One day—October 13, 20XX, to be precise—a portal appeared out of nowhere along the Pacific Coast.
A being stepped out of the portal.
"Ten people must be chosen. If not, this world of yours will be destroyed."
The moment those words were spoken, the world erupted into panic and fear. His voice echoed across the entire planet, reaching even the farthest edges—like a god announcing judgment.
The being granted us a single month—one month to decide who would stand for humanity.
They called us the "Candidates."
And somehow… I was one of them.
We were seconds away from entering the portal when the being returned.
The world shattered into chaos the moment he arrived.
But by then, we were already inside. All we could do was watch as everything fell apart.
(We might have been chosen, but what we didn't know… is something I will regret later.)
"And that's the story of how I ended up here," Eokimo said.
"Whoaa," Rye breathed out.
"You know, I get goosebumps every time you tell that story," he added.