The woman at the head of the hall rose gracefully. Her presence was enough to silence half the murmurs even before she spoke.
"I'm sure you all have many questions," she began, her voice smooth as silk but edged with authority. "So allow me to explain your situation. Please, listen to everything before reacting."
She took a sip of wine, placed the glass back with a soft clink, and gestured casually toward the armored man beside her.
"As I said before, I am Darius Ironveil, Grand Marshal of the Seraphis Empire," he intoned. "And this here is Isolde Thalora, Royal Mage of Seraphis — the largest and most powerful human empire in Astra."
His words echoed across the chamber, steady and rehearsed.
The students exchanged glances.
'Well, that didn't help.'
'Empire? Astra? What the hell is going on?'
Isolde sighed, almost theatrically. "Darius, honestly. How many times are you going to roll out the same speech? Let me handle this."
She turned to the students, her piercing gaze sweeping across them.
"I'll keep it simple. You are no longer in your world. The place you stand in now is called Astra. Specifically, the palace of the emperor of Seraphis, the greatest human empire here."
The room buzzed instantly.
"What?"
"Not on Earth?"
"Is she serious?"
"Beautiful, but crazy."
Murmurs broke into full-blown chatter. Some students laughed nervously; others panicked.
Isolde raised one hand. Her lips parted.
[Silence].
The single word reverberated like a command from the heavens. A rush of unseen force swept the room, and suddenly no one could speak. Their mouths moved, but no sound came. Even the scraping of chairs fell mute.
Fear spread in their eyes.
Isolde's voice cut through the dead air. "Calm yourselves. We mean no harm. If you listen, you'll understand."
They had no choice.
"Good." She clapped lightly, breaking the tension. "Now, as I said — this is Astra. A world with many races: humans, elves, dwarves, demihumans, demons. But the two dominant powers are humans and demons. We've been at war for centuries. The war has dragged into stalemate. Neither side can break it."
She paused, letting her words sink in.
"And so… we searched for another way. Not from another race. Not from another nation. From another world."
Several students widened their eyes.
"You heard me. Other worlds exist. We didn't believe it either, not at first. But our records proved it. Not only do other worlds exist… they're ranked."
A ripple of disbelief flashed across the students' faces.
"I see the doubt. I had the same reaction when I first read it. But it's true. In fact, the founder of this very empire was not of this world. He came from a place called 'Earth.'"
The students froze.
"His name was Nikola Tesla," Isolde said plainly. "He called himself an 'engineer.' Whatever that means. But he had knowledge far beyond anything Astra had at the time. He unified scattered tribes, built cities, spread learning, and raised civilization itself."
Gasps and incredulous laughter filled the hall.
A boy whispered, "Bro, did she just say Tesla?"
Another muttered, "No way. What's next, Einstein the Archmage?"
The laughter grew, echoing off marble walls. Isolde blinked, confusion flashing across her perfect face. Why are they laughing? Did I mispronounce the First Emperor's name?
Her eyes narrowed. "SILENCE!"
This time, it wasn't a spell.
It was pure command—and it worked.
The laughter died instantly, replaced by awkward tension and shuffling feet.
Realizing her outburst, Isolde straightened her posture and coughed lightly. "Ahem… my apologies. I may have… lost composure for a moment. But it's quite rude to interrupt someone while they're talking, yes?"
The students exchanged wary glances but stayed quiet.
"Good." Her tone softened, regaining its practiced grace. "Now, where was I? Ah—yes, the Emperor."
She gestured elegantly toward the banners lining the hall—each bearing a golden lightning bolt. "Our current emperor is his direct descendant. The royal archives still preserve Tesla's writings. He dedicated his life to researching dimensional travel. Though he never returned to his own world, he succeeded in summoning others from it."
Her voice lowered, carrying a note of awe.
"And every single one of them was extraordinary—stronger, faster, sharper than any native of Astra. They awakened classes far beyond our understanding. Some rose to lead nations. Others… changed the world."
A brief, knowing smile curved her lips.
"Which brings us to you."
The hall fell utterly still.
"Our war with the demons drags on. The stalemate cannot continue. According to our records, people from your world—Earth—possess far greater potential than those of Astra. So, we invoked Tesla's ritual once again. This time…" Her smile turned faintly sheepish. "…we may have been a little ambitious. More of you arrived than intended."
A ripple of unease spread through the crowd.
"But more is better, isn't it?" she added lightly, with a graceful shrug. "That is your truth. You've been summoned to Astra—standing now in the grand palace of Seraphis. From here… your futures will be decided."
She waved her hand. "Now, please, ask your doubts. One at a time."
The invisible force lifted. Sound rushed back into the hall. The silence broke.