Chapter 1: How It All Began
"Greetings, young denizens of Earth. My name is Seraph, and this is the Domain of God."
These were the words of a stunning Angel, her voice as soothing as honey. The twenty-nine students simply stared, dazed and utterly confused.
Hovering elegantly in front of the pearly gates, she flapped her six wings as she radiated kindness and benevolence toward the confused bunch. Visit no(v)eLb(i)n.com for the best novel reading experience
She knew patience was key when dealing with these ones; considering they had been on a school bus barely seconds ago before getting transported to this mind-boggling place
It was a place brighter than daylight, despite there being no sun in sight. Clouds replaced solid ground, and the horizon seemed to stretch on endlessly.
Other than a magnificent gate that stood behind her, there was nothing in sight for miles.
After granting the students a few moments of silence, Seraph geared up to speak once again, but was interrupted by a barrage of murmurs from the crowd.
"W-what's going on?"
"Where are we?"
"Whoa, she's like an angel or something. What the hell...?"
"D-did she just say the realm of God? Are we dead?"
"The last thing I remember was that a massive truck was about to hit our bus. Please don't tell me we...!"
The uproar was no surprise, and Seraph allowed it despite the chaos.
Could anyone blame these teens?
They had been on their way back from a class field trip when they were suddenly caught up in this mess.
"Everyone, please let's calm down!"
A commanding, masculine voice suddenly pierced through the chaotic space.
Instantly, the room fell silent as each student recognized the voice.
As the noise died down, a boy stepped forward, moving with a grace that seemed incredible for a human.
"I get it. We are all confused, but please, let's try to stay calm. Our questions will definitely be answered."
Amid the collective unease, the students slowly nodded in agreement with the boy's words. His smile, both relatable and confident, worked like a charm, easing their worries and diffusing the tension hanging in the air.
With his classmates calmed, the boy, his blond hair swaying, strode towards the angelic figure observing the scene in silence.
"Excuse me, Miss Seraph," he began, addressing the angel. "I'm sorry for the chaos. Could you please tell us what's happening here?"
Seraph smiled at the young man's question. Not only was he strikingly handsome, every inch the picture of human perfection, but he was also very polite.
He seemed to be the only one who possessed the knack to properly address a celestial being like herself.
"Of course," she replied.
"Thank you, Miss Seraph," he said, bowing gently.
"What's your name?" Seraph asked.
"Adonis. Adonis Levi."
Adonis maintained his bow, earning a soft smile from Seraph. She found herself getting quite fond of this human.
"You can lift your head now, Adonis," she said, and as soon as the words left her lips, he complied.
"Listen up, everyone," Seraph began, capturing the attention of the nervous twenty-eight students.
Adonis, though feeling the weight of the moment, narrowed his eyes in determination. He couldn't afford to lose his composure. The fate of his classmates rested on his ability to stay calm.
"You were all on the brink of death, about to crash into a truck. The impact killed your driver and the teachers in the front. But just before any of you could meet the same fate, you were summoned here."
It seemed she still held a great amount of dislike or distrust—perhaps even both—towards Seraph.
"It is not my place to say. When you arrive at H'Trae, all you need will be revealed."
Seraph's swift and blunt response carried a weight that seemed to ripple through the surroundings.
It was evident she had reached the limit of her patience, causing an instant hush to fall upon the group.
"You are all here, in this domain, for one reason and one reason alone." Seraph continued, breaking the silence.
"I am to prepare you for your journey to H'Trae. It is a world filled with many unknown wonders, but also great danger. To ensure your survival as well as the fulfillment of the role of your summoning, each of you will receive Skills and a Class ."
While the words she uttered sailed over the heads of a few students, almost everyone in the room knew what "Skills" and "Class" entailed.
"You will be choosing your Skills based on the Karma you had just before you were brought here," Seraph added.
"E-excuse me... but did you just say Karma? As in the amount of good deeds we did in our lives?" A voice from the crowd questioned, a hint of disbelief lingering in their tone.
Though the voice was somewhat low, Seraph was able to hear every word.
"Not exactly. Every person has a maximum of a hundred Karma from the moment they are born, but the number decreases when you do bad deeds to others or if people see you in a bad light."
In simple terms, the more likable a person was, the higher their chances of having a near-perfect Karma.
The opposite was also true.
"One after the other, you will approach me, and I will show you the list of Skills and Classes available to you based on your Karma. Once a person has chosen a Skill or Class, it can not be chosen by another."
A small commotion erupted among the students, and understandably so. It was essentially a 'first come, first served' scenario.
"Why don't we start with the three who bothered to ask questions? Adonis Levi, Alicia White, and... the last one." Seraph announced.
Adonis was already close to Seraph, while Alicia stood at the forefront of the rest of the students As for the last person that was called, he was clustered among his classmates.
"Excuse me. Coming through." the boy grunted as he maneuvered his way out of the crowd of students around him.
Many eyed him with envy, as being among the first to choose held considerable weight.
When he finally made it to the front, the angelic lady shot him a quizzical look.
She seemed to expect another impressive or striking individual but instead found an overall average-looking boy.
Seraph didn't linger on the average-looking boy for too long, however.
"Step forward, you three," she commanded.
The unexpected trio—a perfectly handsome boy, a strikingly gorgeous girl, and an average nobody—stepped forward and approached Seraph.
"Adonis, Alicia, and... uh... what is your name again?"
Seraph's eyes fixated on the boy in question, drawing the attention of many.
Even Adonis and Alicia were staring at him.
This unexpected attention which the boy had never experienced before this, made him take a few seconds to compose himself before responding.
"My name is Rey. Rey Skylar."
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[A/N]
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