Origins

The quarters assigned to the summoned heroes were modest but sufficient. Each room had a simple bed, a desk, and a small chest for personal belongings. The evening air was cool, and the only sound in the castle was the occasional distant chatter of guards patrolling the corridors. Alex Bohn sat cross-legged on his bed, staring blankly at his glowing interface.

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Name: Alex Bohn

Level: 1

Attributes:

- STR: 3

- AGI: 4

- INT: 5

- END: 4

EXP: 0%/100%

Heroic Skills:

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With a sigh, he closed the interface, his thoughts swirling. This entire situation felt surreal, and the weight of being labeled a "hero" was starting to sink in. A knock at the door startled him out of his reverie.

"Come in."

He called, his voice slightly hesitant.

The door creaked open, revealing Dylan Carter, his blonde hair slightly disheveled but his grin as confident as ever. Behind him were Jina Park and Ichiro Matsumoto. Dylan leaned casually against the doorframe.

"So, we're all in this together."

Dylan said, his tone light but curious.

"Figured we might as well get to know each other since, you know, we're supposed to save a whole world."

Alex nodded, gesturing for them to come in. The small room felt even smaller with the four of them inside, but the atmosphere was oddly comforting.

"I'll start."

Dylan said, plopping down on the desk chair.

"Name's Dylan Carter. I'm from Boston. First-year college student, but I've been playing sports all my life. Basketball, soccer, track… you name it, I've done it." He leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head. "Favorite game? Definitely anything competitive. Right now, it's Venorant."

Jina, who had perched herself on the edge of the bed, nodded slightly.

"Jina Park."

She said, her voice calm and measured.

"I'm from Seoul. I've always been interested in learning. Reading, puzzles, and anything that challenges the mind. My favorite game? Probably something strategic, and MMORPGS. Maybe Civilization, and World of Witchcraft."

Ichiro, standing near the door with his arms crossed, spoke next. His voice was quiet but clear.

"Ichiro Matsumoto. Tokyo. I'm still in high school. My hobbies are… solving puzzles and strategy games. Anything that requires precision. Favorite game? Shogi or Go."

They all turned to Alex, who felt the sudden weight of their attention. He cleared his throat nervously.

"I'm Alex Bohn. Cebu Province, Philippines. I… just graduated from college. My hobbies? Mostly gaming, I guess. I'm not as sporty as Dylan or as smart as you guys, but I've always loved RPGs and exploration games. My favorite? Probably The Witcher 3. It's a masterpiece."

Dylan's grin widened.

"See? Now we're getting somewhere. We've got the strategist, the brainiac, the gamer, and, well, me… the all-rounder."

Jina raised an eyebrow.

"Interesting how you conveniently made yourself sound the most impressive."

Dylan shrugged, unfazed.

"What can I say? Gotta play to your strengths."

They chuckled, the tension in the room easing. For a moment, they weren't summoned heroes or saviors of a world—just four strangers trying to make sense of their circumstances.

As the conversation continued, they began sharing more about their lives back home.

"What about your family?" Jina asked, her tone soft.

"Do you all have siblings?"

Dylan nodded. "Two younger brothers. They're a handful, but I wouldn't trade them for anything."

Ichiro shook his head. "Only child. My parents are… busy. Work takes most of their time."

Jina hesitated before answering.

"One older brother. He's… kind but overprotective. He wanted me to focus on studying and didn't understand my interest in games or magic theory."

Alex shifted uncomfortably.

"I'm an only child. My parents worked so hard to get me through college. I wanted to repay them once I got my first job." His voice trailed off, a pang of guilt settling in his chest.

"We'll get back," Dylan said confidently. "We'll finish whatever this is and get back to them."

"If time works the same way here as it does back home," Jina added, her thoughtful tone grounding the optimism.

As the night wore on, the conversation took a curious turn. Jina, who had been scribbling in a small notebook she found in her room, suddenly looked up.

"Who is the current president of your country?" she asked, her tone casual but her gaze intense.

Dylan raised an eyebrow. "Kamala Harris, obviously. She took over after… well, after the changes. Why?"

Ichiro tilted his head. "In Japan, it's not Fumio Kishida for me. It's someone else… Satoshi Okabe. But why do you ask?"

Jina glanced at Alex, who shifted uneasily. "For me, it's someone different too. I thought Moon Jae-in was still president. But now it's Park Ji-won. It feels… off."

Alex frowned. "What do you mean?"

Jina leaned forward slightly, her voice dropping to a near whisper. "Alex, who is the president of the Philippines?"

He hesitated, his mind racing. "Ferdinand Marcos Jr."

The room fell silent. Jina's brows furrowed. "Marcos? Wasn't he…?"

"The son of the dictator," Alex finished, his voice tense. "But he wasn't president when I… when I left. It was Duterte."

Dylan leaned forward, his playful demeanor replaced by curiosity. "Hold up. You're saying the president changed for you too?"

Ichiro's expression darkened. "It's strange for me too. Kishida has been prime minister for a while, but now… Okabe. It doesn't make sense."

Jina's voice was steady but laced with unease. "It's the same for me. I thought Moon Jae-in was still president. But…" She trailed off, looking at her notebook as if searching for answers.

Alex's mind raced. The implications were unsettling. "Are we even from the same version of Earth?" he asked aloud, the question hanging heavily in the room.

Dylan leaned back, crossing his arms. "You're saying we might be from different timelines or parallel worlds or something? That's insane."

"Insane," Jina agreed, "but not impossible. We were summoned here through magic. Who's to say the summoning didn't pull us from different realities?"

The room fell into a thoughtful silence. Each of them grappled with the idea, the weight of their situation growing heavier.

"If that's true," Alex said finally, his voice barely above a whisper, "then getting back home might be even harder than we thought."

Dylan's jaw tightened, but he forced a grin. "Let's not jump to conclusions. For now, let's focus on what we can control. Training, learning our skills, and figuring out how to survive this place. The rest will come later."

Jina nodded, though her expression remained pensive. "He's right. We need to focus. But we should keep this in mind. It might explain other differences we'll notice."

Ichiro finally spoke, his tone measured. "We'll need to trust each other if we're going to figure this out. No matter where we came from, we're here now. Together."

Alex managed a small smile, the solidarity in Ichiro's words offering a shred of comfort. "Yeah. Together."

As the group disbanded for the night, Alex lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts swirled with the possibilities Jina had raised. Different timelines? Different Earths? The idea was both fascinating and terrifying.

He pulled up his interface again, the glowing text a small comfort in the dark room. Despite the uncertainty, one thing was clear: the answers wouldn't come easily.