Chapter 1: just another mundane day ?

  Hey, I’m Alex, and this is the story of how I became a hero in another world.

  To be honest, my life was pretty mundane. I was one of those people who always went with the flow and didn't really care about what was going on around me. My days were a blur of routine and normalcy, until one day that changed everything.

  It started like any other day. I woke up, stretched, and went through my usual morning routine. As I looked in the mirror, I saw the same plain face staring back at me. I brushed my teeth, combed my hair, and put on my suit, getting ready for the first day of the new school year. I couldn’t believe it was my fourth and final time participating in the beginning-of-year ceremony. Four years had flown by so fast, and here I was, in my final year at Temple University, Japan.

  With my suit on, I grabbed my keys from the counter and headed for the door. That’s when it happened. In a flash, everything went bright, and I found myself standing on a glowing, golden circle. Before I knew it, I was in a strange place with huge pillars and a group of people watching me.

  In front of me stood a man with a gold crown on his head and a huge beard, his light brown eyes scrutinizing me. Another man, wearing a robe, spoke up, saying, "The hero summoning was successful, my king."

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  I quickly wiped my eyes, yelling, "What are you talking about? Where am I?"

  The man in the robe just looked at me and then disappeared into a smoky cloud. The man on the throne introduced himself as King Tomo of the Starfall Kingdom. I couldn't help but think that all of this was madness, that somebody had to be playing a joke on me, or maybe I had hit my head on the way out the door.

  "Starfall Kingdom? Where is that even located? What country are we in? What continent are we on? Are we even on Earth?" I cut off King Tomo, my voice rising with each question.

  "Try to relax so I can explain everything," Tomo said, his tone trying to be soothing, but I couldn’t relax. My heart pounded in my chest, my palms grew sweaty, and I felt a cold sweat break out all over my body. My chest tightened, and I fell to my knees. King Tomo continued to speak, but the more he talked, the more my mind wandered.

  While I was on my knees, a loud ringing started in my ears, my vision became blurry, and everything went dark.

  I passed out.

  ---

  When I came to, I was lying in a soft bed, the scent of unfamiliar herbs and flowers filling the air. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see a wooden ceiling above me. As I sat up, I realized I was in a small, cozy room, the sunlight streaming through a window.

  A gentle knock on the door drew my attention. A young woman entered, her eyes kind and worried. "Are you feeling better?" she asked softly.

  "Where am I?" I croaked, my throat dry.

  "You’re in the Starfall Kingdom, in the king’s palace," she explained. "I’m Elara, the royal healer. You fainted during your summoning."

  Summoning. The word hit me like a ton of bricks. This wasn't a dream. I really was in another world. As I sat there, trying to process everything, Elara continued, "The king will explain everything when you're ready."

  Ready or not, I needed answers. This was the beginning of a journey I never asked for, in a world I knew nothing about. But somehow, I had to find my place in it, hero or not.