Another World - Part 1

In a distant past, shimmering portals suddenly appeared across the planet, linking Earth to unknown realms. Faced with this phenomenon, humanity learned of them: the six Gods, sovereign rulers of their domains beyond the veil. Seeking heroes, they saw Earth as a sanctuary untouched by the "corruption"—a dark force ravaging their realms. Thus, they forged a pact: to teach humanity the secrets of magic and grant those chosen, guided by the mystical energy of "mana," the freedom to walk one of the six divine paths. The knowledge was passed down, and to honor the covenant with the Gods, humanity established the Academy of the Six Gods, a sanctuary to train those destined to shape the fate of worlds.
All young humans blessed with the gift of mana were required to attend the Academy of the Six Gods. Under the guidance of divine emissaries, the knowledge of mana was passed to humanity, preparing them for a sacred ritual. Upon turning seventeen, the young would face the "Test of the Mana of the Divine Paths." Led to a null portal—a silent stone structure, devoid of the glow of other portals—they began the oath. In unison, they chanted, "Ut veritas et via nobis occurrant." The central stone pulsed with a blinding flash, revealing a fleeting vision: an image of the divine path they were to follow. On their bodies, a mark appeared—a burning symbol of their chosen destiny. Beneath their feet, lines of mana traced teleportation circles, whisking them to the worlds aligned with their paths.“Ugh, how many times have I heard this?” Caio muttered, slouched over his desk, his gaze drifting out the classroom window. His thoughts wandered, far from the lessons about the Gods. “Just one week left, huh? Just thinking about it makes me exhausted. Since when am I forced to do this?” His inner voice carried a mix of laziness and defiance. Suddenly, the professor—a man in a gray robe with piercing eyes—cleared his throat loudly, snapping Caio out of his reverie.
“Caio, how long are you going to keep dozing off? Have you no respect for your professor?” The professor’s voice sliced through the classroom, sharp as a blade. “You don’t pay attention, you don’t participate—do you think you’re above everyone else? Keep this up, and you’ll end up a bottom-tier awakened, lost in some savage world!”Caio sighed, straightening in his chair. “Understood, professor,” he mumbled, his voice flat.“Understood? Then answer question three!” the professor pressed, his eyes glinting under his gray robe.“I don’t know, professor,” Caio replied, his tone lifeless.“Hah, of course not!” The professor laughed, turning to the class. “See? Don’t be like him. Knowledge is your greatest weapon; ignorance, your deadliest enemy.”Caio could have answered, but he held back. Drawing attention would only mean more trouble. He let the professor bask in his inflated ego and turned to the window, where the gray sky mirrored his apathy.Hours later, Caio trudged home under the dim twilight, his shoulders slumped, deaf to the laughter of other apprentices. He’d always been this way: distant, solitary, trapped in a routine of home, Academy, and late-night gaming. His only escape was a virtual world where no one demanded he be a hero.The final week blurred by. Caio felt the weight of the Test of the Mana of the Divine Paths grow heavier each day, a mix of laziness and anxiety tightening his chest. When the great day arrived, the air crackled with electricity, as if the Gods themselves were watching.
All the classes gathered before the null portal, a cold stone structure that seemed to swallow the light around it. The professors droned on, spouting pompous words about duty and destiny. Really, is this important? Caio thought, stifling a yawn. “Ugh, so boring! Hurry up already!” he muttered under his breath, just low enough to go unheard.The other apprentices shot him disdainful glares. “What a disgrace,” whispered a girl with braids, rolling her eyes. “Useless,” sneered another, a cruel smirk on his face. “What do you expect from someone of his class?” added a third, his voice dripping with contempt.Hey, I can hear you from here, you know, Caio thought, but he only shrugged. Just let this be over.One by one, the young apprentices stepped through the portal, beginning the ritual. In unison, they chanted, “Ut veritas et via nobis occurrant!” The central stone pulsed, unleashing a blinding flash. Each apprentice glimpsed a fleeting vision of their divine path, and beneath their feet, mana circles glowed, whisking them to distant worlds.But Caio remained. “Wait, wait—what about me? What happened?!” he shouted, his voice echoing in an oppressive void. He pounded on invisible walls, cold and unyielding, but got no response. “Why does this always happen to me? Seriously…”Suddenly, the walls darkened, cracking like brittle glass. A violent tremor knocked him to the ground. “Ugh, what now? Is the portal closing? I’m stuck here, guys!” He yelled, but the silence was deafening.Then, the portal turned into a pitch-black abyss, and Caio began to fall. “Wait, is this for real? I’m falling into the void? Dying like some random extra?” He let out a bitter laugh. “Fine, I love it.”
Meanwhile, outside the portal, chaos erupted. An unprecedented event shook the Academy: the null portal, steadfast for centuries, vanished for exactly seven minutes. The black stone slab, once pulsing with spectral light, disappeared without a trace, as if swallowed by the void itself. Professors and apprentices argued in a frenzy, their voices echoing through the Great Hall. Then, after seven minutes of pandemonium, the portal reappeared with a deep, resonant boom, as if spat back by the cosmos, leaving everyone stunned and questioning.Meanwhile, Caio floated in the void, his body suspended in endless darkness. He realized, with a mix of relief and disbelief, that he hadn’t died—he was just falling, endlessly. Glancing upward, he saw distant galaxies, their colorful glimmers fading like candles in the wind as he descended. “Man, for real? Is this actually happening?” he muttered, rubbing his eyes. Well, at least the view’s nice. But what kind of place was this? Why wasn’t he dead? What could he do?Questions swirled in his mind, but no answers came. Exhausted from fighting the inevitable, Caio made a decision as absurd as he was: “I’m gonna sleep.” With a sigh, he closed his eyes, ignoring the void swallowing him and the darkness at his back, and let himself fall, as if sleep could defy fate.