I’m just a high school student. That day, it was dusk, and I was heading home like usual. I stepped into the elevator of my building, nothing special. But halfway up, it shook. Then it flew.

  Yes—flew.

  The lights flickered. The pressure in my ears popped like I was in a plane. When the doors opened again, I wasn’t at my apartment floor.

  I was standing in the middle of a barren wasteland.

  Before I could even react, a screen appeared in front of me, floating midair.

  LV0

  “What the hell—”

  A high-pitched screech cut me off. I turned and saw a swarm of emaciated figures charging toward me, hollow-eyed and snarling like rabid animals.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “W-wait—!”

  One of them lunged. I tripped, almost fell. Just as I braced myself to get torn apart, a man stepped in between us. He held a massive broadsword in one hand, and with a single, casual sweep, scattered the creatures like flies.

  He looked down at me and said, “You're not ready yet. But you've been chosen.”

  I couldn’t speak.

  “The name’s Treloslan. This place—this domain—doesn’t tolerate weakness. These things will come again.”

  He handed me a crumpled piece of paper, something scribbled on it like nonsense symbols. “Take the elevator back. In the real world, come find me.”

  I blinked. The next moment, I was back in my building’s elevator. My hands were shaking. My shirt was drenched in sweat.

  Had I hallucinated?

  I looked down. That same piece of paper was in my hand.

  The scribbles shifted, turning into an arrow.

  “What the hell is this…”

  Swallowing hard, I followed it. It led me through the streets to an old, run-down building in Mong Kok. The front door was locked, but the symbols on the paper aligned like a code—and the lock clicked open.

  The arrow pointed toward the elevator again.

  “Seriously… again?”

  I tried the stairs. Climbed over ten floors until I was gasping for air.

  Finally, the arrow turned green. It stopped at a shack-like structure built on the rooftop.

  A man was waiting at the door, smiling lazily.

  “You made it.”