The Unknown Summoned

In the Kingdom of Numeria, every child—regardless of family status—is tested for magic within days of their birth. A tradition older than the capital itself. Through ancient rituals and measuring crystals, their elemental affinity and magical strength are recorded, ranked, and in some cases, celebrated.

But when Kael was tested… nothing happened. 

An orphan by origin and unblessed by the Gods, Kael spent his early years within the stone walls of a royal orphanage. He watched as other children were adopted—taken in by noble families, merchants, or skilled craftsmen. Some because of strong fire affinity. Others because of healing gifts, or rare elemental combinations.

Kael had none.

No matter how hard he prayed, tried, or smiled, no one chose the boy without magic. So, when he grew old enough to reach the latch on the orphanage door, he ran. And for a time, he lived in the alleys and streets of Numeria's capital, stealing food and hiding without being caught.

But one day, someone did.

A tall, silver-haired adventurer caught the boy's wrist mid-theft, faster than Kael could blink. That man was Thalion Ardent, a newly appointed member of the King's Council of Blades—and a swordsman whose name carried weight even among the royal guard.

At first, Ardent returned Kael to the orphanage. But when he learned the boy's full story… he returned the next day and the day after.

Until finally, he took Kael in.

Not as a servant, but as a protégé.

From that day, Kael trained under Ardent's strict and relentless discipline. With no magic to lean on, he honed his body and mind until his sword sang like wind over steel.

Years later, when the king entrusted Ardent with the sword training of his daughter, Princess Zephyr, Kael met her for the first time. She was quiet and sharp-eyed—curious about the commoner boy who didn't have any magical ability.

He was her first friend outside the palace walls.

And she was his first friend… ever.

They trained side by side. Sparred under stars. Fought their first beasts together in the wild hills beyond the northern cliffs. And as they grew, so did their bond. Zephyr became something more than a friend, even if Kael never dared speak it aloud.

At the age of seventeen, Kael passed the trials to join the King's Council of Blades himself—despite having no magic to his name. His swordsmanship, discipline, and leadership earned him a place where few with magic had ever reached let alone without one.

And at twenty, when she turned eighteen, with courage and humility, he asked King Alaric for his daughter’s hand in marriage.

The king refused.

Not out of cruelty, but out of concern. He said Zephyr was too young and had duties to fulfill as the only princess and heir to the throne.

Kael accepted the answer with grace.

And not long after… the nightmares began....

The chant reached its crescendo.

The relic on Kael's chest pulsed with a blinding white light, its runes flaring and spinning as though awakening from ancient slumber. The circle beneath him erupted with arcane symbols — light and shadow intertwining like threads of fate.

And then… silence.

In the blink of an eye—Kael was gone.

Moments later Kael's body stood up at the center of the ritual circle, bathed in faint dark smoke.

But something had changed.

The air felt different. His stance uncertain. His eyes looked around the room with hesitation, not the gaze of a seasoned warrior, but the quiet panic of someone out of place.

"Where…. where am I?"

His voice was Kael's, but the tone was not.

Confusion twisted across his face. He looked down at his hands — rougher, larger than what he remembered. He touched the relic that now fused to his skin.

"What is this metal plate stuck to my chest…"

"This isn't my body…"

Everyone watched in stunned silence.

The body that was once Kael… was no longer him. Standing in his place was Kazuki.

To them a stranger, wearing Kael's face and body.

"This isn't real…."

He clutched his head, fingers digging into golden hair that didn't belong to him.

"Wake up… please wake up…"

Around him, whispers had turned to silence. Shock gripped the summoning hall. No one moved.

A mage cautiously stepped forward from behind, reaching out—

"Don't touch me!"

Kazuki turned sharply, his voice breaking into a shout, edged with panic. The mage recoiled.

That was when Alvis stepped forward, robes brushing the floor as he studied Kazuki with wide, wrinkled eyes. His staff glowed faintly, but he kept it low.

"Calm yourself," the old mage said carefully. "You are not in danger."

