7700 years ago, the world called Edius was no different from ours.
Cities thrived. People worked, loved, fought, and dreamed. History moved slowly, day after day, like a quiet river flowing toward the future.
Then, on a single night… everything changed.
It was New Year's Eve.
Celebrations filled the world. Fireworks burst above crowded streets, music echoed through cities, and families gathered together to welcome another year.
At the exact same moment, across the entire planet—
Everything stopped.
Cars froze in the middle of roads.
Planes halted mid-flight.
People stopped walking, talking, laughing.
Yet their minds remained awake.
Millions of humans suddenly realized something horrifying.
They could think.
They could see.
But they could not move a single muscle.
Then a voice echoed inside every living mind.
Cold.
Emotionless.
Ancient.
It was spoken in a language no one had ever heard before… yet everyone understood it perfectly.
"Plane located."
A brief silence followed.
Then the voice spoke again.
"Connection beginning."
Panic spread instantly.
People wanted to scream.
Run.
Pray.
But their bodies remained completely frozen, as if time itself had been paused.
Moments later, the voice returned.
"Connection established."
The earth trembled faintly beneath every city and ocean.
Then the voice continued.
"Scanning plane…"
"Lifeforms detected."
"Classification: Tier 0 Lifeforms."
Another pause.
"Insufficient qualification to participate in the Transcendence War."
Across the planet, billions of minds tried desperately to understand what was happening.
Before anyone could process the words, the voice spoke again.
"However…"
"Collective lifeform potential detected: Superior-Level Talent Potential."
"Plane eligible for Emergence Trials."
The voice then announced something that would change the fate of their world forever.
"All lifeforms will now choose."
"Option One."
"Participate in the Emergence Trials."
"Option Two."
"Become a Resource Plane for the Transcendence."
Suddenly, every human felt something strange appear inside their mind.
A glowing panel.
Like a multiple-choice question from a school exam.
Two options.
Nothing more.
But information began to flow directly into their consciousness.
And what they learned terrified them.