Realmshift: Triad Ascendancy.

Echos of the unknown.

As a child, I was endlessly fascinated by stories of fantastical realms and magical adventures, often daydreaming about what it would be like if those wonders were real. Now, in class, as my classmates chatter aimlessly and the teacher's attempts to regain control seem futile, my thoughts drift. I stare at the clock, counting down the seconds until I can escape the tedium. When the bell finally signals the end of the lesson, I head to the schoolyard, eager for a break from the monotony. Settling into a quiet corner, I hear a familiar voice. "Relaxing here again, huh?"I look up to see Silver, an average-height guy with black hair and striking green eyes, standing nearby. "Yeah, Silver. You know how it is—sitting through another lecture on math feels like a mental marathon I didn't sign up for," I reply, my frustration evident. Silver chuckles, his green eyes sparkling with amusement. "You really have a thing against math, don't you?" he says, his teasing tone light and easy.

I shrug, tilting my head with a deadpan expression. "People often dislike what they don't understand. I guess that's my case with math," I say, maintaining the deadpan look before letting out a small chuckle. "By the way, where's Grey?"Silver shrugs in response. "I saw him this morning at the dojo, really immersed in his martial arts training. If you want, we can go check on him. He's probably still there."I nod slowly, and together we head toward the school dojo. Inside, we find Grey—tall and white-haired—relentlessly attacking a training dummy. His kicks, punches, and intricate combos showcase not just his skill but his impressive flexibility. His pitch-black eyes and commanding presence make it clear that he's a force to be reckoned with, especially to anyone unfamiliar with his dedication.

As soon as Grey, the white-haired martial artist, notices us, his stern expression shifts to a faint smile of recognition. "Hey guys, what brings you here? I suppose I could offer you a free martial arts lesson," he adds with a hint of sarcasm, clearly enjoying the chance to tease us. I've always found martial arts fascinating, even if they're not my main interest. Silver, with a playful grin, responds, "I wouldn't be caught dead taking lessons from you." His grin remains, but Grey's eyes narrow in mock menace, a clear challenge. Before their banter can escalate further, I cut in with a hint of exasperation. "Guys, can we skip the drama and grab something to eat? I'm starving." I grab both of them and steer them out of the dojo toward the lunch area."Ouch, Arkane, did you have to be so rough?" Grey complains, pretending my grip hurt him."She's just irritated from sitting through an hour of math class," Silver chuckles, earning a sharp elbow to the stomach from me. He winces and laughs weakly. "Yup, she's definitely annoyed."As we make our way to the lunch area, we stumble upon an unfamiliar door we've never noticed before. Curiosity piques our interest as we exchange glances. "What's up with that door?"

We approached the massive door with a mixture of curiosity and trepidation, indifferent to the potential consequences. The door itself was an imposing structure, its surface adorned with intricate carvings that seemed to writhe and shift in the dim light. Its weight was formidable, and Grey struggled to budge it at first. But with Silver and me lending our strength, we managed to push it open, the creaking hinges echoing like a prelude to something momentous.As the door swung wide, we were met with a pitch-black void beyond the threshold. An oppressive darkness seemed to seep out from the room, and an unsettling chill ran down my spine. Faint, disembodied whispers began to drift through my mind, urging me to step inside. I turned to Grey and Silver, gripping their arms tightly. My heart raced, and I could feel the subtle, unnerving influence of the voices tugging at my resolve. "You guys hear that too?" I asked, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice. Both of them looked at me, their expressions reflecting a similar sense of unease. Grey's eyes were sharp, his gaze darting between the void and us. "I feel a strange pull towards the darkness like something is drawing me in," he said, his tone laced with a mixture of apprehension and curiosity. Silver, ever the skeptic, shrugged with a bemused grin. "Well, if our desires are leading us here, who are we to resist?" he said, his chuckle not quite masking the gravity of the situation. Grey and I exchanged a deadpan look at Silver's flippant remark, but the gravity of the moment was too intense to dwell on his sarcasm. Our curiosity, now outweighing our apprehension, urged us forward. With a collective nod, we stepped into the void, our footsteps muffled by the engulfing darkness as we ventured into the unknown.