"Good... let's begin!" exclaimed a man in a black robe with white hair.
The black-clad figures moved in a circle, slow and silent. Their voices merged into a low murmur, a buzz that gradually transformed into an eerie chant.
The air trembled, and the incense began to burn on its own.
"O mighty Lord, who guides us on the right path we have chosen together, I invoke your mercy upon us at this moment," everyone within the arch struggled to remain standing, "I invoke those who, in your absolute eyes, are worthy to shed your light upon this fallen world! Gratias ago tibi, domine mi!"
Suddenly, a powerful wind blew through the hall, striking everyone, even the King and Queen seated on the thrones in the back, accompanied by two young girls.
The King leaned forward on his throne, gripping the armrests with his fingers. His crown slid to the side as he followed the circle of light with his eyes.
"Is it... working?" he whispered, but his voice was lost in the wind.
Eventually, the wind died down, and everyone looked around, trying to determine the outcome of the ritual.
"It didn't... work..."
A roar rent the air, and a flash of light struck like lightning, blinding everyone. The floor shook beneath their feet, the smoke of the incense mingling with the dust from the collapsed ceiling.
"Cleric John!" the King shouted to the white-haired cleric.
The beam of light vanished, leaving only the dust from the collapsed roof.
"Your Majesty... I think we've done it!"
From the center of the dust, human forms began to emerge, still indistinct.
"What the fuck!" an angry male voice shouted from the dust.
"Leon! Is that you?"
"Alexandre? Leon?"
"You're here too, Enea, thank goodness."
"And you're Andrea..."
"Guys, it's Daniel! Michael and Hector are here too!"
The dust finally settled, and the young men looked at each other, shocked.
"What the hell is this?" Michael asked, his eyes wide at what he saw around him.
"I don't know, but I think we should ask them," Enea said, dusting off his white hoodie.
"But... look what they're wearing," Daniel said jokingly, nudging Michael, trying to hold back his laughter.
"We've summoned seven of them..."
Those words caught the attention of the seven boys, who turned to cleric John, who looked stunned, like all the other clerics.
"The Lord has granted us His greatest grace! Praise be to His name!" cleric Giovanni exclaimed, kneeling.
All the other clerics knelt joyfully, praising the Lord, while the boys looked on, bewildered.
"Summoned..." Daniel murmured thoughtfully.
"You heard right, young hero!" exclaimed the King.
"Hero!?"
"Can you explain to us what is happening!?" Leon asked, agitated.
"You have all been summoned as heroes chosen by our Lord to defeat the dark evil of the Demon King!"
The King's words left the boys stunned.
"I don't think I agreed to any of this!"
"Let's go home!"
"I'm afraid I can't send you back... not while the darkness is gathering," the King said firmly.
"What?" Hector said, shocked, from the back of the group.
"You will not return home until your mission is complete!"
The King's words further agitated the boys, who began to argue among themselves, except for Enea, who took a few steps toward the thrones, in full view of everyone.
"Could you explain the situation in detail?" Aeneas asked calmly to the King, who seemed surprised by his composure.
"Of course..." the King cleared his throat, his gaze lost in space. "Every night we receive reports of burned villages, missing families. The Demon King does not stop. Every day he conquers a mile of land... and every mile costs hundreds of lives. You, as heroes, are tasked with stopping all this!"
"You call us heroes, but none of us has ever held a weapon. To fight alone against the Demon King's reign, I believe knowing how to fight is the bare minimum!" Enea added.
"You will never be alone," the armored man said with a firm voice. "The army will march alongside you. Our masters will train you day by day until nothing can bend you before the Demon King."
"How long will it take?" asked Alexandre, forcing a nervous smile.
"A year, maybe a little more, if you're diligent," the man admitted. "Time will be your ally... but also a harsh master if you waste it."
Alexandre nodded firmly at the answer.
"Excuse me, seeing what you did to summon us... I was wondering if we'll also have access to magic?" asked Michael, smiling hopefully.
"Yes, indeed, I can tell you that at the moment of summoning, you already have magic."
"Really? Fantastic!" Michael exclaimed excitedly.
"But you must understand what kind they are, and to do that, you must strengthen yourself to manifest them."
"What do you mean, 'strengthen us'?" asked Alexandre.
"I mean, magic in this world is exercised through the mind, so we must strengthen you mentally."
"Okay," Leon interjected, "but what if we refused and wanted to live a peaceful life here? What would happen then?"
"No, that's not possible... we need the strength of all seven heroes, as decreed by our Lord," replied cleric Giovanni.
Hector looked terrified by this statement, and his face paled as he took a small step back.
Leon's face expressed pure rage, and he moved aggressively toward cleric John.
Leon snapped, his voice cracking with anger, the veins bulging in his neck: "I don't give a damn about this Lord!"
Leon stepped forward, his hands clenched into fists. The cleric stepped back, stumbling over his robe. The soldiers' spears rose, but Enea was quicker: he grabbed Leon's shoulder.
"Leon, stop."
The word hit like a sharp blow, louder than any command.
They exchanged a glance, and shortly afterward, Leon huffed to ease the tension, then turned and left.
"I'm sorry."
The boys, after Leon's outburst, were even more hesitant. The armored man noticed.
"As long as you're in the kingdom, you'll lack nothing. Food, shelter, protection... I promise."
"So you promise?" asked Andrea, coming closer to join the discussion.
"Yes, you have our word," replied the soldier.
"Understood..." Andrea nodded with a smile. "Then I gladly accept the mission!"
Andrea's words surprised all his companions.
"What are you saying, Andrea!?" Leon asked furiously. "Why do you accept this absurd situation so easily?"
Andrea looked calmly at Leon.
"Have you looked at them, Leon?" Andrea said softly. "Have you seen their faces? I have. Reasons aren't needed when fear is a plea in someone's eyes."
Leon looked at Andrea but said nothing.
"I agree with Andrea too," added Daniel. "We have no choice; so let's commit ourselves to defeating the Demon King, and if we succeed, we'll be remembered forever and... we'll become popular with the girls!"
At Daniel's words, everyone in the room fell silent, except Michael, who put an arm around him and smiled.
"You sure don't know when to stop talking nonsense..." said Michael, making Daniel blush slightly when he realized his gaffe.
Andrea and Alexandre tried to hold back their laughter.
"Guys..." said Leon, shocked. "Where's Hector?"
They all turned, but Hector was nowhere to be found in the room.
"Oh no, he ran away..." added Andrea calmly.
"How did he escape!?" exclaimed a worried soldier near the King. "Go find him before he leaves the castle!"
Some soldiers in the room obeyed his orders and went to look for him. Leon, seeing the soldiers' worried reaction, had a bad feeling.
"If I may..." Enea stopped the soldiers at the door. "We want to come with you to look for Hector."
"No, there's no chance... you could take this opportunity to escape," the soldier replied hesitantly.
"Then let's do this: one of us stays here and the others go look for our comrade with the soldiers," Enea suggested. "That way no one can escape; my friends won't leave anyone behind!"
The man in armor seemed to consider it, then looked to the King for approval, which was granted.
"Very well, we accept."
"Excellent," Aeneas turned to his companions. "Go away, I trust you!"
The boys followed the soldiers out of the room.
"We will bring Hector back!" Alexandre said with determination as the doors to the room closed.
[Switch to Hector's perspective]
Hector ran through the castle corridors, his heart hammering in his chest.
"I don't want to die in a world I don't know…"