Little by little time is digging its grave, but... there comes a moment when one must move forward even if it's about to end, because the only thing that decides if it's time to give up is you.
August fourteenth, two thousand thirty... Ten minutes before the summoning.
Third year class C... You could see it at the top of the door before entering the classroom.
Everyone inside was happy, since only a few weeks remained until their graduation and also until they became adults.
A total of forty people, among whom there were eighteen men and the remaining twenty-two were women.
In a corner of the classroom sat a boy, his head resting on the desk. He seemed to be sleeping. That young man was Kael Doren, a boy who, at first glance, was like the rest.
The atmosphere in the classroom was a mix of laughter, anxious conversations and that unmistakable smell of used books, permanent marker and unspent youthful dreams.
The afternoon rays entered through the windows, tinting the classroom with a soft golden hue, as if the sun wanted to witness the last stretch of their adolescence.
Some made plans for the future, others fantasized about their exams, and a few —perhaps the most hopeful— talked about how their lives would change upon turning eighteen.
At the moment one of his classmates approached to wake him up, since the bell marking the end of classes had rung, a glow began to expand from the classroom floor.
A vibrant, strange magical radiance illuminated the entire room, making everyone start to worry, murmur, breathe quickly as panic consumed them. And in the blink of an eye, they were all teleported to a new world.
Kael, who was still sleeping, woke up from the strong impact against the floor caused by the moving desks. When he opened his eyes he saw that all his friends were being consumed by a light that made them disappear as if they were turning into shining dust.
Kael was left in shock seeing how all his classmates were devoured by that light.
But when he tried to cover his eyes, he realized that he was still there. The entire classroom had emptied, leaving him completely alone... with no one around.
When he began to get up from the floor he felt how his whole body was completely heavy, falling back to his knees.
A crushing sensation of gravity enveloped him, as if he were carrying two entire bodies hanging from his back. He clenched his teeth, growling, struggling to hold himself up even for one more second.
But then, another magic circle appeared beneath him. The same size as his body, but with a completely different color.
This one was black, adorned with symbols that seemed to move like ink serpents, very different from the white circle that had consumed his classmates.
Kael, even more frightened than before, began to scream desperately.
—Help, help, help!
His voice came out hoarse, trembling, as if something inside his chest wanted to break.
Unable to react or escape the place, the dark circle shone. And in an instant, a flash enveloped him completely, erasing his existence from the world.
Kael felt as if thousands of colors pierced his vision. He floated. His body no longer had weight or shape. When he slowly opened his eyes, he saw that he was in the middle of space, surrounded by thousands of stars burning like sacred embers.
He felt suspended in an unsettling stillness, as if his soul were traveling through time itself.
And then he heard a voice.
—So it has begun again...
The voice belonged to an adult man, perhaps around thirty years old, mature but tired, as if he had already repeated those same words thousands of times.
—Where am I? —Kael asked, trying to stay still despite seeming to spin on his own axis.
—Calm down, calm down. Uh... how can I put it? Ahh...
—Put what? Please, send me back to where I was.
—Yes, yes, yes... Though if I could, I would. But that's impossible...
—What do you mean? Why the hell am I here?
—Well, your reaction isn't much different from the other people who arrive here. So... where should I start...?
The man sighed with a mix of sadness and resignation. Silence stretched for a few seconds, until he spoke again.
—Ah, of course... Well, you were chosen at random among your acquaintances and friends. So... I'm sorry for you. Right now you have been summoned to another world, and in that world you will be the Demon King. I'm sorry... I really am very sorry. You will be reincarnated there, and you won't be able to keep your current appearance.
Kael blinked, incredulous.
—W-wait, wait... are you telling me I'm going to be a huge, horrible monster?
—Calm down, calm down. You won't lose most of your humanity, if that's what worries you. The only thing that will change is that you'll have horns on your head and black wings. But those will only appear when it's important, I think...
—Even you don't know what the body is like, do you?
—Yes, yes, I do know... it's just that... don't worry about that. When you're reincarnated in that body, prepare yourself physically and mentally. Because... the path of the Demon King isn't easy. You must lead your army, conquer the human race... or instead, I don't know, save the demi-human races... I think.
Kael opened his eyes in surprise.
—Wait... this is like an anime I watched a while ago. Except... a little strange. One should be a hero who saves humanity, not a demon who extinguishes it!
—Hahaha, see? You hit the nail on the head. When you wake up in your new body, in your mind a system called "Demon King System" will appear. This system will help you improve in every aspect. So... good luck. You're going to need it. With this... I declare the beginning of your adventure... it was a pleasure to meet you.
«Welcome to the world of heroes».
Upon hearing those words in his mind, Kael began to close his eyes as if a deep sleep were dragging him down. Little by little he lost sight of that place full of stars and infinite echoes, until he fell into darkness.