"Where am I?" Kazuki snapped. "What did you do to me?!"

His voice cracked.

Princess Zephyr took a step forward but froze, lips parted. She tried to speak, but no sound came. Her fingers trembled at her sides.

Alvis answered in her place.

"I'm Alvis Archmage and keeper of old magic. This is the Kingdom of Numeria. You were summoned… through a Ritual. You were chosen."

"Chosen? By who? I didn't ask to come here!"

Kazuki's breaths grew sharp and fast.

"You had no right. No right to take me from my world!"

His voice rose. His hands clenched into fists.

"Who do you think you are?! You think you can just; rip someone out of their life?!"

He staggered forward, rage and grief tangling in his throat.

"I want to go home! I want my room, my books, my games, my mom—"

His voice cracked completely.

"Hana…"

Something snapped inside him.

A deep, grinding hum filled the air.

Dark smoke poured from his back and shoulders, spiraling upward like ink in water.

"I want to go HOME!!"

The castle shook.

The throne hall was in disarray.

Servants on all fours, gasping for air, their limbs trembling as if the very weight of the magic pressing through the castle crushed them from within. The stone floor groaned beneath the unseen force that pulsed outward from the summoning chamber.

King Alaric stood. One hand clutching the edge of his throne, the other on his heart.

"What… have we done. we have summoned our own undoing." he whispered.

Inside the summoning hall, several mages fell unconscious, their magic siphoned by the oppressive aura spiraling from Kazuki's body. Others collapsed to their knees, gasping, their energy drained.

"Make it stop!" one screamed before passing out.

Kazuki didn't see them. He only repeated the words, over and over:

"I want to go home... I want to go home… I want to go—!"

Then the chamber doors slammed open.

Ardent entered, eyes narrowing at the chaos before him — unconscious mages, Alvis putting protection on everyone while observing the powers being used, Zephyr barely standing, and Kael's body radiating magic far beyond control.

Without hesitation, Ardent's hand flew to the hilt of his sword. His expression hardened—but Alvis raised a hand.

"Wait," the old mage murmured. "Not yet…"

Alvis pointed to Zephyr and looked at her.

Zephyr's eyes widened, she nodded—trembling.

"I… I have to try."

Her legs moved as if through water, slow and shaky. The pressure in the air pushed against her like a wall, yet she pressed forward, step by step.

Alvis whispered a spell under his breath and cast a barrier around her — soft and golden, shielding her from the aura's worst.

Kazuki didn't notice her until she was just in front of him.

She reached up with both hands… and gently cupped his face.

And then—her magic touched his thoughts.

She saw it all.

A boy alone in his room, writing in silence.

A dairy written with words full of sadness and despair.

A mother knocking on his door with a soft smile.

A girl pulling him to school, laughing, holding his hand.

Lonely lunches. Mocking stares. Escaping to books and games.

She saw his panic in that final moment.

The shaking desk.

The red light.

The feeling of being ripped apart.

Tears flooded in Zephyr's eyes.

"You're scared," she whispered, her voice cracking.

"You're not a threat. You're just… hurting and frightened."

Kazuki's breathing slowed. His eyes locked to hers—still red, still glowing, but now wide and unsure.

"Calm down," she whispered, tears falling freely.

"We're not going to hurt you."

The smoke around him flickered… then slowly began to fade.

"Sleep," Zephyr whispered.

Her hand glowed with soft lavender light—her unique spell, gentle and precise. The spell touched his temple like a breeze.

Kazuki collapsed forward. His glowing red eyes dimmed.

Zephyr caught him.

Alvis stepped forward and pressed his palm to the floor, murmuring a spell. Chains of white ethereal light emerged and wrapped gently around Kazuki's body.

"He's bound and asleep," Alvis said. "And will remain so… until we understand what we've summoned."

Silence returned to the room.

The relic embedded in Kael's chest still pulsed faintly, casting a slow, ominous glow.

Ardent finally stepped closer, hand still resting on his sword.

"What have we brought into our world?"