The rain slammed against the classroom windows in heavy, furious sheets, turning the outside world into a blurry mess of gray streaks and smeared streetlight glows. Everything beyond the glass looked drowned and distant, like the whole city had been erased and replaced with noise.
Inside Class 3-7, the air felt warm in a suffocating way. Damp wool clung to the room from everyone's soaked uniforms, mixed with the faint sweet smell of someone secretly steaming a breakfast bun under their desk. Chairs creaked, shoes squeaked against the floor, and whispers moved through the rows.
At the front, Mr. Liang sat perched on the edge of his desk like he owned the whole storm outside. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, one foot swinging lazily in the air. He was in the middle of another one of his stories, voice relaxed and almost teasing.
The front rows broke into laughter.
A couple of girls near the aisle giggled too loud, covering their mouths like they were trying to hide it and failing miserably.
Mr. Liang flashed a smug grin, clearly enjoying the attention. Without even turning fully around, he flicked his chalk toward the blackboard, the motion casual and practiced.
"Okay, okay. Taylor series. Don't think this rain is your hall pass."
A boy somewhere in the middle muttered, "It pours every time you say Taylor."
A sharp elbow jabbed him immediately, and he shut up with a quiet hiss.
The radiator along the wall hissed softly, spitting out warmth. The rain never let up, drumming the glass with steady force, a constant white noise that made everything else feel muffled. Under desks, snack wrappers crinkled as hands passed contraband chips and candy. Pens scratched paper. Someone snorted when Mr. Liang drew a graph so ugly it looked like a dying worm.
But in the far back corner, tucked near the end where the light didn't reach as well, a girl sat completely still.
Her long black hair fell like a curtain over her eyes, silky and heavy, hiding most of her face. She didn't laugh, didn't whisper and didn't even shift in her seat like everyone else. Her shoulders were tight, her posture stiff, like she was bracing for something.
Like she was scared.
Beneath her desk, her hand moved slowly, careful not to draw attention. The glow of her phone screen lit her fingers faintly.
A browser was open.
The search bar said:
"How does hanging kill me?"
But then—without warning—a blinding white light exploded across the classroom.
It swallowed everything and nobody had time to react.
And then—
Darkness and silence.
Then a voice spoke, calm and clear, cutting through the darkness like a blade.
"Welcome. The chosen stars."
The girl's eyes fluttered open.
Her breath caught immediately.
She wasn't sitting in her seat anymore.
None of them were.
They were standing in a massive chamber that felt too big. The space stretched endlessly in every direction, wide and impossibly tall, the ceiling disappearing into a soft golden glow that looked more like sunlight.
White marble pillars rose around them, smooth and perfect, threaded with veins of star quartz that pulsed faintly.
The floor beneath their feet was black mirror-stone. It reflected every shimmer above, turning the room into an endless sea of light and shadow. Even their own bodies looked strange in the reflection.
At the center stood a circular dais, broad and elegant, made of translucent alabaster. Its steps curved upward gently, and scattered across them were deep indigo cushions, fringed with silver and crystal beads. Every time the air moved the beads chimed softly.
The walls curved away in smooth arcs, carved with lotus vines that looked alive, their shapes flowing like they were still growing. Between the pillars hung gossamer panels, swaying slowly despite there being no obvious wind.
Light came from everywhere.
Not from a single source. It simply existed, pooling in warm golden drifts around the dais.
The air smelled strange, beautiful in a way that made everyone's chest ache.
Dusk jasmine, clean rain on stone and something faintly sweet… like honey.
Before anyone could even process what they were seeing, movement came from above.
Two figures descended from the top of the chamber, stepping down like gravity didn't apply to them.
A woman and a man.
The woman stood tall, her presence quiet but overwhelming. Her skin looked like warm pearl under moonlight. Midnight hair spilled down her back in soft waves, threaded with strands that glimmered silver. Her violet eyes glowing.
Silver-blue fabric drifted around her, edged in tiny crystal beads that caught the light. At her throat hung a rose-quartz chain, pulsing faintly.
Beside her stood a man, broad-shouldered and steady. His skin was the color of warm burnished bronze. Thick black hair fell to his shoulders, streaked with molten gold that shone when he moved. His storm-amber eyes were sharp and unwavering.
Charcoal linen draped his frame, simple but regal, edged with gold threading. Around one wrist sat a hammered gold band, heavy and ancient-looking.
For a moment, the entire class just stared.
Then panic hit.
Voices erupted everywhere at once.
"What is this?!"
"Where are we?!"
"What is going on?!"
"Who are these people?!"
