I was Drafted Into a War as the Only Human

The stars shimmered cold and distant above, scattered across the endless velvet of the night sky. A gentle breeze rustled the sheer curtains behind them as Seraphine stood at the edge of her balcony, dressed in a flowing silver nightgown that shimmered faintly under the moonlight. Her Silver hair, slightly tousled, swayed with the wind as she leaned against the marble railing, her gaze locked on the cosmos as though searching for something lost.

"My Champion," she said softly, not turning to look at him, "what has you feeling so down?"

Lucy shifted awkwardly a few steps behind her. He'd always found it impossible not to stare at her—how could anyone not? But tonight, that usual awe was tangled with something heavier. Doubt. Hesitation. Unease.

Still, he masked it the best he could.

"Me? Down?" He chuckled, scratching the back of his neck. "No way. I'm super happy. Sunshine and rainbows." His smile felt hollow, even to himself. "Though I, uh... I did want to ask why you summoned me."

The words tumbled out quickly—too quickly. He was hoping to keep things light and over with.

Seraphine glanced back, her expression unreadable, then let out a delicate giggle, pressing her fingers to her lips.

"It's not very wise to lie to a god, you know," she said, her voice playful but edged with quiet knowing.

Lucy's heart skipped a beat. His laugh followed a moment later, forced and uneven.

'She's toying with me.'

Before he could respond, her voice cut in—softer now, more sincere.

"I summoned you..." She hesitated, the moment stretching like twilight between stars. "Because I could feel the uncertainty inside you."

He froze.

'She can feel what I'm feeling?'

A strange chill prickled at his skin, like someone had read his thoughts through an open window. His stomach turned uncomfortably. He felt exposed and violated, almost, but he didn't let it show.

"Then... forgive me, Seraphine," he said carefully, "but I have concerns about this war."

At first, she said nothing, only twirling a strand of silver hair around her finger, the motion oddly human. Her tone was calm, gentle, and understanding when she finally spoke.

"No need to apologize," she said. "If I were in your place, I'd feel the same." Her gaze drifted back to the stars. "Ask me anything. I won't be angry."

Lucy hesitated. The weight of her words pressed down on him. He searched her face for signs of deceit, some hint of manipulation—but found only patience. Silence stretched between them as he considered the question that had been gnawing at him since he saw his name appear on that list.

Then, finally, he asked.

"Again, forgive me if this comes off as rude, but there's no polite way to phrase it."

He took a breath.

"Why should I fight for you?"

He half-expected her to scowl. Maybe lash out. Maybe melt him into a pile of ash with a snap of her fingers. But instead...

She laughed.

Not a chuckle. A rich, almost musical laugh that rang out across the balcony and echoed into the night air.

"My, my..." she said at last, wiping a tear from the corner of her eye. "It's been eons since anyone's dared to speak to me like that."

Lucy blinked. He tilted his head slightly.

'Eons? Just how old is she?'

He wisely chose not to voice that thought. He might be dumb sometimes, but he wasn't that dumb.

The laughter faded, and Seraphine's expression slowly hardened, like steel cooling in moonlight. Her voice grew low. Serious.

"To put it bluntly... I'm the best choice," she said, each word clipped with purpose. "The other gods are monsters. Tyrants. What they want will only lead the universe into ruin."

Her tone sharpened with each word, anger creeping into her features.

"But me?" she continued, pacing slowly across the marble floor. "I have a better vision. I can fix worlds, Lucy. All of them."

Her eyes lit with passion now, her hands gesturing like she was painting the cosmos with her words.

"I can give people a second chance. Entire planets on the brink of collapse—I can restore them—water, food, medicine, life. I can make it all flourish. I can erase suffering—end disease. Eliminate hunger. I can build a utopia."

She paused, exhaling deeply as if catching herself. Then her voice dropped to a whisper, almost reverent.

"But I need control. Total control over everything."

Then she turned to him, slowly, fully. Her brilliant eyes locked onto his, blazing with unshakable conviction.

"And for that, I need your help."

Lucy blinked, his eyes searching her face for more. He expected her to keep going, but when the silence lingered, heavy and deliberate, he hesitated. Then, cautiously, he asked the question that had been clawing at the back of his mind since day one.

"Why me? Why a human?"

Seraphine's expression didn't falter. She stood perfectly still, her silhouette bathed in moonlight, and her silver nightgown fluttering in the wind like starlight caught in motion. Her voice was low and unwavering.

"Because, Lucy, you have more potential than the gods."

The words struck him like thunder.

She glanced at him, her eyes piercing. "Of course," she added with a faint smirk, "it will take you thousands of years to reach that level."

Lucy's breath caught.

'Me? A god?'

The idea sent a jolt of fear, and something else rippled through his chest: awe, disbelief, and a sense of something so much bigger than himself that it nearly swallowed him whole.

She began twirling a lock of her silvery hair again, a subtle gesture he was starting to associate with thoughtfulness. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"When I was reviewing the selection board during the draft, your name stood out to me," she continued. "The other gods... they overlooked you. They dismissed you because of your lineage. A human with no divine blood? To them, you were insignificant."

She stepped forward, her eyes glowing with something between pride and longing.

"But I was curious. There was something in you. A spark."

Lucy's throat tightened as he listened, completely still, heart pounding.

"Then I had a vision," she said, her voice growing distant, like she saw it unfold again in real time. "You and I, standing together, side by side. Fighting the other gods. And winning."

Her voice was steady now, full of certainty. Purpose.

"We build the utopia, Lucy. Together. So please..." She looked at him fully now, her eyes pleading—not with desperation but trust. "Fight for me."

The air between them was quiet and still.

But inside Lucy, everything was chaos.

Her words ricocheted through his mind, each adding to the storm already spinning there. 'More potential than the gods? Visions of victory? A divine utopia?' It was too much. Too fast.

He felt as though he were standing on the edge of something vast and unknowable, staring into a future he couldn't quite grasp, but somehow knew he was meant for.

The silence stretched on. He didn't move. Didn't breathe.

Then, like a weight settling into place, his mind cleared.

His chest rose and fell with a deep breath, and he stepped forward.

Kneeling on one knee, his head bowed in solemn resolve, he spoke clearly and without fear or hesitation.

"All right," he said. "I will fight for you, my lady."

There was a pause.

Then Seraphine laughed softly, her voice like moonlight dancing on water.

"Please," she said, stepping closer and offering her hand, "call me Seraphine."