The Bell That Called the Gods

The sun dipped below the horizon, its dying rays spilling through the windows of Class 2-B. The chatter of students had long faded, leaving only five voices lingering in the quiet classroom.
“I’m telling you, Aadya, no one wants to memorize fifteen pages of formulas right before summer break,” Renji groaned, spinning a pen between his fingers.
Aadya narrowed her eyes. “And I’m telling you, if you fail again, I’m not dragging your sorry self through remedial classes.”
Seno yawned from his desk, feet up, eyes half-lidded. “You both talk like grades matter after we graduate. The world’s already falling apart anyway.”
“It’s not that bad,” Qutoria said softly, brushing her black hair behind her ear. “There’s still peace. Mostly.”
Ishan stood by the window, eyes on the sky. He didn’t speak much, but when he did, people listened. This time, he said nothing. His eyes were fixed on a strange shimmer in the clouds—like a mirror rippling across the heavens.
Then the light struck.
A hum built beneath their feet. The floor pulsed. Desks rattled. A sigil, ancient and golden, spread across the classroom tiles.
“What the hell—!?” Renji shouted.
In a flash of divine radiance, the classroom was gone.
---
They awoke on a marble platform surrounded by a boundless void—black skies filled with drifting constellations, stars twinkling like tears from the heavens. The air was cold. Sacred. Heavy.
Before them, three thrones stood at equal distances, each bathed in divine aura.
A golden figure emerged first—a tall being clad in robes of woven starlight, a serene expression on their flawless face. The air around them shimmered with galaxies.
“I am Aethros, the God of Creation,” the figure spoke. “Architect of realms. Weaver of possibility.”


A second deity appeared in a cloak of endless blue, eyes steady as the tides, holding a staff pulsing with life.
 “I am Nyara, the Goddess of Preservation,” she said, voice calm and eternal. “Protector of balance. Guardian of the living flame.”

And then came the third—wreathed in shadow and fire, his voice like the crack of falling mountains.
“I am Vandred, the God of Destruction. Ender of cycles. Harbinger of renewal through ruin.”

The five students stood frozen, breath caught in their throats.
“You have been chosen,” Aethros declared. “Summoned from the world known as Earth, to serve as Heroes of the Multiverse.”
Nyara stepped forward. “Worlds are dying. Not one, but many. Some fall to corruption, others to war, and some to the decay of faith. We can no longer intervene directly. But you—mortals—are unbound by divine law.”
“You will enter each world,” Vandred growled. “Cleanse it. Save it. Or let it fall and prepare it for rebirth. The choice… is yours.”
Each of the five felt a burning symbol appear on the back of their hand—a glowing Crest of Summoning—its design unique to each of them.
But Ishan's crest flickered strangely. Half-lit, half-hidden. A crack ran through it.
 “Odd…” Nyara whispered. “His link is… unstable.”


But there was no time for hesitation.
With a gesture, the gods opened a rift. A swirling portal of silver and flame.
 “Your first trial lies in a world governed by one of our appointed stewards,” Aethros said. “A god who has gone silent in recent years. His name is Chakra, and he rules over the realm of Varinai.”

 “This world is on the brink of collapse,” Nyara added. “And the god Chakra may no longer be what he once was.”

“Find the truth. Restore the world. Or destroy it, if it’s too far gone,” Vandred finished.
The portal shimmered. The five students looked at one another.
Renji clenched his fists. “Well, guess we’re doing this.”
Aadya nodded sharply. “We need a plan. Once we arrive, stay close.”
Seno grinned. “New world, new rules. Try not to die.”
Qutoria simply walked forward, her eyes distant as if hearing voices the others couldn’t.
Ishan hesitated. His mark pulsed—like a heartbeat. Something inside him stirred. A presence. A voice, faint, but… ancient.
“Go, bearer of the undone fate. This is where your path begins.”
With a breath, Ishan stepped through the portal—and the world of Varinai awaited.