Raimõn Sentra, your everyday college student, was ported into another world, where he unexpectedly gained the title of "Dark Hero," setting his fate on a collision course with a mysterious "Holy Hero” enemy.

Rai sat on the cold obsidian floor of the chamber, legs crossed and shoulders slouched, his demeanor at complete odds with the ominous surroundings. The demonic figures that had summoned him had scurried off to “inform the Demon Lord” of their monumental achievement, leaving him alone to stew in his confusion.

"Yeah, cool, just awesome, really!" he muttered, his voice echoing faintly in the cavern.

His phone was already in his hand—muscle memory at this point. As he scrolled through his contacts, his thumb hovered over his dad’s name. Rai stared at it for a moment, debating whether a second call attempt was worth it. With a resigned sigh, he finally tapped the call button.

Surely his explanation would sound reasonable—after all, it wasn’t that far-fetched to be swallowed by a heat-seeking sunlight ray, transported to another world, crowned with the title of ‘Dark Hero,’ and instructed to await a Demon Lord’s briefing on magic and war preparations. It could happen to anyone… right?

The boy listened to the ringing tone, tapping his palm against the jagged obsidian floor in impatience.

When his dad finally picked up, the familiar clatter of kitchen sounds in the background made the surreal situation feel even stranger.

“Rai? What’s up?” his dad asked, his tone as casual as if this were any other day.

“Hey, Dad! Uh, first things first—I’m gonna miss dinner.”

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A beat of silence on the other end. “This the first time you’re staying over at Laura’s? Usually, it’s the other way around. Attaboy!”

Rai rubbed the back of his neck, offering an awkward chuckle. He glanced around the cavernous chamber as if the scenery could somehow explain everything for him. “Yeah, not quite. Hear me out—uh, I’m not on Earth anymore.”

“The hell does that even mean, boy?”

Taking a deep breath, Rai launched into a rapid-fire explanation, covering everything from his excessive caffeine intake that morning, the glowing summoning circle, the demons’ apparent five prior failures, and their ecstatic success in summoning him. He finished with a muttered, “...and now they’re calling me the ‘Dark Hero.’ So yeah, that’s my day.”

His dad was quiet for a moment before responding, his voice tinged with suspicion. “Becoming a fiction writer overnight?”

“No, seriously, Dad!” Rai groaned. “Listen, I know it sounds insane, but I’m gonna need you to trust me on this one. Also, I have a favor to ask.”

He rattled off a vague request, his voice quieter and more serious as he spoke. Something about “making sure nothing gets out.”

“Fine,” his dad replied after a long pause, though his tone was begrudging. “But I’m booking you a full check-up when you get back. That coffee you’ve been abusing? Seems like it’s finally fighting back, so say bye-bye to the allowance for it!”

“Fair enough,” Rai replied, grinning despite himself. “But you’ll believe me eventually, I promise.”

A comfortable silence followed, broken only by the faint hum of the demonic chamber around him.

“All right, boy,” his dad finally said. “I’ll see what I can do. But I’m ending this call before God himself sends me the phone bill for an interdimensional call. Take care of yourself, y’hear?”

“Before you close, I just want to tell you thanks, Dad,” Rai said, his voice softening. “I really appreciate you.”

The old man sighed as he returned to the cooking, speaking loud enough for his wife to hear from afar, “We have one less person to cook for tonight!” With a click, the line went dead. Rai sighed, leaning back against the cold obsidian pillar. For the first time since this bizarre journey had started, he felt a little less untethered.

Of course, that peace didn’t last long. A shadow fell over him as one of the demons re-entered the chamber, their glowing eyes wide with excitement.

“The Demon Lord has been informed! Prepare thyself for an audience, Dark Hero of the Demon Kingdom!”