The valley didn't feel empty anymore.
From early morning, the road that cut through the red cliffs of Carnarvon never stopped moving.
Black vans.
Shuttle buses.
Equipment trucks.
Security vehicles.
Military-style transport with dark windows.
Media trucks with satellite dishes already pointed toward the sky.
One after another, they entered the site like a slow, endless line.
Dust rose behind every vehicle, hanging in the hot air before slowly disappearing against the red stone walls surrounding the arena.
Two hundred and nine kingdoms.
One hundred players each.
More than twenty thousand people arriving for something no one had ever seen before.
Inside the control room above the arena, the screens never stopped changing.
KINGDOM 1178 — ARRIVED
KINGDOM 1184 — ARRIVED
KINGDOM 1391 — ARRIVED
KINGDOM 1402 — ARRIVED
Ivy stood behind the control glass above the arena floor, headset on, tablet in hand, watching the arrivals on the live screens.
Her face was calm.
Her hands steady.
Only her eyes moved.
KINGDOM 1393 — ARRIVED
Her chest tightened the moment the number appeared.
His kingdom.
For half a second she forgot to breathe.
She didn't move.
Didn't react.
Just nodded to the technician next to her.
"Send them to housing zone C."
"Yes, ma'am."
On the screen, the transport team redirected the buses toward the lower side of the valley, where rows of identical houses waited under the sun.
Outside, the arena looked unreal.
Giant LED screens glowing above the stands.
Metal towers taller than the cliffs.
Obstacle course shining under the sun.
Water pools reflecting the sky like mirrors.
Camera cranes moving slowly above the stage.
Rows of mini houses filling one by one with players who kept looking around like they had stepped into a movie set.
Some stopped walking just to stare.
Some took pictures.
Some laughed.
Some looked nervous.
No one knew who built it.
No one knew who paid for it.
No one knew she was standing ten meters above them watching everything.
Her phone vibrated in her pocket.
Discord.
She already knew what she would see.
DTL chat exploding.
— "THIS PLACE IS INSANE"
— "BRO WHAT IS THIS"
— "THIS IS NOT NORMAL"
— "WHO PAID FOR THIS??"
— "ARE WE IN A TV SHOW??"
— "THIS IS BIGGER THAN KVK"
— "I SWEAR THIS LOOKS LIKE BEAST GAMES"
Peachy typed fast.
Stay focused.
Check your house number.
Meeting later.
Ghost:
Check your house number.
We meet in 10.
Same tone.
Same leader.
Same voice.
Like the night never happened.
Like the silence between them never existed.
Ivy almost smiled… but stopped herself.
She locked the phone and turned back to the screens.
"Last kingdom arrival in 40 minutes," someone said behind her.
She nodded.
"Good."
Because everything started after that.
At 18:00.
No delays.
No mistakes.
No second chance.
17:12
The valley was full now.
Every house occupied.
Every seat in the arena assigned.
Every alliance standing under its banner.
Voices everywhere.
Different languages.
Different accents.
Different uniforms.
All watching the same stage.
Inside the control room, the sound of the arena came through the speakers like a distant storm.
Ivy stood behind the glass, arms crossed, watching the final check.
Lighting — ready
Sound — ready
Screens — ready
Obstacle course — ready
Tracking system — ready
One of the technicians looked at her.
"All teams registered."
She nodded.
"Start countdown."
He pressed the key.
On the giant screens outside, numbers appeared.
00:48:00
A murmur moved through the arena.
People pointing.
Talking.
Guessing.
On Discord, the chat exploded again.
DTL
— "TIMER???"
— "WHAT IS THIS"
— "BRO THIS IS REAL"
— "I FEEL LIKE WE IN A SHOW"
Peachy:
Stay calm.
We listen first.
Ghost:
Nobody talk when rules start.
Ivy read the message twice.
Same Ghost.
Always in control.
Always serious.
Always steady.
Her fingers moved before she could stop herself.
Bloomy:
Yes boss 😌
Someone laughed.
— "She back"
— "Bloomy behave"
— "Ghost gonna mute you"
Ghost replied.
Focus.
Just that.
Short.
Cold.
Her chest tightened again.
She locked the phone.
Work first.
Always work first.
17:52
The arena was full.
Alliances standing together in their zones, each kingdom under its banner, colors everywhere, voices echoing across the massive structure.
Some players were sitting.
Some standing.
Some recording with their phones.
Some just staring at the obstacle course like they couldn't believe it was real.
The giant screens lit up above them.
A deep sound rolled through the speakers, low and heavy, making the entire place vibrate.
People went silent.
Even the loud ones.
Even the ones laughing five seconds before.
Even the ones who didn't understand English stopped talking.
The sound alone forced attention.
In the control room, Ivy didn't move.
Her hand rested on the table.
Her heartbeat faster than the countdown.
One of the producers looked at her.
"We start?"
She nodded.
"Start."
The lights dimmed.
The screens went black.
A voice came through the arena.
Deep.
Slow.
Controlled.
"Welcome… warriors of Kingshot."
Murmurs everywhere.
Players looking at each other.
No one knew who was speaking.
On the screens, the logo appeared.
Then the arena map.
Then the houses.
Then the obstacle course.
Then the stage.
Then the rules.
The voice continued.
"You have been selected from hundreds of kingdoms around the world."
"This is not a normal event."
"This is not a normal war."
"This… is the Global Arena."
Cheers exploded.
People yelling.
Clapping.
Whistling.
Some players stood up.
Some hit the barriers.
Some shouted alliance names.
Inside the control room, Ivy stayed still.
The voice continued.
"For the first phase… each alliance will form ten teams."
The screens changed.
10 PLAYERS PER TEAM
10 TEAMS PER ALLIANCE
Murmurs again.
People turning to each other.
Talking fast.
Confused.
Excited.
The voice continued.
"Each alliance must choose ten leaders."
"Each leader will choose seven fighters."
"Three reserves."
"No changes once selected."
Now the arena exploded.
Names shouted.
Arguments.
Laughing.
People already pointing at each other.
Exactly the chaos she wanted.
The voice continued.
"At 18:30… all selected teams must stand on the arena stage."
A pause.
"…after that…"
The screens went dark again.
"…you will meet the creators of this event."
Silence.
Real silence.
Even the loud ones stopped talking.
Players looking at the stage.
At the screens.
At each other.
In zone 1393, Ghost crossed his arms.
"This is serious," someone said.
Peachy nodded.
"We choose now."
Names started flying.
And Ivy watched everything from behind the glass.
Knowing the next moment…
would change everything.