[C—]
It felt like someone was whispering to me.
[Chosen One, can you hear Me?]
"...What?"
Like being roused from a pleasant dream, my consciousness slowly surfaced. A clear, unfamiliar voice echoed through my mind.
[Greetings, Chosen One. You have been summoned by fate to Terra. Your arrival is at hand.]
"...Summoned?"
Before I could process the words, a brilliant light swallowed my vision.
"...Ugh."
When I opened my eyes again, I found myself standing upon a vast white expanse. It resembled a perfectly still lake stretching endlessly in every direction, its mirror-like surface broken only by scattered stone structures rising from the water.
"...Where am I?"
"What the hell is this?"
"...Am I dreaming?"
Voices erupted all around me.
Hundreds of people stood scattered across the white landscape, each wearing the same bewildered expression. Some looked no older than teenagers. Others appeared middle-aged or elderly. Their clothes varied wildly—business suits, armor, robes, uniforms, clothing I couldn't even identify.
One man stood nearly three meters tall.
Another wore full steel plate as though he had walked out of a medieval battlefield.
A young woman dressed in garments resembling those from an ancient dynasty stared around in stunned silence.
No matter where they had come from, everyone shared the same confusion.
Then the voice returned.
[Greetings, Chosen Ones.]
The murmuring ceased almost instantly.
Its voice possessed a peculiar quality. Gentle, dignified, almost maternal, yet carrying an authority that discouraged interruption.
[You have been chosen by fate to walk the land of Terra. There, calamity threatens all life. By opposing that calamity, you shall fulfill the duty entrusted to you and carve your names into history.]
No one spoke.
Not because they understood.
Because the voice left no room to interrupt.
[You need not fear. Each of you shall be guided to a place befitting your talents and circumstances. From there, your journey shall begin.]
A brief silence followed before whispers spread through the crowd.
"So... we're heroes?"
"Is this some kind of game?"
"Wait... is this actually happening?"
Then another voice cut through the uncertainty.
"Bullshit."
The speaker wore a worn kimono and a broad straw hat. His expression never changed.
"If fate could make people great that easily, I'd have become the strongest swordsman years ago."
Several people nodded in agreement.
The question had finally been spoken aloud.
Why us?
The mysterious voice answered without the slightest hint of irritation.
[Your previous lives were not without purpose. Every joy, hardship, triumph, and failure shaped the person standing here today. Having reached this place, you have already proven yourselves worthy of the path before you.]
Silence settled over the crowd once more.
Me?
...What nonsense.
If my life counted as some grand trial, fate had remarkably low standards.
I'd grown up with a caring mother, gone to school, played games, and complained about homework. There wasn't anything particularly heroic about it.
Not that I was complaining.
An ordinary life suited me just fine.
The voice continued.
[Terra awaits you. Though the road before you may be arduous, do not lose sight of the destination. Walk forward with resolve, Chosen Ones.]
The moment those words ended, countless images flooded my mind.
Names.
Places.
Languages.
History.
Knowledge that shouldn't have belonged to me settled into my thoughts as naturally as old memories.
"..."
When the torrent finally subsided, everyone remained frozen.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
We simply stood there, trying to comprehend everything we had just witnessed.
So...
This was Terra.
I took a slow breath.
Whatever happened next, there was no going back.
"...I'm ready."
The white world dissolved.
***
'...Where... am I?'
Waking up, I scanned my surroundings. Brick wall, dimly lit touches, and cold floor. Typical dungeon.
More importantly, I was in a cell? Those iron bars looked unusually tough, and the door was closed, too.
'...Wait. Don't tell me...'
There was no way, right? Even hard had its limits, and throwing someone who had just arrived from another world into jail had to be a sick joke, right? No way it would be locked.
I pushed the door. It did not open.
I firmly pushed myself against it. It did not open.
I violently slammed myself against it multiple times.
...It did not open.
"I'm fucked."
I'm damn done for.