Chapter 1: Before the journey began
“Hey, listen to me. I have to ask you something,” Aeron whispered, his voice barely above a whisper as he stepped closer to the shadowy figure of the young assassin. The air grew thick with fog, swallowing the world in an eerie, ghostly embrace.
“Who are you? Why do you always appear in my dreams?” Aeron asked, his voice tense with urgency.
Suddenly, the scene around him shifted. The fog vanished, replaced by a suffocating darkness. The world became pitch black.
Then, a voice—weak, trembling—cut through the silence.
“Help me, Aeron…”
Aeron’s breath caught in his throat as he saw a bloodied figure before him—his father, wounded and pleading for help.
A cold shiver ran down his spine. His body trembled as fear gripped him.
And then—
The sharp, jarring sound of his alarm shattered the vision, yanking him back to reality. He jolted awake, gasping for breath, his heart pounding in his chest.
He stared at the ceiling, exhausted, his body drenched in sweat, his heart pounding.
“Who is that person? Why do I see him in my dreams every night? What does Dad have to do with this? Why was he asking for my help? Why was he injured? And why does he always appear after that mysterious assassin? What is the connection between them?”
Aeron’s mind raced with a hundred unanswered questions. It had been more than three years since the portal to the new world opened, and, coincidentally, he had been seeing these strange dreams ever since—visions of his father and that enigmatic assassin.
Just as he was lost in thought, his phone buzzed. A message flashed on the screen:
“You have been accepted into The Aether Strike Corps.”
Aeron took a deep breath. “Three years ago, a portal to an another world appeared on Earth. It’s nothing like our own—it’s a place filled with monsters, demons, sorcery, ancient weapons, dragons, mythical beasts, and powerful kingdoms. The geography is diverse, like something out of a fantasy tale. So we call it the Other World. People from that world came seeking our help to fight against the Demon King that is trying to take over the world, killing innocent lives, bringing chaos. At first, every military organization refused, fearing how dangerous a Demon King could be. But some private companies saw this as an opportunity. In exchange for the rare goods of that world, they offered aid. They offered protection from the demon king’s Army not defeating him. Better than nothing, the dwellers of the Other World accepted the offer.”
His heart raced as memories washed over him. “I lost my mother when I was little, and my father vanished shortly after. I grew up alone, always wondering where he could be. Ever since the portal appeared, that strange man has haunted my dreams, and my dad... he asked me for help. Maybe if I go to the Other World and find this man, I can uncover the truth—and find my father. That’s why I joined Aether Strike Corp—a private organization renowned for its success in that realm.”
Aeron entered the ASC Earth headquarters, glancing around. A young female scientist appeared in front of him, smiling. “Are you ready to go to the Other World?”
Aeron took a deep breath, noticing the other new recruits—some were excited, while others looked nervous. “Yes, Miss Daisy. I’m ready,” he said.
Middle of somewhere in the Other World…
“What’s happening?” one of the cadets whispered, panic trembling in his voice.
All of them, every last cadet, were chained, wrists bound with iron restraints, thrown inside a reinforced cage like livestock. Outside the bars stood the commander, lieutenants, and officers of the Aether Strike Corps… along with merchants and wealthy nobles from the Other World, all staring at them like merchandise.
“What are you doing to us?” Aeron demanded.
“Can’t you see?” Lieutenant Zei smirked. “We’re selling you as slaves.”
A wave of disbelief rippled through the cadets.
“What do you mean by that?” another cadet cried, voice cracking.
“It means,” Commander Ruth said coldly, “as of today, you will live as slaves in this world.”
“We joined ASC as soldiers, to fight the Demon King’s army!” Emma shouted, furious and terrified.
The lieutenants, commanders, merchants, and nobles burst into laughter, mocking, cruel, heartless.
“Don’t make us laugh,” Zei cackled. “You think you can defeat the Demon King?”
“Didn’t the Aether Strike Corps defeat the Demon king’s army before?” Aeron pressed.
“Oh, that?” Zei grinned. “Just a rumor we spread. A story to lure enthusiastic idiots like you.”
The cadets erupted in protest. Pulling, twisting, clawing at the chains. But the iron was too tight, too strong. Their struggling only made the metal bite deeper into their skin.
“Take them away,” Commander Ruth ordered.
Slaves belonging to the nobles stepped forward, lifting the cage with practiced indifference, hauling it toward the waiting carts.
“You won’t get away with this!” Aeron and the others shouted.
“Oh?” Zei laughed again.
“Say that after you escape… if you ever do.”
The cage jolted as it was dragged away. Some cadets held the bars in rage, others trembled in fear. A few had already broken down, crying softly.
They had come to this world as soldiers… yet now they were being sold like animals.
Aeron looked around, taking in every detail… their restraints, the guards, their surroundings. His mind raced, already calculating, already planning an escape.
“My name is Aeron. Unlike most others, I was born with a special ability, the power to slow down time for all living beings around me for a short moment. This power has given me scars… but I’ll overcome my fear, the scars this ability gave me.”
“I joined Aether Strike Corps to find answers. And this is the beginning of my journey in the Other World.”
