No one expected a portal to open when the spell failed.

When magic rebounds, the energy that was gathered had to be released and it usually turns destructive. This time, the mana was collected by the three Grand Mages – spellcasters of the highest class.

When the magic was broken, the entire catacomb should’ve exploded.

Yet, at that time, a peculiar thing happened.

The energy that repelled the soul-searching spell was tremendous; the latter was mere candle flame compared to it.

The wild magic was a million, million times more than the spell’s energy, and when too much power is gathered at one spot, instead of the world blowing up, reality became fractured.

The unravelled spell gathered to one point in a vortex and drilling a hole in time and space. Without destroying the physical realm, it found a way to be released: a portal to another realm.

Kairos who is at the centre of the vortex was immediately sucked in. He felt as though he was falling from great heights. A shining jewel he hung around his neck cracked and he desperately clung onto it, trying to shelter the gem from the dangerous transference magic.

…..

The soldiers on the Ku Kang plateau looked at the death and destruction all around them and turned incredibly silent.

The battle is over, finally. The winners are undoubtedly the collation of the Saint Empire frontline army and the Snowdrifts army.

The Frosthral barbarians still outnumber their foes, but with all three emperors dead, their morale had pummelled and no one can take up the helm.

Having been spared of being poisoned to death by the enemy Supreme Commander’s intervention, they had all lost the fight in their heart.

Of course, to not force them into desperation and incite a final battle to the death, the victors must allow them a path of retreat.

In fact, some of them felt gratitude towards Kairos for that Grand Magic which preserved them.

They are barbarians, savages that are described as brutal and cold-blooded, but they are also warriors with a deep-rooted sense of honour.

It was then that Tommy stepped forward.

He faced the masses of Frosthral warriors and in a deep intoning voice declared, “WARRIORS! I am Tommy Styrkur of Avalon, descendent of Shakyamuni! I invoke the promotion trial and challenge all who dare step forward!”

…..

Within an old castle, a group of old shamans are hexing before their Jarl.

The spell they are weaving is an ancient lost magic. Before today, none of them had studied it. However, it wasn’t lost because it had been obscured by time and forgotten.

Each time their world is threatened, a certain manuscript will surface, holding a spell that will summon heroes to their land and after the magic is completed it will remove most traces, leaving behind only legends.

The time has come once again that Axis Mundi needs its heroes.

A great deal of smoke covered the hall and the Aura Knights moved into position to protect the Jarl.

When the air cleared, five pairs of boys and girls had appeared in the hall. They were visibly confused and asking questions, but their languages were all different. Suddenly, from above, a portal opened and a sixth pair fell from the ceiling.

The shamans were surprised. They had not known that there will be twelve, but this is the first time they had their hands on this magic and they might’ve erred somewhere along the way.

They discussed that possibility among themselves and eventually come to acceptance that they know too little about the summoning spell to determine anything. The last two are male and female like the rest and of the correct age. Maybe they had read the numbers wrongly?

What the shamans did not know is these two are here indeed because of their summoning spell, but they weren’t invited. The two had let themselves into this party.

Energy, magic, electricity, water, and almost anything else that flows will naturally look for a path of least resistance and among all the uncountable teleportation spells and portals, this summoning spell created the best pathway.

The boy from the last pair stared at the girl in his arms with wide eyes. A swirl of emotions filled his eyes, entrancement, confusion, worry, and love. It took a while before the strange place and the foreign words around him dragged his eyes away from her as he orientates his new environment and analyse if there is any dangers. He looked around the hall and saw many around his age but from difference races.

They are each speaking in their own language until a woman with flowing blonde hair standing at the side, dressed in clothing that favoured by the mages from the south, chanted a mid-rank spell.

As the magic was unleashed, the foreign languages started to make sense to Kairos. Everyone else seemed as surprised as him and the room quieten down.

“Looks like the summoning spell worked properly. You are all brought here from different worlds in this time of dire need. We hope that you would aid us and in return you may receive tremendous gifts.”

“Why should we try to help you?” one of the fairer-looking boys rebuked, it is apparent that he did not like being forcefully dragged into this place.

The mage smile softly at the boy then said, “Before that, why don’t everyone introduce themselves first. Name, age, occupation, relationship, and the place you come from will be a good start and it’d make my explanation later easier.”

The boy was about to make a snider remark when a girl grabbed his arm and pointed at the armed guards that stood around the hall.

He paled immediately and stifled whatever he wanted to say, and instead introduced himself and the girl, “I am Richard XVII. I come from England, and this here is my missus, Berengaria of new London, we are both sixteen and currently students.”

The mage seemed gladden by the cooperation given and turned to the next pair, a couple which looked like those who came from the eastern shores – a place teeming with pirates and incredible blacksmiths.

“I am Shira Aki and this girl beside me is my sister Shinku Aki, we come from Japan and we are both sixteen as well. We are professional gamers.”

The next pair who stood primly like soldiers quickly spoke up, “I am Lie Feng and this is Luo Wen Wen, from China. Sixteen. I am a sniper and she is a hacker. We are colleagues.”

The fourth pair were curiously looking around until they realised everyone was looking at them.

“Oh boy, I didn’t expect there could really be a dimensional transfer. I’m Andrew Crowley and she is Mary Waterhouse. We are both from America and sixteen. Our families have ancient magic lineages and we are both grimoire researchers.”

The fifth pair was a pair of exceedingly gorgeous couple with skin like shiny ebony. Even Kairos looked at them twice for he had hardly seen people of such attractiveness, “I am George Luther and this beautiful lady is my wife, Rachel Luther Mandela. We’re from Africa and as you must’ve guessed we are both sixteen. I’m a professional MMA fighter and my wife is a medical student.”

The mage furrowed her thin eyebrows at the term, unable to understand. There isn’t a trend to speak in abbreviation in this land. When George Luther saw her reaction he figured out the problem and sheepishly explained, “It stands for Mixed Martial Arts. I’m a fighter… No, I guess in a place where battles happen on the battlefield I’m considered a show fighter?”

Everyone turned to the last pair. They are the most unique among all. Dressed in strange robes, the girl is unconscious while the guy looked as though he had stepped out from a torture chamber.

Although the guy had black hair and eyes, he had neither Asian nor Caucasian looks but seemingly a mixture of features from all races. He had an earthly feel, appearing natural that he should be here, like how one will look at a mountain or the moon. He seemed transcendent to human limits yet he wasn’t alien and had a charisma that made everyone want to go closer to him.

The girl is even more enchanting. It was breath-taking beauty as if the creator had stopped all work to make her. It was perfection like a coming spring that caused flowers to bloom a thousand kilometres. Strangely, the one who seemed the most enchanted of them all is the boy like he had not laid eyes upon her for years. She is like the mother of all roses, the prize among all treasures and he couldn’t keep his eyes away for more than seconds. Her dainty lips were the sweetest pink, the faint blush on her cheeks begged to be kissed, her hair flowed down her shoulders with the colour of a beautiful dusk – dark brown with tinges of gold, purple and red.

Yet the boy knew that this isn’t all her beauty. If she would awake, they will see all the colours of dawn in her soft brown doe eyes.

He held her closer to her chest, as if to protect her and then said, “I am Kairos Astroire, Earl of Saint Empire. I am a Great General, and she is my princess. Relestia Vestimore.”