Chapter 1: The Summoning
One moment, Jett was in his bedroom.
The fan hummed lazily overhead, and the warm buzz of summer break filtered through his open window. A half-packed gym bag sat by his door—he'd planned to hit the track later, maybe clear his head.
Then the world went white.
No pain. No warning. Just a flicker—like a glitch in reality—and then everything was gone.
When his vision cleared, Jett found himself standing in the middle of a massive stone plaza beneath a bright blue sky. Around him stretched a sprawling medieval town, its cobbled roads threading between timber-framed buildings and stone towers. Rolling green plains swayed at the horizon, unbroken in any direction.
People stood frozen in place, just like him. Two thousand of them—young adults mostly, from what he could tell. Everyone looked dazed, confused, some terrified. A few cried out. Others tapped at the air as if searching for a button to undo whatever had just happened.
A chime echoed in Jett's ears, and a glowing blue panel materialized in front of his face.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
You have been summoned to the Tower World.
This is Floor 0: The Tutorial Town.
You have one week to familiarize yourself with the system, select a class, and prepare.
Death is permanent beyond Floor 0.
Your current status and class are private. Only you may view or share them.
Climb the Tower. Reach the Top. Return Home.
The message vanished as quickly as it appeared. Jett blinked at the empty space where it had been.
He exhaled slowly, hands clenching and unclenching.
This... this was really happening.
An actual Tower. A new world. A system. Classes.
His heart, instead of pounding in panic, began to race with anticipation.
This is it. This is just like the stories.
A loud murmur rippled through the plaza. Some were shouting. Some tried to run. But Jett wasn't looking at the chaos anymore. He wasn't even thinking about Earth. His eyes were locked on two figures nearby.
Lyra.
Emily.
Lyra stood a few dozen feet away, one hand on her hip, her other brushing back her auburn hair as she surveyed the area. Her expression was a mix of irritation and intrigue, the way she always looked when something interrupted her day. But even here, in the middle of a summoned fantasy world, she looked... right. Alive. Her athletic frame, fierce eyes, and casual confidence pulled attention like a magnet.
And then there was Emily.
She was standing apart, arms crossed tightly, her soft features tensed as she scanned the crowd. The quiet edge to her presence was still there—subtle, thoughtful. She hadn't seen Jett yet.
Neither of them had.
Jett took a step forward. Then stopped.
His stomach twisted—not from nerves, but from the weight of it all. The last time he'd seen Emily, it had ended in silence. Awkward, unresolved silence. And Lyra? He hadn't dared act on his feelings—not back then, not with the way things had been at home.
But here? Here was a blank slate.
A chance.
A deep horn sounded from the center of town, drawing everyone's attention. A tall man in silver armor stood atop a fountain pedestal, his voice projecting across the plaza.
"All summoned—proceed to your desired class hall. You have one week. Choose wisely."
Behind him, banners unfurled, each marked with a distinct class symbol.
A crimson blade: Swordsmen.A golden bow: Archer.A swirling staff: Mage.A radiant cross: Healer.An anvil and hammer: Artisan.
The crowd began to move, gravitating toward the banners like iron to a magnet.
Jett glanced once more at the girls.
Lyra was already striding toward the archer banner.
Emily turned and walked toward the mage hall, not looking back.
Jett smiled faintly.
No hesitation.
He turned on his heel and made for the swordsman banner.
This was the beginning.
Not just of the tower.
But of him.
Jett didn't know what would come next. He didn't know what monsters waited on the higher floors, or how the others would change. But he knew one thing:
He was going to climb this tower.
And he wasn't going to stop.
Not until he reached the top.
Not until he made the story his own.