Students stumbled backward, bumping into each other, grabbing sleeves, clutching to each other. Some were already trembling. Others looked like they were about to cry.
Mr. Liang stood frozen.
His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly open, like his brain had short-circuited.
Then he sucked in a deep breath and shouted, his voice cracking through the chaos.
"Students! Stay calm!"
The command hit them like a slap.
The room didn't fully quiet, but the screams died down fast, swallowed by fear and instinct. Everyone turned toward him, clinging to the one familiar voice they still had.
Mr. Liang swallowed hard, then began walking forward. His hands were slightly raised.
The woman watched him approach.
Then she smiled—soft and warm.
"Thank you very much for handling this situation."
Mr. Liang stopped a few steps away, staring at them with a mixture of caution and disbelief. His throat bobbed as he forced himself to speak.
"Can we know where we are…"
His voice wavered slightly.
He glanced back at the students, at their pale faces and wide eyes and his expression tightened.
"We were in our class just a moment ago… why are we here... and how…"
Before he could finish, the man stepped forward.
The moment he moved. His voice came out loud and clear, echoing across the chamber without effort.
"You all stand here because the threads of fate have drawn you to this place."
The words rolled through the room like thunder.
"I am Jirien, keeper of the Immortal Star. You have not come by accident, each of you carries the spark the world has waited centuries for."
Silence fell again, students looked at each other, blinking like they couldn't even understand the language being spoken, even though every word was clear.
"What…?"
"Is he serious…?"
The man's gaze swept over them, calm and unshaking.
Then he lifted his chin slightly and raised his voice.
"You are going to be the star heroes. All of you. Together, you will become the light that ends the bad and evil from this world."
The room seemed to tighten with tension.
Fear twisted into confusion.
Confusion into disbelief.
Jirien's eyes burned brighter.
"The Immortal Star world does not need one savior. It needs many."
His voice struck the air like a final verdict.
"And you are the chosen one!"
Everyone just stood there, frozen.
Faces were pale, mouths half-open, eyes wide and glassy.
Then the woman lifted her hand, calm as the golden light around her and spoke again.
"He's saying the truth. You all are chosen to be the star heroes of my world."
"We need your help to defeat all the dark deeders, because it seems they are getting stronger every day. And one day… they might become a threat beyond control."
A beat of silence followed.
Then the room exploded.
"What?! Is this really happening?!"
"We heroes?!"
"This is just like the donghua I watched!"
"Are we gonna get isekai'd?!"
The panic shifted into something else—half fear, half excitement.
The goddess watched them with an amused little smile.
"Now then! My dear stars!"
She swung her hand through the air.
A sharp streak of light burst out, fast as a shooting star. It dashed across the chamber and stopped in front of them, hovering at chest level.
It was shaped like a star.
Bright, radiant and almost too clean to stare at directly.
The light pulsed, and within it, letters began to form, glowing and shifting.
Then the goddesses spoke and said.
"Please choose the skill you desire but hurry because others can take it before you."
The moment she said that, some students lunged forward immediately, hands reaching out without hesitation forgetting how terrified they were two seconds ago. Others stayed where they stood, staring at the floating star, their brains refused to accept it was real.
A few didn't move at all.
They just stood there, trembling, caught between disbelief and confusion.
Jirien watched the scene with a faint smile.
Then his expression shifted.
Something caught his attention.
His eyes slid toward the back.
There, among the crowd, the girl with long black hair stood stiffly in place. Her arms were tight against her sides, her fingers curled like she was holding herself together. Her breathing looked shallow, uneven.
She was shaking slightly.
And in front of her…
There was nothing.
No glowing star screen, just empty air.
Jirien's brows drew together. He turned sharply toward the goddess.
"My lady," he said, voice quieter now, but still heavy.
"Something is wrong."
The goddess followed his gaze.
Her violet eyes narrowed slightly, then flared with light. A strange glow spilled outward from her pupils, and in front of her, information began to form in the air.
For a moment, she stared at it.
Then her expression changed.
"That girl doesn't have any mana inside her," she said slowly.
"The star system only detects someone with mana…"
Jirien looked back at the girl.
Then he snapped his head back toward the goddess.
"What? How is that possible? Only dead people don't have mana."
She nodded and replied.
"Yes. And she is… kind of similar to that."
Jirien's stare sharpened.
Then she spoke, voice a little quieter.
"Before being summoned here, she didn't have any will to live back in her world."
"The divine light didn't detect the energy from her to activate the mana sleeping inside her… so…"
Her gaze lingered on the girl for a long moment.
Then she grinned her teeth like she was frustrated.
And spoke plainly, without softness.
"She's practically dead."