“She seems weak.”

“They all do when they arrive, Father. At least that’s what the legends say.”

As Skylar awoke, she became aware of a conversation occurring in front of her. Rubbing her eyes, she couldn't be sure if she was seeing correctly. Flanking an elderly king on each side were a pair of twin girls her age—pitch-black hair and shining purple eyes marked them all as family.

“Who the hell is this old fart? Are you guys from the Shining?” Skylar joked about the odd twins in front of her to quell her panic. “Where the hell is this?”

“It matters not for you,” remarked the man, a frown spreading as he spoke. “Be blessed—you have been summoned to Zephyria, a world of magic and monsters. We have need of your power. We are trapped in a war against the demon horde, foul creatures from below. My name is—”

“Wait, summoned? Like isekai-style?” Skylar interrupted, enthralled despite her initial fear.

“Silence!” screamed the king. “I am Noxis, King of Landria, and these two,” he gestured at the twins, “are Solaria and Nixia, my daughters.”

Skylar frowned, unsure of what to say. She studied the king, noting the intelligent gleam in his eyes despite his advanced age. A crown of shifting colors sat on his head, and the clearly well-made clothes on all three nobles spoke to their clear wealth. This clearly isn’t a dream, Skylar thought. The pain had been all too real to pretend otherwise. I’ll make a decision once I learn more, Skylar thought. As she rose to her feet, she felt herself locked in place. “You guys gonna let me out?” she exclaimed, fighting with all her force to escape, but the king simply smiled a cruel smile.

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“We need your power, hero,” Noxis said mockingly, “but not you. I’d be a fool to allow you to gain the power spoken of in our legends. What you have now is enough for me to win this war. Nixia, draw the power from her core.”

“As you wish, Father,” Nixia replied, extending a slender hand toward Skylar and the magic circle beneath her feet. As her spell was completed, she looked at her hand, confused. “There’s no magic there, father!” she exclaimed, clearly shocked.

Serves you right! Skylar thought, continuing to struggle to no avail. And what do they mean by my core? As the King and Nixia squabbled in the background, Skylar stopped her struggles and took a deep breath. Meditation had been a huge part of her life since her parents’ passing, and she fell into old habits now. She could feel something at her center, something that was a new part of her. It thrummed in time with her heartbeat, and then—

Soulspace Unlocked!

As she read those words, she opened her eyes to the throne room, just in time to hear the king declare, “If she has no magic, she has no utility to us. Begone.” With a flick of his wrist, Skylar felt herself thrown backward towards the wall. Just before impact, a portal opened, and she tumbled to the ground, spitting grass out of her mouth. As she scrambled to her feet, a new message gave her pause:

Welcome to the Forest of the Damned (S-Rank). You are advised to leave as quickly as possible.

“Shit.”