Arthur turned the doorknob, unlocking the door and finally stepping outside.
Outside, the morning air was cold enough to make Arthur shiver a bit.
He looked at the blue sky. It was completely clear, and the sunlight was warm enough to make the cold air feel peaceful.
Arthur looked around the neighborhood. It was quiet as it usually was in the morning.
Arthur began moving forward, the gravel crunching softly under his shoes.
At the corner of the street, he took a left, heading toward the narrow path that curved behind the houses and led up to the hill.
The houses began to grow thinner, the view being replaced by uneven wild grass.
Arthur walked carefully, making sure that the lilies were not damaged even a little.
After walking for a few more minutes, Arthur reached the top of the hill. His father's memorial rested at the corner of a giant tree.
Arthur made his way to the memorial, crouching down as he put the lilies in a pot nearby.
"Hey…" he said, brushing away dust and dried leaves off the memorial.
"I bought the lilies," he added, gently caressing the stone surface.
"My exams are coming, and unlike you, I am not very smart… I try my best, I really do, to help others out, to be reliable, but…" he sighed as he stood up.
Arthur stared at the memorial for a few seconds until the rain clouds forming up in the sky drew his attention.
"The world doesn't reward effort," he muttered quietly. "It only remembers whoever looks like the hero at the right moment."
The sky began to rumble, the dark clouds twisting and turning into symbols.
"Huh… these clouds are moving too fast. Is it because of the wind?" Arthur asked himself, trying to make sense of the fast-moving clouds.
The clouds began forming shapes that looked weirdly familiar to Arthur.
'Those symbols… I am sure I have seen them, but where?' Arthur stared at the clouds, trying to remember.
As the rumbling grew louder, Arthur decided to take his leave before it started raining.
"Bye, Dad. I wanted to stay longer, but it looks like the weather is trying to imitate a bad dream—" as Arthur said that, he quickly turned his eyes back at the sky.
He finally remembered where he had seen those weird symbols before.
'Those are the same symbols I saw in that strange dream,' as Arthur moved closer to get a proper view.
The wind grew more violent, even bending the trees behind him.
Lightning began to gather above in the sky where Arthur was standing, lighting up the sky so much it was almost like a flashbang.
Arthur put his hand forward, trying to shield his eyes.
As he finally got the clear view and saw all the light gather in the sky, he fell to his feet, his heart pounding loudly. "Okay… yeah… that's not normal."
A blinding spear of lightning struck down from the heavens.
His entire body was consumed by the light. He tried to scream, but no words came out.
The ground below him split open as symbols came spilling out, wrapping around his arms and legs and pulling him down into the crack.
Arthur felt himself falling. The lights and symbols made it impossible to see anything, but the heavy wind hitting his face and his stomach churning from moving too fast were more than enough proof that what Arthur felt was real.
"This… this isn't real…" Arthur shouted to himself as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to denounce the fear.
Suddenly the wind was gone. The feeling of movement was gone too. The only thing Arthur could feel now was a cold, hard, smooth surface pressed against his chest.
'Am I hallucinating or what… but at least it's over,' Arthur thought as he slowly opened his eyes.
The white marble floor met his eyes first. 'Huh?' Arthur thought hurriedly, getting up to his feet.
Massive pillars towered over him, with red-colored banners with a pillar crest hanging between them.
The roof over him was made up of different colored glass fused together, casting a rainbow on the white marble on the floor.
Arthur completely froze, absorbing the grand beauty of the castle hall he was standing in.
'Did I get abducted... No, that doesn't make much sense…' Arthur thought panickily, looking around for clues to make sense of this situation.
'Is this a dream like I had before? But I was just on the hill... Am I in a coma? Did the lightning strike fry my brain?' Arthur pulled his hair in frustration, tears forming in his eyes.
'I want to go. home—' A faint sound interrupted Arthur's thoughts.
Arthur took a deep breath and looked behind him. Three more people with the same expression as him were standing a few feet away from him.
In the distance above the stairs was a throne where an old man sat with a crown on his head and a pleased smile.
Beside him in other chairs sat ministers in robes. They had more neutral expressions. Around them stood knights in armor, making no movement, almost still like statues.
The entire hall was completely silent. Finally, the old man on the throne spoke up.
"The summoning was successful!" As he shouted, the entire hall burst out in cheers.
The sudden uproar threw Arthur off. He flinched, taking a few steps back. Other people standing close to him were just as scared as him.
They had similar modern clothes like Arthur, and seeing that they acted just like him was one thing that was keeping Arthur from screaming out loud in fear.
The guy beside him let out a shaky laugh, clenching the fabric of his pants.
"Okay… okay, this is insane," he muttered. "Did we just get isekai'd or something?"
"He did mention something like summoning..." Arthur added. Hearing him talk and try to laugh the situation off gave Arthur enough confidence to talk.
The old man raised one hand, and the cheering gradually faded into silence again.
"Heroes from another world," the king began, his voice deep for his old frame. "I welcome you to the Kingdom of Archyal."
The king studied the four of them for a moment before speaking again.
"Before anything else," he said, "I would know the names of those whom the gods have brought to us to save us in our time of need. Step forward and introduce yourselves."
The guy standing closest to Arthur, who had talked earlier, raised his hand.
"…Ryan," he said, his voice steady and confident. "Ryan Calder."
One of the ministers quietly repeated the name while a scribe began writing it on a scroll.
This was followed by a long, awkward silence. No one was speaking up.
Arthur felt everyone's eyes dropping on him, expecting him to step forward next and speak up. With a deep breath, Arthur took a step.
"…Arthur," he said quietly. "Arthur Miller."
As he finished and stepped back, just like before, the scribe wrote down his name in the scroll.
Following Arthur, another boy stepped forward. His legs were shaking. He swallowed and rubbed his hands together before speaking.
"…Daniel," he muttered, voice shaky. "Daniel Hayes."
The king inclined his head slightly, acknowledging the introduction.
Only one remained, the girl standing in the corner, her eyes locked at the ground.
Her lips moved slightly, but no sound came out. Arthur noticed the way her shoulders trembled, how her eyes stayed fixed on the marble floor instead of the throne.
"...I..." she said her name, but it was too quiet to travel to the throne in this massive hall.
Ryan glanced at her, then looked toward the throne before speaking up.
"She said Elena," he added quickly, giving her an encouraging nod. "Elena Weiss."
The girl flinched slightly at the sudden attention but gave a small, grateful nod.
The scribe finished writing, and the king slowly rose from his throne.
"Arthur Miller… Daniel Hayes… Ryan Calder… Elena Weiss," he said, repeating each name carefully.
"For tonight, you shall rest. The ritual and your sudden transportation have taken their toll on your mind." His gaze moved across the four of them.
"Your bodies will form your grimoires before dawn," he continued. "Feast tonight and recover your strengths."
He paused for a moment, his voice growing a lot softer and calmer.
"Tomorrow… we will speak of why you were brought here."
The king raised one hand, signaling the attendants waiting near the edges of the hall.
"For now," he finished, "you are guests of Archyal."