Lee Sung, a 18-year-old high school graduate, finds himself among the thousands of people summoned from Earth to the fantasy world of Tenebrous.The line of summonees shuffled forward, sprawling across the cobblestone courtyard like a chain gang. Everywhere he looked, Lee Sung saw kids like him—some still in pajamas, others barefoot, all wearing the same stunned look of disbelief. A loud voice echoed in their heads welcoming them to this new world, after some brief explanation telling them to prepare for they had been chosen as representative of the 4 major gods telling them to get ready for some series of life treating test
when his vision blurred again. He blinked, but this time he was alone. The courtyard, the kids, everything had disappeared except for a small figure standing before him. A girl. Older than him, maybe 21. She wore an oversized backpack that seemed to swallow her slight frame, and her eyes, large and dark, bore into his with an unsettling intensity.
"Hello?" he said, his voice sounding thin in the silence.
"We need to hurry," the girl said, grabbing his hand. Her fingers felt cold and unfamiliar. She pulled him through a thick fog that twisted around them as if alive. Lee Sung stumbled behind her, struggling to keep up.
"Where is everyone?"
"Scattered," she replied, her voice clipped. "Thrown into different trials. The gods like to test people alone."
"But you're with me." He was panting now, the cold air scraping his lungs. He noticed how the mist seemed to part for her, swirling into strange shapes: a serpent, a bird, a dagger. "Who are you?"
"Someone who doesn't want to die," she said, and before he could reply, the fog thinned, and they were standing in a clearing. Towering trees encircled them, their gnarled branches forming a tangled dome overhead. "Here," she said, finally releasing his hand.
Lee Sung doubled over, catching his breath. When he looked up, the girl was digging through her backpack, muttering under her breath. She pulled out a roll of parchment and spread it on the ground.
"What is that?" he asked, peering at the map.
"A way out, if we're lucky." Her voice had softened, and now he noticed the weariness in her eyes. "This world isn't safe. The tests are only the beginning. If we don't get to the sanctuary first—"
A low growl interrupted her. Lee Sung whipped around, his heart pounding. The shadows between the trees deepened, and a pair of glowing eyes emerged, staring at them with a feral hunger. He took a step back, his mind racing.
"—then we're done for," the girl finished, her voice steady but urgent. The creature stepped into the clearing, a hulking mass of fur and muscle, its snarls vibrating through the ground.
"What do we do?" Lee Sung's throat was dry, his legs trembling with the urge to run.
The girl grabbed his arm, her grip surprisingly strong. "Stick to me and don't fall behind." She pulled him toward the map, her fingers flicking over its surface. The parchment shimmered, and a golden line appeared, snaking through the trees. "Stay on the path!" she yelled, and then they were running, the beast crashing after them, its breath hot on their heels.
The forest blurred around him, the trees a whirl of twisting shapes and tangled shadows. Lee Sung focused on
the trees darkened, coalescing into a hulking shape. It moved with a predatory grace, four limbs low to the ground, eyes blazing like twin embers.
"Stay close," the girl whispered. She rolled up the map and shoved it back in her pack. The creature prowled closer, a snarl reverberating through the air. Lee Sung backed up, stumbling over roots and fallen branches.
"We're dead," he muttered, panic rising in his chest.
"Not yet." She grabbed his arm, her grip firm and steadying. "Watch."
With one swift motion, she drew a small stone from her pocket and hurled it at the creature. It glowed midair, erupting into a blinding light. The creature staggered back with a howl, its form disintegrating into wisps of smoke.
Lee Sung stared, mouth agape. "You... what was that?"
"Distraction," she said,Lee Sung's vision tunneled as his heart hammered in his chest. "We can't outrun that!" he shouted, panic rising.
The girl didn't answer. She veered left, pulling him with her. The creature lunged and missed, its claws raking the earth. Ahead, the trees thinned abruptly, and they skidded to a stop at the edge of a ravine. The girl didn't hesitate; she plunged over the side, dragging him with her.
The fall seemed endless, wind roaring in his ears, and then they landed with a bone-jarring thud on a mesh of thick vines. "Keep moving!" she barked, scrambling up. The vines were alive, writhing beneath them like a nest of serpents.
Lee Sung stumbled after her, his body screaming in protest. The beast howled above, its cries echoing off the ravine walls as it paced the edge, furious and thwarted.
They reached the SANCTUARY.