said simply. "Now… where was I?"
She raised her hand again, and her calm, musical tone returned. "The people of Earth have completed the deeds required to begin what we call the Trial of Progression."
Murmurs filled the air. Lucas glanced around—nobody seemed to understand what that meant.
The angel continued, "Your planet has reached a threshold. From this moment forward, you are participants in the trial. You will grow, evolve, and fight for survival. The weak will fade, and the strong will ascend."
Her words hung heavy in the air. Then, she smiled faintly. "To begin, open your status menu. Say the word 'Status' or 'Menu.'"
Hesitantly, people began to speak the words aloud. One by one, faint blue holograms flickered to life before their eyes. Floating panels filled with text, numbers, and strange symbols appeared in midair.
Lucas blinked as his own menu appeared. It looked exactly like something out of an RPG—health bars, skill slots, even an empty equipment grid. This can't be real, he thought, his heart racing. It's like I'm inside a game.
Before he could take it all in, the angel's voice rose again.
"The tutorial will now begin. Each of you will select your starting weapon and class."
A murmur of disbelief rippled through the crowd.
"There are seven rarities," the angel said, her tone almost casual now. "Common, Uncommon, Rare, Epic, Mythic, Legendary… and the highest of all, Divine."
She gestured, and new icons began to shimmer across everyone's menus—swords, staffs, bows, shields, each glowing with different colors.
"The same applies to artifacts," she went on. "Weapons, armor, and relics that you will discover throughout your journey. But as a gift for your awakening, each of you may select two Rare artifacts to begin with."
Lucas stared at the list appearing before him. His hands trembled slightly as he scrolled through the options. Weapons, armors, artifacts… The words looked surreal against the soft blue light.
Somewhere deep inside, beneath the confusion and fear, a flicker of excitement sparked.
For the first time, he wondered—
What if this trial wasn't a curse… but a chance?